The Iron Dragon's Daughter

Not a standard fantasy. This is one of those books that puts the onus on the readers to understand the story, characters, and setting. But if you put in the work, you may find the whole thing enormously enjoyable. The prose is deliberately ponderous, slowly peeling away at the plot one onion skin at a time. Yes, there are dragons here in this novel, ruthless sentient creatures used as weapons of mass destructions by the elven lords that command them. It’s a simple story on the surface featuring a human who works in a dragon factory. She’s a changeling - a human who can manifest different forms. She’s contacted by an ancient dragon who suggests a means by which she and he might escape the factory prison. Thus begins the complex relationship between Jane and the dragon - a relationship that underpins and directs much of what happens in the novel. Read this one for a good mix of steampunk and fantasy and a non-standard tale that with a bit of work, you will enjoy.