Dragons of a Vanished Moon (Dragonlance: War of Souls, Book 3)

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The legendary team of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman take to the sky on dragonback again with the final dispatch from their latest voyage to the land of Krynn in the War of Souls trilogy. In volume two, Dragons of a Lost Star, the mysterious "One God" behind the irrepressible Mina's miraculous rise to power is revealed. Yes, Dark Queen Takhisis is up to her old tricks. This time, however, she has stolen the entire planet of Krynn and hidden it away from her fellow deities. Now, she is seeking to bring the entire populace (both the living and the dead) under her fickle sway through Mina's zealous proselytizing. Who will stop her dark quest? Who else? The troublemaking and time-traveling kender--Tasslehoff Burrfoot.

Unfortunately, with the mystery of the "One God" revealed, much of the narrative impetus that made the first two books page-turners is lost. However, while there isn't much left to write about in Dragons of a Vanished Moon, the scenery is beautiful. There is an Elven exodus across the "plains of dust," stubborn Solamnic knights, cunning dragons, plotting wizards, and a full helping of Kender antics as Tasselhoff assumes the role of fly in the dark queen's ointment. The conclusion is a textbook deus ex machina but fans should enjoy this book for what it is--another chance to return to the wonderful world of Krynn with its two most competent guides at the helm. --Jeremy Pugh

Book Description

The flames of war devour Ansalon. The army of dead souls marches toward conquest, led by the mystical warrior Mina, who serves the powerful One God.

A small band of heroes, driven to desperate measures, leads the fight against overwhelming odds.

Two unlikely protagonists emerge. One is a dragon overlord who will not easily relinquish her rule. The other is an irrepressible kender who has been on a strange and remarkable journey that will end in startling and unforeseen fashion.

The stirring climax of the War of Souls.

Customer Reviews:

Very weak novel written by great authors.......2007-07-05

I have been a fan on Weiss and Hickman's writing for several years now, reading all of their DragonLance novels as well as other works. And I've never been disappointed. Until now.

Dragons of a Fallen Sun, the first book of the trilogy was highly entertaining, and gripping. It was up to the par of Weiss and Hickman's work. Most of book two was good as well. And then when the identity of the "One God" became revealed, the series took a dramatic turn for the worse. Melodramatic, cheesy, and overwraught.

A further complaint I had with this novel was the reappearance of Raistlin. It's painfully obvious that the authors love this character, and I don't really understand why. He was interesting enough for the original six books. But I've had enough of it--even when his character isn't physically present, some character or other is obsessing over Raistlin.

I do give them credit for the characters of Mina and Galdar. They are compelling, and provide a freshness to the Dragon Lance saga. I trust that the next books Weiss and Hickman put out will be better.

Awesome conclusion to the series.......2007-04-16

Well, this is the last in the War of Souls Trilogy. Interestingly, some could say this is the last book of a 11 book series (although Margaret Weis continues further with Amber and Ashes whick I'm reading now).

The character development is excellent. For example, I found that I did not like Gerald's character in the earlier books, but this book changed my mind about him. GAlder also is a very interesting character who seems to be in a tough situation with the one god.

Questions that often linger reading this book are, can the people overcome the one god? Will the other gods find the world in time to help? Where are the dragons? Does Tas really have to go back and be stepped on by Chaos or is there a better way? What is the ultamate fate of Palin and Dalamar?

BEsides Tas...another hero of the lance mysteriously appears, but I'm not telling who. You must read and find out.

It seems like any book my Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickmen is good. They are just plain good writers. Althought I don't believe this trilogy as a whole tops the almighty Dragonlance chronicles, it comes quite close. I would recommend reading these Dragonlance books in this order before reading this one:

Dragons of the Autumn Twilight
Dragons of the Winter Night
Dragons of the Spring Dawning
Time of the Twins
War of the Twins
Test of the Twins
Second Generation
Dragons of the Summer Flame
Dragons of the Fallen Sun
Dragons of the Lost Star
Dragons of the Vanished Moon

In the land of twists..........2007-03-02

I am thrilled with this series, and certainly, with this book. I love the different twists and the loose ends that get tied up. I had been missing Lord Soth and it was excellent to sit in his commanding presence again. The appearance of the minotaurs in this book has to be among my favorite scenes in the book. Any of you who have read this story know the scene I mean!

And I was especially intrigued by the treatise written by Valthonis at the end, describing what had actually happened to the world, what Takhisis actually did and how Tasslehoff actually fits into all of it. I'd always enjoyed the afterwords that Weis and Hickman had put into the Death Gate novels and I was glad to see one here.

So, as always, I eagerly await their next book (Dragons of the Highlord Skies) and I say, keep on writing!

Rest In Peace, War Of Souls........2006-08-21

The first time I read this book was before I read the other two (Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star) so i'll admit I didn't really understand it. However after the other two books arrived, I read it again and all I could do was gape at the beauty and genius of the book. So, to start with the real review: this book is flawlessly built with no problems that I could see. The characters were perfect! they behaved like they should after what happened in the first two books. Tasslehoff is shown to be truly mature at the end with a full understanding of what a hero must do after behaving like an irresponsible kender for the pther two books. Dalamar behaves once again like the power hungry wizard who'll do anything do get the magic, Palin acts like a hero once again, fighting the One God to save Ansalon though it may cost him his life. Odila's not that much better but thts okay with me, as all she needed to do was stop laughing about everything and she does that in the book. I especially liked the change that came over Gerard. He learns to stop being so cynical and mean to people and becomes a true knight. I liked how an older character returned and had a major role in the book. I loved Lord Soth's return and repent, which shows he is human. The gods doing stuff in the book was also nice and contributed a lot to the plot. I liked the change that came over Gilthas in the end and how he also became a sort of a hero. The suprise ending was a great part. I loved it.
To conclude: this book is great, a must read for any Dragonlance fan.

I offer my applause, but I am finished with this tale now........2006-06-20

I have to give it to Weis and Hickman: they are willing to develop their world in ways that the average fan mightn't like. I know I basically started giving up on the DragonLance saga after the War of the Twins because slowly, all the heroes I knew and enjoyed began to die. At this, generations later, I find it difficult to care about this new pantheon of heroes and enemies.

However, I have to admit that that's purely selfish, and also that these heroes and enemies are a whole heck of a lot more varied than the Heroes of the War of the Lance. Straight-up good and evil is starting slowly to disappear in this plane, and worst of all the goodguys we feel attached to most are making terrible mistakes. It certainly keeps one reading the seven hundred or so pages to make sure everything turns out all right in the end.

Now all of that might change with the denouement of this volume, which took me several years to get around to because the previous book depressed me so much. However, I must say that this world is now removed enough from the world I invested in during a completely different time of my life that I'm not really interested in it anymore. For those first getting into DragonLance, it's probably quite a magnificent work, and to them I eagerly suggest they go in backward order, ending with the War of the Lance. I did something somewhat to that effect myself and ended up enjoying how the tales changed within the setting as subsequent generations slowly forgot intricacies and exaggerated others.

--PolarisDiB

The War of Souls Trilogy Gift Set: Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star, Dragons of a Vanished Moon (Dragonlance Series)

Average customer rating:

Well, I am a fan of Weiss & Hickmann so...
Not as good as Weis and Hickman's previous novels
Engrossing but ultimately unsatisfying
A Dragon Story and Much More
Great Addition

The War of Souls Trilogy Gift Set: Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star, Dragons of a Vanished Moon (Dragonlance Series)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0786930020
Release Date: 2003-09-01

Book Description

This slip-covered gift set contains the three New York Times best-selling titles that make up the epic War of Souls trilogy: Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star, and Dragons of a Vanished Moon. Authored by Dragonlance saga co-creators Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, these titles each hit multiple best-seller lists upon initial release.

Customer Reviews:

Well, I am a fan of Weiss & Hickmann so..........2007-07-08

Great books. I have to admit that vol. 2 was a bit slow and dull at first but vol. 1 and 3 and most of vol. 2 made up for this. Didn't much care for the lovestory between Silvanoshei and the dark knight Mina so all this about Silanosheis love that wasn't returned is a bit dull for me (yes yes, I am a guy). But all in all I would rate this as a 5 star product. Another great story from Weiss & Hickmann.

Not as good as Weis and Hickman's previous novels.......2007-06-05

First let me start off by saying that I did enjoy these books. But I enjoyed the previous books more. The Chronicles Trilogy was the first set in the Dragonlance world and I must say the best. It all sort of went downhill from there, albeit a long hill with a small angle but still downhill. I really thought that with The Second Generation and Dragons of Summer Flame that led up to The War of Souls Trilogy, that there would be a "rebirth" (if you will) of the Dragonlance Series. But sadly that wasn't to be. An IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: I have been led to believe that the writers, Weis and Hickman, actually have very little creative control over the Dragonlance Series. I believe that these books are meant to be companions to the world of D & D. I enjoy reading not throwing dice to see how much damage I do. As such, maybe they threw dice to see how the storyline would unfold. I don't know.

The Good:
The story is great. The action is great. Tas the loveable and unlikely hero is back. There is a lot of action and intrigue to keep you interested. The whole trilogy is one big twist after another.

The Bad:
I'm afraid there may be more bad than good...but only just. The number one problem, and it is SERIOUSLY BAD, is the typos. Did anyone actually proofread this book? I mean seriously it is bad. By the middle of Dragons of a Lost Star (second book in the trilogy), I was almost ready to call it quits just because it was so hard to make any sense of it. Misspelled words...bad punctuation...missing words...extra words. Just really, really, really bad. They need to fire whoever edited this book.

Now about the problems with the stories themselves. POTENTIAL SPOILER

My best advise to the readers about these books and this goes for pretty much ALL of the Dragonlance novels: Don't get attached to ANY character because they ALL die. The writers spend 3 books building a character and getting them developed then kill them. Why would you do that? Take a lesson from R.A. Salvatore or Terry Goodkind and keep your main characters ALIVE. It's what keeps readers coming back for more. If Salvatore had killed Drizzt after his first trilogy, Salvatore's career as a writer would have been a lot less eventful. Same goes for Goodkind's Richard in the Sword of Truth books.
Let's see who has died along the way to The War of Souls. Keep in mind these are MAJOR CHARACTERS!
Sturm Brightblade, Tanis Half-Elven, Caramon Majere, Raistin Majere, Tika Majere, Alhana Starbreeze, Crysania, Goldmoon, Laurana, Palin Majere, Riverwind, Steel Brightblade, Tanin Majere, Kitiara Uth Matar (who needed more development), Berem the Everman (death was justified), Flint Fireforge, Tas Burfoot (dead but brought back) and I'm sure there were others but I think you get the picture. And again these were major characters. Why even bother developing them if they are so expendable? Heck, I wouldn't even bother being creative with the names. Maybe I can write a Dragonlance novel. "Here is Sam. Sam is an elf. Sam has to overcome insurmountable odds to save the world. Sam overcame the insurmountable odds and saved the world. Now Sam is dead." There, I just wrote a whole Dragonlance novel in five sentences.
What was the point of "The Second Generation" and "Dragons of Summer Flame"? They introduce new characters and then killed them all. Stupid.

Summary of my review:
These books have a great story, great plot, and great characters who will all die. Or if that sentence had as many typos as these books...Thes books have great story great plot and grate charactrse woh will all dye.

Engrossing but ultimately unsatisfying.......2007-05-13

I have been a long-time fan of Weis and Hickman and their Dragonlance books. They have an uncanny ability to write engrossing stories full of conflict and angst and failure that somehow still come together at the end on a note of acceptance and hope. In general, the characters end the stories as better people than they started them as, and the price the characters pay is redeemed by what they gain by the end. I looked forward to this new series. The story is certainly engrossing -- I found it hard to put the books down, even during the darkest and bleakest points in the story. But unlike their earlier works, Weis and Hickman don't manage to wrap this one up well. Several story lines end abruptly, as if Weis and Hickman just ran out of steam on them and gave up. More important, almost none of the characters end the story having learned anything important. The sacrifices made by the characters remain unredeemed at the end. I was left disappointed and unsatisfied. Go ahead and read the story -- it is well written. Just be prepared to feel incomplete at the end.

A Dragon Story and Much More.......2007-05-08

What makes this series so fascinating are the set of characters, especially the kender, who adds just the right amount of comic relief, and the freshness that comes from a vivid imagination on the part of the authors. You won't feel like you've read anything like this before.

Great Addition.......2007-03-27

I've been working on the first book of the three and so far I'm enjoying it as much as all the other Dragonlance Novels I've read. If you love the Dragonlance novels, you won't be upset with this pick.

The Silver Moon Elm (A Jennifer Scales Novel, Book 3)

Average customer rating:

Jennifer begins to grow up - somewhat. 3.5-4 Stars
Keeps getting better
Great conclusion to the series
terrific dark teen fantasy

The Silver Moon Elm (A Jennifer Scales Novel, Book 3)
MaryJanice Davidson , and Anthony Alongi
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425215261

Book Description

Scaly skin, family fights...it's tough being a teenage dragon.

Jennifer was just starting to get comfortable in her own skin, scaly as it is. She should have known that, as half-weredragon, half-beaststalker, things don't stay normal for too long...

Following through on a promise made to her mother, Jennifer agrees to go to Crescent Valley, where Jennifer and her father find refuge with other weredragons, and where they meet Xavier Longtail. Xavier, a powerful elder dragon, doesn't believe in peaceful co-existence, and after he stirs up trouble in her family, Jennifer wonders if he isn't right. She's about to go nuts with all the fighting, when her ex, Skip, comes to her rescue and whisks her off to the movies, where she falls asleep...

Waking up, Jennifer finds her hometown overrun by weachnids, dangerous half-werewolves, half-spiders. Weredragons are long extinct...except for Jennifer, of course, and the ominous Xavier Longtail, and it's up to them to return the universe to normal. Can they trust each other enough to pull it off-or are they the last of a dying breed?

Customer Reviews:

Jennifer begins to grow up - somewhat. 3.5-4 Stars.......2007-08-16

The Jennifer Scales series is contracted for 4 books, which is a good thing as the ending of The Silver Moon Elm (Book 3) opens up a host of plot arcs that beg for a resolution (in a good way).

That said, while I enjoyed this 3rd installment of Jennifer's story, I also found that I didn't enjoy it as much as the first two books. Part of this is unavoidable as the book is somewhat more grim than the previous books, despite the presence of Jennifer's snarky humor. Issues of love, friendship, loyalty, family, death, betrayal, and more are raised, and for the most part, dealt with fairly well. On the other hand, Jennifer's whining was annoying in several instances, which, admittedly, is typical of kids (and adults), as was her dealings with her friends, ranging from loyalty to insensitivity.

Keeps getting better.......2007-07-26

Another great read from the writing team of Alongi & Davidson (Alongi). Jennifer is a great character who is real. Not someone's idea of what a teenager is or what they remember being a teenager was like. Of course you can't really know how a teenager would react to were-arachnids, were-dragons, alternate realities and the genocidal rampages of a team of psycho freaks out to destroy you and everyone you love. Oh, have I said to much? I really loved this book. It was clever, well written and had a great balance of excitement and humor. This is not just a "teen" book. It's a great fantasy book about a teen. I think Harry Potter has shown people that just because the main character is under 18 that doesn't mean that nobody above that age would enjoy it. Don't pass this by.

Great conclusion to the series.......2007-07-10

Mary and Tony have delivered an excellent conclusion for fans of the Jennifer Scales series. Even when you are frustrated by her teenage reactions to things, you realize it's exactly what the story needs. A good read for those who enjoy strong girl characters, a little teen romance and a lot of action and adventure.

terrific dark teen fantasy .......2007-06-10

High school student Jennifer Scales knows how tough a mixed racial heritage can be on a teen. On her maternal side, Jennifer descends from powerful beaststalkers; on her paternal side, she comes from powerful were-dragons. That blending would prove difficult for anyone in spite of the obvious love between her parents, but beaststalkers have always hunted were-dragons and were-dragons have always attacked beaststalkers.

Jennifer wishes everyone would learn to get along. With that in mind she visits her father's clan only to have Xavier Longtail the elder dragon informs her that she is crazy going against the natural order of life and death. Her former boyfriend Skip the were-arachnid gives her a necklace and takes her to a movie where she dozes. Afterward, she finds her family vanished with no record of their existence as the were-arachnid mages cast an eradication spell; she lives because the necklace caused the spell to skip her. Jennifer needs to restore the old order before the new order finds her.

This terrific dark teen fantasy scales stratospheric heights with an exciting story line that takes a deep look at mixed racial couples and their biracial offspring. Unlike Jennifer Scales and the Messenger of Light in which the heroine plays Nancy Drew in fantasyland, THE SILVER MOON ELM is a pure fantasy quest as Jennifer is at her best risking her life to bring back her non-existent loved ones.

Harriet Klausner

Secrets Of Droon: The Moon Dragon (Secrets of Droon)

Average customer rating:

One of my favorite Droon books
I Wish I Owned This Book!
I LIKE THIS BOOK!!!!!

Secrets Of Droon: The Moon Dragon (Secrets of Droon)
Tony Abbott
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439671744

Book Description

There's no place like home! Eric and his friends have finally restored the Rainbow Stairs, but that was the easy part. Now Gethwing is loose in the Upper World, and the Moon Dragon is causing big trouble. Eric, Julie, and Neal have to protect their town, but they're up against mysterious creatures, strangely-behaving parents, and powerful magic. Can the kids stop Gethwing before he destroys the Upper World -- for good?

Customer Reviews:

One of my favorite Droon books.......2006-06-30

I am eight years old; I've read a lot of Droon books, and I like this one in particular because it's got the Ancient Knights of Pim and Gethwing. It's different from the others because this is the first time that everyone in Eric's town have seen people from Droon - including wing snakes! My ratings of age are from 5 to maybe 20 or 30 years old. I gave it four stars because it is really exciting, really adventurous, and tense.

Thanks to my grandma for getting me the book

I Wish I Owned This Book!.......2006-04-13

I think that no other Droon book is like this one as the characters are all very strong, and it is the most adventurous.

I LIKE THIS BOOK!!!!!.......2006-02-24

Wow! I love this book! It is the best Droon book I have EVER come across! So many secrets uncoverd! And yet you can never quite tell which side Spar is on, and which he's not. And then pesky old Merideth-the new girl- shows up. Who is she, anyway? Where did she come from? Hold on to your socks 'cause you're about to find out the wacky truth! Read this book or die from the suspense!

Average customer rating:

This book needed serious work
Moon Struck

Moon Struck
Enkay, D Durand
Manufacturer: Terra Press Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Face of Innocence

ASIN: 0615139744

Product Description

Kyra is a young girl tormented and treated as an outcast by her peers. She`s a good-hearted spirited girl who doesn`t exactly blend into the mainstream youth in her town, making her a prime candidate for ridicule. But that soon changes when a strange boy named Aaron comes into her life and offers her a friendship beyond her wildest dreams. Aaron is a friend like no other. He has special powers that enable him, and others like him, to transform into dragons. Kyra finds this hard to believe at first, but she soon comes to accept Aaron and the two enjoy a magical friendship. Their joy, however, becomes overshadowed by an old nemesis named Grackle. He has a plan to rid the earth of all humans, starting with Kyra. She has vowed to do everything in her power to defeat Grackle and Aaron vows to do everything he can to keep Kyra alive.

Customer Reviews:

This book needed serious work.......2007-06-24

First, let me say that the story itself isn't bad. It's a fantasy written for young people and, as such, is pretty good. I would never give it to a young person to read however. I might read it to them, but not let them see it. This book needed serious editing and the publisher should be ashamed for putting it out in the condition it is. There is hardly a sentence that doesn't have a grammar or spelling error and the wrong word is frequently used. For example, when something like "he walked past the window" should have been said, the word "passed" was used instead. In the middle of many sentences, the line suddenly drops down to the next line for no reason or words are missing. Children have enough problems in school with writing properly. They don't need to see a printed book with so many mistakes. It's too bad. A decent story was ruined by a publisher who couldn't take the time or money to do a good job.

Moon Struck .......2007-04-01

This is an updated review of the novel Moon Struck...
Like the review above the books that I purchased did have errors in it. However the Novel has currently been newly edited and revamped...I still found small very small errors like a quotation mark missing here and there but nothing serious. The novel brought dragons to North America were as another had brought wizards to the UK...give the novel a try..if you like simplicity and a fun read with adventure you won't be disappointed. Enkay is a new and up coming author. She has been working on the second to this series I have been informed- I can't wait!
This is my friends daughters review-( I bought her her copy:) )
I could really relate to what Kyra was going through in trying to find her place in the world as well as for her to be true to who she is. When Aaron came along he brought her into a world where Kyra's fantasies and reality came together offering a friendship not only with himself but the other dragons as well. Aaron in a wheel chair by day and walkig at night gave the novel a different twist. their friendship grows throughout the novel as they overcome obstacles. As the suspense twists and turns its way through the novel..I found myself laughing, being afraid for them, and cheering all at the same time. When Kyra, Aaron and their friends meet up with Grackle the writers captures the essence of the conflict..where I squirmed in m y seat waiting to find out what came next. The ending I have to admit was a surprise so I will not give it away. This novel is a must for any fantasy/adventure fan who is looking for something more than the same old stuff.

My Review:
I couldn't resist reading this novel from begining to end. The author not only captured my curiosity as they wove an eclectic tale about dragons, home school, military, peer pressure, adventure, determination in defeating an old nemisis named Grackle. The books characters are believable and easy to relate too. Such a refreshing offbeat mix a must read for any fantasy fan.
heres the books synopsis to help you out:
Kyra who is tormented and treated as an outcast by her peers. She's a good-hearted spirited girl who doesn't exactly blend into the mainstream youth in her town, making her a prime candidate for ridicule. But that soon changes when a strange boy named Aaron comes into her life and offers her a friendship beyond her wildest dreams. Aaron is a friend like no other. He has special powers that enable him and others like him, to transform into dragons. Kyra finds this hard to believe at first, but she soon comes to accept Aaron and the two enjoy a magical friendship. Their joy, however, becomes overshadowed by an old nemesis named Grackle. He has a plan to rid the earth of all humans, starting with Kyra. She has vowed to do everything in her power to defeat Grackle and Aaron vows to do everything he can to keep Kyra alive.

Average customer rating:

Disgusting Yet Boring Dark Fantasy
I LOVE dragons and I HATE this book!
Legends alive in modern times?
Well done
www.SFReader.com Review

Dragon Moon
Alan F. Troop
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451459202
Release Date: 2003-04-01

Book Description

The confessions of the dragon Peter DelaSangre continue four years after the murder of his beloved wife.

Customer Reviews:

Disgusting Yet Boring Dark Fantasy.......2007-06-19

Having read a lot of fantasy novels and books with dragons, I like it when an author takes things in new directions. In his attempt to be original, Troop ends up writing something both grotesque and boring.

The book is unevenly written. At times it's stiff and formal and at other times it's forid and overblown. The situations are implausible, even given the central idea that there are shapeshifting dragons living amongst us. What I found most difficult is that the main characters, who we're supposed to sympathize with, are people who callously kill and eat people. I made it about 1/4 of the way through this book before I gave up out of a mix of boredom and disgust. Avoid it at all costs.

I LOVE dragons and I HATE this book!.......2006-09-19

GAH! I need to read something else quick to get the flavor of this thing out of my head! I had never read the first one in this series and only read this one because it was on the 5 for $1 shelf at the West Hollywood Bookfair. It looked good. I like dragons. I like fantasy. But this is SO bad. I'm so thankful I only spent 20 cents on it.

The idea is okay. Others have done stories of shapeshifter dragons living among humans and it was more enjoyable -- much more palatable. I think Larry Niven or someone like him. Anyway, the idea is not bad, but this particular story itself and the way it's executed is just so bad.

First, it reads more like a bad romance/suspense novel. Basically, Troop has made these dragons into another form of criminal with their own subculture. So, it reads like a bad crime syndicate novel with "Families" and "traditions."

Second, Troop is not the best writer. He wrote this book in first person, but in doing so waffles back and forth between present and past tense. For example, in one paragraph he may use the word "told" as in "he told me" and the next he uses the word "tells" as in "he tells me." It makes for awkward reading. Most writing is done in the past tense: For instance, "Once upon a time there lived," not "Once upon a time there lives." It's awful.

Third, unless Troop is writing about the son or Chloe, it's very stiff, but mostly the writing is very formal. The descriptions are uneven -- over done in some cases and not done as well as they should be in others. More importantly, it's very difficult to like the protagonist. The reader is supposed to care for the protagonist and writing in the first person is a short cut to creating that link between protagonist and reader. The writer is supposed to make it so that we care about what happens to the protagonist or main character. I was reading about love, lust, carnage, and betrayal all happening to Peter Delasangre and I could have cared less. I just couldn't seem to care about him.

I only made it halfway through the book before putting it down in disgust. The only thing I cared about was whether the son made it through okay and I just peeked to the final page to get that info. Gah! Still in my head. I'm THROWING this book away. Normally, I give away books I no longer care for so others can read them if they like. Not this one. NO ONE should have to suffer through this one.

IT'S GETTING TORN TO BITS AND GOING IN THE RECYCLE BIN!

That's how bad it is.

Don't read it. You'll regret it.

Legends alive in modern times?.......2006-07-31

The second book in this series is a bit better than the first one. I have enjoyed them both very much and find the dragon Peter to be sympathetic even though he is a killer. He seems noble while monstrous. That is hard to pull off for any writer. This story centers on a kidnapping plot that is first rate. There are family problems just like human beings have yet with a dragon twist. There is betrayal and innovative plot twists. All in all this is a very fun book to read.

Well done.......2005-05-02

I like how we're led to sympathize with the dragon, despite his complete disregard for human morality. He's not a bad guy in a human world; he's the family man in an alien world, where we just happen to be the rabbits hiding in the grass.

www.SFReader.com Review.......2004-04-03

Review by Lynn Nicole Louis

Dragon Moon is the second book in Alan F. Troop's dragon series. Last May I posted a review of Troop's first book, The Dragon DeLasangre. Although well-written, I was left thinking that it fell short because of its totally (for me) unsympathetic and unlikeable main character Peter DeLasangre. I concluded, however, that Troop had enough potential for me to pick up his next.

Well I did, and after finishing Dragon Moon I'm left feeling the same way I felt after finishing the first....

...After a slow start, the action picks up and stays high. The writing, except for all the 'ing' verbs, is smooth and vivid. The characters are well-developed. It's unfortunate that they developed into characters I have no interest in reading about. Having unlikeable, even evil, main characters can work, but there must be some aspect of sympathy present, or something for the reader to identify with.

I'll recommend this with the same caveat that I used to recommend the first: if you liked Anne Rice's Vampire books, there's a good chance you'll like this, even though (IMO) Troop's characters lack the human element that made Rice's vampires sympathetic and interesting. After finishing Dragon Moon my disinterest in Peter DeLasangre and the rest of the dragon characters remains. I'll read another Troop book because I like his writing, but I'm going to pass on any future books in his dragon series.

Lynn Nicole Louis
Read the full review at www.SFReader.com

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Dragon Kite of the Autumn Moon
Valerie Reddix , Jean Tseng , and Mou-Sien Tseng
Manufacturer: Lothrop Lee & Shepard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0688110304

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Fantastic serie, bad book

A must have

Picture living in a humongous crawlspace...

Wingrove's cycle builds to an impending climax.

EXCELLENT!!!
White Moon, Red Dragon: A Chung Kuo Novel: Book Six (Chung Kuo/David Wingrove, Bk 6)
David Wingrove
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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CHUNG KUO: THE MIDDLE KINGDOM (Chung Kuo)

CHUNG KUO II: THE BROKEN WHEEL (Chung Kuo)

ASIN: 0440223083
Release Date: 1997-03-10

Book Description

Chung Kuo VI: White Moon, Red Dragon sees the reign of the Seven T'ang in a time of great, bloody upheaval. The rebel leader DeVore, thought dead by his enemies, has returned and is readying a terrifying flotilla to fight against the T'ang, the dictators of Earth. On Mars, another rebel, the long-exiled Hans Ebert, is formulating an audacious plan to bring a lost African tribe home again, and on Earth, the continental mega-cities of the T'ang begin to crumble as war ripples across the planet.

It is a time of endings and beginnings, when the last of the T'ang, Li Yuan, will make a terrifying alliance...when chaos will strike in the form of human-looking androids programmed to kill...and when Emily Ascher, a woman dedicated to liberty for the billions the T'ang have kept in chains, will see her vision blossom in blood red.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic serie, bad book.......2004-06-01

I love the Chung Cuo serie. Great sweaping concepts, detailed and vivid persons, super grip on technichal details and thrilling plots. And then I read "White Moon, Red Dragon".

The first 400 pages are the usual thrilling page turners and then it just starts falling apart. The development, which is normally harmonich and logical suddenly fails details and reasons are missing. Persons reacts illogical and against their established personallity. Plots are build and suddenly abandoned. Other are suddenly pulled in from the left without any plausable explanation. Psychic powers and supernatual phenomenas suddenly enters the game.

You constantly ask yourself; "But why?" and the answers never comes.

The books "climax" completes this trend; a sea is drained just so that an invinsable army can be landed by a space amada on the opposite side and marched through the now empty basin and (surprise, surprise) 8 indians from Mars without really doing anything creates a flood, saving the world while a 9th indian talks in tongues. How and why the book as so many other things completly fails to explain.

Maybe this is just a very clever plot, building to the ultimative climax in book 7... or the book is just bad. I tend to conclude the second.

I'm likely gona get no. 7 in the seris just to see if Wingrove gets his act together.

A must have.......2003-04-18

Take the chance and embark on a long journey with David Wingrove. You will not be let down. Problem is, you will see nothing of your friends or family for the next three months.

But, that is what you are looking for in a book, isn't it?

Picture living in a humongous crawlspace..........1999-11-09

...underneath a city almost the size of a continent, and you've got "the Clay". We learned in earlier volumes that this was scientist Kim Ward's homeland. But now, in this volume, we get a closer look at the place--much of this book is set there. This is an "underworld" with none of the romance of the Sewers Of Paris as depicted in "Les Miserables". Two hundred years of the Seven's rule have created an underclass of people in both a social and a geographic sense, and it's beginning to boil up into a conflagration we couldn't begin to imagine in present-day ghettos and barrios. Meanwhile, the rule of the Seven has been on the skids since the previous volume--the only T'ang who's still a viable ruler may be the most decent of the original Seven, but that fact doesn't help a bit. Arch revolutionary Howard Devore--a Stalinesque type who as a cure for tyranny is worse than the desease--has come back from his exile on Mars. In the words of James Baldwin, it's "the fire next time", and next time is right now.

Wingrove's cycle builds to an impending climax........1998-11-23

Wingrove's Chung Kuo cycle has been compelling for a number of reasons, not the least of which is its believability. Despite his daring intent to combine politics, science, sexuality and history into one dangerous mix, his tale has never sunk into the category of easily-dismissable science fiction. He has done this by refusing to follow the lead of popular SF trends; he has, for the most part, eschewed the technical-laden side of SF storytelling, preferring to anchor his tale to the human element.

"White Moon, Red Dragon" departs somewhat from that formula, however, in its greater reliance on technology to progress plot and to solve problems, almost deus ex machina. But the masterpiece of the previous five books encourages me to expect a sublime and profound climax in Book 7, followed by an audible denouement that will bring Wingrove's vast vision to fruition.

This book is but a preliminary step to that greatness. Though paler than its predecessors, it nonetheless reflects their glory and brilliance.

EXCELLENT!!!.......1998-01-16

Filled with fast pace intrigue ,that kept you glued to each page ,book 6 countiued with the all the emotions that were so wounderfully expressed in all the prievous novels ,love,war,loylty,honer which ultimately led up to the disaterous confrontation between what was left of a fairly stable socity ,against total barbaric anarcy .I thought this finale war should have ended the seris ,but it seems mr windgrove has other plans .The big but is that he seemed to have run out of ideas the ending was to sudden after getting to the point of the grand climax then it all spirled down ward I was totaly disappointed ,however trusting in mr windgrove`s never ceasing to amaze me imagination the next installment ,should (I hope)make up for the disappointing ending in a otherwise excellent scifi novel.

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The Bull in the China Shop
No No Quintet
And now for something a little different...
Great Collection of Dragon Stories
Interesting, but flawed, anthology

The Dragon Quintet
Orson Scott Card , Tanith Lee , Michael Swanwick , Elizabeth Moon , and Mercedes Lackey
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0765349116
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Book Description

Brand-new contributions to the hoard of dragon lore by five top fantasy authors.Orson Scott Card's "In the Dragon's House" is a gothic yarn about the mysterious dragon that lives in the wiring of an old house, noticed by a young boy who shares its body in dreams and feels its true size and power.Mercedes Lackey's "Joust" tells the story of a slave boy who is chosen to care for a warrior's dragon-a dragon whose secrets may be the key to his freedom.Tanith Lee's "Love in a Time of Dragons" is a fable is imbued with her signature atmosphere-Old World, moody, erotic-as a kitchen maid goes a-questing with a handsome champion to slay the local drakkor.Elizabeth Moon's "Judgment" tells the tale of a young man forced by lies to flee his village . . . into an adventure of dwarfs and dragonspawn.Michael Swanwick's "King Dragon" invokes a truly sinister and repellent creature-a being with the soul of a beast and the body of a machine-part metal, part devil . . . all merciless.

Customer Reviews:

The Bull in the China Shop.......2007-02-04

However the entertainment level rates on the other stories in this book, there are two words to describe "King Dragon" that people are just dodging around, but readers should probably be aware of before diving in. Those words are: dragon porn.

This is not literal of course. The dragon isn't exactly a dragon and the protagonist does not actually have sex with it. However, the scene of the mind melds reads as one giant innuendo for paragraph after paragraph.

One can dance around this with words like "dark" and "metaphor", and it IS a well written tale...but I'm sorry, I just could not enjoy reading this when all I could think of was "This is porn!!"

However, if you have the right sense of humor about mature audience narrative, you might find it funny. All of my friends sure did.

No No Quintet.......2006-11-11

I found the tales to be mismatched and the compilation rather dull. It is however better reading than a telephone directory.....I think.

And now for something a little different..........2006-06-17

Overall, I thought this was quite a good collection of stories, and I found the majority of it interesting.

Unfortunately, the first story in it, by Orson Scott Card, was a tad dull, and I kept putting it down because it was just not gripping enough to hold my interest. It wasn't really bad, but then it wasn't really great. The dialogue between characters in the story was excellent, though, and I think the author should have featured more of that in the story, rather than some of the dry, uninteresting, even slightly confusing bits. I disliked the ending of the story, too. This made me wonder, would all of the stories in the book be similarly bland and unappealing?

Thank God the second story in the book, by Elizabeth Moon, was so utterly gripping! I could NOT put the book down during this story, it was so wonderful. It [...] me in right from the first paragraph, and I would have to say to any potential readers, buy the book if only to read this story.

Tanith Lee's contribution to the book is unusual but absorbing, and the story has a delightful twist that makes it very intriguing. It is typical of Ms Lee's work: it's edgy, unusual, confronting, and does not mince words. If you like Tanith Lee, you'll like this one.

The fourth story, 'Joust', by Mercedes Lackey, was the DULLEST in the book, but I'm still glad I read it because now I know not to waste my time buying the novel she wrote of the same name, which is an even longer version of this same story. Lackey mostly just rips off storylines from Anne MacCaffrey's dragon books, but with a lot less finesse than the original works. Given how innovative and unusual all of the other stories in this book are, this one really let down the team by being predictable and unoriginal. Blah! But if you like your stories formulaic and [...], not to mention non-confrontational, you'll probably like it.

The fifth of the stories is by Michael Swanwick, and it's the most unusual, so much so that it's hard to describe. It's never a comfortable story -- there's no sugar-coating on this one -- but it's absolutely original, and pushes all the boundaries. I've read nothing quite like it before. It was like one of those trippy dreams you get when you're running a raging fever. It didn't leave me feeling happy inside at the end of it, but I was nonetheless still satisfied, and glad that I read it.

A word of advice: don't give this book to the kiddies to read. These are stories for grown-ups, or at least maturish teens.

Great Collection of Dragon Stories.......2006-05-05

I had a slightly different opinion that the other 2 reviewers. In particular, I thought the entire collection was well written and interesting. All five tales were filled with magic. They were well written, had interesting characters, and really great story-lines. I would highly recommend this collection to anyone looking for a great set of stories. What I really liked about the set, was that each author did something different. They took what we know or are used to with dragons and did something new and different. The result, in my humble opinion, was an exciting page turner. While a few of these stories did have a darker feel to them, I think it was done well and made each a more interesting and realistic read.

Of the five stories in this book my favourite was Elizabeth Moon's "Judgement". I have not read any of Ms. Moon's other work but, based on this story, I think I will do so soon. Her story deals with misunderstanding and the rush to judgement which sometimes comes with it.

Perhaps my second favourite tale was "King Dragon" by Michael Swanwick, who is one of my favourite writers of short fiction. His tale was decidedly darker than the others in the collection, but was extremely well written and you really hate the characters you are supposed to hate.

The stories by Orson Scott Card ("In the Dragon's House") and Mercedes Lackey's "Joust" were both fun little tales. Mr. Card's tale was a little slow in parts but filled with beautiful imagery and interesting characters. I really wanted to know what was behind that locked door. Ms. Lackey's tale was just plan fun. It was a well written and inspiring. A fun tale about someone who refuses to accept his position and strives to be something more.

The final story in the collection was Tanith Lee's "Love in the Time of Dragons." This was my least favourite but was still a good tale. My one complaint with the story was it was a bit graphic in parts when it did not seem necessary.

Interesting, but flawed, anthology.......2004-07-01

"Dragon Quintet" is an odd mix of stories only slightly linked by one thing: all feature a dragon, or at least a dragon-like, creature, and most of these stories are dark to out and out black-spirited.

The sole uplifting story of the lot, "Joust" by Mercedes Lackey, is good, interesting, and very representative of Ms. Lackey's style. However, I'd already read the novel version of "Joust," which oddly beat this collection to the press by at least a year. Four stars for that.

The next best story was by Elizabeth Moon, and is in her "Paksenarrion" universe but does not feature paladins or elves. Instead, this features dwarves, a dragon, and two very put upon villagers. I liked the villagers very much, and appreciated a return to this universe, one of my all-time favorites. Still, it's a rather dark tale, and I'd rather have had a happier ending. Three and a half stars.

The third best story was by Michael Swanwick. I liked the story up until the end, where Mr. Swanwick basically ruined it by tossing off a fable-type ending that didn't make a goodly amount of sense. In addition, this story only had two likable characters in it, and both were more or less abused throughout the story, something I really did not care for. Granted, this is dark fantasy, and Mr. Swanwick definitely made me hate all his hatable characters. But I'd have liked to have love his likable ones, and I didn't. Three stars.

The remaining stories seemed, to me at least, to be incomplete. Orson Scott Card's story was a sort of urban fantasy about a resident dragon and a boy, and as far as it went, up until the end, I liked it. But once again, a lousy ending ruined it. In addition, the information given by the editor led me to believe that Mr. Card is planning to turn this story into a novel. I really hope that doesn't happen, as this has to be the most downbeat story I've ever read by Mr. Card (not even excepting the last book about Andrew "Ender" Wiggin), and that's not what I've grown to expect from him. Two stars for that.

And Tanith Lee's story, while engrossing and having some truly unseen plot-twists, didn't totally make sense, either. I enjoyed the basic "women done wrong gets revenge" plotline, but the story was either too long or too short; too long in that it makes little sense in this form (even considering Ms. Lee's normal elliptical plotlines and fairytale-esque endings, dark or bright), too short in that in a novel, it might have worked well. Two stars, barely.

And that's basically it; it's an interesting experiment, but it's flawed, and if you don't like dark fantasy or aren't in the mood for it, don't get this book. It's not advertised as dark fantasy, but in my opinion, that's exactly what it is (with the sole exception of Ms. Lackey's stripped-down version of "Joust").

Three stars.

Customer Reviews:

3 yo grand daughter loves it.......2006-11-09

We really enjoyed reading this book together. It is a great tale to tell, even without the book and beautiful illustrations. I love that Min-Yo is a little girl and it is difficult to find great stories with a little girl as the hero.

I would recommend this for all children, but if you have a young girl who loves the moon and stars as much as my grand daughter, this is a wonderful story to connect with.

Our New Favorite Book.......2005-10-19

My almost five year old daughter LOVES this book. We discovered it quite by accident at the library. I am looking to purchase it, since we read it every night! I love the illustrations and the story is quite touching. We both love the part where Min-Yo and the Dragon throw the diamonds into the sky to make stars. We LOVE that page!!

wonderful!!!.......2002-10-18

Not just our son, the whole family loves it. Everything about it. The pictures, the story ( inviting to eat veggies). What a wonderful mind Elizabeth and John have! I read so many books to my son, mostly uncommon and unusual ones, jet this one still stands out.

My kid likes this book.......1999-10-27

Despite Kirkus' lukewarm review, my daughter (age 3, adopted from China) likes this book and asks for it often. I think she likes the dragon pictures. I appreciate the fact that the protagonist is Asian, female, and gutsy.

We love reading this one to our five year-old. Delightful!.......1999-10-26

In this magical story, a tiny girl takes on a great adventure, climbs a web to the moon, and saves the world by befriending the moon dragon.

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