I wish I could have enjoyed this one as much as the ones before me but unfortunately I couldn't. I had lots of annoyances with this book, including the fact it was obviously a first novel attempt by someone whose writing wasn't very descriptive or lyrical or even all that interesting. Maybe I've been spoiled by reading other fantasy novels with lush and complex world-building, beautiful imagery and interesting plots and characters. The Last Dragonlord didn't really fit the bill on any of these aspects.My main problem with the book was the way the author chose to tell the story. It's basically all dialogue (spoken or not) and thoughts. I got tired of all the italics. There's very little description outside of actions. There's no time spent on developing the history or cultures portrayed, except by what you know when someone speaks about it (and thus there's unecessary exposition during dialogue). We know that there's certain conventions that makes anyone not born a Cassori noble apparently without any rank at all (and thus can be whipped by spoiled jealous brats without a blink) but we never really learn more about the culture aside from this and that there's some feud going on for the throne. The characters, outside of maybe Linden and Maurynna, are really only there to look pretty (or not) and don't do much but hover outside the real story, which hasn't got anything to do with the Cassori regency but about Linden and Maurynna and their 'bond'. Everything else is just thrown in without much complexity -- the evil guys are evil and sometimes rather dumb and the good guys drop in and out of the scene without doing much except unveil plot points from time to time. And speaking of characters, it surprised me how much I actually didn't like them. Maurynna striked me as childish and teeny-bopper-ish at the beginning with her Linden-crush and then rather tragically depressed after her involvement with him. I guess this is justifable because of the whole soul-twin thing, which would explain why being 'rejected' would bring about such depression.But the fact remains that nothing in this woman's character actually made me believe she could be captain of a ship and have the respect of her people. It seems to be implied at some point that her influential family may have had something to do with her assignment as captain of her own ship (and winning the bracelets that seem to mark one) but her behaviour didn't really make me understand why her crew trusted her to be a good captain. We never really see her interact with anyone but Linden, her cousins and Otter. Linden, well, he's supposed to be hundred of years old and member of a race of powerful beings who are thought upon to moderate debates, but neither he or his companions seemed all that wise. Despite that, both him and the little child prince's (I forget his name now, darn) interactions are probably my favorite parts in the book. What annoyed me the most were all the mind-spoken conversations. I love a good telepathy here and there but when every few pages you came across italics indicating such a convo in a book that is basically just talk with little description, you can see how that'd get annoying.Bertin has a problem with her writing. She has all her characters blah blah blahing about their plans and decisions and thoughts (and even when they're not blah blahing aloud, they're thinking or mind-speaking). There's very little mystery in her little court intrigue because you see the bad guys doing their bad things and you know their motivations from the start and, really, nothing comes as a surprise. There's no slow progression to the mystery of the antagonists, like the Fraternity of Blood, which gets mentioned but never described in detail. I'd have loved to have learned more of Linden's past encounter with them but it only gets a mention and nothing very detailed or descriptive. I guess the fact that there was no mystery in the intrigue was because, honestly, this was all thrown in to add more pages to a book that is basically about Linden and Maurynna and their soul-twinness... The secondary characters were... well... bad. Sherrine in particular was the height of exaggeration in her unjustifiable jealousy. We didn't actually see too much of her interaction with Linden to justify her irrationality regarding him. I can't for the life of me find a reason for her hysterical jealousy and need to confront Maurynna.Otter was, well, only put there to provide banter with the other characters. He didn't really do much. The cousins were exactly the same. In and out of scenery, providing advice and more conversation and then doing absolutely nothing useful aside from that.The pace was also extremely fast when something was happening and extremely slow during the conversation parts. This could have had potential. I love a good bit of intrigue. I love an author who can come up with interesting world-building and customs and cultures. Joanne Bertin comes up with some interesting ideas for her world... and then fails to describe any of them in any detail whatsoever. You're like the Sorcerer who tries to extract Dragonlord secrets. You know absolutely nothing about them and you continue to know almost nothing about their culture, their history and their powers aside from some name drops here and there and, well, the little the anatgonists can extract via their nefarious plots.It's not like I hated the novel. I enjoyed some parts of it. Others annoyed me. I thought there were some interesting premises and was sad they weren't really developed, like Linden's backstory. We don't even really learn much about the human/dragon duality, since it seems they're two minds sharing one body. Much could have been explored into that but we only even see the draconic presence twice during all 500+ pages. It's an ultimately amateurish and serviceable novel that doesn't bring anything new to the genre and ultimately wastes its potential to tell a good story by making it a romance with a bit of a plot instead of a good plot with a bit of romance.On a good note, I do love the name of Maurynna's dragon counterpart. :) And the horse! Linden's Llyssanyin stallion was probably one of my favorite characters in the novel, which is kinda telling, in the end, of how much characterization left something to be desired.
Here's a book in which you are told you'll find court intrigue, mystery, dragons and romance. Here's a book in which nothing at all happens. Not even the romance. (Yes, the 2 are soultwinned aka soulmates... again the easy way out.) But, hey, you see the dragons. ... a couple of times at least...There is no court intrigue, or rather you are told there is. Pedantly, you basically know everything before anyone else does. There's no mystery as again you know everything. Worse you don't even see how they resolve the problem involving both the mystery and the intrigue. You are told that they reached a conclusion (and the right one to boost), but how the hell did they get to it?For all that supposedly happens on the plot, the story drags and drags and drags until the last few chapters when at last something happens. There's not much world-building, even if there's the right "atmosphere". Characters are pretty shallows and a few things do not add up. (At 20 she is a captain, but she needs a chaperone and an escort...and permission to do things...)Reading it was almost a chore. It's not a bad book, but I can't say I particularly liked it. If you are interested in a detailed review I agree with Xeyra's: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Do You like book The Last Dragonlord (1999)?
I actually read this a couple years ago, but I couldn't rightfully remember if I enjoyed it or not. I don't know about the first time I read it; however, I certainly liked it this time around. I love dragons. So, automatic points there. Although I've read fantasies featuring dragon-shifters, Bertin managed a pleasing amount of originality. I loved Linden and Maurynna together and can't wait to meet up with them again. Also, I loved Otter and Maylin. They were the perfect support characters.I did
—J. Lynne
What pulls a reader through this (despite delightful wish-fulfillment elements like Mary-Sue-eyes, hyper intelligent horses, and, oh, the ability to fly...) is the sense of desperation that pulls the two main characters through to the end. Never has a soulmate been written so compellingly. You KNOW these two need each other, can't live without each other, etc. (Also per the rules of the fantasy they're in, it's, uh, literal. The soulmate bit.)What's not to love?!?! You know, unless you're looking for a Serious Work of Literature. In which case, yeah, really? It does have a dragon on the cover. Sometimes that's enough to judge by after all.
—Colleen
At first, I was a little overwhelmed at the amount of characters being introduced. I never did learn all the names of the people involved in the villain's scheme, but that didn't seem to matter in the end. The story was interesting and enjoyable even if it was a little predictable...but medieval romances that involve magic and/or dragons are one of my favorite types of book, so I happened to enjoy every sappy minute. The author did a good job describing scenery and clothing, which helped to combat the dozens of characters and their comings and goings. Also, (and this might seem a little silly to some), the love scenes were sappy, but not lame. There is nothing better than a fantasy writer who knows the fine line between tasteful sex scenes and sappy, ill-timed metaphors. If nothing else, people who like the fantasy genre will enjoy the book because Bertin knows to leave a bit to the imagination.
—Kelley Ross
