Dragon's Winter

I was interested to come across this, as I had previously read the author's Chronicles of Tornor and a SF novel. The book started out promisingly, though written in an omniscient narrator voice, which is less usual these days. However, a few chapters in, I discovered that it has a prologue dealing with the birth of the twin brothers. I had accidentally started reading from Chapter 1, but that had made no difference - everything in the prologue is soon explained as back story anyway. This turned out to be an indication of some serious structural issues.

When the main story starts, the brothers are twenty-three years old, their father has died, and elder brother Karadur rules Dragon Keep. They are descended from a rare line of dragon show more shapeshifters, known as changelings - a word that in traditional folklore actually means fairy children exchanged for human children - but only the elder brother has this ability. Tenjiro, the younger twin, has magical abilities and has been away to study magical knowledge. He tells his brother's lover, Azil, that he is concerned Karadur will become cold and inhuman like their father when he starts to take dragon form. Changelings can only change form after creating a talisman in the shape of their totem animal. Karadur has not yet married and fathered an heir which Tenjiro claims is his great concern. He learns from Azil that Karadur is in the process of creating his talisman and tricks him into making a box in which to hold it, then he steals it and escapes with Anzil, whom he has enslaved.

Some time later, another changeling, Wolf, comes to the area and finds work as a carpenter. We see his courtship of a local weaver, Thea, and his building of a house for her and their son, Shem. Meanwhile, troubling rumours have begun of the sacking of villages in the north and a dark citadel where monsters live. The weather starts to become a mini ice age and gradually the monsters - wargs, reminiscent of the giant wolves of the same name in Tolkien's The Hobbit, except these are scaled rather than furry - begin raiding into the land ruled by Dragon Keep. The last of the true mages regains her memory and starts to investigate the truth about what is happening in the north and how Tenjiro has ignorantly revived an old evil. And other changelings, friends of Wolf, are drawn in to events.

I enjoyed the book initially, but began to be disquieted as the story wore on. Firstly, there is a major spoiler when the mage is introduced and scries in a mirror, witnessing the future murders of two characters the reader is invested in. From then on, every time those characters appeared, I wondered whether this was about to happen and when it did, what would have been a shocking and upsetting scene fell flat. Secondly, the story then deals with the preparations Karadur makes to invade the north and destroy the threat to his people, followed by the actual invasion. The climax - or at least what should be the climax - is over far too quickly and lacks impact. This concludes the fourth section of the book. Thirdly, there is a fifth section dealing with problems caused by a bandit in which Karadur meets a woman who, judging by the Epilogue, will become the mother of the heir he lacks, but all of this is just tacked on. It should have been the focus of another book (and there is a sequel, I understand), so I don't understand why something that isn't anything to do with the main story in the rest of the book is just added on the end, especially as it raises serious questions about Karadur's ability to control his abilities - he caused several fatalities when he loses his temper. But the book then jumps to the Epilogue which is some years later, and it seems that everything that happened in section five has been glossed over, judging from what we learn in Shem's viewpoint about a couple of people still at the Keep.

The whole of those later stages come over as incredibly rushed. The story as a whole has too many minor characters, often not developed sufficiently to be told apart, and character motivation is poor for important ones such as Tenjiro. The female mage is only in the story to impart some information, including that devastating spoiler, and do one important action, helping Karadur get his amulet back, then she clears off in the anticlimactic resolution to the main conflict. I also wasn't convinced by some of the world building - if a changeling makes their own amulet, why can't they just make another - something that affects not just Karadur.

It's a real shame as the writing and the world building generally, with the stories told about legendary heroes etc, is lyrical and very visual. But due to these fundamental issues, a book that initially looked as if it would merit a very enjoyable 4-stars can only aspire to 3. show less

I enjoyed this story immensely and quickly found myself caught up in the lives of not only one individual, but all of the characters and the history of their world. I actually found myself desperate to want to feel the history of the place I was traveling to through the pages.

While I love Fantasy stories, I am not typically a fan of shape-changing dragons, but I found this one to be attention getting and easy to manage. I didn't see a dragon changing to a man, I saw a man hurt by his past, angered because of betrayals, and wanting a love that might not be. The love story in itself was very unique and pulled at my heart, but be aware it's not your typical story of kings and future queens.

The king isn't the only story we follow in this show more book, his isn't the only love shared with the readers, nor the only heartbreak. The story of the shape-changing wolf and his family is also a page turner, filled with joys and sorrows of its own. To be honest, I think readers will find it difficult to locate a part of the book that won't touch them in some way. show less

An interesting fantasy story with complicated and complex characters, not all of whom are either good or bad but both. Shapechangers and magic, dragonfolk and revenge. A good read.

Exceptionally good for genre fiction. A cut above. Excellent book, worth re-reading.

Very nicely written and spare venture into high fantasy. The last chapter felt, however, like the first chapter of another book.

This book and its scond installment could have been very good books but the writer never fleshed out the characters and left the book totally disjointed. Twin brothers are born. The eldest has the precious bragon blood. The younger and weaker twin is jealous and becomes a mage set on bringing his sibling down. Lynn threw in a gay character that hangs onto the younger brother but is made a waste by poor writing

Just when I thought I'd burnt out on fantasy-fantasy again, this came along and reminded me why I do enjoy the genre when it's done right. Fantastic!