Customer Reviews

Dragons Luck

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Siblings Griffen and Valerie McCandles were raised as humans unaware that they were the offspring of two half-dragons until their unique powers started to manifest. Dragons are a selfish species with a need to accrue more power, which makes them ruthless and avaricious. Griffen is different perhaps an anecdotal proof of nurturing over naturing, but he is only interested in running the gambling empire his mentor turned over to him. A George, a mercenary who kills dragons for a fee, is impressed with Griffen, who is learning to use his new skills. West Coast dragon Flynn watches the New Orleans based Griffen with a close eye trying to ascertain whether this new hybrid is a threat to him or will he be an asset if he decides to bring him into his organization. His lover Mei also keeps a close surveillance on Griffen because her Asian dragon cartel has their eye on him.

Griffen is content with his lot and cares about his friends including the ghost of the former Voodoo high priestess Rose. She asks him to host the Conclave where the various supernatural groups are coming to town to talk and have fun. Griffen agrees to be the moderator for the Conclave. His prime function is to keep the diverse parties from brawling with each other. However, when one of the conventioneers is murdered, someone insures Griffen looks like the culprit. Out of respect for their host and to keep the human police from meddling in supernatural species affair, the Conclave search for the killer.

Because Griffen is atypical of the dragon species, he has many diverse supernatural friends who come through for him when he is framed. That paranormal support cast is three dimensional with the various groups containing radically different overarching personalities; while within a group multiplicity exists just not as lucid. The whodunit is fun sort of a paranormal version of Fritz Lang's M with the supernatural hunting the killer instead of the criminals.

Harriet Klausner

I bought this book to give my grandson, actually I bought two books in this series. I was expecting more details and more action, so that's why I only give this book three stars. Book has zombies, voodoo and other supernatural creatures. A coming of age of a young dragon who has no idea he is a dragon until he is told - he thinks he is a young, adult human only. Eventually the setting becomes New Orleans and is very detailed. Naturally some mystery, some killing, some species strife and dragon politics are involved.
Pleasant to read, but a really light read... not nearly as good as other books I've read.

Robert Asprin does it again. This picks up right where "Dragons wild" left off and takes the story onto new and exciting levels. If you are familiar with the works of Mr. Asprin, you will not be disappointed. The story continues in New Orleans french Quarter and although the characters maybe made up the location is dead on. I spent a weekend following the "dragon" books to see if I could find the places and compare the descriptions. I was able to do both and was fascinated at the tour Mr. Asprin took me on. I would Highly recommend to anyone to read this book and to get wrapped up in it's story.

After I read the first book in this series, I knew I would want to buy the sequels as soon as they were available. This one is a quick read, is fast-paced, accessible, and the characters are very real. The ending just cries out for a sequel, but since I didn't read the book jacket until after I read the book, I didn't learn until it was too late that the author had died and that I was likely reading the last in the series. The difference between 4 and 5 stars is, to me,is that since it doesn't look like there will be a 3rd book, this one ends a bit abruptly.

The second book in the Griffen McCandles series is a bit cumbersome. Although I enjoyed the characters the plot was difficult to get into for the first half of the book. The pace picked up during the second half of the novel and by the time I was finished I wanted the story to continue. Overall this is the weakest book in the three book series, but it is definitely worth reading if you enjoyed Dragons Wild. However, if you do not care for the characters or the New Orleans setting skip this book.

By now, Griffen McCandless and his sister Valerie are well established in New Orleans and are content with their lives. So, of course, it is time for the author to throw some curveballs at them. Griffen encounters Rose the Ghost and she asks him to be the moderator of a special kind of conference that is coming to town. Not knowing any better, Griffen agrees. The conference is actually a conclave of supernatural beings that includes Vampires, Shape-shifters, other ghosts, Animal Controllers, Changelings, and even a Chimera. These folks do not always get along, so Griffen's major task is to keep them under some sort of control. Of course, as Griffen has become stronger, the other dragons in the world are feeling him out and we are now introduced to Flynn - who has his own sets of priorities and wants to have Griffen either join and serve him - or be made to disappear!

Without delving too much into the plot, this story is a follow-on to Dragons Wild. Many of the events of that book are refered to in this one, so please do not read this book before the other. There is clearly going to be a sequel as the book ends in a way that leaves too many open plot lines. However, Robert Asprin died in 2008, so the question is who will write the sequel?

As far as the writing itself goes, this is a very light and entertaining read. While almost 400 pages long, it will not take you too long to get through this novel. The writing style is light and breezy, and there are many chapters - which means that each one is short. Reading the interactions of the various supernatural beings: what their strengths and weaknesses are; and how they see the world and the other beings in it; is the major part of the fun of this book. After all, what are vampires doing? And how does every other society view dragons? To top it all off, there is a pre-meditated murder in this story. While we know exactly who it was who created the situation that led to the killing, it is not clear at all who really did it, but we do know that Griffen is framed for it.

The resolution of that particular plot is the main part of this book. The Dragon interactions are the plots that will be carried through to the next book in the series and they are quite complicated already. I enjoyed reading this book and found it a worthy sequel to Dragons Wild and will definitely read the next one when it comes out. I heartily recommend it to you if you are an Asprin fan and want to delve into another light and fluffy fictional sojourn in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

A worthly successor to the Myth series. However, it often seems like a travelog for the New Orleans French Quarter. I suspect that the restaurants and bars frequented by the main character are actual places that the author once patronized.

Dragon's Luck is the sequel to Dragon's Wild and while reading the first book is probably a good idea it's not entirely necessary as Asprin brings new readers up to speed. Griffen McCandles has recently discovered that his parents were half-dragons and the he himself and his sister, Val, are also dragons. Griffen is just beginning to learn how to use his powers when an aging dragon in New Orleans seeks him out to manage his gambling syndicate.

Griffen stretches himself a bit too thin when he also accepts the position of moderating a convention filled with all manner of supernatural beings. His main duty is too keep these diverse groups from killing each other but when one is killed, Griffen finds that he is the center of unwanted attention. Further complicating matters is Earl, a dragon from Los Angeles who has come to the Big Easy to make life even more miserable for Griffen and a female Dragon named Lizzy who is out to kill Val.

Dragon's Luck moves very quickly and has the usual clever and snappy dialog we've come to expect from the late Robert Asprin. Not as funny as his MYTH books but still an enjoyable read.

This is the second volume in Asprin's Dragons series and like almost all of Asprin's books there is a fair amount of humour in it. That said, this a contemporary fantasy that is very well written and easy to read. Unfortunately we may not get any more in this series due to the death of Robert Asprin. He will be greatly missed.

The only real disappointment is that it is the final book. Asprin finally got back to having fun writing a story.

With this (and the other Dragon book) he was certainly "back", back having fun telling a story and letting the reader have run reading it. This is the Asprin we all enjoyed reading, back for one last great read