The start of the series that won back-to-back RT Magazine Reviewers' Choice Awards!

As the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan, Julius survives by a simple code: keep quiet, don’t cause trouble, and stay out of the way of bigger dragons. But this meek behavior doesn't fly in a family of ambitious magical predators, and his mother, Bethesda the Heartstriker, has finally reached the end of her patience.

Now, sealed in his human form and banished to the DFZ--a vertical metropolis built on the ruins of Old Detroit--Julius has one month to prove he can be a ruthless dragon or kiss his true shape goodbye forever. But in a city of modern mages and vengeful spirits where dragons are considered monsters to be exterminated, he’s going to need some serious help to survive this test.

He only hopes humans are more trustworthy than dragons...

Winner of the 2015 Audie Audio Book Award in Fantasy!

"For all lovers of urban fantasy, this book will be a welcome addition to their shelves. Rachel Aaron brings her charismatic humor and superb characterization to this story while also developing a very unique world"
- Fantasy Book Critic

"A deliriously smart and funny beginning to a new urban fantasy series about dragons in the ruins of Detroit...inventive, uproariously clever, and completely un-put-down-able!"
- SF Signal

"Super fun, fast paced, urban fantasy full of heart, and plenty of magic, charm and humor to spare, this self published gem was one of my favorite discoveries this year!"
- The Midnight Garden

Review

"For all lovers of urban fantasy, this book will be a welcome addition to their shelves. Rachel Aaron brings her charismatic humor and superb characterization to this story while also developing a very unique world"
- Fantasy Book Critic

"A deliriously smart and funny beginning to a new urban fantasy series about dragons in the ruins of Detroit...inventive, uproariously clever, and completely un-put-down-able!"
- SF Signal

"Super fun, fast paced, urban fantasy full of heart, and plenty of magic, charm and humor to spare, this self published gem was one of my favorite discoveries this year!"
- The Midnight Garden

"Great start to what could be a very fun and entertaining series. Between the characters, their chemistry (whether good or some variance of toxic) with each other, and the fascinating mix of post-apocalypse and urban fantasy world building, I really want to see more of all of it."
- SFF World

From the Author

Winner of the 2015 Audie Audio Book Award in Fantasy!

About the Author

Rachel Aaron is the author of six fantasy novels, including the completed Legend of Eli Monpress series about a charming wizard thief and the poor bastards who have to try and catch him, publish by Orbit Books. She also writes action packed, feminist Science Fiction under the name Rachel Bach, starting with fan favorite powered armor romance, Fortune's Pawn. Her bestselling nonfiction writing book, 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love , has helped thousands of authors double their daily word counts.

When she's not holed up in her writing cave, Rachel lives a nerdy, bookish life in Athens, GA, with her perpetual motion son, long suffering husband, and obese wiener dog. You can find out more about Rachel and read samples of all her books at rachelaaron.net.