The Dragon Run is a 2020 historical fiction novel written by Rachel Relat. It is the first book in the Ascalon Circle series.
In the second half of 1938, French pilot Yann Vatel, who runs an airmail service outside of Marsabit in British Kenya, is approached by two officers of the Secret Intelligence Service. The job? To ferry a scientist from Stockholm to London before his discoveries can be tapped by German intelligence. A deadly game of cat and mouse begins between Vatel and his allies, and Frederik, a high-ranking operative working for the powerful Abwehr, the German secret service. With hostile forces on their heels and war brewing, will they manage to fly to safety in time?
The series draws heavily from the pulp serials of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as beloved classics such as the Bob Morane series, Indiana Jones and Tales of the Gold Monkey. Intended as a love letter to the golden age of aviation, each book in the series is titled after a plane that features prominently in the story (The first one is the DH.89 “Dragon Rapide”
).
Followed by an immediate sequel titled The Kerguelen Cat, published in 2021. A third story is under development, under the title The Commodore's Gold.
The Dragon Run contains examples of:
- Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene: Vatel and Layla Sarif share a moment before the flight to Istanbul.
- Airport Novel: The series is explicitly intended as adventure pulp.
- All There in the Manual: The book comes with a companion booklet, Planes Of Ascalon, that gives more details about the various planes that appear in the story.
- Anyone Can Die: Hoskins get killed off during the fight that sets up the climax, raising the stakes.
- Been There, Shaped History: Vatel's last mission with the SIS directly led to Franco starting the Spanish Civil War. He wasn't too happy about it.
- Bittersweet Ending: Hashimoto and his secret are safe, but the group is still on the run and several people died, including Hoskins and Mrs. Hashimoto's brother. And Frederik is reavealed to be still alive.
- Boom, Headshot!: Happens to a mook, courtesy of Amal Sarif.
- Car Fu: An unintentional example when the car carrying Hashimoto crashes into a mook after that same mook shoots the driver.
- The Cavalry: The Short Sunderland flying-boat that rescues the group in the climax was armed to the teeth, earning the nickname 'Flying Porcupine" from the Germans.
- City of Spies: Cairo and especially Istanbul are depicted as such. Toned down with Bucharest. It is implied that most capitals are this as the world goes closer to World War 2.
- Consummate Professional: Frederik is this to a T, although he gradually loses his cool as things go more and more off the rails.
- Cool Plane: A staple of the series.
- Yann has his titular De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide, a sleek twin-engine biplane.
- Frederik ends up using a then brand-new Focke-Wulf FW 200 "Condor", at the time the flagship of the German airline Lufthansa.
- The third act has the Short Sunderland mk.I, a military flying-boat with such a fearsome rep it was nicknamed "the flying porcupine" by the German military.
- Escort Mission: The premise of the story, as Vatel must find Dr. Hashimoto and escort him safely to London.
- The Exile: Vatel left Europe after being involved in an operation that directly contributed in starting a civil war. Part of his motivation in The Dragon Run is to atone for this mistake.
- Implacable Man: Once given an assignment, Frederik does not let go. Even if he disagrees with his orders.
- Kill on Sight: A variation. When the Abwehr loses Dr Hashimoto in Stockholm, they decide that he and anyone traveling with him should be eliminated. Frederik is not pleased.
- The Mole: Dr. Sato is revealed to be an agent working with the Germans.
- Noodle Incident: What was that mission in the Andes about?
- Rank Scales with Asskicking: Averted with Pettigrew, who leads Ascalon mainly from his office, coordinating his resources to achieve results. Played straight with Captain Agarwal, who served in the Ghurka regiments and is fully trained in combat situations, and with Frederik, who doesn't hesitate to lead his men on the field.
- Shout-Out:
- The opening scenes up until Vatel reaches Cairo are an homage to Out of Africa.
- The storm before they reach Varna is inspired by an anecdote from French author Joseph Kessel, about a flight he was in that almost got lost in a sandstorm.
- Kelly's network is named Cuchulain, after Celtic hero Cú Chulainn.
- Pettigrew names his network Ascalon, after the lance used by Saint George to slay the dragon. In real life, this was the name given to Winston Churchill's personal plane.
- Title Drop: Pettigrew's operation is named The Dragon Run (after the Dragon Rapide).
