Rating: 
Summary: Shallow, Simplistic, and Stupid
Review: I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, they were quickly dashed. I don't know why Weis didn't team up with Hickman as is her wont. But, the lack of a second author dooms the effort. The book has an interesting premise, but is filled with inconsistencies, triteness, and plain ol' stupidity. If Hickman had been around, they could have bounced the material off each other and corrected most of the bad writing before it hit the shelves. As it is, it's practically un-stomachable. I put the book away about half way through it as not being worth the effort. But, I later picked it up and finished it in the hope it would get better. It didn't. It got worse. I was practically gagging by the end. Stay away from this book and its series.
Rating: 
Summary: As good as expected
Review: I wasn't expecting more than light entertainment from something written by Margaret Weis, and I got...light entertainment. This is a pleasant, quick fantasy with a simple but involving plot that will keep you turning the pages until the story ends. None of the characters are particularly likeable or unlikeable, with the exception of Draconas, who was actually interesting. His inner conflict is unusual--he is a dragon and owes allegiance to the dragon government, which stops him from helping humans.
There is little information about any of the three societies, but there is enough to get by on. The writing is clean, and if not brilliant, certainly not painful. The tale was compelling enough that I will pick up the next book in the series at some point.
If you don't really like fantasy, don't bother reading this. You'll think it's stupid.
But, hey, it was nice for a dreary afternoon.
Rating: 
Summary: Basic sword and sorcery affair
Review: i'm not going to say that this one was bad, but it certainly wasn't all that impressive. although the thought of the dragon ruling and empire and hiding from other dragons is interesting and there is a great mix of magic religion and science there is so little characterisation and the thing moves so fast that you can't really get to know anybody anyway. so while the premise is a good one, this is not a book i would buy, not even in paper back. read it in the book store or get it from the library. so not impressed silver
Rating: 
Summary: Can't wait for the next two books!
Review: If a fantasy novel can't keep my attention, I don't even go to chapter 2. I could not put this book down! It was a light and fast read.
Rating:
Summary: Ridiculous tripe
Review: If you are looking for intelligent, well-written fantasy, try something else...anything else. Being big fantasy fans, my husband and I picked up the audio version for a 20+ hour car trip. After a dubious start, he insisted that we listen to the first 3 CD's "in case it got better." It did not.
I was looking forward to strong female roles that I imagined a Dragon Mistress to be. Instead, the lead female is whiney, insipid, and petty. The male roles are almost as lifeless and predictable.
Mix in some stupid, pre-adolescent erotica and boring, seemingly unending, descriptive romanticism, and you have the whole package.
I have never been so disappointed in a $45 bookstore trip.
Robin Hobb and Ursula LeGuin have nothing to fear here.
Rating:
Summary: Scaly mistress
Review: Margaret Weis became prominent with the original Dragonlance Chronicles many years ago. In fact, her name became so synonymous with dragons that I was always surprised when a series came out that didn't have them in it. She had moved away from that distinction until she and her writing partner Tracey Hickman came back to the Dragonlance saga. Now, it appears that she has given in to destiny and embraced dragons. Weis' latest book, Mistress of Dragons, is the start of a new solo trilogy for her, and it contains many familiar elements to any fan of her books, namely dragons. Aside from that, though, the characterization and plot felt very comfortable for me, a fan of her previous work who hasn't read one of her books in a long while. "Familiar," in this case, isn't a bad thing. She's not re-writing the same plot over and over again. Instead, she breaks new ground, but with the style and panache that I remember from before. I really enjoyed Mistress of Dragons, and am anxiously awaiting the sequel. For an "epic" fantasy, this is a surprisingly small book as far as characters go. There are only four main ones, with some secondary characters floating about. This makes Mistress of Dragons a very tight book, and I found that it flowed very nicely because of this. Draconas is the dragon-in-human-form who must figure out the plot while trying to stay on the right side of dragon law by not revealing himself to the humans. There is Melisande, the high priestess of the sisterhood and the woman designated to be the next Mistress when the old, current one dies. Bellona is the captain of the guard at the monastery and Melisande's lover and confidante. Finally, there's Edward, king of Idlyswylde and a man who just wants to do the right thing and protect his kingdom from a dragon. Because the cast of characters is so small, Weis is able to delve deeply into their characters, making them truly three-dimensional. Draconas really cares for humanity, despite the aloofness that being a dragon brings. He finds himself wanting to guide and protect them, despite it being against the law. On the other hand, he can be ruthless when the situation requires it. Melisande is set in the ways of her society, and when that society breaks down, she is devastated. She's even more devastated when it looks like Ballona is trying to [destroy]her. I found her a bit whiny at times, but overall she was a very strong character and it's not a surprise that she would whine a little bit given what happens to her. Bellona is very loyal and tough, but with a very soft side when it comes to somebody she cares about. She's not above killing people who used to be friends if she feels betrayed enough. Edward is a relatively simple man, trying to get a job done, but finding himself caught unawares in Draconas' plans. He's a pawn, he realizes he's a pawn, but he's willing to go along with it if it will save his kingdom, even though he doesn't know what is in store for him. Weis weaves a tapestry around these characters that is almost beautiful, but is also dark and ugly underneath. A [physical abuse] is very shortly but sharply described, devastating the character, and having harsh implications on later events. The implications of other events in the book are also much darker than what I am used to from Weis. I really enjoyed seeing the growth in her writing from previous books, with more mature subjects and a familiar yet expanded writing style. While there are a few predictable moments, events take a very startling turn toward the end and the finale is breathtaking. Weis even gives some of the predictable moments at the end of the book a very subtle twist, keeping you on your toes. Any flaws in the book are very small and may be rectified in future books (though that doesn't quite forgive this one). I didn't feel like I really became part of the world that Weis created. We get a description of the society in Seth, but we don't see any of it except for the Sisterhood. The same goes for Idlyswylde, where we only see King Edward's court. We don't get a sense of the land at all. There is no map included, so we have to go completely by Weis' descriptions to get any sense of scale. At times, I felt a bit lost as they traveled from place to place. Such flaws don't detract too much from the book, though. This is an enjoyable, epic fantasy that doesn't feel that epic. Instead, it feels like interesting events happening to characters you care about, as you watch them take on the hostile world around them. You watch as their worlds get turned upside down, as they give in to temptation and passions, and as they fight to keep their sanity as the world changes around them. Weis' first foray into fantasy without any helpers is a resounding success, and I can't wait to find out what happens next. David Roy
Rating:
Summary: Humans Are Revolting
Review: Mistress of Dragons is the first novel in the The Dragonvarld series. Long ago, the world was ruled by the dragons. They were greedy, capricious and deadly, especially the younger ones. Then mankind appeared in the world and the dragons saw them as another prey. In fact, they savored the taste of human flesh. But the Dragon Wars had exhausted the dragons and despoiled their world. The twelve dragon families formed a parliament to govern their own behavior and eventually the parliament outlawed predation on humans and proscribed any interference whatsoever in their affairs without prior parliamentary approval. Moreover, they limited contact with the humans to one dragon, Draconas, who wore human form. The kingdom of Seth was isolated from the rest of Dragonvarld by high mountains. Three centuries in the past, a dragon had entered the kingdom and devoured both animals and humans. The kingdom was saved by the magic of the Mistress of Dragons, who asked only that the kingdom construct and maintain a monastery to provide a vigilant watch for intruding dragons. In this novel, High Priestess Melisande of the Temple of the Watchful Eye performs her daily scan for intruders and discovers a dragon approaching the monastery. After alerting the garrison, she reports to the current Mistress of Dragons and is told to continue to observe the beast. She warns off the dragon and he claims that he only wants to talk to her mistress, but Melisande does not believe him. As he draws close, the Mistress releases the collective powers of the priestesses and the warriors attack with spear and arrow, thus driving away the beast with various wounds. When the dragon Braun reports his reception to the Dragon Parliament, they consider once again taking action against Maristara, the dragon who rules Seth through the hierarchy of the Temple. And once again, nothing is decided. However, Draconas himself devises a plan and implements it with the aid of Braun. In this story, Draconas begins to suspect that someone in parliament (or close to it) is aiding Maristara and keeping her informed of parliamentary actions. He starts to keep his plans secret from all except Braun and Anora, the Prime Minister. He subsequently encounters the conspirator in human form, but is not able to determine his true identity. This story shows Draconas learning for himself that plans seldom survive contact with the enemy. Time after time he finds himself struggling to respond to the unexpected actions of his opponents (and his allies). This segment ends with him taking desperate action to save a few parts of his plan from total failure. It is time for a new and better plan. The story is action packed and abounds with surprises and plot twists. However, the characterization is a little wooden. Moreover, the good guys seem to be hopelessly naive, but probably that conclusion just reflects my frustration with their foolish actions. The sequel may show a little more savvy from Draconas and Anora. Recommended for Weis fans and for anyone who enjoys tales of slow reacting and very conservative dragons trying to respond to the fast moving pace of human society, with a few dragon traitors pulling the strings of the humans. -Arthur W. Jordin
Rating:
Summary: Humans Are Revolting
Review: Mistress of Dragons is the first novel in the The Dragonvarld series. Long ago, the world was ruled by the dragons. They were greedy, capricious and deadly, especially the younger ones. Then mankind appeared in the world and the dragons saw them as another prey. In fact, they savored the taste of human flesh. But the Dragon Wars had exhausted the dragons and despoiled their world. The twelve dragon families formed a parliament to govern their own behavior and eventually the parliament outlawed predation on humans and proscribed any interference whatsoever in their affairs without prior parliamentary approval. Moreover, they limited contact with the humans to one dragon, Draconas, who wore human form. The kingdom of Seth was isolated from the rest of Dragonvarld by high mountains. Three centuries in the past, a dragon had entered the kingdom and devoured both animals and humans. The kingdom was saved by the magic of the Mistress of Dragons, who asked only that the kingdom construct and maintain a monastery to provide a vigilant watch for intruding dragons. In this novel, High Priestess Melisande of the Temple of the Watchful Eye performs her daily scan for intruders and discovers a dragon approaching the monastery. After alerting the garrison, she reports to the current Mistress of Dragons and is told to continue to observe the beast. She warns off the dragon and he claims that he only wants to talk to her mistress, but Melisande does not believe him. As he draws close, the Mistress releases the collective powers of the priestesses and the warriors attack with spear and arrow, thus driving away the beast with various wounds. When the dragon Braun reports his reception to the Dragon Parliament, they consider once again taking action against Maristara, the dragon who rules Seth through the hierarchy of the Temple. And once again, nothing is decided. However, Draconas himself devises a plan and implements it with the aid of Braun. In this story, Draconas begins to suspect that someone in parliament (or close to it) is aiding Maristara and keeping her informed of parliamentary actions. He starts to keep his plans secret from all except Braun and Anora, the Prime Minister. He subsequently encounters the conspirator in human form, but is not able to determine his true identity. This story shows Draconas learning for himself that plans seldom survive contact with the enemy. Time after time he finds himself struggling to respond to the unexpected actions of his opponents (and his allies). This segment ends with him taking desperate action to save a few parts of his plan from total failure. It is time for a new and better plan. The story is action packed and abounds with surprises and plot twists. However, the characterization is a little wooden. Moreover, the good guys seem to be hopelessly naive, but probably that conclusion just reflects my frustration with their foolish actions. The sequel may show a little more savvy from Draconas and Anora. Recommended for Weis fans and for anyone who enjoys tales of slow reacting and very conservative dragons trying to respond to the fast moving pace of human society, with a few dragon traitors pulling the strings of the humans. -Arthur W. Jordin
Rating:
Summary: Not too bad
Review: Not great, but not horrid. I was unable to put the book down, but only because I have this unquenchable curiosity. I HAVE to find out what happens (no matter how good of a guess I think I have). I don't want to give away the entire plot... just read many of the other reviews if you want it :o)... but I will say that the whole "human who is really a dragon who is ruling humans raised to fight dragons" is a pretty cool concept. I'm looking forward to the other books, not necessarily because the first was excellently written, but because of that darn unquenchable curiosity! All in all, it was a really good concept that could have been a little better developed and thought out before being put to paper.
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