A review by bookforthought
Dragon Lawyer: Scales of Justice by Julian Worker

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

This review was originally published on Reedsy Discovery.

Wendy Draig is tired of stereotypes and is determined to do all she can to fight all forms of injustice, whether against a human, animal or any other sentient being. That is why she decides to become the first dragon lawyer of the Land of Fair E, travelling through different towns to offer free legal assistance to anyone in need. Between meetings, court hearings and even some investigations, Wendy comes across a wide range of characters, some already beloved protagonists of well-known fairytales and some perhaps lesser known, but all in need of counsel and joined in the desire to make their land a better place for all.

The starting point for Dragon Lawyer: Scales of Justice - a dragon lawyer providing legal assistance to fairytale characters - is intriguing and original, holding much promise for a fun and engaging read, as does the clever wordplay in the title. Unfortunately, its execution does not allow it to reach its full potential, leaving the feeling that the book would have greatly benefited from some further editing prior to publication.

The writing flits between overly simplistic and verbose, often relying on complex sentences and legal jargon, unnecessarily or on occasion even inaccurately (for example, at one point a character talks about something being hearsay when in fact they are referring to speculation). The dialogues are also stilted and deeply unnatural, and are often relied upon as an exposition technique to allow different characters to convey multiple points of information to Wendy.

The story itself feels too condensed to allow any character's storyline sufficient space for them to truly develop. There is hardly any conflict that is not almost immediately resolved, Wendy welcomed with open arms and instantly trusted by everyone she meets, resulting in a complete lack of tension and virtually no stakes.

One of the biggest problems with this book seems to be its indecision over who its audience is: at times, it seems as though what we are reading is a fairytale with little depth beyond relaying a series of events; at other times, however, this reads more like a satirical work aimed at an adult public, with frequent references to real-life modern issues (such as immigration, social networks and environmental issues, to name only a few). This confusion in its tone ensures that the story ultimately works for neither public, resulting too complex and lacklustre for a younger audience while far too simplistic and lacking depth for an adult one.

I received an advanced review copy of this book for free from the author via Reedsy Discovery. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.