What do you think?
Rate this book
Dragonlord #1
The Last Dragonlord
From Book 1: Dragonlord Linden Rathan, last-born of a race of immortal weredragons, has spent six hundred years alone, searching for his soultwin while his fellow Dragonlords watch over humanity's Five Kingdoms.When the Queen of Cassori dies mysteriously, Linden and the other Dragonlords are called upon to prevent civil war as two human claimants vie for the regency.As the battle for Cassori rule escalates, Linden becomes the target of the Fellowship, a secret society of true-humans who could actually destroy his immortal life.Then he meets a beautiful young ship captain named Maurynna who may be the only one who can help Linden bring Cassori back from the brink of chaos.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
397 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 1998
135 people are currently reading
3883 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Bertin
7 books157 followersI was born in 1953 in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. I was there for a very short time, though, as my parents soon returned to their home in Stamford, CT. I've lived most of my life since then in one town or another in Connecticut.
I've held a variety of jobs from working in factories (no fun) to painting comic books back in the days when the color separating was done by hand (also no fun, but did I ever get some great double-takes when asked "So, what do you do for a living?") to a couple of years in a second job as an assistant goatherd on a dairy goat farm (fun). For the past twenty years or so I've worked in libraries--just can't get away from books!
My ambition is to make enough money from my books that I can quit my day job and write full time.
I've held a variety of jobs from working in factories (no fun) to painting comic books back in the days when the color separating was done by hand (also no fun, but did I ever get some great double-takes when asked "So, what do you do for a living?") to a couple of years in a second job as an assistant goatherd on a dairy goat farm (fun). For the past twenty years or so I've worked in libraries--just can't get away from books!
My ambition is to make enough money from my books that I can quit my day job and write full time.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
June 26, 2016
This is an interesting book for me to review. I'd been looking forEVER for a reason to read this one, it was finally recommended to me in a challenge, so I started it with glee. Only to be bogged down because it is pretty much standard, old school fantasy. But, not really. Oh, it reads a bit like it - multiple (like in huge numbers) points of view, builds the world slowly at the beginning, comes to a major crescendo slightly past halfway, and becomes "unputdownable" about two thirds in.
So . . . as I began, and it was slowly building, I thought I would read a chapter, read another book that was crying out to be read, and come back to this one and read another chapter . . . but I found I couldn't put it down. Even at the beginning . . . with the slow build. The characters were intriguing. My biggest problem was the multiple points of view - we spent too much time away from the characters with which I wanted to spend time. To be fair, these were short little snatches of time - but time nonetheless. It felt a little like it wanted to be George RR Martin - only not done as well. (I do not like Martin's books but his talent as a writer cannot be denied.)
BUT, where Ms. Bertin succeeds and Mr. Martin fails (at least to me) is in creating characters for whom I want to root and see succeed. There are many redeeming characters here. Good is good and evil is evil. And, doggone it, there are dragon shapeshifters. It was a win for me.
I will, however, likely be treating this as a stand alone because I've read the synopsis for future books and I don't really like where the series goes. But, I also don't feel like it needs to go anywhere - this is nicely a complete story - I just would like to have spent more time with the characters.
4 solid stars from me.
So . . . as I began, and it was slowly building, I thought I would read a chapter, read another book that was crying out to be read, and come back to this one and read another chapter . . . but I found I couldn't put it down. Even at the beginning . . . with the slow build. The characters were intriguing. My biggest problem was the multiple points of view - we spent too much time away from the characters with which I wanted to spend time. To be fair, these were short little snatches of time - but time nonetheless. It felt a little like it wanted to be George RR Martin - only not done as well. (I do not like Martin's books but his talent as a writer cannot be denied.)
BUT, where Ms. Bertin succeeds and Mr. Martin fails (at least to me) is in creating characters for whom I want to root and see succeed. There are many redeeming characters here. Good is good and evil is evil. And, doggone it, there are dragon shapeshifters. It was a win for me.
I will, however, likely be treating this as a stand alone because I've read the synopsis for future books and I don't really like where the series goes. But, I also don't feel like it needs to go anywhere - this is nicely a complete story - I just would like to have spent more time with the characters.
4 solid stars from me.
January 2, 2014
I wish I could have enjoyed this one as much as the ones before me but unfortunately I couldn't. I had lots of annoyances with this book, including the fact it was obviously a first novel attempt by someone whose writing wasn't very descriptive or lyrical or even all that interesting. Maybe I've been spoiled by reading other fantasy novels with lush and complex world-building, beautiful imagery and interesting plots and characters. The Last Dragonlord didn't really fit the bill on any of these aspects.
My main problem with the book was the way the author chose to tell the story. It's basically all dialogue (spoken or not) and thoughts. I got tired of all the italics. There's very little description outside of actions. There's no time spent on developing the history or cultures portrayed, except by what you know when someone speaks about it (and thus there's unecessary exposition during dialogue). We know that there's certain conventions that makes anyone not born a Cassori noble apparently without any rank at all (and thus can be whipped by spoiled jealous brats without a blink) but we never really learn more about the culture aside from this and that there's some feud going on for the throne.
The characters, outside of maybe Linden and Maurynna, are really only there to look pretty (or not) and don't do much but hover outside the real story, which hasn't got anything to do with the Cassori regency but about Linden and Maurynna and their 'bond'. Everything else is just thrown in without much complexity -- the evil guys are evil and sometimes rather dumb and the good guys drop in and out of the scene without doing much except unveil plot points from time to time.
And speaking of characters, it surprised me how much I actually didn't like them. Maurynna striked me as childish and teeny-bopper-ish at the beginning with her Linden-crush and then rather tragically depressed after her involvement with him. I guess this is justifable because of the whole soul-twin thing, which would explain why being 'rejected' would bring about such depression.
But the fact remains that nothing in this woman's character actually made me believe she could be captain of a ship and have the respect of her people. It seems to be implied at some point that her influential family may have had something to do with her assignment as captain of her own ship (and winning the bracelets that seem to mark one) but her behaviour didn't really make me understand why her crew trusted her to be a good captain. We never really see her interact with anyone but Linden, her cousins and Otter.
Linden, well, he's supposed to be hundred of years old and member of a race of powerful beings who are thought upon to moderate debates, but neither he or his companions seemed all that wise. Despite that, both him and the little child prince's (I forget his name now, darn) interactions are probably my favorite parts in the book. What annoyed me the most were all the mind-spoken conversations. I love a good telepathy here and there but when every few pages you came across italics indicating such a convo in a book that is basically just talk with little description, you can see how that'd get annoying.
Bertin has a problem with her writing. She has all her characters blah blah blahing about their plans and decisions and thoughts (and even when they're not blah blahing aloud, they're thinking or mind-speaking). There's very little mystery in her little court intrigue because you see the bad guys doing their bad things and you know their motivations from the start and, really, nothing comes as a surprise. There's no slow progression to the mystery of the antagonists, like the Fraternity of Blood, which gets mentioned but never described in detail. I'd have loved to have learned more of Linden's past encounter with them but it only gets a mention and nothing very detailed or descriptive.
I guess the fact that there was no mystery in the intrigue was because, honestly, this was all thrown in to add more pages to a book that is basically about Linden and Maurynna and their soul-twinness...
The secondary characters were... well... bad. Sherrine in particular was the height of exaggeration in her unjustifiable jealousy. We didn't actually see too much of her interaction with Linden to justify her irrationality regarding him. I can't for the life of me find a reason for her hysterical jealousy and need to confront Maurynna.
Otter was, well, only put there to provide banter with the other characters. He didn't really do much. The cousins were exactly the same. In and out of scenery, providing advice and more conversation and then doing absolutely nothing useful aside from that.
The pace was also extremely fast when something was happening and extremely slow during the conversation parts. This could have had potential. I love a good bit of intrigue. I love an author who can come up with interesting world-building and customs and cultures. Joanne Bertin comes up with some interesting ideas for her world... and then fails to describe any of them in any detail whatsoever. You're like the Sorcerer who tries to extract Dragonlord secrets. You know absolutely nothing about them and you continue to know almost nothing about their culture, their history and their powers aside from some name drops here and there and, well, the little the anatgonists can extract via their nefarious plots.
It's not like I hated the novel. I enjoyed some parts of it. Others annoyed me. I thought there were some interesting premises and was sad they weren't really developed, like Linden's backstory. We don't even really learn much about the human/dragon duality, since it seems they're two minds sharing one body. Much could have been explored into that but we only even see the draconic presence twice during all 500+ pages. It's an ultimately amateurish and serviceable novel that doesn't bring anything new to the genre and ultimately wastes its potential to tell a good story by making it a romance with a bit of a plot instead of a good plot with a bit of romance.
On a good note, I do love the name of Maurynna's dragon counterpart. :) And the horse! Linden's Llyssanyin stallion was probably one of my favorite characters in the novel, which is kinda telling, in the end, of how much characterization left something to be desired.
My main problem with the book was the way the author chose to tell the story. It's basically all dialogue (spoken or not) and thoughts. I got tired of all the italics. There's very little description outside of actions. There's no time spent on developing the history or cultures portrayed, except by what you know when someone speaks about it (and thus there's unecessary exposition during dialogue). We know that there's certain conventions that makes anyone not born a Cassori noble apparently without any rank at all (and thus can be whipped by spoiled jealous brats without a blink) but we never really learn more about the culture aside from this and that there's some feud going on for the throne.
The characters, outside of maybe Linden and Maurynna, are really only there to look pretty (or not) and don't do much but hover outside the real story, which hasn't got anything to do with the Cassori regency but about Linden and Maurynna and their 'bond'. Everything else is just thrown in without much complexity -- the evil guys are evil and sometimes rather dumb and the good guys drop in and out of the scene without doing much except unveil plot points from time to time.
And speaking of characters, it surprised me how much I actually didn't like them. Maurynna striked me as childish and teeny-bopper-ish at the beginning with her Linden-crush and then rather tragically depressed after her involvement with him. I guess this is justifable because of the whole soul-twin thing, which would explain why being 'rejected' would bring about such depression.
But the fact remains that nothing in this woman's character actually made me believe she could be captain of a ship and have the respect of her people. It seems to be implied at some point that her influential family may have had something to do with her assignment as captain of her own ship (and winning the bracelets that seem to mark one) but her behaviour didn't really make me understand why her crew trusted her to be a good captain. We never really see her interact with anyone but Linden, her cousins and Otter.
Linden, well, he's supposed to be hundred of years old and member of a race of powerful beings who are thought upon to moderate debates, but neither he or his companions seemed all that wise. Despite that, both him and the little child prince's (I forget his name now, darn) interactions are probably my favorite parts in the book. What annoyed me the most were all the mind-spoken conversations. I love a good telepathy here and there but when every few pages you came across italics indicating such a convo in a book that is basically just talk with little description, you can see how that'd get annoying.
Bertin has a problem with her writing. She has all her characters blah blah blahing about their plans and decisions and thoughts (and even when they're not blah blahing aloud, they're thinking or mind-speaking). There's very little mystery in her little court intrigue because you see the bad guys doing their bad things and you know their motivations from the start and, really, nothing comes as a surprise. There's no slow progression to the mystery of the antagonists, like the Fraternity of Blood, which gets mentioned but never described in detail. I'd have loved to have learned more of Linden's past encounter with them but it only gets a mention and nothing very detailed or descriptive.
I guess the fact that there was no mystery in the intrigue was because, honestly, this was all thrown in to add more pages to a book that is basically about Linden and Maurynna and their soul-twinness...
The secondary characters were... well... bad. Sherrine in particular was the height of exaggeration in her unjustifiable jealousy. We didn't actually see too much of her interaction with Linden to justify her irrationality regarding him. I can't for the life of me find a reason for her hysterical jealousy and need to confront Maurynna.
Otter was, well, only put there to provide banter with the other characters. He didn't really do much. The cousins were exactly the same. In and out of scenery, providing advice and more conversation and then doing absolutely nothing useful aside from that.
The pace was also extremely fast when something was happening and extremely slow during the conversation parts. This could have had potential. I love a good bit of intrigue. I love an author who can come up with interesting world-building and customs and cultures. Joanne Bertin comes up with some interesting ideas for her world... and then fails to describe any of them in any detail whatsoever. You're like the Sorcerer who tries to extract Dragonlord secrets. You know absolutely nothing about them and you continue to know almost nothing about their culture, their history and their powers aside from some name drops here and there and, well, the little the anatgonists can extract via their nefarious plots.
It's not like I hated the novel. I enjoyed some parts of it. Others annoyed me. I thought there were some interesting premises and was sad they weren't really developed, like Linden's backstory. We don't even really learn much about the human/dragon duality, since it seems they're two minds sharing one body. Much could have been explored into that but we only even see the draconic presence twice during all 500+ pages. It's an ultimately amateurish and serviceable novel that doesn't bring anything new to the genre and ultimately wastes its potential to tell a good story by making it a romance with a bit of a plot instead of a good plot with a bit of romance.
On a good note, I do love the name of Maurynna's dragon counterpart. :) And the horse! Linden's Llyssanyin stallion was probably one of my favorite characters in the novel, which is kinda telling, in the end, of how much characterization left something to be desired.
May 11, 2016
My younger sister, who was crazy about this particular series, has spent years attempting to get me to read this book. I've always been a bit wary of my sister's recommendations however, given her general aversion to fantasy novels.
I wasn't entirely wrong with my doubts in the end. This book isn't a classic or a straight up fantasy novel.
This is a romance novel set in a fantasy world.
Nevertheless, I found once I started this book, I couldn't put this down.
Don't get me wrong: a profound and thoughtful reading pursuit this is not. At its very core it is a shallow book with very little real depth and fairly cookie-cutter characters built around a cookie-cutter romantic notion that lacked personality or strife. Real character imperfections were few and far between.
Also the layout style the author chose to pursue, in that the reader knew of and were far more aware of the interactions and plans between the protagonist and antagonist certainly made supposedly dramatic points in the novel a rather frustrating or tiresome experience as it led one to question the general intelligence of the characters as a whole. It also made much of it much too predictable.
And yet, I found the pacing of the storytelling engaging and the characters enjoyable despite the lack of depth, to the point that I struggled to stop reading it at points. And I thought the world's mythology as a whole concerning the dragons to be a rather clever concept.
So despite all its short-comings, I gave it five stars, simply because it was a read that I did enjoy and in the end, a delightful breath of fresh air from the more heady material I tend to consume on a regular basis. There is nothing wrong with a light read, and it was on that basis that I rated it.
Did I take much away from the novel? No.
Did it make any real emotional or mental impact on me? Nope.
Will I read it again? Yes.
Because it's a very easy read.
With that said, I wouldn't really recommend it to serious fantasy readers... or most men for that matter. It's a little too voyeuristic (and therefore, unrealistic) for most and is more sappy than adventurous as well.
I wasn't entirely wrong with my doubts in the end. This book isn't a classic or a straight up fantasy novel.
This is a romance novel set in a fantasy world.
Nevertheless, I found once I started this book, I couldn't put this down.
Don't get me wrong: a profound and thoughtful reading pursuit this is not. At its very core it is a shallow book with very little real depth and fairly cookie-cutter characters built around a cookie-cutter romantic notion that lacked personality or strife. Real character imperfections were few and far between.
Also the layout style the author chose to pursue, in that the reader knew of and were far more aware of the interactions and plans between the protagonist and antagonist certainly made supposedly dramatic points in the novel a rather frustrating or tiresome experience as it led one to question the general intelligence of the characters as a whole. It also made much of it much too predictable.
And yet, I found the pacing of the storytelling engaging and the characters enjoyable despite the lack of depth, to the point that I struggled to stop reading it at points. And I thought the world's mythology as a whole concerning the dragons to be a rather clever concept.
So despite all its short-comings, I gave it five stars, simply because it was a read that I did enjoy and in the end, a delightful breath of fresh air from the more heady material I tend to consume on a regular basis. There is nothing wrong with a light read, and it was on that basis that I rated it.
Did I take much away from the novel? No.
Did it make any real emotional or mental impact on me? Nope.
Will I read it again? Yes.
Because it's a very easy read.
With that said, I wouldn't really recommend it to serious fantasy readers... or most men for that matter. It's a little too voyeuristic (and therefore, unrealistic) for most and is more sappy than adventurous as well.
January 1, 2021
Picked this book up at a book sale and got lucky! I absolutely LOVED this book! There was a slight love story mixed with fantasy.
I felt like I was in the scenes, especially the raining scenes for some reason. I felt the tense feelings when the characters had them. Constantly wonder when Rynna was going to change. I like the ending of all the characters. Just great.
I felt like I was in the scenes, especially the raining scenes for some reason. I felt the tense feelings when the characters had them. Constantly wonder when Rynna was going to change. I like the ending of all the characters. Just great.
February 21, 2011
What pulls a reader through this (despite delightful wish-fulfillment elements like Mary-Sue-eyes, hyper intelligent horses, and, oh, the ability to fly...) is the sense of desperation that pulls the two main characters through to the end. Never has a soulmate been written so compellingly. You KNOW these two need each other, can't live without each other, etc. (Also per the rules of the fantasy they're in, it's, uh, literal. The soulmate bit.)
What's not to love?!?! You know, unless you're looking for a Serious Work of Literature. In which case, yeah, really? It does have a dragon on the cover. Sometimes that's enough to judge by after all.
What's not to love?!?! You know, unless you're looking for a Serious Work of Literature. In which case, yeah, really? It does have a dragon on the cover. Sometimes that's enough to judge by after all.
December 26, 2017
I got this book back in 2011. It's been in the pile all this time but I have to say that although it's not the romantic fantasy I imagined, it was still engrossing, engaging and interesting.
I'm glad I already have the sequel to read in one of the upcoming months...
I'm glad I already have the sequel to read in one of the upcoming months...
March 24, 2026
Beyond Anne McCaffrey I have read a limited amount of dragon centered fantasy. However, this seemed an interesting premise. It is imaginative, well shaped and paced. The characters are interesting. The storyline is crafted around a simple event—the designation of a royal regent—but involves not only political intrigue, but magic and romance. Some motivations are apparent, others concealed.
For a first novel, Bertin does a good job of interweaving all the elements. There is misdirection, but no red herrings. Most of the elements are obvious, but she designed the resolution well.
For a first novel, Bertin does a good job of interweaving all the elements. There is misdirection, but no red herrings. Most of the elements are obvious, but she designed the resolution well.
March 4, 2013
I'm crazy about dragons since Lessa met Ramoth in Dragonflight. The Last Dragonlord kept teasing me for some time now for the very simple fact that it has dragons in tittle and on the book cover - so this was enough for me to give it a chance.
The Last Dragonlord is Joanne Bertin's debut novel from the 90s and it's written in old classic fantasy style before Martin & other writers made dark, bloody and gritty more popular. There is a mix of usual elements here that make a good fantasy novel: interesting imaginary world, corrupted royal court, dragon-shifters, blood-mages...
Over the Clouds by kerembeyit [image source]
The Last Dragonlord follows a lot of characters and is told from multiple point of views, but we can say that the focus is on Linden Rathan. Linden is a Dragonlord, he can shift from human to dragon form (and vice versa of course). In fact, Linden is the last Dragonlord - after his Change no more potential Dragonlords were born. It's a bummer for multiple reasons:
1. All other Dragonlords call him the "little one" - endearment for youngest in their group. Since Linden is the tallest and biggest among then and more than 600 years old, this is really annoying.
2. Linden did not meet his soultwin yet - the female Dragonlord that is his mate, the other half of his soul, well his soultwin. She still needs to be born/changed and after so many years waiting, Linden has lost almost all hope that he will ever find true love.
3. There are never enough dragons in any story IMHO.
More Dragons by kerembeyit [images source]
The plot of the novel revolves around court intrigues in Kindgom of Cassori where a regent needs to be chosen to rule until young prince grows up. Since Dragonlords are "ancient Givers of Law" Linden and two of his friends come to judge who has the most rights to assume this role. Although almost everyone in this novel is plotting something, there is little tension and The Last Dragonlord, although not exactly a boring read, is also not a page-turner. I think the problem is that Joanne Bertin covered all view-points so we always know what all sides are plotting.
The romance in the book is believe it or not a love triangle. We will have Sherrine, beautiful noble lady, and Maurynna, trade-ship captain, fighting for Linden'slove attention. But don't expect much tension here, because Linden tell us immediately who he is going to pick, so the whole love-triangle business is more in the head of the rejected woman than it's really happening.
As I said in the beginning, The Last Dragonlord is classic fantasy, so the characters are typical and there are no real surprises what is going to happen. You know the good guys will win and that bad guys will either repent or be punished and everyone will live happily ever after. But if you are dragon lover and you want to relax and take a break from modern dark and intense fantasy - The Last Dragonlord may be just what you are looking for.
My rating: 3.5 stars (Not bad but I wish it was more intense)
I recommend this book to fans of: classic fantasy, dragons, Wheel of Time (the writing style & characterisation was similar)...
This text is also posted on my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition.
The Last Dragonlord is Joanne Bertin's debut novel from the 90s and it's written in old classic fantasy style before Martin & other writers made dark, bloody and gritty more popular. There is a mix of usual elements here that make a good fantasy novel: interesting imaginary world, corrupted royal court, dragon-shifters, blood-mages...
Over the Clouds by kerembeyit [image source]
The Last Dragonlord follows a lot of characters and is told from multiple point of views, but we can say that the focus is on Linden Rathan. Linden is a Dragonlord, he can shift from human to dragon form (and vice versa of course). In fact, Linden is the last Dragonlord - after his Change no more potential Dragonlords were born. It's a bummer for multiple reasons:
1. All other Dragonlords call him the "little one" - endearment for youngest in their group. Since Linden is the tallest and biggest among then and more than 600 years old, this is really annoying.
2. Linden did not meet his soultwin yet - the female Dragonlord that is his mate, the other half of his soul, well his soultwin. She still needs to be born/changed and after so many years waiting, Linden has lost almost all hope that he will ever find true love.
3. There are never enough dragons in any story IMHO.
More Dragons by kerembeyit [images source]
The plot of the novel revolves around court intrigues in Kindgom of Cassori where a regent needs to be chosen to rule until young prince grows up. Since Dragonlords are "ancient Givers of Law" Linden and two of his friends come to judge who has the most rights to assume this role. Although almost everyone in this novel is plotting something, there is little tension and The Last Dragonlord, although not exactly a boring read, is also not a page-turner. I think the problem is that Joanne Bertin covered all view-points so we always know what all sides are plotting.
The romance in the book is believe it or not a love triangle. We will have Sherrine, beautiful noble lady, and Maurynna, trade-ship captain, fighting for Linden's
As I said in the beginning, The Last Dragonlord is classic fantasy, so the characters are typical and there are no real surprises what is going to happen. You know the good guys will win and that bad guys will either repent or be punished and everyone will live happily ever after. But if you are dragon lover and you want to relax and take a break from modern dark and intense fantasy - The Last Dragonlord may be just what you are looking for.
My rating: 3.5 stars (Not bad but I wish it was more intense)
I recommend this book to fans of: classic fantasy, dragons, Wheel of Time (the writing style & characterisation was similar)...
This text is also posted on my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition.
Read
February 24, 2010This is a fairly good fluff novel. It was a fun read, but there really isn't anything thought provoking about this book.
I did like the author's new look for dragons. The other feature of this book I really liked was the back-story about Rani and Bran. What I liked about it was that it was told slowly over the course of the book, not randomly inserted as a four page story somewhere near the beginning of the novel.
I thought that the characters were rather bland and two dimensional, and the oh-so-convenient 'one true love' meant that the author didn't have to take the time to develop a relationship between the hero and heroine. I thought that was rather a pity, because what is life but a series of relationships with different people at different levels? I would have enjoyed the characters having to get to know each other and slowly building a relationship together, instead of seeing each other and being overcome by a mad, overwhelming lust, which MUST mean that they are soulmates.
Overall, I did get caught up in the book, but it certainly didn't teach me anything about life that is the mark of a great novel.
I did like the author's new look for dragons. The other feature of this book I really liked was the back-story about Rani and Bran. What I liked about it was that it was told slowly over the course of the book, not randomly inserted as a four page story somewhere near the beginning of the novel.
I thought that the characters were rather bland and two dimensional, and the oh-so-convenient 'one true love' meant that the author didn't have to take the time to develop a relationship between the hero and heroine. I thought that was rather a pity, because what is life but a series of relationships with different people at different levels? I would have enjoyed the characters having to get to know each other and slowly building a relationship together, instead of seeing each other and being overcome by a mad, overwhelming lust, which MUST mean that they are soulmates.
Overall, I did get caught up in the book, but it certainly didn't teach me anything about life that is the mark of a great novel.
March 26, 2014
Fresh from 2 very disappointing books that I read to the bitter end, it took me only a few pages to decide to give up on The Last Dragonlord.
I wanted a well-written, epic fantasy that had great worldbuilding and a bit of romance on the side. What I got was an awkwardly written book with a centuries-old hero who thinks and acts like a cheerful, regular Joe.
Been there, done that. I just don't have time for this anymore.
Next.
February 16, 2016
This book have been in my recommendations for a long time and today I decided to give it chance since it's been long while since I have read abt dragons and now I think why I had held it up without reading for so long.
The book is a multiple POV book so it will take a little time for you to get used to it. Even the smallest of the character has a small pov here and there. Like the little prince Rann or his caretaker. Even the old wizard on the run or the market their but everyone has their own contributions to the ending so I preffered reading all abt them.
There were many parts of the book which were very interesting and few of them werent. A slow build up of the story was just great and the greatest blessing of all is that there is no cliffhanger. So I think all the book in this series would be standalone but there were lot of unresolved questions which have been left over.
One thing is for sure that when I get hungry on reading a dragons story I will approach this series.
Recommended to everyone who likes romance with fantasy.
The book is a multiple POV book so it will take a little time for you to get used to it. Even the smallest of the character has a small pov here and there. Like the little prince Rann or his caretaker. Even the old wizard on the run or the market their but everyone has their own contributions to the ending so I preffered reading all abt them.
There were many parts of the book which were very interesting and few of them werent. A slow build up of the story was just great and the greatest blessing of all is that there is no cliffhanger. So I think all the book in this series would be standalone but there were lot of unresolved questions which have been left over.
One thing is for sure that when I get hungry on reading a dragons story I will approach this series.
Recommended to everyone who likes romance with fantasy.
January 7, 2013
I read this book a few years ago. I loved it! There is a deep plot that keeps you guessing at what will happen next. There was a sweet love story to pull at your heart strings. It had me wanting to pick up the next book immediately. And I did!
When I started reading it again, I was worried that I wouldn't like it as much as before but I had nothing to fear. If I hadn't been so busy while reading it, I would have been done reading it in just a couple days. I'm glad I reread this book because there were a lot of details I had forgotten over the years. I'm thrilled to have all 3 books in my possession so I won't have to wait to read what's next.
When I started reading it again, I was worried that I wouldn't like it as much as before but I had nothing to fear. If I hadn't been so busy while reading it, I would have been done reading it in just a couple days. I'm glad I reread this book because there were a lot of details I had forgotten over the years. I'm thrilled to have all 3 books in my possession so I won't have to wait to read what's next.
October 25, 2012
An excellent fantasy about dragons and power hungry evil people and romance. It lost a star in my estimation for, what felt to me, a stretching of the story where it felt that the story was being drawn out purposefully long but unnecessarily so.
Still, excellent characters - though some of the secondary characters could have used a bit more fleshing out - and a good story kept me turning the pages.
Definitely recommended for dragon fans and readers who don't mind a healthy dose of romance in their fantasy.
Still, excellent characters - though some of the secondary characters could have used a bit more fleshing out - and a good story kept me turning the pages.
Definitely recommended for dragon fans and readers who don't mind a healthy dose of romance in their fantasy.
May 24, 2017
It was a reread for me to decide if it should stay on my shelf. It was enjoyable; I liked the characters and want to read more about them (especially Otter). It won't stay on my shelf, but it will be remembered fondly.
November 24, 2018
Fluffy but fun. Probably not for folks that want a serious or hard fantasy like Rothfuss, Sanderson or Martin. But fun. Will definitely pick up the next one.
October 24, 2008
Even though I love fantasy, it does have a tendency to retread the same ground over and OVER again, so when a writer does something new and different, it's worth sitting up to take notice. This especially helps when, aside from being new and different, the writer is actually, like, good (that happens more rarely than anyone would want to 'fess to). I enjoyed most of the characters; they were actually shaded and three dimensional, rather than a few being Really Good and a few being Really Bad, and nothing in the middle. There are a couple of pacing problems, places where I think she tries to make up for so much happening so fast that she suddenly slows way down. It's a good way to catch your breath, but now that I've read it multiple times and know my favorite parts, it's all leading to skimming.
October 25, 2007
The Last Dragonlord is a newer take on the dragon fantasy genre by having humans share a dragon soul. Basically, a Dragonlord is immortal until the day that they decide they are tired of life. At that point in time, the dragon half will fully emerge and the human half will move on. Linden Rathan is the Last Dragonlord literally. No other has been born since. When the Dragonlords are asked to rule over a royal succession, Linden finds Maurynna. She is a merchant ship captain and she too shares a dragon soul! The book includes political intrigue, suspense, magic and the romance between Linden Rathan (I love this name!) and Maurynna. Very recommended.
October 8, 2012
I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I was going to. The jacket describes the Dragonlords as weredragons(think werewolves, only honorable.) It's a bit of a romantic adventure with Dragonlords thrown in. It was one of those fun reads that you don't ever want to stop reading. By that I mean that it wasn't so heavy that you needed to stop periodically and digest everything before you could proceed. Had I been younger this could have been an all-nighter...! It was good enough that I picked up the sequelDragon and Phoenix as soon as I saw it for sale.
November 11, 2012
really enjoyed this book! As a few people have said it'd not a highly skilled written book but I did not find this a problem or put me off. the writing fueled my imagination and the story was gripping. I have just finished reading it for the second time after 10 years after finding out that the third book is coming out soon, this however did not make it any less enjoyable but quite the oppisit as I was excited about getting back into the world and characters that she creates in this story.
February 1, 2009
one of my first paper backs, couldnt put it down. i thought the whole thing of humans turning to dragons was very colorful, it helped me draw a lot, since i could really imagine what was going on. i dont like to tell details of the story, but i would recomend this book to anyone who like fantasy and fiction novels.
March 3, 2015
I've read this book more times than I care to admit. Bertin may have written a new taken on the dragon-human relationship, but the story is riddled with fantasy cliches and character motifs. Still, it's a fun read, especially if all your after is an engaging fantasy story with a touch of romance and intrigue.
August 23, 2012
I read this book in high school. I have re-read it a few times. A good and quick read, especially if you like dragons! I'd say it's more of a girl's book due to some of thie "romantic" and "sappy" moments but still a good and fun read. A friend of mine introduced the book to me and I borrowed it from her (eventually bought my own copy). We both really liked this book.
January 6, 2015
I liked this one pretty well, although it's definitely not for children and had some mild language. The plot and characters are complex and deep. The pacing and the writing are good. There are way too many characters to keep track of, and the politics bored me. But I liked the basic story. It has a lot of potential, but falls short.
September 4, 2015
I thought that this book was a really good read. Joanne Bertin introduced me to a new style of dragon with this book. Originally, I only focused on the magical dragons of Christopher Paolini and the scientific ones of Anne McCafferey. I wish I could continue, but I have to stop here. Cy'all!
January 14, 2020
How can a cast of characters be so slow. I mean the author was dropping hints from the first page, and both heroes, the much vaulted Dragonlords and the kingdom still didn't know the Fellowship, the antidragon sect were alive and well.
Honestly I don't know how any of these characters can walk and chew gum at the same time. Several times a character would be in the cusp of suspecting the evildoers and just by a small interruption, they'll just forget to think or follow-up on a thought. For instance, the main healer has her patient the Prince getting sick at specific intervals of the week and notices there's a specific smell associated between her sick patient and other patients. A smarter person would look at the similarities, but no this doctor is so distracted that she can't follow a thought.
Honestly I thought how stupid can all these characters be. By the time they all know a dark mage is alive and well they are still chewing mint and laying on the grass dreaming of nothing. And the big bad darkmage wasn't even defeated by the more experienced dragonlords, but an hour's born dragonlord that sensed an ocean away that something was wrong.
And they say these dragonlords are suppose to be arbitrator for kingdoms for peace. How can they be when they can't notice plots against themselves and protect themselves. Most of the time I wanted linden, the last dragonlords to take a flying leap off a cliff. Dumber than a pile of rocks, apparently very handsome and couldn't even save himself from a closed bag : he couldn't even defeat the bad guy in the end. what kind of hero is he! So weak and hot-headed!
I was so mad when Maryanne just started hugging up and kissing him after he knew she thought she was going insane: hearing voices collapsing out of nowhere pain etc etc, but it's all forgiven because he is the ever handsome dragonlords from history. PAsahhhhhhh!!!!!
The political plots and whatnot just sooo transparent but these characters were just soooo slow on the uptake. It took a thief following prostitutes before they realized people were dying. And these dragonlords are suppose to save kingdoms when they can't see past their own loneliness and self importance.
And the romance was so fake, he saw he conquered she subcame he abandoned he abandoned she left and came back. I mean most of the time I was hoping she would have have some pride in herself. He's sleeping with another womn, she almost tore out your eye and she still chasing after him. Was sad sad news.
Honestly I don't know how any of these characters can walk and chew gum at the same time. Several times a character would be in the cusp of suspecting the evildoers and just by a small interruption, they'll just forget to think or follow-up on a thought. For instance, the main healer has her patient the Prince getting sick at specific intervals of the week and notices there's a specific smell associated between her sick patient and other patients. A smarter person would look at the similarities, but no this doctor is so distracted that she can't follow a thought.
Honestly I thought how stupid can all these characters be. By the time they all know a dark mage is alive and well they are still chewing mint and laying on the grass dreaming of nothing. And the big bad darkmage wasn't even defeated by the more experienced dragonlords, but an hour's born dragonlord that sensed an ocean away that something was wrong.
And they say these dragonlords are suppose to be arbitrator for kingdoms for peace. How can they be when they can't notice plots against themselves and protect themselves. Most of the time I wanted linden, the last dragonlords to take a flying leap off a cliff. Dumber than a pile of rocks, apparently very handsome and couldn't even save himself from a closed bag : he couldn't even defeat the bad guy in the end. what kind of hero is he! So weak and hot-headed!
I was so mad when Maryanne just started hugging up and kissing him after he knew she thought she was going insane: hearing voices collapsing out of nowhere pain etc etc, but it's all forgiven because he is the ever handsome dragonlords from history. PAsahhhhhhh!!!!!
The political plots and whatnot just sooo transparent but these characters were just soooo slow on the uptake. It took a thief following prostitutes before they realized people were dying. And these dragonlords are suppose to save kingdoms when they can't see past their own loneliness and self importance.
And the romance was so fake, he saw he conquered she subcame he abandoned he abandoned she left and came back. I mean most of the time I was hoping she would have have some pride in herself. He's sleeping with another womn, she almost tore out your eye and she still chasing after him. Was sad sad news.
February 5, 2026
"The Last Dragonlord" does have some good things for it. The characters are likeable, if a little cookie-cutter, and I liked the whole Dragonlord/weredragon idea. In this world, the Dragonlords live apart (mostly) from other peoples, and only go among men to arbitrate disputes. The Dragonlords used to be normal men (truehumans) but then a dragon soul woke within them. The new Dragonlord can then transform into their dragon-self, and while not completely immortal, they can now live centuries (when they die, the dragonsoul takes over and they become truedragons.) Sometimes the dragonsoul will speak to them or rise up, but for the most part, the human side of them rules.
That's all the world building, and it's very interesting. The plot of the book itself, however, is another thing. The Dragonlords are called to help decide who will be regent for a young prince when his family dies in a series of unfortunate accidents. The plot is a very basic case of politics, lying, "whodunnit" etc, which gets siderailed when the main character, the Dragonlord Linden Rathan, finds his "soultwin," someone who is a yet-unwoken dragonlord and who he is fated to be with. The plot then focuses on his deep and unbending need for her, and we just get a lot of his endless pursuit of her or his melodramatic struggle to be apart from her. Some of this is explained by the fact that his dragonsoul will sometimes rise up and take control, driving him towards her, but he has to pull back. Still, this means that a lot of the story is "We are destined to be together! I will love her forever! I can't live without her!" even though they only just met.
So, the plot itself falls very flat. We know the whole time what is going on with the regency debate- the narration makes sure we know all about the actors, and all the backstabbing going on- so we just have to sit around waiting for the main characters to find out. And all there is to do while we are waiting is to see Linden continually get distracted by wanting to be with his soultwin. The magic is interesting, but not explained very much, so I can't say much about it.
Overall, while the idea of the dragonlords is unique and interesting, the rest of this book is very basic fantasy stuff. I would have recommended it, but there are some very unnecessary "intimate" scenes in the book that doesn't win it any points in my book.
That's all the world building, and it's very interesting. The plot of the book itself, however, is another thing. The Dragonlords are called to help decide who will be regent for a young prince when his family dies in a series of unfortunate accidents. The plot is a very basic case of politics, lying, "whodunnit" etc, which gets siderailed when the main character, the Dragonlord Linden Rathan, finds his "soultwin," someone who is a yet-unwoken dragonlord and who he is fated to be with. The plot then focuses on his deep and unbending need for her, and we just get a lot of his endless pursuit of her or his melodramatic struggle to be apart from her. Some of this is explained by the fact that his dragonsoul will sometimes rise up and take control, driving him towards her, but he has to pull back. Still, this means that a lot of the story is "We are destined to be together! I will love her forever! I can't live without her!" even though they only just met.
So, the plot itself falls very flat. We know the whole time what is going on with the regency debate- the narration makes sure we know all about the actors, and all the backstabbing going on- so we just have to sit around waiting for the main characters to find out. And all there is to do while we are waiting is to see Linden continually get distracted by wanting to be with his soultwin. The magic is interesting, but not explained very much, so I can't say much about it.
Overall, while the idea of the dragonlords is unique and interesting, the rest of this book is very basic fantasy stuff. I would have recommended it, but there are some very unnecessary "intimate" scenes in the book that doesn't win it any points in my book.
March 8, 2026
I thought it was a little slow of a start but I've also had a long week so that probably didn't help. Does pick up nicely and the world building is really cool, the idea of these Dragonlords is very very well done. There's a lot of characters to keep track of and I got most of them 😂 it ties history of the world, society and the people in with the current story like ease and doesn't peddle nonsense to bring the readers up to speed, you're just thrown in. I don't mind that!
It was a little predictable in places, but with how the characters were written, it wasn't a bother. I loved how Linden tried to care for Prince Rann, tried to treat him like the child he is. The enemies fluctuated, some a bit two dimensional, some more fleshed out, overall tying into the history again. The reader learns quite a bit about the Dragonlords, a handful of different forms of magic, so I'm hoping we get more on it in the sequels.
I like how the women were written. I've read a fair amount of old fantasy and sometimes the women are just... painful (looking at you, Wheel of Time, you really let the side down 🤺) These women were across various ages and backgrounds, had their own schemes and thoughts and didn't completely revolve around the men, they had much more to their personalities. Personalities that were distinct, for added bonus, rather refreshing to read. I don't think I'd mess with Maylin anytime soon, she has a strong head on her shoulders.
The ending was rather quick. There was a bit of a disaster and only five pages left, but resolutions were managed all the same. I think it worked, the story having built it up quite well, although I do wish the Big Bad had a bit more of a final fight.
What I've found out, however, is that this is a trilogy. The second book I've brought for £3.60. The third book, you're looking anywhere from £30 up to £180!! Why??? 😭😭 I will see how I get on with Book 2 and go from there but whhhhhhyyyyyyy?????
Also bonus points for Shan, he was very cool 😆😆
It was a little predictable in places, but with how the characters were written, it wasn't a bother. I loved how Linden tried to care for Prince Rann, tried to treat him like the child he is. The enemies fluctuated, some a bit two dimensional, some more fleshed out, overall tying into the history again. The reader learns quite a bit about the Dragonlords, a handful of different forms of magic, so I'm hoping we get more on it in the sequels.
I like how the women were written. I've read a fair amount of old fantasy and sometimes the women are just... painful (looking at you, Wheel of Time, you really let the side down 🤺) These women were across various ages and backgrounds, had their own schemes and thoughts and didn't completely revolve around the men, they had much more to their personalities. Personalities that were distinct, for added bonus, rather refreshing to read. I don't think I'd mess with Maylin anytime soon, she has a strong head on her shoulders.
The ending was rather quick. There was a bit of a disaster and only five pages left, but resolutions were managed all the same. I think it worked, the story having built it up quite well, although I do wish the Big Bad had a bit more of a final fight.
What I've found out, however, is that this is a trilogy. The second book I've brought for £3.60. The third book, you're looking anywhere from £30 up to £180!! Why??? 😭😭 I will see how I get on with Book 2 and go from there but whhhhhhyyyyyyy?????
Also bonus points for Shan, he was very cool 😆😆
April 5, 2024
What I Liked
*The world building: For instance! Dragon Lords have an interesting origin, as related by the world's bards, and the fact that they deliberately obfuscate their own lore to keep "truehumans" in the dark is a further interesting wrinkle. Yeah, "truehumans" are actual humans and "truedragons" are actual dragons. Dragon Lords are were-dragons.
*Sensory detail: The author is fantastic at laying out a scene on paper, whether it is riding out a storm in trade boat, riding through a town market, or flying over the countryside.
*The use of rotating perspectives: the reader gets a sense for the sprawling intrigue of this regency crisis when they can see how many interested parties are doing stuff outside the council scenes, which would be difficult to convey from a more limited perspective.
*The relationship between the leads. I was afraid that this would be one of those "dancing around each other until the final page" sort of things, particularly with the love triangle. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this wasn't the case.
*the ending: No cliffhanger or last-minute "got-cha". It is a satisfying resolution.
What I didn't like
*The pacing: It takes forever for this book to get anywhere. About 100 pages pass before the two leads met face-to-face, and that was a "didn't recognize/get their name" sort of meeting.
*The rotating perspectives: So many perspectives switching so quickly, and each one introduces more characters, often new characters that might not show up again until much later, it's hard to keep them all straight. I often found myself thinking "Who is this guy, and what is his deal again?" It also contributes to the very slow pacing.
*The climax (not the ending): A lot of Drama-Preserving Handicaps being thrown around in an attempt to maintain tension. At one point, I had to roll my eyes at a particularly egregious one.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "The Last Dragonlord" a B+
*The world building: For instance! Dragon Lords have an interesting origin, as related by the world's bards, and the fact that they deliberately obfuscate their own lore to keep "truehumans" in the dark is a further interesting wrinkle. Yeah, "truehumans" are actual humans and "truedragons" are actual dragons. Dragon Lords are were-dragons.
*Sensory detail: The author is fantastic at laying out a scene on paper, whether it is riding out a storm in trade boat, riding through a town market, or flying over the countryside.
*The use of rotating perspectives: the reader gets a sense for the sprawling intrigue of this regency crisis when they can see how many interested parties are doing stuff outside the council scenes, which would be difficult to convey from a more limited perspective.
*The relationship between the leads. I was afraid that this would be one of those "dancing around each other until the final page" sort of things, particularly with the love triangle. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this wasn't the case.
*the ending: No cliffhanger or last-minute "got-cha". It is a satisfying resolution.
What I didn't like
*The pacing: It takes forever for this book to get anywhere. About 100 pages pass before the two leads met face-to-face, and that was a "didn't recognize/get their name" sort of meeting.
*The rotating perspectives: So many perspectives switching so quickly, and each one introduces more characters, often new characters that might not show up again until much later, it's hard to keep them all straight. I often found myself thinking "Who is this guy, and what is his deal again?" It also contributes to the very slow pacing.
*The climax (not the ending): A lot of Drama-Preserving Handicaps being thrown around in an attempt to maintain tension. At one point, I had to roll my eyes at a particularly egregious one.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "The Last Dragonlord" a B+
March 7, 2018
Started this book yesterday and read it through. The last five or so chapters seemed to extend forever. I was physically tired just from the running fin those chapters. 😂
I'm really glad I finally got around to reading the story. It's been in my list for awhile now. I won't read the rest of the series, I'm not up for any more long winded adventures. Also the massive character overload that comes with too many points of view. Besides the summary says the main characters have a falling out and fight and question their live for each other? I'm not here for that at All. True love is end game for me. That being said I'll miss the characters.
Would have loved more of the cousins, more building of our lady's character. I loved that there were dragon shifters. They're my favorite. Fantasy is so boring when all the magical animals are bad. Dragons are by far my favorite fantasy element. This story had a lot of faults, but at the end of the day I really enjoyed the journey and might even take it again someday.
Saw someone compare this to a George rr Martin book but in my opinion this is the superior book. They're may have been a few errors in spelling or too many points of view but there was no rape and all the killings served a purpose.
I hate when authors kill people because of some imagined quota of death. Well I have to kill seven characters this season. Blah. You are the creator you make the rules. Kill when needed not just to further plot or cause pain. That's messed up. Sorry. Good book. Give it a read.
I'm really glad I finally got around to reading the story. It's been in my list for awhile now. I won't read the rest of the series, I'm not up for any more long winded adventures. Also the massive character overload that comes with too many points of view. Besides the summary says the main characters have a falling out and fight and question their live for each other? I'm not here for that at All. True love is end game for me. That being said I'll miss the characters.
Would have loved more of the cousins, more building of our lady's character. I loved that there were dragon shifters. They're my favorite. Fantasy is so boring when all the magical animals are bad. Dragons are by far my favorite fantasy element. This story had a lot of faults, but at the end of the day I really enjoyed the journey and might even take it again someday.
Saw someone compare this to a George rr Martin book but in my opinion this is the superior book. They're may have been a few errors in spelling or too many points of view but there was no rape and all the killings served a purpose.
I hate when authors kill people because of some imagined quota of death. Well I have to kill seven characters this season. Blah. You are the creator you make the rules. Kill when needed not just to further plot or cause pain. That's messed up. Sorry. Good book. Give it a read.
October 8, 2023
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring by more than 0.50 of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
Read years ago, thought I'd added it already.
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
Read years ago, thought I'd added it already.
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews