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Sianim #2
Le Voleur de Dragon
Réduite en esclavage quand elle était enfant, Rialla fuit son odieux maître et s'installe à Sianim... jusqu'au jour où se présente enfin l'occasion de se venger. Un seigneur se bat pour l'abolition de l'esclavage, mais certains sont prêts à tout pour l'arrêter. Chargée d'empêcher son assassinat, Rialla est entraînée dans un monde placé sous le signe de la magie, régi par des dieux cruels. Si l'espionne ne sous-estime pas les dangers de sa mission, l'ancienne esclave, elle, sait qu'elle n'a pas le choix.
381 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1995
275 people are currently reading
3791 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Briggs
123 books30k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana, to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children, and six horses and writes full time, much to the delight of her fans.
Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana, to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children, and six horses and writes full time, much to the delight of her fans.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 270 reviews
December 22, 2019
Steal the Dragon is book two in the Sianim series by Patricia Briggs and narrated by Jennifer James Bradshaw. This one is very intense, deep, and exciting. It’s filled with wizards, mages, and spies.
I want to get out of the way; dragon. The dragon in the title is miss leading. There is one appearance in a dream of a dragon, but there are no dragons in this book.
Now, I loved book one and four in this series. Both those books focus on Aralorn who is an interesting character, but in Steal the Dragon we get different characters in the same world just a different part of the world. The only common thing is the mercenary guild.
This novel reads as a stand-alone. You don’t have to read in order as you can see I read books one and then jumped to four and then came back for two.
Rialla is a former dancer/slave who is asked to return to the land of her slavery on an important mission for the Spymaster of the mercenary guild. She does this, but it’s not easy for her. Has she really left slavery behind her, even though she’s found her way to the mercenary guild and a new life. I felt for our lead and what she’s trying to do and all that she had to go through to complete the mission/goal.
Things don’t go as planed and Laeth her slaver spy partner is accused of murder. She ends up finding help in an unexpected place. Tris our healer is more than he seams. He’s not quite human. He helps Rialla and Laeth. With Laeth on his way back to the mercenary guild with part of the information, Tris and Rialla stay behind to find the real killer, which puts her in her former owner’s clutches again.
There is slavery and all that that entails. It was hard to listen to the scenes of abuse and rape. Rillalla’s internal conflict is intense and well done. Tris was a nice love interest, tho the focus is the mission with love blooming slowly. I like that they solve their issues with brain power rather than muscle power and even at times running away.
Steal the Dragon is a sneaky chess game with skill and strategy. The storytelling is vivid and outstanding.
Narration: Jennifer James Bradshaw does a wonderful job! I’m glad I listened. It made the story move along and brought out the hardships and issues these characters face. I like how vivid the different voices are for everyone and it felt like the story was coming off the pages.
Rated: 4 Stars
I want to get out of the way; dragon. The dragon in the title is miss leading. There is one appearance in a dream of a dragon, but there are no dragons in this book.
Now, I loved book one and four in this series. Both those books focus on Aralorn who is an interesting character, but in Steal the Dragon we get different characters in the same world just a different part of the world. The only common thing is the mercenary guild.
This novel reads as a stand-alone. You don’t have to read in order as you can see I read books one and then jumped to four and then came back for two.
Rialla is a former dancer/slave who is asked to return to the land of her slavery on an important mission for the Spymaster of the mercenary guild. She does this, but it’s not easy for her. Has she really left slavery behind her, even though she’s found her way to the mercenary guild and a new life. I felt for our lead and what she’s trying to do and all that she had to go through to complete the mission/goal.
Things don’t go as planed and Laeth her slaver spy partner is accused of murder. She ends up finding help in an unexpected place. Tris our healer is more than he seams. He’s not quite human. He helps Rialla and Laeth. With Laeth on his way back to the mercenary guild with part of the information, Tris and Rialla stay behind to find the real killer, which puts her in her former owner’s clutches again.
There is slavery and all that that entails. It was hard to listen to the scenes of abuse and rape. Rillalla’s internal conflict is intense and well done. Tris was a nice love interest, tho the focus is the mission with love blooming slowly. I like that they solve their issues with brain power rather than muscle power and even at times running away.
Steal the Dragon is a sneaky chess game with skill and strategy. The storytelling is vivid and outstanding.
Narration: Jennifer James Bradshaw does a wonderful job! I’m glad I listened. It made the story move along and brought out the hardships and issues these characters face. I like how vivid the different voices are for everyone and it felt like the story was coming off the pages.
Rated: 4 Stars
August 16, 2018
3.5 stars rounded up
Another of Briggs' early sword and sorcery with a side of romance novels. This is only loosely related to the first Sianim book and can be read as a standalone.
An interesting study in how the human mind works to shield us from intolerable situations (slavery/rape) and find a way to accept our existence in ways we never expected. Not as much action as I normally like in these types of stories, but the hero was a great guy (Briggs knows how to write a hero you'd want IRL and fantasy).
The moral ambiguity of certain characters was appreciated as well. In a society where slavery was legal, there are going to be those who don't question the morality of the status quo. Rialla's best friend and former slaveholder turned mercenary admits that if it hadn't been for his life away from his homeland and friendship with Rialla he wouldn't have been bothered by the question of legal slavery in his country. Another good example is the villain's son. He was villainous in his own right. Despite that, he did have a set of morals and was not the sadistic, conscienceless murderer his father was. He's very misguided and his power makes for a dangerous situation, but he wasn't without redeeming qualities which is always disturbing in a 'makes you think' sort of way.
Also interesting that neither character was a warrior, although they could certainly take care of themselves.
3.5 stars because of the lack of development in the romance department. If Briggs had written this today, I have a feeling she'd have gotten at least two books out of it and the romance would not have been consummated until book 2. She was building a career at this point and probably didn't have the luxury of pacing the story as she would have wished. The heroine was too scarred by her 7 years spent as a slave. She had no interest in sex or romance and she had some understandable fear of men. I am certain Briggs knew the abrupt HEA at the end was premature and therefore let it fade to black, leaving the reader to decide if it was consummated. I don't doubt the two would end up happy together, but Rialla would have had issues with physical intimacy that would have taken longer to overcome.
Another of Briggs' early sword and sorcery with a side of romance novels. This is only loosely related to the first Sianim book and can be read as a standalone.
An interesting study in how the human mind works to shield us from intolerable situations (slavery/rape) and find a way to accept our existence in ways we never expected. Not as much action as I normally like in these types of stories, but the hero was a great guy (Briggs knows how to write a hero you'd want IRL and fantasy).
The moral ambiguity of certain characters was appreciated as well. In a society where slavery was legal, there are going to be those who don't question the morality of the status quo. Rialla's best friend and former slaveholder turned mercenary admits that if it hadn't been for his life away from his homeland and friendship with Rialla he wouldn't have been bothered by the question of legal slavery in his country. Another good example is the villain's son. He was villainous in his own right. Despite that, he did have a set of morals and was not the sadistic, conscienceless murderer his father was. He's very misguided and his power makes for a dangerous situation, but he wasn't without redeeming qualities which is always disturbing in a 'makes you think' sort of way.
Also interesting that neither character was a warrior, although they could certainly take care of themselves.
3.5 stars because of the lack of development in the romance department. If Briggs had written this today, I have a feeling she'd have gotten at least two books out of it and the romance would not have been consummated until book 2. She was building a career at this point and probably didn't have the luxury of pacing the story as she would have wished. The heroine was too scarred by her 7 years spent as a slave. She had no interest in sex or romance and she had some understandable fear of men. I am certain Briggs knew the abrupt HEA at the end was premature and therefore let it fade to black, leaving the reader to decide if it was consummated. I don't doubt the two would end up happy together, but Rialla would have had issues with physical intimacy that would have taken longer to overcome.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2021
.Well I enjoyed this one more than the first book, but not by a lot. That still makes it a good read though, it being by one of my fave authors.
Railla was stolen from her family and made a slave as a teen. Her family and friends were mostly killed. So there's a lot of ugliness in this story. Just FYI, there's slavery and it is NOT prettied up for the reader. There's some pretty despicable villains. And there's suicide and rape as well.
Rialla is asked by the spy master of Sianim to help a compatriot save his brother from assassins. But to do so would mean pretending to be a slave of her compatriot. I thought PB was dealt with the whole slavery issue well. What is was like to be a slave when she was younger as opposed to how it felt to pretend to be a slave, knowing she would be rescued if it all went south.
The mystery of who is trying to assassinate the brother is pretty transparent once all the players are in play (about half way to 2/3). So the pull of the story lost some steam for me then.
I loved the idea of the H and the h, but I didn't really feel the chemistry between them. At least not so much from her side.
And the ending was disappointing for me. The romance was tied up before her job was, so it felt like Tris had exited the stage. Leaving the whole story to finish on a conversation between Rialla and a detestable person. It made it leave a kinda bitter taste in my mouth.
Safety is meh
Railla was stolen from her family and made a slave as a teen. Her family and friends were mostly killed. So there's a lot of ugliness in this story. Just FYI, there's slavery and it is NOT prettied up for the reader. There's some pretty despicable villains. And there's suicide and rape as well.
Rialla is asked by the spy master of Sianim to help a compatriot save his brother from assassins. But to do so would mean pretending to be a slave of her compatriot. I thought PB was dealt with the whole slavery issue well. What is was like to be a slave when she was younger as opposed to how it felt to pretend to be a slave, knowing she would be rescued if it all went south.
The mystery of who is trying to assassinate the brother is pretty transparent once all the players are in play (about half way to 2/3). So the pull of the story lost some steam for me then.
I loved the idea of the H and the h, but I didn't really feel the chemistry between them. At least not so much from her side.
And the ending was disappointing for me. The romance was tied up before her job was, so it felt like Tris had exited the stage. Leaving the whole story to finish on a conversation between Rialla and a detestable person. It made it leave a kinda bitter taste in my mouth.
Safety is meh
July 1, 2013
There are no dragons in this book – well there is, but not a significant one and it only appears on the page once, in a dream. So having got that out of the way, this is early Briggs (1995). It’s the second in her Sianim books, the first being her debut book, Masques which is so difficult to find that it’s listed at several silly prices from around $135 (so I haven’t read it yet). However not having read the first is no problem because this is a complete standalone (apparently the two books share some side characters) in which former dancer/slave, Rialla, is asked to return to the land of her slavery on an important mission for the Spymaster of the mercenary nation of Sianim.
She’s disguised as a slave to her spy-mission-partner Laeth and the big issue at first is whether she can go back to the guise of slavery and, indeed, whether, after seven years of freedom, she’s ever really left slavery behind. This is heightened by the appearance of her former slave-master and his demand (unmet) that his property be returned to him. When Laeth is accused of murder and incarcerated help appears from a totally unexpected quarter, the somewhat hunky, but rather strange healer, Tris, who is rather more than he appears. He’s not-quite-human for starters. With Laeth rescued and heading back to the Spymaster with the first part of the required intelligence, it’s left up to Rialla and Tris to find the real killer and that, means Rialla is going to have to let herself fall into her former owner’s clutches again.
Patricia Briggs has learned a lot about writing since she wrote ‘Steal the Dragon’, but the early promise was definitely there and this is well worth reading. Rialla’s internal conflict about her independence and her feelings about slavery are well done and not too heavy-handed. Tris is a decent love interest – for once a hero in a fantasy novel who does not carry weapons of any kind. Rialla is the sword-wielder of the pair, though mostly the problems are solved by brain-power rather than muscle power and by some hearty running away. Nice! But the ending – the actual consummation scene between the two protagonists – is a missed opportunity to explore the last of Rialla’s relationship issues. Briggs has herself admitted that (in an online interview) but also said that – at the time – Rialla’s issues had taken her right to the edge of her (then) writing ability. Happily her abilities to bring out characters and their issues and not take the easy option have developed at a great rate (see the Mercy Thompson novels for proof of that), however I’m looking forward to catching up (retrospectively) with some other early Patricia Briggs novels to see the progressive development of a huge talent.
Oh, and Steal the Dragon is a sneaky chess-like game of skill, strategy and guile which Tris is delighted to find Rialla can not only play, but can beat him at, too.
She’s disguised as a slave to her spy-mission-partner Laeth and the big issue at first is whether she can go back to the guise of slavery and, indeed, whether, after seven years of freedom, she’s ever really left slavery behind. This is heightened by the appearance of her former slave-master and his demand (unmet) that his property be returned to him. When Laeth is accused of murder and incarcerated help appears from a totally unexpected quarter, the somewhat hunky, but rather strange healer, Tris, who is rather more than he appears. He’s not-quite-human for starters. With Laeth rescued and heading back to the Spymaster with the first part of the required intelligence, it’s left up to Rialla and Tris to find the real killer and that, means Rialla is going to have to let herself fall into her former owner’s clutches again.
Patricia Briggs has learned a lot about writing since she wrote ‘Steal the Dragon’, but the early promise was definitely there and this is well worth reading. Rialla’s internal conflict about her independence and her feelings about slavery are well done and not too heavy-handed. Tris is a decent love interest – for once a hero in a fantasy novel who does not carry weapons of any kind. Rialla is the sword-wielder of the pair, though mostly the problems are solved by brain-power rather than muscle power and by some hearty running away. Nice! But the ending – the actual consummation scene between the two protagonists – is a missed opportunity to explore the last of Rialla’s relationship issues. Briggs has herself admitted that (in an online interview) but also said that – at the time – Rialla’s issues had taken her right to the edge of her (then) writing ability. Happily her abilities to bring out characters and their issues and not take the easy option have developed at a great rate (see the Mercy Thompson novels for proof of that), however I’m looking forward to catching up (retrospectively) with some other early Patricia Briggs novels to see the progressive development of a huge talent.
Oh, and Steal the Dragon is a sneaky chess-like game of skill, strategy and guile which Tris is delighted to find Rialla can not only play, but can beat him at, too.
January 19, 2016
Second in the fantasy series, Sianim.
My Take
I very much enjoyed reading the story but Steal the Dragon leaves the question of the alliance wide open. Nor is there any hint of if the slavery question is dealt with.
Briggs creates a believable setting and a great cast of characters; I just wish there was more continuity among this set of stories.
The Story
A horse trainer who escaped now agrees to return when she learns a Darran lord wants to end slavery.
And, naturally, everything goes awry with potentially disastrous consequences.
The Characters
Rialla is a horse trainer in Sianim. Laeth is a mercenary friend who is brother to the Darran lord.
Darran is…
…the country that ambushed Rialla's clan and sold them into slavery. A Darran lord wants to end the slavery.
Sianim is…
…a mercenary nation concerned about Cybelle's intentions. The Spymaster of Sianim sends Rialla on a mission to help Laeth's brother.
Cybelle is…
…a country conquering other countries right and left, and where the Voice of Altis is the current ruler.
Reth may be…
…interested in an alliance but only if its king must marry the Darran king's sister.
My Take
I very much enjoyed reading the story but Steal the Dragon leaves the question of the alliance wide open. Nor is there any hint of if the slavery question is dealt with.
Briggs creates a believable setting and a great cast of characters; I just wish there was more continuity among this set of stories.
The Story
A horse trainer who escaped now agrees to return when she learns a Darran lord wants to end slavery.
And, naturally, everything goes awry with potentially disastrous consequences.
The Characters
Rialla is a horse trainer in Sianim. Laeth is a mercenary friend who is brother to the Darran lord.
Darran is…
…the country that ambushed Rialla's clan and sold them into slavery. A Darran lord wants to end the slavery.
Sianim is…
…a mercenary nation concerned about Cybelle's intentions. The Spymaster of Sianim sends Rialla on a mission to help Laeth's brother.
Cybelle is…
…a country conquering other countries right and left, and where the Voice of Altis is the current ruler.
Reth may be…
…interested in an alliance but only if its king must marry the Darran king's sister.
May 8, 2022
Disclaimer: no dragons were stolen or otherwise harmed during the events of this novel.
The plot: When Rilla was a child, her Trader family were targeted by slave traders from Darran, with the men killed and the women and children taken into slavery. Rilla was trained as a dancer and forced to perform for her master for years before she was finally able to escape to the small mercenary nation of Sianim. Now a Darrian nobleman seeks an alliance with the neighbouring country of Reth, which may put an end to the slave trade once and for all, if he isn't killed first. Rialla is sent back into Darran to prevent the assassination of Lord Karsten and perhaps see the slave trade that killed her family destroyed.
This was a decent story, just not one I enjoyed especially. It's a fairly modest fantasy story, possibly more sword and sorcery than epic. Rilla is a nice enough character, tortured by her past and desperate to play the part of a slave without slipping back into the old ingrained habits of slavery - bearing in mind that she still has nightmares of her time as a slave, you can appreciate how difficult this is. The lore of the world was interesting, particularly the different magics practised by the different races, but I would have liked a map so we could see where all these different countries were.
So in the end, I'd mark this as a story competently told; I didn't mind it, but I'm unlikely to ever read it again. Minus one star for the title (there are no dragons of any sort in this book - stealing the dragon is the name of a game seeming like chess), and minus another for the main character. Rialla is a decent female character, but a little too full of convenient skills (she knows her to pick locks because her trader kin all teach their children this skill - how fortunate) and a little too similar to the other female characters in the other books in this series. I've read the Aralorn duology and read the third book in the seriesWhen Demons Walk in my pre-Goodreads days, and the MCs of both stories are so similar they could be a series of books featuring one character. It's perhaps unfair of me to mark the book down for that - there's nothing wrong with strong female characters - but I've read the other books too recently to feel anything but slightly disappointed about that.
That said, it isn't a bad book at all. If you like fairly light fantasy in the style perhaps of some of the better Forgotten Realms novels or some of the other modest fantasy novels of the 1980s or 90s such as Barbara Hambly's Sunwolf and Starhawk trilogy (which I strongly recommend, by the way) than you may enjoy it more than I did. Worth reading, but not outstanding.
The plot: When Rilla was a child, her Trader family were targeted by slave traders from Darran, with the men killed and the women and children taken into slavery. Rilla was trained as a dancer and forced to perform for her master for years before she was finally able to escape to the small mercenary nation of Sianim. Now a Darrian nobleman seeks an alliance with the neighbouring country of Reth, which may put an end to the slave trade once and for all, if he isn't killed first. Rialla is sent back into Darran to prevent the assassination of Lord Karsten and perhaps see the slave trade that killed her family destroyed.
This was a decent story, just not one I enjoyed especially. It's a fairly modest fantasy story, possibly more sword and sorcery than epic. Rilla is a nice enough character, tortured by her past and desperate to play the part of a slave without slipping back into the old ingrained habits of slavery - bearing in mind that she still has nightmares of her time as a slave, you can appreciate how difficult this is. The lore of the world was interesting, particularly the different magics practised by the different races, but I would have liked a map so we could see where all these different countries were.
So in the end, I'd mark this as a story competently told; I didn't mind it, but I'm unlikely to ever read it again. Minus one star for the title (there are no dragons of any sort in this book - stealing the dragon is the name of a game seeming like chess), and minus another for the main character. Rialla is a decent female character, but a little too full of convenient skills (she knows her to pick locks because her trader kin all teach their children this skill - how fortunate) and a little too similar to the other female characters in the other books in this series. I've read the Aralorn duology and read the third book in the seriesWhen Demons Walk in my pre-Goodreads days, and the MCs of both stories are so similar they could be a series of books featuring one character. It's perhaps unfair of me to mark the book down for that - there's nothing wrong with strong female characters - but I've read the other books too recently to feel anything but slightly disappointed about that.
That said, it isn't a bad book at all. If you like fairly light fantasy in the style perhaps of some of the better Forgotten Realms novels or some of the other modest fantasy novels of the 1980s or 90s such as Barbara Hambly's Sunwolf and Starhawk trilogy (which I strongly recommend, by the way) than you may enjoy it more than I did. Worth reading, but not outstanding.
August 3, 2011
This is book 2 in the Siaim series, but you really don't need to read this series in order - each story stands alone with a different setting and a different couple. There are no sex scenes, so I wouldn't call this romance, but in each of the 3 books, the lead characters fall in love. Mostly, it's traditional fantasy from the early days of Patricia Brigg's writing. She disparages her early works, but it's still strong. I can see why her publisher kept investing in her - she has a knack for creating memorable characters. The title of this book refers to a game that is similar to chess.
The premise of this story is that an escaped slave (Rialla) is recruited by the spymaster to go on a mission to protect a man who could prevent war from overtaking several kingdoms. She goes with a good friend, who pretends to be her master and she his slave. Eventually, they get embroiled in the bigger political/religious conflict, but along the way, Rialla is aided by a magical being who believes he is her mate, and she regains her broken empathic abilities through a series of trials.
The premise of this story is that an escaped slave (Rialla) is recruited by the spymaster to go on a mission to protect a man who could prevent war from overtaking several kingdoms. She goes with a good friend, who pretends to be her master and she his slave. Eventually, they get embroiled in the bigger political/religious conflict, but along the way, Rialla is aided by a magical being who believes he is her mate, and she regains her broken empathic abilities through a series of trials.
March 2, 2012
In some ways I thought the summary on the back of the book was misleading. I thought it was going to be a slave's journey from freedom to revenge. Somewhat like a female version of the film 'Gladiator' only set in a fantasy world instead of ancient Rome. Instead the story begins with Rialla already freed and she's not a spy but rather a horse master who is bribed into going under cover as a slave with a mercenary friend of hers.
Despite the novel not being what I expected, I still enjoyed it for the first half of the story. It's during the second half, I felt things feel apart and is completely the reason why I rated it so low.
For over half of the novel we are repeatedly told that dancers like Rialla are valuable slaves and that's why Rialla does not fear returning to her former master since she knows she will not be harmed too much. But then, after only be back a few days, Rialla is raped by her master's son. The reader is also told that Rialla was raped during her former life as a slave as well and it's apparently a normal occurrence for dancers.
I fully realize that these are slaves and so rape should be expected, but don't tell us that dancers are slaves who are not harmed and then go and harm them by one of the most horrifying acts possible. The worst is nothing happens to these rapists. Rialla rapists goes unharmed by the end of the novel (he's actually a lot better off at the end than during the course of it). And another lord who once raped and murdered a girl (which cause Rialla to escape when she had been a slave) is in an even better position.
The other thing that really bugged me in the second half of the novel is the healer. Through out the first half of the story, he's pretty sweet. And then he goes and soul bonds himself to Rialla without her consent. Is Rialla mad at him when she finds out? Nope, we're simply supposed to accept that it was a "wonderful" thing that happened to her.
It's a shame that rape and forced bonding had to get in the way of what had been an entertaining story in the beginning. I was prepared to give this novel 4 stars until I read the second half.
Despite the novel not being what I expected, I still enjoyed it for the first half of the story. It's during the second half, I felt things feel apart and is completely the reason why I rated it so low.
For over half of the novel we are repeatedly told that dancers like Rialla are valuable slaves and that's why Rialla does not fear returning to her former master since she knows she will not be harmed too much. But then, after only be back a few days, Rialla is raped by her master's son. The reader is also told that Rialla was raped during her former life as a slave as well and it's apparently a normal occurrence for dancers.
I fully realize that these are slaves and so rape should be expected, but don't tell us that dancers are slaves who are not harmed and then go and harm them by one of the most horrifying acts possible. The worst is nothing happens to these rapists. Rialla rapists goes unharmed by the end of the novel (he's actually a lot better off at the end than during the course of it). And another lord who once raped and murdered a girl (which cause Rialla to escape when she had been a slave) is in an even better position.
The other thing that really bugged me in the second half of the novel is the healer. Through out the first half of the story, he's pretty sweet. And then he goes and soul bonds himself to Rialla without her consent. Is Rialla mad at him when she finds out? Nope, we're simply supposed to accept that it was a "wonderful" thing that happened to her.
It's a shame that rape and forced bonding had to get in the way of what had been an entertaining story in the beginning. I was prepared to give this novel 4 stars until I read the second half.
August 10, 2014
I am slowly going through Brigg's backlist and I am almost done now. This one is part of a series, but at the same time it's a stand alone. It's about a former slave called Rialla, she was a dancer, she ran away. She trained horses now she has to spy.
When I started the book I thought the next book would be about her too, but now, this is a lone book. Rialla has to figure out and protect someone who wants to end slavery. It will be dangerous as she has to pretend to be a slave again. She has help (I liked her help). And then in the end they will have figured it all out and everyone has a sort of happy ending. Everyone is happy, it's, something is still growing.
A really light fantasy, short, quick and enjoyable.
When I started the book I thought the next book would be about her too, but now, this is a lone book. Rialla has to figure out and protect someone who wants to end slavery. It will be dangerous as she has to pretend to be a slave again. She has help (I liked her help). And then in the end they will have figured it all out and everyone has a sort of happy ending. Everyone is happy, it's, something is still growing.
A really light fantasy, short, quick and enjoyable.
June 22, 2016
You could hear me chanting: Briggs! Briggs! Briggs! I feel like a cheerleader. Hey, I said I feel like one, not that I look one. She's one great magician, but transmutation is a bitch...
October 28, 2022
Rialla had been a slave, but she escaped to the Sianim, a mercenary clan. Now, Ren, the leader of the clan, is having her leave with Laeth to protect Laeth's brother, Karsten, from death. But their mission changes drastically, threatening the safety of their lands.
I Liked:
Most of my experience in the fantasy genre has been Tolkein's works (and one Forgotten Realms book by Elaine Cunningham). On one hand, this is great, as I have little preconceived notions; on the other, I might get lost in typical fantasy fare.
Fortunately for the fantasy novice like me, Patricia Briggs wrote an easily accessible novel. I was fortunate to begin with as this wasn't a novel set in a huge series (such as the Wheel of Time or the Shannara) so that made it easy too. But Briggs writes her story very well, weaving it intricately, not forcing a million new terms down your throat. You learn locations as you go, instead of being force fed them in a huge narrative the beginning. The same goes with traditions, names, government, magic, Sylvans, and more. This made the story very enjoyable for me and easy to "fall" into.
Her characters were fascinating. There was a perfect amount for the length of the story. My favorites were Riallan, Laeth, and Tris (not many leftover from them though!).
In some ways, Rialla is a Mary Sue. She has red hair, green eyes, is empathetic, is good with animals, was a dancer, can fight, and becomes bonded to the healer, Tris. However, I felt her a sympathetic character and real, and not a Mary Sue at all. Her attractiveness makes sense if she were a dancing slave. As for being empathetic, Rialla wasn't even able to use her abilities to the fullest until a good ways through the book, and even then, she only gradually regained the use (she didn't just "find" the talent and know how to use it perfectly). This is also how she communicates with animals, which she does much better than with humans. Also, her purpose in the Sianim wasn't as a fighter, but a horse trainer (unfortunately, the book cover deceives one into thinking she's a swordswoman, which isn't quite true). When she fights, she uses her empathy more than her physical prowess. So, I thought she was real, interesting, a perfect combination of opinionated, strong-willed, yet tender and feminine. She was haunted by her past, which kept her from using her abilities to the fullest. And even then, her abilities do cause her to screw up.
Laeth is another amazing character! I so enjoyed how he wasn't Rialla's love interest, but a truly "brotherly" character. I liked how he retained his Darranian roots, yet behaved like a mercenary at times. His scenes with Rialla were amusing, his love for his brother palpable, and his longing for his brother's wife (who was, before his brother married her, his girlfriend) heart-wrenching. I wish he hadn't left midway through, though.
Lastly, Tris is highly unique! A slight departure from your typical prince charming (at least I thought), in that he was a huge, burly, bearded guy who hid among the villagers as a healer (not using his talents for big, grandiose things). Yes, he did develop a soft spot for Rialla, but it was well done, not rushed and made sense. I loved his actions, his defiance of the aristocrats, his at-times flagrant use of magic, and his bonding to Rialla. In fact, the romance between Rialla and Tris is muted and beautiful. A delicately woven blanket.
The story is very interesting too. Briggs sets us up for a typical scenario: Laeth and Rialla must keep Karsten alive. But things go very wrong very quickly (won't give away too many details) and now our heroes must figure out what to do next. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. Then the chase sequences...very on the edge of my seat!
I Don't Like:
While Briggs doesn't go overboard on Rialla's appearance, a few instances (namely Laeth saying "Couldn't you gain weight or change your hair to make you less attractive?") where it does become quite heavy handed. I also found Briggs had a tendency to forget to mention something in narration (like that Tris was shuddering from laughter; you only knew because Rialla brought it up in conversation, which was confusing for me). Similarly, Briggs glossed over the dances. I think she did this to shorten the book, but I felt that she ought to have done one really big scene with dancing (though I have no clue how to write one and she did, in a sense, when Rialla performs at Karsten's castle).
Another really petty gripe I have is the book cover: "Slave. Swordweilder. Spy. Some girls have all the luck." This is lame because A) when was slavery "lucky" or good? and B) Rialla was a horse trainer, not a swordweilder. Misleading.
Lastly, the end has a scene with the villain explaining his entire plan. I know, petty, but it does get tiresome after awhile.
Overall:
Amazing, truly amazing! I was not expecting this novel to be so good and I was pleasantly surprised. No, it's not highly complicated or intricate, but it is exciting and interesting, a good, quick read to take your mind away. 5 stars.
I Liked:
Most of my experience in the fantasy genre has been Tolkein's works (and one Forgotten Realms book by Elaine Cunningham). On one hand, this is great, as I have little preconceived notions; on the other, I might get lost in typical fantasy fare.
Fortunately for the fantasy novice like me, Patricia Briggs wrote an easily accessible novel. I was fortunate to begin with as this wasn't a novel set in a huge series (such as the Wheel of Time or the Shannara) so that made it easy too. But Briggs writes her story very well, weaving it intricately, not forcing a million new terms down your throat. You learn locations as you go, instead of being force fed them in a huge narrative the beginning. The same goes with traditions, names, government, magic, Sylvans, and more. This made the story very enjoyable for me and easy to "fall" into.
Her characters were fascinating. There was a perfect amount for the length of the story. My favorites were Riallan, Laeth, and Tris (not many leftover from them though!).
In some ways, Rialla is a Mary Sue. She has red hair, green eyes, is empathetic, is good with animals, was a dancer, can fight, and becomes bonded to the healer, Tris. However, I felt her a sympathetic character and real, and not a Mary Sue at all. Her attractiveness makes sense if she were a dancing slave. As for being empathetic, Rialla wasn't even able to use her abilities to the fullest until a good ways through the book, and even then, she only gradually regained the use (she didn't just "find" the talent and know how to use it perfectly). This is also how she communicates with animals, which she does much better than with humans. Also, her purpose in the Sianim wasn't as a fighter, but a horse trainer (unfortunately, the book cover deceives one into thinking she's a swordswoman, which isn't quite true). When she fights, she uses her empathy more than her physical prowess. So, I thought she was real, interesting, a perfect combination of opinionated, strong-willed, yet tender and feminine. She was haunted by her past, which kept her from using her abilities to the fullest. And even then, her abilities do cause her to screw up.
Laeth is another amazing character! I so enjoyed how he wasn't Rialla's love interest, but a truly "brotherly" character. I liked how he retained his Darranian roots, yet behaved like a mercenary at times. His scenes with Rialla were amusing, his love for his brother palpable, and his longing for his brother's wife (who was, before his brother married her, his girlfriend) heart-wrenching. I wish he hadn't left midway through, though.
Lastly, Tris is highly unique! A slight departure from your typical prince charming (at least I thought), in that he was a huge, burly, bearded guy who hid among the villagers as a healer (not using his talents for big, grandiose things). Yes, he did develop a soft spot for Rialla, but it was well done, not rushed and made sense. I loved his actions, his defiance of the aristocrats, his at-times flagrant use of magic, and his bonding to Rialla. In fact, the romance between Rialla and Tris is muted and beautiful. A delicately woven blanket.
The story is very interesting too. Briggs sets us up for a typical scenario: Laeth and Rialla must keep Karsten alive. But things go very wrong very quickly (won't give away too many details) and now our heroes must figure out what to do next. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. Then the chase sequences...very on the edge of my seat!
I Don't Like:
While Briggs doesn't go overboard on Rialla's appearance, a few instances (namely Laeth saying "Couldn't you gain weight or change your hair to make you less attractive?") where it does become quite heavy handed. I also found Briggs had a tendency to forget to mention something in narration (like that Tris was shuddering from laughter; you only knew because Rialla brought it up in conversation, which was confusing for me). Similarly, Briggs glossed over the dances. I think she did this to shorten the book, but I felt that she ought to have done one really big scene with dancing (though I have no clue how to write one and she did, in a sense, when Rialla performs at Karsten's castle).
Another really petty gripe I have is the book cover: "Slave. Swordweilder. Spy. Some girls have all the luck." This is lame because A) when was slavery "lucky" or good? and B) Rialla was a horse trainer, not a swordweilder. Misleading.
Lastly, the end has a scene with the villain explaining his entire plan. I know, petty, but it does get tiresome after awhile.
Overall:
Amazing, truly amazing! I was not expecting this novel to be so good and I was pleasantly surprised. No, it's not highly complicated or intricate, but it is exciting and interesting, a good, quick read to take your mind away. 5 stars.
October 7, 2018
No actual dragons were used in this story ...
January 23, 2023
Wow, I loved reading this book, it was so compelling, and I couldn't put it down!
June 6, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5
Rialla is a former slave dancer turned horse trainer for a spymaster named Ren in a mercenary town called Sianim. It's been 7 years since she's had to dance for any master and she's never had any intentions on becoming someones property again. But when Ren asks her to go undercover to help uncover a plot that may render everyone in the world a slave, how can she say no. Using her powers as an empath and the help of her healer friend Tris, Rialla realizes that she's will always be a slave, the memories and wounds will always be there, but its up to her to overcome the fears and pain these wounds engender, not only for herself but for everyone she cares about.
Patricia Briggs has a unique talent in making her readers fall in love with her characters, and even if you don't fall in love with them you are definitely rooting for them and want everything to work out for them. There was nothing different with this book.
Rialla, the female protagonist, is strong, brave, clever and willing to fight for something other than herself. She is willing to put herself in a position she fought tooth and nail to get out of just to ensure that the rest of the world wouldn't have to experience the very fate she had to break away from.
Tris, the male protagonist is funny, charming, mysterious and supportive. I absolutely adore that about Patricia's male characters. She doesn't make them overbearing alpha males who feel like they have to do everything because they think a female cannot. They are there when they are needed and they step back when their partners or friends have everything under control. Tris is the epitome of that. He recognizes that Rialla isn't invincible but he understands and appreciates that she isn't weak and useless either.
I really appreciate that Rialla has a male friend, Laeth in Steal the Dragon and he's JUST that. A FRIEND. There's no threat of a love triangle, or any sexual tension between her and Laeth.
A lot of times for whatever reason, authors don't allow a male and female character to just be friends. I don't know if its because of fear of the relationship not being interesting or what, but I see it happen all the time and not only is it unnecessary, its annoying. That isn't an issue in this book. Rialla and Laeth are friends, and I love their relationship, their interactions and I looked forward to scenes between the two of them.
What's crazy about this book...this book came after Patricia's first book Masques, which was entertaining but hard to read as far as the writing went. Steal the Dragon didn't have that problem. The storytelling was much more fluid, transitions were used where they were needed and this was definitely a smoother read. However there was a stretch of about 130 pages that I had to bulldoze my way through because the story was simply moving too slow. Which is one of the reasons this is getting 3.5 stars.
The other reason is because I think this early on in her writing, Patricia's ability to really execute a full story was a bit weak. The plot in Steal the Dragon was clear, I knew what was going on, I knew what the threat was, but once the entire story came to an end, it lacked a sense of completion. But more than that..it felt like there really wasn't a point to the story because nothing was resolved. I mean there was a chance for the major threat in the story to be neutralized but that chance was thrown away and the threat was literally left in the woods to do whatever it wanted.
Overall, I really enjoyed the characters in this book, and that's always a saving grace with any story for me, and I will definitely be continuing on with this series. Fans of Patricia Briggs will enjoy these stories and appreciate the journey that lead to the great stories we get from her today such as The Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega series.
Rialla is a former slave dancer turned horse trainer for a spymaster named Ren in a mercenary town called Sianim. It's been 7 years since she's had to dance for any master and she's never had any intentions on becoming someones property again. But when Ren asks her to go undercover to help uncover a plot that may render everyone in the world a slave, how can she say no. Using her powers as an empath and the help of her healer friend Tris, Rialla realizes that she's will always be a slave, the memories and wounds will always be there, but its up to her to overcome the fears and pain these wounds engender, not only for herself but for everyone she cares about.
Patricia Briggs has a unique talent in making her readers fall in love with her characters, and even if you don't fall in love with them you are definitely rooting for them and want everything to work out for them. There was nothing different with this book.
Rialla, the female protagonist, is strong, brave, clever and willing to fight for something other than herself. She is willing to put herself in a position she fought tooth and nail to get out of just to ensure that the rest of the world wouldn't have to experience the very fate she had to break away from.
Tris, the male protagonist is funny, charming, mysterious and supportive. I absolutely adore that about Patricia's male characters. She doesn't make them overbearing alpha males who feel like they have to do everything because they think a female cannot. They are there when they are needed and they step back when their partners or friends have everything under control. Tris is the epitome of that. He recognizes that Rialla isn't invincible but he understands and appreciates that she isn't weak and useless either.
I really appreciate that Rialla has a male friend, Laeth in Steal the Dragon and he's JUST that. A FRIEND. There's no threat of a love triangle, or any sexual tension between her and Laeth.
A lot of times for whatever reason, authors don't allow a male and female character to just be friends. I don't know if its because of fear of the relationship not being interesting or what, but I see it happen all the time and not only is it unnecessary, its annoying. That isn't an issue in this book. Rialla and Laeth are friends, and I love their relationship, their interactions and I looked forward to scenes between the two of them.
What's crazy about this book...this book came after Patricia's first book Masques, which was entertaining but hard to read as far as the writing went. Steal the Dragon didn't have that problem. The storytelling was much more fluid, transitions were used where they were needed and this was definitely a smoother read. However there was a stretch of about 130 pages that I had to bulldoze my way through because the story was simply moving too slow. Which is one of the reasons this is getting 3.5 stars.
The other reason is because I think this early on in her writing, Patricia's ability to really execute a full story was a bit weak. The plot in Steal the Dragon was clear, I knew what was going on, I knew what the threat was, but once the entire story came to an end, it lacked a sense of completion. But more than that..it felt like there really wasn't a point to the story because nothing was resolved. I mean there was a chance for the major threat in the story to be neutralized but that chance was thrown away and the threat was literally left in the woods to do whatever it wanted.
Overall, I really enjoyed the characters in this book, and that's always a saving grace with any story for me, and I will definitely be continuing on with this series. Fans of Patricia Briggs will enjoy these stories and appreciate the journey that lead to the great stories we get from her today such as The Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega series.
June 24, 2017
An enjoyable story about Rialla, a former slave going undercover as her former self and Tris, a mysterious healer who comes to her aid on her mission.
Vivid images and engaging story, but although there is a romantic undercurrent throughout and the relationship between the heroes evolves and they obviously fall in love, they never exchange more than a kiss. Apart from that and the obvious "twist" concerning the bad guys, I didn't have any major issues with the story, which sucked me in and kept me listening until it was over, which is why the lack of romantic development did not bother me as much as it normally would.
Next in the series comes When Demons Walk.
Previous book review:
✦ Masques (Sianim, #1 / Aralorn, #1)
Vivid images and engaging story, but although there is a romantic undercurrent throughout and the relationship between the heroes evolves and they obviously fall in love, they never exchange more than a kiss. Apart from that and the obvious "twist" concerning the bad guys, I didn't have any major issues with the story, which sucked me in and kept me listening until it was over, which is why the lack of romantic development did not bother me as much as it normally would.
Next in the series comes When Demons Walk.
Previous book review:
✦ Masques (Sianim, #1 / Aralorn, #1)
October 23, 2010
Liked:
- The Sianim spymaster
- Tris
- the village headwife
- Rialla, most of the time
- the creepy megalomania of the Voice of Avis and the tragedy of the boy he was
- Leath and Marri
- the Steal the Dragon game
- Tris version of magic
- making Rialla realise that she is a slave no longer
Disliked:
- The heroine used to be a slave and has to return to being a slave for most of the book
- She may not have been raped in training before, but she is this time, even though no bodily force is involved: a few days later she has no problem sleeping with her eventual lover (she only shies away once from him very shortly after the rape).
- the fact that the voice of Avis comes across much nicer, as does Avis in the follow-up.
- The Sianim spymaster
- Tris
- the village headwife
- Rialla, most of the time
- the creepy megalomania of the Voice of Avis and the tragedy of the boy he was
- Leath and Marri
- the Steal the Dragon game
- Tris version of magic
- making Rialla realise that she is a slave no longer
Disliked:
- The heroine used to be a slave and has to return to being a slave for most of the book
- She may not have been raped in training before, but she is this time, even though no bodily force is involved: a few days later she has no problem sleeping with her eventual lover (she only shies away once from him very shortly after the rape).
- the fact that the voice of Avis comes across much nicer, as does Avis in the follow-up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2021
This book is so far from Briggs' later ones that it could be in a different universe. Oh, wait...it IS. And it's pretty bad, too, both in the writing and in the story itself. Suffice it to say thata rapist ends up as a trusted "good guy". The only reason I can think of to read it is to marvel at her improvement as a writer.
August 23, 2019
What a terrible thing to force a raped ex-slave woman into a relationship against her will and present it as romantic.
March 17, 2018
I picked up this book from a used book exchange near my house as part of that “get a book for your date” thing that goes around the internet from time to time. Although we both tried to find the first book in a series, apparently, number 1 books were not in stock, and we both eventually gave up. (Although, I think that he had a better time of his than I did mine, because he read the entire series, whereas I...)
The reason why I read this book aside... It wasn't horrible. But it also didn't make me want to keep turning pages.
Especially in the beginning, when the author was establishing the world and plot. It was more than a little bit dry.
But, I pressed on, since I've read way worse than this.
I'm glad that I did, as the plot picked up and actually improved. I grew attached to the characters, and I was actually a little worried for them here and there.
I feel like I would have enjoyed this better if I'd read the first book in the series, but, as it was, I felt like I understood enough of what was going on. Was there some bigger picture that I was missing? Yes, but the plot didn't focus too much on it, so it was okay.
The ending was a bit of a let-down, however. I spent so much time with these characters as they chased towards the end goal of figuring out who had killed the guy, that for it to just end with “Oh, here's the murder weapon, and I think that you'll easily find out who really killed him!” was such a waste of time.
I understand that the author is trying to hook people into reading the next book in the series and everything, but come on. At least pretend like you still care about THIS book rather than the next.
Will I go out of my way to look for more of her stuff? Not likely. But if it were to fall into my lap, I would still read it.
The reason why I read this book aside... It wasn't horrible. But it also didn't make me want to keep turning pages.
Especially in the beginning, when the author was establishing the world and plot. It was more than a little bit dry.
But, I pressed on, since I've read way worse than this.
I'm glad that I did, as the plot picked up and actually improved. I grew attached to the characters, and I was actually a little worried for them here and there.
I feel like I would have enjoyed this better if I'd read the first book in the series, but, as it was, I felt like I understood enough of what was going on. Was there some bigger picture that I was missing? Yes, but the plot didn't focus too much on it, so it was okay.
The ending was a bit of a let-down, however. I spent so much time with these characters as they chased towards the end goal of figuring out who had killed the guy, that for it to just end with “Oh, here's the murder weapon, and I think that you'll easily find out who really killed him!” was such a waste of time.
I understand that the author is trying to hook people into reading the next book in the series and everything, but come on. At least pretend like you still care about THIS book rather than the next.
Will I go out of my way to look for more of her stuff? Not likely. But if it were to fall into my lap, I would still read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2017
Part of my quest to read every book Patricia Briggs has ever written. This is one of her earlier books, and I think it shows. It's a fun book, but the reveal of the villain is super clumsy. I figured it out way before the main character (who is supposed to be a spy!!!), and the way she figures it out is pretty dumb. Other than that, I liked it a lot, but that one thing bumped it down a whole star for me.
May 10, 2022
I read this as the third installment of Sianim.
June 1, 2024
Me gustaron los personajes principales y su vínculo. Pero algo no me convence en esta serie y puede que solo sea porque espero más de Patricia Briggs.
December 23, 2020
I love Briggs’s later werewolf books so I’ve been going back to read her early work. There are several books in this series and they do not have to be read in order. This was my first one and I wan’t lost at all.
While not up to the standard of the her later works, this is still an enjoyable read! Magic is used in an interesting and unique way. I really liked both of our main characters, there’s an interesting storyline, and the world building is pretty good. I don’t know that I would read this book again, but I’m glad I read it and would recommend it for a quick fantasy read.
While not up to the standard of the her later works, this is still an enjoyable read! Magic is used in an interesting and unique way. I really liked both of our main characters, there’s an interesting storyline, and the world building is pretty good. I don’t know that I would read this book again, but I’m glad I read it and would recommend it for a quick fantasy read.
November 26, 2019
Something was off in Steal the Dragon. I didn't understand why Rialla stuck it out as a slave through the entire novel. She repeats that she is not a spy and it's true. She doesn't stop any planned murders. She doesn't gather very much information on her own. She never quite intergrates herself into her surroundings well enough to do anything impactful. Without Tris, Rialla wouldn't have accomplished anything except getting herself enslaved and tortured. Why didn't she return to Ren and reinforcements?
If Rialla is such a good Steal the Dragon chess player, why couldn't she see she needed to fall back and get help? If Tris is so capable and caring, why didn't he knock her out and get out of there? A man rash enough to mess with magic zombies with no back up wouldn't have Rialla talk him into allowing her pointless torture to continue. Tris talks down to nobles and ups their healer bills on a whim, but sits back while Rialla recklessly hurts herself?
In the end Rialla's noble motivation falls short. She never has any realizations that working with others is better than working alone. In fact, she defeats Winterseine with her own empathy powers cementing that she is both stronger than him magically and psychologically. When she goes back to Jarroh, the pedophile and child murderer, she doesn't try to stop him in any real way from collecting slaves. She could have admitted to turning Winterseine's brain into soup or given Jarroh a taste of that and threats of more if she finds out he has continued to harm slaves. Jarroh agrees that Laeth didn't kill his brother and the book ends. Rialla has complete independence to move from country to country, illusion powers to smooth the way, and deadly power over others' minds. Why, once she has everything she could ask for and the approval of powerful people at her fingertips, does she settle for clearing Laeth's name?
Why did Rialla stay and continue to get tortured?
The romance ruled the primary direction of the plot rather than the main motivation (and thereby decisions) of Rialla. Tris and her needed to bond somehow without magic and they needed to be around each other for a reasonable amount of time for them to declare their love by the epilogue. Moving the soon-to-be lovers around the story board from country to country is too messy. They are balanced delicately by Tris's kindness and lies. Adding that tension could produce conflict that screws up their chemistry or bores the audience with too much world building.
Rialla is poisoned, water boarded, and raped for their love. Tris forces a soul bond on them both without her knowledge or consent until the fourth to last page. She happily accepts with only a paragraph of thought.
Steal the Dragon is interesting research into Briggs' early work, but flops as a novel on its own. Because of the implication.
If Rialla is such a good Steal the Dragon chess player, why couldn't she see she needed to fall back and get help? If Tris is so capable and caring, why didn't he knock her out and get out of there? A man rash enough to mess with magic zombies with no back up wouldn't have Rialla talk him into allowing her pointless torture to continue. Tris talks down to nobles and ups their healer bills on a whim, but sits back while Rialla recklessly hurts herself?
In the end Rialla's noble motivation falls short. She never has any realizations that working with others is better than working alone. In fact, she defeats Winterseine with her own empathy powers cementing that she is both stronger than him magically and psychologically. When she goes back to Jarroh, the pedophile and child murderer, she doesn't try to stop him in any real way from collecting slaves. She could have admitted to turning Winterseine's brain into soup or given Jarroh a taste of that and threats of more if she finds out he has continued to harm slaves. Jarroh agrees that Laeth didn't kill his brother and the book ends. Rialla has complete independence to move from country to country, illusion powers to smooth the way, and deadly power over others' minds. Why, once she has everything she could ask for and the approval of powerful people at her fingertips, does she settle for clearing Laeth's name?
Why did Rialla stay and continue to get tortured?
The romance ruled the primary direction of the plot rather than the main motivation (and thereby decisions) of Rialla. Tris and her needed to bond somehow without magic and they needed to be around each other for a reasonable amount of time for them to declare their love by the epilogue. Moving the soon-to-be lovers around the story board from country to country is too messy. They are balanced delicately by Tris's kindness and lies. Adding that tension could produce conflict that screws up their chemistry or bores the audience with too much world building.
Rialla is poisoned, water boarded, and raped for their love. Tris forces a soul bond on them both without her knowledge or consent until the fourth to last page. She happily accepts with only a paragraph of thought.
Steal the Dragon is interesting research into Briggs' early work, but flops as a novel on its own. Because of the implication.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2017
It's difficult to describe what I feel about this book - I don't dislike it, it's just that I don't have strong feelings about it at all. I pushed myself to read it quite quickly, and it wasn't boring. But I kind of missed having an exciting plot, a showdown, anticipating where the story might go. I didn't know what would happen to the characters (which is a good thing), but at the same time I wasn't really curious to find out (which is a bad thing). There was just nothing... pulling the story forward, no clear goal or anything. It felt like after a third of the book, the initial story was done and everything else was without direction.
*Spoilers!*
Also, I struggled to identify with the main protagonist, Rialla, who despite being an empath often seemed emotionless to me. I liked that she had a male friend, Laeth, who didn't have any romantic connection to her, that was nice. Tris on the other hand was a bit... weird, I didn't quite get their relationship, because it developed so fast. And I was REALLY weirded out when he performed the bonding without asking her, and especially without telling her about the consequences afterwards. It felt super intrusive and a bit like a violation - and Rialla never really objected, which started to make me angry as the story went on.
All in all, it was an okay read, but I did not like the plot and I struggled with the main character. Some of the ideas were interesting, but didn't quite work out in the setting they were used in... I guess I hoped for more in this book!
*Spoilers!*
Also, I struggled to identify with the main protagonist, Rialla, who despite being an empath often seemed emotionless to me. I liked that she had a male friend, Laeth, who didn't have any romantic connection to her, that was nice. Tris on the other hand was a bit... weird, I didn't quite get their relationship, because it developed so fast. And I was REALLY weirded out when he performed the bonding without asking her, and especially without telling her about the consequences afterwards. It felt super intrusive and a bit like a violation - and Rialla never really objected, which started to make me angry as the story went on.
All in all, it was an okay read, but I did not like the plot and I struggled with the main character. Some of the ideas were interesting, but didn't quite work out in the setting they were used in... I guess I hoped for more in this book!
July 24, 2014
Excellent narration by Jennifer James Bradshaw. She differentiated the voices, and sounded not "sexy" (as someone said) but mellifluous, with a smoothly modulated voice.
As for the story itself, please excuse any misspelling of names, since I listened only. I liked the developing relationship between the healer Tristan (a sylvan, a green magic user) and the empath Riella (escaped slave turned horse whisperer and spy). That was nicely handled, even though Tris pulled a fast one, and should have had to grovel more.
However, the plot is weak. The final resolution didn't hold together well, because of a sudden character shift. I couldn't see "the prophet" as anything but a slave trader and rapist. His link with "the night god" didn't make sense, since this god was known for providing refuge for the weak, by covering them in darkness, hiding them (not raping or enslaving). Thus, the prophet's characterization went wonky, when Briggs tried to re-draw him as benign, just because he helped... Never mind. No spoilers here. Also, the whole cats plot thread went nowhere, really. I expected more of that.
This is part of a series, but it can be read as a stand alone, no problem. Overlapping characters are the spymaster (Wren) and the aeMagi.
Contents include rape, murder, and torture.
Ignore the title. No dragons, except in a game and a memory.
As for the story itself, please excuse any misspelling of names, since I listened only. I liked the developing relationship between the healer Tristan (a sylvan, a green magic user) and the empath Riella (escaped slave turned horse whisperer and spy). That was nicely handled, even though Tris pulled a fast one, and should have had to grovel more.
However, the plot is weak. The final resolution didn't hold together well, because of a sudden character shift. I couldn't see "the prophet" as anything but a slave trader and rapist. His link with "the night god" didn't make sense, since this god was known for providing refuge for the weak, by covering them in darkness, hiding them (not raping or enslaving). Thus, the prophet's characterization went wonky, when Briggs tried to re-draw him as benign, just because he helped... Never mind. No spoilers here. Also, the whole cats plot thread went nowhere, really. I expected more of that.
This is part of a series, but it can be read as a stand alone, no problem. Overlapping characters are the spymaster (Wren) and the aeMagi.
Contents include rape, murder, and torture.
Ignore the title. No dragons, except in a game and a memory.
December 15, 2019
This was very much not great. I've enjoyed Briggs' older series (Hurog, Raven) but this feels like a cast aside unfinished manuscript published for the sake of the author's name now being popular. Overall this feels like the first half of a story. Where is the rest? None of the main threat that is set up is resolved. But also this book doesn't know what it's doing. It's full of rape and slavery, and doesn't seem to take strong stance on the goodness or badness of either. Sure we're told rape victims suffer and that's bad, but none of the rapists are punished and two are made into allies, one even sort of sympathetic. And the main character's goal, we're told, is to end slavery, but again an unresolved plot point and we're told over and over that other slaves are happy and treated better than wives. Mostly this was very dramatic, with good world building and mostly interesting premise and characters, but it goes no where, no one has any true convictions, and I'm left wondering what the point of any of it was and if it'll ever be resolved. The other books in the series seem to focus on other characters so I feel unconvinced they'll resolve any of the threats set up in this story. Very disappointing.
October 3, 2010
Steal the Dragon has so much to it. It is fairly short, but it does not read too fast, and nor does it read to slow. The characters are brilliant and not cliched messes.
We have a strong heroine, yes--but she's not that cold super-chick we see so often in fantasy now. No, she seems very human, and her motivations are realistic. The other characters are equally as entertaining and unique.
While Steal the Dragon was not Briggs' best written novel, I am willing to cut that slack. After all, this was published several years before Raven's Shadow and Raven's Strike. I would expect the later two to be better written. It is only natural, after all, for them to be better.
The story of Steal the Dragon, though, is in many ways more entrancing than both of the Raven books. It is one of those books that you cannot help thinking about, wondering what is going to happen next and when it will happen.
The only problem I have with this novel is the ending. I thought it a little rushed, and I've noticed that trend with Briggs. Her endings are normally a bit rushed...
This wasnt my favourite book tha Patricia Briggs wrote but its still an awesome read, i really enjoyed it.
We have a strong heroine, yes--but she's not that cold super-chick we see so often in fantasy now. No, she seems very human, and her motivations are realistic. The other characters are equally as entertaining and unique.
While Steal the Dragon was not Briggs' best written novel, I am willing to cut that slack. After all, this was published several years before Raven's Shadow and Raven's Strike. I would expect the later two to be better written. It is only natural, after all, for them to be better.
The story of Steal the Dragon, though, is in many ways more entrancing than both of the Raven books. It is one of those books that you cannot help thinking about, wondering what is going to happen next and when it will happen.
The only problem I have with this novel is the ending. I thought it a little rushed, and I've noticed that trend with Briggs. Her endings are normally a bit rushed...
This wasnt my favourite book tha Patricia Briggs wrote but its still an awesome read, i really enjoyed it.
August 30, 2017
Meh. I love Briggs' Mercy Thompson series and this one pales in comparison. Know it's from earlier on in Briggs' writing career, and it shows. The characters have less depth (the villain practically mwa-ha-has from the corner), you could see the twist way early on, the romance doesn't feel like it comes from a place of maturity and growth, and the main character is kinda...well...dull.
I didn't dislike it. The world is interesting, the magic is kinda neat, and the story of the prophet is thought provoking. The main character gets help but also helps herself, and she's not swooning over some dude for 200 out of the 300 pages.
But I really didn't need another beautiful heroine who is scarred but doesn't realize she's beautiful, and a quiet healer that's really a dreamboat. Briggs also makes the mistake of getting rid of the main character's interesting friends way too soon. Rialla's friendship with Laeth starts so great, and then he inexplicably vanishes 100 pages in.
Good start, but definitely not her best.
I didn't dislike it. The world is interesting, the magic is kinda neat, and the story of the prophet is thought provoking. The main character gets help but also helps herself, and she's not swooning over some dude for 200 out of the 300 pages.
But I really didn't need another beautiful heroine who is scarred but doesn't realize she's beautiful, and a quiet healer that's really a dreamboat. Briggs also makes the mistake of getting rid of the main character's interesting friends way too soon. Rialla's friendship with Laeth starts so great, and then he inexplicably vanishes 100 pages in.
Good start, but definitely not her best.
April 14, 2011
My late husband bought this book, and although I love fantasy, it sat on the shelves for years before I read it because the cover didn't do it justice. I thought the half naked, buff chick looked tacky, and I thought it must be a book geared towards men. Also, the tagline, "a slave, swordwielder, and spy - some girls have all the fun" didn't inspire me at all. What girl -wants- to be a slave? How is that fun? This is a great example of don't judge a book by its cover.
I can't say that Steal the Dragon shattered any genre cliches for me (in fact, if left me wondering if maybe a torture scene is some kind of fantasy novel publisher requirement - why do so many fantasy novels have torture scenes? But this is a ramble for another place ...), but I did enjoy her characters, the subtlety of the romance, and her approach to writing a character who is an empath. Also, I enjoyed her marital bond connection idea and how it played into the story (you have to read it to find out!)
I can't say that Steal the Dragon shattered any genre cliches for me (in fact, if left me wondering if maybe a torture scene is some kind of fantasy novel publisher requirement - why do so many fantasy novels have torture scenes? But this is a ramble for another place ...), but I did enjoy her characters, the subtlety of the romance, and her approach to writing a character who is an empath. Also, I enjoyed her marital bond connection idea and how it played into the story (you have to read it to find out!)
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