Rating: 
Summary: A sequel that is a must read!
Review: This book picks up where the other one left off a few months after the first, the Last Dragonlord.
This book includes a new land, Jehanglan, the land of the phoenix.
Some of the book is about Mauryanna, a new dragonlord, who cannot Change without horrible pain. Her dragon half is almost intent on smothering her at times.
The story also revolves mysteriously around two mystical beings that have been held for centuries against their will. A dragon and a phoenix. But why? And to what end?
That alone, I leave for the readers to discover.
The story is a little more complex than her first book, with a new land and new names to keep up with. But even still, it's a book you don't want to end. And when it does, you want to know more.
The writer is in the middle of her third book, Bard's Oath. A book I am anxiously awaiting for. As I want to see what happens next in Dragonskeep!
Rating: 
Summary: Politcal intrigue
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It actually made the eight-hour car trip through the traffic of new york pleasant. This book had several different winding, twisting, and extremely engrossing story lines, each just as interesting as the next.One of the main ones was about the dragon lords, whose story started out in the first book, The Last Dragonlord, and the other main plot line was about a clever, scheming girl taken from her native tribe to a concubine of the emporer's.Many times, when authors try to put political intrigue in their books, it makes for an extremely boring read. Not so with this book. The politcal manuverings of Shei-Lu (the concubine),Lord Jhanun, and the weak emporer, Xiane, create a plotline that is difficult to tear yourself away from.
The romance betweenn mauryanna and Linden that was the only unappealing part of The Last Dragonlord is toned down a bit in this book. Also, new dragonlords are intoduced in this book. Overall, it was an extemely enjoyable book.
Rating: 
Summary: Good ideas but too many irritating plot devices
Review: I enjoyed Ms Bertin's first book "The Last Dragonlord" because of the of the original idea of 'weredragons' and the interesting romantic sub-plot between Maurynna and Linden - especially the clever way they were kept apart, increasing the romantic tension. However I must admit I was disappointed by her second book "Dragon & Phoenix". Although I found the sub-plot revolving around Shei-Luin interesting, and I thought the water-dragon Miune adorable, there were quite a few irritating plot devices. For starters, I really didn't like the way Ms Bertin constantly tried to leave us in suspense at the end of every other character's segment. For example: "The blue eyes burned with rage and the whip came up to strike." *change characters*. Instead of building suspense and making me desperate to find out whether or not the whip would strike, I found it irritating and unsubtle. Especially since when we returned to those particular characters the negative consequence suggested never occured. (E.g. "The whip fell, but only to strike against Redhawk's boot.") Also, I like changes in character viewpoint and plot as much as the next person, but changing viewpoints (and continents) nine times in a single chapter does seem a bit excessive! (not to mention confusing) I also thought the book was too long. Maurynna, Linden and the rest dont even reach Jehanglan until over half-way through the book! Instead we have irritating passages about Maurynna and Linden standing together brooding about the fact that she's going into danger without him. After about the third of those I wanted to yell "Yeah ok they're going to miss each other. I get it!" And sure we have all this interesting character and culture development when Maurynna returns to her family, but is it really relevant to the plot(s)? Therefore although I enjoyed parts of this book, I found the negative aspects almost balanced out the positives. I dont think I'll be reading the next book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Good ideas but too many irritating plot devices
Review: I enjoyed Ms Bertin's first book "The Last Dragonlord" because of the of the original idea of 'weredragons' and the interesting romantic sub-plot between Maurynna and Linden - especially the clever way they were kept apart, increasing the romantic tension. However I must admit I was disappointed by her second book "Dragon & Phoenix". Although I found the sub-plot revolving around Shei-Luin interesting, and I thought the water-dragon Miune adorable, there were quite a few irritating plot devices. For starters, I really didn't like the way Ms Bertin constantly tried to leave us in suspense at the end of every other character's segment. For example: "The blue eyes burned with rage and the whip came up to strike." *change characters*. Instead of building suspense and making me desperate to find out whether or not the whip would strike, I found it irritating and unsubtle. Especially since when we returned to those particular characters the negative consequence suggested never occured. (E.g. "The whip fell, but only to strike against Redhawk's boot.") Also, I like changes in character viewpoint and plot as much as the next person, but changing viewpoints (and continents) nine times in a single chapter does seem a bit excessive! (not to mention confusing) I also thought the book was too long. Maurynna, Linden and the rest dont even reach Jehanglan until over half-way through the book! Instead we have irritating passages about Maurynna and Linden standing together brooding about the fact that she's going into danger without him. After about the third of those I wanted to yell "Yeah ok they're going to miss each other. I get it!" And sure we have all this interesting character and culture development when Maurynna returns to her family, but is it really relevant to the plot(s)? Therefore although I enjoyed parts of this book, I found the negative aspects almost balanced out the positives. I dont think I'll be reading the next book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Triumphant Sequel to The Last Dragon Lord
Review: I would not recommend that readers begin with this book. The Last Dragon Lord comes first. That having been said... Bertin has created a word in which weredragons, otherwise known as Dragon Lords, dwell. Dragon Lords are humans with whom half a dragon's soul has bonded. The other half resides in the Dragon Lords soul twin. Together they are bonded into a lifelong pair. A very long life. Dragon Lords can live thousands of years. In this tale Linden and Maurynna join a band of true humans and Dragon Lords in a fantastic journey across the world to the land of Jehanglan. Jehanglan is modeled after the far east, a closed society where violence is shunned as barbaric, yet the art of assassination thrives. A man presenting himself as an escaped slave brings word to Dragonkeep that a truedragon is being held hostage in Jehanglan. After a desparate and failed gambit by the truedragons, it is up to the Dragon Lords to uncover the truth in a harsh, deadly, beautiful country--one that hides a deadly secret. Besides the familiar cast of characters from The Last Dragon Lord, an intriguing new character is introduced. Shei Luin is the emperor's concubine, and while her story is somewhat of a sideline, she is non-the-less a facinating character whom you will love, hate and admire.
Rating:
Summary: A wise choice
Review: This book is one you won't regret reading. It has interesting characters, an amazing plot, complex antagonists, and a little bit of just about everything else. After reading The Last Dragonlord, which I also strongly recomend, I just had to pick up th sequal. I have to say I was not dissapointed. This book picks up a few months after the first one left off. This time around things are getting weird over at Jehanglan, AKA the land of the phoenix, which was briefly mentioned in the first book. It also appears the Maurynna cna't seem to Change into her airborn form without encountering excruciating pain. With these major elements Bertin has made yet anather truly amazing book. I myself am looking forward to Bard's Oath. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.
Rating: 
Summary: Buyer Beware
Review: I had read Ms Bertin first book The Last Dragonlord and had expected something at least as good. I was disappointed to say the least. I do not presumed to ask what happen to the initial story but something did in the tranlation. I do not believe Ms Bertin was writing from the same premiss that she did with the first book. She went off in a new genre that had no real relationship to the original book. If you Ms Bertin read this review please give your original characters some depth, after all they are suppose to be Dragonlord not truehumans with not enough sense of a two year old. For some unknown reason she took the love story of two strong characters and flubbed it like some thirteen old chick,who had never met someone who were meant to be together but instead made them seem like enemies. The interaction between the Dragonlord's soultwins was stiff and disjointed as if they did not real love each at all.To compound her error Ms Bertin wrote two plots in the same book! When you have to turn pages just to find the main characters (Linden and Maurynna)near the middle of the book, you know something is wrong. Needless to say once you have written a book about Dragonlords they should continue to write about Dragonlord not the Chinese or Japanese Dynasties! This book was not a fantasy but a history lesson by someone who does not know history. My advise to other readers is Don't Waste Your Money because more than half the writing is inferior and not about Dragonlords.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling story.
Review: I found both the story and the characters to be very compelling. I picked this book off the shelves inthe bookstore one day because I had some time on my hands, and it was cheaper than the other Fantasy novels. It became one of my favorite books of the year! I can't wait for the next installment to come out. I just hope I don't have to wait too long.
Rating:
Summary: Fun...
Review: Very fun, how ever if you read it and don't read the sequal "Dragon and Phoniex" in fairly close sucsession you might feel it left a loose end or two too many. I loved the book, it managed to avoid all of the things that annoy me most, even if it is a little longer than most of what i prefer to read.
Rating:
Summary: Very high quality book. Fun, well written and original
Review: If I didn't know this was her second book, I'd swear it had to be at least a fifth book by this author. This is a great story that is more than just a run of the mill coming of age yarn. I'm pleased to see how well she made so many diverse characters and nations/groups seem real. I can't wait for book three.
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