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Wake the Dragon #1
Auf den Schwingen des Drachen
Tief unter der Erde, geschützt von einem mächtigen Gebirge, lauert der Drache, die Verkörperung alles Bösen in dieser Welt. Über ihm liegen das magische Imperium der Drei Königreiche und Ishara, das Reich der Menschen, seit Jahrhunderten miteinander im Krieg. Doch als aus den sengenden Dünen der Wüste ein seit Langem verschollenes Volk auftaucht, müssen sich Ishara und die Drei Königreiche miteinander verbünden, um sich der neuen Bedrohung entgegenzustellen. Unterdessen wird der Drache rastloser und rastloser, und wehe den Menschen und magischen Völkern, wenn er aus den Tiefen der Erde aufsteigt ...
640 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2019
269 people are currently reading
3975 people want to read
About the author
Kevin J. Anderson
1,037 books3,102 followersYes, I have a lot of books, and if this is your first visit to my amazon author page, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are new to my work, let me recommend a few titles as good places to start. I love my Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, humorous horror/mysteries, which begin with DEATH WARMED OVER. My steampunk fantasy adventures, CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, written with Neil Peart, legendary drummer from Rush, are two of my very favorite novels ever. And my magnum opus, the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns, begins with HIDDEN EMPIRE. After you've tried those, I hope you'll check out some of my other series.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
August 3, 2024
Ух як же мені сподобалась книга 10/10⭐ Захопила з перших сторінок. Автор добре, та не навантажуючи, розповів про світ та світоустій в якому відбуваються події книги. Він повністю вигаданий та самобутній, зі своєю ієрархією, політикою, магією, божками, істотами, він цікавий, логічний та легко сприймається. Інформація про світ подається дозовано та стільки, скільки потрібно, без надмірного перевантаження читача.
Гарно прописані персонажі, їх тут багато та вони всі різні. За ними дуже приємно спостерігати. У кожного свій життєвий шлях, характер, мотивація, своє сприйняття світу, свої травми (тут норм так емоційно травмованих персонажів) своя сюжетна лінія. Деякі з них перетинаються та далі йдуть по одній сюжетній гілці. Багато подій відбувається у один і той же час, на різних територіях, автор майстерно передає їх через персонажів, через їх переживання, і це надає об'єму та цілісності історії.
Простий але цікавий сюжет, який поступово розвивається та набирає обертів на протязі усієї книги, а в кінці (+/- 80 с.) виливається у шикарну кульмінацію з класним екшеном. Ту є свої інтриги, змови, жага влади, зради, а також кохання, відданість, відвага, пошук справедливості та себе в цьому світі.
Динамічне, епічне, жорстоке та цікаве фентезі, яке заслуговує уваги, та чомусь, нажаль, у нас книга дуже недооцінена. А видання просто неймовірно якісне та гарне, збільшений формат, якісний папір, гарний фришт та дуже класні сюжетні ілюстрації та мапи. Тішить те, що попереду ще дві книги.
Гарно прописані персонажі, їх тут багато та вони всі різні. За ними дуже приємно спостерігати. У кожного свій життєвий шлях, характер, мотивація, своє сприйняття світу, свої травми (тут норм так емоційно травмованих персонажів) своя сюжетна лінія. Деякі з них перетинаються та далі йдуть по одній сюжетній гілці. Багато подій відбувається у один і той же час, на різних територіях, автор майстерно передає їх через персонажів, через їх переживання, і це надає об'єму та цілісності історії.
Простий але цікавий сюжет, який поступово розвивається та набирає обертів на протязі усієї книги, а в кінці (+/- 80 с.) виливається у шикарну кульмінацію з класним екшеном. Ту є свої інтриги, змови, жага влади, зради, а також кохання, відданість, відвага, пошук справедливості та себе в цьому світі.
Динамічне, епічне, жорстоке та цікаве фентезі, яке заслуговує уваги, та чомусь, нажаль, у нас книга дуже недооцінена. А видання просто неймовірно якісне та гарне, збільшений формат, якісний папір, гарний фришт та дуже класні сюжетні ілюстрації та мапи. Тішить те, що попереду ще дві книги.
August 3, 2019
This goes from “Oh this might be good” to” “Alright let’s get to it then” and then finally to skipping the last 200 pages because every 6 page chapter is so dull to find out what happens and the book ending exactly how you thought it would. I don’t mind short chapters, but there’s no time for us to get stuck into and know any of the characters. There isn’t much characterization apart from the explicit telling of what a character likes or doesn’t like or what he or she did or didn’t do.
The most interesting character was a woman with a tragic past, and I suppose this could be spoilery but oh well. There is a woman with a tragic past, and the entire idea of her character was redemption; how do you come back from doing something so horrible that society outcasts you? I’m talking egregiously violating the societal agreement where even the worst among us know it’s wrong. Then, it turns out she didn’t do it! Go figure!
Tragically boring with an interesting premise but that’s all.
The most interesting character was a woman with a tragic past, and I suppose this could be spoilery but oh well. There is a woman with a tragic past, and the entire idea of her character was redemption; how do you come back from doing something so horrible that society outcasts you? I’m talking egregiously violating the societal agreement where even the worst among us know it’s wrong. Then, it turns out she didn’t do it! Go figure!
Tragically boring with an interesting premise but that’s all.
July 12, 2019
Spine of the Dragon is a fantastic novel. I enjoyed the plot, the politics and the action. I am definitely going to read Book 2.
Want to read
June 19, 2019How did I miss that a new series by Kevin J. Anderson came out?!?
I love the Terra Incognita series. In my opinion it is a massively underrated fantasy series. One of my hidden gems. Now to get my hands on a copy!
I love the Terra Incognita series. In my opinion it is a massively underrated fantasy series. One of my hidden gems. Now to get my hands on a copy!
April 1, 2022
4 stars
You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.
This is a very good first book in a new fantasy series. It has it all - Kings and Queens, swords and fire, fighting, court intrigue, heroes, villains, dragons, magic, ancient beings, and a fickle god. C'mon, what more could you want in an epic fantasy?
Book Blurb
Two continents at war, the Three Kingdoms and Ishara, are divided by past bloodshed. When an outside threat arises—the reawakening of a powerful ancient race that wants to remake the world—the two warring nations must somehow set aside generational hatreds and form an alliance to fight their true enemy.
I listened to the audible book and felt the narrator did a great job. This book is 528 pages and contains a fair amount of worldbuilding. Reading worldbuilding in the first books of fantasy series is never fun, but at least the author spread some of it throughout the book so it wasn't concentrated in just one section. The chapters are short and are told in alternating points of views from several main characters. The characters are scattered throughout the kingdom and across the sea, and are having very different experiences that influence their thoughts and actions. Each character has their own prejudices, grudges and reasons for vengeance, thus, their motivations and desires conflict with other characters in the book, even those that should be aligned.
Because the various characters are spread throughout the empires, and the action is occurring simultaneously, the story jumps around a lot to check in with what is happening with each of the separate groups. There are a lot of moving parts in this story, so it requires the reader to pay close attention in order to understand everything that is going on. If that isn't hard enough, additional characters are added to the story as it progresses. I, for one, didn't mind this because the characters are fascinating and I loved trying to figure out how they would affect the storyline later.
There is plenty of intrigue, betrayals, and fighting in the book. I initially liked some characters, and then it was revealed that they did some shocking things that made me absolutely despise them. These baddies are balanced out with other characters that are more innocent and curious and I found myself rooting for their success. Yet other characters are mysterious and I wondered how they would factor into the story down the line. I have my suspicions, but the author could completely shock me just like he did with other characters in the book. I can't wait to read how it turns out.
I really enjoyed this book. The pacing is a bit uneven, and there are definitely parts where it dragged, but overall, it was a gripping read and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.
This is a very good first book in a new fantasy series. It has it all - Kings and Queens, swords and fire, fighting, court intrigue, heroes, villains, dragons, magic, ancient beings, and a fickle god. C'mon, what more could you want in an epic fantasy?
Book Blurb
Two continents at war, the Three Kingdoms and Ishara, are divided by past bloodshed. When an outside threat arises—the reawakening of a powerful ancient race that wants to remake the world—the two warring nations must somehow set aside generational hatreds and form an alliance to fight their true enemy.
I listened to the audible book and felt the narrator did a great job. This book is 528 pages and contains a fair amount of worldbuilding. Reading worldbuilding in the first books of fantasy series is never fun, but at least the author spread some of it throughout the book so it wasn't concentrated in just one section. The chapters are short and are told in alternating points of views from several main characters. The characters are scattered throughout the kingdom and across the sea, and are having very different experiences that influence their thoughts and actions. Each character has their own prejudices, grudges and reasons for vengeance, thus, their motivations and desires conflict with other characters in the book, even those that should be aligned.
Because the various characters are spread throughout the empires, and the action is occurring simultaneously, the story jumps around a lot to check in with what is happening with each of the separate groups. There are a lot of moving parts in this story, so it requires the reader to pay close attention in order to understand everything that is going on. If that isn't hard enough, additional characters are added to the story as it progresses. I, for one, didn't mind this because the characters are fascinating and I loved trying to figure out how they would affect the storyline later.
There is plenty of intrigue, betrayals, and fighting in the book. I initially liked some characters, and then it was revealed that they did some shocking things that made me absolutely despise them. These baddies are balanced out with other characters that are more innocent and curious and I found myself rooting for their success. Yet other characters are mysterious and I wondered how they would factor into the story down the line. I have my suspicions, but the author could completely shock me just like he did with other characters in the book. I can't wait to read how it turns out.
I really enjoyed this book. The pacing is a bit uneven, and there are definitely parts where it dragged, but overall, it was a gripping read and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
June 4, 2019
Reasonably interesting but I kind of expected better from the blurb (and other series of K Anderson which had more gripping first volumes, however they ended); I am not sure if it was the characters or the setting, but something didn't quite fit, though I kept turning the pages until the end
April 19, 2023
ох, мені дуже, як то кажуть, зайшло!!!
епічно, захопливо, моментами жорстоко і криваво — перша частина виявилась дійсно крутою(йой, хочу продовження ВЖЕ)!
епічно, захопливо, моментами жорстоко і криваво — перша частина виявилась дійсно крутою(йой, хочу продовження ВЖЕ)!
March 6, 2025
Re-Read ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ time
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everything I wrote below from three years ago still applies who has not read the series needs to read either. You’re gonna love it or you hate it one or the other but I think you’ll love it.!!
2022 ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
I couldn’t put this book down I read this in four days!
The Spine of The Dragon
What a great beginning to a new series!
There are two rival people who despise each other, then add an Ancient race called the Wreths, ( which have split into types of Wreths which have been dormant for a millennia), that in the humans folklore is who created them. Add political intrigue , A bracelet of magical flames and oh ….if we forgotten the elephant in the room, ( the title of the book )there’s a DRAGON!
I give this first entry five stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ loved it from beginning to end.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everything I wrote below from three years ago still applies who has not read the series needs to read either. You’re gonna love it or you hate it one or the other but I think you’ll love it.!!
2022 ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
I couldn’t put this book down I read this in four days!
The Spine of The Dragon
What a great beginning to a new series!
There are two rival people who despise each other, then add an Ancient race called the Wreths, ( which have split into types of Wreths which have been dormant for a millennia), that in the humans folklore is who created them. Add political intrigue , A bracelet of magical flames and oh ….if we forgotten the elephant in the room, ( the title of the book )there’s a DRAGON!
I give this first entry five stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ loved it from beginning to end.
July 12, 2019
Sorry, Kevin. I loved the work you did on Seven Suns Saga and the Dune books. I read The Map of All Things books -- was mildly intrigued. But The Spine of the Dragon? Seems more like a rehash of Map, but with the volume turned up. Case in point, Chapter 17: How gory and gross do you intend to get? In my humble opinion, you've sold out to the lowest level of readership possible. Are you hoping for it to be made into an M-rated video game, so you can retire in style? Keep at it. You used to be one of my top favorite authors. Not anymore. You've lost my interest...
September 12, 2019
Ponderous.
The writing wasn't bad. It just seems like author Anderson is still in the Dune universe mode where every history of every faction needs explanation and history.
I felt drawn to everything other than this book--in fact, I read 4 other books while this was on my nightstand.
The writing wasn't bad. It just seems like author Anderson is still in the Dune universe mode where every history of every faction needs explanation and history.
I felt drawn to everything other than this book--in fact, I read 4 other books while this was on my nightstand.
June 5, 2019
It is possible to read every book written by Kevin J. Anderson; difficult, yes, but not unheard of. Crazier things have happened. Other writers Hulk-out with envy at his prolific nature, and not only that, his books are engaging. That’s always a bonus.
In his latest offering, Spine of the Dragon, Anderson tours readers through the popular genre of intellectual fantasy fiction, which leans more literary than, say, those old Conan pulps, but it’s just as adventurous. For me, someone who’s read The Saga of the Seven Suns series and many of Anderson’s other science fiction (Dune for life!) titles, delving into an all new fantasy realm was a welcome change. With that pesky Game of Thrones now decided, and no new George R.R. Martin book on the horizon (same for my other favorite, Patrick Rothfuss), there’s no better time to meet the ancient wreths, explore the Commonwealth and Ishara, and wake the dragon!
The book begins with introductions, jumping as Anderson does, from character to character, then back again, until we the readers feel the rhythm of the work. We meet King Adan Starfall, the disgraced Brava Elliel, King Kollanan, and others, though not in a relaxed way. There’s a nasty sand storm, an attack from the sea at Mirrabay, insane monsters, and the return of a frightening long-gone army all within the first fifty pages. And did I mention the maps? It’s not worth raising your sword if there isn’t a map at the beginning of a fantasy book. Raise your sword high, because there’s more than one in Spine of the Dragon.
While some readers may see a few similarities, such as the frostwreths, who felt a bit like White Walkers to me; and the book’s toggle switch between characters may remind them of other fantasy novels, which Anderson has done forever by the way, there’s a lot to nerd over in Spine. The backstory of the wreths fascinated me, as did the godling’s relationship with the Isharans, and there’s so much to explore. As with Anderson’s other books, you’re never ready for them to end when they do.
And if there’s one thing Anderson is good at, it’s world building. Spine presents a well-molded civilization with a crisp plot and intriguing characters, told in that winning Anderson style, which for me is like hanging out with an old friend. As with most tales of magic, strange creatures, and stalwart warriors; you just can’t get it all in one book. So be on the lookout for book two already in the sandy Commonwealth pipeline!
In his latest offering, Spine of the Dragon, Anderson tours readers through the popular genre of intellectual fantasy fiction, which leans more literary than, say, those old Conan pulps, but it’s just as adventurous. For me, someone who’s read The Saga of the Seven Suns series and many of Anderson’s other science fiction (Dune for life!) titles, delving into an all new fantasy realm was a welcome change. With that pesky Game of Thrones now decided, and no new George R.R. Martin book on the horizon (same for my other favorite, Patrick Rothfuss), there’s no better time to meet the ancient wreths, explore the Commonwealth and Ishara, and wake the dragon!
The book begins with introductions, jumping as Anderson does, from character to character, then back again, until we the readers feel the rhythm of the work. We meet King Adan Starfall, the disgraced Brava Elliel, King Kollanan, and others, though not in a relaxed way. There’s a nasty sand storm, an attack from the sea at Mirrabay, insane monsters, and the return of a frightening long-gone army all within the first fifty pages. And did I mention the maps? It’s not worth raising your sword if there isn’t a map at the beginning of a fantasy book. Raise your sword high, because there’s more than one in Spine of the Dragon.
While some readers may see a few similarities, such as the frostwreths, who felt a bit like White Walkers to me; and the book’s toggle switch between characters may remind them of other fantasy novels, which Anderson has done forever by the way, there’s a lot to nerd over in Spine. The backstory of the wreths fascinated me, as did the godling’s relationship with the Isharans, and there’s so much to explore. As with Anderson’s other books, you’re never ready for them to end when they do.
And if there’s one thing Anderson is good at, it’s world building. Spine presents a well-molded civilization with a crisp plot and intriguing characters, told in that winning Anderson style, which for me is like hanging out with an old friend. As with most tales of magic, strange creatures, and stalwart warriors; you just can’t get it all in one book. So be on the lookout for book two already in the sandy Commonwealth pipeline!
June 27, 2019
This is Game of Thrones Lite
Budweiser or Bud Lite
Coca Cola or Diet Coke
Coffee or Decaf
Epic Fantasy or Fantasy Lite
An okay read but not a book i would recommend.
Spine of Dragons is Game of Thrones without all the calories and sugar. For example GOT has 7 kingdoms this has 3. One dragon instead of three.
One problem was the big events in the book happened with little build up or backstory. Early on a dust storm covered the city. The Sandwreth walk out of the storm. Haven't been seen in two thousand years. "Hi! We're here!"
Hey the lake is frozen solid. The townsfolk are all dead! Frostwreth! Where did they come from? Onn Queen of the Frostwreths decided to knock all the snow off the mountain range. "Ok everybody take your cloths off raise you hands and get rid of the snow!" Next chapter. Wait. Slow down.
Shadri decided one day to walk the whole continent of Commonwealth and write down its history. Where did she come from? Just showed up in the middle of the book with no backstory.
Isharan's with the help of a powerful godling destroyed the town of Mirrabay. Who are the godling?
Hey a girl is trying to break into Queen Iluris's palace! "What is your name child?" "Cemi." "I'll make you my heir" Wait What? Slow down!
Elliel found Thon hidden in a chamber deep in the mountain.
"Hey guys look who i found!" Thon! Who? He's a wreth but not one of the sand or frost. Oh. So who is he? On to the next chapter. Oh come on guys wait for me.
So these random events just seem to happen with no explanation.
Thon is a superwreth! Alright i give up.
Ultimately a disappointment that i just can't recommend. 2 1/2 stars but i will round it up to 3 because the short chapters made this a very quick and easy read. I think the hardcore fantasy readers will not find this filling. They would prefer the high cholesterol and diabetes of epic fantasy.
Budweiser or Bud Lite
Coca Cola or Diet Coke
Coffee or Decaf
Epic Fantasy or Fantasy Lite
An okay read but not a book i would recommend.
Spine of Dragons is Game of Thrones without all the calories and sugar. For example GOT has 7 kingdoms this has 3. One dragon instead of three.
One problem was the big events in the book happened with little build up or backstory. Early on a dust storm covered the city. The Sandwreth walk out of the storm. Haven't been seen in two thousand years. "Hi! We're here!"
Hey the lake is frozen solid. The townsfolk are all dead! Frostwreth! Where did they come from? Onn Queen of the Frostwreths decided to knock all the snow off the mountain range. "Ok everybody take your cloths off raise you hands and get rid of the snow!" Next chapter. Wait. Slow down.
Shadri decided one day to walk the whole continent of Commonwealth and write down its history. Where did she come from? Just showed up in the middle of the book with no backstory.
Isharan's with the help of a powerful godling destroyed the town of Mirrabay. Who are the godling?
Hey a girl is trying to break into Queen Iluris's palace! "What is your name child?" "Cemi." "I'll make you my heir" Wait What? Slow down!
Elliel found Thon hidden in a chamber deep in the mountain.
"Hey guys look who i found!" Thon! Who? He's a wreth but not one of the sand or frost. Oh. So who is he? On to the next chapter. Oh come on guys wait for me.
So these random events just seem to happen with no explanation.
Thon is a superwreth! Alright i give up.
Ultimately a disappointment that i just can't recommend. 2 1/2 stars but i will round it up to 3 because the short chapters made this a very quick and easy read. I think the hardcore fantasy readers will not find this filling. They would prefer the high cholesterol and diabetes of epic fantasy.
June 4, 2019
With every new book I read by Kevin J. Anderson, I'm reminded of just how immersive and deep his stories are. Spine of the Dragon is no different. Set in the fictional lands of the Commonwealth (comprised of three kingdoms) and Ishara, KJA takes us on an adventure of political intrigue, mystery, deception, and personal vendetta. An ancient race has returned after 2,000 years to reclaim their territory, wiping out any humans standing in their way. On one side of the Commonwealth, the Konag (supreme king) must decide between joining forces with his brother and son (kings of the other two kingdoms) to protect his land from said ancient race or going to war with a powerful, magical human race known as the Isharans. Are the Konag's thoughts on what should be done the same as his other kings and personal advisers? What are Ishara's thoughts on all of this? I'll guess you'll just have read the book to find out for yourself. Spine of the Dragon sets the stage for a massive fantasy opera that I can't wait to dive deeper into.
January 7, 2021
I honestly didn't know what to expect when I embarked upon the journey that was this book. Reading original fantasy stories is not necessarily my cup of tea - even though I am an avid Dungeons and Dragons and World of WarCraft player, I tend to stick to works in those particular areas of this genre. But, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised.
I can't wait for the next entry in the series.
I can't wait for the next entry in the series.
November 20, 2023
Дуже круте фентезі! Наче серіал подивилася!
November 6, 2020
Two continents at war, the Three Kingdoms and Ishara, are divided by past bloodshed. When an outside threat arises—the reawakening of a powerful ancient race that wants to remake the world—the two warring nations must somehow set aside generational hatreds and form an alliance to fight their true enemy.
DNF
This was our book club read for October, and from the description it sounded like it would be pretty good. I actually had pretty high hopes for it in the beginning, but the story ended up getting bogged down by way too many character points of view—quite of few of them unlikable—and not much ended up actually happening. This is the first book in a series and clearly it's one of those books that sets things up for future books. The problem is that I just didn't really care. There are also some pretty dark happenings. Mostly not described in detail, but some were more than I wanted to read. I feel like it's maybe wanting to be a Game of Thrones type book, which isn't my cup of tea.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader.
DNF
This was our book club read for October, and from the description it sounded like it would be pretty good. I actually had pretty high hopes for it in the beginning, but the story ended up getting bogged down by way too many character points of view—quite of few of them unlikable—and not much ended up actually happening. This is the first book in a series and clearly it's one of those books that sets things up for future books. The problem is that I just didn't really care. There are also some pretty dark happenings. Mostly not described in detail, but some were more than I wanted to read. I feel like it's maybe wanting to be a Game of Thrones type book, which isn't my cup of tea.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader.
Read
June 9, 2019This novel is laborious to get through. It chops and changes characters without earning any emotional connection to them. While the plot and world are interesting enough, the characters are bland tropes.
July 12, 2019
This book wasn't that good. There wasn't any exciting adventures or intriguing plot. it was mainly just a narration of events. With the scene changing too often to too many different characters with difficult names.
February 17, 2020
Derivative, formulaic, contrived and predictable.
October 21, 2022
2.60
DNF’d @ 52%
…couldn’t tell you a single character’s name
DNF’d @ 52%
…couldn’t tell you a single character’s name
December 22, 2025
Spine of the Dragon is an adventure of fragile trust. It’s always on the move as multiple factions make their own plays for control.
Human kingdoms, frostwreths, sandwreths, dragons and godlings will all have a part to play. They are all connected to the land which serves as somewhat a battlefield. All have destructive powers and quite frankly the humans seem insignificant. There is talk of great wars and an omnipotent god long forgotten in the past.
One wonders if it’s an inevitable reoccurring cycle. At least I did hahaha. Time will tell. ⏳
All the scheming and questioning trust aside, this has some riveting action sequences as well. The finale is literally non stop and tense with an epic dragon battle and an assassination plot. 🐲🔪
Great start and looking forward to book 2.
Human kingdoms, frostwreths, sandwreths, dragons and godlings will all have a part to play. They are all connected to the land which serves as somewhat a battlefield. All have destructive powers and quite frankly the humans seem insignificant. There is talk of great wars and an omnipotent god long forgotten in the past.
One wonders if it’s an inevitable reoccurring cycle. At least I did hahaha. Time will tell. ⏳
All the scheming and questioning trust aside, this has some riveting action sequences as well. The finale is literally non stop and tense with an epic dragon battle and an assassination plot. 🐲🔪
Great start and looking forward to book 2.
March 18, 2021
The premise of this book sounded interesting: ancient creatures coming back to humanity to kill a dragon, the incarnation of a god's evil. I was excited after reading the first few chapters, which set up different characters around the two main continents with some good initial world building. The hype was real as characters worried about the bigger picture of war and their own specific antagonists.
And then the hype and the build up continued for 350+ more pages. And that was it. Hype and characters' internal worry about the future, but no real future unfolding.
See scenario below:
Ancient Faction 1: Humans are weak. What do we do with them? We look forward to defeating Ancient Faction 2 because of our history and then killing the dragon.
Ancient Faction 2: Humans are weak. What do we do with them? We look forward to defeating Ancient Faction 1 because of our history and then killing the dragon.
King 1 (interchangeable with king 2 and 3): The ancient race is back? What do we do? What are their motives? Should we focus on this enemy or our other ones?
Bad priest: Our gods are strong. The empress does not agree with me. She's a threat that must be taken care of.
Empress: This priest is a threat who I can't trust. I'll keep an eye on him.
These were the characters' thoughts for 400+ pages. After a certain point the actual story has to start, right? All this worry has to lead to some type of action/decision making, right?
I skimmed through the last 200 pages in 30 minutes to see the key points and to see what actually happened at the end. Unfortunately at that point I didn't care about any of the characters and the main conflicts felt too manufactured.
In terms of characters, the three main kings are all interchangeable. "I am King XYZ, I must protect my people. I must be strong for my people. I care about my people." For the women, you are either a "strong" wife who King X couldn't do without because you're his rock and he loves coming home to you, or you're a random orphan who either 1.) has visions of the future 2.) are suddenly the next possible empress because you ran on the current empress' balcony so you obviously have spunk 3.) are random girl walking around asking questions about every. single. thing. in the world.
Wish this book lived up to its initial hype.
And then the hype and the build up continued for 350+ more pages. And that was it. Hype and characters' internal worry about the future, but no real future unfolding.
See scenario below:
Ancient Faction 1: Humans are weak. What do we do with them? We look forward to defeating Ancient Faction 2 because of our history and then killing the dragon.
Ancient Faction 2: Humans are weak. What do we do with them? We look forward to defeating Ancient Faction 1 because of our history and then killing the dragon.
King 1 (interchangeable with king 2 and 3): The ancient race is back? What do we do? What are their motives? Should we focus on this enemy or our other ones?
Bad priest: Our gods are strong. The empress does not agree with me. She's a threat that must be taken care of.
Empress: This priest is a threat who I can't trust. I'll keep an eye on him.
These were the characters' thoughts for 400+ pages. After a certain point the actual story has to start, right? All this worry has to lead to some type of action/decision making, right?
I skimmed through the last 200 pages in 30 minutes to see the key points and to see what actually happened at the end. Unfortunately at that point I didn't care about any of the characters and the main conflicts felt too manufactured.
In terms of characters, the three main kings are all interchangeable. "I am King XYZ, I must protect my people. I must be strong for my people. I care about my people." For the women, you are either a "strong" wife who King X couldn't do without because you're his rock and he loves coming home to you, or you're a random orphan who either 1.) has visions of the future 2.) are suddenly the next possible empress because you ran on the current empress' balcony so you obviously have spunk 3.) are random girl walking around asking questions about every. single. thing. in the world.
Wish this book lived up to its initial hype.
February 5, 2020
Oh man this book...Talk about tedious. Really nothing happens till about 400 pages in and it's only a 500 page book. I like the idea of it but it was just poorly executed. The whole time I was reading it I couldn't help get the feeling the author was just filling up as much space as possible till he got something the size of a novel done. Kind of like he was in school and told to write 1500 word essay and ran out of ideas at around the 800 word mark.
February 14, 2022
DNF @ page 147
CW: rape, CSA
Dull uninspiring characters and boring prose. Also it was weirdly misogynist and honestly kind of racist. I was already getting bad vibes when rape (CSA) was used as a trivial 'character-building' moment in an early chapter and the fact that I had to read about white men 'taming their exotic wives' TWICE means that I deserve financial compensation.
CW: rape, CSA
Dull uninspiring characters and boring prose. Also it was weirdly misogynist and honestly kind of racist. I was already getting bad vibes when rape (CSA) was used as a trivial 'character-building' moment in an early chapter and the fact that I had to read about white men 'taming their exotic wives' TWICE means that I deserve financial compensation.
February 12, 2021
Phuu, das war wirklich nicht einfach, obwohl ich das Buch wirklich toll finden wollte. Die Welt und die Idee dahinter finde ich gut, aber mit waren die meisten Charakter zu oberflächlich und stereotypisch. Mit einem Brandon Sanderson Lob hinten drauf hätte ich deutlich mehr erwartet.
Want to read
June 11, 2019
politically-charged epic fantasy with dragon in the title??? SIGN ME UP
January 27, 2022
I don't like the plot, but since it written by KJA, the excusion is amazing is what makes me love it.
June 1, 2019
I was fortunate to get an advance copy of this. This is a wonderful start to a new fantasy series. The world and races are fleshed out and intriguing. I especially liked the politics between the human rulers. While they are close family, their interests and motivations don't always align and should not in some cases. The pacing moves along quickly so don't expect to be bogged down like some epic fantasy series. I found myself moving through the chapters at great speed to find out what happens to our heroes.
There are plenty of hooks for the next book as the different storylines are all dealing with tragedy and deception. I now have to wait for the next installment which knowing the author's writing speed should mean I don't have long to wait.
There are plenty of hooks for the next book as the different storylines are all dealing with tragedy and deception. I now have to wait for the next installment which knowing the author's writing speed should mean I don't have long to wait.
November 29, 2021
I can't recommend, but can review.
Edit. I feel is necessary to put this warning up front this Is most certainly not for young adults and Below. Though It does start out having the feel of a standard fantasy it gets disturbing in such a way that could trigger those who have been molested in the past. Though up to the point that I quit halfway through nothing was shown on page. The rest is explained in the review.
After reading the blurb about Kevin J Anderson And for the book I was excited. So excited that I purchased not only the book but also the Audible version.
The very 1st chapter had me wondering what was going on. The third person limited pov character was meant to be a rightous and noble young king and there was zero subtlety to it or the dialog. And the following chapters each with its own new point of view character the same followed. There was some interesting elements That showed the author clearly has talent as I would expect but the usage of it was amateurish at best. The entire time you seen the author's hand.
There's a lot of writer no-nos that can be annoying to wince induceing and seen most amateurs, hobby writers like myself and self publishers. This was written almost as checklist of was not to do. There was plenty of maid and butler diloge with info dumps in it, in constant flashbacks, and navel gazing, and leaf the reader by the noes dialog. Then there's the repeating dialog /infodumps when a character is revised the kept coming. Up to the point where I had to eventually stop this story is all tell and little show. There were so many POV characters and so little time to get attached to them that honestly nothing engaged me and I was fairly bored even with magic and action possiblties.
For me all that forgivable separately or if it is a nee author. This was from famous author so I expected more…. Particularly when it came to geography, Plotting or idiot plotting better said, and most of all the content and tone of the story and how it matched from chapter to chapter.
There was almost a checklist of what could be Consider great ideas in an epic fantasy but everything was jumbled mixed mashed and ill fitting.
I almost gave up before I got past the 20th chapter. To be bkunt one of the characters, The obvious "evil lCharacter of evi"l is also a Pedophile. Nothing was graphic or detailed but it was disturbing despite nothing takeing place except the knowledge that it had taken place in the past.It is gross and did not fit the tone of the novel up to that point. It felt as if it was shocking for shocking sake as if the author wanted to go Game of Thrones and figured "let's throw something like this in it."
I cannot recall also whether or not this was before or after this chapter but there was pov from another character who was molested as a child in the past. And though it wasn't graphic it was too much I felt to be combined with this. The tone of the story wasn't the same in certain chapters. At some points it feels like a fantasy story for all then Tries for something dark and gritty and shocking.
There was one particular character that did hold my interest as she was the most complex Character and also one who was constantly doing something And simply had the most potential for a cool story.
What finally got me to the point of quitting and took a couple chapters after it for me to finally put the book down was the actual rape of a male character by powful magical female character As it turns out a few Paragraphs into it also occurring in front of a child. Again nothing was graphic but it was some detail enough For me to realize that this is not a book for me.
Nothing gripping this way comes was my 1st thought as a title of my review when I was only 10 chapters in. Then I was thinking this is a 3 star story and even worse than a lot of these self published books I've burned through. There's a lot of good stuff here even see the talent and the author and the possibility in the story itself. I expect it more and perhaps that is why I was disappointed. But also I'm confused As to why someone with such obvious access to publishers and editors could Have this published under their name.
I'm not trying to be rude or mean. I would actually love to discuss this with the actual author as he's also a writing professor. Perhaps I was too dim to see the vision of the story.
I read some reviews and I have seen some people give up on him as a writer and I've also seen others who say they expect it more because of certain works in the past. I may end up reading him, but I will be cautious and after reading a lot of reviews.
Edit. I feel is necessary to put this warning up front this Is most certainly not for young adults and Below. Though It does start out having the feel of a standard fantasy it gets disturbing in such a way that could trigger those who have been molested in the past. Though up to the point that I quit halfway through nothing was shown on page. The rest is explained in the review.
After reading the blurb about Kevin J Anderson And for the book I was excited. So excited that I purchased not only the book but also the Audible version.
The very 1st chapter had me wondering what was going on. The third person limited pov character was meant to be a rightous and noble young king and there was zero subtlety to it or the dialog. And the following chapters each with its own new point of view character the same followed. There was some interesting elements That showed the author clearly has talent as I would expect but the usage of it was amateurish at best. The entire time you seen the author's hand.
There's a lot of writer no-nos that can be annoying to wince induceing and seen most amateurs, hobby writers like myself and self publishers. This was written almost as checklist of was not to do. There was plenty of maid and butler diloge with info dumps in it, in constant flashbacks, and navel gazing, and leaf the reader by the noes dialog. Then there's the repeating dialog /infodumps when a character is revised the kept coming. Up to the point where I had to eventually stop this story is all tell and little show. There were so many POV characters and so little time to get attached to them that honestly nothing engaged me and I was fairly bored even with magic and action possiblties.
For me all that forgivable separately or if it is a nee author. This was from famous author so I expected more…. Particularly when it came to geography, Plotting or idiot plotting better said, and most of all the content and tone of the story and how it matched from chapter to chapter.
There was almost a checklist of what could be Consider great ideas in an epic fantasy but everything was jumbled mixed mashed and ill fitting.
I almost gave up before I got past the 20th chapter. To be bkunt one of the characters, The obvious "evil lCharacter of evi"l is also a Pedophile. Nothing was graphic or detailed but it was disturbing despite nothing takeing place except the knowledge that it had taken place in the past.It is gross and did not fit the tone of the novel up to that point. It felt as if it was shocking for shocking sake as if the author wanted to go Game of Thrones and figured "let's throw something like this in it."
I cannot recall also whether or not this was before or after this chapter but there was pov from another character who was molested as a child in the past. And though it wasn't graphic it was too much I felt to be combined with this. The tone of the story wasn't the same in certain chapters. At some points it feels like a fantasy story for all then Tries for something dark and gritty and shocking.
There was one particular character that did hold my interest as she was the most complex Character and also one who was constantly doing something And simply had the most potential for a cool story.
What finally got me to the point of quitting and took a couple chapters after it for me to finally put the book down was the actual rape of a male character by powful magical female character As it turns out a few Paragraphs into it also occurring in front of a child. Again nothing was graphic but it was some detail enough For me to realize that this is not a book for me.
Nothing gripping this way comes was my 1st thought as a title of my review when I was only 10 chapters in. Then I was thinking this is a 3 star story and even worse than a lot of these self published books I've burned through. There's a lot of good stuff here even see the talent and the author and the possibility in the story itself. I expect it more and perhaps that is why I was disappointed. But also I'm confused As to why someone with such obvious access to publishers and editors could Have this published under their name.
I'm not trying to be rude or mean. I would actually love to discuss this with the actual author as he's also a writing professor. Perhaps I was too dim to see the vision of the story.
I read some reviews and I have seen some people give up on him as a writer and I've also seen others who say they expect it more because of certain works in the past. I may end up reading him, but I will be cautious and after reading a lot of reviews.
July 29, 2020
Wow ich bin noch immer hin und weg und würde am liebsten gleich den nächsten Band lesen. Warum das so ist erfahrt ihr natürlich gleich.
Das Setting macht richtig Spaß. Es wird viel geboten, schöne malerische Dörfer, Ischara; ein aufstrebendes magisches Reich das von einer Frau geführt wird und ein Reich nahe der Wüste.Und dazu kommen Totgeglaubte Wesen, die sogenannten Wreth. Und diese Wreth unterscheiden sich sehr von einander, es gibt die Sandwreth und die Frostwreth, deren eigene Geschichte dafür sorgt das diese beiden Völker in einem erbitterten Krieg miteinander liegen. Die Menschen, die sie erschaffen haben, sind nur Mittel zum Zweck. Für dieses Volk zählt alleine der Sieg über das andere und ihr Ziel ist es die Welt wie sie ist zu zerstören um sie neu zu erschaffen.
Jedes Wreth Volk hat seine eigene Magie und die Menschen stehen als Spielball zwischen diesen Mächten.
Und während die Menschen untereinander noch ihre Streitigkeiten haben, da auch ihre Reiche verfeindet sind, scheinen die Wreth leichtes Spiel zu haben. Aber weit gefehlt, denn es gibt unter ihnen noch einige die den Kampf noch nicht aufgegeben haben.
Was ich persönlich beim Lesen sehr mochte waren die unterschiedlichen Seiten die man beim Lesen kennengelernt hat. Charaktere die man zu Beginn noch als “gut” empfand stellten sich als doch nicht so toll heraus und von denen man nichts gutes erwartet hat wurde man noch überrascht. Schön ist auch das die Magie in diesem Band nicht zu kurz kommt. So fand ich die Ideen mit dem Herzverbunden Ska toll, aber auch die der Wreth ist sehr interessant. Und natürlich gibt es auch die typischen machthungrigen Charaktere die unseren Helden das Leben noch schwerer machen als es ohnehin schon ist. Verluste und Verrat, Intrigen all das runden die für mich gelungene Erzählung perfekt ab.
Kommen wir zu den Charakteren. Ich hab sehr schnell meine Lieblinge gefunden. Ich mochte Adan und Penda und auch Elliel. Es gibt noch viele andere die mir sympahtisch waren, Glik zum Beispiel, aber das sollen nur einige sein. Klovus dagegen weniger, ebenso gibt es da ein paar Wreth die ich nicht ausstehen kann. Aber das kann ich nicht näher erkläre ohne zu spoilern. Bei selbst lesen werde ihr merken warum. Die Empera Iluris fand ich zu Beginn etwas schwach, aber das hat sich dann geändert. Man sieht wie klug sie ihre Geschäfte führt und Klovus immer wieder in die Quere kommt.
Weiteres kleines Highlight neben der Magie und den Charakteren ist für mich auch der bildhafte und schön leicht zu lesende Schreibstil des Autors. Man kann sich alles so schön vorstellen und bevor man sich versieht ist man in der tollen Geschichte versunken und mag das Buch nicht mehr aus den Händen legen. Jeder Charakter wirkt interessant und so will man natürlich weiterlesen um zu wissen was das Schicksal für ihn bereit hält.
FAZIT:
Ich muss ehrlich sagen das ich mich schon wie ein Schulmädchen auf den nächsten Band freue. Ich habe eine Geschichte voller Magie, toller Charaktere und einer spannenden Handlung gelesen und will nun unbedingt mehr erfahren. Der Drache ist erwacht und das Ende noch nicht in Sicht. Wie wird es weitergehen mit den Menschen? Wir mit Birk? All das sind nur ein paar Fragen die ich noch unbedingt beantwortet haben muss. Dazu hat mich dieses Buch wirklich so gut unterhalten wie schon lange keines mehr. Alles was man sich von guter Fantasy wünscht hab ich hier bekommen. Für Fantasy Fans ist es auf jeden Fall einen Blick Wert.
Das Setting macht richtig Spaß. Es wird viel geboten, schöne malerische Dörfer, Ischara; ein aufstrebendes magisches Reich das von einer Frau geführt wird und ein Reich nahe der Wüste.Und dazu kommen Totgeglaubte Wesen, die sogenannten Wreth. Und diese Wreth unterscheiden sich sehr von einander, es gibt die Sandwreth und die Frostwreth, deren eigene Geschichte dafür sorgt das diese beiden Völker in einem erbitterten Krieg miteinander liegen. Die Menschen, die sie erschaffen haben, sind nur Mittel zum Zweck. Für dieses Volk zählt alleine der Sieg über das andere und ihr Ziel ist es die Welt wie sie ist zu zerstören um sie neu zu erschaffen.
Jedes Wreth Volk hat seine eigene Magie und die Menschen stehen als Spielball zwischen diesen Mächten.
Und während die Menschen untereinander noch ihre Streitigkeiten haben, da auch ihre Reiche verfeindet sind, scheinen die Wreth leichtes Spiel zu haben. Aber weit gefehlt, denn es gibt unter ihnen noch einige die den Kampf noch nicht aufgegeben haben.
Was ich persönlich beim Lesen sehr mochte waren die unterschiedlichen Seiten die man beim Lesen kennengelernt hat. Charaktere die man zu Beginn noch als “gut” empfand stellten sich als doch nicht so toll heraus und von denen man nichts gutes erwartet hat wurde man noch überrascht. Schön ist auch das die Magie in diesem Band nicht zu kurz kommt. So fand ich die Ideen mit dem Herzverbunden Ska toll, aber auch die der Wreth ist sehr interessant. Und natürlich gibt es auch die typischen machthungrigen Charaktere die unseren Helden das Leben noch schwerer machen als es ohnehin schon ist. Verluste und Verrat, Intrigen all das runden die für mich gelungene Erzählung perfekt ab.
Kommen wir zu den Charakteren. Ich hab sehr schnell meine Lieblinge gefunden. Ich mochte Adan und Penda und auch Elliel. Es gibt noch viele andere die mir sympahtisch waren, Glik zum Beispiel, aber das sollen nur einige sein. Klovus dagegen weniger, ebenso gibt es da ein paar Wreth die ich nicht ausstehen kann. Aber das kann ich nicht näher erkläre ohne zu spoilern. Bei selbst lesen werde ihr merken warum. Die Empera Iluris fand ich zu Beginn etwas schwach, aber das hat sich dann geändert. Man sieht wie klug sie ihre Geschäfte führt und Klovus immer wieder in die Quere kommt.
Weiteres kleines Highlight neben der Magie und den Charakteren ist für mich auch der bildhafte und schön leicht zu lesende Schreibstil des Autors. Man kann sich alles so schön vorstellen und bevor man sich versieht ist man in der tollen Geschichte versunken und mag das Buch nicht mehr aus den Händen legen. Jeder Charakter wirkt interessant und so will man natürlich weiterlesen um zu wissen was das Schicksal für ihn bereit hält.
FAZIT:
Ich muss ehrlich sagen das ich mich schon wie ein Schulmädchen auf den nächsten Band freue. Ich habe eine Geschichte voller Magie, toller Charaktere und einer spannenden Handlung gelesen und will nun unbedingt mehr erfahren. Der Drache ist erwacht und das Ende noch nicht in Sicht. Wie wird es weitergehen mit den Menschen? Wir mit Birk? All das sind nur ein paar Fragen die ich noch unbedingt beantwortet haben muss. Dazu hat mich dieses Buch wirklich so gut unterhalten wie schon lange keines mehr. Alles was man sich von guter Fantasy wünscht hab ich hier bekommen. Für Fantasy Fans ist es auf jeden Fall einen Blick Wert.
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