Customer Reviews

Dragon Venom (Obsidian Chronicles)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

LWE delivers, big time. I was curious as to how he'd wrap up this series, and LWE catches me off guard with a suprising little twist. Lots of morality issues here, but the most important aspect in this series, namely, the quality, was stellar. Obsidian is a great character--easily one of LWE's best (although Gar from Lords of DUS was quite good), and Obsidian does not disappoint this book either. Bravo.

Dragon Venom is the third and final volume of the story which Lawrence Watt-Evans began with Dragon Weather and The Dragon Society. Although it begins a trifle slowly for my taste, the pace picks up until the last third is a page turner that I could not put down.

I complained that Arlian relied far too much on luck and allowed events to move him in the earlier work, but the older (and wiser) Arlian in Dragon Venom takes control of his life and the life of human society.

The solutions to the problems besieging the Lands of Man are complex and Arlians journey (literal and figurative) to find those answers is enthralling. Arlian and many of the others are three dimensional characters that don't always do what we might wish, but are true to themselves and the story.

This story could easily be read and enjoyed without reading the preceding novels, but you will want to read the earlier 2/3s and savor the whole story.

Watt-Evans could have gone the route of Robert Jordan and dragged this story out over several books, dropping small plot advancements every so often. Instead, he runs with it. The world as you've known it in the first two books becomes much more complex, and many things that previously had to be taken on word are explained. Plot progresses at a rapid pace through most of the book, with surprises coming often, keeping it a page-turner.

This has been one of my favorite fantasy series, alongside Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy and Melanie Rawn's Dragon Star/Prince trilogies.

Dragon Venom is the third novel in the Obsidian Chronicles, following Dragon Society. In the previous volume, the Aritheians were successful in curing Lady Rime of her venom contaminated blood; she was no longer a dragonheart. When the dragon spawn was killed, the parent Dragon felt it and came to take vengeance on Arlian. Toribor volunteered to lure the dragon within range of the newfangled spear-thrower and was enveloped in the dragon's venom, but Arlian triggered the machine and hit the dragon with four obsidian-headed spears, yet did not kill it. He then leaped on the dragon and, hanging by one hand, shoved a spear in deeper until it penetrated the heart.

In this novel, Arlian has been appointed as the Duke's warlord and for the past fourteen years has been searching out and killing dragons in their lairs during the winter, when they are asleep and dormant. After cleaning out yet another lair, Arlian decides to return to Manfort for a while. Releasing the campfollowers at Crackstone, leaving most of his men in Ethinior, and sending Rolinor on ahead to Manfort, Arlian and Black return home together.

In Manfort, Arlian learns from Isein of disturbances along the southern border. After a good night's sleep, Arlian sends word of his return to the Duke. He visits the Old Palace and Lady Rime while he awaits word from the Duke, but becomes impatient after three days and drops in on the Duke unsummoned.

The Duke informs Arlian that the Southern borders have suffered encroachments of wild magic and suggests that the death of so many dragons may have led to a weakening of the barrier to such magic. Arlian has to agree, especially after a messenger from the Dragon Society confirms this news and offers a truce with the dragons. Under the circumstances, he promises to not kill any more dragons without the Duke's permission. However, he wonders how the dragons have fended off the wild magic and determines to travel south to find some answers.

In this story, Arlian learns even more about magic of all kinds. He meets magicians, wizards and the thing in Tirikindaro. Then he performs some experiments with dragon venom.

This volume satisfactorily concludes the story arc, although it leaves open the possibilities of future sequels. The author does still have some fascinating magical concepts to play with and a whole new cast of characters being born. Oh, the possibilities!

Highly recommended for Watt-Evans fans and for anyone else who enjoys stories of magic, dragons and heroes with a slightly different slant.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I picked up Dragon Weather on a whim at a used book store. I've been hooked on LWE ever since.

LWE isn't just a writer. He's an amazing writer, and Arlian is a wonderfully complex character in a deeply interesting world.

Before I begin my review, I must tell you that there is much more to this book (and the others in this series) than meets the eye, and although the book is well written and easy to read, the issues contained within the book are not exactly a light read. This series is really a series of questions of ethics.

These books aren't just a fiction story about Arlian getting his revenge on the looters that killed his family and friends and sold him into slavery.

They're about whether the ends justify the means. In the first book, you are told to hate the "evil" man who sold Arlian into slavery, and you are shown all the ripple of horrible circumstances that were all directly or indirectly caused by him. Sweet and Hasty and Kitten and all the other prostitutes--all women sold into slavery by their family and then disfigured. Some of them are eventually killed. All because of this "evil" man.

You are told about the horrible experiments he performs on people, the pack he made with the dragons, and given just a hint of all the people he's slaughtered throughout his lifetime.

But, the real dilema posed in the book isn't "Will Arlian get his revenge?" Nothing nearly so cut and dry.

The real dilema in the book is all in the ACTIONS.

Enziets' destruction of the little sleepy mountain town of Obsidian eventually ended up giving Arlian the tools he needed to defeat his first (and second, and third....and fourth) dragon. Enziets disgusting experiments provided the begining and basis for Arlians own (ahh...but if you haven't read the third book yet, so you don't know about that).

The third book both anwsers all your questions as well as provoking a million more. It anwsers whether Arlian gets his revenge or not, what happens to him and Lady Rhime, and all his girls from the brothel. What happens to the duke, and tells you more about wild magic and this history of the Lands of Man and beyond. But it makes you question so much more. Do these anwsers come at to great of a price? Does Arlian realize how similar to Enziet he has become?

The first two books set up Arlian as a character with a "chaotic Good" Alignment--someone who will do whatever they think is just and noble, whether anyone else agrees with it or not. But in this third book, That opinion is dashed to smithereens, and you seem Arlian behaving exactly--infact even more so-as diabolical as Enziet.

As much as you loved him in the first two, You'll begin to hate him in this book.

So, As you read this series, ask yourself more than just the surface questions--IS it ok for Arlian to build a fortune at the expense of other people--even if they aren't Pure as the Drive Snow? Toribor--Belly--Wasn't neccesarily bad. And you come to learn, neither was Enziet, only single minded. IS it ok for Arlian to Kill Dragon after Dragon, even when he finds out there are more ill side effects than he ever imagined?

Think about it.

Lawrence Watt-Evants Dragon series has proved to me that he is truely a master writer. I have enjoyed his books books for years and I beleive this is the best I have ever read. All three books grab your attention and hold onto it, but it is a rare author who's final book in a series is better than all the rest. I've waited years for this story to come to a conclusion and I am no sorry for the wait.

This is truely a master piece!

I wasn't familiar with the author's work when I read Dragon Weather (first book in this trilogy), but now that I've finished this series I'll be seeking out more of his books. This is an exciting, challenging story.

Each book builds until you find yourself reading compulsively. Everything here is top-notch: characters, setting, moral dilemnas, plot.

Buy it. You won't regret it. Do it right now. Click the button. Buy it.

The final installment of the Obsidian chronicles does a great job of tying up the storylines from the previous two books. The character development of the main protaginist comes full circle, and the reader is left feeling satisfied with the end result.

One of personal favourite points about this book is the simmering resentment between Arlian and his best friend and steward, Black. Instead of just glossing over the Black character, Watt-Evans gives him real motivations and desires, ofentimes which don't co-incide with those of Arlian. It is a real treat to read the interactions between these two men.

I am a fan of books featuring Dragons, so the Obsidian chronicles (Dragon Weather, Dragon Society and Dragon Venom) drew me in right away. The end is not disappointing at all!

A fitting finale to the Obsidian Chronicles. This books is vastly underrated for the level of quality it possesses. I can find no flaw in its continuity, yet its characters are flawed and real. It is a fit addition to any collection including the Sword of Truth chronicles, the Dragon Jousters, or Robin Hobb's several winners. Indeed, it is at least worth the price and the time it takes to read it. It left me pleased and satisfied. A++