ARE YOU ON THE DARK PATH? TAKE THIS QUIZ TO FIND OUT. —An Elven Pamphlet
Dragonfired is J. Zachary Pike’s third book of the Dark Profit trilogy. I previously reviewed his first two books, Orconomics and Son of a Liche. Let’s look at his conclusion to the saga.
Unfolding the Story
A rash of mysterious deaths by burning occurs across the Freedlands, and Gorm Ingerson is sure King Johan is behind it. Gathering his reluctant compatriots, he searches near and far for proof. When he descends into the dungeon below Andurun itself, they discover an ancient conflict that threatens to obliterate the Freedlands in its wake.
How can ye save the world when the world seems like the problem? —Gorm Ingerson
Here are a few things our intrepid heroes encounter along the way:
- A lovesick queen
- Thieves’ Guild Clerks
- The invention of the spreadsheet
- A rented goat
- A theological support friar with a penchant for exaggeration
- Lawyer-Monks
Examining the Themes
Pillage a town’s gold, and you’ll be rich for a day. Make a town systemically dependent on services that only you provide, and you’ll be rich for a lifetime. —An HR goblin of Warg Incorporated
As one might expect, Dragonfired builds on the themes established in the previous books:
- Racism
- The flaws of capitalism
- Overcoming old wounds
- Restoration and reconciliation
Trigger Warning
Even though Orconomics and Son of a Liche highlight social issues, they don’t do so in a controversial way. Dragonfired usually doesn’t either, but it does in certain parts. During its exploration of racism, the book supports woke ideals. Also, there are a few pages where a gay, interracial romance is revealed. The ensuing discussion supports this relationship.
Depending on where you stand on these issues, you could end up either affirmed or disgruntled after reading these parts of the book.
For religiously minded readers who’ve made it this far in the trilogy, the fact that a pantheon of deities exists is probably not an issue. If, however, that has bothered you some but you’ve kept reading because of the stellar writing, you should know that the gods of Arth play a larger role in Dragonfired than in the previous books.
Know yourself and read responsibly.
Reflections
Dragonfired comes extremely close to the standards of adventure and hilarity set by Orconomics and Son of a Liche. It may be the weakest of the trilogy, but that’s not saying much. The first two set a ridiculously high bar. This one is still excellent.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO TAKE A VOW OF SILENCE TO WORK HERE, BUT IT HELPS. —Sign at the entrance to the island of the lawyer-monks
Pike continues his humorous transitions where most scenes start with a paragraph that plays off the ending paragraph of the previous scene even when (especially when) the two scenes are unrelated.
I enjoyed the completion of the character arcs. Especially Laruna’s. Watch for the scene where she’s determined to get her epiphany.
Another fun scene is when Gorm and Kaitha go to infiltrate a fortress.
Send a drummer to chant the saga of our mighty brokerage —Asherzu Guz’Varda
Will You Like It?
If you’ve read the first two books of the trilogy, you probably already know you’ll like it. But if you’re not sure, read on…
This book is for you if you:
- Like epic fantasy
- Understand the basic terms of the stock market
- Enjoy a generous mix of humor and adventure
- Would not be bothered by brief forays into controversial social issues.
- Read and liked Orconomics and Son of a Liche.
If that sounds good to you, check out Dragonfired →