Tasmarin is a place of dragons, a plane cut off from all other worlds, where dragons can be dragons and humans can be dinner. It's a place of islands, forests, mountains and wild oceans, filled with magical denizens. Fionn—the black dragon—calmly tells anyone who will listen that he's going to destroy the place. Of course he's a joker, a troublemaker and a dragon of no fixed abode. No one ever believes him.<P>     He's dead serious.<P>    Others strive to refresh the magics that built this place. To do so they need the combined magics of all the intelligent species, to renew the ancient balance and compact. There is just one problem. They need a human mage, and dragons systematically eliminated those centuries ago. Their augury has revealed that there is one, and they seek her desperately. Unfortunately, she's fallen in with Fionn, who really doesn't want them to succeed. He has his own reasons and dark designs.<P>   The part he hadn't worked out is that she will affect his plans too. Chaos, roguery, heroism, theft, love, kidnapping, magic and war follow. And more chaos. <P> <P> <P> <P>“Dave Freer always delivers compelling, fast-moving and addictive fantasy adventures. Write more, Dave.” <P> <P>—<b >Garth Nix</b>, <I>New York Times </i>best-selling author of the Abhorsen trilogy and The Keys to the Kingdom series<P> <P> <P> <P>“Good characterization, ripsnorting action and an ingenious plot make this a feast for sword and sorcery fans.”<P> <P> —<i >Publishers Weekly</i> (Starred Review) on Dave Freer's <i >A Mankind Witch</i>