Book cover for The Dragon Has Some Complaints by John Wiswell

The Dragon Has Some Complaints

2026 Released
384 Pages
7-8 Hours
Audiobook Unavailable
Paperback Unavailable
Hardback Unavailable
DAWISBN 9780756420505

"The dragon may have some complaints, but readers won't. By turns silly, sweet, and subversive, this novel has all of Wiswell's characteristic blend of tension and heart." —Caitlin Rozakis, New York Times bestselling author of Startup Hell

In this heartfelt and humorous fantasy from the Nebula-winning author of Someone You Can Build a Nest In, a dragon whose three heads bear rather…different...personalities finds family in the most unexpected of places.


Garrodigh was once a four-headed dragon, among the most powerful in Kardoša. After an unfortunate incident, he now has three heads, one stump, and a daily whirlwind of internal bickering. Centerhead wants to rain death upon all humanity, Bottomhead is like a feral cat, and Upperhead is under the delicate delusion that he is, in fact, human.

When a nearby battle goes awry, Garrodigh sneaks into an elite dragon rider academy, pretending to be tame to get free food and a warm bed. Lucky for him, rider Rania Charvátová is desperate enough for a dragon of her own that she overlooks his eccentricities.

As Garrodigh recovers under Rania’s care, all three heads start to turn, for the first time, in the same direction. Each wants to protect her from the invaders who killed their fourth head—the same invaders who seek to conquer Kardoša. When the academy comes under attack, can this wild dragon and his wilder rider save their homeland together?

This cozy fantasy intertwines epic battles with loving friendships, sharing an utterly unique perspective on what it means to be a “monster.”

John Wiswell

John Wiswell is a disabled writer who lives where New York keeps all its trees. He won the 2021 Nebula Award for short fiction for his story, "Open House on Haunted Hill," and the 2022 Locus Award for Best Novelette for "That Story Isn't The Story." He has also been a finalist for the Hugo Award, British Fantasy Award, and World Fantasy Award. His fiction has appeared in Uncanny Magazine, tor.com, the LeVar Burton Reads podcast, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Diabolical Plots, and other fine venues. Someone You Can Build a Nest In is his debut novel.

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