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The Tale of Lanen Kaelar #2
The Lesser Kindred
The stunning sequel to Elizabeth Kerner's Song in the Silence , The Lesser Kindred continues the story of Lanen Kaelar, a young woman who embarked on a search for the great dragons of legend and discovered not only the reality of the myth but her own true love. The course of happiness is not an easy one, however, and Lanen must make some hard choices. Her decisions could spell the salvation of an entire race--but at the cost of all she holds dear.
438 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 28, 2000
31 people are currently reading
1054 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Kerner
5 books195 followersElizabeth Kerner (1958–) is a fantasy writer. She is the author of Song in the Silence, The Lesser Kindred, and Redeeming the Lost, the initial trilogy of a series based upon humans re-establishing contact with dragons, who fled mortal lands thousands of years ago for reasons unknown.
An American by birth, she moved to Scotland in 1976 to attend the University of St. Andrews. She obtained an MA (Hons) in English Language and Literature in 1981. She has since lived in New Orleans, East Sussex, Edinburgh, Hilo (Hawai'i), Forest Grove (Oregon) and Edinburgh again. Her day jobs have included being apprenticed to a variety of folk (mostly in Hilo) — a gold-smith, a book binder, and a short career as an assistant furniture and artwork restorer. In 1995 she moved back to her beloved Edinburgh, since which time she has spent 6 years, on and off, as a copy-editor on Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, a cutting-edge astronomy journal. In 2002 she married Dr Steven Beard, continuing the astronomy connection. They presently live with two cats in a small town on the Firth of Forth.
She is currently working on the next three books in the Kolmar series, the first due out from Tor Books in 2011
An American by birth, she moved to Scotland in 1976 to attend the University of St. Andrews. She obtained an MA (Hons) in English Language and Literature in 1981. She has since lived in New Orleans, East Sussex, Edinburgh, Hilo (Hawai'i), Forest Grove (Oregon) and Edinburgh again. Her day jobs have included being apprenticed to a variety of folk (mostly in Hilo) — a gold-smith, a book binder, and a short career as an assistant furniture and artwork restorer. In 1995 she moved back to her beloved Edinburgh, since which time she has spent 6 years, on and off, as a copy-editor on Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, a cutting-edge astronomy journal. In 2002 she married Dr Steven Beard, continuing the astronomy connection. They presently live with two cats in a small town on the Firth of Forth.
She is currently working on the next three books in the Kolmar series, the first due out from Tor Books in 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
December 14, 2012
I had no idea that Song in the Silence even had a sequel. One of my friends mentioned it in passing, and I nearly fainted because the first book was absolutely amazing. Usually, sequels don't match up to the first book.
This one does.
The Lesser Kindred focuses on Varien and Lanen's relationship and Berys' desire to become all-powerful. New characters, such as Will and Salera, are introduced and their importance does not become evident until later. The Kantri experience a crisis that .
Now, it's been a long time since I've read Song in the Silence , so some of the details about what happened were a bit fuzzy in my brain. However, this did not hamper my enjoyment of the book whatsoever, as it came back to me pretty quickly. The characters drop hints here and there without summarizing it in blocks of dialogue, and I appreciate that. Despite the multitude of POVs, the plot flows smoothly and I love seeing how different POVs react with each other. The end of the book leaves a cliffhanger, which I usually dislike in books, but it works here.
MUST. READ. NEXT. BOOK!!!
This one does.
The Lesser Kindred focuses on Varien and Lanen's relationship and Berys' desire to become all-powerful. New characters, such as Will and Salera, are introduced and their importance does not become evident until later. The Kantri experience a crisis that .
Now, it's been a long time since I've read Song in the Silence , so some of the details about what happened were a bit fuzzy in my brain. However, this did not hamper my enjoyment of the book whatsoever, as it came back to me pretty quickly. The characters drop hints here and there without summarizing it in blocks of dialogue, and I appreciate that. Despite the multitude of POVs, the plot flows smoothly and I love seeing how different POVs react with each other. The end of the book leaves a cliffhanger, which I usually dislike in books, but it works here.
MUST. READ. NEXT. BOOK!!!
April 6, 2013
As I wrote in my comments about the first book in this series, Song in the Silence: The Tale of Lanen Kaelar, the Lanen Kaelar series has gotten a lot of great reviews. The author has an interesting and original take on dragons, demons, and gods. She depends heavily on the writing technique of changing P-O-Vs.
I prefer a book which contains a balanced mix of descriptive narrative and both external and internal dialog. Kerner fills the pages with unending, redundant dialog using bold and italic text to indicate levels of communication. There is little narrative, except one character telling another what happened. Although the land and geography are important to the story, there is little sense of the land or the vast distances. Journeys across continents are reduced to little more than "We got on a horse and rode for days and got there."
I read this second book hoping that as the writer matured in her craft, the story would as well. She doesn't, it doesn't, and I don't care about the rest of the series enough to read it.
I prefer a book which contains a balanced mix of descriptive narrative and both external and internal dialog. Kerner fills the pages with unending, redundant dialog using bold and italic text to indicate levels of communication. There is little narrative, except one character telling another what happened. Although the land and geography are important to the story, there is little sense of the land or the vast distances. Journeys across continents are reduced to little more than "We got on a horse and rode for days and got there."
I read this second book hoping that as the writer matured in her craft, the story would as well. She doesn't, it doesn't, and I don't care about the rest of the series enough to read it.
January 27, 2024
I remember walking through a discount bookstore and stumbling on these. The design of the dragons and the name Lanen picked at my brain, and after about 10 seconds of concentration it connected - the book I loved so much in middle school and high school wasn't a standalone novel with an unsatisfactory conclusion! It was a trilogy! It had a real ending! I scooped up both this and Redeeming the Lost and rushed to the front counter as if someone was going to fight me for the books if I lingered. I gushed about the books to my confused, but patient, partner all the way home.
The book itself isn't great. It is incredibly representative - we hear the story of how Lanen and Akhor/Varien/Dragon Dude meet at least 6 times, and some characters hear the story multiple times. The dialogue is sometimes so dramatic, purple, or stereotypical fantasy that it comes off as goofy. Characters will change moods at a drop of a dime, going from happy to enraged to laughing in a single paragraph.
The framing device of the trilogy is that the entire story is being recorded, and the POVs we get are different people relating their accounts. I HATE this framing device because when done honestly, it 1) removes all tension because you know who lives and who dies, and 2) it requires explaining how/why everyone is telling their story. If a POV opens with an explanation that they are talking to a ghost for this part, I know how this POV ends and all tension is lost. It also leads to just silly explanations, such as a few paragraphs of Berys explaining that he decided he wanted a diary despite the overwhelming need for secrecy and used a demon to cast a spell to scribe his thoughts and sensations in a narrative and just...come on.
I mentioned that it was Twilight with dragons before Twilight was cool in my review of the previous book. The comparison continues to be apt - Akhor is violently protective and controlling of Lanen in several cases, which, combined with his relative lack of understanding of human culture, leads to him nearly killing a few people. (I don't think he gets to Edward stalker levels, though.) The massive resemblance is between Lanen and Bella: This came out in 2001, Twilight in 2005...and I idly wonder...
Perhaps my biggest issue with it is that all the women play second fiddle to a large extent. Rella is a spy and assassin, but Jamie is totally better. Aral is an incredibly strong healer, but Vilkas is totally better. Salera is a badass little dragon, but immediately defers to Shikrar was superior. And Lanen, poor Lanen, does nothing - a protagonist that fails to protag. She's shepherded by the others without much input of her own, very much the helpless princess. Lanen is very interested in defending herself and has studied under Jamie (again, the best fighter/killer ever). You'd think that that would mean some agency. Nope! Akhor, the man-dragon that routinely forgets he doesn't have dragon appendages anymore, the man-dragon that was so new he had to develop calluses to wear clothes, the man-dragon who has been human all of 6 months - the first time he picks up a sword in his life, Jamie says that he's incredible and that no matter how hard Lanen trains or how motivated she is, she is better off just getting out of the way and letting Akhor fight. She is understandably crushed, but comes to the conclusion to give up and accept this proclamation.
Frankly? That is just unnecessary bullshit.
There are a few things I like. I like the large and expanding cast, who feels more fleshed out and diverse than the previous book. I like the changing POVs. I like how the structure brings the group together at the end in a way that doesn't feel too unnatural. I still like the world in general.
The book itself isn't great. It is incredibly representative - we hear the story of how Lanen and Akhor/Varien/Dragon Dude meet at least 6 times, and some characters hear the story multiple times. The dialogue is sometimes so dramatic, purple, or stereotypical fantasy that it comes off as goofy. Characters will change moods at a drop of a dime, going from happy to enraged to laughing in a single paragraph.
The framing device of the trilogy is that the entire story is being recorded, and the POVs we get are different people relating their accounts. I HATE this framing device because when done honestly, it 1) removes all tension because you know who lives and who dies, and 2) it requires explaining how/why everyone is telling their story. If a POV opens with an explanation that they are talking to a ghost for this part, I know how this POV ends and all tension is lost. It also leads to just silly explanations, such as a few paragraphs of Berys explaining that he decided he wanted a diary despite the overwhelming need for secrecy and used a demon to cast a spell to scribe his thoughts and sensations in a narrative and just...come on.
I mentioned that it was Twilight with dragons before Twilight was cool in my review of the previous book. The comparison continues to be apt - Akhor is violently protective and controlling of Lanen in several cases, which, combined with his relative lack of understanding of human culture, leads to him nearly killing a few people. (I don't think he gets to Edward stalker levels, though.) The massive resemblance is between Lanen and Bella: This came out in 2001, Twilight in 2005...and I idly wonder...
Perhaps my biggest issue with it is that all the women play second fiddle to a large extent. Rella is a spy and assassin, but Jamie is totally better. Aral is an incredibly strong healer, but Vilkas is totally better. Salera is a badass little dragon, but immediately defers to Shikrar was superior. And Lanen, poor Lanen, does nothing - a protagonist that fails to protag. She's shepherded by the others without much input of her own, very much the helpless princess. Lanen is very interested in defending herself and has studied under Jamie (again, the best fighter/killer ever). You'd think that that would mean some agency. Nope! Akhor, the man-dragon that routinely forgets he doesn't have dragon appendages anymore, the man-dragon that was so new he had to develop calluses to wear clothes, the man-dragon who has been human all of 6 months - the first time he picks up a sword in his life, Jamie says that he's incredible and that no matter how hard Lanen trains or how motivated she is, she is better off just getting out of the way and letting Akhor fight. She is understandably crushed, but comes to the conclusion to give up and accept this proclamation.
Frankly? That is just unnecessary bullshit.
There are a few things I like. I like the large and expanding cast, who feels more fleshed out and diverse than the previous book. I like the changing POVs. I like how the structure brings the group together at the end in a way that doesn't feel too unnatural. I still like the world in general.
November 5, 2017
I really loved this, probably more than I liked the first one--if that is possible. This one had more action and more of different elements and characters I loved such as: Jamie, Rella, and Shikrar. And even new ones such as Vilkas, Aral, Will, and Salera. Idai was not so much of a jerk in this one--her character is developing nicely.
Jamie, Rella, Shikrar, Will, and Salera are my favorites in a lot of ways. I loved that they were more a part of it and that the hero did not embark by themselves on an errand to save the world. I love that they go with Lanen and that they are as rich in thought and character as she is. They are full-fleshed, not flat and it gives the story dimension.
The way the story changes perspectives a lot (every chapter) is wonderful and not something I had ever seen done before. Not since Eragon, and even then only between him and Roran in the later books. And it went smoothly because the characters were introduced before they narrated which aided the transition from person to person, perspective to perspective and made it that much smoother and fuller in breadth of the story and plot. I found that we could learn and be engaged so much more as readers this way.
The perspectives switched through are that of: Lanen, Varien/Akor, Kedra, Shikrar, in the first book and grow wider in this one. To be: Lanen, Varien/Akor, Shikrar, Kedra, Idai, Rella, Jamie, Maikel, Berys, Will, Vilkas,
and Salera (I can't remember if Aral had one or not). It switches effectively through about 12 to 13 perspectives which is extremely unusual for a book or any novel for that matter. We're taught not to do this, but I found this to be a wonderful breaking of the rules and one which I was enacting even before I read this.
Berys is sinister in the most amazing way. He makes a very good villain--a complex one. The way he says and thinks things are reminiscent of some of the villains and darker characters of Salvatore's work...though I know not who came first. It may have well been inspired by him and his work. And the way Makiel fights until the bitter end, makes him one of the most redeeming characters of the entire series. The two of them have given me inspiration to run with--of the intangible corrupt villain and the villain seeking redemption.
The character development between Lanen and Varien/Akor is coming along. They are growing as people and as a couple in their first struggles since marriage. But I have new thoughts that I didn't before. In the first book, I accepted their relationship and how they viewed and described each other without qualm. I accepted and expected that their relationship was new, and a novelty at that, between races and that they were enamored and I was willing and able to ignore a lot of things because it was fresh and I saw no problem with it. I do not have an issue with it still, but they view each other through rose-colored glasses still and the second book has just ended.
I was hoping, in a small way, for it to go and delve deeper than that. Their relationship is new but I was expecting it to develop and expand and gain deeper purpose quicker than it did. Their relationship is beautiful and complex, and not like any normal relationship--but I guess I was expecting more trials and tribulations, more error in the ways of love, and touch more realism. And yes, I know that they can't exactly be held to our standards--it's not a normal human relationship and there are precedents for everything but still. I do not think it a detriment but I want more depth with this one.
Still, I loved it and I have high hopes for the next one.
Jamie, Rella, Shikrar, Will, and Salera are my favorites in a lot of ways. I loved that they were more a part of it and that the hero did not embark by themselves on an errand to save the world. I love that they go with Lanen and that they are as rich in thought and character as she is. They are full-fleshed, not flat and it gives the story dimension.
The way the story changes perspectives a lot (every chapter) is wonderful and not something I had ever seen done before. Not since Eragon, and even then only between him and Roran in the later books. And it went smoothly because the characters were introduced before they narrated which aided the transition from person to person, perspective to perspective and made it that much smoother and fuller in breadth of the story and plot. I found that we could learn and be engaged so much more as readers this way.
The perspectives switched through are that of: Lanen, Varien/Akor, Kedra, Shikrar, in the first book and grow wider in this one. To be: Lanen, Varien/Akor, Shikrar, Kedra, Idai, Rella, Jamie, Maikel, Berys, Will, Vilkas,
and Salera (I can't remember if Aral had one or not). It switches effectively through about 12 to 13 perspectives which is extremely unusual for a book or any novel for that matter. We're taught not to do this, but I found this to be a wonderful breaking of the rules and one which I was enacting even before I read this.
Berys is sinister in the most amazing way. He makes a very good villain--a complex one. The way he says and thinks things are reminiscent of some of the villains and darker characters of Salvatore's work...though I know not who came first. It may have well been inspired by him and his work. And the way Makiel fights until the bitter end, makes him one of the most redeeming characters of the entire series. The two of them have given me inspiration to run with--of the intangible corrupt villain and the villain seeking redemption.
The character development between Lanen and Varien/Akor is coming along. They are growing as people and as a couple in their first struggles since marriage. But I have new thoughts that I didn't before. In the first book, I accepted their relationship and how they viewed and described each other without qualm. I accepted and expected that their relationship was new, and a novelty at that, between races and that they were enamored and I was willing and able to ignore a lot of things because it was fresh and I saw no problem with it. I do not have an issue with it still, but they view each other through rose-colored glasses still and the second book has just ended.
I was hoping, in a small way, for it to go and delve deeper than that. Their relationship is new but I was expecting it to develop and expand and gain deeper purpose quicker than it did. Their relationship is beautiful and complex, and not like any normal relationship--but I guess I was expecting more trials and tribulations, more error in the ways of love, and touch more realism. And yes, I know that they can't exactly be held to our standards--it's not a normal human relationship and there are precedents for everything but still. I do not think it a detriment but I want more depth with this one.
Still, I loved it and I have high hopes for the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2020
Liked the first one more for sure, but I still had a good time.
April 16, 2011
Hate the cliff hanger at the end! Other then that it is a wonderful continued story of the days after the wedding and the future trials that Lanen and Varien must face together as well as the Kantri. I'll be honest, it's not at awesome as the first book, but it's still great.
December 30, 2023
So this book was surprisingly awesome. In fact, I think it was better than the first book. Not that it was a perfect tale, it had some issues that I'll briefly touch on in a moment, but holy moly batman, did I not expect such a good read from a series I'd never heard of before or seen anyone mention. What a shame!
This book starts off with one of my beefs that wasn't a beef until it happened like ten more times in repetition; yes... we get it... they love each other... do I need to hear about them banging every chapter? It's not even described or approached in a different way. It's just bam, chapter starts, banging time tee hee, stuff after it. Next chapter, banging time tee hee. now repeat that like for about 10% of the start of the book. I'm not a prude, I like me some spice, but okay we get it! Beef aside, once we're done with the banging sessions, the plot really runs.
The author does some interesting things this time around and introduces us to a lot more characters, some of which - like Callum - are just one off side characters who get their own pov's. The pov's do bounce around a bit more than they should at times, for example.
Callum says hi. Change to Varien, who says hi. Change to Lanen who says goodbye. Change to Callum who says bye.
Often these characters are all in the same place so by changing who is talking/thinking, we're not really learning all that much more than if we'd stuck with the same person.
Despite that, I did love Will and Salera whenever they were featured. Shikrar is always fun too. And strangely enough even Maikel was an interesting read who I was surprised about by the end, and a little sad since I'd expected something.
Being that this book takes place in the Gedri lands there are no more thirty letter names I have to deal with anymore -phew- and likewise we get to see the land more too. It'd be cool if this series had included a map, that would be really interesting to see.
My final beef is the oddly random hot and cold of Lanen. Like, in the first book she was spirited and did what she wanted to do, but in this book there were at least two moments where she just decided to go absolutely feral from very little. I quoted it in my last update that Varien, her husband, touches her face around about the chin and she all but rips his head off because she feels like a scolded child when he does that, or a horse whose teeth are being checked before buying. What? Okay? That's a strange hill to die on lady.
Those two helpings of beef aside, I really enjoyed this book, a lot of loose ends are being brought together -not tied yet- a lot of questions are starting to be answered, and a lot of epic battles seem to be on the cusp of starting. I'm looking forward to the final book!
This book starts off with one of my beefs that wasn't a beef until it happened like ten more times in repetition; yes... we get it... they love each other... do I need to hear about them banging every chapter? It's not even described or approached in a different way. It's just bam, chapter starts, banging time tee hee, stuff after it. Next chapter, banging time tee hee. now repeat that like for about 10% of the start of the book. I'm not a prude, I like me some spice, but okay we get it! Beef aside, once we're done with the banging sessions, the plot really runs.
The author does some interesting things this time around and introduces us to a lot more characters, some of which - like Callum - are just one off side characters who get their own pov's. The pov's do bounce around a bit more than they should at times, for example.
Callum says hi. Change to Varien, who says hi. Change to Lanen who says goodbye. Change to Callum who says bye.
Often these characters are all in the same place so by changing who is talking/thinking, we're not really learning all that much more than if we'd stuck with the same person.
Despite that, I did love Will and Salera whenever they were featured. Shikrar is always fun too. And strangely enough even Maikel was an interesting read who I was surprised about by the end, and a little sad since I'd expected something.
Being that this book takes place in the Gedri lands there are no more thirty letter names I have to deal with anymore -phew- and likewise we get to see the land more too. It'd be cool if this series had included a map, that would be really interesting to see.
My final beef is the oddly random hot and cold of Lanen. Like, in the first book she was spirited and did what she wanted to do, but in this book there were at least two moments where she just decided to go absolutely feral from very little. I quoted it in my last update that Varien, her husband, touches her face around about the chin and she all but rips his head off because she feels like a scolded child when he does that, or a horse whose teeth are being checked before buying. What? Okay? That's a strange hill to die on lady.
Those two helpings of beef aside, I really enjoyed this book, a lot of loose ends are being brought together -not tied yet- a lot of questions are starting to be answered, and a lot of epic battles seem to be on the cusp of starting. I'm looking forward to the final book!
March 30, 2018
Slightly better than the first book, as the romance is already established and the male love interest is now in human form, which were some of my problems with the first book. However, now that we're introduced to even more characters whose POV is used to tell the story, it's starting to get a bit confusing to follow along. I often forget which character is narrating, and have to go back a couple pages to remind myself.
Lanen and Akhor have now returned to her home farm in the remote wildness and spend some time there, but the arrival of mercenaries sent by Berys to kidnap Lanen shakes them out of their complacency and gets them on the road quickly. The story here is a little bit more formulaic, as a lot of the book is spent further developing the relationship between Lanen and Akhor, including his feelings of regret towards his former life as a dragon.
We meet new characters such as Will and his hatchling Salera that he raised, or the powerful student healers Vilkas and Aral who are chosen by Berys to be pawns in his game. They become more instrumental to the story the second half as Lanen's body has problems reconciling itself to her pregnancy and she is almost to the brink of death until her body is convinced to accept the half-Kantri, half-human life within it.
In other parts of the world, the Kantri are forced to leave their home of the last 5000 years after increasingly stronger earthquakes start occurring and soon the whole island is covered in lava. Left with no other options, the Kantri head to their old home of Kolmar to hopefully start living in peace with the humans who live there.
Meanwhile, our demon master friend Berys has been keeping himself busy. I didn't realize he was still hiding under a good facade as the Archmage of the college of healers, while keeping his demon summoning activities separate. If the healers are really as good at detecting the presence of Raksha as they say they are, I have no idea how Berys has managed to get away with his demon summoning for 20+ years.
All in all, a decent book, and I'm looking forward to seeing how all this plays out.
Lanen and Akhor have now returned to her home farm in the remote wildness and spend some time there, but the arrival of mercenaries sent by Berys to kidnap Lanen shakes them out of their complacency and gets them on the road quickly. The story here is a little bit more formulaic, as a lot of the book is spent further developing the relationship between Lanen and Akhor, including his feelings of regret towards his former life as a dragon.
We meet new characters such as Will and his hatchling Salera that he raised, or the powerful student healers Vilkas and Aral who are chosen by Berys to be pawns in his game. They become more instrumental to the story the second half as Lanen's body has problems reconciling itself to her pregnancy and she is almost to the brink of death until her body is convinced to accept the half-Kantri, half-human life within it.
In other parts of the world, the Kantri are forced to leave their home of the last 5000 years after increasingly stronger earthquakes start occurring and soon the whole island is covered in lava. Left with no other options, the Kantri head to their old home of Kolmar to hopefully start living in peace with the humans who live there.
Meanwhile, our demon master friend Berys has been keeping himself busy. I didn't realize he was still hiding under a good facade as the Archmage of the college of healers, while keeping his demon summoning activities separate. If the healers are really as good at detecting the presence of Raksha as they say they are, I have no idea how Berys has managed to get away with his demon summoning for 20+ years.
All in all, a decent book, and I'm looking forward to seeing how all this plays out.
October 25, 2022
How? How did a series that started out as everything I've ever wanted turn into a book that took me over a month to read?
First there was so many perspectives. I couldn't have cared less about Berys, Marik or Maikel. I feel like their perspectives could have been combined or made shorter or eliminated for the most part. Then Vilkas, Aral and Will joined in the story without us having any idea what their point was. I feel like this is a book that suffered from writing backwards. By the end we knew what was going on, but some clue earlier would have helped me stay invested.
I guess I had to know that Salera had to be a Lesser Kindred, and Will was attached to her but it all was so slow.
Because the parts that were Lanen, Varien, Jamie, Rella or Shikrar were solid 5 stars. They just had to have equal time with the other parts.
By the time that Will, Vilkas, and Aral met the original clue it was really good. 4 stars. But I can't look past the fact that it took me a month to read this.
First there was so many perspectives. I couldn't have cared less about Berys, Marik or Maikel. I feel like their perspectives could have been combined or made shorter or eliminated for the most part. Then Vilkas, Aral and Will joined in the story without us having any idea what their point was. I feel like this is a book that suffered from writing backwards. By the end we knew what was going on, but some clue earlier would have helped me stay invested.
I guess I had to know that Salera had to be a Lesser Kindred, and Will was attached to her but it all was so slow.
Because the parts that were Lanen, Varien, Jamie, Rella or Shikrar were solid 5 stars. They just had to have equal time with the other parts.
By the time that Will, Vilkas, and Aral met the original clue it was really good. 4 stars. But I can't look past the fact that it took me a month to read this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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December 27, 2021I truly remember nothing, absolutely nothing, about this book. I do know that I read it one summer when my friend was staying at my house and I absolutely ignored her in order to read this. One time we were playing mini-golf and I was losing and I was angry so I just left. Left her with my family and went home to read my weird-ass dragon book. Who does that? So rude. I would not have been friends with myself. Since I was so desperate to read this you might expect me to actually remember something about it, but no. I'm pretty sure it was good though.
July 17, 2018
Jumping pov is something that can get very confusing but the story hangs together well.
September 13, 2018
Brilliant read!
October 29, 2019
Only read this because I had bought both books for twenty-five cents each (not worth it) It was just as boring and rushed as the first.
February 2, 2020
I liked this one MUCH better than the first. A LOT happens. I think my most lasting impression is the internal struggles in some of the characters. It makes up for the first book.
April 24, 2020
Varien, a great dragon in human clothing, seeks his wife, Laelan Kaeler, kidnapped by the demon-possessed sorcerer Berys.
January 16, 2021
Very pleasant sequel. Happy to get more strong female characters in the mix
March 12, 2022
I liked this series. The romance is in the background but it's there. Most of the focus is on the dragon culture.
December 30, 2016
The story and characters of this series are awesome, Kerner's writing style is top-notch, and when these books reach a climax they are nearly impossible to put down. However, in this second book of the series, Kerner has failed to impress. The first 3/4 of the book is spent recapping the first book or wallowing in unimportant details that don't progress the plot at all. Only in the last hundred pages or so does the story really pick up steam and some action finally come into play. I really wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people start reading this book and quit half-way through (which is not what I reccomend, because the last bit of this one is extremely exciting).
As far as the multiple first-person narrative writing style, I think it is a cool idea and works very well in most regards. It allows for an intimate look into all of the characters minds, providing a deeper understanding of all that happens. However, because the story is told as if the characters have written the book to tell a story that happened long ago, it doesn't really make sense that a character could be telling his story right up until the point when he dies. That's a petty complaint though, and it doesn't take away from the story.
I can't wait to read the last book, this one sets it up for a spectacular ending.
As far as the multiple first-person narrative writing style, I think it is a cool idea and works very well in most regards. It allows for an intimate look into all of the characters minds, providing a deeper understanding of all that happens. However, because the story is told as if the characters have written the book to tell a story that happened long ago, it doesn't really make sense that a character could be telling his story right up until the point when he dies. That's a petty complaint though, and it doesn't take away from the story.
I can't wait to read the last book, this one sets it up for a spectacular ending.
April 11, 2013
This volume is just as enjoyable as the first; a nice mix of action and meaningful character development with some romance built in, and genuine romance not just "action movie relationship" level dalliances.
This volume is a bit more formulaic than the last; the plot developments are easy to anticipate and some of the discussions involve characters agonizing over decisions that you already know the answer to.
Two other things that I didn't mind but might throw some off:
1. The constant first person narrative wasn't too much to deal with in the first book, but there are a lot more characters that get the spotlight this time around, so following it can get confusing at times.
2. Every so often, there will be passages where the characters make reference to recalling the story from some time in the future, which obviously takes a lot of the sting out of the tense moments, since you know those characters can't possibly die. I didn't mind it because I find reading about the circumstances exciting apart from the possibility of anyone dying, but people who are annoyed at a clear "star character/redshirt" delineation might be put off by it.
This volume is a bit more formulaic than the last; the plot developments are easy to anticipate and some of the discussions involve characters agonizing over decisions that you already know the answer to.
Two other things that I didn't mind but might throw some off:
1. The constant first person narrative wasn't too much to deal with in the first book, but there are a lot more characters that get the spotlight this time around, so following it can get confusing at times.
2. Every so often, there will be passages where the characters make reference to recalling the story from some time in the future, which obviously takes a lot of the sting out of the tense moments, since you know those characters can't possibly die. I didn't mind it because I find reading about the circumstances exciting apart from the possibility of anyone dying, but people who are annoyed at a clear "star character/redshirt" delineation might be put off by it.
September 10, 2016
This book moved kind of slowly. It was told from many different viewpoints, which was interesting since several times we got to hear the story from a minor character and even the antagonist, but this divergence from the traditional storytelling method of describing the events from one perspective and revealing the whys as the main character discovers them hardly worked to keep my interest. I cared much for Lanen, her new husband and (her soon to be) children, though, and had to find out what was going to happen to them. With a big cliffhanger at the end of The Lesser Kindred, I'm so glad that I have Redeeming The Lost on hand ready to read!
I'd rate this book a PG-PG13 for mild innuendo, "fade to black" sex and swear words.
I'd rate this book a PG-PG13 for mild innuendo, "fade to black" sex and swear words.
March 28, 2017
Was even worse than the 1st book. I really disliked Lanen's attitude to her pregnancy and that just put me off her totally.
May 9, 2016
Alas, after loving the first of this series, I was let down by this story. It progressed slowly and jumped around. The plot didn't start coming together until halfway through the book which made the first half a slog. I enjoyed the end. It had me on the edge of my seat and I remembered what I liked about Kerner's writing. Unfortunately, the slow beginning turned off my attention.
I would have liked more Lanen. Way more.
For some of the character's, their point of view became a retelling of scenes rather than showing the reader the actual scene. How easy it would have been to switch from telling us to showing. Perhaps that's why I was so disengaged.
I will probably continue, only to find out when Lanen does "become a heroine" as the description promised me. If anybody, I would think that Rella and Alar are more deserving of the 'heroine' description for this book.
I would have liked more Lanen. Way more.
For some of the character's, their point of view became a retelling of scenes rather than showing the reader the actual scene. How easy it would have been to switch from telling us to showing. Perhaps that's why I was so disengaged.
I will probably continue, only to find out when Lanen does "become a heroine" as the description promised me. If anybody, I would think that Rella and Alar are more deserving of the 'heroine' description for this book.
February 16, 2016
The book started slow but as we went on it just turned out to be the best book of the series so far. It crosses the mark set down by the book 1 and I was not able to wait to reach the end.
The book is written with pov of many characters. And when it was happening from pov of 4-5 persons I can hardly wait to reach when all of them fall together. Right from Will, shirkar, berys, varien and Sarah. When all of them fall together then it just rocks..
I couldn't sleep without seeing the story to an end and yet it left with a cliff hanger. I can't wait to see this story reach its happy ending.
I would recommend this book to all those who like fantasy with dragons.
The book is written with pov of many characters. And when it was happening from pov of 4-5 persons I can hardly wait to reach when all of them fall together. Right from Will, shirkar, berys, varien and Sarah. When all of them fall together then it just rocks..
I couldn't sleep without seeing the story to an end and yet it left with a cliff hanger. I can't wait to see this story reach its happy ending.
I would recommend this book to all those who like fantasy with dragons.
September 8, 2016
It took years to realize the first novel in this series was in fact part of a series and I loved the first one and have read it multiple times over the years. I finally stumbled across this one and immediately picked it up and was not disappointed. Though, in true fashion, I should have perhaps then investigated to see if there were more in the series, which there are. As I was closing in on the final chapters it quickly dawned on me that this was likely the case. So, now I gladly have another installment to look forward to finding a copy of and seeing how the whole story ends.
September 24, 2008
The second book in a trilogy is traditionally the more "down" of the three. I rarely read the second and like it as much as the first; until now. I'm still feeling like I don't totally get it all and won't until I read the third, but I wasn't just irritated when this one ended. It felt right and I'm still looking forward to the third.
June 7, 2015
The Lesser Kindred contines Lanen's story. This series is a good, solid fantasy with some awesome characters that stand out (the dragons!). Although I have seen it labelled YA, there is nothing that makes it particularly that genre. The world building is fantastic, I enjoyed the series, but I do not think I will reread it.
May 6, 2011
#2 in the series. This has one of the most middle-of-the-story endings I have run across (Montmorency's Revenge & The Riddle-Master of Hed being two others). In other words, having read this one, you have to read the next one, too!
February 23, 2009
It was good. It started a little slow, but ended in the middle of everything. Definitely make sure you have the third book ready to read, as books 2 and 3 are more like two parts of the same book. A fun escape book.
March 28, 2011
This was a great book. The only thing that was off for me was the jumping point of view, it added to the suspense but it would have been ok with me to jump less. All in all a great read and I'll be reading third book soon!!
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