Customer Reviews

CANCELLED - Secret of the Dragon (Dragonships of Vindras)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This review is more a brief capsule than a true review. I just finished the book and felt that a little more should be said. First of all, the opening book in the series did not do much for me. I would suspect that most of us who read it did not have any vested interest in Skylan, the central character. I will say this book is a 180 degree turnaround and contains much more engrossing scenes and better twists. Character development also takes enormous leaps forward. Overall, I would say it is starting to look much like the Death Gate Cycle series from these same authors, a slow beginning with "who cares" characters which is suddenly taking off. If you made it through the first book, this one will get you excited about the series. It definitely looks more like their works of old than their more recent material.

And here is Book Two in the Dragonships of Vindras series by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis. I've sort of been wondering how well this series is doing for them. The authors have been awfully silent about it and any news as to when to expect a third book has been kept behind closed doors. I know they each have other books and projects they are working on, but I still can't help being a bit curious...mhh....

I also want to mention that I tear into this book quite a bit, but still gave it a 3 out of 5 stars...so please don't think that I have a low-level of respect for this novel or for the talent of the authors. That wouldn't be the truth and I'm simply trying to be honest with my criticism.

Anyway, let's get to the dirty. Secret of the Dragon. More Dragons, more Ogres and more annoying characters than in the last book even. Do I mean this in a bad way? Well...not completely. You see, in the first volume Bones of the Dragon, the only character that actually kept you sane when you were reading was Skylan's best friend, Garn. Everybody else was just...just too one-dimensional. Well, let's just say that Garn was not a major character in this most recent volume and so all that is left to us are the characters we didn't really like in the first place. This makes starting the book a bit of a challenge. Do I really want to read an entire book about selfish, obnoxious and immature Skylan Iverson without his friend Garn, the only person that brought any sense into these people's minds? It's a toss-up, because either Skylan will change - because he has no choice - or he'll completely fail and so will the book because he doesn't change at all.

I stuck with it. Don't ask me how I conjured the strength to, but I did stick with it. And I am glad to report that, yes, the authors were actually able to accomplish something about these characters that I had thought were completely lost. Honestly, I believed that they had created characters that were absolutely non-salvageable from page one of book one. I hate sounding harsh, but I do this to emphasize the fact that somehow, through either pure talent or very good planning, they were capable of taking a character like Skylan and actually make you think, "Alright, I might care about this guy," by the end of the second book. That, my friends, is saying something even if there isn't much more to say.

Here are a couple more flaws (in my opinion) before I get to the strong points:

1. I hate the villains. I know, that's what you're supposed to think, right? Well, I think that depends on why you hate them. Think of all your favorite villains...you love the fact that you hate what they do. You think of them and even though you want them to lose, you really think that they are pretty awesome. The Joker. Maleficent. Khan. Darth Vader, etc...These villains, in this book, are just there to fill in the space. They're what I call the 'Page Flippers', the ones that have no other purpose than to be despised and introduce the next challenge. You're happy to get rid of them so you don't need to read about them anymore. Sorry if I'm offending anybody, but that all I have to say about it.

2. The story is a bit clishe...or at least it's a bit too popular lately. Can a story about slaves and Gladiators trying to escape or overpower their captors become a bit too predictable? Anyone? Wait, let me think.... How many stories have gladiators in them? Lots. How many stories have dragons in them? Lots, right? Does combining the two make it more exciting, or original? (You reluctantly say...) No. It doesn't.

Some of the good:

1. As I mentioned before, the character's have been salvaged. If you disliked the first book because of the characters alone, you will be greatly surprised by this one. If you liked the characters in the first book, then you will love them now. I categorize myself with the first group, and I need to be honest and fair when I say that the authors did a terrific job at turning the ugly into the good. Props on that.

2. It's well written. It's not poetic and nothing is described to the point that you see it exactly the way the author sees it, but it works very well. It leaves lots to your imagination while still leading you along the path of the story. I like that. I like that a lot, actually. I feel like I'm given freedom to walk the world they have created and left to my own musings. Of course, the main details are given, but most of what surrounds those are for you to fill in the blanks, and that is pretty cool.

Conclusion:

I miss The Deathgate Cycle, but there's nothing I can do about that. Trying to find a hint of that in these books, however, was a mistake. Don't try to quench that hunger for Haplo and his dog through Skylan. It'll never happen. Taken separately though, the Dragonships of Vindras are already showing a lot more promise than when only the first book was out. So, if you're a fan of Margaret Weis or Tracy Hickman, give it a go. You've never read their work before, follow my suggestion from an earlier review and read The Deathgate Cycle instead.

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Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman continue their "Bones of the Dragon" series in an excellent entry, "Secret of the Dragon." Like the first book, Tor/Forge gives readers a kickass cover that screams BUY ME! (So I did).

The second is much improved over the first. With an increased familiarity with Skylan, the plot of Dragon is far more interesting and twisted. We have the power of the old gods led by Torval challenged by those led by Aelon. When 'gods' fade, others take their place and the Gods of Raj step up to the altar. Not willing to take their loss of worship easily, they search for the Five Bones of the Vektia Dragons. The Sinorians and the land of ogres are known holders of two, but three are missing.

Meanwhile back on the 'earth', Skylan Ivorson (crew and Bone Goddess Treia) are betrayed by Raegar into the hands of Lord Acronis via the slave trade. Raegar, over time, discovers that Acronis is not whom he thought, and he realizes that he needs the help of the gods and Dragon King Kahg!

This is a fantastic series that is a little off the beaten path, but experienced guides Weis and Hickman, the paths become something else. Dragonships is one of those series (6 books) that will become legendary as their previous works. Reading this, part of me wants to join the crew...

If you buy this for the Kindle, be aware you cannot lend this book. Amazon says this is a publisher decision. My wife purchased it for her Kindle. We both read and enjoyed Book 1 and hoped to share this, only to find out after the fact that it was not possible. This will clearly be factored into our Kindle purchases in the future.

I love this books. And how the book let your mind wonder in the world. The ending leaves you wanting more.

I'm just finishing up the 1st book in the series Bones of the Dragon and it is a really great book. So I ordered the 2nd one that had recently come out and it came in great condition.

I am an avid dragonlance reader! These are wonderful books full of fantastic adventure. If you are into fantasy I recommend reading dragonlance novels.

I have been a big fan of Weis et Hickman, but this series is really boring to me so far. Nothing seems to happens for whole chapters, it was true in the first book of the series, it's still true here. In the first book, Skylan was so annoying I wished he'd die already. In this book, he barely tolerable(still swearing to Torval every 5 pages that he'll do this or that, and yet doing nothing that actually matters, and still telling characters who want to tell him important stuff to shut up(this got old after the 36th time you know...) and to make things worse, Aylaen went from interesting in the first book to a whiny character in this one, sobbing for all the book. So much that now I hope both her and Skylan die soon! One very well written character introduced here is the ogre that is named the Keeper *SPOILER* and W&H get rid of him, the only enjoyable character of the book.

Honestly, I am a at a loss. As much as I love W&H work usually, I think I am done with this series. They seem to have lost their touch or inspiration, I don't know. In those 2 books combined together, there is less stuff happening then in a single Dragonlance or Death Gate book. A modern Odyssey, like Margareth Weis once described the series, this is certainly not. :(

The power of the old gods led by Torval is waning and new gods led by Aelon and worshipped by the Sinarians and the Gods of Raj are challenging them for power. To regain their supremacy, the old gods must have the Five Bones of the primal Vektia Dragons, hidden and scattered across the world by the dragon goddess Vindrash during creation. One is owned by the Sinarions; one in the land of the ogres; and three are unknown. Whoever has the bones possesses the power of creation.

On the mortal plane, Skylan Ivorson and his sea raiding crew inclding the Bone Goddess Treia, and her sister Aylean are betrayed by Raegar, a Vindraisi turned warrior priest of Aelon who leads the enemy Sinarians to them. The crew is captures and sold into slavery while Treia who is Raegar's lover will do anything for him. They become the slaves of Lord Acronis and are expected to battle in Para Dix games in an arena especially built for the warrior battles. Skylan discovers how deep Raegar's treachery goes and luckily he finds where the dragon bone is interred foils his plan. Unfortunately Skylane may not be able to do anything to stop him permanently even with his knowledge because he needs the aid of the vanished dragon Kahg and the gods.

This book picks up where Bones of the Dragon ended so it behooves the audience to read the previous tale first, but also be aware that the climax of this thriller is a cliffhanger too that will require the next entry to resolve how the hero gets out of his predicament; if he does. Skylan is a sort of Indiana Jones character landing in one dangerous escapade after another with no chance to breath in between his adventures. He relies on his instincts and his crew to achieve their mission and stay alive. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman provide another superb Bones epic fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

This review contains heavy spoilers. Be warned.

Secret of the Dragon by Maragret Weis and Tracy Hickman, is the second installment of the Dragonships series. Like the fantasy duo's previous works, it has their traditional hallmarks of a new and detailed world, filled with flawed (deeply flawed, I must say) characters, and powerful gods that can succumb to their own failings just like the people who inhabit their world. The implement of the Norse mythology makes the series an attractive read, and combining this with powerful dragons, while not making it wholly original, definitely makes it interesting.

Despite what other reviews are saying, I will say this second book actually doesn't fair as well as the first did. I'll try to explain why.

First off, there are the characters, the very core of any story that can make or break a novel. Starting with the heroes; Skylan Ivorson, our protagonist, has gone through a radical change in personality. No longer the brash, aggressive, (and many say, stupid) young man he is, he becomes more subdued in this book, thinking before he acts, and taking things more seriously. While you're no longer gnashing your teeth at Skylan's actions as in the first book, he doesn't seem as interesting anymore. Almost bland, I'm afraid. At the least, he was entertaining in the first book. Perhaps it was just the way he was written, but Skylan no longer interests me as much, even as he tries to make up for his past mistakes. Aylaen, one of the few woman characters here, has actually gotten worse. She's just as bratty and arrogant, but now whines -constantly- ever since her lover has died. She, for the most part, mopes for nearly the entirety of the novel, her only interesting scenes when she receives her visions from the gods, since the writers fill this out with interesting details that make it enjoyable to read. Then there's Wulfe, the loveable fae boy. Though he's here for the entire novel, he's still, unfortunately, not as central a character as others are. It's a shame, for he's the most interesting of our heroic characters, but the authors seem to try to push him into the background to give their attention to Skylan. The scenes he's in are enjoyable, (such as his interactions with the Dragon Kahg) though not as enjoyable as the first book. There are the other Vindrasi warriors, but they're just blank faces with nameplates, and we never learn too much about them individually.

Now the villains. First there is Raegar, continuing from the first book. In essence, he's the highly religious fool who betrayed his own kinsmen for his new god. There are some interesting facets to him, which we only get glimpses of, such as always being the outcast in Sinarian society as well as his own, and his strong belief that he's selling his own people to slavery for their own good. Yet he's still rather one-dimensional, never having too much of a sympathetic side, his only real concern in when he will ever get into Aylaen's pants. (Seriously). He's unlike Treia, his lover, who also betrays her people because of the hardship and disrespect she endured her whole life, and who has a rather grand ambition that I never knew she had before. While her actions are despicable, she is more complex than many of the characters in this novel. Though jealous of her sister, she still loves her much to her own surprise, and struggles greatly when she has to betray her. She goes to great lengths to get her way, a victim to love for someone who doesn't deserve it and betraying one who does, and wants to achieve something for all her struggles. She's a character you love to hate essentially, and I hope she proves just as interesting in the next novel. There's another character, Xydis, the Priest-General, but there's next to nothing about him, so I won't bother with him.

For the not-so-bad guys, there's Acronis, the man who made the Vindrasi into his slaves. He cares for his daughter, a fact that gets hammered into the reader's brain A LOT. His whole existence basically revolves around her, so there's not much to his own character really. There's Zahakis, the soldier, who is loyal to Acronis. Not much to him either. Then there's Chloe. I never grew to hate her as I thought I would, since she is spoiled and all, but we never get to focus on her so much either. Her presence is rather brief, and I wasn't all that sorry to see her go. The ogre slave, Keeper, also had the makings to be interesting, but he's gone before anything substantial can be made.

The plot. To be honest, there is not much happening, and events go by rather quick. The Vindrasi get captured and made into slaves by the Sinarian people, are forced to play in the gladiator game called the Para Dix (which is never really expanded upon), and then ALMOST escape. There is of course the rather awesome scene with the !SPOILER! Vektian dragon. Yet with the first book, I honestly felt more happened. The ogres intrude upon the Vindrasi homeland, Skylan becomes Chief of Chiefs, gets married to Draya, ventures to the Druid Isles, meets Wulfe, meets with dead wife who is really goddess, fights giants, Garn dies, gets shamed by his people, then gets betrayed by Raegar. In this second book, they become slaves, see horrible dragon god, and esca- oh wait, just kidding. I was rather let down, and even with the introduction of the grand city that Skylan and others were awed by, it was written with not as much detail as I would have hoped to feel that same awe.

The setting. Much of the story takes place in one actual location. Not a bad thing, but events don't happen as much. The authors do a good job at expressing the Vindrasi's discomfiture and awe at their master's homeland, and uses it to help propel the plot along and help with character development. I just wished the environment could have been more detailed and explained to really give the city a more `real' feel to it.

Now the writing itself. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are not bad writers, by any means. They've really showed their skill with the Dragonlance series, as well as with the numerous other books they've written. Deathgate Cycle is, I believe, one of their best works they've written together. Yet in this novel, I don't feel the spark. While the writing is still entertaining, the world they portray is no longer richly detailed with complex characters. The first book did a rather good introduction to the world, really taking their time with it, while in this one things seem rushed, even with 400 pages. Some scenes just didn't feel important or significant in the long scheme of things. One chapter, where they switched the point of view between two characters constantly, I honestly found irritating. It's like their attention is not focused, and are haphazardly going through the events just to get it over with. While not terrible writing, it's not good writing either, at least not as good as their other works, and, for me personally, not even as good as the first book in this series. It's a shame, for these guys are some of my favorite authors out there.

In conclusion, I will still read the next book, in hopes that it will be better than this. Characters do develop in this novel, kinda, and the ending did leave an interesting premise for the next one. I would still recommend people to read this series, though when you get to the second installment, don't get your hopes up.