Dragons Winter [Mass Market Paperback]

Karadur and Tenjiro are twin sons of Kojiro Antani, the dragon lord of Ippa. But only Karadur, whose name means "fire-bringer," bears the blood of the dragon in his veins. His younger brother, Tenjiro or "Heaven's hope," was second out of the womb and is the weakest and smallest of the two. As the twins grow to maturity, Karadur is anxious to attain the promise of his blood and transform into the dragon he is capable of becoming. But Tenjiro, who bears the scars of Karadur's claws, resents his older brother and, on the eve of Karadur's transformation, steals the talisman that makes the change possible. That same night he disappears, fleeing to a distant, icy realm where he will reemerge as a powerful wizard bent on destroying his older brother. But Karadur, lord of Dragon Keep, is prepared to go to war against Tenjiro, and it's likely only one will survive. --Craig Engler --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Utterly engrossing, Lynn's first novel in 13 years demonstrates the command of her genre that has earned her two World Fantasy Awards. Of the twin sons, Karadur and Tenjiro, born to the shapechanging Dragon King Kojiro Atani of Ippa, only one inherits the dragon nature. Tenjiro, bitterly envious of his brother's supernatural abilities, masters an evil lore long thought vanquished. He perverts the affection of Karadur's lover, the musician Azil, and steals the magic talisman that enables Karadur to take dragon form. Standouts among the sensitively drawn supporting figures who accompany Karadur on his avenging path are three shapechangers: Hawk, who's a woman warrior and bow-maker; Wolf, her martyred comrade; and Bear, as formidable an ally as he is ferocious a foe. Lynn's painstaking creations of Ippan life from castle to cottage and her deft, profoundly convincing characterizations match her skill at conveying the intricacies of hand-to-hand combat in a world where what matters most is a man or woman's bravery in leaving it. Like Lynn's Chronicles of Tornor (Watchtower, etc.), this is a fantasy that readers will cherish?and there's a promised sequel to look forward to, as well.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Lynn's first novel after a 13-year sabbatical from fiction writing is admirable, if not quite as magisterial as such previous efforts as The Northern Girl (1980). In a land where magic works and changelings are not uncommon, twin boys are born to a dragon king, but only one of them has the dragon blood. His brother steals the talisman that would allow Karadur Atani to turn dragon, then becomes enslaved to the spirit of a long dead and utterly evil sorcerer. That forces Karadur to march on his brother's stronghold, besiege it, and slay the brother and his sorcerous minions. The plot summary makes the novel sound more conventional than it is, and the end is something of an anticlimax. But Lynn has created a strong cast in the changelings Wolf (and his wife, Thea), Bear, and Hawk, as well as secondary human characters. She has built the world of the book from a hundred well-chosen if frequently subtle details, she maintains pace excellently, and her command of English has not diminished. Roland Green --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

What sets it well apart is Lynn's careful plotting, supple writing and firm grasp of character. -- The San Francisco Chronicle, Michael Berry --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Since his twin's theft of his talisman, Karadur Atani can never become a dragon king. Instead, his dragon's heart remains imprisoned in the body of a broken man. But when his brother returns, cloaked in a veil of black magic, Karadur Atani will fight for his birthright--once and for all.