Rating: 
Summary: You can't go wrong with P. Briggs.
Review: I won't summarize the book since there are already several out there. Just allow me to say that I love Ms. Briggs' writing. I haven't found a book of hers yet that I don't like. Ward of Hurog is a wonderful character. He is truly a hero and yet modest. I just wanted to reach into the book a give him a big hug. I went directly from reading DRAGON BONES to the sequel, DRAGON BLOOD, and it is even better. Get both and enjoy! Better yet, get ALL of Ms. Briggs' books.
Rating: 
Summary: Warning for Slash Fans
Review: If you, like me, are tempted to check this book out because it was on someone's list of recommended slashy fics, here's a little warning. (For those of you who are wondering what the heck "slash" is, the quick answer is that it's a shorthand reference to an implied or express same-sex relationhship.) Briggs' novel, as it fans point out, is well-crafted, light fantasy fiction. Hence, the four stars. In short, an enjoyable read, unless you were expecting some slashy goodness. In that case, the novel will disappoint, if not enrage you. The "good" characters are all unrelentingly hetero. The only same-sex "relationships," are non-consensual (e.g., sailors or soldiers who rape boys, hetero man forced into gay relationship while pining for his wife). Not all the villains are gay, but every gay character is a villain. In other words, gay signals a "bad" character in this book, the same way smoking has come to signal a "bad" character in the movies. If you are looking for good slashy fun, try Fleweling's Nightrunner series, Swordspoint, or The Granite Shield instead.
Rating:
Summary: My library doesn't have the sequel, I'm depressed.
Review: It made me yell, it made me laugh, it made me giggle/smile foolishly, it made me feel betrayed, it made me cry, and it made me nearly throttle my foolish sister when she interrupted me while reading. So be certain to either be less tempermental than I am or find a secluded spot to read this book.
The book has twists and turns and loop-de-loops like no roller coaster in existence can compete with and the writing is so fun to read that even if you're a goody-two-shoes at school, you'll be reading this behind your textbooks till you're done. Have fun.
Rating:
Summary: Short, but full of meat
Review: Most fantasy novels today have become drawn out, worn out series, with too many trivial events and excess detail. Writers in the genre seem to forget that all good things NEED to come to an end at some point and preferably before the readers stop caring about the characters or story. Ms. Briggs has a story to tell and she does just that without wasting her readers' time and I find it nice to read a story where the author doesn't waste the reader's time. I'm saying, this is a short book. Some say too short, but I would disagree. She covers everything she really needed to cover, hints at a few answers, and has a sequel. If you want more, buy the next book. I found it to be a highly addictive read that was difficult to put down. She's better than Robert Jordan and better than Terry Goodkind because she knows when to stop, something I wish more fantasy writers would learn.
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Summary: Madness, Magic, and Mystery in Hurog
Review: Ms Brigg's last two books, Hob's Bargain and When Demons Walks were tightly plotted stories about in the first case, a village cut off from the wider world and in the second a Court intrigue. Dragon Bones is more sprawling, its action covering a vast area as it moves from the small, impoverished estate of Hurog to the king's court to the front of an undeclared war in an unprotected land.Fenwyck, the lord of Hurog, was half mad. He abused his wife, his children, his servants and his animals. His wife hid in a haze of drugs. His daughter was mute. His youngest son had run away and was presumed dead. His heir, Wardwyck, was thought to be brain damaged since Fenwyck had beaten him nearly to death at the age of 12. As the reader is told on nearly the first page, though, Ward was no fool at all and had used his supposed imbecility to escape his father's abuse. Ward had lost his power of speech after the beating, had lost his ability to use magic to any great degree, had been forced to learn to reuse the left side of his body, but was not in the least stupid. He was a large young man, though with bovine eyes and a practiced look of stupidity. When the story opens Ward is returning from an expedition which had taken him to the monumental bronze doors of Hurog, set in a mountain side, they had wrought on them images of a dragon. He overhears a discussion between his twin cousins Which leads him to conclude that they had been teasing his sister and she had taken refuge in the sewers of the castle. Determined to protect his sister from his father's wrath should she not present herself for dinner, he undertakes to find her in the tunnels underlying the castle. When he does locate her, he also finds evidence that an ancestor of his had muzzled and chained a dragon in a cavern under the keep. He and his sister escape to the surface. Before, however, he can decide what to do about the remains of the dragon, he is told that his father is dying, thrown by his stallion during a hunt. He is approached by the family ghost who passes to him the platinum ring that is the symbol of lordship. His father, with his last strength declares that his brother Duraugh will have control over Hurog during Ward's minority. Ward is afraid that his uncle will want to keep control and begins his own campaign to win over the victims, mundane and supernatural of his father's abuse. Slowly, Ward starts to reveal that he is not as stupid as he has appeared over the years, but he is afraid to reveal everything to his uncle. Just as he decides to do so, though, two lords from the king's court arrive chasing an escaped slave. By ancient custom if a slave reached Hurog that slave was afterward free. Ward and Duraugh refuse to give up the slave and the lord's reveal that they have authorization from the king to confine Ward in a lunatic assylum. Thus begins an adventure where Ward is forced to prove himself suitable to rule Hurog after all, protect his siblings and escape entrapment in the toils of politics. Ward's story, told in first person, is interwoven with the story of his twin cousins, the story of the King's favorite, and a threat from a neighboring kingdom. Ms Briggs does a very good job of characerization. Just as the reader thinks he or she has the characters neatly pigeonholed, the author reveals some other aspect. Nothing is as it seems. There are betrayals and murders. Ward finds his magic again, but magic is not enough. While the conclusion is satisfying, it is noted in the back that the author is working on a sequel, which will hopefully be published soon. Considering what has gone before, it would be very surprising, if there is not a few more twists and turns among these characters.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Fantastic
Review: Ms. Briggs weaves a richly detailed world, with dark overtones and obstacles that would leave the typcial fantasy hero searching for a quiet corner to hide in. Mental illness seems to be a common affliction in the land of Hurog. Ward's father is megalomaniacle with homocidal tendencies, his mother lives in a drug-assisted psychotic stupor, his suicidal brother has chosen fugue and exile, and his sister is mute. Ward only acts autistic to avoid attrating paternal attention! After his father dies, his cousins betray him and the high king declares him unfit to rule, he gathers his siblings, a mentally-disturbed ghost, an aging stablemaster, and a dwarven prince masquerading as an armsman, and sets out to become a hero. . . The amazing thing about this novel is that it worked. Really, really worked. The masterfully-drawn characters vibrate with life. The vein of humor that is Briggs's hallmark shines brighly against the dark and hostile world. Ward is a very sympathetic hero, and the story is colored by his determined, unflinching efforts to do the right thing. He and his band of wanderers echo the best parts of Robin Hood, Arthur's round table, and Miles Vorkosigan. The story is by turns tragic, humorous, adverturous and touching, and the pacing is flawless. While I'm waiting for the promised sequel, I may have to laminate the cover (clear contact paper for those who don't know this trick) so that I can re-live this adventure often in the coming months.
Rating:
Summary: A fun read
Review: Patricia Briggs is a rare talent. She writes short, fun books with believable characters and well planned plots. Dragon Bones is no different. If you liked Steal the Dragon and When demons Walk then you will like this story too. The Hero (named Ward) is seemingly a simpleton, but in fact is quite a clever. Unfortunately the ancient and magical dragon bones beneath the castle are at risk of being stolen and falling into the wrong hands. Ward learns about his kingdom quickly after his fathers dies and Ward must stop playing the fool. Ward must deal with his enemies and uncover the secrets of castle Hurog before it's too late. There is a sequel "Dragon Blood" that I am looking forward to reading and you will too. Buy this book for a fun read.
Rating:
Summary: Short, but full of meat
Review: There's nothing more satisfying than trying out a new author (who isn't new, but one you never heard of anyway) and finding out they write brilliantly. Patricia Briggs is a good example. The title Dragon Bones drew me in with the one word "dragon". Little did I know that I was in for a book that was more than dragons and magic. I don't really need to give a summary -- You can just read it above. Rather, I should be giving the goods of the book. Characterization is excellent. Just about every single character is well-developed. Each character is not a hero, but simply a person that you may just find walking down the street if Earth had magic. They are realistic characters, with personalities and goals that are, surprisingly, not out of this world. The characterization is out of this world. Spectacular! Description is also well done. Some books give a lot of description, which is good, but can get annoying if paragraph after paragraph is description. Then you have the books that don't describe at all. Pactrica Briggs draws the line and gives you just enough description so you know what the person, room, so forth looks like. She only gives you the important details, and not the details you really could care less about. So, thankfully, the details that she gives are normally important, and what you really want to read. The plot is well-developed, with an excellent climax and brilliant writing that makes you not want to put down the book, even for a movie about volcanoes (I am very interested in volcanoes, so the fact that this book kept me away from molten lava is pretty startling). Briggs keeps you into the book with some suspense, trick sentences where you may have to do a little guessing, but not so much as to drive you crazy, and of course chapters and paragraphs that may just leave you thinking a bit if you're an avid and attentative reader. This is a fairly light read, though. Sure, you have those times when you may have to do a little thinking about previous events mentioned, but for the most part everything is short and simple. I finished this book within about three to four days, showing how fairly light it is. Light books are not bad books, though. The excellent characterization, plot, and description will keep you within this book. Read it. You will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant! Simply brilliant!
Review: There's nothing more satisfying than trying out a new author (who isn't new, but one you never heard of anyway) and finding out they write brilliantly. Patricia Briggs is a good example. The title Dragon Bones drew me in with the one word "dragon". Little did I know that I was in for a book that was more than dragons and magic. I don't really need to give a summary -- You can just read it above. Rather, I should be giving the goods of the book. Characterization is excellent. Just about every single character is well-developed. Each character is not a hero, but simply a person that you may just find walking down the street if Earth had magic. They are realistic characters, with personalities and goals that are, surprisingly, not out of this world. The characterization is out of this world. Spectacular! Description is also well done. Some books give a lot of description, which is good, but can get annoying if paragraph after paragraph is description. Then you have the books that don't describe at all. Pactrica Briggs draws the line and gives you just enough description so you know what the person, room, so forth looks like. She only gives you the important details, and not the details you really could care less about. So, thankfully, the details that she gives are normally important, and what you really want to read. The plot is well-developed, with an excellent climax and brilliant writing that makes you not want to put down the book, even for a movie about volcanoes (I am very interested in volcanoes, so the fact that this book kept me away from molten lava is pretty startling). Briggs keeps you into the book with some suspense, trick sentences where you may have to do a little guessing, but not so much as to drive you crazy, and of course chapters and paragraphs that may just leave you thinking a bit if you're an avid and attentative reader. This is a fairly light read, though. Sure, you have those times when you may have to do a little thinking about previous events mentioned, but for the most part everything is short and simple. I finished this book within about three to four days, showing how fairly light it is. Light books are not bad books, though. The excellent characterization, plot, and description will keep you within this book. Read it. You will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Refreshingly Character-Driven
Review: These days fantasy seems to boil down to the simplest of plots: kingdom is threatened, person discovers heroic calling, battle ensues. Characters fall into your basic categories of villain, underdog, mage, warrior, love interest and rarely have qualities that supercede the boundaries set by what is typically expected of them. Character development, if there exists such a thing in these books, only occurs in the few moments of respite between swordfights and paragraphs of long-winded exposition. Luckily for us, Patricia Briggs doesn't seem to have gotten this memo. Instead, she crafts for us a short, sharp novel that actually makes us care more about the people than a furtherence of the plot. We are not burdened with one-dimensional bad guys or a nauseatingly infallible hero, and the auxillary players are kept to a well-managed minimum. Things move crisply along and all the introduced sublots are actually necessary to the story rather than filler or fodder for the inevitable sequel. This is a self-contained novel with a beginning, middle and (gasp!) an actual ending, a pleasant surprise in these days of dubius cliffhangers that make you wait years for a payoff that is hardly ever worth it. The only points that had me raising an eyebrow were Oreg and the alternating first and third person chapters. Never fully defined, Oreg is described as a ghost and the spirit of Hurog itself yet he is not only tangible enough to touch everyone he encounters and ride a horse, but able to venture far and away from his keep. He essentially fills the role of the magical helper but it seems like the author is struggling to avoid cliche by introducing an element that can't be supported by her own text. The occasional swap from first person to third, though well-defined and never jumpy, might annoy those of us who've had it drilled into our heads that we're supposed to pick a storytelling perspective and stick with it. If you want to have a first-person narrative but it just won't work within the story you're either going to have to sacrifice or modify, waffling only lends an amateurish air to something that, for the most part, is anything but. Often the characters threaten to overwhelm the tale entirely- and indeed there will be times where you couldn't care less about Ward's quest because, despite his protestations, he seems quite casual and scattershot about it himself- but the novelty of reading a fantasy where you actually get to see motivation as opposed to merely being informed that it's indeed there makes up for the sticky spots.
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