Customer Reviews

Dragonseed (Bitterwood 3)

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

 

 

With no king on the throne the dragon hierarchy is on the verge of collapse. Chapelion, the sky-dragon who is Head of the College of Spires, has allied himself with the valkyries. His plot to overthrow Androkom as High Biologian is very risky, as it tempts a civil war. With the dragons in turmoil, the humans in Dragon Forge are busy building weapons and stocking supplies. It is only a matter of time until the dragons regroup and begin their attempts to retake Dragon Forge.

Ragnar, who controls those within Dragon Forge, is becoming too superstitious and cruel. Burke the Machinist knows it will not be long before Ragnar no longer needs his help making weapons. There is no way of knowing what Ragnar will then do to Burke, but he knows it will not be good. Burke sends Anza, the niece he raised and is now a walking arsenal, with Jandra's small group to reclaim a genie (Global Encephalous Nanite Interaction Engine) which resembles a tiara.

Jandra is a human girl who had been raised as a pet by the sky-dragon Vendevorex. The tiara genie allows Jandra to control tiny nanites to perform functions, mostly healing, in a manner that many believe to be magic. Before Bitterwood killed the goddess, Jazz had manipulated Jandra's memories. Jandra fears that the memories belonging to Jazz may overtake her own personality. The genie could prevent it.

As for Bant Bitterwood, he is the guardian of a little girl named Zeeky. Zeeky is able to communicate with most creatures, as well as with a village of ghosts trapped within a special crystal ball she carries. They are trying to locate and rescue Zeeky's brother, Jeremiah, who has been sold to the dragons as a slave. Meanwhile, a horrible face from the past returns.

***** FOUR AND A HALF STARS! This is the third book in the Dragon Age series. It also looks to be the last. This trilogy MUST be read in order to fully understand what is going on and why. Otherwise, you will find yourself totally lost several times.

Other than the references to the "Harry Potter biographies", I thoroughly enjoyed this installment. For me, the idea of the Potter series surviving over a century and then being considered as biographies is just too much of a stretch. Had the Potter series been a trilogy only, I might have found the idea believable.

The author does not follow a single character. Instead, the story jumps around to show what is happening with key characters and/or groups. I was able to easily keep up with what was going on with dragons, humans, and even beasts at a few points. The story merges characters from the first two books. Therefore, there are several interesting and well developed characters that kept me intrigued from beginning to end. Highly recommended! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Following the events in Bitterwood and Dragonforge, the humans have captured Dragon Forge and are being led by the fanatical Ragnar and machinist Burke. But when Burke is forced to flee because of his opposing view, he leaves the group of human refugees in the hands of a madman against a horde of invading dragons. Meanwhile, Jandra goes in search of her genie in hopes of having her powers return. And Bitterwood accompanies young Zeeky in search of her brother. But someone else has discovered the power of the genies and has been attracting followers to his healing magic, creating a loyal gathering of humans and dragons alike.

Maxey has created a vivid and complex world of a futuristic society where dragons have overcome their human creators. Advanced technology has been suppressed and forgotten. In true epic fantasy fashion, there are numerous, colorful characters with distinct stories and motivations that affect their journey. But each character is interconnected, the humans all working towards freedom. And the anthropomorphized dragons are just as important and give life to a powerful story.

In this latest novel, there is just as much danger and suspense for the heroes as well as powerful enemies. Several characters thought dead, make surprising returns. And some characters make untimely ends, with emotional results. With a thrilling showdown, the climactic ending leaves a satisfying conclusion yet room for more. Maxey has impressed me once again. Fantasy fans should not miss this fantastic series.

My wife and I absolutely loved this 3rd book, as well as the two previous ones.

Unlike a lot of other trilogies, there were no 'filler' middle books, nor weak endings in this 3rd installment. Chock-full of great storytelling from awesome characters and colorful dragons of every type, Dragonseed is totally engrossing.

James Maxey is a masterful storyteller who grabs the reader by the throat from the beginning sentence, and doesn't let go until the last line. Fast-paced, action-packed, and character-driven, Dragonseed is a solid read. The book seems to hint at an ending, but we think Maxey has left an opening wide enough for hopefully another novel or another trilogy in the future.

We hope so, anyways.

Major kudos goes out to Maxey for bringing another fresh take on post-holocaust fantasy with tones of sci-fi that blend together seamlessly in this terrific trilogy.

I am new to James Maxey's writing but I am absolutly a fan. I read a sample of Bitterwood and then ordered all three books, and read them one behind the other. Talk about maximum entertainment, i felt like i was losing old friends when characters died. I am hoping for more in this saga.

Developing a series is difficult. If you maintain the status quo, audiences will dismiss it as predictable. Over-innovate and they'll claim that you've destroyed all the elements they loved. How ought an author to navigate between this particular rock and hard place? James Maxey offers a good example in Dragonseed, the third installment in the Dragon Age series: Drop a major technological innovation in familiar characters' laps and let them riff off it.

The once-proud dragon kingdom stands perched on the edge of chaos. Its armies were routed while trying to suppress the human uprising at Dragonforge. The heir to its throne has perished by an assassin's blade. And the rebels now possess a weapon long thought lost -- gunpowder. With petty lords peeling their various fiefdoms from the kingdom, the situation looks dire. But Vulpine, a cunning sky-dragon warrior, has his own plans to crush the upstarts and return order to the land. This insurgence is nothing a good blockade and outbreak of disease can't solve, and Vulpine intends to instigate both. Only a new threat seems to be emerging, a charismatic healer drawing dragons and humans alike into his fold, one who claims he can heal every infirmity -- and whose largess may hide darker designs.

Dragonseed maintains Maxey's typical mix of SF and fantasy, as well as addressing familiar themes such as naturalism and faith, the limits of political interventionism, and the danger of demagogy. Also, the novel serves up pleasingly complex battles as snarled as a catnip-spiked ball of yarn tossed into a box full of kittens. It's consistently entertaining stuff. Where the book falls short of Dragonforge (the series' apogee so far) is in a tendency to lose itself in exposition. True, much has transpired in the space of two volumes, but the book stays stuck in past events for a good chunk of its beginning. A minor flaw. Still, I doubt anyone will feel disappointed by the time the final climactic confrontation rolls around. Dragonseed grows into something exciting indeed.