Bookflog: The Rite by Richard Lee Byers (Prologue - Chapter 4)
So to recap, the intrepid heroes have discovered that all the dragons periodically go loopy because of a massive ancient spell in place to prevent draconic empires from rising again. Apparently there was some decision to split up to search for more clues to how to fix this problem or failing that, prevent the Sammaster the slightly insane lich from making it worse. On that uplifting note, I continue with the next installment of the Year of Rogue Dragons trilogy, The Rite.
Prologue-Chapter 4
Well, this book starts on the uplifting note of King Gareth Dragonsbane of Damara getting spellstruck by one of the wyrms and a man at arms named Igan successfully kills the offending fang dragon (whoever came up with that name should be smacked). I am hopeful that Igan shows up again sometime.
The good dragons who are attempting to sleep through the crisis are finding those few who are staying awake rather... testy. And contemplating nomming on people. Lareth, the gold dragon king, has decided to do what I would call Odysseus's shipwatch after the passage through the sirens' waters. He's making all his subjects sleep, but he and his trusted liutenents are taking watches over them, whilst the Rage nibbles at their nerves. And Lareth is getting the worst of it and refusing to admit it. I wonder if there won't be a new leader of the gold dragons when the dust clears. Oh, yes, he's still pissed off at Kara.
Sammaster is doing secret plan type stuff, mostly ensuring the safety of his bases. The big interesting tidbit is that he has devised a means of shielding the minds of his draconic clients. Now that's interesting. You know, for a crazy undead creature attempting to mold the the world into a shape of his own imagining, I think he might have actually have read the Evil Overlord's Handbook.
In other news, Pavel and Will are going on a fishing trip in search of the ever elusive cluefish. I think they are somewhere in Damara, but they've found some big “friends” (read: an ogre shaman and company). I have a suspicion that by the end of the book, they are going to play a major part in saving Damara. Hopefully they will continue to snipe at each other the entire time.
Kara and Dorn are still in that "flirting but not flirting" stage of their relationship. He's starting to realize that just maybe he can predicate his life on something more than one vendetta. She's trying not to go berserk after every kerscuffle. The subplot is becoming slightly cute if still very cliché that the only female character of importance thus far is also a love interest. Dear WotC and author, is a female character without a romantic subplot asking too much? *GROAN Raryn and Chatulio the copper dragon are tagging along with them.
Taegan and Jivex are also wandering around trying to do... something. I think they're still trying to meet up with Dorn and company but don't realize that Dorn and company have split up to cover more ground. They've found a place friendly to Kara, Dorn and the rest of the munchkins and seem to be waiting. Oh, Taegan has a problem with coughing. He has something to remember the dracolich from the previous book by. He also has found a comedic foil in Jivex the faerie dragon and had a long conversation with another elf (Rilitar) regarding cultural differences. They think there's some kind of nasty spy in their midst. I suppose they are going to play a large scale game of whack-a-mole in this arc.
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I have to say, as transitions between books go, this was not the prettiest I've run across. I mentioned earlier that I think I might have missed the decision for Dorn, Raryn, Pavel and Will to split efforts and I think that it really shouldn't have been. I think I'm going to anticipate that things are going to seem pretty disjointed until the gang gets back together.
Prologue-Chapter 4
Well, this book starts on the uplifting note of King Gareth Dragonsbane of Damara getting spellstruck by one of the wyrms and a man at arms named Igan successfully kills the offending fang dragon (whoever came up with that name should be smacked). I am hopeful that Igan shows up again sometime.
The good dragons who are attempting to sleep through the crisis are finding those few who are staying awake rather... testy. And contemplating nomming on people. Lareth, the gold dragon king, has decided to do what I would call Odysseus's shipwatch after the passage through the sirens' waters. He's making all his subjects sleep, but he and his trusted liutenents are taking watches over them, whilst the Rage nibbles at their nerves. And Lareth is getting the worst of it and refusing to admit it. I wonder if there won't be a new leader of the gold dragons when the dust clears. Oh, yes, he's still pissed off at Kara.
Sammaster is doing secret plan type stuff, mostly ensuring the safety of his bases. The big interesting tidbit is that he has devised a means of shielding the minds of his draconic clients. Now that's interesting. You know, for a crazy undead creature attempting to mold the the world into a shape of his own imagining, I think he might have actually have read the Evil Overlord's Handbook.
In other news, Pavel and Will are going on a fishing trip in search of the ever elusive cluefish. I think they are somewhere in Damara, but they've found some big “friends” (read: an ogre shaman and company). I have a suspicion that by the end of the book, they are going to play a major part in saving Damara. Hopefully they will continue to snipe at each other the entire time.
Kara and Dorn are still in that "flirting but not flirting" stage of their relationship. He's starting to realize that just maybe he can predicate his life on something more than one vendetta. She's trying not to go berserk after every kerscuffle. The subplot is becoming slightly cute if still very cliché that the only female character of importance thus far is also a love interest. Dear WotC and author, is a female character without a romantic subplot asking too much? *GROAN Raryn and Chatulio the copper dragon are tagging along with them.
Taegan and Jivex are also wandering around trying to do... something. I think they're still trying to meet up with Dorn and company but don't realize that Dorn and company have split up to cover more ground. They've found a place friendly to Kara, Dorn and the rest of the munchkins and seem to be waiting. Oh, Taegan has a problem with coughing. He has something to remember the dracolich from the previous book by. He also has found a comedic foil in Jivex the faerie dragon and had a long conversation with another elf (Rilitar) regarding cultural differences. They think there's some kind of nasty spy in their midst. I suppose they are going to play a large scale game of whack-a-mole in this arc.
--)--------
I have to say, as transitions between books go, this was not the prettiest I've run across. I mentioned earlier that I think I might have missed the decision for Dorn, Raryn, Pavel and Will to split efforts and I think that it really shouldn't have been. I think I'm going to anticipate that things are going to seem pretty disjointed until the gang gets back together.