A fun trip on the fantasy troupes that have become a little too common the past few years. Well written and worth reading.

The first chapters of this book really captivate me because of the description of the characters and also on how well the reader can understand this new fantasy world. Normally it is not a book that I read but can say that it was a pleasant and surprisingly good read.

I was excited to find a standalone book in the world of Vick's Vultures. It turned out to be the most entertaining treatise on logistics and investing ever. I loved the dragon and that he wanted to invest in his own hoard - it led to a really entertaining read!

As this follows an accountant/banker in fantasy setting, it has one of the most unique main character POVs I’ve experienced in a fantasy. Sadly this was the only thing that stood out for me, as the rest was a tad boring!
There was a real lack of world building, which was desperately needed considering the main character would discuss places and people quite often. On a more positive note, it is a quick read - a rare find in the world of fantasy.

Overall I found it a little disappointing but it was nice to read something with an unique twist!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

ARC received from Netgalley

DNF @ 28%

Very much an "it's me, not you" situation. This wasn't a bad book. The writing style was fine, the characters likeable, and the concept pretty interesting. I really like when authors try to do something new with fantasy, especially with the more mundane, slice-of-life side of things, which was why this book caught my eye. However, I should have been more wary of the fact this story is about a banker. Finance and economics in the real world make my brain hurt, and it transpires the same can be said for fantasy worlds. What do I find scarier - dragons, or banking? Recalling how quickly I ran out of that economics classroom long, long ago during a sixth-form open day, probably the latter. (Is banking even part of economics? God knows. I think this further proves my point).

So anyway, this wasn't bad, but I think the other elements of the story would have to be exceptional for me to face my banking fears.

3.3 pecuniary stars

Master Sailor Kelstern is a banker who goes through difficulties after losing the fortune of a nobleman who is not at all satisfied with that; but that is nothing when faced with the challenge of satisfying a dragon (which is not supposed to exist) towards a new era of change towards paper money.

Kelstern is an interesting character, he is not the hero we are used to, and yet he is no stranger to risk his own skin when necessary. But where he is most comfortable is behind a desk with his esteemed account books, and developing strategies to earn money for his clients and his bank.

True wealth had two faces: hard currency in vaults, and even more real, numbers in thick bound ledgers covered with old cracked leather. My mind spun with the possibilities of futures trading, speculation, and marginalized lending. No aspect of shipping or industry was safe from my daydreaming.

Much of the story revolves around the world of finance, speculation about the acquisition of intangibles, and taxes and so on.

Although Kelstern is fascinated by alchemy and often mentions it, trying to acquire materials especially.

“I’ve never understood your fascination with alchemists,” said Dahli. “Seeing as how you disapprove of witches and magic and all that.”
I rose and stretched. It does ill for a body to sit as often and as long as I do. Making such vast quantities of money move from place to place ironically required extraordinary amounts of sitting still.
“I do disapprove,” I said. “No person should have the power to wave his hands about and make his will manifest without a notary authorizing it and two men to witness. Alchemy is the domain of educated men. Not mystics. More critically, it’s not limited by the luck of one’s birth. It’s a mastery, not a gift. And most important of all, it contains many moving parts. And when many parts move in concert…”
“Money is made,” said Dahli.

This is a short novel, and what is most needed is a profound construction of the world in which it is found*. There is only mention of the queen, and of the nobles, and some geography, and which discriminate against a female banker but there is a woman as captain of the best ship in the Borrean Navy.

*In the prologue it is mentioned that it shares the same world of "The Sorcerous Crimes Division", a series that I do not know, although I will take a look after reading this.

It is quite rare for me to complain about the edition in an english book (mainly because it is not my first language), but I have seen others complain about the same. So, without a doubt, there is something strange with the handling or order of the words that have caused me to read a paragraph several times to understand the meaning. So, a better edition is a must.

As mentioned by the banker in this story, this can be read as a bet, where you want to gamble or heist a lot, but which can more often than otherwise, turn out quite badly.

Interteining. You want to know how the banker could resolve all his problemas. Or not.

And remember: there are cunning dragons in this book ;)


-->"Forego Quest" 3 stars
At the end of this book, comes a short story where, very much tongue-in-cheek, the protagonist is a Chosen one of the most reluctant nature in which magic presents not one or two prophecies, but lots. So tiring to the poor fellow..
It is a funny story that plays with all the fantasy tropes.

---------------

(In Spanish:)

3.3 estrellas pecuniarias

Master Sailor Kelstern es un banquero que atraviesa dificultades después de perder la fortuna de un noble que no está nada satisfecho con eso; pero eso no es nada cuando se enfrenta con el desafío de satisfacer a un dragón (que se supone que no existen) hacia una nueva era de cambio hacia el papel moneda.

Kelstern es un personaje interesante, no es el héroe al que estamos acostumbrados y, sin embargo, no es ajeno a arriesgar su propio pellejo cuando es necesario. Pero donde se siente más cómodo es detrás de un escritorio con sus estimados libros de cuentas y desarrollando estrategias para ganar dinero para sus clientes y su banco.

Gran parte de la historia gira en torno al mundo de las finanzas, la especulación sobre la adquisición de intangibles, los impuestos, etc.

Aunque Kelstern está fascinado por la alquimia y a menudo la menciona, trata de adquirir materiales especialmente. Sintiendo fascinación por ellos, aunque no demasiado respeto por la magia que no conlleva esfuerzo.

Esta es una novela corta, y lo que más se necesita es una construcción profunda del mundo en el que se encuentra *. Solo se menciona a la reina, y a los nobles, y algo de geografía, y que discriminan a una mujer banquera, pero hay una mujer como capitana del mejor barco de la Armada de Borrean.

* En el prólogo se menciona que comparte el mismo mundo de "The Sorcerous Crimes Division", una serie que no conozco, aunque echaré un vistazo después de leer esto.

Es bastante raro que me queje de la edición en un libro en inglés (principalmente porque no es mi primer idioma), pero he visto a otros quejarse de lo mismo. Entonces, sin duda, hay algo extraño con el manejo o el orden de las palabras que me han llevado a leer un párrafo varias veces para comprender el significado. Por lo tanto, una mejor edición es imprescindible.

Según lo mencionado por el banquero en esta historia, esto se puede leer como una apuesta, donde se arriesga todo o como una suerte de estafa , y donde con frecuencia puede resultar bastante mal.

Entretenido, quieres saber como sale del banquero de todos los problemas.

Y recuerda: hay dragones astutos en este libro ;)


-> "Forego Quest"
Al final de este libro, hay una historia corta en la que, en tono de broma o parodia, el protagonista es un "Elegido", de la naturaleza más reacia a serlo, y en que la que la magia no presenta una o dos profecías, sino muchas. Eso es tan agotador para el protagonista.
Es un relato divertido en que juega con todos los tropos de fantasia.

A fantastic book about a human banker and a family of dragons set on proving that all other species are greedy for money but are surprised when Sailor Kelstern shows them that not everyone wants profit for themselves

I gave this 5 stars because the narration of Sailor's thoughts throughout the book were something different to read but also entertaining and made me want to keep reading. There was always something happening on each page that pulled you into the story even more like you were also one of the characters.

Published by: Scott Warren (Self-Published)
Genre: Fantasy (Economic Adventure!)
Pages: 255
Format: e-book
Review/Purchased Copy: Provided through NetGalley, in return for an honest review.

Sailor Kestern is a fine banker in an unenviable position. His former client, a nobleman by the name of Brackwaldt, has it out for him and that’s made business difficult. So difficult in fact, Sailor’s prospects in the capital of Borreos are looking increasingly forlorn. Gates are shut in his face, trade routes are blocked for him, human shipmasters refuse to work with businesses that so much as associate themselves with the Kestern banking house.

Even with this one major issue at hand, it’s an exciting time to be a financier and Sailor isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. The Royal Mint is driving a major initiative on behalf of the Crown, introducing paper currency and hammering it into the economy with all the strength an institution has in wielding hardcore monetary policy. Adam Smith’s invisible hand? Pfft, please, Borreos has one Darrez Issa, financier extraordinaire, who looks over the interests of the Crown with an eye sharp enough to make even an eagle jealous. A man like Sailor has a healthy dose of awe for the queen’s financial advisor, and the good sense to stay away from him after the last time the two crossed paths.

But this is called The Dragon’s Banker and not The Adventures of Sailor Kestern: Merchant Banker. There is, of course, a dragon – and what a dragon he is! The dragon has a daughter, too, and she is far more integral to this novel, the mysterious figure through whose actions Sailor becomes embroidered in the most ambitious venture he has ever helmed. Success is difficult, and failure? Let’s just say, the wrath of even the most morally bankrupt nobleman is like a fleck of dust in comparison to the rage of dragons.

As a reader with a bachelor’s degree in economics, I was the perfect audience for The Dragon’s Banker. The economics made sense and Warren seems to have a good grasp of how demand and supply work; he’s thought through all sorts of issues that the reader could’ve picked up on and works them in the story seamlessly and just at the right time. Some of Sailor’s most minor actions, at first, see great pay-off by the end of this 255-page read and in ways I didn’t necessarily expect.

The world was well enough distinguished from your average mish-mash of fantasy races; elves, in particular, struck me as a memorable lot, coming across less as a perfect, immortal version of humans and as more alien, as fickle as any creature as I’ve read about. There are quite a few memorable characters, as well – Sailor’s assistant, his banking partners, several dragons (in my mind, I call them Greedy, Arsy and Tiny-but-Not), and more. I will say, I thought a few of the dragons would have benefitted of a further appearance or two.
One aspect of this novel won me over, and it’s a specific reading of the novel that I will now expand on:
At one level of The Dragon’s Banker, there’s a critique of capitalism’s ceaseless chase of profit maximization. Though avaricious, Sailor never has the amassing of riches as his personal goal. For him, money is most valuable for what it can do for people. In that way, what could’ve been a cynical take on banking is instead a subversive work of fantasy well worth the read for that angle alone.

Sailor Kestern is a humanist – and that, I think, is the greatest triumph of The Dragon’s Banker. This banker, the only one worthy of representing the interests of the most avaricious creature of all, the dragon, ultimately differs from his cold-blooded patron in the following way – money isn’t an end goal for him. It is merely a tool.
To me, The Dragon’s Banker is a 4.5/5 star read. I enjoyed it immensely, partially because of my background, partially because of my reading of it as a critique on some of the woes of capitalism. It’s my firm belief that you’ll find plenty to love within these pages.

As for me, I am curious to see what else Scott Warren is capable of.

You'll enjoy this novel if:
• You like to see dragons evolving with the new financial times;
• You're looking for an atypical fantasy protagonist, one who relies on his smarts rather than on his fists;
• You're in for an adventure that deals with trade, the economy and a world in the early stages of the Industrial revolution;
• You are looking for a critique of capitalism, now with dragons!
• And More! Prob'ly.

Sailor Kelstern is a banker in a land of nobles, elves, dwarfs, but no dragons. At least that is what everyone knows. Sailor learns differently when approached by a lady with an offer that he cannot refuse - turn a dragon's hoard into banknotes so that the Dragon can continue to prosper and his wealth increase. But he is hounded by a nobleman who feels slighted by him, he has to carefully skirt the law, every venture seems to go wrong in some way and yet he persists and manages to make a triumph of sorts. An interesting fantasy adventure lacking the normal gang of adventures and dungeon diving. Who knew banking was so exciting?

Thanks Netgalley for the chance to review this book!

Short and enjoyable read. How do dragons react when society switches to Fiat currency and their vast holds become basically worthless? Read it and find out.

It left me wanting for more. :)

I enjoyed this book , the concept is different, mixing fantasy with economics. It was a fun and fast read, I enjoyed the characters ; they were wonderful and well-written.

If you've ever read The Hobbit then you know that dragons are intelligent creatures filled with greed as they closely guard their hoard of treasure. But time doesn't stand still even for dragons and countries will begin to modernize whether the dragons want them to or not. So, what is a dragon to do when gold is no longer accepted as payment for goods or services?

Thoughts:
In Borreos, wizards are common, but dragon’s are not. In fact, the existence of dragons are thought to be almost laughable since it has been so long since anyone has seen any. Sailor Kelstern, a banker, is having a normal day as any when a drifter tells him that there is a rumor that some dragons have been spotted in the Redfang Mountains. Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to Sailor until he meets one who requests his help and banking knowledge. Sailor says no, but due to a set of circumstances he is forced into a working relationship with the dragons to help them exchange their gems, metals, and other treasures to something that will work in the new modern times – all without anyone knowing that there are dragons in the world and that they have a lot of gold.

My overall take is that this is a good book to try out if you want to stick to something in the fantasy genre, but want something different than a story about needing to save the world from pending doom. The characters are well done and likeable and the situations they encounter are interesting as they try to navigate the world that sometimes wants to work against them. Also, keeping up with the dragon’s ever changing demands isn’t that easy either. Be prepared though – Sailor sometimes has to explain to the dragons and others about how he plans to accomplish everything so there may be more business-related conversations than you might expect in any fantasy book.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for an advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.

This book is a standalone novel that shares the same would as The Sorcerous Crimes Division (which I haven't read).

As someone with no interest (and only has limited/basic knowledge) in all things related to money, this book actually made finance and economics a bit more interesting. I suppose banking set in a world of fantasy with elves and dragons automatically makes financial investments much more interesting. I think young adults (or adults) who want to find a fun way to grasp the basics of finance should read this book.

The storyline of the book is pretty interesting and quite different from your average fantasy novel. The novel takes place in a world that is transitioning towards fiat currency (government issued paper money) and features Sailor Kelstern as the main character. Sailor is a businessman and banker who is content with his office job (he's not really a man of action). But Sailor's life gets turned upside down when a mysterious client with a cave full of unimaginable treasures hires Sailor to manage it's wealth (and help with the transition towards fiat currency).

I think I definitely would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I had a background in business, economics and/or finance. It was still entertaining nonetheless but I would mostly recommend this book to anyone who has a background or better grasp and understanding of these fields.

Finally, I absolutely loved the short story at the end about Arturus Kingson, and unwilling hero who refuses to accept his destiny as the 'Chosen One' and is constantly running away from being a hero. No matter how hard he avoids opportunities to save the day, life just keeps throwing important artifacts, hero worshippers, and hero killers at him.

The character was funny and I loved how the author took the 'Chosen One' trope and turned it into an entertaining story about how a hero can never run away from their destiny.

A combination of fantasy and finance, The Dragon's Banker was an interesting read. While it may not be something I reach for time and again, as the mix was a bit heavy on the finance side for my personal preferences, it was definitely different, while still remaining familiar in the fantasy side of things.

The characters were fabulous and well-written, the story a fun and fast read (surprising with all the economic talk!), and I really hope the author decides to return to this world. It's a pretty fun one.

This book earned a solid 3.5/5 stars from me- I simply cannot resist cleverly subverted tropes and this book was packed with them from the very premise. Never before have I read about a more unlikely fantasy hero than Sailor, the ironically named titular Banker, apart from the classic exception of Bilbo Baggins. I also just want to give massive praise to whoever designed the cover, because the art style is absolutely gorgeous and still continues to catch my eye every time I look at it.

I did, however, have a few issues with the writing style and story. My most pressing one being that the world-building was too minimalist to be convincing- I had no idea about the geography of the landscape or true scope of settings Sailor visited (or was literally dropped into) and that sometimes impacted the scale of story events for me.

There were also several examples of showing rather than telling present in the text as well, which sometimes made the story feel as if it were for a younger audience, which was particularly jarring in some of the more adult-orientated scenes, such as the drunken one-night stand, which felt out of place anyway within the context of the novel and the previous presentation of the characters. There were also occasions where the vocabulary felt equally jarring or was even used incorrectly, but this could be fixed with further copy-editing.

Fundamentally, this is a book about finance and economics in a fantasy setting and whilst I loved the idea of exploring this topic and seeing how Sailor and his loyal team battled their way through profit margins and shady dealings rather than hoards of monsters, I did find it quite slow-paced compared to other fantasy novels. This is to be expected from a battle of wits, rather than swords however, and overall, it did not impact my enjoyment of the text. The author has set out to write an original idea and it is definitely not one I have encountered before and I think they succeeded in that goal.

The bonus story also requires further editing, but at its core is a genuinely interesting and amusing subversion of "The Chosen One" trope and I loved this idea, because it is always something I have considered when reading fantasy- what happens when prophecies contradict each other? How on earth do I pronounce THAT name? Why would the "Hero" listen to their so-called destiny? In terms of content, it may have been short, but it did not disappoint.

Overall, I would recommend this book to my fantasy-loving friends, because I know they would appreciate the tropes and how cleverly Scott Warren explores and twists them to his own whims. I was rooting for Sailor Kelstern the whole time I was reading 'The Dragon's Banker' and I feel the same way about the book itself and hope it does well.

The Good

-Unique plot with the most unlikely protagonist. Fantasy (dragons) with finance and a merchant banker for a main character. I didn’t think that would make a fun read but this book proves that it can be fun
-Very likable characters who just want to earn a profit while doing the things they like doing
-Sailor Kelstern, our main character, uses his wits to fight his enemies rather than force
-Just when you think everything’s going very well, things go downhill very quickly which makes it an exciting read


The Bad

-Pretty weak world-building
-The business/finance/accounting stuff might not work for everyone


Overall

A fun read which will make you wonder, “How will they get out of this predicament, now?”

Also, really loved the novelette included! It was hilarious!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available in stores on September 25th.

Wow, this book proves that everything is better with dragons, even the world of finance. I loved every single moment of this book! It was a blast. Not every fantasy book needs to have vicious battles of the physical sort. Sometimes, the battle of the wits is much more cutthroat.

Sailor is a banker (oddly enough). He’s incredibly good at what he does. Think Scrooge McDuck but with a sense of compassion. He loves money and he loves numbers, both in pretty equal value. What he’s not a huge fan of is adventure. He’d tell you that he’s not a coward, he just prefers his comforts to trekking through the wild or sailing.

When he takes on a new client he learns that he is, in fact, working for a dragon. This dragon has realized that with the advent of paper money, his vast hoard will be less impressive and he wants to get ahead of the game, so to speak. It’s the most clever idea for a book, and it made me actually give a rat’s ahem about numbers.

“One should never tell a dragon that he is becoming…well, not poor but at least less obscenely rich than he was before.”

The characters are enjoyable, and the story moves at a good pace. This book is just flat-out fun. I highly recommend it.

The Dragon's Banker by Scott Warren a fantastic read. The Dragon of lore has decided to employ a banker on behalf of his fabulous wealth... but why does a dragon need a banker? This story is great, with fantastic characters, and a fun plot.
P.S. the short story at the end is HILARIOUS!!!

Of the six or so books I plan on reading this month (a couple of which are ARCs) - this intrigued me the most. I was genuinely impressed by the writing. Especially for a relatively new author, the book is well polished, with what seemed like the perfect length and a unique premise. (I guess a tip of the hat to the editor too).

Now for the unique premise - the author deigns to tell the story of an honest banker who somehow manages to get sucked into a dragon's (or multiple dragons') schemes. There isn't significant world-building, but it is set up to be a pre-Industrial Revolution European society with elements of magic and magical chemicals (alchemics). There are vague references to human sorcerors, but the sorcery itself is hardly relevant to the plot and there is little "true" magic except for the chemicals and the flying dragons.

Things I enjoyed
- There is an actual attempt to stay on theme and focus on the minutiae of banking, lending and the financial system. The idea of an economy switching from a commodity-backed currency to a Fiat one excites the economist in me.
- There are several reasonable analogies and explanations for some of the relevant economic concepts

What I missed
- There never seemed any real danger for the banker
- I would have loved to see "pages" out of his notebook, whether in the end or placed in the beginning of chapters
- There were hints or brief mentions about the nature of dragons, of fiat and trust, of what wealth meant in a human society built on change and impermanence versus the permanence of dragons and gold, but they were never fully explored. I would have loved to read a little more about that, but this is also might just me.

*** Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
Are you bored of reading regular fantasy novels with the same type of setting?
Are you looking for fantasy fiction with a different mood and setting?
Then this one is for you.
I loved every single thing about 'The Dragon's Banker". Right from the setting to its plot everything's immaculate.
The writing style made it easier to read the book even if you do not know the working of the world in this book.
This is one book where the protagonist is relatable and ready to accept his faults and shortcomings. He is law-abiding, funny and clever enough solve some severe problems.
I was sceptical about the dragons and banking in the same book. But I am mind blown after reading this one.
All the characters are well written and they played a dynamic role in the book. I learned a lot about finance from this book than from reading an article.
The bonus novelette was equally good. But I felt that it needs a little bit of touch up in editing.
Apart from that, I love this book to the core and I recommend it to all the fantasy fans. I am looking forward to reading more works from this author.
My Rating- 5/5