Bertin, Joanne. the Last DragonLord
Reading Fantasy is one of my truest secret pleasures. So finding a new and promising author (and series, one hopes) is a lot like finding Lindt truffles in a box of Farley's milk chocolate--scrumptious and very satisfying.
Joanne Bertin shows great promise in her first book, The Last DragonLord, and even though most of all Fantasy literature is derivative by nature, she has honed her craft and made the expected most pleasant as she designs a new land where human/dragon changelings act as sagacious advisors (and the court of last resort) to the humans and their fallible rulers.
The characters remind me of others but have a vitality and spirit that immediately piques the reader's interest and involvement. I found the novel hard to put down because the romance was intriguing and the mystery compelling.
Linden Rathan, the Last DragonLord,--so-named because he has been the last to change from a truehuman into a DragonLord--and has never found his soultwin (the other half of his human and dragon selves) is a marvelous blend of hero and man. The other main characters of Maurynna (the fiery sea captain), Otter (the Bard), and even sickly Prince Rann, the child prince are mostly well-drawn.
The dialogue is lively and funny. Details enhance the narrative and do not hinder it as some Fantasy writers have been known to do with an overly descriptive pen. The ending could have had a bit more finesse (a subtler build-up), but Bertin does a good job of tying up the loose ends even if it comes upon us a bit quick.
I await her sequel with pleasure.
Leane M. Ellis, December 29, 1998.
Lucius Beebe Memorial Library - This page last updated 12/29/98 - lme.