Rating: 
Summary: excellent battles and character development [no spoilers]
Review: "When Dragons Rage" is the second novel in The DragonCrown War Cycle series approximately one generation following "The Dark Glory War" prelude novel. It is an impressive book filled with creative battles, detailed descriptions, and interesting characters.
The progressions of Kerrigan and Wilburforce throughout the book are remarkable, especially the combat improvements by the two youngsters. The camaraderie between Resolute and Kedyn's Crow isn't as dominate as in the prior volume but is complimented with a romantic relationship delivering less fighting, which I find slightly disappointing. Given the audacious origin of General Androgans, he is one of my favorite characters, implementing impressive strategies and tactics.
Characters and countries overwhelmed me by the end of the novel and a glossary would have been worthwhile along with a more detailed map of the significant terrains.
I highly recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre and look forward to reading the final novel.
Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: excellent battles and character development [no spoilers]
Review: "When Dragons Rage" is the second novel in The DragonCrown War Cycle series approximately one generation following "The Dark Glory War" prelude novel. It is an impressive book filled with creative battles, detailed descriptions, and interesting characters.The progressions of Kerrigan and Wilburforce throughout the book are remarkable, especially the combat improvements by the two youngsters. The camaraderie between Resolute and Kedyn's Crow isn't as dominate as in the prior volume but is complimented with a romantic relationship delivering less fighting, which I find slightly disappointing. Given the audacious origin of General Androgans, he is one of my favorite characters, implementing impressive strategies and tactics. Characters and countries overwhelmed me by the end of the novel and a glossary would have been worthwhile along with a more detailed map of the significant terrains. I highly recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre and look forward to reading the final novel. Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: One of Stackpole's Best
Review: After reading all of Mike Stackpole's original books, and as of late, the DragonCrown War Cycle, I could barely wait to see what happened after the dour events of "Fortress Draconis." Fortunately, unlike when "Fortress Draconis" came out based twenty years after "The Dark Glory War," "When Dragons Rage" picks up right where we left off. Unlike the two prequels, this book has surprisingly little in the form of actual battles, and really makes up for it in character developement. What Stackpole did was what we were all hoping for in "Fortress Draconis" which is delved back in to the story of Tarrant Hawkins a.k.a. Kedyn's Crow. He finally explains in depth what happened to Tarrant after the cliffhanger at the end of "The Dark Glory War" and really pulls the character out of the mud. Also, Will is written very well and shows how much he has grown from the bratty thief from Yslin to the person fated to save the world. The Love story between Crow and Princess Alexia is developed in a superb way, conveying how much these two people love and respect each other without being overly mushy. It is somewhat awkward at times, but still very good. Then there is the portly young mage, Kerrigan Reese who is loosing his incredible naivette, and gaining knowledge about the world as well as his unusual powers. And finally, for the first time in the series, the main villain Chytrine gets more page time than just a few paragraphs at the end so you really get a sense of her goals and what kind of character she is. And "the heroes who would be the villains" from "The Dark Glory War" get some face time so you see that some may be playing two games where others are just obvious hero fodder. There is of course an entire horde of new characters introduced in addition to the old ones that all contribute in one way or another to make the story fly by. So, all in all an excellent book that ties up some loose threads from previous books and unravels even more for the final one. The few battles there are are of course very well done, but as I said, the focus is on the character developement. Usually, this would chase me away from a book, but Mike Stackpole actually pulls it off with flying colors. But in the customary way for this series, a huge chunk that had been built up is ripped apart at the end, leaving you needing the next book more than the previous. Truly, this is an incredible work that even the truest of Tolkien/Jordan/(Insert popular Fantasy author name here) fans could appreciate. I can't recommend it highly enough. If this series doesn't put Michael A. Stackpole up in the category of "Fantasy Legends" nothing will. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Great fun!!!
Review: Excellent novel. This is the 3rd novel in the serious (including the prequel). It has some interesting developments which I will not ruin for any readers. In my opinion, this is best series written by Mr. Stackpole. He has not let up on the pace and detail which is good.
Rating:
Summary: Yeah, it's really THAT good.
Review: First off, the disclaimer: If you're biased about Michael's non-Star Wars or non-Battletech books, don't branch out with this one. It picks up in the middle of a three book (so far) series and you'd miss out on a lot. Onwards. When Dragons Rage does a fantastic job of not only continuing an intense, high fantasy saga, but you get to see characters from Fortress Draconis grow, develop and learn. Nobody really hogs the limelight, with the possible exception of Will, but as THE Norrington, what else would one expect? (What'd I say? Read the first book first)
So if you don't like story lines where many things happen at once, you might want to pass on this. There's a lot happening, even though Michael does a magnificent job of working us back into a scene we left behind a chapter or two ago. The action picks up in this book, taking us from battle to battle, confrontation to mystery and back into battle, very smoothly. Nothing feels forced, and the characterizations are very well done. Nobody speaks with somebody else's voice. Final note: By the end of the book, I was reading and turning pages as quickly as I could, anxious to find out what happened next... and dreading that final page. When I got to it... well, Michael warned us with his Author's Bio. "...has gone into hiding for fear of being lynched because of the ending of this book."
I don't blame him a bit. "Cliffhanger" is a good word for it. When Dragons Rage is definitely a page-turner, and the characters are all compelling. The writing style is solid and the plot line... overwhelming at times. Truly a grand saga, and well worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: Another Stackpole masterpiece
Review: First, I think that the title is a bit misleading, given that there are no actual dragon appearances until the latter 20% or so of the book, and considering the length of the book, this makes for little dragon rage. Picking up nearly immediately after the end of Fortress Draconis (FD), Stackpole spends the first few chapters refreshing the reader's memory of what transpired in the previous book. As with FD, the story is told via focusing on a different character each chapter. As with FD, we see things from the viewpoint of Will the thief and prophesied savior, Alexia the warrior princess, Kerrigan the wizard and Adrogans the general. We also are introduced to several new players, including Isaura, the adopted daughter of the southlands' scourge, Chytrine, and one of the two sons of the despicable King Scrainwood. Hawkins, the narrator of Dark Glory War (DGW) and the pariah of the South, and Resolute are again relegated to supporting roles. This novel comprises another fantastic effort of prose. The classic Stackpole action and suspense and political maneuvering is a major factor. Some of the history and philosophy of the world is also addressed, which I found rewarding. There is also a pair of love stories that crop up, and they are very well done without seeming to be tacked on as in some other fantasy novels. Will, in particular, is VERY well written, especially as regards his acceptance of his foretold path and, basically, his growth as a person and a leader of men. Again in this series, the ending leaves something of a foul taste in the mouth. While neither FD nor this book are as stunning as the end of DGW, the lack of closure is frustrating in light of needing to wait a year for any resolution. Many of the things that in other reviews are listed as surprises really should not be considering the foreshadowing throughout both FD and this book. And I think that the seemingly tragic occurrence near the end might be easily resolved when one considers the Norrington Prophecy (in the front of the book). So, while I have a few complaints, this book is a must-read, not only for those who have started the series, but for any readers of the highest quality epic fantasy available.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad Style
Review: Hey, I love Stackpole. I have read all of his Star Wars and Fantasy novels. I haven't picked up a Battletech book yet, but if he keeps writing novels in third person, I very well might have to to get back to the Stackpole I like. I thought Talion: The Revenant was a fantastic book. I thought Once a Hero was a great book too. As well as the x-wing series and The Dark Glory War. Great books. I couldn't put any of them down. Whats the secret? Stackpole's choice of first-person narrative. I was severely disappointed in Fortress Draconis when it wasn't first person. The other characters whining was very frustrating. It's all they seemed to do. I don't really care about Wil.. sorry.. wilburforce.. or whatever his name is. The fat mage is okay, but seriously... you think a person could grow up. Resolute wasn't in this book at all.. oh he was there physically, but perhaps had a full page of dialogue total in the book. Woo woo... In the Dark Glory War, from the beginning you thought seomthing horrible was going to happen to Hawkings. You were drawn into his life and his struggles. You were angry when he was hurt, and happy when he rejoiced. Everyone he knew around him died or thought that he betrayed them. There was no "I'm safe because I'm the hero" feeling to the book, as there was in the last two. Lets all be honest here... Wil didn't die.. that would be absurd.. he is the "Norrington". Reborn in fire, and what not. No one in that little group can die.. and that is what is sad. I honestly don't care enough about any of them to wish them to live. Crow, and why do they still call him Crow? Is the only interesting character but he is rarely talked about. Instead the story focueses on annoying characters such as Wil, Kerrington (?) and Alyx? See, I don't even remember their names the book was so bad. Frankly, I believe Stackpole should have ended it at the first book. He lost his writing style (his strongest boon) in every following book as well as depth of character. There is no suspense.. because no one can die - I mean OMG they are the heroes!!! They couldn't possibly be hurt or in threat of death for long. If you like Stackpole, don't read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome book! Better than Fortress
Review: I think this book is awesome and even better than Fortress Draconis. The reason is because there is a lot more action and a lot more development into the story. Both are great books, but now people have matured and now become 'badasses' =) Definitely get this book, well I probably don't have to tell anyone. I bet anyone who read Dark Glory War and Fortress Draconis have already purchased this one. Have fun!
Rating:
Summary: Hardly any Raging Dragons, but still a good book
Review: If you are looking for Raging Dragons, this isn't the book for you. While dragons do make a cameo appearance at the end of the novel, they do not rage. However, don't let that stop you from reading this wonderful book, the second in the series. If you have not read, "Fortress Draconis", please do so before reading this book or you'll be totally lost. There is a "prequel" to this story call "Dark, Glory War", which I have not read, and have not felt that I'm missing anything by not reading it. Start with Fortress Draconis and move on from there. The author is clearly improving as a writer with this novel. His story moves along at great pace and there's hardly a dull moment. He is obviously not writing a Jordanesque series that will last for all time without coming to an end, so that is very good. What would take Jordan four books to write, Stackpole takes care of in four chapters. It's a fun read, goes by quick and is a perfect light read if you are interested in a good fantasy story full of swords, sorcery and those omnipresent bad "orc" like characters that are so easy to kill but seem to be endless in numbers!! The bad guys are bad, the good guys are good, all the women are beautiful and the action doesn't stop. While I enjoyed the novel, I was a little annoyed at some frequently used plot contrivances, such as the "Innocent, Ignorant, Beautiful Girl who Lives with the Bad People but Doesn't Know They Are Bad", as well as what will prove to be a trick ending designed to annoy some people. There's also a rather awkward and unnecessary "May-December" romance, which does not make a whole lot of sense except that the girl may be looking for a father figure. Outside of that, great book, enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Continues to Develop Brilliantly
Review: Michael Stackpole has done a splendid job of not writing a filler in a trilogy. This book has stunning plot twists, great action when needed, and breaks for breathing and thought when needed. The story moves along realistically yet with all the elements you'd expect from a good fantasy epic. Stackpole has also devoted energy to developing the characters further despite all the action going on. Well done.
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