The Dragon's Son (Dragonvarld Trilogy, Book 2)

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
The Dragon's Son, the second book in Margaret Weis's solo fantasy debut saga (begun with Mistress of Dragons), revisits the medieval realm of Dragonvarld, where a parliament of godlike dragons rules in secret over the primitive human populace.

The High Priestess Melisande, the protagonist in Mistress of Dragons, is dead -- but her twin infant sons live on. One boy, whose father is a king, is born human; the other, whose dragon father is evil incarnate, is born a half-breed monstrosity. Soon after their mother's death, the boys' fates follow divergent paths. Prince Marcus is raised by a loving royal family and has all the privileges of wealth. Ven -- who is human from the waist up and dragon from the waist down -- is raised in the wilderness by an ill-tempered woman and must subsist on wild game. What they don't know is that two dragon factions are pursuing them for very different reasons: one to use them for nefarious purposes and the other to try to save them. But whom can the boys really trust?

No one has written more remarkable stories about dragons (except arguably Anne McCaffrey and Ursula K. Le Guin) than Weis and her longtime writing partner, Tracy Hickman, who are world renowned for their numerous bestselling Dragonlance novels. In her Dragonvarld trilogy, Weis not only prominently features dragons as integral characters but also masterfully delves into the creatures' complex history, culture, and psyche.

Fantasy fans who have enjoyed previous Weis/Hickman collaborations should definitely give this intriguing saga a try. Paul Goat Allen

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Twins born out of violence and raised apart..." "Ven (short for Vengeance) lives in seclusion under the watchful eye of his deceased mother's Amazonian lover. He is a child whose appearance betrays his heritage - half man, half dragon." "Marcus is raised at court and given all of the protections his status entails. He appears to be completely human, yet his psychic link with the brother he has never known reveals the dragon magic that lies within him." It is up to the dragon emissary who passes himself off as a man, Draconas, to protect them both, even as the internecine struggle threatens to destroy the Parliament of Dragons and bring an oppressive reign of fire down upon all mortal men.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Weaving more spellbinding magic in the second book of her Dragonvarld trilogy, Weis charts the fate of Melisande's twin sons, whose bloody birth marked the cliffhanging conclusion of Mistress of Dragons (2003). Marcus, "human, born of love and magic," and Ven, "half-dragon and half-human, born of evil," are at the crux of a conflict within the Parliament of Dragons that secretly watches over a wonderfully detailed landscape similar to medieval Earth's. The innocent twins grow up apart in vastly different worlds: Prince Marcus inherits his mother's dragon magic and lives a semi-normal life as King Edward of Idlyswylde's bastard son, while Ven, human from the waist up (but blue-scaled, white-clawed dragon from the waist down), grows up the impoverished charge of a cold, grieving ex-soldier. Dragon's blood imbues each boy with fantastic abilities, but also puts them in danger from rebel dragons disguised as humans. Readers' hearts will ache for the conflicted Ven. Other notable characters include the wise Draconas, a dragon in human form who seeks to protect the twins and to uphold the ancient dragon law against killing humans, and Evelina, the vain and foolish gypsy who figures in Ven's reunion with his long-lost twin. A surprising, fire-breathing conclusion, sure to please dragon fans, sets the stage for volume three. Agent, Christy Cardenas at the Lazear Agency. (July 30) Forecast: A 10-city author tour with Wizards of the Coast, who'll be publishing her novel Amber and Ashes in August, will help raise Weis's profile among fans who've known her primarily as Tracy Hickman's collaborator on a series of bestselling fantasies. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

VOYA - Marlyn Roberts Beebe

This second volume in The Dragonvarld Trilogy follows the two boys born in the first book, Mistress of Dragons (Tor, 2003/VOYA August 2003). Ven, the dragon boy named for Vengeance, is raised in isolation in the deep forest by his dead mother's friend. He has learned survival skills but does not interact with humans more than once a year when he disguises his non-human legs. Ven knows something of the facts about his birth but not nearly all. He hears things from somewhere else in his mind. The other boy, Marcus, a handsome and well-loved prince, is now also secluded in the castle since he has entered a world all his own: He also hears things. Around them moves Draconas, the human dragon who rescues each boy from danger. Draconas tries to protect the youth while doing the will of the dragon Parliament to reinforce the delicate balance between humans and dragons. As the boys grow, they are lured to the secret city of the renegade dragon. They meet each other and Ven's dragon father and guess about their roles in a larger game. Something-and readers are not sure what-happens to Draconas. A parallel plot involves a beautiful, conniving young woman who escapes the secret city with Marcus while Ven remains behind to confront his father. Compelling action in this volume provides the transition from the first book to events yet to come. Insinuations, leads, and false directions pull the story line toward the next volume. For those who have read Mistress, this installment is essential. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P S A/YA (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult-marketed book recommended for Young Adults). 2004, Tor, 384p.,Ages 15 to Adult.

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