Customer Reviews

Aerie

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The 4th in Mercedes Lackey's 'Dragon Jouster' series, Aerie reads less like a fantasy novel and more like an exploration of dysfunctional families/relationships. I spent most of the book wondering where the author was trying to go with the story and also if she might be purging some anger at a relative or two.

Without giving away too much the book meanders back and forth between the angst of young lovers, the unrealistic demands of family and only at the very last minute is a pat conclusion conjured almost out of thin air. I would have been satisfied with a three book series (even though 'Sanctuary' was disappointing as well) rather than have the fourth book end it on such a lackluster note.

If you haven't read any of this series then by all means pick up 'Joust' and 'Alta', the first two books. They are fresh, original and very good reads. I recommend them highly....just don't go any further.

It took several pages before I could get interested in this book, but once I did I was pleasantly surprised ... for about half the book. The characters of Kiron and Aket-ten were showing greater complexity than they had in the past books, and I enjoyed the misunderstandings in their relationship, as well as the developing mystery that drove the plot. Then - POOF! - the real, understandable reasons for their disagreements were swept aside, the mystery was cleared up, and deus ex machina descended to solve all the problems for the Tians and Altans. It was such a disappointing ending to the series. I've been loyally reading all of Mercedes Lackey's books for the past twelve years, and I can't help feeling a little betrayed by the decline in quality.

The story is alright, however I have collected all of Lackey's books since day one and have noticed something that appears to be a trend in the book publishing industry.

Has anyone else noticed that DAW along with other publishers have switched to low quality materials for their hardcover books? Take a look at the paper for instance. We all paid a lot of money for a seriously inferior product. Just compare the other volumes in this set and then this last book. You won't like it when the first few look okay in about 5 years, but the new ones are already yellowed with age. I have already seen the yellowing at my local library and am so annoyed for spending money on junk. Wait for the paperback, this is the same just about 4 times as expensive.

Shame on DAW!

This book started out really promising, and was a good read till about the last quarter or so. Then things began to become really predictable, and it was obvious that we were heading to a rather pat ending - the gods save the day. I rather wonder if what happened was that Lackey started out writing a strong story, and then either got tired of the story, or was getting close to a deadline. Either way, while I do not regret reading it, I do regret that I purchased it, rather than get it from the library.

Kiron once known as the serf named Vetch was a captured peasant in the land of Tia, which was at war for years with his native Alta. He was Ari's dragon boy and stole a dragon's egg, caring for it until it hatched and then when it was grown enough he flew it to Alta where he taught the dragon riders how to bind their dragons to them with love not drugs. The Magi, an evil group of priests, were responsible for the war and the deaths that ensued in their quest to become the rulers of both lands. Kiron placed a significant role in defeating them.

The dragons and their Jousters, the king and queen of Alta and Tia, and some others fled their destroyed land and moved into the city of Sanctuary, located in the desert. In time more and more people showed up so they the Jousters and their dragons were forced to move to the stone caved up of Aerie. Lord Kiron is the de facto ruler of the Jousters and he realizes that with the war at an end and the two kingdoms about to become one the Jousters will act more like a police force than an army. However, in a border town all the inhabitants disappear and through the use of magic it is discovered that an old and ancient enemy is preparing to war against the two lands. Only the gods can stop them if they choose to interfere with the Jousters taking up a vanguard position against the Nameless Ones.

This is the fourth and probably the last book of the Dragon Jousters and readers have seen how Kiron has changed and grown into his power through the strength of his personality and his great leadership abilities. This is an exciting saga that shows prejudice can be overcome when former enemies work together for the common good. Mercedes Lackey has a unique voice and an ability to write tales that readers want to read.

Harriet Klausner

This is book four in the Jousters series and centers around the character of Kiron as he is dealing with coming into his own as the leader of the Jousters of the Two Kingdoms while dealing with some personal issues as well. In some parts I found the book a little predictable (mainly concerning his mother). I did enjoy the evolution of the relationship between Kiron and his lady (whose name escapes me at the moment). This could be the last book in the series but there is room, I think, for another book in the series.

I absolutely adored the first two books in this series. The characters were awesome; believable, funny and easy to relate to. The third book was pretty good, but begged for a proper ending. Sadly it never got one. The characters I loved in the first three books apparently got personality transplants. The couple that had been soooooo incredibly in love with each other inexplicably started hating each other (ok, not actual hate, but close enough). The only character in this book I found believable at all was "the other woman", in fact most of the book I was rooting for her to get the guy. But alas, I was disappointed even at that.

By itself not a bad book. As an ending to this brilliant series, and by this wonderful author (whose other books I have enjoyed a great deal) it was positively dreadful.

This, the fourth (and possibly - though, hopefully, not inevitably) final book in the saga of Kiron and his dragon Avatre keeps up with the pace of the earlier books and lives up to their promise. As other reviewers have said, the books tell of Kiron, the son of a farmer killed before his eyes by the enemy Tians. His family is taken into captivity and he doesn't know whether they live. Kiron (who is known by his ignoble child name of Vetch) is a serf, bound to the land that belonged to his family - lower than a slave. He has to work long and hard for the man who has acquired his family's land. All that sustains him is hatred for the enemy until one of the enemy, a dragon rider (or 'Jouster') named Ari, rescues him and takes him to care for his dragon. In a story reminiscent of Jane Yolen's Pit Dragon Trilogy, Kiron acquires a dragon of his own with whom he becomes besotted (again, there is the same feeling as 'impressing' an Anne McCaffrey dragon). I hasten to say that referring to Yolen and McCaffrey is not intended to suggest any lack of originality since these stories have all the character development and good writing Mercedes Lackey is famous for. The stories (which probably could stand on their own but are SO much better read in order), chart Kiron's development from a frightened, abused child into a self confident young man, a leader and the pivotal person in the peaceful union of two hitherto warring kingdoms. (If they have a message it is that enemies can become friends if seen as individuals - but the message doesn't get in the way of a 'good yarn'!) In the meanwhile there is all the excitement, struggle, romance and happiness anyone could wish for.

The Kingdoms of Tia and Alta are very similar to, and clearly based on, the kingdoms of Ancient Egypt and my only quibble is that several ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses' names have been changed by only one letter (e.g.Isis becomes Iris) - which I found slightly disconcerting. I understand that it might not be appropriate to use the same names since a reader might think that the stories are somehow historical but I wondered whether giving them completely new names would have been easier on this reader!

Although Kiron has no magic of his own - other than his gift for rearing his dragon, there is magic which seems quite natural in the context of the story. In Aerie the Kingdoms are now one and Kiron has to find a role for the former Tian and Altan dragon riders since they are no longer required to fight (joust) each other. He does so successfully, settling them in a rediscovered city, improving their training and even handling the issue of girls who want to become dragon riders in what has been an almost exclusively male preserve. In dealing with the formation of a womens' (the Queen's) Wing he risks losing the love of his life.

It is fortunate that Kiron has continued to build up and train the numbers of hand reared dragons and their riders since all are needed to combat an unexpected, but even more terrifying threat. The final battle is impressive and has a couple of interesting twists.

I suppose it was inevitable that some of Kiron's family would emerge and the sub-plot of his mother( and one sister) turning up with expectations for him at odds with the life he has made for himself is handled quite well. However, since it is highly unlikely that he would ever revert to being a simple farmer, as his mother wishes, it is rather a distraction.

After I'd finished reading Aerie I went back and reread all the other books in the series 'Jouster', 'Alta' and 'Sanctuary', finding them as good this time! Be warned, however, rereading them all may lead to serious sleep deprivation! Although I had already read the first three books at least once I found myself unable to put them down!

These are very positive stories which would be completely suitable for younger readers (the developing romance is nicely understated), though they were very much enjoyed by this older reader . If you like Mercedes Lackey (or either of the other authors I mentioned) Aerie - and this whole series is a must!

Speaking as someone who loved the first three books, I was hugely disappointed. This book is definitely full of typos and grammatical mishaps. (She can't even keep track of dragon colors and names, though that's been true since book two.) Beyond that, the plot is disjointed, meandering, and frankly unnecessary.

I would have to disagree with the reviewer who said book three begged for continuation. I loved the ending of Sanctuary, and assumed that the series would end there. While I never object to sequels that take the world and the characters further than before, this book does not do that.

The wonderful sense of urgency and development that carried through the first three books just wasn't there. Some of my favorite characters (notably Aket-ten) behaved in ways that just did not seem consistent with their actions in other books. All in all, I would have been perfectly fine with a Dragon Jousters trilogy.

I enjoyed the first two books of this series - Lackey does good world building, and in spite of the almost prototypical Lackey characters (Abused but noble serf, unredeemably evil villains, plucky and outspoken girl) they were an entertaining read.

The series went rapidly downhill in the third book, and in this installment my major response was "Who cares?" The plot becomes more and more convoluted without actually being interesting, but the weakest part is the characters.

Kiron and Aketen are essentially introduced as nearly perfect characters. He's abused and downtrodden, but pure hearted, noble, hardworking, sensible, wise, good tempered and so on and so forth. She's outspoken and impetuous, but similarly pure hearted and noble. The problem is - morally perfect characters don't make for all that interesting a story, particularly over four books. The result is a pair of lead characters who become more neurotic and whiny as the series goes on. Kiron mainly fades into the background, but Aketen becomes thoroughly unpleasant - I want to smack her and tell her to grow up, and then go tell Kiron to find a girlfriend who doesn't undermine his professional authority and go behind his back, sulk when she doesn't get what she wants, and badmouth him to all her friends. And the other romantic conflict manages to be entirely within the head of one of the other protaganists - literally, she resolves things before Kiron even notices she's interested in him.

So my advice is to read Joust and Alta, and stop there. You won't miss much.