Saturday, November 15, 2008

Double Dragon

We're at the halfway point of NaNoWriMo already? Time to do a midway giveaway, then. I just got back from the bookstore and lookit what I found on the shelves:



 

I believe these are the final reprints from author Patricia Briggs's novel backlist, and arguably they saved the best for last. No one does dragons like Ms. Briggs, which is why I can happily reread both of these books at a point in my life when even seeing the word dragon makes my head hurt.

But you don't have to take my word for it. In comments to this post, tell us what you've named (or would name) a fictional dragon (or, if you have a case of the dreaded dragonitis, just toss your name in the magic hat) by midnight EST on Sunday, November 16, 2008. I'll draw three names at random from everyone who participates and send the winners unsigned copies of the reprint editions of Dragon Bones and Dragon Blood by Patricia Briggs. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.

74 comments:

  1. I've only named one. His name was Daigh (which means flame or fire). I also like Tyrath.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4:59 AM

    I have a dragon named Flauvius, he is fairly scholarly.
    Desiree McCracken

    ReplyDelete
  3. Flamingo no matter what colour it was ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yep, halfway through NaNo already! I love this month. This year I've adopted a couple of newbies to mentor and it's made the experience that much better.

    This morning, as I'm heading off to tackle my NaNo novel, I'd name a dragon Carry Me Home. A longish name, I admit, but Trigger was already taken. :)

    Hope you have a nice weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yesterday I bought the print version of G.A. Aiken's DRAGON, ACTUALLY. (Print from Zebra, ebook available at Samhain). So I'm definitely in the mood for dragons, and I really like Brigg's writing.

    I'd name my dragon Justice.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous7:22 AM

    A dragon named Esylt...there should be "girl-dragons" too!

    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous7:24 AM

    Oh meeeeeeeeee! I've been DYING to read Patricia Briggs' older stuff but it disappears too quickly for me to get my grubby hands on it. Fie!

    *blinks* midway point? I'm breaking 40k today, baby. If I wasn't going to Atlantic City I think I'd just hole up and push for the win.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've used a couple of dragons in my stories. My favorite is Bruno... a seriously tough-guy dragon, at least in his own mind.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dragon names I have used already: Nyakas, Malitor, Styrka, Sieger, Justus, Jael, and Vredek.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous8:24 AM

    I've got a bratty dragon named Eilrah in one of my erotic romance books. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous8:28 AM

    I haven't actually named a dragon, but we call our future farm "Woolly Dragon". Think a dragon with a coat like a Woolly Mammoth. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Chi... no particular rhyme or reason behind it - he just told me that's what he was called. No arguing with dragons remember? For you are crunchy when roasted and taste good with ketchup ;)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I haven't named my dragon yet (he doesn't come into the series until book 3- maybe book 4), so I haven't even started thinking of his name. The other characters have started calling him Flatulence. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dragons? Ack! No! Too many *bad* dragon books out there! LOL. But if you give these a thumbs up, count me in.

    So, throwing my hat into the ring.

    :)
    lisa

    ReplyDelete
  15. I already own them, so you can leave me out, but I wanted to put in a plug for anyone who doesn't win and loves fantasy to pick these books up (really any of her backlist!)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Let's see, I'm taking the GRE today and I have a nasty cold so between the two I'm only about 12,000 words behind on my novel, so if I had a pet dragon, I think I'd have to name him Muse and hope he lived up to it.

    DiDi

    ReplyDelete
  17. No dragons here. I love the thought of writing a neurotic dragon named Irving, though. I just don't know what I'd do with him.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'll give you two for the price of one, both from my dragon universe:

    Morghu shan Harkos, which translated from their language, means "red warrior";

    and her father, Zarkava shan Hamas, which means "black heart." (The latter name stolen shamelessly from the great 3-year-old filly who won this year's Arc de Triomphe.)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I've noticed a trend in dragon books to use wyvern as synonym for dragon. It's not exactly so, since wyverns are just one of the dragon varieties/races/subspecies. In any case, the word (wyvern) is originally from Old Saxon, so since wyverns are so popular in dragon land, I'd choose Old Saxon names. Eadwyn for a male and Cynwise for a female.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Whee! I love Briggs. The dragon in my current book (which is actually in the future somewhere in 2009) is named Kadar. Because it suited him and George was way too whimsical.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Huh. Just realized that none of the dragons I've written have had names. Or at least not any that humans have known about. They probably have names in Dragonese, but in Human they would probably sound like "Kyjyptzpz" and smell like sulphur.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I think my first dragon was named Agaroth. Or maybe Aragoth. It was a long time ago, and the story's lost.

    In my other dragon story--the one that didn't find a home at Baen's Universe after waiting patiently for over a year (but I did get some useful feedback), the dragon doesn't have a name. It's not a talking dragon.

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. The closest I have to a dragon in one of my stories is the imaginary friend of a character, and the imaginary friend took the shape of a dragon named Fiera. :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love writing stories for fun not for publishing. And I haven't written about dragons yet. I would prob go for something celtic sounding. Like:

    Ceridin.

    Mieke

    ReplyDelete
  25. Erik for a male, Bria for a female. LOL. There are some fascinating names in the list! Great contest. :)

    Halfway through NaNo and I JUST made my halfway point this morning. I was afraid it wouldn't happen. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I would name my dragon Pyrrhus, which is Greek for fire, and also means I can use the nick name Pyrr, which I pronounce 'purr'.

    ReplyDelete
  27. My son has two stuffed dragons: Sapphire and Topaz. He chose those names himself and I think they really work.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Well, Kibbitz sits on my left shoulder and Farnsworth looks over the right.

    Oh, fictional? Well then, ummm.. no, can't tell you about that one... hmmm... okay, well, in one MG story, a young transit mage apprentice has a dray (neutered dragon) that he calls "Tazzle".

    And the word verification is "Wograve", which is not bad at all!

    ReplyDelete
  29. The only thing I can come up with would be Dragor!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I named a little dragon-familiar thing "Culture" once, but that was before I recognized the word as a bacterial term. Ew.

    Since I like more whimsical fantasy I've always wanted to write a dragon called Duck. Or Ducan. Or Mallard. But there aren't any dragons in my current world, so they'll just have to wait. Step off, plot bunnies! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  31. I have a dragon in a humorous short story, he's called Fenice.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous1:21 PM

    Hehe. I don't have a lot of dragons in my stories, but in the one that does...I named her Killwing. Her mate is called Killingtime. :P

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous1:47 PM

    I had one, a long time ago, named Jhaska'ar the Changeling.

    He was fun! :)

    ReplyDelete
  34. I haven't read her dragons yet, love to get these. I like Derian for a dragon name.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous2:11 PM

    Oh, must get books. I love Ms. Briggs' writing and stories.

    My dragon insisted on Sebastian.

    Thanks for the heads up that those books are available.

    Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Don't write fiction so I don't have a personal dragon name but I always loved the dragon my son bought when he was small. It was Epcot and called Figment (e.g. Figment of Imagination). He loved the idea. Since he has almost finished his PhD, I guess "Figment" has helped. If I can recommend a dragon book, I recently finish Robin McKinley's Dragonhaven. If you have ever lived with a teenage boy..., Mckinley nails it.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I usually don't use dragon's, but I like Razzle-Dazzle or Fluffy.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Oooh! Love these covers and Briggs deserves them. I love dragons, but can't think of a name. Perhaps Luna. I do have the name of a dragon hunter: Merlaina.

    These look like good reads for Thanksgiving.

    Sandy L

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous4:30 PM

    Earnest, because I've always known that if I had a dragon I would name it that

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous4:49 PM

    Archibald. 'Cause it would be a comedy.

    Jonathan

    ReplyDelete
  41. Just finished one of your Darkyn novels last night, Private Demon! I like the twist at the end of that one.

    I love, love, love dragons, too! I've read pretty much every dragon book I could get my hands on, but I haven't read these.

    If I were naming dragons in my stories(one day!), I like Spark for a humorous/younger story. If he were a (handsome)shapechanger dragon, he'd be Scottish, red-headed, and I'd name him Aeden. For a female dragon, Cera.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Anonymous5:09 PM

    I used to have a white dragon figurine that I named "Corlith."

    ReplyDelete
  43. Well, I have written only one dragon and its name was... dragon ¬¬U Yeah, original? :p

    ReplyDelete
  44. I fear I have the dragonitis desease. Would still like these books though, ;)

    ReplyDelete
  45. Anonymous6:37 PM

    Ok we are big into D&D. The name depends on the type of dragon, but we will use my favorite, the Black Dragon, whose breath weapon is acid. I would name him Boarakks.

    ReplyDelete
  46. FYI, I think the two Raven books need new covers. Raven's Strike and Raven's Shadow. Hopefully, they will reprint Masques.

    ReplyDelete
  47. In my short story, I named my Air dragon Bavol (meaning wind).

    I try to attach some meaning to my names but sometimes not. This time I tried for something different that related to the character.

    ReplyDelete
  48. I always liked Scour for a dragon. Maybe I should write a dragon and use the name. Too bad I'm not working on any fantasy stories at the mo.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Skippy. I've always liked that name, but my husband wouldn't let me use it for our son.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Currently, I have two dragons in my NaNovel, a hatchling named Voltaire (Tara for short) and a big green one named Samhain.

    :P Oh, NaNo.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Dwagon. I would hope he wasn't of the ferocious kind and more like Puff the Magic Dragon. : )

    ReplyDelete
  52. Anonymous11:01 PM

    Well, I had another name, but my captcha word is Zytristo, and I kinda like that, so I'm going with it. No telling where you'll find inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  53. love PB's books and Arnwyl would be a good name.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Something to strike terror in the hearts of peasants all across the realm. A name so foul it cannot be spoken aloud. How about...Todd?

    ReplyDelete
  55. Nice covers. Very nice covers - to cover even nicer books.

    Should I ever come into possession of a dragon, I shall hug him and squeeze him and call him George.

    A girl dragon will have to settle for being called Mirabile.

    ReplyDelete
  56. I would name my dragon Huzar.

    ReplyDelete
  57. I've seen the name Smokey used as a dragon's name in a book and thought it would be a good name. Or how about Ash?

    ReplyDelete
  58. Anonymous3:33 AM

    Yay! De-lurking for contest goodness.

    I'd have to meet the dragon before I truly named him/her, but for the sake of the contest... Amethyst.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Anonymous8:38 AM

    Klara

    (of course it is a female dragon. Never met a male one. Never heard of anyone meeting a male one...)

    ReplyDelete
  60. My dragon on PernMUSH (yikes, 10 years ago and probably the kind of dragon that makes your teeth hurt), was named Esyth. We had an NPC weyrmate who rode Onth.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Anonymous1:48 PM

    I would name my dragon Rodney.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Tim.

    :)

    Am shooting for 40K today, but it's slow going in NaNo land for me lately....

    ReplyDelete
  63. I swear I posted yesterday. :-(

    I guess I'll just drop my name in the hat.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Anonymous3:10 PM

    :::hangs head::: I collect dragons but I've never named one.

    Tossing name in hat cause I love Briggs's work.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Anonymous5:17 PM

    For a friendly dragon: Doobie (because, ya know, he smokes a little...)

    For a villainous dragon: Vyle (self-explanatory)

    ReplyDelete
  66. Anonymous6:17 PM

    I'm thinking Lola would be a fabulous dragon name.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Dragon name: Icarus.

    Name in hat!

    ReplyDelete
  68. Love Dragons! Our dragon is Rocheart.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Anonymous8:30 PM

    See how badly nano affected me? I didn't even notice the dragon name thing.

    I would name a dragon Amadeus, I think, for a boy, and Leticia for a girl. Why not? (I'm Naomi Novik-influenced.)

    it occurs to me that I DID name a fictional dragon once for a story but heck if I could find THAT file.... oh. wait. Right there in the folder labeled "Old Stuff". I'm good like that. *skims*

    Huh. I still like this particular idea. ... The dragon was Dlebrig (male).

    ReplyDelete
  70. Dragon Name? Phlame!

    ReplyDelete
  71. How about 'Match'?

    ReplyDelete
  72. I think I'd steal from Piers Anthony and name it Stanley Steamer.

    ReplyDelete