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Trilogia dei Draghi #1
De draken
Eens beheersten de draken de wereld, maar als de Zonnedraak Phuram de draken van Lucht, Vuur en Aarde aan zich onderwerpt, zijn de gevolgen catastrofaal. De Almoeder vervloekt de Zonnedraken en voorspelt dat de onderworpen draken in de toekomst door een groep van dertien mensen bevrijd zullen worden. Duizenden jaren verstrijken voordat een groep uitverkorenen op weg gaat naar de Dode Stad om Phurams daden te wreken…
429 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
3 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 29, 2020
Julia Conrad is het pseudoniem van de in Wenen geboren auteur Barbara Büchner. Een gevierd auteur van kinderboeken en spannende romans. In 2008 verscheen De Draken.
Eens heersten de draken over de wereld. Totdat de zonnedraak Phuram de draken van lucht, vuur en aarde aan zich onderwerpt. De almoeder vervloekt de zonnedraken en voorspelt dat een groep van dertien mensen de draken terug zal bevrijden. Na duizenden jaren vertrekt er een groep uitverkorenen naar de Dode Stad om Phurams misdaden te wreken.
Draken behoren tot één van de geliefdste soorten wezens in fantasy verhalen. Daarom vond ik het wel leuk om een verhaal te lezen waarin de draken centraal staan.
Jammer genoeg springt het verhaal van links naar rechts op een zodanige manier dat het zeer moeilijk te volgen word. Ik raakte op verschillende momenten volledig de draad kwijt. Iets wat wel opvalt is de grote hoeveelheid aan schrijffouten in de tekst. Iedereen maakt wel eens een foutje, maar in dit boek is het echt enorm veel en storend.
De hoeveelheid verschillende draken is zeer groot in dit verhaal en deze worden zeer gedetailleerd omschreven. De grote draken die centraal staan krijgen ook allemaal een zeer uitgeschreven karakter toegewezen. Elke soort draak zijn eigen karakter.
De uitverkorenen zijn zeer divers qua personages. Er wordt wel mooi omschreven hoe ze omgaan met hun uitverkorene status en wat daarbij komt van gevaren en plichten. Jammer genoeg is het soms voor bepaalde personages een zeer korte passage in het verhaal waardoor je geen tijd krijgt om een band met hen op te bouwen.
Het einde van het verhaal sluit dan wel dit boek af maar er zijn nog genoeg verhaallijnen over die open blijven.
Conclusie
Een zeer uitgewerkte wereld met karaktervolle draken als centraal punt. Jammer van de grote hoeveelheid aan schrijffouten en het van de hak op de tak springen van het verhaal.
Engels
Julia Conrad is the pseudonym of Vienna-born author Barbara Büchner. A celebrated author of children's books and exciting novels. In 2008 De Draken appeared.
Once upon a time the dragons ruled the world. Until the sun dragon Phuram subdues the dragons of air, fire and earth. The ommother curses the sun dragons and predicts that a group of thirteen people will free the dragons again. After thousands of years, a group of chosen ones leaves for the Dead City to avenge Phuram's crimes.
Dragons are one of the most loved creatures in fantasy stories. That's why I thought it was nice to read a story in which the dragons are central.
Unfortunately, the story jumps from left to right in such a way that it becomes very difficult to follow. I completely lost track at various times. Something that is striking is the large amount of writing errors in the text. Everyone makes a mistake sometimes, but in this book it is really a lot and disturbing.
The amount of different dragons in this story is very large and they are described in great detail. The large dragons that are central are also all assigned a very written character. Each type of dragon has its own character.
The chosen ones are very diverse in terms of characters. It is nicely described how they deal with their chosen status and what comes from dangers and duties. Unfortunately, sometimes for certain characters it is a very short passage in the story that does not give you time to bond with them.
The end of the story may close this book, but there are still plenty of storylines left open.
Conclusion
A very elaborate world with characterful dragons as the central point. Too bad about the large amount of writing errors and the story's jumping from one subject to another.
Eens heersten de draken over de wereld. Totdat de zonnedraak Phuram de draken van lucht, vuur en aarde aan zich onderwerpt. De almoeder vervloekt de zonnedraken en voorspelt dat een groep van dertien mensen de draken terug zal bevrijden. Na duizenden jaren vertrekt er een groep uitverkorenen naar de Dode Stad om Phurams misdaden te wreken.
Draken behoren tot één van de geliefdste soorten wezens in fantasy verhalen. Daarom vond ik het wel leuk om een verhaal te lezen waarin de draken centraal staan.
Jammer genoeg springt het verhaal van links naar rechts op een zodanige manier dat het zeer moeilijk te volgen word. Ik raakte op verschillende momenten volledig de draad kwijt. Iets wat wel opvalt is de grote hoeveelheid aan schrijffouten in de tekst. Iedereen maakt wel eens een foutje, maar in dit boek is het echt enorm veel en storend.
De hoeveelheid verschillende draken is zeer groot in dit verhaal en deze worden zeer gedetailleerd omschreven. De grote draken die centraal staan krijgen ook allemaal een zeer uitgeschreven karakter toegewezen. Elke soort draak zijn eigen karakter.
De uitverkorenen zijn zeer divers qua personages. Er wordt wel mooi omschreven hoe ze omgaan met hun uitverkorene status en wat daarbij komt van gevaren en plichten. Jammer genoeg is het soms voor bepaalde personages een zeer korte passage in het verhaal waardoor je geen tijd krijgt om een band met hen op te bouwen.
Het einde van het verhaal sluit dan wel dit boek af maar er zijn nog genoeg verhaallijnen over die open blijven.
Conclusie
Een zeer uitgewerkte wereld met karaktervolle draken als centraal punt. Jammer van de grote hoeveelheid aan schrijffouten en het van de hak op de tak springen van het verhaal.
Engels
Julia Conrad is the pseudonym of Vienna-born author Barbara Büchner. A celebrated author of children's books and exciting novels. In 2008 De Draken appeared.
Once upon a time the dragons ruled the world. Until the sun dragon Phuram subdues the dragons of air, fire and earth. The ommother curses the sun dragons and predicts that a group of thirteen people will free the dragons again. After thousands of years, a group of chosen ones leaves for the Dead City to avenge Phuram's crimes.
Dragons are one of the most loved creatures in fantasy stories. That's why I thought it was nice to read a story in which the dragons are central.
Unfortunately, the story jumps from left to right in such a way that it becomes very difficult to follow. I completely lost track at various times. Something that is striking is the large amount of writing errors in the text. Everyone makes a mistake sometimes, but in this book it is really a lot and disturbing.
The amount of different dragons in this story is very large and they are described in great detail. The large dragons that are central are also all assigned a very written character. Each type of dragon has its own character.
The chosen ones are very diverse in terms of characters. It is nicely described how they deal with their chosen status and what comes from dangers and duties. Unfortunately, sometimes for certain characters it is a very short passage in the story that does not give you time to bond with them.
The end of the story may close this book, but there are still plenty of storylines left open.
Conclusion
A very elaborate world with characterful dragons as the central point. Too bad about the large amount of writing errors and the story's jumping from one subject to another.
September 12, 2019
Dit boek vond ik erg teleurstellend. De schrijfster barst van de creativiteit. De wereld die ze heeft gemaakt is erg interessant en de soorten draken, monsters en culturen gaan soms je verbeelding te boven.
Maar....
Er zijn te veel personages, waardoor het verhaal continu van de ene naar de andere tak springt. Er zijn 13 uitverkorenen, maar de meeste verschijnen maar kort en verdwijnen dan weer. Je bouwt zo geen band op met de personages en je raakt het overzicht kwijt. Ik weet niet eens meer wie nou zich vrijwillig heeft opgeofferd. Het kon me op een gegeven moment ook niet meer schelen wat er met bepaalde personages gebeurde. Dit boek had veel beter geweest met een kleinere groep uitverkorenen met minder zijsprongen naar andere personages.
Maar....
Er zijn te veel personages, waardoor het verhaal continu van de ene naar de andere tak springt. Er zijn 13 uitverkorenen, maar de meeste verschijnen maar kort en verdwijnen dan weer. Je bouwt zo geen band op met de personages en je raakt het overzicht kwijt. Ik weet niet eens meer wie nou zich vrijwillig heeft opgeofferd. Het kon me op een gegeven moment ook niet meer schelen wat er met bepaalde personages gebeurde. Dit boek had veel beter geweest met een kleinere groep uitverkorenen met minder zijsprongen naar andere personages.
December 22, 2025
Allem voran: Ich mag Drachen. Wirklich.
Mit jeder Seite habe ich gehofft, dass Die Drachen doch noch die Kurve bekommt – aber leider war das nicht der Fall.
Die Geschichte beginnt zwar ganz passabel, ist jedoch von Anfang an schlampig und wenig interessant geschrieben. Statt Spannung oder Atmosphäre aufzubauen, bleibt der Stil flach und einfallslos. Schon früh wirkt alles sehr vorhersehbar, beinahe schon 08/15, und es fehlt durchgehend an Fantasie und erzählerischer Tiefe.
Gerade bei einem Thema wie Drachen hätte ich mir deutlich mehr Kreativität und Leidenschaft gewünscht. So bleibt am Ende leider nur Enttäuschung zurück.
Hätte lieber keinen Stern gegeben.
Mit jeder Seite habe ich gehofft, dass Die Drachen doch noch die Kurve bekommt – aber leider war das nicht der Fall.
Die Geschichte beginnt zwar ganz passabel, ist jedoch von Anfang an schlampig und wenig interessant geschrieben. Statt Spannung oder Atmosphäre aufzubauen, bleibt der Stil flach und einfallslos. Schon früh wirkt alles sehr vorhersehbar, beinahe schon 08/15, und es fehlt durchgehend an Fantasie und erzählerischer Tiefe.
Gerade bei einem Thema wie Drachen hätte ich mir deutlich mehr Kreativität und Leidenschaft gewünscht. So bleibt am Ende leider nur Enttäuschung zurück.
Hätte lieber keinen Stern gegeben.
February 2, 2023
Abgebrochen bei 37%
Der Schreibstil ist schwierig für mich. Nebenbei ist die Handlung verwirrend und geht irgendwie nicht vorran...
Der Schreibstil ist schwierig für mich. Nebenbei ist die Handlung verwirrend und geht irgendwie nicht vorran...
April 23, 2024
Lasciato a metà.
December 24, 2017
I guess it’s every booklover’s bad habit, the picking up of random books on a sale and forgetting about them until you come across them while dusting off the shelves. Julia Conrad’s The Dragons is one of those – I have this book in Dutch and since this is a translation for the original German one, I have no idea is there is an English edition and how that one is titled. I bought it for a few euros back in 2010, I believe, and went to the back of the bookcase until I needed a book about dragons for a monthly themed challenge. After reading it, I know why it was on sale and why it slipped to the back of my shelves. This was a very weird book and not in good way.
Dragons used to rule the world, but when the Sundragon Phuram claimed all power, he sent the world in a spiral towards destruction. Only a group of thirteen humans can free the dragons from ancient times and bring Phuram’s reign to an end.
Let’s start off by saying that I do like the basic premise of it all and the world is very imaginative. Crazy imaginative, really. There are things flying, crawling, walking around in this novel that you can’t imagine unless you’re tripping on some heavy stuff. So that’s definitely a big pro, cause I like it when authors stray from the beaten path and bring something a little bit different to the genre. I also like the idea of dragons ruling and them gliding through different dimensions. The thing is, though, when you have such a good idea, you have to make sure that you translate it well to paper or things can fall really flat really soon. That’s what happened here.
As far as the plot is concerned, there’s nothing interesting besides the imaginative world in its inhabitants. The story just goes on and I never really had a good grasp of what was actually happening or where things were going. Things just weren’t really happening until the end and then it all happened too fast for my likes. The characters just stumble along knowing jack and then suddenly, when the book is running out of pages, they know what to do. That was really disappointing and on top of that there was a plot twist which came dropping out of the sky, without any ground to base that twist on.
The characters weren’t much to speak of either. There isn’t really a main character cause the POV keeps switching really fast and characters don’t have a tendency to stay with you. I believe some just disappeared without being mentioned further in the book, but I could be mistaken. It’s easy making mistakes when it comes to the characters, cause they’re everything but distinctive. They’re just flat and common, they don’t develop and even one dragon who’s present for the entire book – a novelty, really – is just so plain and boring, I couldn’t find myself to care. Also, they all have really difficult names to pronounce, which makes it hard to remember them, their non-existent personalities weren’t helping their case either.
I can’t really comment on the writing since I read a translation, but I was bothered by several language errors. A thing I do want to mention is the inconsistencies. According to the prophecy, only thirteen humans can restore the balance. Now, . That’s either a great inconsistency, or some really dodgy prophecy.
This book is proof that a good idea and rich imagination isn’t nearly enough to write a good book. In fact, if you can’t back your world and idea up with some good storytelling, things tend to go awry. I completely understand why this book was on sale and I’m planning on donating it to a second hand bookshop cause I’ll never read this again, unfortunately.
Dragons used to rule the world, but when the Sundragon Phuram claimed all power, he sent the world in a spiral towards destruction. Only a group of thirteen humans can free the dragons from ancient times and bring Phuram’s reign to an end.
Let’s start off by saying that I do like the basic premise of it all and the world is very imaginative. Crazy imaginative, really. There are things flying, crawling, walking around in this novel that you can’t imagine unless you’re tripping on some heavy stuff. So that’s definitely a big pro, cause I like it when authors stray from the beaten path and bring something a little bit different to the genre. I also like the idea of dragons ruling and them gliding through different dimensions. The thing is, though, when you have such a good idea, you have to make sure that you translate it well to paper or things can fall really flat really soon. That’s what happened here.
As far as the plot is concerned, there’s nothing interesting besides the imaginative world in its inhabitants. The story just goes on and I never really had a good grasp of what was actually happening or where things were going. Things just weren’t really happening until the end and then it all happened too fast for my likes. The characters just stumble along knowing jack and then suddenly, when the book is running out of pages, they know what to do. That was really disappointing and on top of that there was a plot twist which came dropping out of the sky, without any ground to base that twist on.
The characters weren’t much to speak of either. There isn’t really a main character cause the POV keeps switching really fast and characters don’t have a tendency to stay with you. I believe some just disappeared without being mentioned further in the book, but I could be mistaken. It’s easy making mistakes when it comes to the characters, cause they’re everything but distinctive. They’re just flat and common, they don’t develop and even one dragon who’s present for the entire book – a novelty, really – is just so plain and boring, I couldn’t find myself to care. Also, they all have really difficult names to pronounce, which makes it hard to remember them, their non-existent personalities weren’t helping their case either.
I can’t really comment on the writing since I read a translation, but I was bothered by several language errors. A thing I do want to mention is the inconsistencies. According to the prophecy, only thirteen humans can restore the balance. Now, . That’s either a great inconsistency, or some really dodgy prophecy.
This book is proof that a good idea and rich imagination isn’t nearly enough to write a good book. In fact, if you can’t back your world and idea up with some good storytelling, things tend to go awry. I completely understand why this book was on sale and I’m planning on donating it to a second hand bookshop cause I’ll never read this again, unfortunately.
July 18, 2014
Sono rimasta veramente molto delusa... Perchè l'idea della trama, seppur ardita, era molto interessante.
Di fatto era troppo ardita per una scrittrice acerba che ha voluto a tutti i costi creare un intero mondo, un'intera religione, un ben nutrito mazzo di personaggi (di cui molti inutili) senza averne le capacità. Dallo stile con cui è scritto ne emerge che aveva in testa una trama molto fitta e nutrita, ma non è stata assolutamente in grado di creare qualcosa di fluido: i personaggi prendono decisioni senza che ne venga spiegato il senso, non si riesce a seguire il percorso che i protagonisti seguono per il loro viaggio, molti dialoghi non hanno nè capo nè coda, vengono nominate decine di razze (e non stiamo parlando di classici come elfi o gnomi che si sa come sono fatti, ma razze completamente inventate da lei) e solo dopo 200 pagine che se ne parla si riesce a trovare uno straccio di descrizione...
Senza togliere gli avvenimenti contraddittori: per fare un esempio, intorno a pagina 320 dei "mostri" non riescono a rovesciare le statue d'oro del dio del sole a causa delle loro caratteristiche fisiche, però magicamente qualche rigo più sotto riescono ad innalzare una statua di pietra... Qui qualcosa non torna...
Colpo di grazia, dopo 400 pagine in cui viene descritto questo tremendo viaggio, il finale è sbrigativo composto da un paio di pagine... Non si ha nemmeno la soddisfazione di vedere i conti (almeno quei pochi che si è riusciti a tenere) che tornano...
Veramente sconsigliato a chiunque, non capisco proprio come abbia fatto a diventare un successo in Germania.
Voto: 3/10
Di fatto era troppo ardita per una scrittrice acerba che ha voluto a tutti i costi creare un intero mondo, un'intera religione, un ben nutrito mazzo di personaggi (di cui molti inutili) senza averne le capacità. Dallo stile con cui è scritto ne emerge che aveva in testa una trama molto fitta e nutrita, ma non è stata assolutamente in grado di creare qualcosa di fluido: i personaggi prendono decisioni senza che ne venga spiegato il senso, non si riesce a seguire il percorso che i protagonisti seguono per il loro viaggio, molti dialoghi non hanno nè capo nè coda, vengono nominate decine di razze (e non stiamo parlando di classici come elfi o gnomi che si sa come sono fatti, ma razze completamente inventate da lei) e solo dopo 200 pagine che se ne parla si riesce a trovare uno straccio di descrizione...
Senza togliere gli avvenimenti contraddittori: per fare un esempio, intorno a pagina 320 dei "mostri" non riescono a rovesciare le statue d'oro del dio del sole a causa delle loro caratteristiche fisiche, però magicamente qualche rigo più sotto riescono ad innalzare una statua di pietra... Qui qualcosa non torna...
Colpo di grazia, dopo 400 pagine in cui viene descritto questo tremendo viaggio, il finale è sbrigativo composto da un paio di pagine... Non si ha nemmeno la soddisfazione di vedere i conti (almeno quei pochi che si è riusciti a tenere) che tornano...
Veramente sconsigliato a chiunque, non capisco proprio come abbia fatto a diventare un successo in Germania.
Voto: 3/10
June 10, 2013
Che dire, le idee ci sono, ma non vengono sfruttate. Tralasciando il piccolo dettaglio iniziale su la sconfitta delle tre sorelle da parte di Phuram con le sue spade che poteva essere una bella cosa da raccontare a differenza della scampagnata che ha fatto. Il libro si presenta decentemente, pecca in molte descrizioni, certo hai un mondo popolato di draghi. Pur di non perdersi in descrizioni minuziose di tutti i tipi di Drago, me li stermina o me li fai mutaforma oppure me ne presenta giusto due o tre, o addirittura per esigenza di trama, quando mi presenta molti tipi di drago non me li descrive perché i protagonisti non si possono soffermare a guardarli. Bah.
E poi mi ha tenuto incollato fino all'ultima pagina con la premessa di una lotta fra Draghi e arrivo a leggere l'ultima pagina che non c'è, mi usi gli spettri? ma siamo ad orizzonti perduti?
Tralasciando le descrizioni che se non sono per l'ambientazioni non attirano molto, non è un brutto libro, aveva le basi per poter diventare un capolavoro, ma non c'è riuscita e rimane un libro discreto, carino, magari spicca anche di luce propria, ma non riesce a controbattere altri titoli scritti molto meglio. Peccato perché poteva veramente essere un bel libro con una bella storia.
Sì anche se è tutta una scampagnata nel deserto poteva essere un bel libro.
Qui ne parlo sul mio blog:
http://tiraccontounracconto.blogspot....
E poi mi ha tenuto incollato fino all'ultima pagina con la premessa di una lotta fra Draghi e arrivo a leggere l'ultima pagina che non c'è, mi usi gli spettri? ma siamo ad orizzonti perduti?
Tralasciando le descrizioni che se non sono per l'ambientazioni non attirano molto, non è un brutto libro, aveva le basi per poter diventare un capolavoro, ma non c'è riuscita e rimane un libro discreto, carino, magari spicca anche di luce propria, ma non riesce a controbattere altri titoli scritti molto meglio. Peccato perché poteva veramente essere un bel libro con una bella storia.
Sì anche se è tutta una scampagnata nel deserto poteva essere un bel libro.
Qui ne parlo sul mio blog:
http://tiraccontounracconto.blogspot....
Want to Read
March 21, 2014I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12550715
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12550715
October 12, 2015
Wahnsinnig phantasievoll, mit liebenswerten Charakteren, überraschenden Wendungen und einem emotionalen Ende. Ich bin begeistert :)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews