The Dragon Business
Kevin J. Anderson (2013)

Long ago, in a kingdom not far from Mediaeval times,  young Cullin traveled the countryside as squire to brave Sir Dalbry, along with Dalbry’s trusted sidekick Reeger, selling dragon-protection services to every kingdom with a coffer. There were no dragons, of course, but with a collection of severed alligator heads and a willingness to play dirty, the trio of con men was crushing the competition.

It’s a mix of Monty Python and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Kevin Anderson must have gotten tired of epic space stories and wanted to take on the hardest genre of all: Humour.

In large part he succeeds. You can imaging Mel Brooks directing a film of this. But it’s Anderson’s years of experience in writing that makes it work. There are memorable characters and the story keeps up the pacing to the end.