Customer Reviews

Dragon Prince #1 Dragon Prince

5 star:		(90)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I bought it already used (so that it cost me 1 cent per book + shipping!). Really good story, you won't regret this one.

I bought this on recommendation of my cousin. We're not speaking anymore.
Seriously though, Rawn is an excellent writer. She has wonderful descriptions, her characters are real, and the relationships are filled with a genuine give and take of emotions.
However.
I have several problems with the book.
First was the romance. I have nothing against romance in my fantasy. More often than not it adds a needed poignancy to an epic. I just didn't plan on reading a novel that was more romance than anything else. The fantasy aspect of the book, just seems more like background, and scenery. I much prefer a book that uses that fantasy to take a unique look into human nature. This was more of a straight up romance novel during medieval times with some dragons and magic in it.
Second was the nigh-glacial pacing. Oh brother. I felt like I was reading in slow motion. Let me give you a quick summary here. The book begins with the ruler of the land taking a mortal wound and slowly dying. His son is about to ascend to the throne, and although he is a proven fighter, most question his ability to rule since he's a bookish type. He also must soon marry, but if he marrys one of his liege lord's daughters he won't survive much past the birth of his first male child. So his aunt, the leader of the books mage clan (sunrunners), arranges for him to marry one of her young apprentices. The two meet and instantly fall in love. Yet because the wily hero has machinations of his own in mind they can't show it in public. He intends to fool everyone and get something out of it from his liege lord at the 3 year fair who he's supposed to be picking a bride from as well. Eventually they get out of the castle and head off to the fair.
That my friends is the first 180 pages.
180 pages! Sheesh!
Lastly is the narrative vs. dialogue mix which is overly heavy on the narrative side by about 8 to 1. Melanie seems to want to tell us more often than show us.

Therefore I cannot recommend this book by an excellent writer. Unless you like a heavy (and I mean heavy) dose of romance in your reading.

Dragon Prince was a book well worth the time it took to read. Rawn made the story beliveable yet un-beliveable at the same time. The sunrunners are very knew to me...which I love this Sunrunning is the coolest kind of magic. Rohan and Sioned are great strong people. Ithena makes my blood boil. It was hard to read the part when Pol was concived because much like my sister who read it before me i too fell in 'love' with Rohan. I was happy, yet sad when Pol was born. I have all ready read the star scroll which was a great book and now i am working the third book

..........

The best money I've ever spent!

Her charcters we're EXECELLENT. They grew and changed with every event they lived through. There were no clear good characters or evil. Just People! The main character had a few evil mishaps he went through himslef. Ms. Rawn illustarted how the black and whites in life are all a made up. It;s a matter of perception. As I continued the series, it just got better.

The use of magic in this book, while not original, (Hell any Wiccan can tell you that!, was better than most books because it had very clear cut stregnths and flaws which Ms. Rawn used to give her characters substance.(The genius even went so far as to create a genetic chart).
They can't all move mountains, or destroy dragons. But they have to use wit and intelligence to use what they have to suceed in there endavors. It's MUCH more realistic than uttering spells of a scroll.

It's a thinking book. You have to wonder about the characters motivations. You have to guess the true outsome of every situation that befall ALL the characters, whether it be in the political or battle arena. You have to KNOW the characters, becasue they grow and change, just like real people do.

The love at first sight part did bother me, until continued reading and witnessed the growth on of Rohen and Sioned's relationship.As you can see I have used the word growth alot in this review.

If you want some quick entertainment, this is not the book.

IT IS NOT A QUICK READ!

If you want your thoughts provocked, this is it!

I love Melanie Rawn, she is my new favorite author.

I will admit that I first picked up Dragon Prince for its cover and its title. I had a hard time getting through the first 50 pages as new characters and new forms of "magic" were revealed that I never read similar types to before. However, after that point, I got so thoroughly hooked that I finished the book in about two days. I have read the entire series (both the Dragon Prince Trilogy and the Dragon Star Trilogy) several times. I am currently on another re-read. This first book is by far the most complete of the series, and I believe the best. It has a fascinating portrayal of a society like I had never read before. This series made Melanie Rawn one of my favorite authors. There are some frank depictions of sexuality, but hey, that's what makes the book fun.

This book does break away from the standard "adventure" fantasy novel that shows a character change while faced with a journey or difficult task. In this novel, no character struggles to their possition, for every pertinent individual has power at the beginning. From that point on, the book follows the political plotting of good versus evil. If you love the details of running a government and the nuances of delegating power, give it a try. I find it works really well to lull me off to sleep at night.

Dragon Prince is truely a work of art! Melanie Rawn has an amazing mind, I don't know how she does it! The minute you think that you know what will happen next....she proves you wrong! This book is so filled with emotions, every character is so well developed and so lovable. This book, this entire series, makes me laugh out loud, it makes me grin from ear to ear, it makes me gasp in fright, jump with shock, and cry like a little baby girl! I have never read book that can evoke such emotion in me. It is AMAZING that one person can touch so many!

This is a book that i had sitting on my shelf for years before i even bothered to read it. I don't know what i waited for!
Yes, it's a very long book, but it reads quickly. The characters are realistic: they think, they act in their own (or their family's) interest, they change sides/opinions, they sometimes use their emotions to make decisions for them...and so on. THe plot was engrossing enough, with enough aspects of the fantasy, action and romance genres mixed in to keep a reader's interest piqued.
Read this if you: like epic fantasy with multi-faceted characters, have an appreciation for creative concepts within books, have a lot of time to read (it's a long book, but good), have patience to figure out good vs. bad guys.
Don't read if you: Need fairly straightforward characters, get frustrated with too many characters appearing and disappearing, have difficultly with long books and meandering (though not boring) storylines.
Great example of what the fantasy genre CAN produce.

I've owned all these books since they were first published and they are a series I have reread numerous times. I am currently rereading them in fact.
The characters are excellently crafted with depth and feeling. The really good characters have good and bad sides, they make mistakes and they THINK!
There are some sterotyped characters but they still are facinating and not so sterotyped that they are boring or iritating!
Melanie Rawn is a marvelous writer and before you read about how she hasn't crafted her world correctly let me point out it is HER world! It shouldn't matter to you if there are seige engines or other historicals issues that relate to our EARTH's history. For the simple reason that this is not Earth but Rawn's own creation and she can do or not do whatever the heck she wants with it's hitory and tecnology.
If you are the type to get fussy over that or you do not like romance in you fanatsy then these books are not for you. However, I would like to see you try the first book anyway just to see what you think!
Got for it, I think you'll like it! :-)

This is how fiction in general SHOULD be written. Dragon Prince should not just be in the sci-fi/fantasy genre but also in the Romance genre. Dragon Prince totally engrossed me and included me in its world. Magic, politics, and romance are the main themes in this book and it leaves you wanting more. Melanie Rawn writes her stories like the magic mirror in the book; it will suck you in and want to live in it. You MUST read this book, no MATTER WHAT!