The Dragon Charmer

Rating:
Summary: I can't wait!!!
Review: I did not like _The Dragon Charmer_ as well as I liked _Prospero's Children_. Unlike the latter, _Dragon Charmer_ seemed disjointed and hurried. There were too many things going on at once and in my opinion none of them were as well developed as they might have been. The language was beautiful, but it seemed as though the focus on the language was trying to make up for the fact that there just really wasn't much story, like piling frosting on a overly-thin cake.

A lot of what story there was seemed like a repetition of what had already been said in the previous book. It annoyed me that Fern spent all of _Prospero's Children_ breaking away from being a prim, controlled child and letting magic into her life and then she had to do it all over again. I was also not interested in hearing still more about the "Oldest Spirit." Nor was I particularly thrilled with Siegel's dragons or the portions of the story based on Arthurian lore. It just seemed like she didn't have anything new to say here.

Where Siegel did explore new territory -- as in the relationship between Will and Gaynor and the character of Kal, she was as good as I expected. Unfortunately, she just didn't spend enough time there. It was as if _The Dragon Charmer_ was nothing more than a set up for book 3 in the series, so many of the interesting parts just didn't go anywhere. That there will be a third book was pointed out in an unnecessary and annoying epilogue, just in case you missed the hints about it in the body of the text.

I think even linking books deserve to be fully developed. I wish Siegel had just gone ahead and written the book she wanted to, instead of merely giving the story a lick and a promise before moving on.

Rating:
Summary: Been there, done that
Review: I did not like _The Dragon Charmer_ as well as I liked _Prospero's Children_. Unlike the latter, _Dragon Charmer_ seemed disjointed and hurried. There were too many things going on at once and in my opinion none of them were as well developed as they might have been. The language was beautiful, but it seemed as though the focus on the language was trying to make up for the fact that there just really wasn't much story, like piling frosting on a overly-thin cake.

A lot of what story there was seemed like a repetition of what had already been said in the previous book. It annoyed me that Fern spent all of _Prospero's Children_ breaking away from being a prim, controlled child and letting magic into her life and then she had to do it all over again. I was also not interested in hearing still more about the "Oldest Spirit." Nor was I particularly thrilled with Siegel's dragons or the portions of the story based on Arthurian lore. It just seemed like she didn't have anything new to say here.

Where Siegel did explore new territory -- as in the relationship between Will and Gaynor and the character of Kal, she was as good as I expected. Unfortunately, she just didn't spend enough time there. It was as if _The Dragon Charmer_ was nothing more than a set up for book 3 in the series, so many of the interesting parts just didn't go anywhere. That there will be a third book was pointed out in an unnecessary and annoying epilogue, just in case you missed the hints about it in the body of the text.

I think even linking books deserve to be fully developed. I wish Siegel had just gone ahead and written the book she wanted to, instead of merely giving the story a lick and a promise before moving on.

Rating:
Summary: A good read
Review: I have very mixed feelings about The Dragon Charmer. I looked forward to it very much since I read Prospero's Children a year ago. In some ways, it was a let down, in others, it was perfectly fine. I love the character of Fern, and I was really anxious to see how she would grow, change, and mature. She did do so in this book, but not exactly how I hoped. I had hoped this process would leave me more in love with Fern, and while I did not loose any empathy for her, I also was not more devoted to her. Her brother's character, however, was very enjoyable, and changed in all the right ways to make a real character. I also was somewhat dissapointed that the story did not really seam to connect to Prospero's Children. It carried a lot of the same things over, but it seemed like just a seperate adventure with the same main character. I am looking forward to the final book in the trilogy in hopes it will tie the two books together. Even though the story did not really seem to flow from the first book, it was still a wonderful story. I was never bored and was fascinated with Siegel's immagination and descriptions. The story moved fairly slow, and I like that, as long as it does not drag, and it did not. The end/climax moved way too fast for me, however, especially since it was so interresting. I felt that I had spent so much time on the rest of the story that I wanted to spent a equal amount on the end instead of feeling rushed. It was not the sequal I expected, but it was a great read and very enjoyable. I am glad I read it, and I look forward to the next instalment.

Rating:
Summary: An Over-Poetic Story; With Great "Historical" Tie-Ins
Review: I just finished reading Jan Siegel's 'The Dragon Charmer'. Guess what?! Its part two (of three). I picked it up in a store on a trip. I had finished my last book, and was looking for something to pass the time. Dragon Charmer looked good, so I picked it up. Nowhere on the book, inside the cover, or anywhere else did I find that was the sequel to 'Prospero's Children'. Until I read the Epilogue; and kind of felt cheated.

All in all, I thought it was a pretty good read. I did find the first fifty-some pages to be very slow. Additionally I found much of the book to be over-poetic. Six adjectives to describe, when they could also pass for synonyms, is just over-wording things.

The most annoying thing, was the since of time. Near the end of the book where time seems to be very critical, the two perspectives are not being told in very similar time. One perspective gets way ahead in time, until the perspective's paths seem to cross; then the other perspective picks up much further back in time.

The story starts with Fern, a 'gifted' young woman preparing for her wedding (I was worried I had picked up a romance novel by mistake, but soon discovered this was not the case). Wedding plans get put on hold when Fern somehow finds herself in a strange other-worldly dimension. Back in the real world, Fern's body lies in a coma while her brother and best-friend, Will and Gaynor, try to find a way to bring her back.

I especially like the references to many "historical" mythos. Some of them in rather obscure ways, but all very interesting and entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: I liked the first book very much, but "The Dragon Charmer" was a big disappointment. I thought that the characters were unevenly and unconvincingly drawn. The author seemed too enamored with her own lofty and pseudo-poetic prose (which was intermittently applied), and not sincere enough in giving each character a unique and appropriate voice. The writing style seemed to me to be awkwardly self-conscious and pretentious. Many points seemed somewhat plagiaristic or imitative to me. I had a hard time caring very much what happened to any of the characters, because they seemed so flat. I'm not sure what changed between the first book and the second (I would need to reread both of them, probably, to put my finger on it) but I the sequel did not seem to me to be anywhere near as convincing, involving, or unpretentious as the first book.

Rating:
Summary: well-told story by a maturing writer
Review: Like the author's first book, Prospero's Children, this book begins in rural England, where elements of magic and strange happenings are gradually introduced into an otherwise modern setting. Also like the first book, the main character spends a significant part of the story isolated in a different "world." In this book, however, the author does a much better job of carrying two story lines, and integrating the other world into the main story. The character development and sense of realism are also much improved. I found this book to be a entertaining read, with some interesting ideas and story elements, all very well told. I recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Jan Siegel's work.

Rating:
Summary: well-told story by a maturing writer
Review: Like the author's first book, Prospero's Children, this book begins in rural England, where elements of magic and strange happenings are gradually introduced into an otherwise modern setting. Also like the first book, the main character spends a significant part of the story isolated in a different "world." In this book, however, the author does a much better job of carrying two story lines, and integrating the other world into the main story. The character development and sense of realism are also much improved. I found this book to be a entertaining read, with some interesting ideas and story elements, all very well told. I recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Jan Siegel's work.

Rating:
Summary: I can't wait!!!
Review: ooooh this book was so fun!!!! well...maybe not FUN but it was really exciting. I can't wait to read the third. I had a little trouble with getting into it. I still finished the book in two days. I also hope that Jan Siegel includes yet another poem in the third book of this trilogy. I got The Dragon Charmer when I went to england and she was right about the weather, at least while I was there.I HIGHLY recomend this book for anybody who likes Science Fiction and Fantasy and look forward to seeing and reading the next and last book in the trilogy. I can't wait to see what happens with Kal, at least I hope something happens with him. He seems like a key charactor and wasn't mentioned much in the end but surely he'll be mentioned in the next book.

Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: Over a decade has passed since the horror of PROSPERO'S CHILDREN occurred and all Fernanda Capel wants is to live a normal life. To that end, she buries her witchcraft gift and accepts a proposal of marriage from Marcus even as she admits to her best friend that she does not love him. Fern's efforts to ignore her powers seem futile though she constantly tries because otherworldly omens continually intrude.

On the eve of her wedding, Fern falls into a coma and is rushed to a hospital. As she lies unconscious in bed, Fern's soul lies trapped in purgatory. Though the odds are overwhelming against her success, if she can free her soul and reunite it with her body, Fern knows she must war with powerful evils to save the world and her best friend.

THE DRAGON CHARMER is a strong fantasy novel because the story line ties the supernatural with the mundane in such a clever way that the otherworldly elements seem everyday and a matter of fact. That element along with a fully developed, authentic feeling cast (in spite of some being not of this earthly plane) makes this a powerful novel that will please fans of Jan Siegel and send new readers searching for the previous tale.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A strong fantasy novel
Review: Over a decade has passed since the horror of PROSPERO'S CHILDREN occurred and all Fernanda Capel wants is to live a normal life. To that end, she buries her witchcraft gift and accepts a proposal of marriage from Marcus even as she admits to her best friend that she does not love him. Fern's efforts to ignore her powers seem futile though she constantly tries because otherworldly omens continually intrude.

On the eve of her wedding, Fern falls into a coma and is rushed to a hospital. As she lies unconscious in bed, Fern's soul lies trapped in purgatory. Though the odds are overwhelming against her success, if she can free her soul and reunite it with her body, Fern knows she must war with powerful evils to save the world and her best friend.

THE DRAGON CHARMER is a strong fantasy novel because the story line ties the supernatural with the mundane in such a clever way that the otherworldly elements seem everyday and a matter of fact. That element along with a fully developed, authentic feeling cast (in spite of some being not of this earthly plane) makes this a powerful novel that will please fans of Jan Siegel and send new readers searching for the previous tale.

Harriet Klausner