Debut Showcase: The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas

The Adamantine Palace (UK)
By Stephen Deas (Website - LiveJournal - Wonderlands)
Publisher: Gollancz (19 Mar 2009 UK only)
Hardcover: 384 pages
Excerpt

Publisher's Blurb:

The Adamantine Palace lies at the centre of an empire that grew out of ashes. Once dragons ruled the world and man was little more than prey. Then a way of subduing the dragons alchemicly was discovered and now the dragons are bred to be little more than mounts for knights and highly valued tokens in the diplomatic power-players that underpin the rule of the competing aristocratic houses. The Empire has grown fat.

And now one man wants it for himself. A man prepared to poison the king just as he has poisoned his own father. A man prepared to murder his lover and bed her daughter. A man fit to be king?

But unknown to him there are flames on the way. A single dragon has gone missing. And even one dragon on the loose, unsubdued, returned to its full intelligence, its full fury, could spell disaster for the Empire.

But because of the actions of one unscrupulous mercenary the rivals for the throne could soon be facing hundreds of dragons . . .

Mulluane's Take:
DRAGONS! Glorious, wonderful, lovely dragons! Oh I so want this to be released in the US. Supposedly it will be, by Berkley Ace, but there has been no date set as yet. There are those who were fortunate enough to get an ARC of this book so here are a couple of reviews. SFFWorld - Sandstorm Reviews

Tia's Take:
It does sound fabulous! There's nothing like those old fantasy tropes, when done well. I'm not even a huge dragon fan, but I really like the sound of this one. Mulluane and I may be covering the same book. Fortunately, there's room enough in the blogosphere for both of us.