A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)

Amazon.com

Readers of epic fantasy series are: (1) patient--they are left in suspense between each volume, (2) persistent--they reread or at least review the previous book(s) when a new installment comes out, (3) strong--these 700-page doorstoppers are heavy, and (4) mentally agile--they follow a host of characters through a myriad of subplots. In A Game of Thrones, the first book of a projected six, George R.R. Martin rewards readers with a vividly real world, well-drawn characters, complex but coherent plotting, and beautifully constructed prose, which Locus called "well above the norms of the genre."

Martin's Seven Kingdoms resemble England during the Wars of the Roses, with the Stark and Lannister families standing in for the Yorks and Lancasters. The story of these two families and their struggle to control the Iron Throne dominates the foreground; in the background is a huge, ancient wall marking the northern border, beyond which barbarians, ice vampires, and direwolves menace the south as years-long winter advances. Abroad, a dragon princess lives among horse nomads and dreams of fiery reconquest.

There is much bloodshed, cruelty, and death, but A Game of Thrones is nevertheless compelling; it garnered a Nebula nomination and won the 1996 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. So, on to A Clash of Kings! --Nona Vero

Book Description

Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

A Game of Thrones

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

Download Description

A Game of Thrones is a contemporary masterpiece of fantasy.

The cold is returning to Winterfell, where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime. A time of conflict has arisen in the Stark family, as they are pulled from the safety of their home into a whirlpool of tragedy, betrayal, assassination, plots and counterplots. Each decision and action carries with it the potential for conflict as several prominent families, comprised of lords, ladies, soldiers, sorcerers, assassins and bastards, are pulled together in the most deadly game of all -- the game of thrones.

"George Martin is assuredly a new master craftsman in the guild of heroic fantasy."
   KATHERINE KERR

"The keen and complex human characters and the convincing force of their surroundings operate as magic...setting George R. R. Martin's first fantasy epic well above the norms of the genre."
   LOCUS

"Offers the rich tapestry that the very best fantasy demands...few created worlds are as imaginative and diverse."
   JANNY WURTS

"A vast, rich saga, with splendid characters and an intricate plot flawlessly articulated against a backdrop of real depth and texture."
   KIRKUS REVIEWS

"A dazzling fantasy adventure... with a great cast of characters that weave a tapestry of court intrigue, skullduggery, vicious betrayal and greathearted sacrifice."
   JULIAN MAY

"A colorful, majestic tapestry of characters, action and plot that deserves a spot on any reader's wall."
   ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-10-11

Minimum Maturity Level - Adult
Strong Language. Extreme violence and gore. Sexual situations.
Not for kids.

Previous Reading Required - None
This is the start of an epic series of 7 books.

Reading Level - Average
Very easy to keep up with. Not surprising since GRRM used to screenwrite. The book basically reads like a movie.

Rate of Development - Average
It takes a while to get a good character backgrounds. And there are A LOT of characters. But once you get halfway through, you come to know the characters very intimately. The story develops into intrigue and mystery fairly quick. By halfway through the book, it becomes a "page-turner".

The Story - The King's Hand (the king's right hand man) has died. Some think he was murdered. King Robert Baratheon then appoints Eddard Stark, a lifelong friend to succeed the position. Reluctantly, Eddard accepts. Anything after all this, is a spoiler so you MUST read the book.

My Suggestion - Highly Recommended
Like I said in the story section, anything I try to tell you after Eddard agrees to be the Hand IS a spoiler. GRRM has a way of getting you to like, love, and hate all his characters in the book. All the characters have their own personality and seem like real genuine people. Every chapter is a person's perspective and not a number. So when you read the chapter entitled "BRAN", you are reading what is going on through HIS eyes and his eyes only. It's a very immersive way of writing and I come to like it a lot. I said before that development is a bit slow for characters but the mystery and intrigue happens rather quickly. Some mysteries actually carry on into the next few books. Some of you with quick minds may uncover some mysteries before the characters actually do and that is part of the fun. If you want a good epic fantasy that is down to earth with war, intrigue, and suspense, then this is your book. Just be ready to buy all the other books that follow, because the get even better.

Where do you go after Martin?.......2007-09-28

George RR Martin is, in my opinion, one of the best Fantasy authors currently writing. He's great at exploring and deepening characters without them coming out and saying "I'm brave but flawed by my childhood experience", but instead he shows them by their reactions and choices. Yes, this shouldn't be a big deal, but hey, it's fantasy.

I also love that his characters are fully grey. The ones that are truly honorable heroes are also unyieldingly cold and the cruelest villians are at least human and understandable. But man! Martin doesn't mind killing anybody.

Which brings me to my title. One of the hardest things is picking up the next book that isn't from this series. You can always go back to some of the classics, but it's really hit and miss on picking up a new book, and Martin really raised the bar for me.

Great Read that Leaves You Feeling Icky.......2007-09-26

I feel dishonest only giving this book 3 Stars because the truth is I could not put it down and there is no doubt in my mind that I will end up reading this entire series. I enjoyed the complexity of the plots, the character development, the multiple perspectives, the detailed worlds, the unconventional blur between good/evil and the unpredictable plot twists. There is much in this book to enjoy and praise.

That said I only gave this book 3 stars because it left me feeling, well, kind of disturbed. Multiple times, during the course of reading this book, I told whoever was around that I felt like I was being emotionally abused by the author. I usually like disturbing/dark stories but something about this one troubled me. For starters the sex and sexual violence in this book was a bit much for me. Almost all the sex scenes are about a thirteen year old child. The sexual acts that happen to Dany in this novel constitute at least a dozen felonies in any civilized society. Not only could I not discern a reason the author had to make Dany SO young (especially if he wanted her character to be highly sexualized) but the aspects of sex he chose to discribe and the manner in which he discribed them were random, weird and came across as nothing more than a perverted indulgence. I would read something and simultaneously roll my eyes while feeling an icky shudder up and down my spine. I have no problems with sex in books I read, but the manner in which the sex scenes were written in this book are not reflective of real life and left me feeling grossed out. They felt exploitive I guess because they were so gratutious and strange.

Also, as a women, the constant rape and violence towards women was hard to read. I realize rape and misogyny are part of the world, particularly in times of war, but the amount and detail was hard to stomach. While the male characters (good and bad) generally die or get injured bravely in battle the women must be systemically humiliated before dying unceremoniously. Not only is raping them bad enough, they must be gang raped. And just in case gang rape wasn't degrading enough they have to be gang raped from behind. This combined with the constant womanizing of the main characters, the constant put downs related to the worth of women relative to men and after a while it makes you start to wonder; has Martin created a world filled with systemic female degradation because he is laying the foundation for an ultimate commentary on oppression, violence and human dignity? Or has he created a world filled with female degradation because that is what he likes writing about? I have 6 more books to read before I can answer that question but I have a suspicion it is the latter which is where the icky feeling I have towards this book comes from. Hopefully, it turns out I am wrong.

Even though this book left a bad taste in my mouth in some respects, I will continue to read the series because it is wildly entertaining. I've already started the second book.

Excellent work..........2007-09-04

so far! I am excited to read the next three books. Instead of expounding on the virtues of the novel, I would like to address two common complaints that one finds in these reviews. Firstly, the reports about sex/incest/bestiality are vastly exaggerated. There is ONE incestuous relationship between atomic family members, and the sexual description is limited to less than a paragraph. Certainly, the novel mentions other kinds of incest, such as the marriage of first and second cousins, but that is to be expected where royal families are concerned; and sexual acts regarding these are never described. Also, in line with medieval societal norms, there are a few ultra brief descriptions of sex involving teenagers; girls in royal families were frequently married off early and were expected to produce as many male heirs as possible. Yes, there are several moderately explicit scenes of rape (especially near the end of the book), violence and sex, but they pale in comparison to many other historical fiction novels. Sexual descriptions are about on par with an Anne Rice novel, and way softer than any of that romance/Fabio-on-the-cover drivel. If you cringe at the slightest graphic description of violence, then I would stay away from anything that involves the history of humankind. Certainly avoid the Conan and Warhammer 40K fiction series, and you should retain your sanity (and wimpiness).

Regarding complexity: this first book is EASY to follow. Each chapter is titled with the name of the character from whose point of view the story will be narrated. There are only eight such characters. If you have trouble keeping everything in your head, just go back to to the previous chapter with the same character name and re-read the last few paragraphs...it's that simple folks. I like this style because at several points, as you might find on TV or in the movies, the author leaves you hanging with some suspense at the end of the chapter until he "cuts" back to that (possibly concurrent) point in the story.

Anyway, my opinion is no more valid than that of anyone else on Amazon. If you like historical fiction, then I think there's a good chance you will like low fantasy. This series is as good a place to start as anywhere. Use some common sense: first, take it out of the library if possible. Second, read as many chapters as it takes for you to get a sense of the style and characterizations. Third, if you don't like it, STOP READING...it will NOT get better. I hereby deliver a VIRTUAL SLAP to reviewers who claim that they read the glowing reviews, read all 806 pages of the novel, and then felt debased or felt like they wasted their time or money...this is the United States, a playground of choices. If you don't like something, change the channel or turn off the device!

Author doesn't care if series is ever finished.......2007-09-04

On his website he has answered all those asking why the next installment is a year overdue. After whining about missing several conventions in order to work on the book he refers to his readers as trolls. I guess only those who worship him are worthy. It seems the man is too in love with himself to bother with the trolls who have made him rich.
Think twice before investing your time and money with this egotistical jerk. He obviously has no idea what to do with his story. I have serious doubts as to his ability to finish this series as he seems to be more interested in other projects than finishing what he started.

Average customer rating:

Fire Star
LOVED IT!
Excellent
Dragons Rule
Fire Star was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Star
Chris D'lacey
Manufacturer: Orchard Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0439845823

Book Description

In this thrilling final installment of Chris d'Lacey's popular trilogy, David Rain is faced with a perilous task. ICEFIRE's evil sibyl Gwilanna is back, this time determined to resurrect the dragon Gawain on the ice cap of the Tooth of Ragnar. Can David and his friends stop her before it's too late?

Customer Reviews:

Fire Star.......2007-06-26

Another excellent book by Chris D'Lacey. And the BIG news is that this was NOT the last book in the series as had been reported. Book FOUR - The Fire Eternal - has been completed and is due for release in the UK in Sept 2007. I think it will be available in the US in March of 2008!

I can't wait! Check out his website for info on the new book, but beware, some of the things you 'thought' happened at the end of book 3, aren't quite what you think. :-)

Is it March yet???????

LOVED IT!.......2007-05-06

My sons love this series! They have quickly read each one, and eagerly wait for the next to be released.

Excellent.......2007-03-21

This is the third book in the "fire" trilogy from author Chris D'Lacey. My 10 year old daughter and I loved it! But it really leaves you wanting more and fortunately we learned from his web site that he is working on book number four "Fire Eternal" which should be released soon. These stories are about the legend of the dragons' firetear;the story of Gawain and Gweneviere and the polar bears. There is magic and mystery and adventure. A very good read for kids and parents alike.

Dragons Rule.......2007-03-06

If you would like a dragon tooth for yourself; then you should read Fire Star.

This book is about a man named David trying to write book on the events that happen in the Canadian Artic. After David returned home everyone in the house including the dragons greeted him. In about the middle of the book David returns to the Artic because he receives an urgent message to return. The message contained information about a mysterious comet landing.

This book would have been better if there weren't many characters. There should have been at least three dragons and four main characters. The things I liked about this book that it is full of mysteries. I would recommend this book for people of the ages of ten to fifteen. I rated this book a four stars because of some of the boring parts.

Fire Star was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-11-08

Do not read unless you have read the book or enjoy spoilers.
Fire Star was great!!! There were a lot of things I did not expect. Who knew that Liz had an ex boyfriend! Or that there is an alien race called the Fain that has no physical form whatsoever! I did not expect Tootega and Dr. Gergstrom would die. Three things I did not expect were that Gwilanna would get frozen in ice, Dr. Bergstrom is a polar bear (I think he was Thoran), and that Bonnington would turn into a tiger. The only part I don't like about this book is that David dies! Once again, Fire Star was great.

Dragon's Fire (The Dragonriders of Pern)

Average customer rating:

A disappointment
Reads like microwaved leftovers taste
well, it isn't the best
Why????
Worst Pern Book Ever

Dragon's Fire (The Dragonriders of Pern)
Anne McCaffrey , and Todd J. McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0345480287
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Book Description

Bringing fresh wonders and dangers to light in the skies of Pern, Anne McCaffrey and her son, Todd, who demonstrated his writing talents in the bestselling novels Dragon’s Kin and Dragonsblood, return with their second collaboration: a thrilling adventure of discovery and fate.

Pellar is an orphan taken in by Masterharper Zist. Though born mute, Pellar is a gifted tracker, and when Zist sets off to take over as harper for Natalon’s coal-mining camp, Pellar–along with his fire-lizard, Chitter–joins him on a secret mission of his own: to find out if reported thefts of coal are the work of the Shunned, criminals condemned to a life of wandering and hardship.

Halla is one of the children of the Shunned. Though innocent of their parents’ crimes, these children have inherited their cruel punishment. Lack of food, shelter, and clothes is their lot; hope is unknown to them. And what future would they hope for? Without a hold to call their own, there will be no protection for them when the lethal Thread inevitably falls again. Life is even tougher for Halla. Her family gone, she must fend for herself. Yet despite the brutality of her surroundings, Halla is kind and gentle, devoted to those more helpless than she.

As depraved as Halla is good, Tenim is in league with Tarik, a crooked miner from Camp Natalon, who helps him steal coal in exchange for a cut of the profit. But Tenim soon realizes there is a lot more to be made from firestone, the volatile mineral that enables the dragons of Pern to burn Thread out of the sky. Tenim doesn’t care what he has to do, or whom he has to kill, in order to corner the market.

Cristov is Tarik’s son. Dishonored by his father’s greed and treachery, the boy must make amends somehow, even if it means risking his life by mining the volatile firestone, which detonates on contact with the slightest drop of moisture.

When the last remaining firestone mine explodes in flames, a desperate race begins to find a new deposit of the deadly but essential mineral, for without it there can be no defense against Thread. But Tenim has a murderous plan to turn tragedy to his own advantage, and only Pellar, Halla, and Cristov can stop him–and ensure that there will be a future for all on the world of the Dragonriders.

Customer Reviews:

A disappointment.......2007-09-26

I love the Pern novels and was quite excited to see a new one. What a disappointment! Too much crammed into one book and none of it done well. The story lines would have made great books on their own (the firestone problem, the shunned, the mute harper, the watchweirs) but by trying to include it all in the same book, the story lines lost any impact they may have had. The characters were not well devleoped, the timelines became confused. What a mess!

Better would have been to create multiple books with overlapping characters and better develop the story lines. Anne has certainly done it before and it has worked really well.

While it is in my collection, I doubt I will read it very often.

Reads like microwaved leftovers taste.......2007-08-28

I'm sorry to say this is by far the worst writing I've read in a long while. Calling it a young adult's book is no excuse, as there are many worthy titles in that category. As another reader describes it, the characters, timeline, and locations are impossible to follow...and what's worse, I am halfway through and I don't really care to finish. Perhaps I should at least try, as at least the two main characters are likeable even if I have no idea where they are, where they've been, or what their purpose is. (Having finished reading now, I can confirm that the book remains poorly written through to the end.)

well, it isn't the best.......2007-07-24

Since following the first serialized episodes of the Dragons of Pern trilogy in the late 1960's, I have looked forward to the Pern books (novels, short stories, etc). This one falls below the usual quality, and altho's I gave it 4 stars initially I think that it might rate 2 stars on reflection. (It has been a long interval since my last read of a book on Pern!)

The first think that I reacted to were the egregious typographical errors. Then there are the grammatical errors--missing words, scrambled sentences, additional nonsensical words...often requiring the reader to use context to make some sense of the sentence (or even, paragraph). Then there is the herky-jerky way the book is put together. This is reminiscent of the collaborations between Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon (books I have avoided like the plague) where it is painfully obvious that 2 different authors are colliding in the same book.

Next, character development is sketchy. The "personae" page lists 2 characters (Cayla and Carissa) whose parts in the book are brief and who contribute nothing more to the storyline except a brief insight into who and what Pellar is. And Pellar, who should have been a strongly developed character, is, despite his presence throughout the book, strangely 1 dimensional. The same holds for Tenim. And the denouement between Pellar and Tenim lacks any real drama or ability to engage the reader. Much the same can be said for almost all characters. Halla is the best developed, but still tends to be sketchily drawn.

Overall the book is like an ensemble TV series that tries to do too much with too many "stars"; some get their moment(s) while others come and go or just languish in the scenery until they are dismissed. To fully develop this book and its cast would have taken maybe 2 books--something that Anne McCaffrey has not been afraid to do in the past. I'll try the other books (Dragon's Kin, Dragonsblood and Dragonholder) I haven't yet read. I'll get back to you on those.

Why????.......2007-06-17

Is Anne Mccaffrey losing her falculties that she is just aggreeing to allow her son to write these "stories"? Anne, take your meds and open your eyes, your son is destroying the Pern series. Stop agreeing with him. Stop writing with him. He is ruining your masterpiece. Everytime I see a new Pern book with todd McCafrey's name on it, I cringe. I read it in the store first. If I like half the story, then I will buy it. This story is ridiculous. A mute harper? harpers are supposed to teach through song. How does a mute harper do this, through sign language? The "Shunned" reminds me of the "others" in Lost. I miss my heros, Lessa, F'Lar, Brekke, Menoly, Robinton, F'Nor, T'gellan, etc. I miss my heros.

Long live Pern, it was great while it lasted. May it rest in peace.

Worst Pern Book Ever.......2007-05-28

I found this book to be the worst of the Pern series. How the same author (Anne McCaffery) who brought us the incredible Dragonriders of Pern original series could put her name on such a lame novel is beyond me. Although many of the spin-off books have not been of the same quality as the original, they were still highly enjoyable and generally believable. This book however, relies on gimmicky cliches, obvious devices to effect the reader's emotions and is just unbelievable: 4 days to create a working mine with three shafts and an entire Hold? Sort like Genesis...;-)

The hit-you-over-the-head social commentary about the "shunned" is also pretty unbelievable as is the redemption of several of the characters and the ultimate turnaround in the end. The very real world of Pern created in the earlier books is shattered by weak plot lines, one dimensional characters and poor writing. It seems like this book was merely written so Todd McCaffrey could benefit financially from the Pern franchise.

Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement)

Average customer rating:

Sandstorm
Useful for Desert Campaign Building, but not much else.
Great Series
On the low side of mediocre
Good material, but a lot of derivative stuff

Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement)
Bruce R. Cordell , Jennifer Clarke-Wilkes , and J. D. Wiker
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 078693655X
Release Date: 2005-03-24

Book Description

A complete guide to playing D&D in arid wastelands.

This beautifully illustrated supplement continues a series of releases that focus on how the environment can affect D&D gameplay in every capacity. Sandstorm™ contains rules on how to adapt to hazardous hot and arid weather conditions, such as navigating desert terrain and surviving in fierce heat or harsh weather. There are expanded rules for environmental hazards and manipulation of hot weather elements, as well as new spells, feats, magic items, and prestige classes. New monsters associated with deserts and wastelands are included, as well as variants on current monsters. Sandstorm provides enough adventure material included for months of gameplay.

Customer Reviews:

Sandstorm.......2007-05-10

Anyone who's read one of my reviews of a Bruce Cordell product has probably come to expect a certain amount of praise. Sandstorm, the first in a series of D&D supplements to deal with setting as environment as opposed to setting as community, has three authors listed on the cover. Bruce R. Cordell, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes and JD Wiker (look, someone besides me eschews punctuation after an initial). This book is a relatively strong product which is undermined more by the Wizards of the Coast vision of Dungeons and Dragons than its specific content. The details are interesting and relatively well-written. Some of them positively capture the imagination. However they are crammed into a certain framework of design that has plagued all D&D books for a while now. This is the first time I've reviewed a book with this structure, so bear with me if I vent just a bit.

The first chapter of this book is the strongest. It deals with the waste itself, and let's face it, you're buying or not buying the book for this chapter. Here we deal with the realities of the waste. Heat. Dehydration. Survival. First this chapter addresses the real threats of a mundane waste, such as sand and the elements, the effects of glare and wind. Then the chapter veers off into the fantastic, things that could only be found in a magical world. These include everything from planes of fused glass to semi-sentient dunes, to ghost voices, to special poisons and diseases. Finally it ends with a description of the different styles of waste, complete with a list of features and the percentage of the area that would be dominated by those features.

Now the book lives or dies on this chapter, and I think it lived. It's interesting and it stimulates the imagination. It hands the DM practical information as well as a launchpad into the fantastic. Honestly my only real disappointment with this chapter is that they included those percentages for the terrain features of the different types of wastes and didn't take that any farther. Honestly, how hard is it to jump from there to a full-blown mini-table. You could use it that way as is, but you'd have to count down the chart to make it work and only a slight massaging of the data could have made it so much more useful.
So that's it. Now you know whether or not you want to buy the book. "What about the rest?" you ask. "Is the rest of the book just filler?"

A lot of it is, yes.

Let's look at the rest of the book chapter by chapter.

Chapter 2 is races, classes and feats. Now I have to admit. The very title of this first section makes me want to chew out my own tongue. I mean, honestly. When did someone decide that they needed to add a new race or two in every book. I've been gaming for years and some of my worlds have been around from the beginning. Am I just going to pop in a new race with every supplement? It would turn my campaigns into a joke.

The first part of the race section is just so much wasted space. It introduces two new races, just as you'd expect. The first look like gray aliens from UFO abduction stories spray painted a pleasant deep tan. The second are a race of desert goblinoids that have names and culture similar to Native Americans. I mean really.

Evidently the handing over of Dark Sun to a web presence precluded the inclusion of Muls and Half Giants. I can understand that, but as for the rest?

After this, the chapter becomes more useful. It takes the standard D&D races and discusses how to treat them in a waste environment, complete with a few swapped out abilities. The section on classes are much the same. This is how a supplement should handle races and classes. It came as a certain relief.

Next we come to Feats, and this is as interest section. It has a nice selection of feats but the main feature in the introduction of Touchstone Sites. These are ancient locals with which a character can bind himself. Doing so grants the character certain powers, both basic and advanced, that go hand in hand with his connection to the site.

My only problem with this section is a bit of murkiness about what happens when you take the feat to bond with multiple sites. In one place, it says that you can only have one of the basic abilities at once and must sacrifice it when orienting on a new site (by going there and recharging your vital energies.) A bit lower it says that you never lose these basic abilities. I think they changed to rule during an editing pass and missed one of the references. It's happened to me so I understand it, but that doesn't help you. You'll have to look for errata.

So I've already chewed out my own tongue. Next comes the section that makes me want to swallow it whole. Prestige classes. I thought these were a great idea at first, but now the glut of prestige classes has made them lose almost all meaning. In addition, the lack of any real game balance from one to another has made them an absolute nightmare to include in any game. This is the perfect example of a good idea that someone tried to take out for a ride only to find that they had to run it around and around and around, digging a trench like poor, enslaved Conan.
Sort of like I just did to that simile.

All right. So if I had my way, I'd never see another prestige class outside of a very specific setting situation (such as the various knightly orders of Krynn). That being said, I can grudgingly admit that maybe they aren't that bad in this context. A waste is completely alien to the climate of most fantasy. If they call me tomorrow and tell me they'd already decided against putting anymore prestige classes into their main supplements, but they couldn't see a way around it in this book, I'd forgive them. Is my phone ringing? No. I don't think it will, either.

Okay. So I made it past that section of the book without letting my own frustration get the better of me. It speaks well enough for the book.
Next comes equipment. This section has nothing spectacular about it. They ripped off Dune still suits here, but they really probably needed too (they ripped off worm riding in the previous chapter). Let's face it. Dune has done more to shape genre perceptions of the waste than perhaps any other work in history. Don't think of it as theft. Think of it as homage.

Magic is also a fine chapter. Here they treat with new types of spells, such as those that cause dehydration. They to a fine job of adding new deities and domains to deal with life in the waste. I liked it.

Chapter 6 is all about monsters. They could have snuck Muls and Half Giants in here and satisfied everyone, but alas, I'll have to go online for them. Again, I was fine with this section on waste monsters. If you run a waste campaign, you'll probably spend most of your time in this section, so they gave it just under a third of the book. Considering how tired monster sections are becoming in D&D books, I think they did an admirable job.

The final chapter contains three adventure sites, about twenty pages of what are essentially mini adventures. I was rather pleased with this section, because it speaks to a need in the audience. Whenever a new book comes out, everyone in a gaming group who likes the work becomes excited to add the new content into their games. I remember in the old days of 2nd Edition. When the Complete Fighters book came out, we started a new campaign of all fighters. When complete Thieves came out we did the same. We'd learned our lesson by the time Priests came out, if I remember right. We probably went back and started a new campaign of all fighters.

But I digress.

This section is fine. Instead of causing a rash of new campaigns and hundreds of illegal downloads of PDF versions of the old "I" series of modules, here we have the bones of three adventures. Twenty minutes of thought and a DM could easily dress them in the duds of his own campaign. Then the players can get the sand and the dust out of their system and make an informed decision about whether to continue gaming in the waste for the long term.

So, honestly, if you feel like gaming in waste environments (even in the planes), this book is probably worth your money. Does it have problems? Yes, but really, these aren't problems with this one book, but with the design philosophy of Wizards. If these elements don't bother you in other books, they probably won't bother you here. If they do bother you in other D&D supplements, well you've either stopped buying them or you've learned to deal with your frustration.

So in short, considering the structure imposed by Wizards, this is a fine work. Not the greatest achievement in Wizards history, but I'm happy to add it to my library. Now, let's get Cordell back to solo projects. I have games to run.

Useful for Desert Campaign Building, but not much else........2006-08-13

Make no mistake, sandstorm is a book about SAND. There is a discussion of volcanoes "hot" environs in general but they are little more than footnotes. Those seeking cultures and what not from Al-Qadim, or who are looking for Fading Sun (or whatever the old TSR official Psionics campaign was) classes, materials, and what not will be sorely disappointed. They could of EASILY bundled it up in this tome but they didn't. The book does cover many types of arid wasteland, describes the geography and of each and how you would determine what is what. They introduce a few new races for campaigns taking place in deserts (though not for Al Qadim or Fading sun as was said). I almost never use or allow races from splatbooks but I did like one of them. The class variants were purely to make the characters more survivable in a desert as were the prestige classes. This book really isn't for players. Where this book really shines is in it's adventures (three are included). Finally I have adventure ideas in deserts FOR ANY LEVEL CHARACTER!

Great Series.......2006-02-23

I'm a big fan of the Frostburn, Sandstorm, and Stormwrack series. If you're not planning to DM, the books provide interesting alternatives for your characters. If you DM and plan to do your writing for the campaign, these books are an excellent way to add flavor to your campaign. My favorite aspect to this book (and all of the environment books) is, not surprisingly, the guidance it gives in creating the relevant environment. Unlike one of the other reviewers, I view the prestige classes, feats, etc. as secondary. The point of this book is creation of waste environments, and this book is superb for that.

On the low side of mediocre.......2005-10-13

After Frostburn, which is a very similar book which I liked, I expected this one to be good too. I was wrong. Let's face it, we buy the supplimental DnD books for feats, prestige classes, spells and a few quirky magic bits. Most of the rest of these books are pretty poor. Once in a while the author takes the theme to another level, which I think they did with Frostburn to some extent, and Libris Mortis too. Sandstorm is almost a waste of time. The races, prestige classes and quirky magics are horrible and almost useless in any campaign. A good part of the feats are the same. And there isn't much mentioned on desert themed campaigns to complain about. "sigh". I'd recommend buying something like Heroes of Battle instead.

Good material, but a lot of derivative stuff.......2005-06-20

First, the obvious. This book, being the second in the series of Environmental supplements, follows the same format as the first book, Frostburn. It covers the environment, new races, classes and feats, equipment, magic, monsters, and adventure sites. I find it good that WotC is formatting its books in a common structure.

The Environment section is missing a few important things though. It touches on volcanic areas, but the rest of the book mostly focuses on deserts. It seems the volcanic stuff was either added in as filler, cut out for space, or the sections were written by different people. Its not clear whether this is supposed to be the "Hot Environment" book or just the "Desert" book. Also, there are a few notable environments missing. The plane of Mithardir in Arborea is totally missing. And it would have been nice to see a mention of Athas, the desert world of Dark Sun.

The new Asherati race seems very derivative of the D'Resh characters from Magi-Nation, from the physical appearance/description to some of their peculiar talents. The Ashworm Dragoon prestige class evokes visions of riding the sandworms in Dune, though its hard not to find similarities to that epic. Most of the other prestige classes are interesting, and can play very interesting roles in a campaign.

With the equipment, we have the hydration suit, a derivation of the Dune Still-suit - perhaps a necessity, but still pretty obvious. There are also obvious versions of real-world items such as suntan lotion or crude oil. The sand vehicles - desert variants of sailing ships - are good additions. But I would have liked to see more originality here.

The monsters have a good variety of challenges. A new (deceased) race called the marru are mentioned in several monster descriptions, though not in a lot of detail. Desert varieties of many creatures (dust hag, sand dragon, dry lich, etc.) are complimented by other novel creatures. But again, there are some hidden derivations. It is difficult not to compare the saguaro sentinel to any number of other cactus creatures which have appeared in anime, gaming or so forth. But the Sand Hunter is clearly derived from Vernor Vinge's Tine race from A Fire Upon The Deep.

I have no problem with people creating derivations. Its common enough in gaming, but it would be good to see credit given. I would suggest a list of references to other material in the future. This would not only credit ideas, but it would also let gamers find good extra material and ideas for campaigns.

There is still a wealth of information here, and I can say the book is a valuable resource for GMs who want to run desert campaigns or adventures. While not quite up to the standard set with Frostburn, its still a solid supplement

Average customer rating:

One of the best BOOKS in the WORLD.
Absolutly beautiful!!!
Eye of the Oracle (Oracles of Fire)
An enthralling saga of good against evil, and great deeds achieved by individuals of courageous and faithful spirit.
Spectacular!

Eye of the Oracle (Oracles of Fire)
Bryan Davis
Manufacturer: AMG Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0899578705

Customer Reviews:

One of the best BOOKS in the WORLD........2007-04-09

I just love this book and the DIOM series.When I went on a journey before the Oracles of fire came out,I took the whole DIOM series with me although I had alredy read it I read each book in the journey twice.I recomend this book for every teen who wants to know more about Gods love i'd tell you to read it.This book is really worth reading not only this one but DIOM also.Im anxous for the rest of the books to come out.

Absolutly beautiful!!!.......2007-01-25

As I closed the last page (my third time reading it through, by the way.) just the other day I let out a long hard sigh. Something about Eye of the Oracle really gets me thinking. The amazing power of God, and how he can take such small events, and what seems like such insignifacant people and things, and turn it all out for his good, is awe inspiring. And that is what Eye of the Oracle did to me. And there is one part in the book that I especially enjoyed, when God opens Sapphira Adi's (one of the main characters) heart and shows her his mercy and love. It was beautiful. Just absolutly beautiful!
The book starts with the Flood (Noah and the Ark), goes to the Tower of Babel, then to the era of King Arthur until finally it reaches modern day. So much happens in those pages, but it's most certainly not your normal, run-of-the-mill christian fantasy book, it's so unusual, and I think that's whay makes it so wonderful to me. I've never read a fantasy (or any other fiction for that matter!) book like it. It brought me along with it, and I understood the characters, and what they were feeling and what they were going through. I felt their pain, joy and sorrow. And I loved them all for it. And the depth of the writing, it's spectacular!
People kind of raise an eyebrow at me when I say that the characters in books are some of my favorite friends, but it's true. And especially with Eye of the Oracle. Please read it. You wont' regret it!!

Eye of the Oracle (Oracles of Fire).......2007-01-13

this book was really good (one of my favorites to be exact). i have read this book 5 times since i bought it that is how much i love it. i can't wait till the next books in the series comes out!!!!!!!! I LOVE BRAIN DAVIS BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

An enthralling saga of good against evil, and great deeds achieved by individuals of courageous and faithful spirit........2007-01-06

Volume one of the Oracles of Fire series, which in turn is a prequel to the Dragons in our Midst series, Eye of the Oracle is an epic fantasy novel about the tension between dragons and mankind, from the era just prior to Noah's ark through the time of King Arthur to the modern day. In Eye of the Oracle, dragons are targeted by the machinations of an ancient and ruthless evil force, and only the sacrifice of noble heroes prevented the dragons' complete extermination as a species. An enthralling saga of good against evil, and great deeds achieved by individuals of courageous and faithful spirit.

Spectacular!.......2006-12-31

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Eye of the Oracle begins before the Dragons in our Midst series starts. It is a much more complex story than DioM, and adds a whole new angle to the original series. These books are up there with Lotr, Narnia, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Stephen Lawhead books.(All of which I recomend by the way.) This was and awesome read and can stand by itself. but those who have read the previous books may glean more from it. Readers of the other series will get extra insight into Dragon's Rest, Bonnie, Shiloh, and (Duh) Oracles of Fire. Please do not miss out on this wonderful book!
-E

Average customer rating:

Not as good as Bartimaeus
An Alan Garner novel
Another Wonderful Book by Stroud
The beginning
Ok read

Buried Fire
Jonathan Stroud
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0786851945

Book Description

Deep in the English countryside, the unearthing of an ancient Celtic cross awakens an imprisoned dragon and unleashes a smoldering evil. Less than a mile away, 13-year-old Michael McIntyre falls asleep on a lush green hill, and wakes up with frightening and sinister new abilities. Michael possesses the four gifts of the dragon-and he's not the only one, nor is he the most powerful. The others, whose identities will be slowly revealed, offer Michael powers beyond his wildest dreams if he will keep their secret safe. Now he must choose: give up these astonishing but devastating new abilities and help his family and friends banish the evil that lies beneath their fragile earth, or join the others in their crusade to protect their gifts and set the dragon free - a choice that may well destroy everyone Michael loves. Those with power will stop at nothing to keep its secret, while those without it need Michael's protection to survive. Buried Fire combines elements of fantasy and mythology in a spellbinding tale of good versus evil.

Customer Reviews:

Not as good as Bartimaeus.......2007-08-16

Overall the story was interesting, but it felt a bit rushed and was strictly a children's story. I had previously read the Bartimaeus Trilogy, and loved them, so my expectations were high. I found the end very disappointing. There was no mystery, everything seemed so final and back to normal.

An Alan Garner novel.......2007-07-22

Forget Bartimaeus. This is not a Bartimaeus novel. This is England, its henges, mounds and burrows, with landmarks left from an earlier age, and the people that live there carry their secrets just as the landscape. This is, at its heart, an Alan Garner novel. In the confines of a small village, a drama is going to be played out, not for the first time, but it may be, with luck, the last time. A dragon sleeps in a mound near the village, sealed in its underneath cave by a 6th century saint. Its dreams change the villagers, in the past, but more rapidly now since the new vicar has unburied - and broken - a strange cross beneath the village church. Will the dragon awaken? Will two boys, with strange new powers inherited from the dragon's dreaming, play a role, either way? I loved the setting, the storyline, the distanced description. It was as if Alan Garner had written a new book, after Red Shift, the Moon of Gomrath or the Owl Service. Thank you, Jonathan Stroud.

Another Wonderful Book by Stroud.......2006-07-01

The Buried Fire teaches us a leason of arrogance and power. When Tom Aubrey digs up a Celctic Cross with one arm in the dirt on the Church Ground an evil is awakened. While on the same day Michael MacIntyre had been sleeping on the Wirrim Hill. When woken up everywhere hurts, mostly his eyes. At first he thinks it's Sunstroke and tries to hurry back home, but when he sees a man and woman with sheep heads he thinks he's going mad. Finally when he's in bed and has woken up on the next morning he hits the truth: Something had happened and he can see what people really are.(example: if someone is a tattletail and a rattter he'll see a rat with swirling colors)
His Brother Stephen thinks he is mad so Michael takes him to the exact place where it happened ,Wirrim Hill. So it is on the same day that someone stole the remaining arm of the Celctic cross that Stephen also has the sight. Then as the story goes on Michael and Stephen realize there are 4 powers, sight, fire, flight, and reading minds all of with belong to the dragon. There are also more people with the powers who's identities are revealed and they kidnap Michael.

Then Michael is stuck with a choice, help the others and realese the dragon to avoid the mind live death or help his family to destroy the dragon and all it's evil.

Stroud has again put an amazing plot into literature. It certainly helps with the book that Tom reads so that we understand what that folklorist thought. The others are very evil so it darkens the plot a bit. The end is very arupt. Maybe next time put a couple of more chapters to round it out Stroud.
Still all in all The Buried Fire is a spinning fantasy adventure in which Stroud has put an excelent plot and all fit charecters.

The beginning.......2006-02-28

I can see portions of his later works in this earlier one. A good read for all that it's a bit rough. Enjoyed it immensely.

**A book I would also recommend is The Unsuspecting Mage by Brian S. Pratt. This, the first installment of The Morcyth Saga is a great beginning for a new author. Battles, magic, gods, secret passages and intrigue, all the elements of a classic epic fantasy! Any fantasy reader will enjoy it.

Ok read.......2006-01-30

Expected it to have a better ending but was disappointed with the sudden kill to the whole story.
Still prefer the Bartimaeus Trilogy.

Dragon Avenger: The Age of Fire, Book Two (Age of Fire)

Average customer rating:

Another haunting tale I couldn't reccommend highly enough.
A good book for adventure
A good book for adventure
Wistala's Tale
Another amazing story for kids or adults.

Dragon Avenger: The Age of Fire, Book Two (Age of Fire)
E.E. Knight
Manufacturer: Roc Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0451461096

Book Description

From the national bestselling, award-winning author of Dragon Champion-second in the fantastic new Age of Fire series.

Flung to freedom as their mother battles a group of slave-trading dwarves, young Wistala and her gray, scaleless brother, Auron, find themselves alone in the Upper World. And when Auron sacrifices himself so that she may live, Wistala must overcome her grief and fear to find others of her kind-and bring her wrath to bear on those who would destroy them.

Customer Reviews:

Another haunting tale I couldn't reccommend highly enough........2007-04-05

The last of a dying breed, this green dragonella must overcome her grief and terror to find others of her kind. Wistala's thirst for revenge touched a chord in my heart. I was thoroughly swallowed by her tale, just as I was by her brother's in the first book.

I grew to care deeply for other creatures in Wistella's life and some made me laugh out loud. The cat with a mind of her own, the wise and sarcastic buzzards and so many more.

If you dig a book full of passion, humor, tragedy and triumph....you'll dig this book.

A good book for adventure .......2007-01-23

The book I have read is called Dragon Avenger by E. E. Knight it is a sequel in the age of fire collection. This is a very good book for a person how has a big imagination and can follow through with fantasy.
This book is about a beautiful green dragon named Wistala and how her life plays out. (From her mother, father and siblings being killed for there hides to when she meats a kind elf and then the most important part how she gets her revenge on there her families murders.)
My impression on this book is that it is a good book to pass away the hours and get lost in (that is if you like adventure.) this book would be great for kids of about 12 and up.

A good book for adventure .......2007-01-23

Wistala's Tale.......2007-01-11

Dragon Avenger by E.E. Knight is the second book in the Age of Fire cycle. It tells the tale of Wistala, the sister of Dragon Champion's Auron. The book starts in the same place as the first. With the hatching of the clutch in the cave. and for the first several chapters, it tells the same story, but through Wistala's viewpoint. This time when Wistala and Auron part, she believes he is the one who dies.

Wistala takes off to find her father who flew off to exact vengeance upon the Wheel of Fire Dwarves who betrayed them. She even manages to find him, near death from his rash attack, and spends some time trying to nurse him back to health. Being a coming of age story, of course the outcome of this reunion is bound to be temporary, and it is. Wistala is forced to flee and is nearly killed by the Dragonblade. Tala, though is rescued by a kindly elf named Rainfall. and she spends the majority of the book growing up in his company. Not a lot of avenging going on yet huh? just a lot of talking cats, and mules, Well the avenging does come. Events lead to Wistala getting the opportunity to take revenge on all who have wronged her, and her family, and she takes full advantage.

I liked the book, it was a light entertaining read for the most part. It felt more like a young adult novel than Champion did. Perhaps it was because of the different feel from the Dragonelles perspective. Perhaps it was where the first book had talking wolves, this one had cats, and horses, and mules, and buzzards. Perhaps I just didn't notice it in the first book. Anyway, Knight does a nice job of expanding his world. We see different areas than we did with Auron. We learn more about the history of the land. He also creates characters that you get attached too. I found myself saddened by the loss of certain characters. Its a worthy follow up to Dragon Champion. The next book in the series is slated to be about the little maimed Copper. I look forward to it.

7 out of 10

Another amazing story for kids or adults........2007-01-05

I'm not one for sappy anthropomorphic animal tales and, as with Dragon Champion, this is definitely not that. Dragon Avenger is a no-holds-barred look at the life of a dragon whose family is mercilessly slaughtered by humanoid races. But things aren't black-and-white in Knight's creation as one finds in most other stories - not all humanoids are bad, not all dragons are good. As is Knight's style, all is not always what it seems.

I was concerned about how Knight would pull off re-telling the story of AuRon's and Wistala's family's murder, but he did it wonderfully. Though they are - at their most basic - the same first few chapters, the difference in the points of view between AuRon (Dragon Champion) and Wistala (Dragon Avenger) read as different as any two true accountings of events between two different people. Throughout the two books I was amazed at how well Knight kept the two stories completely separate - there was no rehashing or plot regurgitation anywhere (something I seriously dislike in most other serial writing). Each book - as each dragon - is its own creation and wholly independent of the other. I cannot wait for Book Three!

E. E. Knight is a master storyteller and creator of characters, settings, and cunning plots. Wistala's travels from nest to the climactic ending are filled with life and color keeping the reader eager to know what comes next. And though she's a dragon, Knight's personification of Wistala makes it easy for the reader to fit into her shoes - er, claws.

Forged By Fire: Book Three of the Dragon Temple Saga

Average customer rating:

Interesting, gripping read.
Breathtaking Finale
vivid dark fantasy

Forged By Fire: Book Three of the Dragon Temple Saga
Janine Cross
Manufacturer: Roc Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0451461282

Book Description

In the explosive climax of the Dragon Temple saga, Zarq Darquel has secured a dragon estate for herself, in violation of every law which forbids women to own property. She had not seen herself as a revolutionary, but her enemies have given her no choice in her fight for freedom.

Abandoning the estate where she thought she would be safe, Zarq journeys deep into the jungle in search of an ancient dragon secret that would give her the power to overthrow both Kratt and the corrupt Dragon Temple. She has taken with her some of the female dragons from her own estate, and in the jungle she will once again risk the dragons' highly addictive, hallucinogenic venom-renewing a craving that is becoming an obsession.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting, gripping read........2007-09-14

I was really impressed, and on some level deeply disturbed by these books. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Still, an great storyline woven in a very interesting world, that kept me at least confused until the end, and wanting more even though all the plots were tied up. Also, the end is like the rest of the series, rather brutal and somewhat expected, but not nearly as hopeful or idealistic as other fantasy.

Breathtaking Finale.......2007-04-19

A breathtaking ending for this gripping tale of revolution and the feminist revolutionary,Zarq, who forged it.

In this final installment, Zarq has little time to savour her victory in the Arena in winning the ownership of her own Clutch at the end of Book 2. She and her few supporters are immediately attacked by Temple Auditors and again, she must hide, renounce her claim and also again, she forges relationships amongst the brutalised rishi she shelters with.

Still struggling with her dragon venom addiction, she is captured and then escapes with a pair of winged female dragons. Arriving deep in the jungle she finally learns the secret of breeding male dragons, the secret that will ultimately lead to breaking the power of the Temple and spark the revolution.

Janine Cross brilliantly weaves the realism of political intrigue and conflicting self-interests, while creatively overturning traditional magical fantasy narrative, into a rich detailed exploration of oppression, where the personal is indeed the political.

vivid dark fantasy .......2007-04-05

Though the Dragon Temple forbids females from owning property, Zarq Darquel ignores the tenet. Instead she makes a home for herself by purchasing a dragon-egg producing farm in Clutch Xxamer Zu. She also struggles with her craving for addictive dragon venom while finding herself nurturing the young victims of the repressive regime.

Meanwhile her former overlord Waikar Re Kratt, outraged by her behavior even before she defied the ruling paternal oligarchy, is coming for her. He wants her incarcerated at the least but his real goal is to see her dead. Forced to react, Zarq flees into the jungle lair of the dragons where accompanied by her female dragons, she seeks an ancient power to defeat Kratt and his male priestly supporters of the status quo.

The final book of the Dragon Temple fantasy trilogy (see TOUCHED BY VENOM and SHADOWED BY WINGS) is a vivid dark fantasy starring an intriguing heroine struggling with an addiction yet ironically her only hope to survive is using the venom that she craves. The story line is action-packed as Zarq lands in one nasty escapade after another. While not for everyone as this tale and miniseries is graphic, Janine Cross provides a deep look at the crippling impact of sexism, racism, slavery, addiction, and oppression in a wonderful over the top saga.

Harriet Klausner

Dragon Champion: The Age of Fire (Book One)

Average customer rating:

A credit to the Genre.
I dare you!
A Great Story
very slow developing story
A refreshing and ambitious novel

Dragon Champion: The Age of Fire (Book One)
E.E. Knight
Manufacturer: Roc Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0451460472

Book Description

After escaping those who killed his siblings, Young Auron, a rare, defenseless gray dragon, fears he might be the last of his breed. Armed with nothing but his claws and a boundless determination to survive, he sets off in search of his kind. But to find other dragons-or, at least, find out who's killing them off-Auron will have to search a world of mercenary elves, vicious humans, and dangers of all kinds. Finding allies in the strangest places-and himself along the way-Auron is on the trek of a lifetime.

Customer Reviews:

A credit to the Genre........2007-05-22

I have to tell you, E.E. Knight is one of my favorite new authors. I picked up "The Way of the Wolf" as a book to bide some time on a boring air flight.Now,five books later I am still vastly entertained with everything I've read. After sliding through the Vampire Series, I knew about the Dragon books for a while. I usually only read books of fantasy from authors who have a lot of mileage, like Tolkien or Clark Ashton Smith, for example. And Dragons only interest me very little.However, the Vampire series was so good, my curiosity got the better of me, so I obtained a copy of Dragon Champions.Not only was the plot, story, and animal characterization very well conceived,the perspective is quite original.Well done.

I dare you!.......2007-04-04

I'm not big into epic fantasy, though I loved Robin Hobb's Mad Ship trilogy and a few others. I picked up Dragon Champion because I had seen it several times on my way to another shelf to pick up my usual fare of dark/urban fantasies and paranormal thrillers. I opened it, planning to satisfy my curiosity and put it back, but it was not to be.
This dragon snatched me into his world so easily I didn't realize it had happened till two hours later when I came to myself, sitting on the floor under the shelf from which I'd taken the book. Dragon Champion is a fierce, haunting tale of terrible loss, self-sacrifice and heroism. The end gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes. There is so much I love about this book I dare not share it here and spoil your enjoyment. So, go pick it up...I dare you to read the first few pages and put it back on the shelf.....I dare you!

A Great Story.......2007-01-31

Dragon Champion is not a cliche fantasy, which is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. It is told from the viewpoint of a dragon who thinks in very human ways, and learns from his experiences that instinct and violence are not the answer if there is to be a future for his species. The book starts out rather slow, to be honest, but stick with it, it gets much more in depth and faster-paced. Auron (the dragon) meets interesting characters and builds relationships with others not of his race, learning that the myths passed down by dragons about hominids are not unbiased.
A reviewer said Auron was pure evil; and in the beginning he seems to be more vicious and animalistic than is comfortable to the human mind, but the changes he undergoes just provides more for the story line and shows how far AuRon has come in the end. A must read for dragon lovers.

very slow developing story.......2007-01-27

I found myself flipping through many pages of, to me, unnecessary descriptions, plot lines, dialogue, etc. Auron is a dragon who has no qualms about killing and eating "hominids", including humans, although that may change in future books. He does change from a young, self absorbed dragon into a more mature and thoughtful entity as he becomes an adult. I'm not sure if I will buy the next book, still thinking it over.

Actually, he did "adopt" an orphan human girl, whom he took care of for many years and loved. He meets her again many years later, along with a dwarf whom he also befriended, and even managed to make life a lot better for the "blighters", a sort of ape like hominid. He also manages to avert a disastrous war of extermination by a human who wants the earth to be populated only by humans. In doing so, he also manages to free captive dragons used in the war and rescue females and their egg clutches. All in all - a fair story if you are really a dragon person.

A refreshing and ambitious novel.......2007-01-02

I have to say that initially I was not interested in reading this book at all. I am a fan of the author's Vampire Earth series, however, and so I decided that since I like those so much, this can't be that bad.

What I found, was that the author has done a remarkable job of writing from the perspective of a dragon in such a way that it is both believable and entertaining. A lot of the book focuses on the need to hunt, the need to eat, etc. I think that as the dragon is a predatory creature, these little actions helped keep the reader remembering that this is not a human, it may know how to talk, but its motives are decidedly different.

There is a message here as well, that to succumb to instinct is to lose the intellect, and without intellect we are just beasts. Those who are beasts get replaced and those with the will shall survive.

Average customer rating:

Great Book for all ages
Not as expected but a great story
Horrible digression - hardly any dragons
A book I wish would never end!
The Fire Within Book Report

The Fire Within
Chris D'lacey
Manufacturer: Orchard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0439672430

Book Description

When David moves in with Liz and Lucy, he discovers a collection of hand crafted, clay dragons that comes to life and has magical powers. David's personalized dragon, Gadzooks, can forecast the future, and inspires him to write a story which reveals the truth behind an unsolved mystery close to home. The story has an unhappy ending, and when David realizes the consequences of it he is angry. Then David finds Gadzooks crying and near death, and he discovers that these special dragons die when they are not loved. Soon David is forced to save his friend and unlock the powers of the fire within.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book for all ages.......2007-09-25

I borrowed this book from a friend. I saw it in book orders, but wanted to read before I bought. Now I have all three to series. Now you have to understand, I am what I call a rereader, which means that I reread my books, no one time read for me. Also, I love fantasy books. If you don't like books in the fantasy genre, then you'll probably not like this. But I gained so much from this book and it teaches great lessons for kids. Getting along with others and nature. Friendship. Death. Caring for others and things. Ect. The story is about a college student that rents a room from a lady and her child. The student(David) quickly becames involved in their lives. The Landlady make dragons out of clay, but not everything is what it seems. Throw in a young girl with a soft heart for squirrels and you have a great story. Great to read with the kids before bedtime.

Not as expected but a great story.......2007-08-25

Not what I expected but this children's book is stilla delight to read. It IS about dragons, but also about a squirrel. The dragons are everywhere in Mrs Pennykettle's house and when David moves in as a lodger, he is goven his own special dragon. He doesn't understand at first, the significance of the dragons and helps Lucy tracks down an injured Squirrel. For Lucy's birtday he writes the adventures of Conkers the Squirrel with the help of his new dragon.

The writing is perfect for its age group and not dumbed down so adults will be happy to read the text to their children at night. I look forwards to book two.

Horrible digression - hardly any dragons.......2007-07-25

I was not impressed with this book at all.

I picked it up because of an intriguing story about dragon figurines that come to life - something that struck me as interesting and original.

However, this story is NOT about that.

The story mainly centers around a 20-year old boy who acts like a 6 year old, and ends up dropping lines that made me wonder whether he was regressing in personality and age. The other main character is a 10-year old who is obsessed with squirrels, and it seems the author was obsessed as well.

Honestly, it seems like the author WANTED this to be about miniature dragons coming to life... but got off on such a digress that it turned into a story about saving a squirrel. This is one of those stories where he digressed so much, but probably still loved his horribly written story, that he couldn't bear to axe the parts that had nothing to do with the storyline.

Frankly, the characters are very flat, and downright annoying. There is no way a 20-year-old male would act in the ways described in the story. As I mentioned before, his personality seems to regress before my very eyes...

I don't want to give away the end, but it was the most horribly contrived thing I've ever read.

While I'm not certain of others, I must admit I am disappointed that I was lured into purchasing this book.

A book I wish would never end!.......2007-04-04

In the Fire Within David moves into Liz and Lucy's house. He is intrigued
when he finds out that Liz makes clay dragons for a living. Liz makes a dragon called Gadzooks for David. That is when he discovered that the dragons are real.Gadzooks helps him make a story about the squirls that Useto live in there back yard.he finds out that his story came true!! Conker the main Squril is cool.

I am a girl and i still love this dragon book!!!!!!!!!!

The Fire Within Book Report.......2007-03-15

This book has a main character named David, he is a 20 years old

college student and he live in a house with his mom and dad. This book is

a fantasy book so it take place in a fantasy world. David became a tenant

in a strange house filled with clay dragons and it was owned by Liz and

Lucy. David then receives a special dragon of his own named Gadzooks.

Gadzooks helps David write a book. He received this dragon from Sophie

and Lucy and Liz since they became best friend when they met in the clay

dragons house. They said that the clay dragon which is Gadzooks contains

a enourmous fire power within him but David need to know how to unleash

it so David could have magical fire When his dragon is sad and his dragon

is in danger of dying, David must master the fire within, not only with

his hands, but with his heart power. The next sequel of the book continue

another called Icefire.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books