Sojourn v. 2: The Dragon's Tale [Paperback]

Ron Marz (Author), Greg Land (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Sojourn | Publication Date: November 6, 2002

Hundreds of years ago, the Five Lands joined together to end the tyranny of Mordath. Now a mysterious force has brought him back from the dead, this time with magic powers. With a troll army at his back, Mordath soon puts the Five Lands under his heel. He is the unchallenged master of the world. Only one woman has eluded his iron grip. And with that one woman rests the sole hope of ending Mordath’s reign of terror. Sojourn is the story of Arwyn, a woman whose quest for vengeance began in the fires that engulfed her city. Arwyn’s one aim is to slay Mordath, but to do that she must first find the weapon that can kill a man who is already dead. One of CrossGen’s most popular titles, Sojourn takes a fresh approach to classic fantasy themes using some of the best artwork in comics today. Sojourn V.2: The Dragon`s Tale begins in earnest as she searches for the first of the Five Fragments in a dragon`s treasure hoard. But a beast as powerful as a dragon might represent a quick route to Mordath`s destruction if the creature can be harnessed. Fans of fantasies such as The Lord of the Rings and Robert Jordan`s `Wheel of Time` series will be enchanted by the epic story and magnificent art of SOJOURN. Writer Ron Marz and artist Greg Land are both Wizard magazine Top 10 creators.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This pleasant sword and sorcery tale approaches familiar concepts with a fresh slant. Three centuries after the evil warlord Mordath was slain, he has been more or less been resurrected (he looks like Boris Karloff in The Mummy) and has led an army of trolls to conquer the Five Lands. Among the casualties were the husband and daughter of beautiful female archer Arwyn, who consequently has vowed revenge against Mordath. That can only be achieved by reuniting the five pieces of the arrow that originally killed Mordath. And so, accompanied by her dog and Gareth, a one-eyed adventurer, Arwyn sets off on an heroic quest. What lifts this old, reliable fantasy formula above the routine is the narrative voice of Gareth, a laid-back rogue who can appreciate Arwyn's obsession but also question it. The art is unusually good; the illustration team handles big, showy scenes well, such as a dragon rising dramatically out of a vast pool, and cleverly depicts the small, furtive inhabitants of an enchanted wood. Arwyn and Gareth meet a shape-shifting, talking dragon, whom Arwyn entices to attack Mordath, hoping to kill her enemy without having to find the arrow parts. Needless to say, the quest isn't ended this easily, but Arwyn is an independent person and not a heroic cliche. This series should be an enjoyable one for readers to follow.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

Ron Marz has been writing comics since 1990, giving up a journalism career when he found that it was more fun to make up the stories. In those years, he has written extensively for publishers including DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image, and Acclaim. You've read his work in the pages of Superboy, Silver Surfer, Star Wars Tales, StormWatch, X-O Manowar, DC vs. Marvel, the Amalgam title Dr. Strangefate, and most notably Green Lantern. He brought his skills and voracious fans with him to CrossGen, where he writes the titles Scion, Sojourn, The Path, and Crossgen Chronicles. Ron received a Harvey Awards nomination as Best Writer in 2002 for his work on Scion, which was also nominated for Best Continuing Series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Cross Generation Comics (November 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931484341
• ISBN-13: 978-1931484343
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #460,914 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sojourn saga continues, June 13, 2003

By 

Hannah Foster (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sojourn v. 2: The Dragon's Tale (Paperback)

The second trade paperback of the Crossgen series "Sojourn" continues with the same fervor of the first and makes your tounge water for the third. Arywn, the beautiful herione chosen to defeat the bad guy to save the world, Gareth, the cycloptic narrator, Kreeg, Arwyn's faithful poochie, Mordath, Skeletor's first cousin [not really], and Neven, the mysterious mage all return as the hunt continues to track down the shards of Aiden's arrow.

Without giving too much away, volume 2 focuses on the attempt to retrieve of the first shard and an encounter with a very unusual dragon. There is more character development for Arwyn and Gareth, and we are left just as confused regarding Neven's role. And Kreeg goes "woof".

What sets Sojourn apart from other series' (in my opinion) is the role of Gareth. He is a narrator, a commentator, and a main character. Whereas Arwyn is rather tactid (is that a word?), we constantly hear Gareth's thoughts and opinions, but not so often that it gets annoying. Arywn's character is also phenominal since she is a strong herione with an unpleasant past who doesn't really want the arrow to save the world, but to avenge the death of her son and husband.

If you liked book one, you'll love book two just as much. If you didn't like book one, what's wrong with you? ;)

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Fantasy story, October 26, 2003

By 

Shieldwolf "shieldwolf" (MI) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sojourn v. 2: The Dragon's Tale (Paperback)

If you love LOTR, D&D, MTG, or any other fine fantasy, you'll enjoy this series. I'd highly recommend it. Purchased vol's 1 and 2 from Amazon and am soon to purchase vol3. :)

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars artwork disappointing, November 1, 2004

By 

Daisy "cbs" (Lafayette, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sojourn v. 2: The Dragon's Tale (Paperback)

I loved Sojourn 1 -- a great story line supported by Greg Land's incredible drawing. I bought book 2 of the series hoping for more of the same but was greatly disappointed in that the first and last chapters are drawn by different artists. The characters look so different that I spent the whole first chapter wondering if I'd somehow wandered into a different story. Was that blonde supposed to be Arwyn? Was that guy Gareth? Thankfully most of the book is drawn by Greg Land. I was on familiar territory again when I reached Chapter 2. The last chapter is a complete letdown because it too has a different artist, so again you feel that Arwyn and Gareth have disappeared and have been replaced by doubles -- and not very good ones at that. A very disappointing experience.