Reseña de ARC: The Dragon's Banker

 +Digital ARC gemtly provided via Netgalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review+

{COMENTARIO BILINGUE}

The Dragon's Banker 

by 

Scott Warren

255 pages

Published September 25th 2019 by Scott Warren

ASIN: B07TX1SJKF

Edition Language: English 

BLURB: Finance: The lifeblood of any country’s beating heart and the life’s work of Sailor Kelstern — Merchant Banker. While wizards brood in their towers and great warriors charge into battle Sailor is more interested in the price of ore, herbs, and alchemicals carried by the trade ships. But when a spell of bad fortune and bitter rivalry leaves him scrambling to turn a profit on little more than winds and whispers, one such whisper catches Sailor’s ear— a dragon has been seen in the west. Sailor soon finds that the dragons are very real, and not at all what he expected. And they practice a very different sort of economy — one of subterfuge and fire.

With bonus novelette: Forego Quest .  What if you were the hero of every song, story, and legend? What if you didn’t want to be?

My rating: 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.

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