Rating: 
Summary: Alta Delivers As Promised....
Review: The follow up to Lackey's excellent "Joust", "Alta" follows young Vetch *now Kiron* as he returns with his dragon to his homeland. Now a young man and the second of only 2 men to ever hatch and raise a dragon to ride, Kiron discovers that Alta is not the shining land of hope that filled his dreams of freedom. As he works to build a name for himself with the Altan Jousters, he discovers a conspiracy among the wizards who advise the Altan rulers. Who is really running the show and what do they gain by the generations long war with Tia? Follow Kiron and Avatre as they begin to come into their own and struggle to save the land of his birth. Buy This Book!!
Rating:
Summary: For dragon lovers
Review: The war between Tia and Alta continues because of the Jousters and their dragons, the first line of offense on the borders. Although Tia has more Jousters and dragons Alta has the magi which sends bad weather into Tia so that the dragons cannot fly. Kiron, a former serf made dragon boy to jouster Ari and his dragon Keshet discovers that he is the only one who besides Ari who does not have to drug his dragon to get him to obey him. In a daring move, Kiron steals an egg, empresses the dragonet when it hatches, trains it and flies back to Alta to try to end the war.He believes he can show the Altan Jousters a better way of fighting with the undrugged cooperation of their dragons even though his country men have less trained jousters. Kiron is accepted on to Altan training grounds and has eight youngsters impress their dragons and the nine become one wing united in their love for their dragons. There is a powerful shadow group in Alta who doesn't want the war to end and will use horrific methods to achieve their goals. Kiron and his followers must prepare for the day that the enemy will want the Jousters dead. In JOUST, the prequel to ALTA, readers are shown the culture of Tia and how the ongoing war affects the conquerors, the serfs and the Jousters. ALTA shares the viewpoint from the other side and how one escaped serf gives hope and a plan of action to the demoralized Jousters. Mercedes Lackey, one of the great fantasists of our time, writes a coming of age story that is memorable and enjoyable. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Coming of age fantasy
Review: This continues the story of Vetch as he returns to his homeland and follows him as he meets new allies and challenges that speeds up the development into adulthood started in Joust. The villains seem a little nebulous and underdeveloped, and the romantic plotlines a little sparse, but the characters are no more than 16, and no doubt there will be a follow-up novel. The kingdom of Alta seems to be similar to the opposing kingdom described in Joust, but that emphasizes how one of the major differences drives them apart. While not being groundbreaking, the fantasy world is interesting enough, and the plot keeps your attention. Overall, a light but entertaining read.
Rating: 
Summary: Good story, bad manufacturing.
Review: This is not a negative review about Mercedes Lackey or the story itself. The part of the story I was able to read was very well written and highly engaging. This is a negative review for the printer who not only doubled pages 183-214, but didn't include pages 215-236. I certainly hope they weren't all printed as shoddily.
Rating:
Summary: Satisfied reader
Review: Wonderful and much better than the first one. Lackey developed the character of Vetch so well that there were no growing pains from this reader when Vetch grew into Kiron. We find that he was a natural leader and Lackey didn't just spring it on us having vetch go from serf to savior in a grand eye blinking epiphany where he was suddenly nobly self assured, but the rader gets to see how he dubts himself and how he handles his first love, the loss of a good friend, and the politicul intrigues og the Magi so this satisfied reader says can't wait for the nxt book
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