*/*****
A Very Disappointing Sequel after an Entertaining Debut
A Review, spoilers galore.
Unfortunately for me, Bertin’s DRAGON AND PHOENIX accentuates all the things I disliked about THE LAST DRAGONLORD while diminishing aspects of THE LAST DRAGONLORD I enjoyed thoroughly. I consider THE LAST DRAGONLORD an endearing, an enjoyable reading experience, even for guys. However, I found DRAGON AND PHOENIX a jarring, if not offensive, read. Male characterizations don’t get much worse than the ones we find in DRAGON AND PHOENIX.
Gone is the romantic characterization of Maurynna Kyrissaean, a girl who dares to dream of loving her lifelong hero in THE LAST DRAGONLORD. However, we can hardly fault Bertin for this since Maurynna lands her hero by the end of THE LAST DRAGONLORD. Gone are the well-crafted humorous and romantic scenes from THE LAST DRAGONLORD, it’s down to business in DRAGON AND PHOENIX. Gone is the lighthearted, pleasant tone of the LAST DRAGONLORD. And I wouldn’t describe the conspiratorial events in an oriental Jehanglan as politically intriguing. They were drab, inelegant and lumbering, the characters therein entirely uninteresting. Not that THE LAST DRAGONLORD’s “political intrigue” in Casna was a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but its political backdrop was certainly a few levels above this novel’s.
I was disinterested by all the “story arcs” in Jehanglan, even the climax of the story from there when Shei-Luin kills the Emperor was meh. I thought our hero Linden was thoroughly effeminated with a fair amount of estrogen. I’ve rarely read a weaker, dumber, more sensitive male character than Linden Rathan. I found Rathan (Linden’s dragon soul) very interesting from the last book, so full of rage and mirth. We don’t see Rathan in DRAGON AND PHOENIX until the very end, and only for a couple paragraphs.
Raven’s entire behavior from beginning to end was baffling and inexplicable. And I thought it’s girls I’d never understand, but I’d pin our young boy Raven’s personality and behavior as though of a pregnant woman.
If you thought THE LAST DRAGONLORD jumped around between too many characters while adding little, if nothing, to the plot, you’ll find DRAGON AND PHOENIX compounds the issue tenfold. I didn’t realize it in THE LAST DRAGONLORD, but it’s apparent from DRAGON AND PHOENIX that Bertin _really_ likes writing 2,3,4,5-paragraph passages from a wide number of character perspectives. The goal of these passages: accelerate the momentum of the novel, make the novel a page-turner; perhaps these desultory passages _do_ meet that goal, but maybe not the way it was intended.
The worldbuilding of Jehanglan? Nonexistent, if not downright callow, so you need only read a sentence or two from a character’s dialogue in order to gleam the gist of the passage. But worldbuilding isn’t Bertin’s strength anyway, THE LAST DRAGONLORD will testify to that. The point is, too many disjoint, amorphous and insubstantial passages from a whole army of character perspectives in Jehanglan paralyze the plot rather than driving it forward.
As bad as the male characterizations in THE LAST DRAGONLORD were, they deteriorate to new lows in DRAGON AND PHOENIX. I found the Linden Rathan characterization in DRAGON AND PHOENIX worst of all and very crippling to the entire novel. It’s clear that Linden Rathan represents a girl’s perfect guy: broad-shouldered, deep voice, big, shoulder-length blond hair and a buttock-length braid signifying his heritage as a Yerrin. He’s as dense, as stupid and as dumb as ever, traits clearly carried from the last novel. For all intents and purposes, Linden Rathan is Maurynna’s love-sick lapdog. In =every= sentence, Linden includes “Maurynna-love” or “love.” Again, big, tall, deep voice, obedient, servile, understanding and an overbearing feminine sensitivity. Oh and let’s not forget, a complete halfwit.
You may wonder how I find Linden both understanding and dumb at the same time. Well, he’s understanding/sensitive about everything having to do with Maurynna while completely dense about any of any plots, until of course the last minute, where enlightenment comes to him all at once in one paragraph! Like Baisha’s plot to betray the dragonlords and their companions. Not only a nitwit, once again there’s no on-screen evidence of Linden Rathan’s so-called skill with the sword.
Let’s run through these rather appealing traits in Linden Rathan with examples from the book, shall we?
At one point in the novel there’s three – yes, I kid you not, three – paragraphs on Linden thinking how he can’t control Maurynna’s life after he hears that she must travel to Jehanglan. He fears for her safety, but our Linden Rathan understands that he can’t imprison her either. He drones on and on about it. Since Maurynna can’t Change again, Lady of the Dragonskeep orders her to remain at the Dragonskeep lest she’ll endanger herself. Maurynna feels jailed and longs for the sea from her life as Captain of the Sea Mist, but the Lady of the Dragonskeep refuses. Unbeknownst to Maurynna, Linden pleads to the Lady almost every day, asking the Lady to allow Maurynna to sail and see her family and friends one last time, with the Lady refusing each time. How considerate of Linden, though, right?! Thanks for playing, Linden, buddy, maybe next time!
When Otter comments that truehuman life spans are to dragonlord lifetimes “like moths in a flame,” Maurynna recoils, and yes, our compassionate, sensitive Linden Rathan is right there to slip a hand underneath her cloak for comfort. For that matter, whenever Maurynna is emotionally or physically pained, our sensitive hero says and does all the right things like a happy, servile lapdop!
This emotional understanding and compassion Linden constantly feels for Maurynna can’t be from their soultwin bond since Kyrissaean has shut herself off from that sort of magical connection, right? Must be a one-way street, because Maurynna fails to show the affection, compassion, understanding, and swarming devotion Linden relentlessly exhibits for Maurynna. Even during unromantic, business conversations, Linden abuses the appellations “love” or “Maurynna-love” mercilessly. After Linden suffers a badly bruised shoulder from a Llysathian being hauled up to a ship, Maurynna is pretty much unconcerned.
When Raven makes a move for Maurynna alone in the stables, Linden “understands” and lets it go. When Raven uses every opportunity to gloat over Linden on some piece of knowledge or decision, Linden lets all of that go too, respecting Raven’s feeling for Maurynna. Wow, Linden is nothing if not the virtue of understanding and sensitivity.
When they learn that after arriving in Jehanglan, Maurynna & Raven must venture off alone without Linden, Linden is enraged and fearful for Maurynna beyond belief. He destroys a wine goblet, and walks out of the room. Maurynna soon follows. On the stairwell outside Linden, in the midst of his fury, suddenly remembers his manners, and makes room on the steps for her! I love it! When Linden mentions he hopes she will never come to know how much it hurts for him to agree to this, she calmly answers, “I know,” and explains how she had gone through a similar thing during the climax of THE LAST DRAGONLORD because it hurt to feel the danger Linden would be in. Interesting to note that unlike Linden in similar circumstances, there’s no coddling or comforting touches on Maurynna’s part here, just a patronizing “I know.” In true lapdog fashion, Linden shortly thereafter acquiesces. Nice pointless display of anger to no end. So, so, _sooooo_ very understanding of Linden to take it all so well and take it on good faith from the Seer truedragon Morlen that only Maurynna can go into the mountain to free the imprisoned truedragon there.
Screw everything else, why not do something because you want to for a change, not because you’re supposed from a prophecy and definitely not because someone else wants you to? If you really believe Maurynna will be in danger and you want to help, find a way to make it happen! Linden doesn’t show any spirit, any personal volition. A perfect, servile lapdog for Maurynna.
In Stormhaven, when you thought it wasn’t possible for Linden to play the servile lapdog any better than he already was, guess again. When Maurynna sees her extended family the Erdons for the first, she finds they all behave differently now that she’s a dragonlord. Linden is always there for a comforting arm-around-the-waist or some or words of assurance with the obligatory “love” or “Maurynna-love.” There’s little purpose to Linden’s presence here. It’s Maurynna who fends off a mean uncle (Darijen) from Raven, it’s Maurynna who intercepts Raven’s father blow intended for his son with lightning-quick dragonlord speed. But let’s not forget Linden is there for a good’ole arms-around-the-waist! Linden goes insofar as to talk to Maurynna’s nice uncle (Kesselandt) so he’d address Maurynna as “dear” instead of “Your Grace.” Wow, that Linden, he’s swell! I think I’ll go throw up now….
An effeminated Linden pouts insufferably over being separated from Maurynna after it finally happens. More than Maurynna! As though Linden needed more estrogen in his body…
The pinnacle of Linden’s idiocy comes when something he feels a sneaking suspicion that keeps taunting him regarding something Taren/Baisha said, but he just can’t put a finger on it. In this case, Linden is sufficiently pampering Maurynna in their quarters when he’s thinking about something Taren and the Dragonkeep archivist (librarian) said earlier. Next thing you know, Linden dreams of ferrets and how they looked like mages herding rabbits. In a =shocking= moment of revelation (gasp!!), it dawns on Linden that Jehanglan has priest mages and they’re drawing magic from the imprisoned dragon to ward off would-be attackers. Linden promptly arrives at the Lady’s apartment next morning to share his brilliant discovery! The Lady of the Dragonkeep and the other truedragons however already know. Aweee, thanks for playing, Linden, better luck next time, buddy! Uh what was the point of all that, couldn’t we just have learned about the Jehanglan priests and their sorcery earlier when the truedragon Morlen and the Lady are talking about it? Why go to such great lengths to make Linden out to be such blockhead?!
Linden’s ineptitude with sword, magic and dragon continues from THE LAST DRAGONLORD. Linden Rathan is weak beyond belief. We’re constantly _told_ how Linden is a remarkable soldier, a formidable mercenary and a great sword, but we simply find no evidence of it in the books. Of course I’m not sure if combat writing is one of Joanne Bertin’s fortes.
Nobody likes the damsel in distress storyline, and it seems like these dragonlord books goes to great lengths to make the damsel’s slippers fit Linden’s feet. Our young, headstrong heroine – Maurynna – scoffs at the notion of being saved from anything.
Towards the beginning, Morlen the truedragon attempts to mindspeak Kyrissaean, Maurynna’s dragon self. When that doesn’t go well, Morlen calls to Linden to come quickly for help for his soultwin looks to be in danger. Linden jumps out of the window from a cliff, and then all the characters judiciously note how trying to Change while in motion is dangerous. For over a page, the person really in danger becomes Linden as he struggles beyond comprehension to Change and take flight away from the cliff. Linden expends an exorbitant amount of energy and effort to Change but he finally manages. Then he unfortunately scratches his wing against the cliff bleeding all over. When he arrives at the meadow where 5 truedragons and Maurynna are, the danger to Maurynna has already passed and now Maurynna must save Linden. Maurynna screams for Linden to not attack, he has no chance against that many truedragons, one truedragon is a more than a match for a dragonlord. Linden though finally Changes back to human form and Maurynna rushes to him, saving our Captain Genius yet again. Linden once again has accomplished =nothing= . Thanks for playing though Linden, please try again!
Maurynna is able to sense well in advance when something is about to go badly for Linden. Linden cannot do that for Maurynna and instead usually ends up getting himself into trouble.
After it’s decided that Raven will travel with Maurynna alone to the mountain in Jehanglan, Linden teaches both Raven and Maurynna how to fight. Conveniently, we find no actual scenes of Linden proficiently using the sword or teaching someone else with it.
At one point, Raven – a truehuman – is capable to sneak up on Linden and his heightened dragonlord senses without a single problem with a sword intent to kill. Linden calmly explains how everything will be alright, relaying a story from his childhood when Linden wanted to kill his father but didn’t. Sooo understanding, sooo inept to let Raven walk up to him like that. It appears the goal here is to use Linden’s incompetence to begin softening Raven so Raven won’t betray Linden & Maurynna later on.
The other male characters are stalkers/nothing-is-wrong friends (Raven), or villains (Taren, Jhanun, Haoro) or obedient, stupid lapdogs similar to Linden (Xiane, Yesuin, Lleld’s soultwin Jekkanadar). Among these, Raven’s characterization especially makes no sense. He’s hot/cold, angry/warm, friend/foe like a pregnant woman. In the beginning, he’s very antagonistic towards Linden and makes a move on Maurynna. When Maurynna throws him away, Raven is cold with anger. Next thing we know, all 3 are together, learning languages and sword like nothing ever happened. He’s pleasantly calling Maurynna “beanpole” after storming away when Maurynna puts her foot down that he can’t accompany her to the Iron Temple for what she must do (“Dragonlord’s orders”). At the very end of the novel, Linden, Raven and Maurynna are joking like old friends like nothing ever happened. Uh, okayyyyy, I must of have missed something.
In DRAGON AND PHOENIX, even Maurynna’s characterization dulls considerably from the last novel. She just isn’t fun to fun to read anymore, she’s brooding about going back to sea or how she can’t Change again or how she’s a pretty weak and insignificant dragonlord since she can’t Change. This sulking over one’s insignificance (“I’m the least of the dragonlords”) is a common ruse employed by a lot authors to make a character feel insubstantial when it’s glaringly obvious they’re the key to the entire plot and will perform a powerful act during the climax, when it counts the most.
Maurynna didn’t know anything about the political plots in THE LAST DRAGONLORD, and she was a fledgling then. Yet, after her first Change she manages to save Linden by torching a dragauth _and_ kill the primary antagonist in that novel, a powerful mage.
With DRAGON AND PHOENIX, simply rinse and repeat this formula. Although she doesn’t save Linden per say in this novel, she does finally manage to Change during the climax and heal Linden at the end.
Lleld is insanely annoying. I don’t think there’s a single redeeming quality about Lady Mayhem.
The Story, a quick summary.
With a billion character arcs from Jehanglan, none of them end satisfactorily, and I didn’t even care about any of’em.
Basically there’s a prophecy. Companions must travel to a faraway, unknown land (Jehanglan), where One Who Holds the Key (Maurynna) must separate from the others. The One Who Holds the Key is our typical, underrated character and she must travel to the depths of a Mountain in enemy territory where only she can perform a task. While the One awaits certain death from her enemies wading across the stream, there’s a magic flood which wipes out her enemies ultimately saveing the One. There’s someone within the companionship who will betray them.
Any of this sound familiar?
Unlike LORD OF THE RINGS however, one of the groups split up from the One has nothing to do until the One completes her task in the Mountain.
Overall, a very unsatisfying reading experience, even torturous at times.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
The Last Dragonlord, by Joanne Bertin [4]
****/*****
Overall, a very entertaining read here. If you're looking for heroic swordplay or a hard-nosed, kick-butt male protaganist, you won't find it here. Bertin's Linden Rathan is a bit on the sensitive side, and despite songs and stories of his glory, there's no evidence of his mastery with the sword or magic in this particular novel. Bertin presents Linden as a pretty weak character, both mentally and physically (and I don't mean his size, he's weak with sword and magic).
Still, at the heart of The Last Dragonlord, there's something very endearing, very magical about a girl who lands her lifelong hero, even as a guy reading it, I found it very endearing. I couldn't help but fall in love with Captain Maurynna Erdon's character -- she's stubborn, headstrong, not the most beautiful girl but certainly no hunchback, very accomplished, and of course, a fledgling dragonlord.
Joanne Bertin's strengths are obvious. She writes very endearing romantic scenes, compelling female characterizations (Maurynna, Maylin, Tasha, even Sherinne), and some interesting political intrigue. I even found myself laughing out loud on a number of occasions, especially via Bertin's Otter. In general, the tone and prose of the novel conveys a light, fast read.
Bertin's weaknesses? With the exception of Otter, her male characterizations are weak if not uninteresting. Ironic isn't it, since our female heroine finds Linden Rathan the most interesting hero ever. There are some plot holes in the story, but what story is perfect anyway? There are passages from certain characters which doesn't really add to the impetus of the plot, and more or less fractures a disjoint story even more. Bertin tries to set the stage using various, disjoint passages from a wide variety of perspectives, but in the end, they don't add much.
The Story.
The plot blurbs and book inset really doesn't do the story justice. The real story: Dragonlord Linden Rathan is the last dragonlord in a top-ranking society of dragonlords, and the only dragonlord without a soultwin. Dragonlords are an interesting breed, they can change between human and dragon form, they have some magical capabilities, and each is bonded by soul to another of the opposite sex. For over six centuries (or was it 8?) Linden Rathan seeks his soultwin, but without any luck. He's always bitter and jealous when he has to witness other soultwinned dragonlords together. Linden was 28 when he endured his first Change to a dragon and like all dragonlords, he hasn't aged physically over the centuries much since his first Change. Dragonlords also have a very interesting dichotomy: there exists 2 sentient souls in one body, the human soul and the dragon soul. Out of amusement, the dragon soul - though stronger and more powerful - slumbers and is usually content to let the human soul dominate over the body (both in human and dragon form) until the human soul wearies and passes away, leaving the truedragon. A dragon is pretty patient and time has no meaning to them anyway.
The rest is backdrop: Linden is sent by the "Lady" of the Dragonlords to Casna to oversee a conflict of regency after the Queen of Cassori dies as well as her Prince-Consort, leaving a very young boy as the only surviving heir. There exists 2 uncles contending for the interim Regency until the boy comes of age, Peridaen and Duke Beren. Three dragonlords are sent to sit in judgement and prevent civil war. There's plenty of bureaucratic council meetings which hold the 3 dragonlords at Casna for an extended period of time and the rest of the novel. A plethora of political threads are hatched as soon as the dragonlords arrive, delaying their return back to dragonkeep even more.
Along with the bard Otter, Captain Maurynna Erdon, 19, travels on her ship the Sea Mist to Casna's port to deliver her cargo for trade. Descendent from a wealthy merchant family and rising to Captain quickly, she has family in Casna: an aunt, uncle and 2 cousins, Maylin & Kella. Like her younger cousin Maylin, Maurynna has a peculiar marking: mismatched eyes, one blue, the other green. Interestingly enough, Otter is the connection between Linden Rathan and Maurynna, since Otter is friends with both. Although rare for a truehuman, Otter can mindspeak Linden, and asks him if he objects to being introduced to Maurynna in Casna. Otter knows that Dragonlord Linden Rathan has always been Maurynna's hero, you see, and she dreams of meeting him one day. For Maurynna, meeting Linden Rathan would be a dream-come-true and she yearns for that meeting like nothing else. Linden consents to the meeting though he inwardly dreads another meeting another girl fawning over him and his heroics from ages long past.
Unbeknowest to Maurynna, 3 dragonlords -- including her hero Linden Rathan -- are at her destination in Casna to arbitrate the dispute over regency. Otter teases her about a surprise waiting for her, without revealing any details. Maurynna constantly threatens to keelhaul Otter.
While our heroine Maurynna is still en route, Linden mires himself with the most beautiful woman at Cassori court: the Lady Sherrine of Colrane. Our beautiful, young Sherrine has a rather lascivious reputation of picking up and dropping men like flies. No one dumps Sherrine, Sherrine dumps them. Sherrine is daughter to Lady Anstella of Colrane, while Anstella is Peridaen's lover; recall Peridaen is contending for the interim regency. Kas Althume -- Peridaen's "steward" -- plots to have Sherrine in bed with Linden in order to pluck more information about the tightly-wrapped magical abilities of the dragonlords. Althume is not what he seems. A powerful blood mage, Althume aspires to destroying dragonlords once and for all and revives the Fraternity of the Blood, a clandestine cult bent on the supremacy of truehumans and truehumans alone. Anstella, Peridaen and Sherinne are all enlisted in this Fraternity.
Yet-to-be-soultwinned Dragonlord Linden Rathan is quite a catch, you see, with all the young women and ladies vying for his attention and company; even a fleeting, cursory acquaintance would suffice for them. Sherrine strikes just the right cords with Linden and she has Linden snared from the first moment. However, she isn't all that successful in gaining more information about dragonlords and their magic. Linden does manage to hold that information back, but not for long.
While the bureacratic council meetings over the Cassori Regency drag on intolerably, Linden discovers other things outside of the council meetings and outside of his affair with Sherinne. Young Rann - the only survivng Cassori heir - is sickly, pale and emaciated. Healer Tasha has tried fair number of things, none of them working. Duke Beren's wife, Lady Beryl seems to constantly hijack Rann for "lessons." Duke Beren himself is very billigerant towards dragonlords and towards Linden. Linden falls into all the usual traps of outward appearances, and starts suspecting and believing exactly what Althume and Peridaen want him to.
There's a joke in the novel when Linden and Maurynna first meet about how tall, big brutes like Linden usually aren't very bright ("Big and stupid as the day is long."). Not just a joke in Linden's case, even at the climax where it seems like Linden has finally connected all the trails of scheming and all at once, he's still pretty dense. Linden and the dragonlords are, for the entirety of the novel, reacting to the political plots and schemes set in motion, never really commanding any of their own.
When Linden chances upon a place of blood magic in the woods which drives truehumans away, Linden and the other dragonlords don't really do anything about it. Even when Linden returns above that place in the woods as a dragon, and even when Rathan (Linden's dragon soul name) wanted to torch the whole place, Linden prevents it. We're not sure exactly why Linden prevents it, except apparently it may torch some nearby farms. Uh if this place is so deep in the forest as we're led to believe why would there be farms nearby? If this is a place of pure evil blood magic as all the 3 of the dragonlords in Casna agree, shouldn't they mindcall some other dragonlords to watch the place at all times, at the very least? And doesn't Maurynna's dragon soul torch the place in the end anyway? Following Linden's discovery of the place and Rathan's confirmation of its evil, Althume constantly uses that place to sacrifice prostitues in order power a soultrap jewel. Another dragonlord or two called in should have been watching it at the very east. If Sherinne can walk into that Place of Evil at the end, surely =someone= can keep an eye on all the trails leading to it, right?
Throughout the entire novel, we're led to believe that a dragonlord's dragon soul is very dangerous, but then why is all the evidence in the book contrary to that? The dragonsouls have all the right instincts and they never fail to aid when called upon during times of greatest need. When Linden and Maurynna finally mate and Rathan takes over, no one is hurt despite all the warnings to the contrary. And Maurynna hadn't undergone her first Change yet so it was supposedly very dangerous to them both. But they're both fine afterwards. When Althume attacks Dragonlord Tarlna via the soultrap jewel, Tarlna's soultwin Kief isn't strong enough to help. That's when Kief's draconic half Shaeldar awakens and aids him in saving his soultwin Tarlna's life. Again, the draconic being very helpful and having all the right instincts. Obviously, Rathan's original instinct to destroy the Place of Evil Blood Magic was the right one.
Not only is Linden pretty dense, but he's also very weak. He doesn't display any talent for magic or swords despite all the historical stories of him to the contrary. I have no problem with the poisoning plot with Sherinne, leaving Linden incapacited and weak.
It's Linden's weakness during the climactic end I have a huge problem with. After Linden connects many of the dots of the political schemes all in one page, he rushes to the Place of Evil (a place he should have had someone watching at all times to begin with) to stop Althume from sacrificing Rann. All of a sudden, the lingering effects of the poisoning incident many, many days earlier still debilitates Linden, and Linden is too weak to really help. Althume's one guy Pol manages to knock Linden over the head, and Linden doesn't even see it coming. With an unbelievable amount of effort and struggle, Linden manages to kill the unarmed, truehuman Pol with his greatsword. But of course he can't do anything else, he obviously didn't really think things through when he rushed headlong to the Place of the Evil to rescue Rann. He decided against Changing into a dragon first (his reasoning against the Changing makes zero sense, because obviously it helped Maurynna when she arrives there as a dragon later on, and Maurynna has no experience!). During the final climactic scene at the end, Bertin notes that Linden is still weakened from Sherinne's poisoning. By why, didn't it happen weeks before?! Wow. Maurynna has quite the strength then. She swims her way back to Casna after jumping ship in the middle of a storm (and she swims quite a distance from the middle of the sea!), climbs a very steep cliff, almost falls, and she's perfectly fine changing into a dragon for the first time, flying to the Place of Evil, frying a dragauth (ugly beast raised by Althume) before it killed Linden, kills Althume too and then flies away. After Maurynna's dragon soul (Kyrissaean) flies away from the Place of Evil, Linden runs out of the woods to Change so he can subdue Maurynna's draconic soul and bring back Maurynna. But he's too weak to even Change!
I have real trouble believing in all the fabled stories of Linden's heroism; he isn't very smart and he certainly isn't very strong with sword and magic. I understand why an author wouldn't want to make characters seem too powerful, but man, Linden is as weak and dense as they come in this novel. His sole purpose: a big oaf for Maurynna to moon over.
The highlights of the novel obviously belong to Maurynna. She's very fun to read, especially when she's mad at Linden for something. Her anger melts away though every time she's back with him.
I enjoyed Maurynna's first meeting with Linden. Obviously very romantic, as Maurynna mistakes Linden for a dockhand when she arrives in Casna. She calls him an ass and orders him to earn his pay. Linden obliges. Not knowing either one's names, Linden kisses her in the hold of Maurynna's ship, both driven by an intense and inexplicable attraction to one another. Linden later confirms that Maurynna is his soultwin and he's finally found his soultwin after all of these centuries. They meet for the second time at Maurynna's aunt's place when Maurynna drops a coin into a well, wishing to see the dockhand again. Also a very romantic scene there as Maurynna discovers who her dockhand really is -- her lifelong hero, Dragonlord Linden Rathan. Bertin's Otter is in his humorous element here. Later, there's again a very romantic picnic scene on a beach, and again Bertin is in her element. Maurynna can't believe this is happening to her. Maurynna is content, and happy beyond belief to be with Linden. Linden equally so, but Maurynna's dream-come-true to meet with her hero easily overshadows Linden's centuries-long wait for his soultwin.
Sherinne intervenes from here after she discovers that some low-born wench (Maurynna) has stolen Linden away from her. No one dumps Sherrine, Sherrine dumps them. And more, Sherrine actually feels a love for someone (Linden) for the first time in her life. So with her guards in tow, Sherrine hunts down Maurynna's aunt's home demanding to see Maurynna. She injures Maurynna as Linden arrives. After Maurynna is healed by Tasha, the Dutchess Alinya (current ruler of Cassori until the regency is settled) advises Linden to stay away from Maurynna lest he endanger his soultwin even more.
Linden consents and tells Maurynna they can't see each other again. The words rip out Maurynna's heart. Even this part is fun to read, because it really hits home Maurynna's dream to be with Linden. She lashes out Linden, "Then go. Go ur Lady Sherrine, Linden; she's beautiful. Not like me, with my mismatched eyes and calloused hands... It shall be as you wish, Your Grace. Indeed, I never want to see you again," she lied. "Go." She cries herself to sleep.
Later, she takes out her anger on other people for not being able to see Linden. She mutters, "I hate him," over and over but obviously she can't let go of her need, her intense desire, to be with him.
When a Fraternity spy divulges that there's a fledgling dragonlord about and that she's Linden's soultwin, Althume, Peridaen and Anstella are too smart for their own good as they arrive at all the wrong conclusions. Althume assumes Sherrine this soultwin, reasoning that Linden rejected Sherrine in favor of this new girl in order to protect Sherrine. Completely unintentional, and nothing of Linden's doing, but very convenient for Maurynna. Although in a different location, Sherrine has the same wine-colored birthmark as Linden, which seems to lend credence to the fact that she may be a fledgling dragonlord and Linden's soultwin. As tightly-wrapped as dragonlord secrets are, apparently these markings are public knowledge? Okayyy. Althume targets Sherrine for a dragonlord enslavement spell, and without any further investigation into the other girl whatsoever.
When Althume schemes to have Linden drink from Sherrine's Farewell Cup in public, Linden is completely incapacitated, and in the grips of severe pain later on. When he's alone and intercepted by Althume and Pol, Linden spasms in pain and cannot open his eyes. The magical poison mixed in the cup allows Althume to asks questions and control the victim completely, a truth serum if you will. After Althume has learned a great deal of dragonlords' magic, he asks Linden if there's a fledgling dragonlord in Casna. With little resistance, Linden answers, "Yes." Just when Althume is about to ask who this fledgling is (to confirm Sherrine), Maurynna arrives in a frenzy with a dagger in hand. Taking Maurynna for a mature dragonlord, Althume and Pol flee. So Maurynna really saves herself here, and arrives just in the nick of time to prevent Linden from revealing the true identity of the fledgling, because Althume was planning on letting Linden go with the antidote after he had his answers. Maurynna doesn't really know that she's a fledgling, but she really saves herself here even though Bertin would have us believe that otherwise. Before running in on Althume, Pol and Linden in a frenzy, Maurynna was at a ceremony and couldn't get Linden out of her mind. She feels that Linden is in danger somehow, but really it was her that was in danger if Linden revealed the fledgling's name.
After the traumatic poisoning episode, many days pass as Tashsa finally discovers how to purge Linden of the poison. Maurynna is forbidden from seeing Linden during this time. After Tasha purges Linden of the poison, he reverts into a state of self-pity. Again many days pass. Linden is recovering, but he still feels sorry for himself, horrified that he's revealed some important dragonlord secrets.
Again, Maurynna rescues him from this. Maurynna is still bitter towards Linden and Bertin describes this black dog which claws at Maurynna with every thought or mention of Linden, a very enjoyable part to read actually. She hates Linden but she can't get him out of her mind, not for one instant. Maurynna is very direct with Linden when she finally sees him in a pitiful state and gets his attention right away. They make love for the first time, and Linden is unable to control Rathan's intense desire for their soultwin in such a weak state (though shouldn't Rathan be weak too, since they share the same body?). Despite the constant warnings of danger though, neither Linden nor Maurynna die . Again Rathan's instincts prove on the mark, and a very entertaining romantic scene ensues.
The lingering effects of this weakness from the poisoning lasts many days later as Linden's weakness pops up at the worst possible moments, debilitating him into uselessness during the climactic ending.
Really, Maurynna rescues Linden twice. I don't count running in on Althume and Linden during the torturous questioning as an actual rescue. Maurynna saves herself there more than Linden, since Linden was about the reveal the true identity of the fledgling. Maurynna does rescue Linden from the pathetic state of self-pity following the poisoning though, and then of course at the end when Maurynna's dragon soul fries the dragauth about devour Linden.
Linden is too weak to do much of anything and too stupid to root out any political scheming until the very end, and then only in one page all at once.
My other complaint: too many disjoint passages from a wide array of perspectives that didn't add or amount to much, from an older mage trying to protect the soultrap jewel early on, from Beryl, from Rann's nurse, and from Astlana. Many of the passages from Athlume's perspective aimed to make the book a page-turner, imparting a sense of impending doom. But some of them (2 or 3 paragraphs max) didn't really reveal anything and they don't add to the story all that much, other than to fragment the story.
I did enjoy Maylin's perspective, as feisty as she is, and they were significant since they were shared with Maurynna for the most part.
Again, an enjoyable read overall, primarily because its heart lies with Maurynna's characterization, to land the hero of her dreams, her true love, her soultwin, while at the same time coming to terms to her own dragonlord status.
Overall, a very entertaining read here. If you're looking for heroic swordplay or a hard-nosed, kick-butt male protaganist, you won't find it here. Bertin's Linden Rathan is a bit on the sensitive side, and despite songs and stories of his glory, there's no evidence of his mastery with the sword or magic in this particular novel. Bertin presents Linden as a pretty weak character, both mentally and physically (and I don't mean his size, he's weak with sword and magic).
Still, at the heart of The Last Dragonlord, there's something very endearing, very magical about a girl who lands her lifelong hero, even as a guy reading it, I found it very endearing. I couldn't help but fall in love with Captain Maurynna Erdon's character -- she's stubborn, headstrong, not the most beautiful girl but certainly no hunchback, very accomplished, and of course, a fledgling dragonlord.
Joanne Bertin's strengths are obvious. She writes very endearing romantic scenes, compelling female characterizations (Maurynna, Maylin, Tasha, even Sherinne), and some interesting political intrigue. I even found myself laughing out loud on a number of occasions, especially via Bertin's Otter. In general, the tone and prose of the novel conveys a light, fast read.
Bertin's weaknesses? With the exception of Otter, her male characterizations are weak if not uninteresting. Ironic isn't it, since our female heroine finds Linden Rathan the most interesting hero ever. There are some plot holes in the story, but what story is perfect anyway? There are passages from certain characters which doesn't really add to the impetus of the plot, and more or less fractures a disjoint story even more. Bertin tries to set the stage using various, disjoint passages from a wide variety of perspectives, but in the end, they don't add much.
The Story.
The plot blurbs and book inset really doesn't do the story justice. The real story: Dragonlord Linden Rathan is the last dragonlord in a top-ranking society of dragonlords, and the only dragonlord without a soultwin. Dragonlords are an interesting breed, they can change between human and dragon form, they have some magical capabilities, and each is bonded by soul to another of the opposite sex. For over six centuries (or was it 8?) Linden Rathan seeks his soultwin, but without any luck. He's always bitter and jealous when he has to witness other soultwinned dragonlords together. Linden was 28 when he endured his first Change to a dragon and like all dragonlords, he hasn't aged physically over the centuries much since his first Change. Dragonlords also have a very interesting dichotomy: there exists 2 sentient souls in one body, the human soul and the dragon soul. Out of amusement, the dragon soul - though stronger and more powerful - slumbers and is usually content to let the human soul dominate over the body (both in human and dragon form) until the human soul wearies and passes away, leaving the truedragon. A dragon is pretty patient and time has no meaning to them anyway.
The rest is backdrop: Linden is sent by the "Lady" of the Dragonlords to Casna to oversee a conflict of regency after the Queen of Cassori dies as well as her Prince-Consort, leaving a very young boy as the only surviving heir. There exists 2 uncles contending for the interim Regency until the boy comes of age, Peridaen and Duke Beren. Three dragonlords are sent to sit in judgement and prevent civil war. There's plenty of bureaucratic council meetings which hold the 3 dragonlords at Casna for an extended period of time and the rest of the novel. A plethora of political threads are hatched as soon as the dragonlords arrive, delaying their return back to dragonkeep even more.
Along with the bard Otter, Captain Maurynna Erdon, 19, travels on her ship the Sea Mist to Casna's port to deliver her cargo for trade. Descendent from a wealthy merchant family and rising to Captain quickly, she has family in Casna: an aunt, uncle and 2 cousins, Maylin & Kella. Like her younger cousin Maylin, Maurynna has a peculiar marking: mismatched eyes, one blue, the other green. Interestingly enough, Otter is the connection between Linden Rathan and Maurynna, since Otter is friends with both. Although rare for a truehuman, Otter can mindspeak Linden, and asks him if he objects to being introduced to Maurynna in Casna. Otter knows that Dragonlord Linden Rathan has always been Maurynna's hero, you see, and she dreams of meeting him one day. For Maurynna, meeting Linden Rathan would be a dream-come-true and she yearns for that meeting like nothing else. Linden consents to the meeting though he inwardly dreads another meeting another girl fawning over him and his heroics from ages long past.
Unbeknowest to Maurynna, 3 dragonlords -- including her hero Linden Rathan -- are at her destination in Casna to arbitrate the dispute over regency. Otter teases her about a surprise waiting for her, without revealing any details. Maurynna constantly threatens to keelhaul Otter.
While our heroine Maurynna is still en route, Linden mires himself with the most beautiful woman at Cassori court: the Lady Sherrine of Colrane. Our beautiful, young Sherrine has a rather lascivious reputation of picking up and dropping men like flies. No one dumps Sherrine, Sherrine dumps them. Sherrine is daughter to Lady Anstella of Colrane, while Anstella is Peridaen's lover; recall Peridaen is contending for the interim regency. Kas Althume -- Peridaen's "steward" -- plots to have Sherrine in bed with Linden in order to pluck more information about the tightly-wrapped magical abilities of the dragonlords. Althume is not what he seems. A powerful blood mage, Althume aspires to destroying dragonlords once and for all and revives the Fraternity of the Blood, a clandestine cult bent on the supremacy of truehumans and truehumans alone. Anstella, Peridaen and Sherinne are all enlisted in this Fraternity.
Yet-to-be-soultwinned Dragonlord Linden Rathan is quite a catch, you see, with all the young women and ladies vying for his attention and company; even a fleeting, cursory acquaintance would suffice for them. Sherrine strikes just the right cords with Linden and she has Linden snared from the first moment. However, she isn't all that successful in gaining more information about dragonlords and their magic. Linden does manage to hold that information back, but not for long.
While the bureacratic council meetings over the Cassori Regency drag on intolerably, Linden discovers other things outside of the council meetings and outside of his affair with Sherinne. Young Rann - the only survivng Cassori heir - is sickly, pale and emaciated. Healer Tasha has tried fair number of things, none of them working. Duke Beren's wife, Lady Beryl seems to constantly hijack Rann for "lessons." Duke Beren himself is very billigerant towards dragonlords and towards Linden. Linden falls into all the usual traps of outward appearances, and starts suspecting and believing exactly what Althume and Peridaen want him to.
There's a joke in the novel when Linden and Maurynna first meet about how tall, big brutes like Linden usually aren't very bright ("Big and stupid as the day is long."). Not just a joke in Linden's case, even at the climax where it seems like Linden has finally connected all the trails of scheming and all at once, he's still pretty dense. Linden and the dragonlords are, for the entirety of the novel, reacting to the political plots and schemes set in motion, never really commanding any of their own.
When Linden chances upon a place of blood magic in the woods which drives truehumans away, Linden and the other dragonlords don't really do anything about it. Even when Linden returns above that place in the woods as a dragon, and even when Rathan (Linden's dragon soul name) wanted to torch the whole place, Linden prevents it. We're not sure exactly why Linden prevents it, except apparently it may torch some nearby farms. Uh if this place is so deep in the forest as we're led to believe why would there be farms nearby? If this is a place of pure evil blood magic as all the 3 of the dragonlords in Casna agree, shouldn't they mindcall some other dragonlords to watch the place at all times, at the very least? And doesn't Maurynna's dragon soul torch the place in the end anyway? Following Linden's discovery of the place and Rathan's confirmation of its evil, Althume constantly uses that place to sacrifice prostitues in order power a soultrap jewel. Another dragonlord or two called in should have been watching it at the very east. If Sherinne can walk into that Place of Evil at the end, surely =someone= can keep an eye on all the trails leading to it, right?
Throughout the entire novel, we're led to believe that a dragonlord's dragon soul is very dangerous, but then why is all the evidence in the book contrary to that? The dragonsouls have all the right instincts and they never fail to aid when called upon during times of greatest need. When Linden and Maurynna finally mate and Rathan takes over, no one is hurt despite all the warnings to the contrary. And Maurynna hadn't undergone her first Change yet so it was supposedly very dangerous to them both. But they're both fine afterwards. When Althume attacks Dragonlord Tarlna via the soultrap jewel, Tarlna's soultwin Kief isn't strong enough to help. That's when Kief's draconic half Shaeldar awakens and aids him in saving his soultwin Tarlna's life. Again, the draconic being very helpful and having all the right instincts. Obviously, Rathan's original instinct to destroy the Place of Evil Blood Magic was the right one.
Not only is Linden pretty dense, but he's also very weak. He doesn't display any talent for magic or swords despite all the historical stories of him to the contrary. I have no problem with the poisoning plot with Sherinne, leaving Linden incapacited and weak.
It's Linden's weakness during the climactic end I have a huge problem with. After Linden connects many of the dots of the political schemes all in one page, he rushes to the Place of Evil (a place he should have had someone watching at all times to begin with) to stop Althume from sacrificing Rann. All of a sudden, the lingering effects of the poisoning incident many, many days earlier still debilitates Linden, and Linden is too weak to really help. Althume's one guy Pol manages to knock Linden over the head, and Linden doesn't even see it coming. With an unbelievable amount of effort and struggle, Linden manages to kill the unarmed, truehuman Pol with his greatsword. But of course he can't do anything else, he obviously didn't really think things through when he rushed headlong to the Place of the Evil to rescue Rann. He decided against Changing into a dragon first (his reasoning against the Changing makes zero sense, because obviously it helped Maurynna when she arrives there as a dragon later on, and Maurynna has no experience!). During the final climactic scene at the end, Bertin notes that Linden is still weakened from Sherinne's poisoning. By why, didn't it happen weeks before?! Wow. Maurynna has quite the strength then. She swims her way back to Casna after jumping ship in the middle of a storm (and she swims quite a distance from the middle of the sea!), climbs a very steep cliff, almost falls, and she's perfectly fine changing into a dragon for the first time, flying to the Place of Evil, frying a dragauth (ugly beast raised by Althume) before it killed Linden, kills Althume too and then flies away. After Maurynna's dragon soul (Kyrissaean) flies away from the Place of Evil, Linden runs out of the woods to Change so he can subdue Maurynna's draconic soul and bring back Maurynna. But he's too weak to even Change!
I have real trouble believing in all the fabled stories of Linden's heroism; he isn't very smart and he certainly isn't very strong with sword and magic. I understand why an author wouldn't want to make characters seem too powerful, but man, Linden is as weak and dense as they come in this novel. His sole purpose: a big oaf for Maurynna to moon over.
The highlights of the novel obviously belong to Maurynna. She's very fun to read, especially when she's mad at Linden for something. Her anger melts away though every time she's back with him.
I enjoyed Maurynna's first meeting with Linden. Obviously very romantic, as Maurynna mistakes Linden for a dockhand when she arrives in Casna. She calls him an ass and orders him to earn his pay. Linden obliges. Not knowing either one's names, Linden kisses her in the hold of Maurynna's ship, both driven by an intense and inexplicable attraction to one another. Linden later confirms that Maurynna is his soultwin and he's finally found his soultwin after all of these centuries. They meet for the second time at Maurynna's aunt's place when Maurynna drops a coin into a well, wishing to see the dockhand again. Also a very romantic scene there as Maurynna discovers who her dockhand really is -- her lifelong hero, Dragonlord Linden Rathan. Bertin's Otter is in his humorous element here. Later, there's again a very romantic picnic scene on a beach, and again Bertin is in her element. Maurynna can't believe this is happening to her. Maurynna is content, and happy beyond belief to be with Linden. Linden equally so, but Maurynna's dream-come-true to meet with her hero easily overshadows Linden's centuries-long wait for his soultwin.
Sherinne intervenes from here after she discovers that some low-born wench (Maurynna) has stolen Linden away from her. No one dumps Sherrine, Sherrine dumps them. And more, Sherrine actually feels a love for someone (Linden) for the first time in her life. So with her guards in tow, Sherrine hunts down Maurynna's aunt's home demanding to see Maurynna. She injures Maurynna as Linden arrives. After Maurynna is healed by Tasha, the Dutchess Alinya (current ruler of Cassori until the regency is settled) advises Linden to stay away from Maurynna lest he endanger his soultwin even more.
Linden consents and tells Maurynna they can't see each other again. The words rip out Maurynna's heart. Even this part is fun to read, because it really hits home Maurynna's dream to be with Linden. She lashes out Linden, "Then go. Go ur Lady Sherrine, Linden; she's beautiful. Not like me, with my mismatched eyes and calloused hands... It shall be as you wish, Your Grace. Indeed, I never want to see you again," she lied. "Go." She cries herself to sleep.
Later, she takes out her anger on other people for not being able to see Linden. She mutters, "I hate him," over and over but obviously she can't let go of her need, her intense desire, to be with him.
When a Fraternity spy divulges that there's a fledgling dragonlord about and that she's Linden's soultwin, Althume, Peridaen and Anstella are too smart for their own good as they arrive at all the wrong conclusions. Althume assumes Sherrine this soultwin, reasoning that Linden rejected Sherrine in favor of this new girl in order to protect Sherrine. Completely unintentional, and nothing of Linden's doing, but very convenient for Maurynna. Although in a different location, Sherrine has the same wine-colored birthmark as Linden, which seems to lend credence to the fact that she may be a fledgling dragonlord and Linden's soultwin. As tightly-wrapped as dragonlord secrets are, apparently these markings are public knowledge? Okayyy. Althume targets Sherrine for a dragonlord enslavement spell, and without any further investigation into the other girl whatsoever.
When Althume schemes to have Linden drink from Sherrine's Farewell Cup in public, Linden is completely incapacitated, and in the grips of severe pain later on. When he's alone and intercepted by Althume and Pol, Linden spasms in pain and cannot open his eyes. The magical poison mixed in the cup allows Althume to asks questions and control the victim completely, a truth serum if you will. After Althume has learned a great deal of dragonlords' magic, he asks Linden if there's a fledgling dragonlord in Casna. With little resistance, Linden answers, "Yes." Just when Althume is about to ask who this fledgling is (to confirm Sherrine), Maurynna arrives in a frenzy with a dagger in hand. Taking Maurynna for a mature dragonlord, Althume and Pol flee. So Maurynna really saves herself here, and arrives just in the nick of time to prevent Linden from revealing the true identity of the fledgling, because Althume was planning on letting Linden go with the antidote after he had his answers. Maurynna doesn't really know that she's a fledgling, but she really saves herself here even though Bertin would have us believe that otherwise. Before running in on Althume, Pol and Linden in a frenzy, Maurynna was at a ceremony and couldn't get Linden out of her mind. She feels that Linden is in danger somehow, but really it was her that was in danger if Linden revealed the fledgling's name.
After the traumatic poisoning episode, many days pass as Tashsa finally discovers how to purge Linden of the poison. Maurynna is forbidden from seeing Linden during this time. After Tasha purges Linden of the poison, he reverts into a state of self-pity. Again many days pass. Linden is recovering, but he still feels sorry for himself, horrified that he's revealed some important dragonlord secrets.
Again, Maurynna rescues him from this. Maurynna is still bitter towards Linden and Bertin describes this black dog which claws at Maurynna with every thought or mention of Linden, a very enjoyable part to read actually. She hates Linden but she can't get him out of her mind, not for one instant. Maurynna is very direct with Linden when she finally sees him in a pitiful state and gets his attention right away. They make love for the first time, and Linden is unable to control Rathan's intense desire for their soultwin in such a weak state (though shouldn't Rathan be weak too, since they share the same body?). Despite the constant warnings of danger though, neither Linden nor Maurynna die . Again Rathan's instincts prove on the mark, and a very entertaining romantic scene ensues.
The lingering effects of this weakness from the poisoning lasts many days later as Linden's weakness pops up at the worst possible moments, debilitating him into uselessness during the climactic ending.
Really, Maurynna rescues Linden twice. I don't count running in on Althume and Linden during the torturous questioning as an actual rescue. Maurynna saves herself there more than Linden, since Linden was about the reveal the true identity of the fledgling. Maurynna does rescue Linden from the pathetic state of self-pity following the poisoning though, and then of course at the end when Maurynna's dragon soul fries the dragauth about devour Linden.
Linden is too weak to do much of anything and too stupid to root out any political scheming until the very end, and then only in one page all at once.
My other complaint: too many disjoint passages from a wide array of perspectives that didn't add or amount to much, from an older mage trying to protect the soultrap jewel early on, from Beryl, from Rann's nurse, and from Astlana. Many of the passages from Athlume's perspective aimed to make the book a page-turner, imparting a sense of impending doom. But some of them (2 or 3 paragraphs max) didn't really reveal anything and they don't add to the story all that much, other than to fragment the story.
I did enjoy Maylin's perspective, as feisty as she is, and they were significant since they were shared with Maurynna for the most part.
Again, an enjoyable read overall, primarily because its heart lies with Maurynna's characterization, to land the hero of her dreams, her true love, her soultwin, while at the same time coming to terms to her own dragonlord status.
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