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John Wiswell - The Dragon Has Some Complaint

  • Solid State Books 600 H Street Northeast Washington, DC, 20002 United States (map)

Join us for an evening with author

John Wiswell to discuss his new book,

The Dragon Has Some Complaints

To be held at Solid State Books on H St. NE

Tickets with, AND without a book are available here!

"The dragon may have some complaints, but readers won't. By turns silly, sweet, and subversive, this novel has all of Wiswell's characteristic blend of tension and heart." —Caitlin Rozakis, New York Times bestselling author of Startup Hell

In this heartfelt and humorous fantasy from the Nebula-winning author of Someone You Can Build a Nest In, a dragon whose three heads bear rather…different...personalities finds family in the most unexpected of places.


Garrodigh was once a four-headed dragon, among the most powerful in Kardoša. 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 Charvátová 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 Kardoša. 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 is a disabled writer who lives where New York keeps its trees. His novel Someone You Can Build a Nest In won the Nebula Award and Locus Award and was nominated for the Hugo Award. He has also won a Nebula and a Locus for his short fiction, and has been a finalist for the British Fantasy Award and World Fantasy Award. He is also the author of Nebula Award-nominated Wearing the Lion and The Dragon Has Some Complaints.