The Dragonslayer
First US edition cover
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| Author | Jeff Smith |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Jeff Smith |
| Cover artist |
Jeff Smith David Reed (colourist) Elizabeth Lewis Drew |
| Country | U.S. |
| Language | English |
| Series | Bone |
| Genre | Fantasy, comedy |
| Publisher | Cartoon Books |
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Publication date
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1997 |
| Media type | Hardback and paperback |
| Pages | 176 |
| ISBN | (hardback) (paperback) |
| OCLC | 38290218 |
| Preceded by | Eyes of the Storm |
| Followed by | Rock Jaw: Master of the Eastern Border |
The Dragonslayer is the fourth book in the Bone series. It collects issues 20-27 of Jeff Smith's Bone comics. This volume marks the beginning of the second part of the Bone saga, entitled “Solstice”. The book was first published by Cartoon Books in its original black-and-white form in 1997. Paperback and hardback coloured editions were published in 2006 by Scholastic.
This volume follows the deepening hostilities in between the inhabitants of the valley and the Rat Creatures and their allies. Further secrets from Thorn's past are revealed, and Phoney Bone appoints himself the town dragon slayer. This one has a much darker tone than the previous books, evidenced in part by moments such as the one in which Thorn cuts off Kingdok's arm.
Following the message that a Rat Creature army is crossing the Eastern border, Fone Bone, Thorn, and Gran'ma Ben travel off-road to Barrelhaven. En route, Gran'ma Ben suffers an attack of her “gitchy feeling” - a dizziness and her omen of impending trouble. At the Barrelhaven tavern itself, Phoney Bone's tales of dangerous dragons make his end of the bar the most popular. Lucius attempts to call off the bet, but Phoney declines.
After fending off their ambush, Gran'ma Ben captures one of the Two Stupid Rat Creatures and learns from him that the valley is being evacuated. Kingdok attacks the party; but Thorn slices off Kingdok's right arm, whereupon Kingdok identifies Ben and Thorn as the queen and crown princess of old, and retreats. Smiley Bone, hearing Fone Bone's cries of distress, rushes out with the townsfolk to look for him, but they only find the scene of the fight.
The two Rat Creatures find the senseless Kingdok and blame themselves for his wound. As Thorn dresses Gran'ma Ben's wounds, Ben reveals that Thorn is a “Veni-Yan Cari”: an individual empowered by innate control of “The Dreaming” (the subconscious mental existence of intelligent creatures), and therefore desired by the Hooded One. Angered that her past has been concealed from her, Thorn leaves for the Barrelhaven alone. Fone Bone makes to follow her, and Gran'ma Ben gives him her sword and a pendant bearing the royal crest, with instructions to show it to Lucius. The minute Fone Bone leaves, she runs into the woods. When Thorn and Fone Bone arrive at Barrelhaven, Phoney Bone has taken control of the town and barricaded the roads.
The Hooded One brings news to the Lord of the Locusts that the armies of Pawa in the South have joined their cause, and the kingdom of Atheia has fallen to them. At Barrelhaven, Phoney Bone has stockpiled many of the townspeople's goods in payment for his “protection”. Late one night, Fone Bone finds a baby rat creature scrounging in the garbage. Staying at the inn that night, Thorn is once again visited by the Hooded One in her dreams; this time revealing its face like young Gran'ma Ben's. She is only saved when Fone Bone wakes her to tell her about the Rat Creature cub.
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