Review from the PFS Book Club...What I Liked: This book is a well-crafted (plot-wise, at least) ending to the Dragon Princetrilogy, nicely tying up the Rohan versus Roelstra and his family vein that started in the first book. There are revelations a plenty, but in what might be Rawn's greatest move, most of them are character-driven, not plot-based or world-building based. The strongest moments in this book come from the characters, especially a heated series of moments towards the end of the book.As always, Rawn manages to excel at her characters and motivations, although she seems to make falling in love with the perfect partner just too easy. It would be nice to see at least one person hate their spouse, at least for a moment or two. In the end, though, it's the characters and their mulitple motivations that provide the best action the book can supply - and that's including the epic magic duel that ends the book.What I Didn't Like: Rawn has lots and lots of characters running around. In this third book, she adds to Andry's Sunrunners, a lot of children are born, and it all seems to start to slip out of Rawn's control. Some of the background characters start to fall into the trap of being too similar to others, and some of the characters simply don't have enough importance to actually be part of the plot, but there they are.This is none the more apparent then in the first half of the book, when, for some reason, takes place mostly outside of the Rohan-family circle. While it's nice to focus on Ostvel and the others, it takes up too much time until the readers see the main characters. This is only further confirmed in the ending, which focuses entirely on them, and most of the characters from the beginning aren't even involved in the third act of the book. It's a failure of plot and structure that makes the book's weaknesses come even further out.And yet once again, Rawn's writing isn't pretty. There's even a few atrocious moments in this volume, but for a quick read, it's not that awful. Rawn just should avoid discussing sunsets for more than a sentence.Last Thought: A fitting end to a fast, fun-to-read fantasy trilogy.
I wrapped up my reread of this trilogy earlier this week, and enjoyed it almost as much as the first time around. I remembered some of the story, including the slow-motion trainwreck that is Pol and Meiglan, but not all of the details so it was nice to read the story again. The writing in this book is still very good, with additional detail as needed but resting on the world already built in the previous two books without unnecessary repetition. The characters who were teenagers in the second book are young adults now, facing a new challenge from the Roelstra line (of course), and how they act shapes the world that they will inhabit as adults.Most of the book revolves around Pol and Andry, cousins who wield enormous power in the world - Pol as Prince of Princemarch and heir to the Desert and High Princedom, and Andry as the Lord of Goddess Keep. Each of them has seen visions due to their Sunrunner heritage, and those visions shape their actions, but it seems like there is a big gap between Andry's visions and his actions. I've never liked how he responded to his visions, with plans to use sorcery, train up fighters, breed his own Sunrunners, and suspect any Sunrunner who has diamardhim heritage (regardless of cause), and this time through it seems like the vision he's seen is simply a flimsy excuse to turn his character into an opposition for Pol. As is noted multiple times in the novel (and in the second trilogy if I remember correctly), Pol and Andry could accomplish so much if they worked together, and the setup that "keeps them apart" feels somewhat false.It's a worthy conclusion to the trilogy and nicely sets up the following one, so those who enjoyed the first two books will enjoy this one as well. And hey, new plot this time, not revolving around a marriage and dranath at the Rialla!
What do You think about Sunrunner's Fire (2005)?
A good end to a good trilogy, but not quite the resolution one would hope for. First, Andry can get fucked. His character in this book versus what we saw of him in the first half of the second book is so vastly different, you may find yourself wondering how he turned out so effed up. The answer lies in the fact that this book doesn't really wrap up much of anything. I get the distinct impression that the 3rd book was always meant to kick start the next trilogy. I have 3 major issues with this book.1. Character motivations are muddied. With the introduction of the sorcerers as the ancient enemy of the sunrunners in the 2nd book, suddenly everyone is part sunrunner, or part sorcerer without much clarification of it. Additionally, the holdings change hands so many times and names are so confusing, it can get very convoluted trying to parse out who owns what and why they want certain things. For instance, Rohan is High Prince, but does not hold the High Prince's holding of Princemarch. Instead, he holds Stronghold. Why? It's complicated.2. Dragons. For a series about a Dragon Prince, there's a LOT of importance placed on Dragons and how important they are to the continent...but then they are largely absent from most of the series and they could be edited out and you wouldn't even need them. They are the worst plot device of this trilogy and should have been given more importance.3. Drama. The drama in this book is that of a soap opera...Dynasty to be specific. It's just as boring with as many convolutions as that show (how many times did Steven Carrington work for Denver Carrington or Colbyco?). However, like some seasons of Dynasty, this book can get really dull in the story. In this book, Pol's romance with Meiglan is so dull and boring that the only way it would've worked is if she'd done something amazing...instead she just acts like a pale-faced, mealy-mouthed ninny.Read the series, but don't be afraid to put it down and move on. Seriously.
—Stephen
75-percent of this book concerns people painstakingly discussing what they just did, what they're going to do, and what they might do. I'm not sure why. It's not like any of these people are brilliant Machiavellian statesmen. Their motivations/actions should be easily discernible. Also, there's dragons.It's possible that this naval-gazing is a brilliant structural reflection of the main theme: protagonist Pol struggles with Hamlet's dilemma between satisfying barbaric violence and agonizing civilized reflection. The reader struggles right along with Pol. The fifteenth time that the characters earnestly discuss their inner feelings, the reader develops a headache.
—Adobe
The story of the High Prince Rohan, who endeavors to transform the continent on which he rules into a land ruled by law, and his wife Sioned, a powerful and fiery Sunrunner, continues in this volume of Melanie Rawn series. With the political infighting and internal family conflicts typical of this series, this novel brings the tension between Sunrunners and those of the Old Blood to a critical level in the form of a battle between Rohan's heir Pol and one of the few surviving grandsons of the old High Prince Rolestra. Pol faces revelations about his own past and abilities, which he must use in order to defeat his enemy, who is not who he thinks he is.
—Sarah Wagner
