Helpful Score: 9
I really enjoyed this title, even more than Walton's "Sulien" books. Yes, it combines dragons with Victorian ideals, but Walton manages to be believable, witty and light without turning it into a farce. This could be a good introduction for a Jane Austen fan looking to try fantasy literature. This is an easy read, but a captivating one. Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 6
If the words "'Pride and Prejudice' with dragons" spark your interest, you're in for a treat.
In this book, Walton creates a society of civilized, pseudo-Victorian dragons, who wear hats, ride on trains, and eat their relatives when they die. With romance, feuding families, and the subtle politics of rank -- not to mention genteel cannibalism -- this book is a delightful twist on the old stereotypes of dragons in popular fantasy. Neatly plotted, brief, with "Jane Austen-lite" prose, it's a likable book, suitable for all ages.
In this book, Walton creates a society of civilized, pseudo-Victorian dragons, who wear hats, ride on trains, and eat their relatives when they die. With romance, feuding families, and the subtle politics of rank -- not to mention genteel cannibalism -- this book is a delightful twist on the old stereotypes of dragons in popular fantasy. Neatly plotted, brief, with "Jane Austen-lite" prose, it's a likable book, suitable for all ages.
Helpful Score: 2
Loved it. The characters were definitely dragons, but also so human. You really wanted them to win. I recommend it.
Helpful Score: 1
Great for fans of Victorian fantasy literature. "Tooth and Claw" won the World Fantasy Award in 2006 or 2007, and it's a shame that it's hard to find in stores now. Much of it reads like Pride and Prejudice, but rather than being a carbon copy, Walton embellishes, using other motifs from literature of the time period and crafting it finely within her world of dragons.
I really enjoyed this title, even more than Walton's "Sulien" books. Yes, it combines dragons with Victorian ideals, but Walton manages to be believable, witty and light without turning it into a farce. This could be a good introduction for a Jane Austen fan looking to try fantasy literature. This is an easy read, but a captivating one. Highly recommended.
Jo Walton, "I was very pleasantly surprised to find I loved this book. My daughter described it Jane Austin-ish. It was very much like Jane Austin in the story. The fact that it was dragons and they were cannibals made it all the more different. It was a really cool concept and I I would highly recommend it to just about anyone."
