Customer Reviews

The Dragon Charmer

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like the author's first book, Prospero's Children, this book begins in rural England, where elements of magic and strange happenings are gradually introduced into an otherwise modern setting. Also like the first book, the main character spends a significant part of the story isolated in a different "world." In this book, however, the author does a much better job of carrying two story lines, and integrating the other world into the main story. The character development and sense of realism are also much improved. I found this book to be a entertaining read, with some interesting ideas and story elements, all very well told. I recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Jan Siegel's work.

I have very mixed feelings about The Dragon Charmer. I looked forward to it very much since I read Prospero's Children a year ago. In some ways, it was a let down, in others, it was perfectly fine. I love the character of Fern, and I was really anxious to see how she would grow, change, and mature. She did do so in this book, but not exactly how I hoped. I had hoped this process would leave me more in love with Fern, and while I did not loose any empathy for her, I also was not more devoted to her. Her brother's character, however, was very enjoyable, and changed in all the right ways to make a real character. I also was somewhat dissapointed that the story did not really seam to connect to Prospero's Children. It carried a lot of the same things over, but it seemed like just a seperate adventure with the same main character. I am looking forward to the final book in the trilogy in hopes it will tie the two books together. Even though the story did not really seem to flow from the first book, it was still a wonderful story. I was never bored and was fascinated with Siegel's immagination and descriptions. The story moved fairly slow, and I like that, as long as it does not drag, and it did not. The end/climax moved way too fast for me, however, especially since it was so interresting. I felt that I had spent so much time on the rest of the story that I wanted to spent a equal amount on the end instead of feeling rushed. It was not the sequal I expected, but it was a great read and very enjoyable. I am glad I read it, and I look forward to the next instalment.

Jan Siegel (pseudonym for Amanda Hemingway) is also the author of "Prospero's Children" (1999), and "The Witch Queen" (2002), the books that precede and follow "The Dragon Charmer" (2000) in this fantasy trilogy starring magically-gifted, Fern Capel.

These three books need to be read in order if any sense is to be made of Fern's increasingly complicated love life and her growing power as a sorceress. The first novel in the trilogy, "Prospero's Children" starts out as a YA coming-of-age fantasy, populated with evil villains (a witch, an idol, and an art gallery owner) and eccentric good guys (the Watcher, a female werewolf, a house goblin). Unfortunately, the second half degenerates into a standard Swords and Sorcery fantasy about Atlantis. It's almost as if the publisher said, "Okay, Jan, this is a great novel but we need another 100 pages, and why don't you throw in a Lost Continent. Lost Continents are very big this year."

Nevertheless, read the Atlantis bit very carefully, because the following two novels constantly refer back to Fern's sojourn in this ancient, drowned world. If this author has a serious fault, it's her overuse of extended flashbacks. Her greatest strength is her darkly imaginative blend of worlds (excluding Atlantis). The World Tree where Fern spends most of "The Dragon Charmer," is borrowed from Norse mythology and inhabited by nightmarish crones. There is also a savage boar that eats the fallen fruit from the Tree - the regenerated heads of those who did evil in their lives on Earth.

This is my favorite book in the trilogy, even though Fern spends most of it in a coma. Her body is tended by her friends and relatives after she reclaims her paranormal Gift, and her spirit is stolen out of Time by a sorceress who is looking for a new apprentice.

Meanwhile Fern's brother, Will and her friend, Gaynor, with the help of other characters from "Prospero's Children" such as the Watcher and the werewolf, try to solve the mystery of her sudden descent into a coma. Their adventures and Fern's struggle to return to her body from the Land of the Dead and the not-so-dead, alternate to the very end of the book, where all of the story threads are combined into a very satisfying climax involving Fern's most ancient Enemy and the dragon of the title.

Although witches, dragons, and drowned continents inhabit many mundane fantasies, they've been combined into a darkly imaginative sorceress's brew in this trilogy. Not to be missed.

There is no middle ground when it comes to Jan Siegel's novels: you either love them or hate them. Considering I love them, you might want to take this review with a pinch of salt as you may take my advice to read it and find that it is simply not to your taste. In any case, borrow before you buy and hopefully you'll enjoy these books as much as I do. They are beautifully written, with intriguing ideas and careful plotting, and (in my humble opinion) are among the best books that the fantasy genre has to offer. In a world of Tolkien rip-offs, it is a rare thing to find a fantasy novel that transcends the cliches into something fresh and new, yet resonant with older traditions and mythologies.

In the previous novel "Prospero's Children", Fern Capel came into her inheritance as a witch, fell in love, bartered with a demon and travelled back in time to the final days of Atlantis in order to race evil powers for possession of the Lodestone. Now twelve years later she has done everything she can to put that traumatic summer firmly behind her. She wraps herself in a world of respectability, and is about to marry the charismatic Marcus Grieg, a man twenty years her senior. Returning to Yarrowdale with her best friend Gaynor Mobberley (the site of her adventures twelve years earlier) at her financee's insistence, Fern begins to feel ancient powers emerging about her once more. These otherworldly forces are not so eager to let such a powerful witch out of their grasp, and the day before her wedding Fern falls into a mysterious coma whilst her spirit wanders far away.

Whilst Fern's brother Will, the ex-wizard Ragginbone and Gaynor attempt to unravel the mystery to Fern's illness, Fern herself finds herself keeping the strangest of company under the World Tree, where the heads of souls bound to purgatory hang like fruit on its branches. The two groups find themselves uncovering a long forgotten story of the dragon-charmers, a family of Atlantis that possessed the power to (obviously) charm dragons - and realise that there is every chance a dragon still exists somewhere in the world, waiting to be hatched. Whoever possesses such a powerful creature will wield a weapon that hasn't been seen in the world for centuries, and there are several parties determined to get their hands on it.

There have been complaints that Fern's decision to turn her back on her powers is frustrating after the story arc of the previous story in which she gradually had to come to terms with them. To a point this is true, but I find it much more realistic that Fern would desire to forget the supernatural aspects of her life. Siegel has a good grip on Fern's personality, and the actions of this twenty-something Fern is certainly true to the persona of her teenage-self. The events of "Prospero's Children" were traumatising for a young girl, and it makes perfect sense that the sensible and practical woman she's grown into would reject her powers in day-to-day life - using them only when necessity demands it.

However, I do agree that the book is somewhat slow-paced to start with: it is not till chapter five that Fern's adventure really begins after she's put into her magically-induced coma (and since the chapters are quite long, it takes a while). But the mystery, intrigue and suspense of the rest of the novel more than makes up for it. Intricately plotted, we are introduced to figures and conceits that are fully revealed later in the novel, at exactly the right time and place, some of which may or may not have a place in familiar mythology. Images, dreams, symbols, plot-twist, action - all are painstakingly strewn throughout the story and explored in Siegel's beautiful poetic-prose. It isn't just a gimmick, it fully enhances the story and is comparable only to Patricia McKillip.

The range of ideas at work in the story is truly breathtaking: its so tempting to start listing them, but that of course would ruin the enjoyment you would get out of discovering them yourselves. Let's just say that "Dragon-Charmer" is a tapestry of rich and intricate ideas and concepts; you can almost sense that even the minor characters have lives (no matter how strange) outside the context of the story that is told.

But then again, you may hate "Dragon-Charmer" and its predecessor "Prospero's Children", as they are so unique that it's hard to categorise and compare them with other books. All I can to is recommend you take the time to read them and hope that you'll like them as much as I did.

_The Dragon Charmer_ is the second novel in a (recently titled)Fern Capel Trilogy written by author Amanda Hemingway under the penname Jan Seigel. The first book being _Prospero's Children, sets the characters and stage for this novel, as a sequel more then ten years after the original novel.

_Prospero's Children_ told the tale of Fernanda Capel and her well intentioned but bumbling father Robin and precocious but thankfully not cliched younger brother Will as they inherit a house from recently deceased and very distant relative. From this setting, we weave a tale of Fernanda who is, as it turns out a witch or rather someone with "The Gift" of magic as a matter of fact. First truly seen in the mythical and ancient civilization of Atlantis. _Propero's Children_ centered around the search for a key made from a magical stone that can open the gates of death itself. Sixteen year old Fern, whom in _Prospero's Children_ was introduced as a slightly prudish, responsible and prickly herione was at the center of this tale who later came forwards to see it's completion as she; at the last half of the novel travels back in time to Atlantis where she discovers the kind of true love that happens once in a life time and ends up witnessing the downfall of Atlantis and inadvertently starting up the events that lead her adventures over a thousand years into the future.

_Prospero's Children_ had a magnifiscent tone, brought on by Seigel's beautiful and boardering on purple prose that fit the novels dreamy feel and easy pace. While each character was well developed with their own voice and solid place in the story. Never a character that seemed to struggle to fit into the rest of the story or exist simply as support for the protagonist. One of the major delights of the story was the character of Alison or Alimond, the antagonist or secondary antagonist. An ancient witch of some power whose motivations for searching for the key were at once heartbreaking and entirely selfish. Alison remains in this reader's mind as a prime example of how to make a three dimensional antagonist. While the Oldest Spirit, existed as a good almost omniscent force to keep events moving for Fern and the characters.

The novel ended with a bit of sadness and budding hopeful future for Fern whose is just now coming into her own as a powerful witch.

However _The Dragon Charmer_ begins nearly ten years after that novel ended, and shows the reader that the potential and hopeful future for Fern as merely stalled out completely. As if the author couldn't think of ways to rise Fern to a higher level and merely left her as an uninspiring adult who has returned to her formerly prudish ways. If going deeper into them as all the growth and potential Fern had as a child has dissapeared with adulthood (which as we see is a common theme in these novels, the loss of potential and shinning of youth for the boring depressing future of adulthood).

Nearly ten years later Fern Capel is a college graduate engaged to be married to a man nearly twice her senior. Fern's reasoning for this arrangement isn't true love or even comfort, but a simple unwavering determination to stick to the "natural path" that she had imagined for herself as a child. A suitable career, a prudent marriage and possibly children in the distant future being the entire scope of Fern's future. Fern's fiance is a fluttery and distant character who it seems does exactly what the author avoided so wonderfully in her first novel and that is make a secondary character merely for the sake of supporting the main character. However not even Fern takes true center stage in this novel as her chapters are infrequent as we see most of this novel from the very, very uninspiring and useless main character (I hesitate to even call her a protagonist), Fern's friend Gaynor Mobberly. Brought forth as a love interest for Fern's younger brother Will, now college age and every bit the precious rake he was as a child. Gaynor, while not an unlikable character, is simply put...boring. Useful to the story only as a way for new readers to the series to catch up on what happened before hand, if they didn't read _Prospero's Children_. Even that is haphazardly done as we hear only second hand brushby accounts of what occured in the first novel. New readers to the series will perhaps get the bare bones idea as to what happened in the first novel but loose the full scope and emotional impact of it on the characters or what should have been the emotional impact on the characters.

For Will, Robin, their housekeeper, Ragginbone and even Fern have simply stalled as characters and lost what original voice and sparkle they have. The novel's main theme is Fern's forceful return to her destiny as one of the gifted, as the weekend of her wedding she is taken (in spirit) from her body and forced to become the prodigy of a familiar legendary figure. Morgan le Fey (called Morgus) in these novels. A power bloated witch, eternally stuck in the mideval mindset and cold hard determination to rule the ancient kingdom of Britain, in her mind called Logrez. Morgus and her partner in crime exist out of time underneath the world tree (Yddragssil in Norse Mythology) where the heads of the dead must spend a season for every evil deed committed. Morgus awaits for the head of a particular person. The only person in existence gifted with the ability to charm Dragons. As Fern learns her new craft, reluctantly from Morgus she must use all of her wits to ellude becoming a mindless pawn for Morgus and eventually make her escape. Morgus is a one dimensional villain, who is shown as being irredemably evil without the true motvation for her desired conquest. Unlike Alison whose motivations were, in some twisted sense reasonable. Morgus has no true inspiration, no real reason to want to conquor Britain. She merely wants to because she *can* and her twisted obsession with Fern evolves to a rather squriming climax as a rather uncomfortable and barely brushed upon and non violent rape scene seems to serve no purpose other then to show just how *evil* Morgus is.

As Fern struggles to free herself, with the help of a twisted child of Morgus. Will and Gaynor back in the real world, struggle to find a way to save her and keep her body safe. Mean while the looming figure of the Oldest Spirit isn't present in this novel, a noticable lack in the plot itself.

_The Dragon Charmer_ is a charmless, sparkleless "second novel" in a trilogy that had complete promise in the beginning as being a true fantasy classic. While it will perhaps remain a prime example perhaps of true urban or modern fantasy, the second novel in the series is noticably lacking from the first. All the character growth and potential lost under an uninspiring plot that leaves the reader mildly unsatisfied. For those readers whom truly loved _Prospero's Children_ and wish to finish this series it is only partially reccomended.

ooooh this book was so fun!!!! well...maybe not FUN but it was really exciting. I can't wait to read the third. I had a little trouble with getting into it. I still finished the book in two days. I also hope that Jan Siegel includes yet another poem in the third book of this trilogy. I got The Dragon Charmer when I went to england and she was right about the weather, at least while I was there.I HIGHLY recomend this book for anybody who likes Science Fiction and Fantasy and look forward to seeing and reading the next and last book in the trilogy. I can't wait to see what happens with Kal, at least I hope something happens with him. He seems like a key charactor and wasn't mentioned much in the end but surely he'll be mentioned in the next book.

I liked the first book very much, but "The Dragon Charmer" was a big disappointment. I thought that the characters were unevenly and unconvincingly drawn. The author seemed too enamored with her own lofty and pseudo-poetic prose (which was intermittently applied), and not sincere enough in giving each character a unique and appropriate voice. The writing style seemed to me to be awkwardly self-conscious and pretentious. Many points seemed somewhat plagiaristic or imitative to me. I had a hard time caring very much what happened to any of the characters, because they seemed so flat. I'm not sure what changed between the first book and the second (I would need to reread both of them, probably, to put my finger on it) but I the sequel did not seem to me to be anywhere near as convincing, involving, or unpretentious as the first book.

This sequel to Prospero's Children by Jan Siegel is a delight and well worth reading for anyone who liked the original. Foremost among its good points is that Siegel doesn't immediately pitch the teenage Fern into another magical adventure. Instead she allows a dozen years to go by in the gap, so that the Fern in this story is now an adult facing adult problems. These include an upcoming wedding to an intelligent but dreary man, career conflicts, and a drinking problem. All the surviving characters from "Prospero's Children" are here as well, along with some worthy newcomers.

Another strength is the writing, as luxurious and mature here as in Siegel's first novel. I love the decadent use of descriptors, particularly once the characters leave England for more magical locales. The atmosphere of the area surrounding the World Tree is magnificent and the two new villains are genuinely frightening. As others have said, the weaving of various strains of mythology into a coherent whole is done flawlessly.

The minor issues that makes this less of a total success are the pacing and a few plot points. Some of the opening sections are a drag. Sometimes the plot appears to require a little bit of unexplained stupidity from the characters in order to make things work. Those, however, are minor issues in an otherwise successful book.

Also recommended for those who like Siegel's writing: The High House by James Stoddard and Larklight by Philip Reeve.

Not quite as brilliant as the first novel in the trilogy, I still found this to be one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read. Fern's personality may have taken a small step-backward from the young woman she had seemed set to grow into in the end of 'Prospero's Children', but that only meant she left the stage open for her brother and her friend Gaynor. A few secondary characters in 'The Dragon Charmer' do feel a bit two-dimensional but for the most part the new characters are interesting and the old ones are fleshed out a little more.

The magical world Jan Siegel creates is a dark, dreamy place that feels unlike any other. She draws you in with gorgeous prose, weaving together bits and pieces of various mythologies to create something unique and endlessly fun to read about.

I did not like _The Dragon Charmer_ as well as I liked _Prospero's Children_. Unlike the latter, _Dragon Charmer_ seemed disjointed and hurried. There were too many things going on at once and in my opinion none of them were as well developed as they might have been. The language was beautiful, but it seemed as though the focus on the language was trying to make up for the fact that there just really wasn't much story, like piling frosting on a overly-thin cake.

A lot of what story there was seemed like a repetition of what had already been said in the previous book. It annoyed me that Fern spent all of _Prospero's Children_ breaking away from being a prim, controlled child and letting magic into her life and then she had to do it all over again. I was also not interested in hearing still more about the "Oldest Spirit." Nor was I particularly thrilled with Siegel's dragons or the portions of the story based on Arthurian lore. It just seemed like she didn't have anything new to say here.

Where Siegel did explore new territory -- as in the relationship between Will and Gaynor and the character of Kal, she was as good as I expected. Unfortunately, she just didn't spend enough time there. It was as if _The Dragon Charmer_ was nothing more than a set up for book 3 in the series, so many of the interesting parts just didn't go anywhere. That there will be a third book was pointed out in an unnecessary and annoying epilogue, just in case you missed the hints about it in the body of the text.

I think even linking books deserve to be fully developed. I wish Siegel had just gone ahead and written the book she wanted to, instead of merely giving the story a lick and a promise before moving on.