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DragonCrown War Cycle #2
When Dragons Rage
Michael A. Stackpole--New York Times bestselling author and master of epic fantasy--continues his unforgettable chronicle of a world divided by war, betrayal, desire, and two rival magicks...When Dragons Rage.
As her merciless armies sweep from the north, the tyrant Chytrine pursues her quest to become empress of the world in a brutal campaign of unspeakable bloodshed and unholy sorcery. While cities and kingdoms topple, her agents, both living and dead, search for fragments of the shattered DragonCrown--which, when reassembled, will make her unstoppable.
Opposing Chytrine is the beautiful and determined Alexia, Princess of Okrannel. As she struggles to save the life of Kedyn’s Crow, a mysterious human warrior accused of treachery, she gathers around her an alliance of unlikely heroes, including Resolute, an exiled Vorquelf out for vengeance; Kerrigan Reese, a mage with uncertain potential; and last but not least, young Will, an orphan thief from the slums of Yslin, who may be the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy--or its innocent victim. Alexia and her friends will need all their courage and magick, their only advantage the secret possession of a vital fragment of the DragonCrown. But when Chytrine’s terrifying horde of cruel warriors, voracious minions, and remorseless undead slaves join the battle against them, even courage and magick may not be enough to stem the tide of ultimate darkness.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
As her merciless armies sweep from the north, the tyrant Chytrine pursues her quest to become empress of the world in a brutal campaign of unspeakable bloodshed and unholy sorcery. While cities and kingdoms topple, her agents, both living and dead, search for fragments of the shattered DragonCrown--which, when reassembled, will make her unstoppable.
Opposing Chytrine is the beautiful and determined Alexia, Princess of Okrannel. As she struggles to save the life of Kedyn’s Crow, a mysterious human warrior accused of treachery, she gathers around her an alliance of unlikely heroes, including Resolute, an exiled Vorquelf out for vengeance; Kerrigan Reese, a mage with uncertain potential; and last but not least, young Will, an orphan thief from the slums of Yslin, who may be the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy--or its innocent victim. Alexia and her friends will need all their courage and magick, their only advantage the secret possession of a vital fragment of the DragonCrown. But when Chytrine’s terrifying horde of cruel warriors, voracious minions, and remorseless undead slaves join the battle against them, even courage and magick may not be enough to stem the tide of ultimate darkness.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
688 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 26, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
June 21, 2010
This series is fantastic. Stackpole's characters are, as always, human (even those that aren't biologically). This book informs readers of what happened after DGW, specifically related to Crow and to Leigh Norrington. Will's character shift is welcome; Alexia becomes a character with more depth and her love interest (while not surprising) is sincere. Kerrigan.... well let's just say that Stackpole does a masterful job of showing his power and naivete all in the same scenes. Again, very consistent character work.
*spoilers below*
There are very few all out melee battles in this book. The main characters have plausible political and social problems as well as battle strategies to devise. The hit and fade attacks by Resolute, Crow, and Will are nicely done as added action scenes and further story development. Stackpole's plotline flows naturally and logically from point to point; nothing in this novel seems contrived or forced; the end of the book is well thought out, although there's an easy clause out of Will's death. I'm torn between wanting Stackpole to bring such an interesting character back with said clause or leave him dead because its use might cheapen the plot. But besides that, it's nice to know that Rym Ramoch and Bok are more than they seem.
This book is consistenly engaging (to be read: will keep you up late to finish it) and is highly recommended. But read Dark Glory War and Fortress Draconis first so you understand what you're reading.
*spoilers below*
There are very few all out melee battles in this book. The main characters have plausible political and social problems as well as battle strategies to devise. The hit and fade attacks by Resolute, Crow, and Will are nicely done as added action scenes and further story development. Stackpole's plotline flows naturally and logically from point to point; nothing in this novel seems contrived or forced; the end of the book is well thought out, although there's an easy clause out of Will's death. I'm torn between wanting Stackpole to bring such an interesting character back with said clause or leave him dead because its use might cheapen the plot. But besides that, it's nice to know that Rym Ramoch and Bok are more than they seem.
This book is consistenly engaging (to be read: will keep you up late to finish it) and is highly recommended. But read Dark Glory War and Fortress Draconis first so you understand what you're reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2021
I think this one merits four stars. First in quite a while.
When Dragons Rage simply improves and expounds uponFortress Draconis, generally making for an even more enjoyable tale in almost every way.
The only "main" character that I didn't find myself growing more attached to and interested in was Alexia - who simply added "mooning lover" to her contradictory repertoire of traits. Kerrigan and Will, in particular, really mature in this story. The latter (the Norrington of the book's legend), I will grudgingly grant, comes of age in a way that seems startlingly at odds with the rash young thief we met 1300 pages ago, yet quite well written. Normally, I am fond of leveling charges of abruptness, plot holes, or writing inconsistencies at authors with their character development, but I don't think I have any for Michael Stackpole with Will Norrington. The kid still has his flaws, but they really begin to evaporate as he assumes responsibility and performs heroic sacrifices.
Isuara, Erlestoke, Adrogans, Linchmere, and Sayce are all noteworthy side characters that I want to know more about (especially Isuara, the ice queen's daughter, and Erlestoke, the royal Oriosan renegade), and I'm positively pining for book three to begin so that I can see how the rest of the series plays out.
Stackpole performs a gobsmacker of a table flip with the plot in the very last paragraph of the story - I'm not sure if I've ever experienced a plot twist that was both so sudden and so drastic. I had to read it three times.
Broadly, this book continues Chytrine's invasion of the southlands. While she makes huge territorial gains, the fellowship of heroes opposing her make important discoveries and win no few victories of their own. A substantial change in point of view takes place, with a few chapters showing the actions of Isuara, the sullanciri, and even Chytrine, which explain some of the Aurolani weaknesses, motivations, and inner workings.
Very satisfying, if a bit of a dip in overt action at times. But a great continuation of the story and worthy fantasy novel. Also, we finally really get dragons!
When Dragons Rage simply improves and expounds uponFortress Draconis, generally making for an even more enjoyable tale in almost every way.
The only "main" character that I didn't find myself growing more attached to and interested in was Alexia - who simply added "mooning lover" to her contradictory repertoire of traits. Kerrigan and Will, in particular, really mature in this story. The latter (the Norrington of the book's legend), I will grudgingly grant, comes of age in a way that seems startlingly at odds with the rash young thief we met 1300 pages ago, yet quite well written. Normally, I am fond of leveling charges of abruptness, plot holes, or writing inconsistencies at authors with their character development, but I don't think I have any for Michael Stackpole with Will Norrington. The kid still has his flaws, but they really begin to evaporate as he assumes responsibility and performs heroic sacrifices.
Isuara, Erlestoke, Adrogans, Linchmere, and Sayce are all noteworthy side characters that I want to know more about (especially Isuara, the ice queen's daughter, and Erlestoke, the royal Oriosan renegade), and I'm positively pining for book three to begin so that I can see how the rest of the series plays out.
Stackpole performs a gobsmacker of a table flip with the plot in the very last paragraph of the story - I'm not sure if I've ever experienced a plot twist that was both so sudden and so drastic. I had to read it three times.
Broadly, this book continues Chytrine's invasion of the southlands. While she makes huge territorial gains, the fellowship of heroes opposing her make important discoveries and win no few victories of their own. A substantial change in point of view takes place, with a few chapters showing the actions of Isuara, the sullanciri, and even Chytrine, which explain some of the Aurolani weaknesses, motivations, and inner workings.
Very satisfying, if a bit of a dip in overt action at times. But a great continuation of the story and worthy fantasy novel. Also, we finally really get dragons!
October 28, 2015
‘When Dragons Rage’ continues the fascinating story of the team of heroes led by Alexia of Okrannel, Will Norrington, Kerrigan Reese, Crow and Resolute as they war with Chytrine, Empress of the north. While the book was well-written and gripping, for me it still didn’t reach the level set by ‘Fortress Draconis’. Why? These are the reasons…
Likes:
- Character development for Will and Kerrigan. By the end of ‘Fortress Draconis’, both characters had already matured a lot, but their development continues. Kerrigan in particular shows great growth as he comes to the terms with his abilities and puts his skill, his talent and his crucial thinking to good use, creating new spells and reworking old ones on the whole new level. Moreover, he overcomes his insecurities and learns to stand for himself and not back down each time he is snapped at. He makes very major decisions and is ready to carry out responsibility for them, and that is a great contrast with the scared boy who just wished for his peaceful life on Vilwan to return that we had seen in the beginning of ‘Fortress Draconis’. Even though Kerrigan and Will never were close due them just being too different, I like their interactions more and more as Will grows more compassionate and Kerrigan grows more mature. They make a great team as Kerrigan helps Will with planning and Will supports Kerrigan after his mentor’s death.
Will had always dreamed of becoming a part of the legend and of having heroic ballads sung about him. Now, his dreams are coming true – and in the same time, he realizes that life is far more complicated than that. Most important, Will realizes that it’s impossible for just one man, however heroic he may be, to win the war, and therefore there are much more real heroes out there, from the nobles and generals commanding the war to the last soldiers just doing their duty. The main difference is that no one is going to sing a song about them. Will is still going to give his best to stop Chytrine, but he isn’t doing that alone – and that makes him act far more responsible and wise beyond his years and upbringing. I love the relationship Will developed with Sayce – it was so sweet and lovely and yet very natural, especially as Will doubts his feelings toward Sayce and worries about not being good enough for her. This development itself is a proof that the author actually can write good romance.
- Unpredictable plot twists. There are a lot of twists scattered out as the story progresses, both small and big, that just keep you on edge. Starting with the introduction of Isaura and her so morally-twisted and yet innocent way of thinking, they continue on as Nefrai-kesh plays his tricks, Erlestoke fights a war from behind the lines in the destroyed Fortress and one more Norrington enters the stage, claiming to be the chosen one of the prophecy.
- Amazing ending. The build-up for the final already starts strong as Kerrigan battles Neskartu in the magical duel, and from that moment on great plot twists start piling up. The most startling revelations are made, the mystery of Dranae’s backstory prior to him joining the team one of them. Dranae had always been one of my favourites, and I had always known that there was something special about him, but I couldn’t even guess at the truth of it. His story also explains some very interesting plot points, and clears out some misleading from the author. A completely new force enters the war – and suddenly, every single action our heroes take can truly determine the course of the war and influence the fates of the world.
Dislikes:
-
- Slow and dragged-out narrative. Remember what I said about unpredictable twists and amazing ending? Well, all the great stuff starts only when about 80% of the book is up, and while there are good twists during the story, in between then the narrative was way too dull. Almost half the book was wasted Crow’s trial, and while it’s a major plotline (we don’t want our hero to be executed for treason, right?), there were too much political maneuvering, legal procedures and characters doing practically nothing. I couldn’t help but think that the war still raged while the heroes were away from the battlefield, and in a way it was reflected when right after the trial the heroes learned that . But when the focus returns to the war, the situation doesn’t improve much. What I loved greatly about both ‘Fortress Draconis’ and ‘The Dark Glory War’ was amazing battle scenes. Whether it was an army-to-army battle or individual duel, they all were so livid and descriptive and exciting, and the heroes would always find interesting and unexpected way to handle their enemies. But here the battle scenes were so dry and almost boring, as if I was reading some bureaucrat’s report instead of a book.
Likes:
- Character development for Will and Kerrigan. By the end of ‘Fortress Draconis’, both characters had already matured a lot, but their development continues. Kerrigan in particular shows great growth as he comes to the terms with his abilities and puts his skill, his talent and his crucial thinking to good use, creating new spells and reworking old ones on the whole new level. Moreover, he overcomes his insecurities and learns to stand for himself and not back down each time he is snapped at. He makes very major decisions and is ready to carry out responsibility for them, and that is a great contrast with the scared boy who just wished for his peaceful life on Vilwan to return that we had seen in the beginning of ‘Fortress Draconis’. Even though Kerrigan and Will never were close due them just being too different, I like their interactions more and more as Will grows more compassionate and Kerrigan grows more mature. They make a great team as Kerrigan helps Will with planning and Will supports Kerrigan after his mentor’s death.
Will had always dreamed of becoming a part of the legend and of having heroic ballads sung about him. Now, his dreams are coming true – and in the same time, he realizes that life is far more complicated than that. Most important, Will realizes that it’s impossible for just one man, however heroic he may be, to win the war, and therefore there are much more real heroes out there, from the nobles and generals commanding the war to the last soldiers just doing their duty. The main difference is that no one is going to sing a song about them. Will is still going to give his best to stop Chytrine, but he isn’t doing that alone – and that makes him act far more responsible and wise beyond his years and upbringing. I love the relationship Will developed with Sayce – it was so sweet and lovely and yet very natural, especially as Will doubts his feelings toward Sayce and worries about not being good enough for her. This development itself is a proof that the author actually can write good romance.
- Unpredictable plot twists. There are a lot of twists scattered out as the story progresses, both small and big, that just keep you on edge. Starting with the introduction of Isaura and her so morally-twisted and yet innocent way of thinking, they continue on as Nefrai-kesh plays his tricks, Erlestoke fights a war from behind the lines in the destroyed Fortress and one more Norrington enters the stage, claiming to be the chosen one of the prophecy.
- Amazing ending. The build-up for the final already starts strong as Kerrigan battles Neskartu in the magical duel, and from that moment on great plot twists start piling up. The most startling revelations are made, the mystery of Dranae’s backstory prior to him joining the team one of them. Dranae had always been one of my favourites, and I had always known that there was something special about him, but I couldn’t even guess at the truth of it. His story also explains some very interesting plot points, and clears out some misleading from the author. A completely new force enters the war – and suddenly, every single action our heroes take can truly determine the course of the war and influence the fates of the world.
Dislikes:
-
- Slow and dragged-out narrative. Remember what I said about unpredictable twists and amazing ending? Well, all the great stuff starts only when about 80% of the book is up, and while there are good twists during the story, in between then the narrative was way too dull. Almost half the book was wasted Crow’s trial, and while it’s a major plotline (we don’t want our hero to be executed for treason, right?), there were too much political maneuvering, legal procedures and characters doing practically nothing. I couldn’t help but think that the war still raged while the heroes were away from the battlefield, and in a way it was reflected when right after the trial the heroes learned that . But when the focus returns to the war, the situation doesn’t improve much. What I loved greatly about both ‘Fortress Draconis’ and ‘The Dark Glory War’ was amazing battle scenes. Whether it was an army-to-army battle or individual duel, they all were so livid and descriptive and exciting, and the heroes would always find interesting and unexpected way to handle their enemies. But here the battle scenes were so dry and almost boring, as if I was reading some bureaucrat’s report instead of a book.
September 16, 2017
Voici la suite de Forteresse Draconis, on retrouve ici l'ensemble des personnages que nous avions découvert au cours du premier tome, auquel va s'ajouter de nouveaux personnages clés pour la dernière partie de l'histoire.
Je ne parlerais pas de l'histoire, une fois encore, afin de ne pas "spoiler" les personnes souhaitant découvrir d'eux même les tenants et les aboutissants de l'histoire.
Je me permettrais juste de spoiler le fait que les personnages évoluent que se soit dans leur caractères ou dans leurs capacités. Je pense en particulier à Will et Kerrigan qui sont pour moi les deux personnages ayant le plus évolués et qui sont pour moi, les deux personnages les plus attachants.
Sachez seulement que le retournement final de ce tome vous donnera immédiatement envie de lire la suite, car on est loin de s'attendre à ça.
Au niveau du style de l'auteur, on reste dans la constante du premier tome, l'auteur continuant de décrire l'histoire assez rapidement, avec une constance dans l'action, permettant une fois encore de ne pas s'ennuyer et de ne pas perdre le fil de l'histoire, car ici, l'histoire suit de nombreux personnages, n'étant pas toujours dans l'entourage direct de Will et de sa bande. Bien que les discutions politiques peuvent parfois être un peu "lourde" mais ce qui permet de mieux ressentir ce que ressentent les héros durant ces moments d’inactions. Mais sachant que la contextualisation des lieux à été faite dans le premier tome, on sait rapidement ou se situe chacun des protagonistes.
De la même façon que le premier tome, je vous le recommande chaudement, pour peu que vous aimiez les récits de fantasy.
Je ne parlerais pas de l'histoire, une fois encore, afin de ne pas "spoiler" les personnes souhaitant découvrir d'eux même les tenants et les aboutissants de l'histoire.
Je me permettrais juste de spoiler le fait que les personnages évoluent que se soit dans leur caractères ou dans leurs capacités. Je pense en particulier à Will et Kerrigan qui sont pour moi les deux personnages ayant le plus évolués et qui sont pour moi, les deux personnages les plus attachants.
Sachez seulement que le retournement final de ce tome vous donnera immédiatement envie de lire la suite, car on est loin de s'attendre à ça.
Au niveau du style de l'auteur, on reste dans la constante du premier tome, l'auteur continuant de décrire l'histoire assez rapidement, avec une constance dans l'action, permettant une fois encore de ne pas s'ennuyer et de ne pas perdre le fil de l'histoire, car ici, l'histoire suit de nombreux personnages, n'étant pas toujours dans l'entourage direct de Will et de sa bande. Bien que les discutions politiques peuvent parfois être un peu "lourde" mais ce qui permet de mieux ressentir ce que ressentent les héros durant ces moments d’inactions. Mais sachant que la contextualisation des lieux à été faite dans le premier tome, on sait rapidement ou se situe chacun des protagonistes.
De la même façon que le premier tome, je vous le recommande chaudement, pour peu que vous aimiez les récits de fantasy.
April 14, 2020
I love the ongoing story of Will, Resolute, Crow, Alexia and everyone. Many heroes and villains interspersed with Elves, dragons and other magical creatures. Human greed, politics and vanity factor in along with some seduction and love.
Can't wait to read the next in the series.
(Spoiler Alert) I hope this ending is rectified and all characters return.
Can't wait to read the next in the series.
(Spoiler Alert) I hope this ending is rectified and all characters return.
May 11, 2025
I liked this one too but it was very battle strategy-heavy. That’s not a bad thing but it lead to some dense reading. I really enjoyed the last 100 pages or so, though. There are some pretty shocking twists that I felt were really good storytelling. It also made me cry which means I’ve really come to care for the characters. Excited to read the third!
October 25, 2017
Series continues well. Several surprising revelations in this one.
On to the next.
On to the next.
December 17, 2018
Fantastic series AND WHAT A SUPERB ENDING.
Probably the best in the saga thus far.
Probably the best in the saga thus far.
December 12, 2015
Boring, the characters lack any kind of substantial or powerful feeling to them, never really engaging. The war itself is constantly talked about going horribly bad for the good guys... but its never really shown that they are losing. You read here and there that this nation or that nation has fallen; but it seems to impart little impact because the next battle with the good guys - they win. The "troop" or "band of heroes" like in all fantasy novels; seems to always win their battles. No losses, nothing. Oh... and yes; the book is titled "When Dragons Rage" .... and the dragons only appear around page 570 (out of 658) and then kind of form a coda and a 'drastic change' to the entire novel in some random realm where suddenly everyone gets brought to or gets to appear there through this or that random form of magick.
December 2, 2010
I used to think Michael Stackpole is a hack writer. He tells stories aimed to pander to people. He has all the technical skill in the world, but none of the heart. But he is something a bit more than a hack. He is a fan of fantasy writing. He isn't pandering, he is writing things that he would like to read.
Having the same sensibilities, When Dragons Rage is something I did like to read. As a fan, and a guy like me Stackpole wrote it in a way that kept it unique and interesting enough to justify the story, but also he has the technical skill and experience to make this book a page turner.
There is something about Stackpole that makes me feel he doesn't deserve to be venerated with the greats of the genre. But for me it doesn't get much better than When Dragons Rage.
Having the same sensibilities, When Dragons Rage is something I did like to read. As a fan, and a guy like me Stackpole wrote it in a way that kept it unique and interesting enough to justify the story, but also he has the technical skill and experience to make this book a page turner.
There is something about Stackpole that makes me feel he doesn't deserve to be venerated with the greats of the genre. But for me it doesn't get much better than When Dragons Rage.
December 16, 2016
review to come..
August 31, 2010
Michael Stackpole is, in my opinion, hands-down one of the best fantasy writers out there. I cannot recommend this series of books highly enough. The world is lush and detailed; like Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, the world has a feel of age to it and a sense of the weight of history behind the 'current' events.
The characters are complex and intriguing and Stackpole avoids the common pitfall of many fantasy writers wherein different races (elves, etc) are just humans with slightly different characteristics. He does a fantastic job of making them NOT human and giving them differing viewpoints.
The characters are complex and intriguing and Stackpole avoids the common pitfall of many fantasy writers wherein different races (elves, etc) are just humans with slightly different characteristics. He does a fantastic job of making them NOT human and giving them differing viewpoints.
November 11, 2015
Better pacing throughout this one, but boy was that ending abrupt. And hopefully unsatisfying. The 'fake wedding that turns into an actual one' transition felt a little forced, but it didn't really detract too much. I didn't quite understand the inclusion of Isaura as a character; hopefully this will be sorted out in the final book?
October 5, 2009
These books were very well done. I am not usually into war type books, but there was a lot of different things going on within the war, so it gave me things I liked. I enjoyed all the creatures and characters in the books and the twists and turns.
August 4, 2011
Good continuation of the series, a number of interesting reveals and an ending that leaves you wanting to pick up the next book. Character progression is good, they feel more real than alot of fantasy characters.
September 2, 2016
I have a spotless Goodreads review record in that I have a review for every book I read. Sometimes I have to cheat because I don't remember a damn thing about the book and don't even have any general thoughts to share. This is one of those cheating times.
January 17, 2013
Pretty good continuation of the series. Characters show progression, nothing too surprising or unexpected until the very end. Not sure what to expect for the conclusion. Could be genius or a disaster.
July 5, 2008
Very boring compared to it's prequel. Not very many battles. And a bunch of boring dialog. And I didn't like the ending at all.
November 1, 2008
My Review here:
Full Review
Full Review
September 23, 2009
I'm really loving this series of books!
October 18, 2011
One of the worst cliff-hanger endings I have ever experienced. And I read Karen Marie Monig. Otherwise, an excellent book!
June 24, 2012
Still liking this series. Story continues to move forward and characters are still engaging.
August 22, 2013
Great read
April 21, 2014
Awesome
August 30, 2014
Booring! Started glancing over chapters.
January 20, 2016
Plot lines grow darker, but really it's the ending that is hardest to deal with
February 2, 2017
Well, General A has cannons now, Will is taking a fire bath, Alexia and Crow are going to make the case to fight Cathy, Reese is going to learn dragon magic and the rest is To Be Continued.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2023
Ma chronique ici.
April 17, 2024
Soft spot for this fantasy trilogy (cont’d)
April 21, 2014
It was amazing
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews