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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
To Date The Best Of The Dragon Mage Series, January 9, 2001
While I have never entirely been clear as to the reasons behind separating this ongoing---to date eleven books---saga into three separate component series---Deverry, Westlands and the current Dragon Mage---as satisfying as the last two books of the latter have been, there is little question that "The Fire Dragon" elevates the story progression found in the two previous books, significantly ratcheting forward the tale's plot progression, and easily standing as one of the best books of the entire series. Many of the plot threads established in "The Red Wyvern" and "The Black Dragon" come to fruition in tragic as well as anticipatory ways, leaving one breathless for what I am told will be the concluding novel of this outstanding series that started with "Daggerspell" in 1986. And, perhaps, at no time has the author's prose seemed so sure of itself, boding for what I expect will be a stunning conclusion to the series. As I have commented in earlier reviews of other books in this series, it is a shame that this complex and rich saga has not reached the attention of more readers. It is without doubt one of the finest epics of fantasy ever written, deserving the accolades to date heaped upon George R. R. Martin and Robert Jordan, let alone the popularity accorded less rewarding work, such as Terry Goodkind or Raymond Feist. Along with Patricia McKillip, Katherine Kerr remains, in the popular mind, one of the best and most underrated and least read authors writing fantasy today, and this is unfortunate, not only for the author but particularly for all those readers who are unaware of what gems this series represents. I can only hope that at some time in the future those who love fantasy will come to recognize this classic in the making, and that these books will be republished as a set in the form of which they are deserving. To see this book released only in mass market, and after the holidays, seems a travesty when one considers the quality of the work contained. Once again, for whatever reason---I would like to suspect publisher indifference---this edition has been released without a complete list of characters, or in this case, incarnations. In a tale spanning several hundred years, with characters that shift and reappear upon the stage in various guises, it would have proven helpful to have been given a complete cast of characters. Even having read all the books, I find myself continuously having to refer back to the incomplete table of incarnations to fix the various characters and their manifold relationships in my mind, and this is compounded by the arbitrary absence of certain characters in the tables, such as here Nevyn (who, I suppose, by now we all know) and Aerynn, and the fact that the characters listed in the table for the Mid-1060's are incorrectly paired with their predecessors. In a tale as complex and chronologically complicated as this, with books separated in publication by at least a year and spanning almost two decades, it would have been helpful to provide a more complete list of characters and chronology of background events. Again, hopefully in the future, should this series be re-released, the publisher and author at that time will make the effort to provide their readers with a complete chronology and character list that a work such as this deserves. I cannot recommend this work more highly. It deserves to be read and, to my mind, remains one of the finest works of epic fantasy fiction ever written.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The penultimate knot of the series, and excellent!, January 3, 2001
By A Customer
For those who have complained that the plot threads of THE RED WYVERN and THE BLACK RAVEN were left dangling---it is time to stop. THE FIRE DRAGON draws together all the major threads of its companion volumes and ties them into a beautiful knot. In the past, Prince Maryn's forces hold Dun Deverry, and the spring's campaign may well bring Deverry to peace. But the peace that Nevyn himself has schemed and sacrificed for may demand yet another price from those he loves, not only on the battlefield, but in the subtler intrigues of a newborn court. In the present, also, Rhodry, Dallandra and Evandar have survived a war won only by a terrible sacrifice, only to find that,once again, peace may demand an even higher cost than victory. Past and present resonate as the fates of characters both old and new converge, and even the compulsively careful reader may find a few surprises in store. Well worth the read.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great sadness and suchlike, truly, February 20, 2001
I just visited Katherine Kerr's web site, and got some horrible news: Bantam has decided it will not publish the next two novels of the series in the United States. Even though ALL TEN books so far are still sellers, a rare event in serialized novels, the last few novels have not sold "enough". Bantam will continue to publish the first 10 novels for as long as they sell. Let's hope Ms. Kerr's agent can find another U.S. publisher for the next two. The good news is that the next two books WILL come out in the United Kingdom, so loyal readers won't get left hanging. Thank you, Ms. Kerr, for writing such great novels, and creating such memorable characters. I can't wait to see Jill again! One final thought. I realize that life isn't fair, but I still feel the need to point out that Goodkind (eh), Feist (double eh) and Eddings (shame, shame) are all wildly succesful. There's a place for these authors (male, teenage; basically me 15 years ago), but I wish they wouldn't crowd out intelligent fantasy for more demanding readers.
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