- Mass Market Paperback: 496 pages
- Publisher: Solaris; 1 edition (Jun 26 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 184416487X
- ISBN-13: 978-1844164875
- Product Dimensions: 17.3 x 10.8 x 3.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 240 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #94,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In the distant future—year 1070 of the Dragon Age, to be exact—Earth has been commandeered by dragons, who subject their human inferiors to lives of misery and squalor, either as slaves or pets. Human Bant Bitterwood, consumed with thoughts of vengeance against the dragons he believes murdered his family, goes on a dragon-killing spree that makes him a folk hero among the oppressed human populace. When Bitterwood slays the dragons' crown prince, Bodiel, their king vows to exterminate humankind—the only way he can be certain of victory over Bitterwood. To that end, the king enlists his murderous brother Blasphiel to build a city that will serve as humanity's abattoir. Maxey's world is stunningly imaginative, a landscape both familiar and alien, and packed with thoughtful treats for readers. Skillfully examining themes of faith, martyrdom and heroism, Maxey maintains an unflagging believability even while borrowing some of the most generic elements from science fiction and fantasy. The dragons are wonderfully written, as is the tormented hero; it is almost a shame that the story is so self-contained, as many readers will pine for a whole series of Dragon Age titles. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Product Description
Bitterwood has spent the past twenty years hunting down dragons, one at a time. But he is getting old and the hate that he has carried in his heart since a group of dragon-soldiers killed his family is beginning to fade. When he kills the royal prince dragon, the king decides the only retribution is genocide of the human race. Bitterwood is forced to enter the Free City, the grand trap designed to eradicate mankind, with thousands of others. Can he lead from within, or can a select few dragons unite to stop the king's madness from becoming reality. Full of rich characters and drama, this is an amazingly astute vision of our own culture by way of a feudal kingdom where dragons rule, and humans are used as workers or pets.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dragon Age, Book One, Outstanding!,
By
This review is from: Bitterwood (Mass Market Paperback)
Humans are no longer the dominate form of life. Dragons have held that position now for over a thousand years. Humans live in poverty, eking out enough to keep from starving and serving dragons. To the dragons, humans are a parasite on the planet and should be grateful for what little they receive. But there is one human all dragons fear. Bitterwood.
Bant Bitterwood lost his entire family when the dragons attacked his village. Bitterwood has been fighting a one-man guerrilla campaign ever since. He is the best archer ever with reflexes unmatched. Dragons have many names for Bitterwood. The Ghost Who Kills and The Death of All Dragons are but two. It did not matter to Bitterwood if a dragon is a peaceful scholar or a warrior. If he comes across a dragon, he kills it. Albekizan is the current king, a tyrant to humans. When Bitterwood slays Bodiel, one of the king's two sons, the king declares it time to destroy all humans. Shandrazel, the king's remaining son, and Vendevorex "Ven", the king's personal wizard, oppose the genocide of humanity. Albekizan is willing to release the worst creature from the dungeon to complete the task. Blasphet, the king's evil genius brother who has killed thousands of dragons via poison in the name of science. Once the humans are taken care of, Blasphet plans to turn his attention to Albekizan's crown. Unwilling to help the king in such madness, Ven escapes with his human female apprentice, Jandra. Ven has raised Jandra since she was an infant. At the tender age of sixteen, Jandra must quickly learn a different type of magic to survive; the art of magical warfare and defense. The end of humanity is at hand! ***** Though there are many characters to keep track of (even more than I mention in my synopsis), the author has written the story in such a way that I found it easy to do so. I never found myself becoming confused about different characters and how they relate to the story line. In fact, I have not found myself this impressed with a fantasy novel involving dragons in a long time. I could not help but read the entire book in one afternoon. Not all strings are tied neatly at the end, but they will become the main plot in the sequel "Dragonforge". The main plot line of this title is completed in full. Readers will end the title with a sense of major satisfaction and look forward to the next. Maxey writes fantasy with enough adrenalin inducing pressure to keep readers glued and on the edge of their seats! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews) 12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Best New Fantasy Novels of the Year,
By SciFiChick "The SciFiChick" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Bitterwood (Mass Market Paperback)
In a land where dragons rule, and humans are treated merely as slaves and pets, there seems to be little hope. But after his family is taken from him, Bitterwood sets out on a quest for vengeance against the ruthless dragons. And humanity looks to the legendary dragon hunter to set them free.
Bitterwood is one of the most original and exciting fantasy novels that I've read in years. The characters of Bitterwood and the dragon Vendevorex are shrouded in mystery, their stories slowly unfolding through flashbacks over the course of the novel. There are a good number of dragon characters in the story, which are just as well-developed with distinct personalities as the humans. With a large cast of unique characters, the index of characters in the back of the book comes in handy at times. The imagery and descriptions of this fantasy world is amazingly vivid and creative. And the story of Bitterwood is epic and thought provoking. Full of adventure, mystery, action, this is one story that should appease any fantasy and adventure fan. Maxey is one of the most talented writers that I've come across lately, and I'll definitely be following his progress and looking forward to new releases. 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Maxey-mum enjoyment,
By ostawookiee "ostawookiee" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Bitterwood (Mass Market Paperback)
James Maxey has really impressed me with his first two novels. Bitterwood stands out as one of those rare fantasy novels that you can enjoy in one book. There's a sequel, but Bitterwood can stand on it's own.
The story is really fun - an earth that has returned to a medieval era; a man whose family is lost to dragons; he vows to destroy dragons wherever possible, aided by fortunate trivial assistance from outside observers. Maxey does a good job of anthropomorphizing dragons, and making the dragon-human culture believable. 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome book,
By Rob - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Bitterwood (Mass Market Paperback)
I don't usually review products, but after seeing that Bitterwood only has 11 Amazon reviews, I thought I would chime in and give it some support.
Bitterwood is one of the best books I've read in a long time, and offers a great combination of interesting characters, exciting action, and a fascinating world to discover. The book offers new twists on familiar ideas, which I think is what makes it such a great read. Is it literally perfect? Maybe not, but it has a level of creativity that few books can match. If you like science fiction and/or fantasy, you really should give Bitterwood a try! |
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