Two Pearls of Wisdom by Alison Goodman

I let the tips of both by swords dig into the sandy arena floor. It was the wrong move, but the dragging pain in my gut was pulling me into a crouch. I watched Swordmaster Ranne’s bare feet shuffle forwards, rebalancing his weight for a sweep cut. Training with him always made my innards cramp with fear, but this was different. This was the bleeding pain. Had I miscounted the moon days?

 

Eon is a crippled orphan, taken in and trained by a hard but loving master. His great hope is to be chosen as a Dragoneye, an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons. But Eon has a secret. He is really Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl. It is forbidden for women to practice Dragon Magic, and if Eona is discovered, she will be put to death. And one of the dragons is missing – the Mirror Dragon, head of all dragons. Eona gets swept up in a very adult world of politics, sex, intrigue and betrayal, and has to decide where her loyalties lie. A highly original, gripping story.

Two Pearls of Wisdom is longlisted for the Gold Inky