Age of Fire

[Shur]

donno how many of you have heard of it, but i don't see a topic for it


bloody awesome series of books by E.E. Knight, about dragons, from the point of view of dragons. series has three books so far, each about an individual dragon from the same clutch, told from the moment of hatching onward.

http://www.vampjac.com/ageoffire/index.htm

very well-written, but definitely not a fairy tale, these dragons live hard lives.

but bloody awesome books.

[Dracana]

I absolutely love that series. Got the third book over Christmas and ate it up in three days. It's just too bad that the next book when they all meet up is not gonna me out till next Christmas

[Spirit]

Awesome series... reading the third now. I think Nambroth said something about them, so I ordered the two that were out at the time. I can't say I'm having much fun reading the third one for some reason. I've gone back to reading Dawn Cook's Truth series again.

I think the post I saw was in the "Post your dragon art here" thread.

But yes seems to be a good series... and certainly no fairy tale. Go read!!

Rakku

[Shur]

the third i had some difficulty getting in to until about teh last third of the book. reading it again, however, i was much more satisfied.

[Nambroth]

I'm looking forward to the next three!

[Creme]

ouch, please don't tell me there are 3 more coming.

I think that the reason some aren't as into the 3rd book is that to start off with, it's hard to have sympathy for the copper, as in how he was protrayed in the first 2 books. I was surprised actually to find that the 3rd book was "his story".

I do like this series more than his vampire earth series but am getting tired of "trilogies" that wind up becoming septologies or more.

On the note of dragon books, the novel "bitterwood" was quite good as well. Someone mentioned the Dawn Cook novels earlier in the thread, those were enjoyable as well, and very easy to read.

[Spirit]

On the note of dragon books, the novel "bitterwood" was quite good as well. Someone mentioned the Dawn Cook novels earlier in the thread, those were enjoyable as well, and very easy to read.

Just ordered Bitterwood.. ... looks pretty interesting.

I'm approaching the end of Lost Truth for the second run through the series. Such a great story wish there were a few more.

Rakku

[Nambroth]

I liked that the copper had a story. It's a realistic check and balance- there is no such thing as black and white 'good and evil' and I think this is a great way of showing both sides. I don't think you are supposed to have sympathy for the copper- I think it's more about how real life works.

[Kala]

Hmm...sounds like an interesting series. I may have to pick it up when I finish my current batch of books.

I do like this series more than his vampire earth series but am getting tired of "trilogies" that wind up becoming septologies or more.

I'm still on the first Vampire Earth book...about halfway to two-thirds of the way through. I've been sitting at that point for over a week now, if that gives any indication of how little I enjoy the series.

On the note of dragon books, the novel "bitterwood" was quite good as well.

Didn't much like that one either.

Someone mentioned the Dawn Cook novels earlier in the thread, those were enjoyable as well, and very easy to read.

Brain candy!

[pevil2000]

Sound like an interesting series. I'll have to look into them; re-reading my extensive collection of Pratchett books is getting somewhat repetitive (not that I'm complaining ) and there aren't enough Vampire Chronicles either!

[Hrough]

Ooh, this sounds like something I could get into. *scoots off to go find books* I haven't read any dragon-oriented books in a while now.

[Spirit]

Ooh, this sounds like something I could get into. *scoots off to go find books* I haven't read any dragon-oriented books in a while now.

Ok you want dragon books? ...
Elizabeth Kerner - Song in the Silence (first of three books; all very good)
Dawn Cook - First Truth, Hidden Truth, Forgotten Truth, and Lost Truth ... all very good)
Joanne Bertin - The Last Dragonlord (first of two good books)
Patricia Briggs - Dragonbones, and Dragonblood (also pretty damned good... some nasty and shocking realities in there too).
That Paolini bloke... Eragon and Eldest (third book on the way; forget the Star Wars re-hash that the movie was, even if Saphira was pretty )
Richard Knakk - The Legend of Huma (dragon related; good read)
Name Unspellable from memory Ursulu le Guin? - The Earthsea Quartet (tough read but good story; has dragons sporadically)

And I'm damned if I'm gonna leave these out, even if they're gryphon novels and not dragon...
Mercedes Lackey - The Black Gryphon, The White Gryphon, and the Silver Gryphon (all very good, the final one a little weaker than the other two)

That should keep you busy for a while.

Rakku

[Hrough]

Hehe, well, fortunately I haven't seen the Eragon movie yet. Book's on the list of things to eventually read.

Oooh, that's a great list, and I haven't read any of them except the Mercedes Lackey gryphon books. (I agree the final one just wasn't -as- good as the first two.)

Thanks for the list!

[Arietna]

not to mention the very readable but not terribly deep Anne McCaffrey books about Pern

I love those books, and her son Todd has started writing them too - and not doing a bad job!

My particular favourite was more sci-fi than fantasy - Dragonsdawn - about when colonists first arrived on Pern, and how they genetically bred dragons

[Hrough]

not to mention the very readable but not terribly deep Anne McCaffrey books about Pern

I love those books, and her son Todd has started writing them too - and not doing a bad job!

My particular favourite was more sci-fi than fantasy - Dragonsdawn - about when colonists first arrived on Pern, and how they genetically bred dragons

I've read nearly every book in that series - I think there is a more recent one that I haven't read yet.

A lot of people act really harshly on Todd's writing, but I think he's handling Pern well, considering there is a very limited time period to work with now considering the events of Skies of Pern (which is one of my favorites) and it's hard to pick up someone's world where they left off. I also really did enjoy Moreta's story, and Dragonsblood.

I used to frequent an old neopets-based Pern guild, and I had a rather amusing blue rider. I believe his dragon was named Sylvaneth, but it's been so long... the guild crumbled when they attempted some insane plot devices and everyone and their dragon was falling victim to injury and drama.

[Antonath]

A lot of people act really harshly on Todd's writing, but I think he's handling Pern well, considering there is a very limited time period to work with now considering the events of Skies of Pern (which is one of my favorites) and it's hard to pick up someone's world where they left off. I also really did enjoy Moreta's story, and Dragonsblood.

Todd writes better when not collaborating with his mother. Dragonsblood was very good. Dragonskin and the latest one (Dragonfire?) are less so - though I haven't read much of Dragonfire yet.

Part of the problem is that they're trying to establish a new era to write a series of stories in, when nothing they write can affect the timeline for the "later" stories.

I'd like to have seen a few stories written as the dragonriders start to explore local space. There's all sorts of plot hooks left open, such as the mystery planet on same orbit as Pern (mentioned on an orbital diagram in a weyr).

Antonath

[Hrough]

Todd writes better when not collaborating with his mother. Dragonsblood was very good. Dragonskin and the latest one (Dragonfire?) are less so - though I haven't read much of Dragonfire yet.

Part of the problem is that they're trying to establish a new era to write a series of stories in, when nothing they write can affect the timeline for the "later" stories.

I'd like to have seen a few stories written as the dragonriders start to explore local space. There's all sorts of plot hooks left open, such as the mystery planet on same orbit as Pern (mentioned on an orbital diagram in a weyr).

Antonath

True. I think Anne holds him back somewhat, and it's unfortunate. But at least someone is there to continue the series. I'll have to read the latest sometime, just so I'm not too terribly behind.

[Spirit]

Thought it was about time this thread was awakened.

I finished the 4th Age of Fire book called Dragon Strike. It is rather good, although I found the circumstances that brought them together a bit too wild and against the odds ... however I suppose that's how it could only have happened. The story was advanced well, although I don't remember the bad queen being mentioned in previous stories. It's almost like a foe was introduced to give the dragons/other races something to strike at.

Perhaps it was hinted at in previous novels... I did read the 3rd one a good while ago now.

Since then I've read "Birth of the Firebringer" by Meredith Anne Price. It's predominantly about Unicorns, but also features dragons and gryphons. The sequel looks like it's going to involve a conflict involving humans. I was surprised how gory this book got at points. It's also rather short at just over 200 pages.

Also Brisingr by Paolini (Eragon book 3)... that was rather good and advanced the story pretty well.

After that was "Dragon Hunt", which looked interesting and when I received it I was pretty positive reading the intro (all the stuff about the Warcraft universe I was ignorant of) ... then I saw the words Manga Comic and I was like "oh no". Sure enough, while the art was pretty smart, I 'read' it in about 40 mins. I had to laugh at the Batman style "Clatter", "Shuffle" (wtf!), "NNNN!"'s, "Krak"'s and "Grunts" though... Story is by Richard Knaak, and I so wish he'd written it as a novel and not to become an illustrated comic.

Right now I'm (finally) reading Bitterwood, and it's pretty damned awesome and I'll have to order the sequels. My only gripe with it is how the dragons actually get around. Do they walk around on all fours or are they walking about like us? It might not seem important, but to my minds eye doing the reading it is. There's quite a difference in my head how they look and what their furniture looks like, when I consider each way. It would help the story to flow better if I knew for sure. I especially like the hints so far (up to page 300 anyway) regarding the time and place this is set... hints of Oupree, sriodnda and a trueuf rathe suhnam have made. **words scrambled to avoid spoiling **

Next will be Path of Honor by Diana Pharaoh Francis, a sequel to Path of Fate that I read a good few years back.

I hope to hear what you've all been reading.

Rakku

[Creme]

As dragon novels go, Bitterwood was quite good, a very novel "twist" on things. I liked the eventual "explanation" of how things came to be. Although it did seem as though there was a good chance of a second novel, I wasn't aware that a sequel came out.

As far as current reading goes, I just read the 3rd in her Crosspointe series. And I'm eagerly anticipating the next Malazan empire novel.

[Shur]

The story was advanced well, although I don't remember the bad queen being mentioned in previous stories. It's almost like a foe was introduced to give the dragons/other races something to strike at.

Perhaps it was hinted at in previous novels... I did read the 3rd one a good while ago now.

AuRon's book was the only one that had any real interaction with Ghioz, Hieba's husband and their people having been annexed by the Ghioz, and the Ghioz (through Hieba's husband, who's name i have forgotten) commissioning AuRon to venture to the north and bring down the Wyrmmaster.

The Copper had some dealings with Ghioz, mainly defending one of the upholds against an invasion and negotiating to allow them to settle on the far side of the river, but not to cross without permission.


I did not expect Ghioz to be the target of the strike, but it makes sense, with the Wheel of Fire destroyed by 'Tala, and Hypatia in shambles from ages of neglect, there was really no one else to strike against.