Dragonsbane

One of my favorite fantasy series begins with Barbara Hambly's Dragonsbane. Here's the basic plot: John Aversin is the only man who's ever slain a dragon. He lives in the remote Winterlands, leader of a people struggling on the outskirts of the kingdom. Gareth shows up unexpectedly, a young prince from the king's court, seeking help against a dragon that has seized part of the city. It's not an easy task for Gareth to convince John -and his wife Jenny, a half-trained witch- to return with him, and when they do get there, things quickly get complicated. The court is riddled with perfidy and corruption. The Gnomes- a separate race of oppressed people, owners of the area now held by the dragon- are in the middle of a revolt. It seems that show more John and Jenny will never even get near the dragon, but when they finally do, that encounter is nothing like they'd expected, either.

Hambly is one of those amazing storytellers I never tire of reading again and again. I love how realistic everything in this novel feels, even though it's fantasy. The characters all struggle with personal issues. I love the fact that John is something of a self-taught philosopher, always dabbling in old books, searching for archaic knowledge, curious about inventions and how things work. Jenny wrestles with trying to pursue her art of witchcraft, a dedication which usually takes up a person's life entirely, while at the same time raising a family. Even Gareth turns out to be a sympathetic character, though at first he comes off as just a spoiled brat. Another really intriguing thing about the story is all its unexpected turns. Gareth didn't expect to find his hero standing in a pigpen of mud when he arrived in the Winterlands, and it really throws him for a while. John is dismayed to find the court full of conniving elite who don't really care about the dragon- but I love how he handles it! Jenny didn't foresee being able to communicate with the dragon, much less that it would make her a tempting offer, in bargain for its life, one of the most fascinating parts of the story... Well, all I can say is that if you like fantasy, particularly dragon books, I highly recommend this one!

from the Dogear Diary show less

A new favorite book for the all time favorites shelf! I’ll be forever indebted to a fellow reviewer who made the connection between Patricia McKillip’s The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (another all time favorite) and Barbara Hambly’s Dragonsbane. Otherwise I might never have come across it!

Both books are fantasies that deal with themes of power and consent, both have strong women protagonists, and both feature, of course, dragons!

Hambly’s writing style is lush and descriptive. She packs the story with so much that you end up having to read extra slowly and go sentence by sentence to get the full impact of her storytelling. And the slower reading experience ended up being so worth it, because Dragonsbane has one of the best endings show more I’ve ever encountered!

Dragonsbane is the perfect read for:
- readers who appreciate getting to hear the inner thoughts of the main character
- readers who are looking for books featuring a protagonist in their late 30s
- readers who love description that is so detailed that it’s practically imagined for you
- readers who appreciate plots that are slower to unfold, but have excellent payoff at the end

I read Dragonsbane physically, but I have a hunch that Hambly’s writing style would make for a truly incredible audiobook experience! show less

As expected (it is a Hambly), a very rich, well-written tale, with a lot of desperation points and hard choices. It's all Jenny's viewpoint, I'd have been interested to see what John thought now and then. I like the choice she finally made - I'd been thinking about it much earlier, when she first met Zyene. Magic makes magic - but what's the point of it? The dragon is fascinating, a very alien thought process (we see more of his thoughts than John's...). Rich and grim - I have the rest of the series as well, but no way I could read them in quick succession. I'll take a break between each book - though I will read the whole series.

From 1985, no less, showing that writers have been subverting the same epic fantasy tropes for a long time now. A middle aged couple, one a dragon killer, the other a witch, from the desolate and abandoned north go down south to kill another dragon at the behest of a young nobleman whose visions of heroic chivalry do not survive contact with the reality. Things are complicated in the royal court, however, so the fight with the dragon is just the start of things. Great read, and though the start of series, feels self contained and ends satisfyingly.

Resulta difícil innovar dentro del campo de la fantasía épica, y más durante la década de los 80, cuando fue publicado este libro. La sombra de Tolkien es alargada y en esta época las dragonadas estaban a la orden del día, obras insulsas y planas la mayoría de las veces. El escenario básico era idéntico: joven que debe realizar un viaje iniciático, en busca de sí mismo y de un objeto y/o persona valiosos, tratándose por tanto de un personaje predestinado; secundarios de lujo que deben ayudarle a cumplir su destino (no puede faltar un enano y/o un elfo); un viaje hacia la meta lleno de peligros y aventuras, que llega a hacerse un tanto monótono; un dragón que cuida de su oro; y un final donde destaca la lucha entre el bien show more y el mal, venciendo el bien, por supuesto.

‘Vencer al dragón’ de Barbara Hambly destaca entre tanta mediocridad publicada a lo largo de la citada década. Afronta el género desde una visión adulta y realista, dotando a sus personajes de cierta personalidad y evolución a lo largo de la historia, con motivaciones humanas, una historia donde abunda más la magia que la espada. La prosa de Hambly, sin ser excesivamente descriptiva, es elegante y precisa. Lo que más destaco de la novela es ese noto crepuscular del principio. Para mi gusto, la obra pierde fuelle en su parte central y toma un rumbo que no me esperaba, pero la parte final es correcta y deja satisfecho. En resumen, un buena novela de fantasía épica. show less

I bought this on Kindle, saw the cover, and know that I also bought it in paperback but never read it. More fool I.

It is the tale of the quest to slay a dragon, and then it is so much more. The protagonist is a woman, Jenny Wannest, who is a mage woman with a lover, John Aversin, and two children. At the beginning, we learn that Jenny is pulled between her calling, her career as it were, and her family. But she's not a particularly powerful or great mage, and learning takes effort and concentration that is hard to reconcile with a family.

Then a traveler, Gareth, comes seeking the only Dragonsbane left alive - that is, John. And, you see, the traveler's kingdom has a dragon that needs eliminating. Of course, she and John return with show more Gareth, and get entangled in the life of that kingdom while they try to fulfill that quest.

The story unfolds in beautiful language and vivid mental pictures. Is the dragon really the bad guy here? There is a coming of age story, and an adult story of choices between different goals in life, as well as a taste of what the story might be from the dragon's point of view. I found the book compelling and not quite the same old fantasy. show less

An excellent book with a strong female protagonist and her partner. Lord John Aversin is not your typical hero - he's pragmatic, down to earth and just as happy getting his boots muddy and talking about pigs.
He and Jenny Waynest have a very practical approach when it comes to tackling a dragon. None of this charging in with a lance (to the disappointment of young Gareth who sees life though the songs of the bards). They understand the strength and danger of a dragon and work out very carefully how to improve their odds of survival.

Jenny isn't a typical heroine either. She's no longer in the flush of youth, she has two sons and although she has magical abilities, they aren't strong. She has continual conflict deciding between her magic, show more which requires seclusion, and her family.

Dragons in this book are as I want them to be. Powerful, dangerous, but beautiful and magical the same time.

Jenny can fight one to save the people it would kill, but can also weep for the loss of something unique.

Recommended. show less