27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Missing peices, May 9, 2000
I have loved Storm's writing for several years now. The Wreaththu books, the Grigori books are marvels -- they take speculative fiction into entirely new directions with daring, vision, and (most importantly to me) a wonderous writing style that few have matched. She is a Romantic writer of the old definition and this book shows it best -- the beauty, the horror, the claustrophobia, the decadance. I must admit, however, that I am glad to hear this is the beginning of a trilogy because there is not only no sense of closure to this book, but indeed it ends with a gaping wound.
This is not to say the book is bad, far from it. Not only are the characters intriguing, but the setting is marvelous and, once again, Storm Constantine takes on a task that few would dare in such settings -- she squarely hits Neo-Paganism at its roots (or lack thereof). The worship of the sea serpents is central to the whole book and makes the most fascinating study as you see it first from one angle, then from another, but rarely whole on or at once.
At times, however, as with the ending, the writing breaks down. You get interested in a character only to have the character's role end; you become fascinated with a line of story only to have the scene shift to several years later. Later, however, the threads are picked up again, but from a different perspective.
That is an important aspect of the book -- nothing is lost forever, no matter how much the characters would prefer that to be true. These are real people and all are fleshed out, warts and all. There is no single character to love or to hate; instead each of them is so complex that you wonder what is "true" about them. You are left to make up your own mind about them. Indeed, much like people in real life, the more you know about them, the more complicated they become and the less you understand what at first appeared to be their motivations. The characters decieve each other, but they also decieve themselves and, in so doing, cause a world of hurt to those around them.
This is not an easy book, but it is a very worthwhile book. I look forward to the next volume with relish!
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Author played with plot too much, June 20, 2000
There are more than a few places in this novel where the author abruptly "comes up" with something that felt to me to come out of nowhere--the Chair, the ruins, the notion that a dead man is lost... I'm willing to suspend my disbelief, but I don't like feeling as if I'm being told to keep closing my eyes while something new is created. The ending in particular felt "patched on", as if to increase demand for a sequel. I expected the book to end--and it didn't.
None of the characters were particularly likeable, and that didn't help either, although they were compelling.
I wouldn't seek out other books by this author--it wasn't bad, but it wasn't strong enough to make me really want to read more.
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26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Constantine creates epic fantasy, February 25, 2000
Desiring power, the king of fire, Cassilin of Malagash, conquers the Palindrakes, whose power belongs to the sea. Cassilin's archmage takes the Palindrake heir and forces the lad Valraven to swear allegiance to their god Madragore. Her husband dead and her son held hostage, the Lady of Palindrake knows it will take several lifetimes before they throw off the yoke of Madragore's denizens, but she vows the power of the sea will surface one day as an unending tidal wave sweeps away the taint of Cassilin.
Two centuries later, twins are born to the Palindrakes. The male is forced to adhere to his ancestor's vow of fealty to the followers of Madragore. However, the female Pharinet does not have an obligation to Madragore. She begins to learn the magical secrets of the Sisterhood of Dragons who serve Dragon Queen Foy. As the twins begin to return power to the sea dragons, the land turns to darkness even while freedom comes closer and closer for the people of Palindrake.
SEA DRAGON HEIR shows why Storm Constantine is one of the most acclaimed authors of epic fantasy novels. The story line is fast-paced and filled with action and magic even as the characters are fully developed. This realm feels genuine because the cast feels real even when magic is used and gods and dragons appear. With novels like the Wraeththu trilogy and this story, genre fans will want more works especially the sequels to this tale, from the talented Ms. Constantine who makes the unbelievable so believable.
Harriet Klausner
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