Rating: 
Summary: Don't even think about reading this book.....
Review: ...unless you have read the previous trilogy. At least, I can but hope that helps it. Amid unpronouncable names, vague references to dragons that are smarter than the people and serve no purpose, characters with weird powers that are never explained,and some of the most convoluted family trees I've ever read, lies no plot, no reasoning, no explanations, no nothing. Some people are attacked by an enemy that comes out of nowhere, which is never explained as to who they might be, where they came from, or why they came in the first place. The people fight and run, fight and run. It is undoubtably one of the worst books I've ever read. I don't even have a desire to read the first trilogy to try to figure everything out. I was terribly disappointed. I certainly will not pick up another of this author's books.
Rating: 
Summary: Rawn starts out with a bang
Review: From the end of her dragon prince series she starts out the dragon star series with a bang. Everything that was feared was going to happens starts too. All lands are almost destroyed while the Rohan and Pol are forced to fall back. After finishing this book I looked forward to the rest of the series. This book does not have to many characters and ever character adds to the strength of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: CONFUSING!!!
Review: Good continuation of the Dragon Prince Trilogy. However there are too many characters with similar sounding names, therefore it is difficult to figure out who's child is who's; and which characters are brothers and sisters. However, this was an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone, as long as you have read the books in the previous series, you shouldn't get too confused.
Rating: 
Summary: too many characters
Review: Hmm im one of those who have not read the dragon prince and went straight to dragon star. Maybe this was why i found the book rather confusing as the characters were not introduced formally and i felt like i was stepping halfway in. ANyway, even if i had not read the previous trilogy, the book still should have a central point of view.
Rating:
Summary: Astonishing.....
Review: I absolutly adored this book, and the previous series. The characters were amazingly written, and completely real in a sense. I even found myself teary-eyed when Rohan died(sorry if I ruined the ending for some of you!). The Sunrunners magic is the most detailed, astounding magic I've found throughout my long-time fascination with fantasy novels. And to the "reader" who claimed Melanie Rawn could learn something from Robert Jordan, I must disagree. Jordan, although another wonderful author, could learn a bit of something from Melanie Rawn. I never found myself as "glued" to the Wheel of Time series as I was to the Dragon Prince and Dragon Star series (although I do agree that they should have been one series, it could have cut down on quite a bit of confusion.)
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Sequel.....
Review: I almost regretted picking up this book by the time I reached the last pages. It was totally emotionally wrenching, especially if you had followed the series since Dragon Prince, book one of the first series. Rawn has brought the plot to a deeper dimension, that makes the "crises" of the first series seem minor. She had brought us from the micro level of that world, with succession disputes and politics, to the macro level, where war could mean complete destruction of what the characters had known for all their lives... their heritage, the dragons, their species.The plot developments were extremely engaging, and as destruction looms over the land, you find yourself cheering or despairing with each character in the face of such insurmountable challenges. Rohan's and Sioned's strength, passion and loyalty is admirable, but they have their weaknesses too, that you have grown to know so well (if you followed the first series) that your heart goes out to them when they are defeated at each turn, by obstacles big or small. The new characters introduced here were engaging on their own, but what struck me most is the reality that Melanie Rawn injects into her stories. Mortality is very real, and it tears at your heartstrings to see the characters fall in battle, or in sickness. It is not just the bad guys who die, but the good guys and the innocent ones too. I cried at the last few pages of the book, and it felt as if I was crying for a friend whom I had known for a long time. And amidst these losses, you will come to admire and love Sioned for her strength of character, and cheer for her as if she's the last champion who can change the fate of the world. This book is truly unforgettable. An Excellent Epic!
Rating:
Summary: Exciting
Review: I found the Dragon Prince series exciting and wonderful. The Dragon Star series is the same. I have read all six books twice. I accually cried during the reading of these books, and when I was done reading them, I felt like I lost something. I sincerely hope she writes another series to follow up the Dragon Star books, I need to know what happens to all the characters.
Rating:
Summary: A damn good read.
Review: I think that Stronghold was a good book,I hope that Melanie Rawn will grace our shelves with many more! In my opinion, the Dragon Prince trilogy was better, but both series were excellent. Rohan and Sioned are still alive to me, and I cried out in pain when the High Prince was taken from Sioned. Sorry for any one who hasnt read it, you are missing a lot.
Rating:
Summary: excellent book
Review: I'm a huge fan of Melanie Rawn. I think that she is able to create a fascinating world, complex and realistic characters, interesting stories. There are a few warnings that I have though for others who are debating her books. 1. Yes, this book is the first book of the SECOND series concering the same realm and people. I have read a lot of criticism that this should really be the fourth book, and I disagree. There are many authors who break their series up. It's not uncommon. It is confusing to pick it up in the middle, but I think that the series itself should be two trilogies, not one never ending series. (ahem, jordan and goodkind, would you mind ENDING your stories already?) There are a number of series that I started on and realized that it was the second or third series concering different people. Many of the Valdemar series, the Deryni novels, the Fey, to name a few. The first series was about the internal struggles of the people and the desert's quest for enough power to provide stability. The second is about an invading force. 2. Melanie Rawn focuses a lot on her characters and descriptions of "sunrunning" and other things of that nature. Many may find this to be boring or simply too much. I obviously don't, but to each their own. Just a warning. In this novel, there is a description of two people, their love and romance and stuff like that. Then they are killed. Some found that to be pointless and meaningless. It didn't advance the plot a great deal and it does slow things down. I found it to make the story more tragic. It conveys that there are so many people who will be lost, that we will never "know" and also how pointless and tragic war is. I think it adds depth to the story. Still waters run deep. So, if you don't like extra info that isn't necessarily critical to the plot, you might become irritated with any of these novels. Those are my warnings. Here is what I loved about the book. Many have criticize Rohan as being "too perfect." Like Rhapsody, in Haydon's series, I sort of think that his greatest strength is his greatest weakness. This book sort of showcases that in the situations of this book, he is far from perfect. His strengths in the pervios books, become weaknesses in these books because in his own way, he deals with things too narrowly. He likes to internalize all conflicts, but it just doesn't work here. He has had a lot of years of success with his way of dealing with things, and perhaps just can't change at his age. He also becomes somewhat bitter and tempermental. Understandable of course. Pol--definitely the "flawed" hero. His development is well done. Meiglan. What a surprise. She really developed and realistically. Did she become a roaring lion like Sioned? She stayed iwthin character, yet grew. I loved it. You start Nope. see it a little in this book, and it just gets better. Andry. One of my favorites. His development into a fanatic is pretty complete by now, but there are still a few surprises left in him. I'll shut up now, but overall, I loved this book. Overall, if you want to watch a lifetime of character development, then read Rawn. She is probably one of hte best I've ever written in creating people that you "grow" with.
Rating:
Summary: The Beginning of the End
Review: If you loved the world of Sunrunners and the politics of the Dragon Prince Series. Tread VERY VERY carefully. I liken the Dragon Star trilogy, to the end of the Dragonlance books. [Dragons of something or another] *Spoiler* It doesn't stay peaceful *Spoiler* The world of Dragon Prince goes through a very dramatic change, over these books. They are VERY dark books concerning the land of the sunrunners.
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