The Dragon Has Some Complaints

In this heartfelt and humorous fantasy, a dragon whose three heads bear rather...different personalities finds family in the most unexpected of places. From the Nebula-winning author of Someone You Can Build A Nest In! Garrodigh was once a four-headed dragon, among the most powerful in KardoSa. After an unfortunate incident, he now has three heads, one stump, and a daily whirlwind of internal bickering. Centerhead wants to rain death upon all humanity, Bottomhead is like a feral cat, and Upperhead is under the delicate delusion that he is, in fact, human. When a nearby battle goes awry, Garrodigh sneaks into an elite dragon rider academy, pretending to be tame to get free food and a warm bed. Lucky for him, rider Rania Albright is desperate enough for a dragon of her own that she overlooks his eccentricities. As Garrodigh recovers under Rania's care, all three heads start to turn, for the first time, in the same direction. Each wants to protect her from the invaders who killed their fourth head-the same invaders who seek to conquer KardoSa. When the academy comes under attack, can this wild dragon and his wilder rider save their homeland together? This cozy fantasy intertwines epic battles with loving friendships, sharing an utterly unique perspective on what it means to be a 'monster.'

John Wiswell won the Nebula Award for his short story 'Open House on Haunted Hill' and won the Locus Award for his novelette 'That Story Isn't The Story'. He has also been a finalist for the Hugo Award, World Fantasy Award, British Fantasy Award, and Locus Award. His work has appeared in acclaimed publications like Uncanny Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Tor.com, Nightmare Magazine, and others, as well as numerous podcasts, including LeVar Burton Reads, NoSleep, Podcastle, and Escape Pod. He was most recently a finalist of the Hugo Award a second time in 2022 for Best Novelette. You can find him on X @Wiswell and online at https://johnwiswell.blogspot.com.