“San Marino and the Dragon” by Kelly A. Harmon is about one city’s bargain with a dragon and how forgetfulness can lead to destruction. Set in 1600s Italy, the dragon’s bargain with the city is a traditional fairy tale about greed and complacency. A pleasant and entertaining read. – John Ottinger III ⋅ March 10, 2009
Read the full review at The Fixx – Short Fiction Review.
5.0 out of 5 stars. Beyond the covers of this book there be dragons… I didn’t realize until I got this book that what had been missing from my shelves was an anthology of dragon stories, lots of them. All kinds of dragons here – good dragons, ordinary working dragons and dragons you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. My current favorite is a dragon who protects a village in return for cave and boards. The book is just a lot of fun! ⋅ “Scatter Prevalent” – Gilbertsville, NY at Amazon.com ⋅ April 30, 2009
“5.0 out of 5 stars. Some great original stories, especially “An Ordinary Dragon” (Jennifer Schwabach), “The Elephant and the Dragon” (Sean Melican), “I Dreamed of Griffons in Flight” (Jeff Crook), and “The Dragonkeeper’s Wife” (Peter M. Ball). The book would be worth it for these stories alone, but there are many others as well. “A Pet of Her Own” (M.L. Burch) would be a great story to read aloud to a child, even a very young one, and especially to one who’s lobbying for a pet. “San Marino and the Dragon” (Kelly A. Harmon) is one of several light-hearted, positive stories, while others are more grim. They range from at least one story with no characters other than dragons to at least one story in which the dragon is never actually seen. Happy, sad, violent, peaceful — dragons for everyone!. – Naill Renfro at Amazon ⋅ March 31, 2009
“5.0 out of 5 stars. Excellent theme anthology. I really enjoyed the diversity of Black Dragon, White Dragon. So much imagination, so few knights and virgins, and when they appeared, there were interesting twists. I liked most of the stories; my favorites were Herbert and the Wym (great hero), Hardcastle’s Dragon (good dialogue; oh, the paperwork!), An Ordinary Dragon (great twist), Dragon’s Hide (another good twist), Western Front, 1914 ( I’m not an AH fan, but I enjoy it most with magic), and Rip-Snorter (lots of fun; perfectly executed). I love a good theme anthology, but it is rare to find one with all the stories worth reading–or rereading. This anthology is a keeper. – Joy V. Smith at Amazon ⋅ March 12, 2009.