Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book - Excellent sequel - stupid picture
Review: Another great book - this lady can write - Where is # 3?
Rating: 
Summary: Better than its cover
Review: Arguably this novel has the world's most atrocious fantasy cover painting ever. I haven't seen a cover this schlocky since about 1974. I hope the cover doesn't drive people away from the book, which is really clever, captivating, and funny (without being cloying). There's good dramatic tension between the characters and a worthwhile plot line that builds on (and is really more adeptly handled than) the plot of the first book in the series. I look forward to reading Briggs' next book -- this one was good, and I think she's steadily improving. But, gah, her editor really needs to find her a more appropriate cover artist.
Rating:
Summary: 4 stars for Patricia Briggs means "far better than most!"
Review: As usual, Briggs gives us action, romance and humor in a fast paced adventure. She has the ability to create an unusual concept of magic in all of her books, which makes for a refreshing change from the ho-hum others out there. In the "Dragon" books, she gives us a tightly knit group of heroes (male and female), each of whom possesses their own strength, competence and character. The main protagonist, Ward, is appealing and satisfying to root for in his struggles against the politics of a corrupt king.... to rebuild his beloved homeland.... and to overcome magic tainted by centuries of imprisonment and abuse. Somehow, tho, I feel that Briggs could have written a novel with deeper emotions, more subtlety and, in the development of the relationship with Ward's lady, more.... I don't know... .ooommph! This is why only 4 stars. Briggs never seems to want to write a love scene, which is fine by me if all she'd do is write sickening passages about the raptures of love and sex. But, surely, she can create a romantic mood without abandoning her principles! All in all, tho, Patricia Briggs has delivered yet another fun and adventurous novel for us all to enjoy. No sniveling maidens (Thank God! Major thumbs up on that one!) and no stale plot. Thanks again, Ms. Briggs.
Rating: 
Summary: A good afternoon's story
Review: Briggs has done something quite nice with this tale: She's broken a number of genre stereotypes, and done so quietly. True, I never found myself in much worry or concern for the fate of Ward, but some of his companions were nicely jeopardized. Briggs does a nice job of relating a competent, hard-working and sincere lord, short on resources, short on support, and short on charismatic dash, but long on everything that really matters: Loyalty, sincerity, courage, brains. She also presents a number of interesting supporting characters, with nice possibilities and intriguing stories all their own. Unfortunately, this unassuming little novel never truly gels, and the story, despite some good twists, really fantastic opportunities, and wonderful personalities, wanders about aimlessly until, in one of the more unusual and original endings I've read lately, it rushes to a hurried climax. The only regret I have with the ending is the deus ex machina. Actually, the 'hand of God' rescue appears in a couple of places through the story, and was one of my greater disappointments with this novel. A decent read none-the-less, as long as you don't have anything better on the shelf. I'm not at all sorry I read this, and will read Patricia Briggs' books again... As long as I have an afternoon to kill, and nothing better to read.
Rating:
Summary: It's in the Veins
Review: Dragon Blood, by Patricia Briggs, is the sequel to Dragon Bones. It's a much quieter novel than its predecessor, but with much more drastic implications for Ward and his people. I actually liked it a bit better than the first as well. When I was reading it, it seemed like it was moving a little too slow, but when I was finished, I felt a lot more satisfied. While quieter, it has a lot more meat to it.
This is a nice little novel, with none of the few problems that the previous book had. At 275 pages, it is a quick and easy read. Briggs fills this book with more examination of character and less fighting, with only one big fight toward the end of the book. This time, Ward must prove himself as a political leader and not just a warrior. Thus, the action quotient is very much lower. Briggs makes up for it, though, by telling an interesting story that doesn't need a lot of sword fights. She concentrates on characterization, making this a much stronger book.
The book is told in a partial first person from Ward's point of view, with other chapters from various other characters' points of view as well (told in third person). This really enhances the characterization, as we not only get Ward's thoughts on a lot of issues, but also some of the other characters' thoughts as well. This is most effective in the blossoming romance between Tisala and Ward. Ward is very attracted to her and wants to marry her, but she feels that she is too old for him and too much of a warrior and less of a homemaker. Briggs really handles this romance nicely, with both parties being tentative but not sinking down into the depths of cliche. It's very adult, and if Briggs writes another sequel, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for these characters.
The rest of the characterization isn't bad either. Briggs give them just enough that they aren't stereotypes. Even Jakoven escapes the dreaded superficial characterization problem. He's thoroughly evil, but he's given just that much of an extra dimension that he becomes more than just the villain. He's sadistic and ruthless, but he's also intelligent. Even his eventual downfall is caused more by a daring move on our heroes' part then by Jakoven doing something stupid. I liked that.
The plot of the book is quite interesting as well. Briggs explores the idea of dragons in this world a lot more, and we in doing so we find out even more about Oreg, ostensibly the wizard of Hurog but in reality one of the elder dragons from a long-dead time. We find out more about the history of the land from Oreg as he recounts what happened with Farsonbane all those years ago. When he uses Farsonbane against a settlement, Jakoven shows just how insane he is and Ward becomes even more determined to stop him. Briggs ties it all together very nicely, with only a couple of slow moments in the middle of the book that drag it down a notch. She spends just a bit too much time on Ward's torture scenes and the attempts to made to get him out of there. I don't know if they could have been shortened at all, as most of them are rather important, but I believe she could have punched them up a bit. Don't worry about gross scenes here, though, as they aren't very graphic at all. Though sometimes you may wish they were to liven them up a bit.
Still, this period of the book doesn't go on very long, though considering the book isn�t very long to begin with, it's sad that there are any slow parts whatsoever.
The ending of the book is also a bit anticlimactic, though it doesn't have anywhere near the problems that the first book had. It very logically flows from events in the book, so there's no problem there. It just seems a bit quick. There are a couple of confrontations, some quick magic, and the problem appears to be solved. There's also not really much of an aftermath, so the book feels like it just ends. I don't really have a problem with that, though, as long as the ending is effective. It is, for the most part, except for the quick way that it happens.
The slow part and the quick ending aren't enough to detract from the quality of this book, though. It's not a groundbreaking book at all, but it fulfills the purpose for which it was written: it entertains, it passes the time in an enjoyable manner, and it tells a good story. What more could you ask for? You'll like it even more if you're a sucker for dragons like I am.
Rating:
Summary: It's in the Veins
Review: Dragon Blood, by Patricia Briggs, is the sequel to Dragon Bones. It's a much quieter novel than its predecessor, but with much more drastic implications for Ward and his people. I actually liked it a bit better than the first as well. When I was reading it, it seemed like it was moving a little too slow, but when I was finished, I felt a lot more satisfied. While quieter, it has a lot more meat to it. This is a nice little novel, with none of the few problems that the previous book had. At 275 pages, it is a quick and easy read. Briggs fills this book with more examination of character and less fighting, with only one big fight toward the end of the book. This time, Ward must prove himself as a political leader and not just a warrior. Thus, the action quotient is very much lower. Briggs makes up for it, though, by telling an interesting story that doesn't need a lot of sword fights. She concentrates on characterization, making this a much stronger book. The book is told in a partial first person from Ward's point of view, with other chapters from various other characters' points of view as well (told in third person). This really enhances the characterization, as we not only get Ward's thoughts on a lot of issues, but also some of the other characters' thoughts as well. This is most effective in the blossoming romance between Tisala and Ward. Ward is very attracted to her and wants to marry her, but she feels that she is too old for him and too much of a warrior and less of a homemaker. Briggs really handles this romance nicely, with both parties being tentative but not sinking down into the depths of cliché. It's very adult, and if Briggs writes another sequel, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for these characters. The rest of the characterization isn't bad either. Briggs give them just enough that they aren't stereotypes. Even Jakoven escapes the dreaded superficial characterization problem. He's thoroughly evil, but he's given just that much of an extra dimension that he becomes more than just the villain. He's sadistic and ruthless, but he's also intelligent. Even his eventual downfall is caused more by a daring move on our heroes' part then by Jakoven doing something stupid. I liked that. The plot of the book is quite interesting as well. Briggs explores the idea of dragons in this world a lot more, and we in doing so we find out even more about Oreg, ostensibly the wizard of Hurog but in reality one of the elder dragons from a long-dead time. We find out more about the history of the land from Oreg as he recounts what happened with Farsonbane all those years ago. When he uses Farsonbane against a settlement, Jakoven shows just how insane he is and Ward becomes even more determined to stop him. Briggs ties it all together very nicely, with only a couple of slow moments in the middle of the book that drag it down a notch. She spends just a bit too much time on Ward's torture scenes and the attempts to made to get him out of there. I don't know if they could have been shortened at all, as most of them are rather important, but I believe she could have punched them up a bit. Don't worry about gross scenes here, though, as they aren't very graphic at all. Though sometimes you may wish they were to liven them up a bit.
Still, this period of the book doesn't go on very long, though considering the book isn't very long to begin with, it's sad that there are any slow parts whatsoever. The ending of the book is also a bit anticlimactic, though it doesn't have anywhere near the problems that the first book had. It very logically flows from events in the book, so there's no problem there. It just seems a bit quick. There are a couple of confrontations, some quick magic, and the problem appears to be solved. There's also not really much of an aftermath, so the book feels like it just ends. I don't really have a problem with that, though, as long as the ending is effective. It is, for the most part, except for the quick way that it happens. The slow part and the quick ending aren't enough to detract from the quality of this book, though. It's not a groundbreaking book at all, but it fulfills the purpose for which it was written: it entertains, it passes the time in an enjoyable manner, and it tells a good story. What more could you ask for? You'll like it even more if you're a sucker for dragons like I am.
Rating:
Summary: 5+ stars!
Review: DRAGON BONES was great, and this sequel is even better. The hero, Ward of Hurog, is SO lovable. These books are not nearly as ponderous as most fantasy epics. Get them both and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Light & Fun! Stands On Its Own!
Review: I picked this up at a local bookstore one afternoon when I was in the mood for fantasy, and looking for something not too weighty (in either sense of the word)! Dragon Blood delivered exactly what I was looking for. It is lightweight and fun -- a great read if you just want to escape. Though not particularly groundbreaking, Dragon Blood didn't have anything about it that was overtly derivative -- no deja vu moments from McCaffrey or Tolkein, for example. Briggs has created a world and characters that genuinely interest me. Another thing to note is that this book stands on its own. It is her second book in this world, but there is nothing in the book that requires you to read the first. I usually like to read a series in order, but my local store was out of the first (Dragon Bones). Dragon Blood gave me all the background I needed. It was such a great read that I passed it on to a fellow reader. She enjoyed it as much as I did. Dragon Bones is a light, delightful, quick read! Give this new author a try!
Rating:
Summary: The scarlet pimpernel hero from previous book is back!!!
Review: I've only read the first two chapters of this book so far (for unavoidable reasons) but it's just great! Ward and Oreg are back, ready to kick...! I've been waiting for this book to come out for a loooong time, and it definitely doesn't disappoint. What's good so far:
1. The way the book starts out
2. Ward's amazing affinity with Hurog.
3. Oreg Ward, the lord of Hurog, does remind me of the Scarlet Pimpernel. He's huge and muscled, and many people think he's an idiot, when he's anything but that. Love the artwork on the front, as well.'Dragon Bones' should be read before ' Dragon Blood' though.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent sequel
Review: If you've read Dragon Bones and enjoyed it, you will love this sequel. This book furthers the tale of Wardwick, the Hurogs as a family, and Hurog as a land. This is a tale of the Five Kingdoms and its politics, and how they all affect Hurog (in the aspects of Ward, the family, and the land). Many sequels do not live up to the first in a series, but I was just as enthralled by this volume as I was with Dragon Bones. I do suggest reading Dragon Bones first, as Dragon Blood WILL reference major elements of the earlier book.
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