Finally, after a year and half long wait; Stackpole gives us the sequel to classic epic fantasy, Dark Glory War. Fortress Draconis is very impressive military fantasy epic set 25 years after the events told in the first book.A young thief, Will is caught trying to steal a strange artifact and is saved by two mysterious warriors: One is Vorquelf called Resolute who is determined to free his land from the tyranny of the evil sorceress Chytrine and the other is a shadowy human warrior called Kedyn's Crow. Will finds out he is center of a prophecy where he will defeat Chytrine and her terrifying forces. This epic novel has unforgettable characters like Princess Alexa who is obessed in freeing her own homeland from Chrytrine. Kerrigan Reese, the young wizard who is born with powers far above normal humans but is also naivete on the ways of the world. General Adrogans, who's pompous outward personality hides a brilliant military mind.Stackpole's skills in the world-building department shine in every page as he gives you guided tour of his wartorn world and the various races that live there like Vorquelf elves who battle their ouw prejudices against wing-people called Gyrkyme
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who they share a tragic history with. The human nations who must rally together to battle Chytrine's menace. Stackpole also succeeds in his vivid and brutal descriptions of battles as you see our heroes fight the Chytrine's terrifying army of monsters like the dreaded Sullanciri, beings who were once human now are souless monsters created by Chytrine's twisted magic! Finally our heroes adventures will take them to fortress Draconis where they must stop Chytrine from getting a piece of dragoncrown in which she will use to control dragons! So pick up this book and travel will Will, Resolute, Crow and Princess Alexa as they battle for the lives against evil Chytrine and don't forget the surprise on the last page!
The review of this Book prepared by Rodney Powell
Long ago there was a prophecy of a Norrington who would lead the world against Chytrine, tyrant of the North, and free the island Vorquellyn from her clutches. Twenty-five years after the surprising events of "The Dark Glory War" when Chytrine corrupted nine of the world's finest heros into her tools including the only two Norringtons who fit the prophecy, Resolute, a Vorquellyn survivor and his mysterious human friend known as Kedyn's Crow believe they have found the Norrington who will lead them, in the form of Will, a young bastard thief from the slums of the capital city, Ysln. While they are training Will for his ultimate encounter with Chytrine, Alexia, Princess of a shattered nation has begun raising arms herself. Meanwhile, the Vilwan Sorcerers have endowed a human, Kerrigan Reese with powers unheard of in hundreds of years.
These three paths will cross at Fortress Draconis, the southern land's first line of defense against Chytrine, and keeper of two fragments of the legendary DragonCrown. Their mission to stop Chytrine from taking Fortress Draconis is doubly important, because if she obtains the rest of the DragonCrown, there will be nothing, prophecy or no, to stop her.
The second book in the DragonCrown War cycle delivers just as well as it's prequel, "The Dark Glory War." This time around, the focus is off of Tarrant Hawkins, who plays a supporting character rather than the lead. The characters are all very well developed and real, while the battles are stunning and vivid enough for you to hear the peal of sword strikes, see the armies clashing, and smell the world as the characters do. While the descriptions of the surroundings are sometimes lengthy, they want for nothing in terms of interest held. The entire book is incredible and awe inspiring, causing me to not be able to put it down for the three days it took me to read.
Just as with "The Dark Glory War," this book leaves you on a cliffhanger and begging for more.
The review of this Book prepared by Jacob Knudsen
Michael A Stackpole
Bantam, Dec 2001, 14.95, 528 pp.
ISBN: 553379194
A quarter of a century ago, the evil sorceress Chytrine made her bid to conquer the world and be named Empress. King Augustus led a mighty army that engaged her in battle to try to stop her achieving her ambition. He proved partly successful in that he captured her stronghold FORTRESS DRACONIS, but he failed to kill her. Augustus managed to restrain her in the north.
Still many lands are under her control and she is now once again making a new bid for power. She is trying to gather all the pieces of the magical artifact called the Dragon Crown together because once she has them she will be unstoppable. A new generation of heroes has risen up to destroy her including Will, a teenager from the Yslinn's slums who is part of a prophecy that will spell Chytrine's doom. Also battling the tyrant is Princess Alexia, a royal from the conquered land of Okrannel. She fights under the aegis of King Augustus using the moniker General Alex. Vilwan sorcerers have created the most powerful mage ever known, Kerrigan Reese, as their contributor to the upcoming war. Kedyn's Crow and Resolute the Vorquelf whose land is also under the tyrant's rule are training so Will can become the man that the prophecy describes.
FORTRESS DRACONIS is an epic fantasy on a par with the Lord of the Rings and the Shannara saga. There is enough action to keep readers turning the pages and the author develops his characters so well that the audience understands them and their motivations. It will be hard if not impossible to wait for the sequel to this exciting novel.
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner
