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The Dragon Brigade #1
Shadow Raiders
A new swashbuckling epic fantasy series by New York Times bestselling author Margaret Weis and Robert Krammes.
The known world floats upon the Breath of God, a thick gas similar to Earth's oceans, with land masses accessible by airship. The largest of these land masses are ruled by the rival empires of Freya and Rosia. Magic is intrinsic to the functioning of these societies, and is even incorporated into their technological devices. But now a crucial scientific discovery has occurred that could destroy the balance of power-and change the empires forever.
The known world floats upon the Breath of God, a thick gas similar to Earth's oceans, with land masses accessible by airship. The largest of these land masses are ruled by the rival empires of Freya and Rosia. Magic is intrinsic to the functioning of these societies, and is even incorporated into their technological devices. But now a crucial scientific discovery has occurred that could destroy the balance of power-and change the empires forever.
531 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2011
90 people are currently reading
1434 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Weis
677 books5,833 followersMargaret Edith Weis is an American fantasy and science fiction author of dozens of novels and short stories. At TSR, Inc., she teamed with Tracy Hickman to create the Dragonlance role-playing game (RPG) world. She is founding CEO and owner of Sovereign Press, Inc and Margaret Weis Productions, licensing several popular television and movie franchises to make RPG series in addition to their own.
In 1999, Pyramid magazine named Weis one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, saying she and Hickman are "basically responsible for the entire gaming fiction genre". In 2002, she was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in part for Dragonlance.
In 1999, Pyramid magazine named Weis one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, saying she and Hickman are "basically responsible for the entire gaming fiction genre". In 2002, she was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in part for Dragonlance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
May 15, 2012
I had mixed feelings about this book. The book has a number of strengths, but also some glaring weaknesses. As is typical for a world created by Weis, this is a rich, imaginative setting. The plot is constructed such that when the elements all come together the book is exciting and hard to put down. The problem is that those moments are few and far between, and the exposition is rather dully presented.
The main characters would enter a cathedral, and the reader would be treated to a several page historical discussion of the nature of that cathedral. Why it had been built, who had lived there for the past 100 years, etc. It would read like an informational tourist brochure rather than a novel. Then the characters would view a tapestry in the cathedral, and we'd get this history of the tapestry. While this did have the intended effect of giving the reader insight into the culture and history of the setting, it was done in a tedious way. If I want to read dry history, I can read history of things that actually happened.
The other major weakness is that some of the characters are excessively annoying. In particular, the two main female characters have the joint distinction of being useless and causing a lot of trouble for the rest of the protagonist team. A typical battle goes something like this: bad guys arrive, the two women refuse to go to safety, even though they don't know how to fight and can't meaningfully contribute. They then get hurt, (causing one of the actual fighters to have to abandon his post to help them), or get in the way (causing the fighters to be unable to attack the bad guys) or scream (revealing their position) or otherwise do something that is going to negatively affect the battle. And this happens in every single fight in the book. Even when not in a fight they have a tendency to get lost and need rescue, or otherwise derail the quest. (For those of you wondering, there is a strong female character as well, but she is only in the first few chapters and then isn't part of the rest of the book, although I expect to see her in future books in the series). There were times I was tempted to throw the book across the room in frustration.
On the whole, if you can get to page 300 things really pick up there, and if you can get to 400 when the exposition is (finally) over and the action really beings it actually is a fun read. But there were too many problems with this book to give it more than 3 stars.
The main characters would enter a cathedral, and the reader would be treated to a several page historical discussion of the nature of that cathedral. Why it had been built, who had lived there for the past 100 years, etc. It would read like an informational tourist brochure rather than a novel. Then the characters would view a tapestry in the cathedral, and we'd get this history of the tapestry. While this did have the intended effect of giving the reader insight into the culture and history of the setting, it was done in a tedious way. If I want to read dry history, I can read history of things that actually happened.
The other major weakness is that some of the characters are excessively annoying. In particular, the two main female characters have the joint distinction of being useless and causing a lot of trouble for the rest of the protagonist team. A typical battle goes something like this: bad guys arrive, the two women refuse to go to safety, even though they don't know how to fight and can't meaningfully contribute. They then get hurt, (causing one of the actual fighters to have to abandon his post to help them), or get in the way (causing the fighters to be unable to attack the bad guys) or scream (revealing their position) or otherwise do something that is going to negatively affect the battle. And this happens in every single fight in the book. Even when not in a fight they have a tendency to get lost and need rescue, or otherwise derail the quest. (For those of you wondering, there is a strong female character as well, but she is only in the first few chapters and then isn't part of the rest of the book, although I expect to see her in future books in the series). There were times I was tempted to throw the book across the room in frustration.
On the whole, if you can get to page 300 things really pick up there, and if you can get to 400 when the exposition is (finally) over and the action really beings it actually is a fun read. But there were too many problems with this book to give it more than 3 stars.
June 29, 2011
You never want to read an author you loved as a teenager and realize you only liked them because you were a teen. Glad to say, Margaret Weis and her new writer partner Robert Krammes don't disappoint. Admittedly Weis may nearly always have dragons, but it's her world building that makes her writing so fun. I guess you could think The Dragon Brigade of it a bit like an alternate universe where the world is made up of floating islands, and England and France (not named as such) hate each other, and there's Gypsies (also not named that). Oh yeah, there's dragons, magic, AND steampunk. But they make it work.
A thoroughly entertaining read, it took me a little while at first to get the large cast of characters straight what with all the spy action (OH YEAH THERE'S SPY ACTION TOO). When you put it like that, sounds like there's too many elements going on, but truly it works and you just sit back and enjoy the ride!
A thoroughly entertaining read, it took me a little while at first to get the large cast of characters straight what with all the spy action (OH YEAH THERE'S SPY ACTION TOO). When you put it like that, sounds like there's too many elements going on, but truly it works and you just sit back and enjoy the ride!
March 2, 2015
Fantastic new series about world where religion is holding on to its dogmas and magic is part of every day life. When suddenly new foes appear and magic starts to crumble people of different nations and background need to investigate and find out what is happening.
Book is full of humorous scenes, action packed adventures and court intrigues with background of fantasy filled world.
Book is full of humorous scenes, action packed adventures and court intrigues with background of fantasy filled world.
October 5, 2012
Margaret Weis and Robert Krammes’ Shadow Raiders, the first book in the new Dragon Brigadeseries, is a book that I am simultaneously excited about and which I’m a little disappointed in. I first came across Shadow Raiders when I discovered an introductory adventure to an RPG based in the same world and uses the Cortex system (designed by the folks at Margaret Weis Productions and first used in the Firefly RPG). While I’ve yet to try a Cortex game the world it was set in full of floating island countries, airships, swashbuckling, intrigue, and adventure was exciting enough that I decided to give the novel a shot.
The novel follows the adventures of a group heroes for hire calling themselves The Cadre of the Lost lead by Stephano de Guichen, the former leader of the Dragon Brigade (the unit has since been retired) The Cadre is sort of a Firefly-like band of misfits including the mercenary Dag, the pilot Miri, the simple and traumatized Gythe, and the rakish Rodrigo. Early in the novel the Cadre is hired by Stephano’s estranged mother, the Countess de Marjolaine, to track down a missing magical crafter who may be in possession of startling magical discovery. Simultaneously Father Jacob Northrop, a member of the Church’s Arcanun (the arm of the church tasked with dealing with magic) is hot on the trail of an infamous mage known as The Warlock. Norhrop, along with his bodyguard Sir Ander Martel and scribe Brother Barnaby are sent to investigate a massacre at an abbey. While these seemingly disparate plot threads at first appear unrelated it should be a surprise that the Cadre and Father Jacob soon cross paths and that both their missions are far more important than either realize.
Shadow Raiders has a lot going for it. The world of Aeronne is a vibrant and exciting setting taking the familiarity of the Age of Sail and setting instead of on the seas but on continents which float on a magical substance known as the Breath of God. This is a world with tense politics and motivations within even one country may often be at odds depending on the agencies involved. There are desperate secrets, and wonders, and yes even dragons. The characters all work for the most part even if they tend to fall into familiar archetypes. The authors actual manage to subvert those archetypes, or at least offer some freshness, by interlacing a strong sense of history and deep relationships amongst the various members of the Cadre of the Lost. While this occasionally gives the impression that the reader has arrived in the middles of things it also creates a sense of camaraderie and family amongst the Cadre that feels very organic.
Shadow Raiders is a novel that is definitely at its best when it comes to action. The novel includes several set pieces, high points across the novel’s plot that tend to cap off many of the big revelations that occur over its course. However, these bouts of intense action are often interspersed with long sections of exposition and explanation that can at time grow a bit tiring. Furthermore there are times when the novel’s coincidences just happen to feel a bit too telegraphed; there was one particularly eye-rolling scene in a cafe that just felt a bit too contrived. In fact I often felt like the presence of DuBois, the Church’s main spy, was a bit extraneous and unnecessary. Much of what he says and does could have easily been conveyed via Father Jacob’s narrative and overall I felt DuBois’ presence didn’t add too much too the novel.
While note perfect by any means I found Shadow Raiders to be an entertaining and accomplished entry in a new world and a new series. Weis and Krammes have shown readers a vibrant and fully fleshed out new settings that is ripe for explanation. The thrilling action and startling revelations about the world that occur over the course of the novel tells a complete tale while simultaneously whetting the appetite for future entries. While I would have loved to see more dragons (the series titular Dragon Brigade no longer exists) in the novel, particularly thanks to the seemingly complex social hierarchy of dragon mentioned in the novel, I have high hopes that more dragons will be seen in future novels. Fans who enjoyed the action of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series, or those who like their fantasy influenced as much by Dumas as Tolkien shouldn’t hesitate to give Shadow Raiders a chance.
The novel follows the adventures of a group heroes for hire calling themselves The Cadre of the Lost lead by Stephano de Guichen, the former leader of the Dragon Brigade (the unit has since been retired) The Cadre is sort of a Firefly-like band of misfits including the mercenary Dag, the pilot Miri, the simple and traumatized Gythe, and the rakish Rodrigo. Early in the novel the Cadre is hired by Stephano’s estranged mother, the Countess de Marjolaine, to track down a missing magical crafter who may be in possession of startling magical discovery. Simultaneously Father Jacob Northrop, a member of the Church’s Arcanun (the arm of the church tasked with dealing with magic) is hot on the trail of an infamous mage known as The Warlock. Norhrop, along with his bodyguard Sir Ander Martel and scribe Brother Barnaby are sent to investigate a massacre at an abbey. While these seemingly disparate plot threads at first appear unrelated it should be a surprise that the Cadre and Father Jacob soon cross paths and that both their missions are far more important than either realize.
Shadow Raiders has a lot going for it. The world of Aeronne is a vibrant and exciting setting taking the familiarity of the Age of Sail and setting instead of on the seas but on continents which float on a magical substance known as the Breath of God. This is a world with tense politics and motivations within even one country may often be at odds depending on the agencies involved. There are desperate secrets, and wonders, and yes even dragons. The characters all work for the most part even if they tend to fall into familiar archetypes. The authors actual manage to subvert those archetypes, or at least offer some freshness, by interlacing a strong sense of history and deep relationships amongst the various members of the Cadre of the Lost. While this occasionally gives the impression that the reader has arrived in the middles of things it also creates a sense of camaraderie and family amongst the Cadre that feels very organic.
Shadow Raiders is a novel that is definitely at its best when it comes to action. The novel includes several set pieces, high points across the novel’s plot that tend to cap off many of the big revelations that occur over its course. However, these bouts of intense action are often interspersed with long sections of exposition and explanation that can at time grow a bit tiring. Furthermore there are times when the novel’s coincidences just happen to feel a bit too telegraphed; there was one particularly eye-rolling scene in a cafe that just felt a bit too contrived. In fact I often felt like the presence of DuBois, the Church’s main spy, was a bit extraneous and unnecessary. Much of what he says and does could have easily been conveyed via Father Jacob’s narrative and overall I felt DuBois’ presence didn’t add too much too the novel.
While note perfect by any means I found Shadow Raiders to be an entertaining and accomplished entry in a new world and a new series. Weis and Krammes have shown readers a vibrant and fully fleshed out new settings that is ripe for explanation. The thrilling action and startling revelations about the world that occur over the course of the novel tells a complete tale while simultaneously whetting the appetite for future entries. While I would have loved to see more dragons (the series titular Dragon Brigade no longer exists) in the novel, particularly thanks to the seemingly complex social hierarchy of dragon mentioned in the novel, I have high hopes that more dragons will be seen in future novels. Fans who enjoyed the action of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series, or those who like their fantasy influenced as much by Dumas as Tolkien shouldn’t hesitate to give Shadow Raiders a chance.
December 26, 2017
What can I say. Was looking for another Margaret Weis book to sink my teeth into, but this one fell far short of the usual cant-put-down-the-book-absolute-love-reread-forever standard that i had associated with Weis. It was just plain boring. The pace was slow and yes Weis is known for her world building but do i really need to know or care how many bows are on the Duchess's dress? And with other Weis stories there is alot of character development which in my opinion leads to beloved/hated characters which you care about (and hence cant put down the book), here they seem two dimensional with no personality. Most of the action and espionage scenes are reminiscent of The Three Musketeers and happen towards the end of the novel which means that you have to wallow through again paragraph after paragraph describing someones dress or the facade of a building before the plot moves forward or you are treated to some action. And again for a book that is book one in the Dragon Brigade series and features a guy riding a dragon shooting at a guy riding a bat on the cover there is hardly a mention of dragons until at least 300 pages in. Overall i had to force myself to finish out of sheer stubbornness and alas it may stop me from picking up any new Weis books although i will always love and probably reread until my copies fall apart, past stories that started the whole thing.
If the whole purpose of authors selling these books and us buying them is for entertainment purposes, then frankly and honestly I was not entertained.
If the whole purpose of authors selling these books and us buying them is for entertainment purposes, then frankly and honestly I was not entertained.
Want to read
June 24, 2011I just won this book, so I am going to start reading it!
Read
October 3, 2019Si por algo se caracterizan los mundos que crea Margaret Weis, con cualquiera de sus múltiples colaboradores, es por el detalle con el que desarrolla las partes divina y ritualística de sus religiones. Así, varias de sus sagas se centran precisamente en esa dimensión como zona de conflicto, lo que no quita para que incluso en aquellas en que no sucede acabe teniendo bastante peso. Para que podáis verlo, voy a hacer un repaso sobre la religión y cómo se trata el tema en relación a la trama principal en sus obras menos conocidas.
Su cosmogonía más conocida es la de la Dragonlance, aunque cabe resaltar que se basaron en la existente en el juego de rol Dungeons and Dragons para, a partir de ahí, sugerir algo nuevo. Aunque hay muchas más deidades en el mundo, como Mishakal, el combate se centra en Takhisis y Paladine en un primer momento para, en la segunda trilogía, hablar de la hibris humana, encarnada en el personaje de Raistlin y su búsqueda de la deificación. Puede parecer poca cosa, ya que no trabajó sola, pero plantear un mundo sin clérigos o cuyos clérigos saben que sus deidades son falsas, así como el resentimiento completo de los seres inferiores hacia las divinidades debido al Cataclismo, fueron detalles que alejaron al mundo de la Dragonlance en sus inicios de otros mundos más clásicos, como pueden ser Reinos Olvidados o Greyhawk (Falcongrís, que se tradujo en España). Sin embargo, es un panteón “de encargo”, por decirlo de algún modo.
[...] En Shadow Raiders nos encontramos con algo parecido a este último caso, donde los magos están supeditados a la Iglesia, que se encarga de mantener todo según dictan las escrituras. Es interesante porque en este caso hay una nación de marginados (estilo romaníes) que están justo fuera de la doctrina de la Iglesia debido a una decisión que esta tomó varios siglos antes, cuando descubrieron algo que hubiera cambiado el rumbo de la doctrina. La historia empieza, de hecho, con dos hechos que pondrán en duda esa doctrina: la existencia de la contramagia y la existencia del acero “neutro” al que la magia no le afecta. En un mundo donde la magia sostiene los continentes y las nubes de “aliento de dios” mantienen las naves que se mueven entre ellos, la creencia de la Iglesia da forma a la sociedad, si bien debido a la guerra entre dos naciones ha habido un cisma, al estilo anglicano.
Continúa en... https://lanaveinvisible.com/2018/01/2...
Su cosmogonía más conocida es la de la Dragonlance, aunque cabe resaltar que se basaron en la existente en el juego de rol Dungeons and Dragons para, a partir de ahí, sugerir algo nuevo. Aunque hay muchas más deidades en el mundo, como Mishakal, el combate se centra en Takhisis y Paladine en un primer momento para, en la segunda trilogía, hablar de la hibris humana, encarnada en el personaje de Raistlin y su búsqueda de la deificación. Puede parecer poca cosa, ya que no trabajó sola, pero plantear un mundo sin clérigos o cuyos clérigos saben que sus deidades son falsas, así como el resentimiento completo de los seres inferiores hacia las divinidades debido al Cataclismo, fueron detalles que alejaron al mundo de la Dragonlance en sus inicios de otros mundos más clásicos, como pueden ser Reinos Olvidados o Greyhawk (Falcongrís, que se tradujo en España). Sin embargo, es un panteón “de encargo”, por decirlo de algún modo.
[...] En Shadow Raiders nos encontramos con algo parecido a este último caso, donde los magos están supeditados a la Iglesia, que se encarga de mantener todo según dictan las escrituras. Es interesante porque en este caso hay una nación de marginados (estilo romaníes) que están justo fuera de la doctrina de la Iglesia debido a una decisión que esta tomó varios siglos antes, cuando descubrieron algo que hubiera cambiado el rumbo de la doctrina. La historia empieza, de hecho, con dos hechos que pondrán en duda esa doctrina: la existencia de la contramagia y la existencia del acero “neutro” al que la magia no le afecta. En un mundo donde la magia sostiene los continentes y las nubes de “aliento de dios” mantienen las naves que se mueven entre ellos, la creencia de la Iglesia da forma a la sociedad, si bien debido a la guerra entre dos naciones ha habido un cisma, al estilo anglicano.
Continúa en... https://lanaveinvisible.com/2018/01/2...
April 15, 2024
Fantastical ride to start what promises to be a saga full of intrigue, adventure, and passion. The setup of the magical forces and the counter forces in this book while gory at times was fascinating. For a book with a dragon on the cover, I was expecting more dragons -- which while they were there, there's a rift between dragons and humans that hasn't been explained well or fleshed out much in this first book... the castes within the society is interesting, and i hope is explained and included in future books. Lots of information was dumped in this book, though the politics set up between Freya and
Rosia are compelling, especially with the connections of specific people. Looking forward to further reading...
Rosia are compelling, especially with the connections of specific people. Looking forward to further reading...
December 19, 2022
I just wrote a long review and it disappeared! Is it a problem with the Goodreads app or my iPad?
I’m not writing it again 😒
I really liked the book. Great characters, even the bad guys. The magic and religion and the awesome dragons!
I’ll definitely read the next one.
I’m not writing it again 😒
I really liked the book. Great characters, even the bad guys. The magic and religion and the awesome dragons!
I’ll definitely read the next one.
April 28, 2011
Edit: Upon further reflection, I think I bumped it up to 5 stars because I really enjoyed the story. The writing, however, probably only justified a 4. It was a good story, but could have been a bit better told.
Original review: I would actually give this book 4.5 stars, but since that's not an option I bumped it up (normally I like to reserve 5 stars for the books that I think will change the way I think, write, or live).
The description on the back cover of the book made me a bit nervous. It was name and title-heavy, and since those mean nothing until you see what kinds of people they are or how the society is set up, it didn't draw me in much. I worried I'd have to drag myself through all 500 pages so that I could write the review for First Reads. I'm so glad I was wrong! I was pleased to find the characters likeable, the setting fully realized, and the plot compelling. I found myself reading in quick snatches whenever I could pick up the book.
I enjoyed the quotations used as chapter headings, and felt they gave insight into some of the characters or different aspects of the world. I also thought the flashbacks/point of view jumps were handled well. I liked getting to follow different characters. The author showed just enough that the reader was a step ahead of most characters, but not so much that it got boring. The only problem I had with the POV jumps was that sometimes characters would go over the same piece of dialogue, but the wording would be different the second time. It was difficult to decide if it was supposed to be that way to show the difference in characters' memories of an event, or if it was just laziness on the part of the author, not going back to see how the sentence had been worded the first time.
I really liked the characters. Most could be perceived as stock characters (noble and honor-bound hero, witty/carefree sidekick, intimidating priest, etc.), but they didn't FEEL like stock characters, which makes all the difference.
There were a couple things that disappointed/frustrated me. First, there were quite a few references to illicit sex, and though there was nothing explicit (actually, for a fantasy book, I was grateful it was handled as tactfully as it was), it makes me hesitant to recommend it to, say, my younger brother. As I said, though, there was nothing explicit. There was also nothing exceptionally graphic when it came to the violence and evil. It mentioned some awful things that had happened, but didn't give us a play-by-play of bodies being shredded, etc. I thought it handled the necessary inclusion of evil well.
Occasionally there were phrases that felt more appropriate to modern-day America than a fantasy world based on Regency England, but none were so jarring that I couldn't slide past them.
One of the things that disappointed me was that I kept waiting for more about dragons. The series is called the Dragon Brigade, but apparently the dragons are a much bigger component of the future books--we hardly get to meet any in this book, and while references are made to their society, language, dwelling places, etc., we don't get to actually see much of that.
All things considered, I got very caught up in the story, and I'm looking forward to the next one. Because, of course, this one left many, many questions unanswered. I guess they have to do that to get you to read the next, but when this one hasn't even been officially released, the next one seems like a really long way away.
Original review: I would actually give this book 4.5 stars, but since that's not an option I bumped it up (normally I like to reserve 5 stars for the books that I think will change the way I think, write, or live).
The description on the back cover of the book made me a bit nervous. It was name and title-heavy, and since those mean nothing until you see what kinds of people they are or how the society is set up, it didn't draw me in much. I worried I'd have to drag myself through all 500 pages so that I could write the review for First Reads. I'm so glad I was wrong! I was pleased to find the characters likeable, the setting fully realized, and the plot compelling. I found myself reading in quick snatches whenever I could pick up the book.
I enjoyed the quotations used as chapter headings, and felt they gave insight into some of the characters or different aspects of the world. I also thought the flashbacks/point of view jumps were handled well. I liked getting to follow different characters. The author showed just enough that the reader was a step ahead of most characters, but not so much that it got boring. The only problem I had with the POV jumps was that sometimes characters would go over the same piece of dialogue, but the wording would be different the second time. It was difficult to decide if it was supposed to be that way to show the difference in characters' memories of an event, or if it was just laziness on the part of the author, not going back to see how the sentence had been worded the first time.
I really liked the characters. Most could be perceived as stock characters (noble and honor-bound hero, witty/carefree sidekick, intimidating priest, etc.), but they didn't FEEL like stock characters, which makes all the difference.
There were a couple things that disappointed/frustrated me. First, there were quite a few references to illicit sex, and though there was nothing explicit (actually, for a fantasy book, I was grateful it was handled as tactfully as it was), it makes me hesitant to recommend it to, say, my younger brother. As I said, though, there was nothing explicit. There was also nothing exceptionally graphic when it came to the violence and evil. It mentioned some awful things that had happened, but didn't give us a play-by-play of bodies being shredded, etc. I thought it handled the necessary inclusion of evil well.
Occasionally there were phrases that felt more appropriate to modern-day America than a fantasy world based on Regency England, but none were so jarring that I couldn't slide past them.
One of the things that disappointed me was that I kept waiting for more about dragons. The series is called the Dragon Brigade, but apparently the dragons are a much bigger component of the future books--we hardly get to meet any in this book, and while references are made to their society, language, dwelling places, etc., we don't get to actually see much of that.
All things considered, I got very caught up in the story, and I'm looking forward to the next one. Because, of course, this one left many, many questions unanswered. I guess they have to do that to get you to read the next, but when this one hasn't even been officially released, the next one seems like a really long way away.
gave-up-on
March 11, 2013Won this book on Goodreads' First Reads giveaways. I thought it had an interesting premise and a lot of promise. I was disappointed. I gave up after doing about a chapter a week, and I'm probably going to be listing it for swap shortly.
An outline of the main reasons it disappointed me:
1- Very unrealistic characters. People just don't act like that. People don't talk like that. I mean, c'mon. In the prologue, Sir Henry's like "Hi, MR SLOANE. How are you, MR SLOANE? Let's go to the kitchen, MR SLOANE. MR SLOANE, would you pass me that thing over there? Get down, MR SLOANE, or you'll get burned. I do love science, MR SLOANE." He addresses Mr Sloane by name more times than any one person has ever addressed me by name in my entire adult life except my husband. Many other things like that, such as the Countess addressing Stephen as "my son" so much, even though she didn't raise him and had no motherly experiences with him since the day he was born. The rest of the characters were just very... flat.
2- Very unoriginal. The first thing I read about this book was that instead of a normal planet, it's a gas ball with continents floating on it. Fascinating! These authors must be incredibly creative! But alas, it was not to be. Every other thing in this book is borrowed from some other typical fantasy archetype.
3- The writing was very poor. I know that this is an ARC but it's already set in stone that it will be published, and that's why they're making ARCs. Honestly, I feel like if this can get published, I should have no trouble getting my own novel published. Specifically, the writing it was very ambiguous at times. For example, I remember in the prologue, it said something like "flames danced on the headboard." It took me a few lines to realize that the headboard was not literally on fire, and it was the reflections it was talking about. I mean, the writing wasn't that bad, but it could seriously use some improvement. Hopefully in the final, published version there will be fewer errors.
An outline of the main reasons it disappointed me:
1- Very unrealistic characters. People just don't act like that. People don't talk like that. I mean, c'mon. In the prologue, Sir Henry's like "Hi, MR SLOANE. How are you, MR SLOANE? Let's go to the kitchen, MR SLOANE. MR SLOANE, would you pass me that thing over there? Get down, MR SLOANE, or you'll get burned. I do love science, MR SLOANE." He addresses Mr Sloane by name more times than any one person has ever addressed me by name in my entire adult life except my husband. Many other things like that, such as the Countess addressing Stephen as "my son" so much, even though she didn't raise him and had no motherly experiences with him since the day he was born. The rest of the characters were just very... flat.
2- Very unoriginal. The first thing I read about this book was that instead of a normal planet, it's a gas ball with continents floating on it. Fascinating! These authors must be incredibly creative! But alas, it was not to be. Every other thing in this book is borrowed from some other typical fantasy archetype.
3- The writing was very poor. I know that this is an ARC but it's already set in stone that it will be published, and that's why they're making ARCs. Honestly, I feel like if this can get published, I should have no trouble getting my own novel published. Specifically, the writing it was very ambiguous at times. For example, I remember in the prologue, it said something like "flames danced on the headboard." It took me a few lines to realize that the headboard was not literally on fire, and it was the reflections it was talking about. I mean, the writing wasn't that bad, but it could seriously use some improvement. Hopefully in the final, published version there will be fewer errors.
August 6, 2011
Reading this book is like watching an rpg session except instead of just watching the party- cadre of the lost- you also get to watch the gamemaster handle the box thoughtlines. As such it was very enjoyable. Steampunk, airships, magic, religion, politics, a mystery, characters with flaws, this story has it all. Floating continents and the Breath had me wondering how the world was built. I can't wait for the rest.
Now the downsides:
1 poor editing. It's missing participles. There are many typos - like 'wandering' for 'wondering' and more than once! After more than 2handfuls of errors that should have been picked up before publishing, I just kept getting jarred out of my immersion in the story.
2 yes it's like watching an rpg but it goes too far. I don't enjoy being told straight out multiple times that so-and-so incorrectly thinks this if someone but this us what actually happened and here's why this other person who knows isn't saying anything. That's fine when you're sitting around a table and someone is explaining to you out-of-character their motivation. But OOC comments don't work for me in a novel.
Now the downsides:
1 poor editing. It's missing participles. There are many typos - like 'wandering' for 'wondering' and more than once! After more than 2handfuls of errors that should have been picked up before publishing, I just kept getting jarred out of my immersion in the story.
2 yes it's like watching an rpg but it goes too far. I don't enjoy being told straight out multiple times that so-and-so incorrectly thinks this if someone but this us what actually happened and here's why this other person who knows isn't saying anything. That's fine when you're sitting around a table and someone is explaining to you out-of-character their motivation. But OOC comments don't work for me in a novel.
February 14, 2016
Well, the premise is awesome, with dragons, guns, magic, airships. But a good idea does not make for a good story. You need good and entertaining story telling to deliver - and this novel failed.
SETTING = 10. As stated above, the premise of the world is awesome. I would love to read a novel in this setting, if it were written well.
CHARACTERS = 8. most characters are enjoyable, but there are a couple that appear useless and unneeded. Also, I do not know the obsession with cats and airships, but stop already. I do not believe that a cat would love airships, so please, just stop.
PLOT = 2. This is the weakest part of the novel. The story was just weak. Over half of the novel is doing the "as you know" type of discussion or explaining why things are the way that they are without explaining anything to the reader.
The concept of sigils and contra-magic is interesting as well, but there is little actual use of it and when it is used, it is glossed over without much explaining of purpose or design.
My vote is to read this as a guide as to how to NOT tell a story in an interesting world.
SETTING = 10. As stated above, the premise of the world is awesome. I would love to read a novel in this setting, if it were written well.
CHARACTERS = 8. most characters are enjoyable, but there are a couple that appear useless and unneeded. Also, I do not know the obsession with cats and airships, but stop already. I do not believe that a cat would love airships, so please, just stop.
PLOT = 2. This is the weakest part of the novel. The story was just weak. Over half of the novel is doing the "as you know" type of discussion or explaining why things are the way that they are without explaining anything to the reader.
The concept of sigils and contra-magic is interesting as well, but there is little actual use of it and when it is used, it is glossed over without much explaining of purpose or design.
My vote is to read this as a guide as to how to NOT tell a story in an interesting world.
December 18, 2011
I've been a fan of Margaret Weis for almost twenty years and have read almost all of her novels, whether they've been ones she's written herself or with her frequent writing partner Tracy Hickman or other partners like Don Perrin and have, for the most part, enjoyed them thoroughly. So, having said that, I feel like I have to blame the fact that this book broke that streak on her partner this time around, Robert Krammes. Don't get me wrong, the book isn't all bad. There are likeable characters here and there, especially the Sherlock Holmes-style investigation team of Father Jacob, Sir Ander, and Brother Barnaby, and there are a couple of thrilling sequences peppered throughout the book. Those sequences, though are linked by scores and scores of dull pages cluttered with an over-reliance on clunky, repetitive exposition that took me out of the story by boring me to tears. I know there will be another book in the series and I honestly don't think I want to read it, but I probably will, just in hopes that Weis' talent will shine through more next time around.
January 27, 2016
Overall, this was a very enjoyable mixture of Steampunk and High Fantasy. The start was a bit slow, but there was a lot of great action in the last two thirds of the book. The writing is nothing special, but that didn't bother me. I found myself connecting with the characters. It's nice to see authors who still like their heroes on the heroic side.
Weis has worked both alone and with co-authors during her career. I haven't read all her stuff, but I'd say this is probably the best first book in a series I've read by her. The Death Gate Cycle comes in second while Dragonlance is a distant third.
This one did recycle some ideas from the Death Gate cycle, but that didn't bother me. This one is definitely more modern in feel. I also like that it's a Gunpowder fantasy. It's kind of nice to see a mixture of guns and dragons (and airships).
Overall, I recommend this book for readers who are looking for something that will hit the same spot as Chris Wooding's Ketty Jay series and Jim Butcher's Cinder Spires. While it's not as good as either of those series, I enjoyed it.
Rating: 8/10
Weis has worked both alone and with co-authors during her career. I haven't read all her stuff, but I'd say this is probably the best first book in a series I've read by her. The Death Gate Cycle comes in second while Dragonlance is a distant third.
This one did recycle some ideas from the Death Gate cycle, but that didn't bother me. This one is definitely more modern in feel. I also like that it's a Gunpowder fantasy. It's kind of nice to see a mixture of guns and dragons (and airships).
Overall, I recommend this book for readers who are looking for something that will hit the same spot as Chris Wooding's Ketty Jay series and Jim Butcher's Cinder Spires. While it's not as good as either of those series, I enjoyed it.
Rating: 8/10
August 7, 2016
What do you get if you take The Three Musketeers, steampunk and magic, mix it all up and shake it well - and toss in a few giant bat-riding demons and some excellent dragons? You get Shadow Raiders. Fun, interesting with excellent characters, the good ones go bad and the bad ones go good and it is doggone hard to sort out who is who and what they heck they are up to at any given point.
However, the plot pretty much ends at a stopping point. There are so many things hanging over the cliff you can't count them. What happens to Brother Barnaby? Will the Sorceress be the end of the evil spy Henry Wallace? Will the dragon eat Gythe? Will Sir Ander be able to save Papa Jake? Where did Hoalfrig fly off to? If this kind of thing drives you up the wall, so you may want to wait to have them all on hand before you start.
However, the plot pretty much ends at a stopping point. There are so many things hanging over the cliff you can't count them. What happens to Brother Barnaby? Will the Sorceress be the end of the evil spy Henry Wallace? Will the dragon eat Gythe? Will Sir Ander be able to save Papa Jake? Where did Hoalfrig fly off to? If this kind of thing drives you up the wall, so you may want to wait to have them all on hand before you start.
August 27, 2011
I gave up a couple of pages into the first chapter, unable to stomach more. Here is the sentence that finally tipped the scale: "Her sister smiled and caught hold of Doctor Ellington just as he jumped onto the table in the fond but vain hope that no one would notice a twenty-pound, orange-striped tabby cat licking the butter".
If you're in the mood for tons of exposition, inane dialog, and unbelievable characters, you should try this novel. Otherwise, steer clear.
If you're in the mood for tons of exposition, inane dialog, and unbelievable characters, you should try this novel. Otherwise, steer clear.
November 10, 2014
gave up 200 pages in, when I wanted to poke my eyes out rather than suffer through one more wordy boring page.
August 24, 2018
This book (and perhaps the series) seems to have not decided what it wants to be when it grows up. Is it steampunk? Pseudo-historical fiction with a bit of magic (ala Game of Thrones)? Straight Epic fantasy? It tries to be all three in this first installment, with surprisingly coherent results.
First, a warning, which the scene depicted on the awesome cover does take place, Dragons are a pretty minor part of the tale, in fact, a big plot point is how they're not fond of humans at this point in the books history.
There's quite a bit of France (Rosia) vs. England (Freya), oh, maybe in the 17th century. The interesting thing about that, well, conflict, is that neither side is particularly portrayed as the good guys. Sure, the Rosian contingent gets more page time, but never did I get the feeling that they were the 'good guys'. Then, of course, as the cover shows, there's some demons in the mix, that seem sure to unite the longtime enemies in the long run (sorta like a famous Wall in that other series). Then, of course, there are dragons, who are very cool and powerful, but are just a minor part... so far (like that other famous series).
It's not THAT similar to Game of Thrones though (besides no one dying).... it's definitely an analogue of a much later time, and there are air ships that run on 'the Breath of God'.. which seems very similar to steam, only a bit magical. And of course the church is in charge of the tech. And England (Freya) doesn't like that.
So, while I'm not sure where the series is going, or how much I actually liked it, it was an engaging read and I'll probably get the next one
First, a warning, which the scene depicted on the awesome cover does take place, Dragons are a pretty minor part of the tale, in fact, a big plot point is how they're not fond of humans at this point in the books history.
There's quite a bit of France (Rosia) vs. England (Freya), oh, maybe in the 17th century. The interesting thing about that, well, conflict, is that neither side is particularly portrayed as the good guys. Sure, the Rosian contingent gets more page time, but never did I get the feeling that they were the 'good guys'. Then, of course, as the cover shows, there's some demons in the mix, that seem sure to unite the longtime enemies in the long run (sorta like a famous Wall in that other series). Then, of course, there are dragons, who are very cool and powerful, but are just a minor part... so far (like that other famous series).
It's not THAT similar to Game of Thrones though (besides no one dying).... it's definitely an analogue of a much later time, and there are air ships that run on 'the Breath of God'.. which seems very similar to steam, only a bit magical. And of course the church is in charge of the tech. And England (Freya) doesn't like that.
So, while I'm not sure where the series is going, or how much I actually liked it, it was an engaging read and I'll probably get the next one
June 1, 2017
Least appearances by dragons of any book with a dragon on the cover. Very annoying, that, and by the time we obtain our dragon, the book ends. We get all this political spy on spy intrigue about magic enhanced metal, zeppelin gypsies who own their ship but let entitled aristocrats be captain of, and demons riding around on the back of bats the size of horses who slaughter 100 nuns, but you know what we don't get? Dragons! Brief cameo by two elderly brothers who were poaching some venison the night of nun-fest and witnessed the bats and feel bad enough about not helping then that they help later when there aren't 100 women being eaten by bats. But then NOTHING until the very end.
Very entitled hero with excruciating mommy issues. Seriously, there is a reason that his only female relationship is with a woman who will let him play captain on her ship, but only if they stop sleeping together. I think he should consider having a big gay affair with his bff given how bitchy and jealous he is about said bff always having a lady's bed with his name on it. Possibly I just like the bff better than the hero. He has style, a sense of humor, mad genius, and can't stay out of trouble because he can't hold his tongue. What's not to like?
Very entitled hero with excruciating mommy issues. Seriously, there is a reason that his only female relationship is with a woman who will let him play captain on her ship, but only if they stop sleeping together. I think he should consider having a big gay affair with his bff given how bitchy and jealous he is about said bff always having a lady's bed with his name on it. Possibly I just like the bff better than the hero. He has style, a sense of humor, mad genius, and can't stay out of trouble because he can't hold his tongue. What's not to like?
December 21, 2021
First book of a trilogy containing floating islands, dragons and sigil based magic. There are flying sailing ships to get around. There's royalty, aristocracy, muskets, pistols and sword play. There are two countries (that will remind you of England and France), who look like they about to go to war (again). There is religious dogma preventing the full understanding of all magic. Then there are what appears to be demons riding on giant bats, who start attacking. This is a long book, and it got really slow in places. Lots of world building and back stories. Multiple POV's, that sometimes force you to go back (over hours or days), and replay the same scene from another characters point of view. This got repetitive (something a good — or better — editor should have cleaned up). My guess is that part of this problem is because the different POV's were from different authors. And somebody should have caught that it should have been "up wind" not "down wind" at one point. There is a found family story here. Interesting characters that you will care about (including some of the "villains"). I'm definitely curious to see what happens next.
April 11, 2025
I'm not sure if this book really deserves 5 stars but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would read it again. It's the first full book I've had time to read for pleasure in a while so I might be slightly biased but I loved the world building and the characters. It was a bit difficult at first to keep up with the who's who because every character ended up being important, but once I had the relationship between the main parties figured out it was fascinating to watch them all collide and break apart and spy on each other and figure out who knew what when.
I loved the switching POV in this book. It was used to good effect. No one was lingered on when their story didn't matter and all of the plot lines were interesting. When the plot lines did intersect I the switching POV was used to create excellent dramatic irony that really heightened the suspense and drew me in.
I also really liked the relationships among the Cadre of the Lost. They are all very different but they fit well together. Even the relationships that weren't focused on were still acknowledged and it was clear that they all care about each other despite their differences.
I loved the switching POV in this book. It was used to good effect. No one was lingered on when their story didn't matter and all of the plot lines were interesting. When the plot lines did intersect I the switching POV was used to create excellent dramatic irony that really heightened the suspense and drew me in.
I also really liked the relationships among the Cadre of the Lost. They are all very different but they fit well together. Even the relationships that weren't focused on were still acknowledged and it was clear that they all care about each other despite their differences.
June 21, 2021
Between the long passages of exposition, the stilted prose and the constant switching of perspectives, this book is very, very boring. The exposition, which is terribly clunky and which would have been better divulged organically, leaves off towards the latter half of the book. Unfortunately, the style is still slow and this is when the perspective switches start, meaning that we see the same event occur multiple times through marginally different lenses.
The characters, I felt, had potential, but they are quite simple and easy to understand. They have a few traits and a few jokes, and that's it. Maybe it's a good thing that there's so many of them, since it disguises a little how shallow the characters are.
There was so much fluff in this book it was almost unbearable to read. I had a very hard time finishing it. I don't hate it, but I am tired of it, which is almost worse.
The characters, I felt, had potential, but they are quite simple and easy to understand. They have a few traits and a few jokes, and that's it. Maybe it's a good thing that there's so many of them, since it disguises a little how shallow the characters are.
There was so much fluff in this book it was almost unbearable to read. I had a very hard time finishing it. I don't hate it, but I am tired of it, which is almost worse.
August 7, 2017
I really enjoyed the characters and intrigue in this book. The world has a sense of depth to it that makes me excited to know more, both about its past and future. I'm very fascinated by the magic system, and the fact that it is considered an aspect of God and governed by the church, instead of seen as demonic and shunned by the church. It really kind of shows how church representatives saw an opportunity for power and seized it, instead of simply oppressing those who had the power. Both different ways to raise your own power above that of everyone else. I look forward to reading more and seeing how the church reacts to the existence of "contramagic".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2019
First of a trilogy - and unlike a lot of the trilogies I've read lately, the first book doesn't really stand on its own, but ends in a cliffhanger.
The world is interesting and unique. I think this book nails the upper world of magic floating islands vs. lower word of darkness conflict much better than the Loom Saga did. I wasn't expecting religion to be quite so heavy in this book, but I enjoy religion in fiction far more than I do in real life, so it worked for me.
I feel like I got the gist of the magic system, but wish I understood it better. I still don't really get the differences between the types of magic users.
The world is interesting and unique. I think this book nails the upper world of magic floating islands vs. lower word of darkness conflict much better than the Loom Saga did. I wasn't expecting religion to be quite so heavy in this book, but I enjoy religion in fiction far more than I do in real life, so it worked for me.
I feel like I got the gist of the magic system, but wish I understood it better. I still don't really get the differences between the types of magic users.
January 1, 2021
Overall a fun read. The first half is rough--the characters seemed a little flat, the pacing was slow, and there were constant infodumps interrupting the flow of the story. The characters quickly grew on me, though, and once Father Jacob (an unorthodox detective priest) was introduced about a third of the way through, I was hooked.
The second half is much better paced and has fewer infodumps; Once I reached that point I finished the book in 2-3 days, eager to pick up the next one (which, unfortunately, won't happen until I get through the rest of the TBR pile next to my bed).
Recommended if you like Margaret Weis's style and/or popcorn fantasy.
The second half is much better paced and has fewer infodumps; Once I reached that point I finished the book in 2-3 days, eager to pick up the next one (which, unfortunately, won't happen until I get through the rest of the TBR pile next to my bed).
Recommended if you like Margaret Weis's style and/or popcorn fantasy.
October 30, 2016
Overall, I enjoyed this story. However... I felt like there parts that unnecessary that felt mechanical. At points the story didn't flow extremely well. The characters are interesting, but I had no real connection to them. It was a slow start. I will read the sequel because it has received better reviews.
I'll end on a positive note: I loved the idea of this story. Dragons, a religious system that is corrupt, pirates, and demons from hell. It was awesome. There were times while reading I couldn't put the book down.
I'll end on a positive note: I loved the idea of this story. Dragons, a religious system that is corrupt, pirates, and demons from hell. It was awesome. There were times while reading I couldn't put the book down.
June 1, 2017
I guess if I wanted to make a fancy schmancy one-liner involving book mashups, this would be Temeraire meets The Name of the Rose, plus, like, uh, floating continents? Demons? Funnier than either of the two mentioned books, that's for certain. Anyways, loved the characters, loved the cat, loved the Georgian-esque time period, absolutely hated the cover. I thought this book was thirty years older than it actually was, due to the cover. Be warned: it's a really long read, though.
also gythe x brother barnaby 5ever thanks
also gythe x brother barnaby 5ever thanks
March 12, 2020
The Dragonlance books were my gateway drug to fantasy when I was in my early 20's, so Margaret Weis will always have a special place in my heart. Though after reading SHADOW RAIDERS, that place has shrunk considerably.
This book is bloated with unnecessary description, a convoluted storyline that meanders all over the place, and an incredible amount of exposition. I hung in there, hoping it would get better, but it never did. There were glimmers of promise in spots, but they went nowhere. I'm glad I borrowed this book from the library rather than purchasing it for my fantasy collection!
This book is bloated with unnecessary description, a convoluted storyline that meanders all over the place, and an incredible amount of exposition. I hung in there, hoping it would get better, but it never did. There were glimmers of promise in spots, but they went nowhere. I'm glad I borrowed this book from the library rather than purchasing it for my fantasy collection!
May 10, 2022
I must admit that I had a hard time getting into the story of this novel. At times I found it very confusing; with some scenes tremendously long and boring and at others with a disproportionately fast pace.
It seems that the book was written by several people since sometimes it reviews what happened; not so much to clarify the reader as to ensure that the action to be developed has a proper fit with the story.
It is entertaining, it promises to be an interesting story; but the beginning has been somewhat strange, confusing and sometimes boring; hence my rating.
It seems that the book was written by several people since sometimes it reviews what happened; not so much to clarify the reader as to ensure that the action to be developed has a proper fit with the story.
It is entertaining, it promises to be an interesting story; but the beginning has been somewhat strange, confusing and sometimes boring; hence my rating.
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