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The Chronicles of Magravandias #1
Sea Dragon Heir
In a world beyond time the Palindrake family ruled the rocky kingdom of Caradore, their right ordained by their allegiance to the power of the Sea. But war came to them, and defeat at the hands of the king of Fire.
He had coveted this high, feral land, and now it was his. Caradore, and its guardian family, the Palindrakes, had once belonged to the sea. Their flags were adorned with the ocean’s brutal, yet fragile, monsters: sea dragons, proud, attenuated, and coral-frail. If the mournful cries of their shattered ghosts echoed from the ocean now, no one heard them. The flags had fallen and were burned. The elements had clashed and fire reigned triumphant.
The Palindrakes were defeated, but not lost. For the lady of Caradore protected the secret rituals of the family’s bond to the sea. And in time the power of the Sea Dragons would rise again.
And now, five lifetimes later, the Palindrake heir, Valraven V, has a twin sister, a woman who embodies their inheritance of power in a way that no wife ever could. Valraven is obedient to his oath to serve the Magravandian Emperor in war and peace, and Pharinet is resigned to her duty as a woman to marry. But the tidal power in their blood draws them to each other, into a forbidden passion that could sweep away bonds of fire placed upon the oceanic magic of the sea.
He had coveted this high, feral land, and now it was his. Caradore, and its guardian family, the Palindrakes, had once belonged to the sea. Their flags were adorned with the ocean’s brutal, yet fragile, monsters: sea dragons, proud, attenuated, and coral-frail. If the mournful cries of their shattered ghosts echoed from the ocean now, no one heard them. The flags had fallen and were burned. The elements had clashed and fire reigned triumphant.
The Palindrakes were defeated, but not lost. For the lady of Caradore protected the secret rituals of the family’s bond to the sea. And in time the power of the Sea Dragons would rise again.
And now, five lifetimes later, the Palindrake heir, Valraven V, has a twin sister, a woman who embodies their inheritance of power in a way that no wife ever could. Valraven is obedient to his oath to serve the Magravandian Emperor in war and peace, and Pharinet is resigned to her duty as a woman to marry. But the tidal power in their blood draws them to each other, into a forbidden passion that could sweep away bonds of fire placed upon the oceanic magic of the sea.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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688 people want to read
About the author
Storm Constantine
144 books502 followersStorm Constantine was a British science fiction and fantasy author, primarily known for her Wraeththu series.
Since the late 1980s she wrote more than 20 novels, plus several non-fiction books. She is featured in the Goth Bible and is often included in discussions of alternative sexuality and gender in science fiction and fantasy; many of her novels include same-sex relationships or hermaphrodites or other twists of gender. Magic, mysticism and ancient legends (like the Grigori) also figure strongly in her works.
In 2003 she launched Immanion Press, based out of Stafford, England. The publishing company publishes not only her own works but those of new writers, as well as well-known genre writers, mainly from the UK.
Since the late 1980s she wrote more than 20 novels, plus several non-fiction books. She is featured in the Goth Bible and is often included in discussions of alternative sexuality and gender in science fiction and fantasy; many of her novels include same-sex relationships or hermaphrodites or other twists of gender. Magic, mysticism and ancient legends (like the Grigori) also figure strongly in her works.
In 2003 she launched Immanion Press, based out of Stafford, England. The publishing company publishes not only her own works but those of new writers, as well as well-known genre writers, mainly from the UK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
April 26, 2025
Gothic Fantasy - not for me, thanks!
Two hundred years ago, Cassilin, king of fire and son of the great Magravandian house of Malagash conquered Caradore and its guardian family, the Palindrakes. He took their land and crippled their heritage by demanding an oath of perpetual fealty from Valraven, the young heir to the throne. Valraven's mother bid him accept this humiliation willingly such that their association with the power of the Sea Dragons could be hidden until the time was right for its revival to aid them in reclaiming their land and their freedom.
Many generations have passed. Valraven, the current eldest son of the Caradorean family, accepts posting to the Magravandian military, part of his ancestor's oath, but his twin sister Pharinet struggles with the realization that the time is coming to reawaken the magic of their country's connection to the sea and the Sea Dragons.
What a shame! That Storm Constantine can write is beyond dispute. Her descriptive passages are moving and brilliant. Her dialogue is lucid, realistic and fast-paced. The magic or dream sequences are eerie, fascinating and compelling. But, in spite of all that, this novel is as fundamentally flawed as its characters. One and all, they are driven by emotions and traits that are either dark and ugly or weak and pathetic - greed, lust, ambition, hunger for power, ambivalence, amorality or moral turpitude, egocentricity, sycophancy and selfishness. Pharinet, for example, comes to realize that her incestuous love for her twin, Valraven, cannot be continued but at no time expresses even the slightest apology or twinge of regret. Even when these characters appear to display strength or courage or unity of purpose, it is not noble and seems to arise only out of their dark side.
The plot, such as it is, develops slowly but it is masked by deep, impenetrable, swirling layers of foggy mysticism, magic and fantastical writing that make the story line all but inscrutable. At no time does the story aspire to anything uplifting. Unrelenting darkness with no interludes of pleasure or lightness makes this novel depressingly difficult to continue. If this is Gothic fantasy, then I'll give the genre a pass. I'm certainly not inspired to continue with the trilogy or seek out anything else by the same author. I repeat - what a shame!
Paul Weiss
Two hundred years ago, Cassilin, king of fire and son of the great Magravandian house of Malagash conquered Caradore and its guardian family, the Palindrakes. He took their land and crippled their heritage by demanding an oath of perpetual fealty from Valraven, the young heir to the throne. Valraven's mother bid him accept this humiliation willingly such that their association with the power of the Sea Dragons could be hidden until the time was right for its revival to aid them in reclaiming their land and their freedom.
Many generations have passed. Valraven, the current eldest son of the Caradorean family, accepts posting to the Magravandian military, part of his ancestor's oath, but his twin sister Pharinet struggles with the realization that the time is coming to reawaken the magic of their country's connection to the sea and the Sea Dragons.
What a shame! That Storm Constantine can write is beyond dispute. Her descriptive passages are moving and brilliant. Her dialogue is lucid, realistic and fast-paced. The magic or dream sequences are eerie, fascinating and compelling. But, in spite of all that, this novel is as fundamentally flawed as its characters. One and all, they are driven by emotions and traits that are either dark and ugly or weak and pathetic - greed, lust, ambition, hunger for power, ambivalence, amorality or moral turpitude, egocentricity, sycophancy and selfishness. Pharinet, for example, comes to realize that her incestuous love for her twin, Valraven, cannot be continued but at no time expresses even the slightest apology or twinge of regret. Even when these characters appear to display strength or courage or unity of purpose, it is not noble and seems to arise only out of their dark side.
The plot, such as it is, develops slowly but it is masked by deep, impenetrable, swirling layers of foggy mysticism, magic and fantastical writing that make the story line all but inscrutable. At no time does the story aspire to anything uplifting. Unrelenting darkness with no interludes of pleasure or lightness makes this novel depressingly difficult to continue. If this is Gothic fantasy, then I'll give the genre a pass. I'm certainly not inspired to continue with the trilogy or seek out anything else by the same author. I repeat - what a shame!
Paul Weiss
September 11, 2022
This is a strange book, but I rather enjoyed it.
November 1, 2017
It's more like 3.5 stars.
I was about to give it 4 stars, till I remembered that I had to suffer through one of the worst POV characters I've ever read for like half the book. The change of the POV character really redeemed this book in the end and made it so much more enjoyable.
Overall this was a typical fantasy story, with all the enjoyable ingrediences the genre comes with: magic, gods, dragons, pretty royal people who scheme to get their candidate on the throne and a curse.
Also suffering. I think every single character suffered some tragedy ranking from minor (being in love with someone who doesn't love them back) to major (death of loved ones) at one point or another. No one was ever truly happy. I could tell while reading this book, that these characters were truly cursed one way or another. They were trapped in their respective roles in the world and unable to break out, even when the desire to do so existed. Basically everyone was bitter and mad at the world.
But no one was as bitter and petty about anything as Pharinet aka the POV character that the reader gets settled with for the first part of this book.
She started out fine. She was a noble woman of the ruling family in her country (that is part of a bigger empire). Her childhood was mostly happy, having been raised by her older sister after her mother died birthing her and her twin brother Valraven. They were best friends with the neighbour's children, Ellony and Khaster, while being aware that they'll likely have to marry them in the future.
Ellony was the only one happy with that arrangement, which ultimately lead to Pharinet becoming a terrible human being.
Cause you see, she was in love with her twin herself, which lead to nothing good (I'd say "obviously", but in that world brother marrying sister, while not the norm, is not entirely unheard of). Pharinet turned out to be a spiteful, petty, jealous and general hateful woman, who couldn't have been a worst best friend if she'd tried.
Sure, she was sympathetic to a degree and from time to time she pondered about what a terrible person she had become, but as soon as Ellony innocently mentioned how much she loved Val, all feelings of remorse went out of the window and she was back to basically wishing her dead.
Ellony herself wasn't the most likeable or even engaging character, but she truly tried to be a good person, who never suspected that her childhood friend might betray her.
Not that Ellony was the only one Pharinet was awful to. It was just so consistent and continued even after .
Who wants to be friends with a person who always mocks their supposedly best friend in her head - especially about things she herself does or wants to do.
Luckily there was a change of POV character around half of the book, after a timejump happened. Enter Varencienne who while not perfect, at least was a sympathetic character. She just wanted to find a place she could call home, with people she could call friends. She didn't want to be married off to some stranger, but was thankful for the home she got out of it.
And more importantly: While she was aware of her duty, she also abhored the thought of inevitable pregnancy and raising children. It's not often that female characters are allowed to feel that way and don't change their mind. Especially in fantasy.
I also found her navigating her arranged marriage honestly interesting. In the end I actually kind of wanted them to fall in love , but somehow I doubt that it will happen in the next two books. Oh well, I'll take them learning to become friends.
The other characters all had their good and bad sites. For some I wish I knew more about them, but right now it feels like they got exactly the right amount of focus to not make them seem like cardboard cutouts. I'm curious to see if any of them will get more focus in the other two books.
The plot itself was kind of slow. It felt like it only really started to move forward in the last third of the book, after we got to know all the history of the country and the past of the major characters. Now we need to read the sequels to find out who will be king in the end and if the empire will fall.
I especially want to know what's up with the character of Prince Bayard. Is he really a villain or is he more of a gray character? So many conflicting opinions!
All in all a decent set up for a story that I will continue reading right away.
I was about to give it 4 stars, till I remembered that I had to suffer through one of the worst POV characters I've ever read for like half the book. The change of the POV character really redeemed this book in the end and made it so much more enjoyable.
Overall this was a typical fantasy story, with all the enjoyable ingrediences the genre comes with: magic, gods, dragons, pretty royal people who scheme to get their candidate on the throne and a curse.
Also suffering. I think every single character suffered some tragedy ranking from minor (being in love with someone who doesn't love them back) to major (death of loved ones) at one point or another. No one was ever truly happy. I could tell while reading this book, that these characters were truly cursed one way or another. They were trapped in their respective roles in the world and unable to break out, even when the desire to do so existed. Basically everyone was bitter and mad at the world.
But no one was as bitter and petty about anything as Pharinet aka the POV character that the reader gets settled with for the first part of this book.
She started out fine. She was a noble woman of the ruling family in her country (that is part of a bigger empire). Her childhood was mostly happy, having been raised by her older sister after her mother died birthing her and her twin brother Valraven. They were best friends with the neighbour's children, Ellony and Khaster, while being aware that they'll likely have to marry them in the future.
Ellony was the only one happy with that arrangement, which ultimately lead to Pharinet becoming a terrible human being.
Cause you see, she was in love with her twin herself, which lead to nothing good (I'd say "obviously", but in that world brother marrying sister, while not the norm, is not entirely unheard of). Pharinet turned out to be a spiteful, petty, jealous and general hateful woman, who couldn't have been a worst best friend if she'd tried.
Sure, she was sympathetic to a degree and from time to time she pondered about what a terrible person she had become, but as soon as Ellony innocently mentioned how much she loved Val, all feelings of remorse went out of the window and she was back to basically wishing her dead.
Ellony herself wasn't the most likeable or even engaging character, but she truly tried to be a good person, who never suspected that her childhood friend might betray her.
Not that Ellony was the only one Pharinet was awful to. It was just so consistent and continued even after .
Who wants to be friends with a person who always mocks their supposedly best friend in her head - especially about things she herself does or wants to do.
Luckily there was a change of POV character around half of the book, after a timejump happened. Enter Varencienne who while not perfect, at least was a sympathetic character. She just wanted to find a place she could call home, with people she could call friends. She didn't want to be married off to some stranger, but was thankful for the home she got out of it.
And more importantly: While she was aware of her duty, she also abhored the thought of inevitable pregnancy and raising children. It's not often that female characters are allowed to feel that way and don't change their mind. Especially in fantasy.
I also found her navigating her arranged marriage honestly interesting. In the end I actually kind of wanted them to fall in love , but somehow I doubt that it will happen in the next two books. Oh well, I'll take them learning to become friends.
The other characters all had their good and bad sites. For some I wish I knew more about them, but right now it feels like they got exactly the right amount of focus to not make them seem like cardboard cutouts. I'm curious to see if any of them will get more focus in the other two books.
The plot itself was kind of slow. It felt like it only really started to move forward in the last third of the book, after we got to know all the history of the country and the past of the major characters. Now we need to read the sequels to find out who will be king in the end and if the empire will fall.
I especially want to know what's up with the character of Prince Bayard. Is he really a villain or is he more of a gray character? So many conflicting opinions!
All in all a decent set up for a story that I will continue reading right away.
August 2, 2012
Sea Dragon Heir is the first book of The Chronicles of Magravandias trilogy, and this is one example that leads me to increasingly avoid trilogies, or any kind of these fantasy sagas altogether. The problem is that I always have to finish a book series, no matter how disappointing they turn out to be… like this one… Well, Sea Dragon Heir was actually palatable but its most distinctive feature was the strong sexual content that mixed incest, homosexuality and the sorts. Other than that it was a plane, although enjoyable, fantasy story with some political intrigue and focused on the rekindling of a mystical bound between a noble family (the Palindrakes) and their dragon gods (Foy and its daughters). Perhaps the comparison is unfair but for sexual content and political intrigue we are far better served with George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire (talking about fantasy sagas that seem to never end…)
I’ll give it three not so deserved stars, out of five.
I’ll give it three not so deserved stars, out of five.
November 10, 2012
It started out interesting, with plots, forbidden passions, and murky motivations. The protagonist of the first bit, Pharinet, is a person of questionable morals and judgment, but interesting. I was very curious to see what all her scheming would accomplish, and how her character would develop - for good or bad. The plot is racing along, but then all the momentum is lost. The POV switches to six years later and another character, and then it's 100+ pages of sitting around doing nothing, waiting, commenting on the slow ebb and flow of time. Author, if you want to instill a sense of resignation and stagnation in the plot, don't do it by dragging things out until the reader feels as bored, ever-waiting and lifeless as the theme you're trying to convey. The ending is an anticlimax, and generally disappointing.
May 14, 2020
This was a quick read and the lore was interesting. It was a book that was recommended to me a long time ago by a friend as well that I've just now gotten around to reading. So, overall, it was enjoyable, so long as you are not bothered by the incestuous relationship between the first main character and her brother. The pace didn't pick up until the perspective changed to the new character, who was far more interesting and felt less forced than the first character, Pharinet. If you are looking for something action packed, this book is also not for you, since the pace is developed to explore the lore of the land as well as the characters.
December 9, 2023
This is my favorite book and the start of my favorite trilogy. It's not the best book I've ever read, but it is nonetheless my favorite for some reason. I've read it at least a dozen times. I know I'm going to read it again.
Take the lore of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the characters of Wuthering Heights, and the politics of Queen Margot and mix them together: you have The Chronicles of Magravandias. If that combination sounds awesome, it's probably for you. If that sounds questionable, trust your gut and skip it.
Take the lore of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the characters of Wuthering Heights, and the politics of Queen Margot and mix them together: you have The Chronicles of Magravandias. If that combination sounds awesome, it's probably for you. If that sounds questionable, trust your gut and skip it.
January 13, 2010
I've read this book now for the second time and I still enjoy it. It moves slowly and some of the characters are definitely not likeable but Constatine succeeds in making me sympathise with them. Overall, I love the lush descriptions and especially the way she portrays the sea's restless spirit. The tale is very textured, and perhaps that is what I appreciate the most about it.
April 7, 2009
well writyten and fascinating, Storm Constantine has always managed to build believable worlds and social systems. The characters are well portrayed and, whilst not all likeable, are ones you can still empathise with and understand their motivatiion.
I just wish i hadn't waited so long to read this!
I just wish i hadn't waited so long to read this!
May 20, 2012
Oh I am definately reading this again! I love how Storm weaves her plots and shows that no one is truly all evil or all good. The characters are more believable that way.If you read one of The Chronicles of Magravandias, you will want to read the other two as well. This erotic fantasy fiction at its best!
July 24, 2007
I loved these books when I was about fifteen. I thought they were fascinating. I think I missed a few things. I can't rate them any higher because I don't remember anything more than a few wonderful turns of phrase. Also, I think I remember finding the plot kind of heavyhanded.
August 31, 2013
An absolute must-read, just like the rest of the series!
September 17, 2025
dropped i tried but i couldnt why is the MC in love with her brother
March 21, 2022
It's like an origin story for villains, in that every character is kinda evil and it all just keeps going downhill. At first I thought the honest portrayal of sex was kinda refreshing in this fantastical setting, and even suspending personal taste against the incest, this was the protagonist and so I just was gonna trust the book--and this is weird to say, but the incest was the least problematic thing about the characters. At least she at first acknowledged her jealous rage against her once friend, but that honestly meant nothing to her by the time she's banging the evil prince and even agreeing to a threesome. None of the characters were fun to read--you keep holding out for any sign of redemption or good and they keep saying "it's complicated, there's good and evil in everyone-" this book wanted so hard to present its characters as rounded and morally grey but no, they were all jerks and if i had to read one more description about "Valraven isn't the same boy I loved as a kid--he's darker and not all there"--like, instead of telling me that why don't you show that? Cause nothing he was shown to do was really that "edgy" and so in comparison everyone else looked kinda dumb flailing about with all their conspiracies and deep talks and it was just over...some guy... And it was difficult then in the second half of the book when our sudden new heroine wants to present the themes of being a disbeliever or even anti-religion, but even she couldn't commit to it...and Khaster was the only innocent, good character from the first half but then honestly his perverted in the second half of the book with the princess' weird non-committal lusting for him and everyone talking shit and giving these strange revelations of his character all just was off-putting... I barely pulled myself through reading the entire book and if not for a road trip with limited material i wouldn't have finished this--I certainly have decided against reading the sequel that I had preemptively checked out from the library, aside from quickly scanning it out of morbid curiosity of where this series could further fall.
March 12, 2020
The first half of this book was hard to get into because the protagonist just isn't easy to empathize with. I loved the world described though, the magic and atmosphere of Caradore kept me invested. I did enjoy the ethical/emotional dilemma Pharinet and Ellony posed, even if I couldn't sympathize with either of them or Valraven.
Thankfully, the second half of the book focuses on a new protagonist, Ren. She's much easier to get into as a character. The resolution she brings to the problems Pharinet causes were believable and satisfying. I wouldn't call it a happy ending - but it was well worth the time invested.
Thankfully, the second half of the book focuses on a new protagonist, Ren. She's much easier to get into as a character. The resolution she brings to the problems Pharinet causes were believable and satisfying. I wouldn't call it a happy ending - but it was well worth the time invested.
April 9, 2025
Excellent book.Storm Constantine hasn't disappointed me yet ;ever since i read her excellent vampire novel'Burying the veil","the Wraethu trilogy"and"Hunting tender prey".Already looking forward to reading the other 2 books of this trilogy.Loved the strong women characters.Hated nasty,evil p prince Bayard.His little sister turns out to be a real empowering lady;loving her new homeland Caradore and growing into a formidable seawife.
December 9, 2025
Constantine's Book feels Elemental- Salt, Storm, and a Bloodline that insist on making Waves. The Prose is Flowing, often Poetic enough to make you forget a Plot Detour. Or two. It's Characters are Unconventional- Gloriously Messy, and Stubbornly Human. The Characters keep the Moral Compass Spinning in the Best Way Possible. What a Dramatic, Intoxicating ride that prizes Atmosphere.
October 5, 2019
Where to start...? Though Constantine surprises at times by avoiding some of the expected tropes, this book goes almost nowhere until the very end, which was not satisfying. The incest was a bit much.
April 18, 2020
Emperor's daughter who bears the power of fire marries her father's boldest general and becomes the Sea Wife, giving her spouse command over dragons.
February 8, 2012
Sea Dragon's Heir is the first--and strongest--of the Magravandias Chronicles trilogy. It put Constantine's unique and poetic writing style to its greatest advantage, while the subsequent two books dragged a bit.
Though the story supposedly revolves around Valraven's decsion (hero or oppressor?), we rarely see anything from Valraven’s point of view; instead, the story flows through the eyes of those around him. First we watch him grow up by following his sister and lover Pharinet. Then when he’s an adult, the point of view moves onto Varencienne, his arranged wife. Pharinet continues to appear, but as a side character when Varencienne sees her. And so on into book two.
That unique decision was a great one on Constantine's part. Not only does it widen the readers’ view of her world (we learn about different forces bubbling around the Magravandian empire as we keep up with Valraven’s development), it allows Valraven to be the main character while retaining an air of mystery he wouldn’t have if we’d seen his thoughts and insecurities. Seeing him through others’ eyes meant he stayed larger-than-life, we got to meet a lot of interesting characters, and we had to guess until the end what choices he would make.
The Magravandias Chronicles are epic fantasy with all the elements you’d expect from that genre: a quest, magic, true love, war. However, Constantine writes personal stories that focus more on characterization and politics than fight scenes, making her more comparable to Anne Rice and Neil Gaiman than J.R.R. Tolkien. I love her lush descriptions and complicated characters, but be warned if you’re looking for straight action.
-Elizabeth Reuter
Author, The Demon of Renaissance Drive
Though the story supposedly revolves around Valraven's decsion (hero or oppressor?), we rarely see anything from Valraven’s point of view; instead, the story flows through the eyes of those around him. First we watch him grow up by following his sister and lover Pharinet. Then when he’s an adult, the point of view moves onto Varencienne, his arranged wife. Pharinet continues to appear, but as a side character when Varencienne sees her. And so on into book two.
That unique decision was a great one on Constantine's part. Not only does it widen the readers’ view of her world (we learn about different forces bubbling around the Magravandian empire as we keep up with Valraven’s development), it allows Valraven to be the main character while retaining an air of mystery he wouldn’t have if we’d seen his thoughts and insecurities. Seeing him through others’ eyes meant he stayed larger-than-life, we got to meet a lot of interesting characters, and we had to guess until the end what choices he would make.
The Magravandias Chronicles are epic fantasy with all the elements you’d expect from that genre: a quest, magic, true love, war. However, Constantine writes personal stories that focus more on characterization and politics than fight scenes, making her more comparable to Anne Rice and Neil Gaiman than J.R.R. Tolkien. I love her lush descriptions and complicated characters, but be warned if you’re looking for straight action.
-Elizabeth Reuter
Author, The Demon of Renaissance Drive
May 18, 2011
In a lot of ways the first half of this this book is like a soap opera. The main character in the first half is Pharinet and she stays home though the entire book while others go off and do stuff and sometimes tell her about it later. There's no fight scenes and no action because the focus is on interpersonal drama. The characters are all flawed in various ways and constantly find new ways to get themselves in trouble though affairs and love triangles. Unfortunately, for being such an important character we find out very little about Valraven as he is gone though most of the book and with the exception of a few scenes we only hear about him second hand from other characters.
In the second half of the book we get a completely new main character, Varencienne, who up until this point in the book has never been mentioned. Nothing seems to affect her, she just puts up with things she thinks will be unpleasant without much fuss or even internal turmoil. She doesn't really bother to get to know any of the other characters either. She was very flat and very static especially compared to much of the cast from the first half of the book. The cast from the first half is still there for the most part although at this point they've mellowed out a lot (or at least gotten better at hiding things not that they'd have to try hard to keep things from Varencienne, she doesn't exactly care about them). The background history is expanded in this section, but since Varencienne is so uncaring about everyone and everything, I found my self skimming through large sections and only reading the important bits. The ending was interesting with a nice reveal, but I couldn't help but wish that the second half of the book was from a different character's perspective.
In the second half of the book we get a completely new main character, Varencienne, who up until this point in the book has never been mentioned. Nothing seems to affect her, she just puts up with things she thinks will be unpleasant without much fuss or even internal turmoil. She doesn't really bother to get to know any of the other characters either. She was very flat and very static especially compared to much of the cast from the first half of the book. The cast from the first half is still there for the most part although at this point they've mellowed out a lot (or at least gotten better at hiding things not that they'd have to try hard to keep things from Varencienne, she doesn't exactly care about them). The background history is expanded in this section, but since Varencienne is so uncaring about everyone and everything, I found my self skimming through large sections and only reading the important bits. The ending was interesting with a nice reveal, but I couldn't help but wish that the second half of the book was from a different character's perspective.
August 14, 2012
I picked up this book on a lark - and started reading the first few pages. I instantly fell in love with Storm Constantine's writing style, and bought the book on the spot. The story took a few twists I wasn't the happiest with, but I kept with it all the same because I adored her writing.
Then, the plot got wonky. And it seemed to grow lost. But I kept reading, hoping that things would clear up eventually. That's my reasoning for reading the next two novels in the series as well, because I truly wanted to understand the point to the entire story - and it truly seemed as though there was a message. When I divined the message, I left the trilogy with a bad taste in my mouth.
Without spoiling any events that follow this book in the trilogy, here's the message I got from the author. That only those people who have been truly and completely traumatized by events that would shatter a normal person's psyche are strong enough to be triumphant when others would quail and lose their resolve. Yeah, that didn't make much sense to me either, but that seemed to be her message.
I gave this book 4 stars out of 5 on the writing and the characters... but you'll notice that with each book in this series, my rating drops as the pointlessness of the plot builds. Definitely not a book for those with any sense of romance, either.
Then, the plot got wonky. And it seemed to grow lost. But I kept reading, hoping that things would clear up eventually. That's my reasoning for reading the next two novels in the series as well, because I truly wanted to understand the point to the entire story - and it truly seemed as though there was a message. When I divined the message, I left the trilogy with a bad taste in my mouth.
Without spoiling any events that follow this book in the trilogy, here's the message I got from the author. That only those people who have been truly and completely traumatized by events that would shatter a normal person's psyche are strong enough to be triumphant when others would quail and lose their resolve. Yeah, that didn't make much sense to me either, but that seemed to be her message.
I gave this book 4 stars out of 5 on the writing and the characters... but you'll notice that with each book in this series, my rating drops as the pointlessness of the plot builds. Definitely not a book for those with any sense of romance, either.
August 1, 2008
The 2nd half of the book, where the POV changes from Pharinet, twin sister to the heir of a conquered country, to Varencienne, his new bride who falls in love with the land and feels the lost magic of the sea dragons, much more interesting. When I only read the first half, I couldn't finish the book, and my interst in the trilogy was only reawakened when I read the sequel, "The Crown of Silence," which didn't depend on knowledge of the previous book.
So my advice is - start with "The Crown of Silence." Or at least the 2nd half of the "Sea Dragon Heir." Because when I went back to read the 1st half again, already knowing the characters and being interested in the events referenced, it was still murky, confusing, and boring. Don't judge the trilogy by its first 160 pages. Skip them. I don't think you miss out on anything at all.
So my advice is - start with "The Crown of Silence." Or at least the 2nd half of the "Sea Dragon Heir." Because when I went back to read the 1st half again, already knowing the characters and being interested in the events referenced, it was still murky, confusing, and boring. Don't judge the trilogy by its first 160 pages. Skip them. I don't think you miss out on anything at all.
September 19, 2007
I was thrilled when this book fell into my hands, because I had been hearing raves about Contantine as an edgy, original fantasy writer. Unfortunately, I did not find her to live up to her reputation.
The plot of the book is average, and the incest between the main characters is neither shocking, nor were the characters appealing enough to make the incest erotic. While I enjoy dark characters and personalities, these two are merely hateful.
Another criticism is that here Constantine clearly intended to write a multi-book story, or a series, and paid little attention to the pace of the book. Much too long, and the story lost my interest. I won't read the following books.
I would not recommend this book, but I wouldn't warn others away.
The plot of the book is average, and the incest between the main characters is neither shocking, nor were the characters appealing enough to make the incest erotic. While I enjoy dark characters and personalities, these two are merely hateful.
Another criticism is that here Constantine clearly intended to write a multi-book story, or a series, and paid little attention to the pace of the book. Much too long, and the story lost my interest. I won't read the following books.
I would not recommend this book, but I wouldn't warn others away.
July 29, 2012
So, after finally finding the 2nd and 3rd book in the series, I am able to dive right into the trilogy. This book is slow. A few odd parts, with regards to incest, and it really didn't seem to have a point. The book picked up at the second half, and then ended. There was a whole lot of pointless extra stuff, that really didn't do it for me, and a lot of time jumping, as in childhood to older adulthood. But it did hold my interest, enough to jump right into the second book.
October 11, 2012
It's been a while since I picked up and enjoyed a fantasy like this. It was an incredibly easy read and I fell into her world with ease. Though I didn't really find myself enjoying the characters that much, I felt that the history she set up was vivid and that is what compelled me to continue with the novel. I'm not sure if I will read the rest of the series yet (simply because I've heard they take a turn for the worse,) but I'm definitely considering it.
June 16, 2024
I really, really wanted to love this book. Honestly, if you put "sea dragon" anywhere in the title/blurb/marketing, it's almost guaranteed that I'll read and enjoy it, and the sea dragon parts were really interesting and I'd love to read more of that but there was. Just. So. Much. Incest. So much. I couldn't ignore it. I don't think I can make myself read more of it, which is a shame, because I'd otherwise really like to read more of the series.
6/10
6/10
March 6, 2009
Ugh. This book reminded me why I hated reading Storm C. books after suffering through the Wraeththu series. She seriously hates women, there's no two ways to put it. I feel opressed, depressed and plain pissed after trying to read her stuff.
Even though I liked the premise of a priestess of a sea dragon... how can she screw up a story like that so bad?
Even though I liked the premise of a priestess of a sea dragon... how can she screw up a story like that so bad?
November 7, 2010
Couldn't finish it - the incest was off-putting enough, but none of the characters had a quality worth caring about. All of them were some combination of disgusting, vindictive, evil, or whiny, none of which are appealing for me to spend time reading for what's supposed to be enjoyment. It reads like bad fanfic, written purely for the shock value.
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