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The climactic conclusion of The Year of Rogue Dragons! Madness takes hold, Sammaster draws closer to victory, and forgotten secrets are revealed at last. Dorn and the rogue dragons will have to find the source of a millennia-old curse, then find some way to destroy it, before the Rage overcomes the world.
341 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 9, 2006
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About the author
Richard Lee Byers
198 books370 followersA resident of the Tampa Bay area, Richard spends much of his leisure time fencing, playing poker, shooting pool and is a frequent guest at Florida science-fiction conventions. His current projects include new novels set in the Forgotten Realms universe and the eBook post-apocalyptic superhero series The Impostor.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 12, 2020
It’s been a decade since I read the second book in the Year Of Rogue Dragons trilogy, so I’m not really able to review The Ruin in context (i.e. in relation to the overall story arc).
Nevertheless…
The story is typical of D&D / Forgotten Realms fiction. There are some mandatory ingredients when it comes to concocting this sort of thing: there has to be a “hero” or a “party of heroes”; there has to be a “quest” of sorts; there have to be “items” such as enchanted weapons and artifacts; there has to be a “big bad” i.e. a villain of extraordinary malicious proportions. As such, you can almost hear the dice rolls and the scribbling of pencil on paper… Characters travel with spell-books, have a daily spell limit and drink healing potions after battle. I don’t know the ruleset so I can’t vouch for the book’s accuracy in that respect. The character classes are clearly defined, and there is at least one prestige class in the party of heroes (in this instance a bladesinger). However, the story does feature a half-golem, which isn’t something I’ve come across too often.
…a gigantic hellfire wyrm, with bony spikes stabbing up from its head and shoulders, and the color of its scales inconstant, oozing from one shade of yellow or crimson to another as if the creature were made of flowing magma. Also, a howling dragon, long and spindly of body, with deceptively short and delicate-looking limbs. Topaz eyes dotted with minute pupils glared from its mask, and a ruff of spines encircled the back of its head. Near the howling [dragon] swooped a pyroclastic dragon, massively built, its hide a mottled confusion of dark patches mixed with streaks and blotches of fiery red and gold. Its wings were gray and fragile in appearance, like charred parchment.
There is a bewildering array of creatures on display, from Gelugons to Tirichiks and many more. And of course, given the very nature of the main story event, any number of Dragons of all type and description. In addition to all the metallic and chromatic dragons (undead or otherwise) you could possibly wish for there is also a significant collection of planar dragons that make an appearance. One of the more impressive of all the wyrms found here is a Linnorm (or Corpse Tearer) known as “The Hermit”. Groovy!
This is also where the book faces its biggest challenge. Dragons are by and large some of the strongest creatures in this setting, and coming up with innovative, but believable, ways to depict battles with them that don’t end in outright slaughter is always going to be daunting task. The author sometimes succeeds and sometimes doesn’t. There is also (in my opinion) a flaw in the internal logic insofar as the characters comprising the “dragonslayer” party are concerned. The halfling, Will, and Faery Dragon, Jivex, have nothing to bring to the table (other than a slingshot and happy breath, which doesn’t suffice in any of the engagements in this book) and are only excess baggage. Yes, I know it’s only fantasy, but suspension of disbelief only gets you so far.
As such, it’s a bit of a lopsided read. But it isn’t all bad, some of the battles are quite spectacular, especially toward the end of the book. I particularly enjoyed the engagement between the metallic dragons and the tarterian dragons above the elven citadel.
The rating really boils down to what you expect from a story such as this. There is a certain expectation from D&D fiction and it should be rated with that in mind. As a shared-world adventure yarn the book succeeds on many levels, especially pertaining to some of the locations and in its portrayal of magic. On the other hand, some of the characters were just a bit annoying at times, and the final climactic battle was dragged out too long.
I enjoyed the previous two instalments, and this one doesn’t strike me as being wildly different in terms of general feel and readability, so I’ll just stick to my guns regarding the rating. Just take the whole thing with a pinch of salt and keep a Monster Manual handy.
He snarled a final invocation, and something – the underlying structure of the world, perhaps, on which seas, plains, and mountains lay like paint on a canvas – moaned in protest.
Nevertheless…
The story is typical of D&D / Forgotten Realms fiction. There are some mandatory ingredients when it comes to concocting this sort of thing: there has to be a “hero” or a “party of heroes”; there has to be a “quest” of sorts; there have to be “items” such as enchanted weapons and artifacts; there has to be a “big bad” i.e. a villain of extraordinary malicious proportions. As such, you can almost hear the dice rolls and the scribbling of pencil on paper… Characters travel with spell-books, have a daily spell limit and drink healing potions after battle. I don’t know the ruleset so I can’t vouch for the book’s accuracy in that respect. The character classes are clearly defined, and there is at least one prestige class in the party of heroes (in this instance a bladesinger). However, the story does feature a half-golem, which isn’t something I’ve come across too often.
…a gigantic hellfire wyrm, with bony spikes stabbing up from its head and shoulders, and the color of its scales inconstant, oozing from one shade of yellow or crimson to another as if the creature were made of flowing magma. Also, a howling dragon, long and spindly of body, with deceptively short and delicate-looking limbs. Topaz eyes dotted with minute pupils glared from its mask, and a ruff of spines encircled the back of its head. Near the howling [dragon] swooped a pyroclastic dragon, massively built, its hide a mottled confusion of dark patches mixed with streaks and blotches of fiery red and gold. Its wings were gray and fragile in appearance, like charred parchment.
There is a bewildering array of creatures on display, from Gelugons to Tirichiks and many more. And of course, given the very nature of the main story event, any number of Dragons of all type and description. In addition to all the metallic and chromatic dragons (undead or otherwise) you could possibly wish for there is also a significant collection of planar dragons that make an appearance. One of the more impressive of all the wyrms found here is a Linnorm (or Corpse Tearer) known as “The Hermit”. Groovy!
This is also where the book faces its biggest challenge. Dragons are by and large some of the strongest creatures in this setting, and coming up with innovative, but believable, ways to depict battles with them that don’t end in outright slaughter is always going to be daunting task. The author sometimes succeeds and sometimes doesn’t. There is also (in my opinion) a flaw in the internal logic insofar as the characters comprising the “dragonslayer” party are concerned. The halfling, Will, and Faery Dragon, Jivex, have nothing to bring to the table (other than a slingshot and happy breath, which doesn’t suffice in any of the engagements in this book) and are only excess baggage. Yes, I know it’s only fantasy, but suspension of disbelief only gets you so far.
As such, it’s a bit of a lopsided read. But it isn’t all bad, some of the battles are quite spectacular, especially toward the end of the book. I particularly enjoyed the engagement between the metallic dragons and the tarterian dragons above the elven citadel.
The rating really boils down to what you expect from a story such as this. There is a certain expectation from D&D fiction and it should be rated with that in mind. As a shared-world adventure yarn the book succeeds on many levels, especially pertaining to some of the locations and in its portrayal of magic. On the other hand, some of the characters were just a bit annoying at times, and the final climactic battle was dragged out too long.
I enjoyed the previous two instalments, and this one doesn’t strike me as being wildly different in terms of general feel and readability, so I’ll just stick to my guns regarding the rating. Just take the whole thing with a pinch of salt and keep a Monster Manual handy.
He snarled a final invocation, and something – the underlying structure of the world, perhaps, on which seas, plains, and mountains lay like paint on a canvas – moaned in protest.
June 29, 2023
A solid finish to a very entertaining series! I really enjoyed the cast of characters and am rather sad that there are no more books to read with that cast. There are a pair of anthology books that are a part of this series, at least in theme, so I have those stories to look forward to reading.
I've now read two trilogies in Forgotten Realms by Richard Lee Byers: this one, and the Haunted Lands trilogy. His writing is more accomplished in The Haunted Lands trilogy where he shows real growth as a writer but that's not to say that The Year of Rogue Dragons is in any way inferior. In fact, it's quite a bit more fun.
I've now read two trilogies in Forgotten Realms by Richard Lee Byers: this one, and the Haunted Lands trilogy. His writing is more accomplished in The Haunted Lands trilogy where he shows real growth as a writer but that's not to say that The Year of Rogue Dragons is in any way inferior. In fact, it's quite a bit more fun.
November 17, 2010
The Ruin by Richard Lee Byers- This is the final book in The Year of Rogue Dragons trilogy. The first book is titled The Rage and the second book is titled The Rite. The Ruin is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of Dungeons and Dragons. Richard Lee Byers has written a number of books, mostly focused on the horror genre; Deathward, Fright Line, The Vampire's Apprentice, Dark Fortune, Dead Time, The Tale of Terrible Toys, and The Children of Gaia and Uktena: Werewolf, 5. His also contributed a number of stories to other series including; three Nightmare Club novels (Joyride, Warlock Games, and Party Til You Drop), four World of Darkness novels (Caravan of Shadows, Netherworld: Vampire, On a Darkling Plane, and Wraith: The Ebon Mask), a X-Men based novel titled Soul Killer, and a Warhammer based novel titled The Enemy Within. His also written a trilogy for the Scarred Lands called Dead God trilogy (Forsaken, Forsworn, and Forbidden). He has written a number of Forgotten Realms novels as well; a novel and a short story in the Sembia: Gateway to the Realms series (the short story is found in the first book of the series, The Halls of Stormweather, and wrote the third book, The Shattered Mask), wrote the first novel in R. A. Salvatore's War of the Spider Queen series called Dissolution, a novel in The Rogues series called The Black Bouquet, a book in The Priests series called Queen of the Depths, The Haunted Lands trilogy (Unclean, Undead, and Unholy) and he is working on finishing The Brotherhood of the Griffon trilogy (The Captive Flame, Whisper of Venom, and The Spectral Blaze). He has also contributed a vast amount of short stories to various anthologies. The Ruin was released in May 2006 and published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
As the rage of dragons continues on, the hunters may have found the breakthrough that they need. The group, consisting of a priest of Lathander named Pavel, a halfling thief named Will, the arctic dwarf ranger named Raryn, the avariel (flying elf) bladesinger named Taegan, a faerie dragon named Jivex, a song dragon bard named Kara, and the leader, a half-golem named Dorn, set out toward the frozen north. Their travels lead them to a place called The Great Glacier, where the arctic dwarf Raryn's home was before leaving and because of he's knowledge of the region, he is able to navigate the wasteland with ease. After a chance encounter with his old clan of dwarves, the group relax. But treachery is afoot, and before they know it, the hunters are taken to the self-proclaimed Ice Queen of the Great Glacier. Seeing the value the hunters could process and wishing to out-think the lich Sammaster, she tries to coerce Pavel into telling her all they know about the lich's plans. However, he proves to strong to break. During this, their vampiric smoke drake ally, Brimstone, sets off to find where his companions have disappeared to. After finding a group of white dragons led by a dracolich named Zethrindor, Brimstone learns that his allies may have been taken to the Ice Queen. The white dragons are tasked to serve the Ice Queen by Sammaster, were sent out to overtake the country of Sossal, something they don't like and agree with Brimstone that the Ice Queen can be a threat to their wishes to become dracolichs. During this, the Ice Queen agrees to help the hunters search for a ruin that could hold the key to the rage. As the group find the site they believed to be linked to the rage, the white dragons strike. Has the group found the cure for the rage or is it too late to stop the destruction?
Criticisms:
1) Minor Characters. The biggest flaw that The Ruin has is the minor characters. They just weren't interesting enough for me to care about them. They came across as poorly placed and almost useless at times. For example, the white dragons are off trying to conquer Sossal and we meet some of the defenders of the place. They aren't memorable and while they do play a part in the story, they come across as through they should be something more. It was almost like they were meant to have a bigger role. Yet, things just happened to that are supposed to make you like them, but they happen so suddenly and vanish so quickly, that you just don't care. It felt like some of the minor characters were supposed to be more, but were just rushed and forgotten. Also, even the bigger minor characters (the Ice Queen, for example) seem to be wasted. She does come across as a generally interesting character, yet what happens is that you really never get to delve any further than her surface. It could be that the story was deviating too far from the main plot, or something but it seemed like there should have just been more to these characters.
2) Impact. I still don't see any real impact this story made to the world. The whole rage of dragons never really came across as something dire and deadly. In fact, the dragons themselves seem amazingly weak and not threatening. When a world-changing event happens, you kind of expect it to be world-changing. Instead, it felt like nothing changed, other than a few deaths. It felt like it didn't matter to the world at large. The events really didn't have the impact that was meant for it.
3) Dodging. This is something that really bothered me throughout the trilogy, the amount of dodging the characters did. I couldn't count how many times Will ran under a dragon, poked it a few times with his sword, and rolled out-of-the-way when the dragon belly slams, or stomps down. It seems like this happened, every single time that Will attacked. With the others, they nimbly avoid bites, a tail whipping around, parry claws (which is amazing, seeing as dragons are huge and can crush a person easily), and stopping attacks. In fact, it only seemed like Kara was the only character to actually show terrible wounds. This really stopped my suspension of disbelief and cause me to question these characters abilities. They come across as god-like beings, with their dodging and blocking. It just doesn't work when your fighting a huge dragon to come away almost unharmed and still alive.
Praises:
1) Action. The Ruin was a very exciting read, mostly due to it being full of action scenes and battles. The action itself is really well written and very easy to follow, aside from a few instances. Every chapter contained an exciting and fast paced battle, making the story a very quick read. However, the best part of The Ruin is at the end, when we get a gigantic battle that is filled with tension. This battle really put me on the edge of my seat, wondering what is going to happen and who will survive. Overall, the action is really well written and very exciting.
2) Dorn. Dorn does come across as a better character than in the previous two books. However, he still isn't perfect. At least this time, his self-loathing and attitude is understandable, but it still did get on my nerves easily. Aside from one painfully stupid scene involving Kara and him at the end of the novel, he really works to his strengths here. His bitter attitude of his condition and how he considers himself a freak finally do come across as deep and sad. It could have been because of the event he goes through, but even so, it was well executed. Finally, we get a reason as to why Dorn is so full of self hate and he actually becomes a decent and likable character.
Side Notes:
1) Inconsistencies. This really bothered me, albeit it was just one little scene in the whole novel. However, Taegan and Jivex never met or seen Chatulio from The Rite. Yet, Jivex was able to capture a perfect image of him during a fight. How?
2) Dragons. Once again, there are way too many dragons! Is there an endless supply of these things hiding in someone's closet or basement? Where do they keep coming from and why aren't the detailed and described better?
3) Cover Art. The cover art for The Ruin is actually really good. The green dragon staring at the people in the tower as they cower in fear is eye catching and interesting. The background is forgettable and doesn't really add much to the cover. However, that green dragon is just menacingly gorgeous and creepy looking.
Overall: 2/5
Final Thoughts:
The Ruin isn't the way you want to end a trilogy. The plot does pick up from the previous book and a lot of loose ends were tied up in the end, but it doesn't seem quite right. It was action packed with fighting and battles that made it a very quick read. The battles were well written and did keep me to edge of my seat, but it still felt like something was missing. At least Dorn's character was actually decent this time! But still that sense of something missing was there. What's the something? Well, the impact of the world-changing event wasn't there. Not once did I feel like the world was in danger or even changed because of that. It didn't even feel like it was all that important in the long run. It also didn't help that minor characters only seemed to be there to move the story along when they were obviously meant for a bigger role. Finally, if this series was supposed to be as big and world-changing as it was supposed to be, why was it that there were so few major character deaths? It just didn't have the impact that The Ruin was shooting for. Overall, would I recommend The Ruin? No, unless you've started this series and want to see how it ends.
As the rage of dragons continues on, the hunters may have found the breakthrough that they need. The group, consisting of a priest of Lathander named Pavel, a halfling thief named Will, the arctic dwarf ranger named Raryn, the avariel (flying elf) bladesinger named Taegan, a faerie dragon named Jivex, a song dragon bard named Kara, and the leader, a half-golem named Dorn, set out toward the frozen north. Their travels lead them to a place called The Great Glacier, where the arctic dwarf Raryn's home was before leaving and because of he's knowledge of the region, he is able to navigate the wasteland with ease. After a chance encounter with his old clan of dwarves, the group relax. But treachery is afoot, and before they know it, the hunters are taken to the self-proclaimed Ice Queen of the Great Glacier. Seeing the value the hunters could process and wishing to out-think the lich Sammaster, she tries to coerce Pavel into telling her all they know about the lich's plans. However, he proves to strong to break. During this, their vampiric smoke drake ally, Brimstone, sets off to find where his companions have disappeared to. After finding a group of white dragons led by a dracolich named Zethrindor, Brimstone learns that his allies may have been taken to the Ice Queen. The white dragons are tasked to serve the Ice Queen by Sammaster, were sent out to overtake the country of Sossal, something they don't like and agree with Brimstone that the Ice Queen can be a threat to their wishes to become dracolichs. During this, the Ice Queen agrees to help the hunters search for a ruin that could hold the key to the rage. As the group find the site they believed to be linked to the rage, the white dragons strike. Has the group found the cure for the rage or is it too late to stop the destruction?
Criticisms:
1) Minor Characters. The biggest flaw that The Ruin has is the minor characters. They just weren't interesting enough for me to care about them. They came across as poorly placed and almost useless at times. For example, the white dragons are off trying to conquer Sossal and we meet some of the defenders of the place. They aren't memorable and while they do play a part in the story, they come across as through they should be something more. It was almost like they were meant to have a bigger role. Yet, things just happened to that are supposed to make you like them, but they happen so suddenly and vanish so quickly, that you just don't care. It felt like some of the minor characters were supposed to be more, but were just rushed and forgotten. Also, even the bigger minor characters (the Ice Queen, for example) seem to be wasted. She does come across as a generally interesting character, yet what happens is that you really never get to delve any further than her surface. It could be that the story was deviating too far from the main plot, or something but it seemed like there should have just been more to these characters.
2) Impact. I still don't see any real impact this story made to the world. The whole rage of dragons never really came across as something dire and deadly. In fact, the dragons themselves seem amazingly weak and not threatening. When a world-changing event happens, you kind of expect it to be world-changing. Instead, it felt like nothing changed, other than a few deaths. It felt like it didn't matter to the world at large. The events really didn't have the impact that was meant for it.
3) Dodging. This is something that really bothered me throughout the trilogy, the amount of dodging the characters did. I couldn't count how many times Will ran under a dragon, poked it a few times with his sword, and rolled out-of-the-way when the dragon belly slams, or stomps down. It seems like this happened, every single time that Will attacked. With the others, they nimbly avoid bites, a tail whipping around, parry claws (which is amazing, seeing as dragons are huge and can crush a person easily), and stopping attacks. In fact, it only seemed like Kara was the only character to actually show terrible wounds. This really stopped my suspension of disbelief and cause me to question these characters abilities. They come across as god-like beings, with their dodging and blocking. It just doesn't work when your fighting a huge dragon to come away almost unharmed and still alive.
Praises:
1) Action. The Ruin was a very exciting read, mostly due to it being full of action scenes and battles. The action itself is really well written and very easy to follow, aside from a few instances. Every chapter contained an exciting and fast paced battle, making the story a very quick read. However, the best part of The Ruin is at the end, when we get a gigantic battle that is filled with tension. This battle really put me on the edge of my seat, wondering what is going to happen and who will survive. Overall, the action is really well written and very exciting.
2) Dorn. Dorn does come across as a better character than in the previous two books. However, he still isn't perfect. At least this time, his self-loathing and attitude is understandable, but it still did get on my nerves easily. Aside from one painfully stupid scene involving Kara and him at the end of the novel, he really works to his strengths here. His bitter attitude of his condition and how he considers himself a freak finally do come across as deep and sad. It could have been because of the event he goes through, but even so, it was well executed. Finally, we get a reason as to why Dorn is so full of self hate and he actually becomes a decent and likable character.
Side Notes:
1) Inconsistencies. This really bothered me, albeit it was just one little scene in the whole novel. However, Taegan and Jivex never met or seen Chatulio from The Rite. Yet, Jivex was able to capture a perfect image of him during a fight. How?
2) Dragons. Once again, there are way too many dragons! Is there an endless supply of these things hiding in someone's closet or basement? Where do they keep coming from and why aren't the detailed and described better?
3) Cover Art. The cover art for The Ruin is actually really good. The green dragon staring at the people in the tower as they cower in fear is eye catching and interesting. The background is forgettable and doesn't really add much to the cover. However, that green dragon is just menacingly gorgeous and creepy looking.
Overall: 2/5
Final Thoughts:
The Ruin isn't the way you want to end a trilogy. The plot does pick up from the previous book and a lot of loose ends were tied up in the end, but it doesn't seem quite right. It was action packed with fighting and battles that made it a very quick read. The battles were well written and did keep me to edge of my seat, but it still felt like something was missing. At least Dorn's character was actually decent this time! But still that sense of something missing was there. What's the something? Well, the impact of the world-changing event wasn't there. Not once did I feel like the world was in danger or even changed because of that. It didn't even feel like it was all that important in the long run. It also didn't help that minor characters only seemed to be there to move the story along when they were obviously meant for a bigger role. Finally, if this series was supposed to be as big and world-changing as it was supposed to be, why was it that there were so few major character deaths? It just didn't have the impact that The Ruin was shooting for. Overall, would I recommend The Ruin? No, unless you've started this series and want to see how it ends.
November 11, 2023
’It was wonderful, yet also strange to think that the year-long struggle might conclude so quietly.’
That is a lie!
The final chapter of Richard Lee Byers’ Year of Rogue Dragons ends anything but quietly as half-golem Dorn’s team of monster hunters close in on the source of the curse polluting the minds of the dragons of Faerûn in this adventure-filled conclusion to the fantasy saga! Byers remains at the top of his form, delivering action packed battle sequences like few other authors can and continuing to twist and turn the plot to a fitting final confrontation between the heroes, the mages of Thentia, good dragon-kind, and the evil lich Sammaster.
Great characters, a great plot, great writing with plenty of page turning cliffhangers – everything that I loved about the previous books in this series continues here. I really dig Byers’ ability to plunge into the full Dungeons & Dragons arcana of spells and dragons’ bestiary. There are plenty of creatures from old Monster Manuals and Fiend Folios that I was sure would never make it past the odd D&D module, but Byers relishes the wild cryptozoology of the weirdest (and rarest) of wryms. As in prior volumes, its refreshing to have an author so willing to take full advantage of the D&D source material and weld it seamlessly into thoroughly entertaining story.
Perhaps the only bit of bone in the banquet is the epilogue which doesn’t exactly offer closure. Byers may have been forced to be coy with the final chapter’s possibilities as the door to future tales might have still been open. Alas, as far as I can tell, that did not happen and it’s a bit of disappointment that the faithful series reader is left hanging on ‘the happily ever after’ for a few of main heroes or on the evil musings of one of the main dragons. Hard to hang this quibble on the author as the future of the book line was likely well out of his hands, but I would have liked a bit more finality in the final pages.
Regardless, Byers’ Year of Rogue Dragons is among the best fantasy the Forgotten Realms line has to offer and, even if you haven’t rolled a D20 in years, well worth adding to your reading list.
P.S. Publisher WoTC has done us all a small favor by re-releasing the main three books in this series digitally, but the fourth book – an anthology – is unfortunately out-of-print. I was just recently able to score a well-used copy of Realms of the Dragons on the secondary market and will give that one a try. Maybe it will answer some of those post-finale questions that plague me.
March 16, 2020
განსრულდა ესე ამბავი, ვითა სიზმარი ღამისა
იმდენი დრაკონი იყო ბოლოს რო ცოტა ხანი ისეთი წიგნები უნდა წავიკითხო სადაც დრაკონის ნასახი არ იქნება. ფაერუნზე არსებული ლამის ყველანაირი დრაკონი ერთ ბრძოლაში იბრძოდა, რაც რათქმაუნდა ფრიად სასიამოვნო წასაკითხია მაგრამ ცოტა პერედოზს იწვევს.
საერთო ჯამში მშვენიერი ტრილოგია გამოდგა, საინტერესო ფლოთით, ცოტა ბანძი ვილანით და გადასარევი quest team-ით.
იმდენი დრაკონი იყო ბოლოს რო ცოტა ხანი ისეთი წიგნები უნდა წავიკითხო სადაც დრაკონის ნასახი არ იქნება. ფაერუნზე არსებული ლამის ყველანაირი დრაკონი ერთ ბრძოლაში იბრძოდა, რაც რათქმაუნდა ფრიად სასიამოვნო წასაკითხია მაგრამ ცოტა პერედოზს იწვევს.
საერთო ჯამში მშვენიერი ტრილოგია გამოდგა, საინტერესო ფლოთით, ცოტა ბანძი ვილანით და გადასარევი quest team-ით.
December 9, 2024
I liked this book and this series. The characters and their interactions are well done but the battle sequences got tedious. Would have appreciated more pages dedicated to plot and less to battle - but that's Lee Byers in the Forgotten Realms.
March 20, 2018
Very good read
It kept me glued to the pages although it was the 4th time reading the books I love Dragons and its full of them
It kept me glued to the pages although it was the 4th time reading the books I love Dragons and its full of them
June 23, 2019
"The only way to make sure we don't misstep...is never to move at all."
June 17, 2022
A little rushed in places but still a great read. Truly unique characters!
November 21, 2022
Good book, but would like to point out for semantics that dragons with bat-like wings wouldn't have pinions.
did-not-finish-or-start
June 19, 2023DNS 6/19/23
November 5, 2024
An extremely satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Bravo!
April 27, 2024
I especially liked Jivex, Will and Brimstone <3
Looking forward to reading more about Brimstone in the Brotherhood of the Griffon series, and I hope he isn't as evil as it might seem.
Looking forward to reading more about Brimstone in the Brotherhood of the Griffon series, and I hope he isn't as evil as it might seem.
August 15, 2020
Overall, I recommend the "Year of Rogue Dragons" to anyone looking for a decent Realms-shaking event. It doesn't exactly innovate the form, but Byers hits all his marks and he does it better than many of his predecessors. I had honest emotional reactions for most of the trilogy; I even teared up several times. But, Byers inexplicably rushes the ending here in a way that I don't understand, given he had 341 pages to get to where he wanted to go. Spoilers ahead!
In other words, it ends like later-day Weis and Hickman stories, where the last 100 pages make you wonder whether it was worth the 1,000+-page investment. I still recommend it to a fan of the "Forgotten Realms," since it takes us to some areas of the Realms we don't frequently see and the first two novels involve some pretty solid character development. But, I'll warn you you'll find yourself flipping through old "Dragon" back issues wondering if Byers published any short stories that address the threads he left dangling here.
In other words, it ends like later-day Weis and Hickman stories, where the last 100 pages make you wonder whether it was worth the 1,000+-page investment. I still recommend it to a fan of the "Forgotten Realms," since it takes us to some areas of the Realms we don't frequently see and the first two novels involve some pretty solid character development. But, I'll warn you you'll find yourself flipping through old "Dragon" back issues wondering if Byers published any short stories that address the threads he left dangling here.
June 2, 2011
The third and final book in the series, The Year of the Rogue Dragons, by Richard Lee Byers is The Ruin. The story picks up where book two, The Rite, leaves off. The adventure continues in Faerûn (Forgotten Realms) as the heroes travel the Novularond Mountains, the Great Glacier, and far northern reaches of the realm in an attempt to end the Rage that is afflicting the dragon species.
Byers doesn’t slack off in this final novel but keep readers absorbed with the multitude of dragon species, melee and magical combat, and intrigue. Kara, Dorn, Will, Pavel, Raryn, Taegan, and Brimstone search out the ancient Elvan stronghold where the heart of the Rage resides but before they can reach their goal, they must defeat Iyraclea, the self proclaimed Ice Queen who is a High priestess of Auril, the Frostmaiden goddess of cold and winter. Iyraclea, who allied herself with Sammaster, First-Speaker of Cult of the Dragon, decides to betray him by keeping the heroes to herself while taking advantage of the Dragons Sammaster has lent to her to conquer the neighboring realm. The Dragons discover Iyraclea’s deception and the strife begins which allows the heroes their chance to escape and continue their quest.
Each chapter begins in the familiar FR style, providing the “Year of…” and the DR date, allowing Faerûn historians to easily place these events into the Forgotten Realms timeline. The events of the Rage occur approximately two years before the Spellplague that changes Faerûn forever. Novels written by Byers after the Spellplague make reference to the Rage and completing this series before reading later novels will minimize reader confusion.
This book is not a stand alone novel and should not be read without first reading Byers The Rage and The Rite. Fans of dragons should not miss this series. Not only does Byers continue to share his vast knowledge of dragons but he weaves a tale that keeps fans intrigued and entranced. His characters are well defined and readers are sure to relate to at least one, if not more, of them. For fans of the Forgotten Realms, and new fantasy readers alike, this is a must read series.
Byers doesn’t slack off in this final novel but keep readers absorbed with the multitude of dragon species, melee and magical combat, and intrigue. Kara, Dorn, Will, Pavel, Raryn, Taegan, and Brimstone search out the ancient Elvan stronghold where the heart of the Rage resides but before they can reach their goal, they must defeat Iyraclea, the self proclaimed Ice Queen who is a High priestess of Auril, the Frostmaiden goddess of cold and winter. Iyraclea, who allied herself with Sammaster, First-Speaker of Cult of the Dragon, decides to betray him by keeping the heroes to herself while taking advantage of the Dragons Sammaster has lent to her to conquer the neighboring realm. The Dragons discover Iyraclea’s deception and the strife begins which allows the heroes their chance to escape and continue their quest.
Each chapter begins in the familiar FR style, providing the “Year of…” and the DR date, allowing Faerûn historians to easily place these events into the Forgotten Realms timeline. The events of the Rage occur approximately two years before the Spellplague that changes Faerûn forever. Novels written by Byers after the Spellplague make reference to the Rage and completing this series before reading later novels will minimize reader confusion.
This book is not a stand alone novel and should not be read without first reading Byers The Rage and The Rite. Fans of dragons should not miss this series. Not only does Byers continue to share his vast knowledge of dragons but he weaves a tale that keeps fans intrigued and entranced. His characters are well defined and readers are sure to relate to at least one, if not more, of them. For fans of the Forgotten Realms, and new fantasy readers alike, this is a must read series.
September 27, 2013
More like 2.5 stars. This one ends the series off, and it has it's good moments. However, there are still a lot of inexplicably boring/unreadable battle scenes in this, in my opinion. It could just be me, but I really thought this series would be more about Dorn being a half-golem than some unexplainable phenomenon the group (and nameless other characters) end up trying to stop from occurring. It's just not that good to me. I really think what could have made it tons better would have been more direct conflicts with the main villain throughout the three books, instead of the fairly anticlimactic ending we get instead. It's a "so what?" no tension kind of ending. Just a bizarrely written trilogy overall. This was a task to read, believe me. It didn't "Ruin" my week, but probably only because I had other more worthy material to keep my interest and motivate me to attempt finishing this mediocrity.
December 8, 2021
The third book in this trilogy is certainly the least interesting, in terms of plot and character development, but it does what it needs to, in terms of getting the job done and the story resolved. Once again, I read this as an e-book, in occasional snatches over many months, on my phone when I had time. I could be wrong, but I don’t think it would have stood well to a closer more careful reading. One fun part of the book involves the characters using intrigue to drive a wedge between the main baddie and one of his allies, an “Ice Queen” who works to spread coldness and waste in the service of a goddess. Another interesting piece (though established in earlier books) is how the main villain is tormented by self-doubt, rather than seeing himself as omnipotent. Otherwise, it’s mostly long periods of combat, interrupted by occasional moments of puzzle-solving.
June 2, 2014
I loved this whole series.
This final installment was no let down. The battles were epic, in the style that only Byers can produce. He created characters that are bizzare and interesting, they have just the right amount of flaws to make them endearing to the reader. The bad guy is awesome, and the complexity of his devious plan is inspiring.
Things get very bad for our heros in this book. They are doublecrossed, backstabbed and pummelled across several planes of existiance.
In the end, miraculously, they pull through and save the world.
A great bit of epic fantasy!
This final installment was no let down. The battles were epic, in the style that only Byers can produce. He created characters that are bizzare and interesting, they have just the right amount of flaws to make them endearing to the reader. The bad guy is awesome, and the complexity of his devious plan is inspiring.
Things get very bad for our heros in this book. They are doublecrossed, backstabbed and pummelled across several planes of existiance.
In the end, miraculously, they pull through and save the world.
A great bit of epic fantasy!
Want to read
March 18, 2009Once i read the second one of this series i wanna read this one.
February 28, 2010
Good book! Good Series! A must read for dragon lovers out there! Bit of a tragedy they killed of one of the main characters... Sniff...
January 9, 2013
see book 1
May 13, 2014
A good conclusion to the series. I found it not as enjoyable as the first book but more enjoyable than the second. Overall a high fantasy series worth reading.
Read
January 25, 2017Whew, this was a long series... The last few chapters were the most exciting parts of the entire trilogy for me. 8)
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