75-percent of this book concerns people painstakingly discussing what they just did, what they're going to do, and what they might do. I'm not sure why. It's not like any of these people are brilliant Machiavellian statesmen. Their motivations/actions should be easily discernible. Also, there's dragons.

It's possible that this naval-gazing is a brilliant structural reflection of the main theme: protagonist Pol struggles with Hamlet's dilemma between satisfying barbaric violence and agonizing civilized reflection. The reader struggles right along with Pol. The fifteenth time that the characters earnestly discuss their inner feelings, the reader develops a headache. ( )

It took me a while to get into this, because I’m terrible at keeping up with series, and it has been a while since I read the previous Dragon Prince book. But, kudos to Melanie Rawn for creating such a memorable world and characters, because by the first couple of chapters I’d gotten my footing and could read the story without looking up who everyone was. (Thank goodness for character directories in fantasy novels!)

Overall, I really enjoyed this series as a whole. The world is wonderful and I love how Rawn is able to create such different, vibrant characters. There are dozens of strong, independent women who are able to hold their own even in this brutal society, and in this book, she introduces a female character who isn’t so strong-willed, which was a nice change of pace, and I like that we got to see that someone can be strong and brave without being stubborn and physically or mentally powerful.

My favorite part of this is the tension between Andry and his family. It’s masterfully grey, where his family supports him as a person, but doesn’t necessarily agree with his tactics as Lord of Goddess Keep. For me, this is the most interesting dynamic within the whole story, especially when you throw in his relationship with Pol. I’m interested in seeing this further developed in the sequel series.

I do think that this book suffers a bit from not having high enough stakes. The drama is there, but the danger isn’t, since the characters are overly smart and powerful, there really isn’t much of a question of how everything is going to turn out. It’s exciting and interesting, but there isn’t as much tension as there could be. It’s also a bit tough to keep up with things since there are huge year jumps. I appreciate not being walked through every boring thing, but I wish there were more of a transition so the reader can get a feel of the time passing.

Overall, this is a decent fantasy. Wonderful characters, beautifully crafted world, and a plot that works and provides enough excitement to be entertained. I am planning to eventually read the sequel series and hope it only gets better!

Also posted on Purple People Readers. ( )

The story of the High Prince Rohan, who endeavors to transform the continent on which he rules into a land ruled by law, and his wife Sioned, a powerful and fiery Sunrunner, continues in this volume of Melanie Rawn series. With the political infighting and internal family conflicts typical of this series, this novel brings the tension between Sunrunners and those of the Old Blood to a critical level in the form of a battle between Rohan's heir Pol and one of the few surviving grandsons of the old High Prince Rolestra. Pol faces revelations about his own past and abilities, which he must use in order to defeat his enemy, who is not who he thinks he is. ( )

A wonderful series by a new author. Very enjoyable ( )

DRAGON PRINCE