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The ancient land of Caradore has been conquered by the Magravandian empire and its royal house of Palindrake bound by a potent oath to the invader. The Sea Dragon, Caradore's source of mystic power, has been driven from the world by the triumphant Fire Drake--or so everyone believes, until twins are born to the Palindrakes. Valraven and Pharinet, brother and sister, discover the Sea Dragon has only been hidden--and is dangerous not only to the conquerors but also to Caradore and the world.
Neil Gaiman has described Storm Constantine, author of Sea Dragon Heir, as a "myth-making Gothic queen." It's a perfect description for the provocative, imaginative, genre-blending author of the Grigori trilogy (Stalking Tender Prey, Scenting Hallowed Blood, and Stealing Sacred Fire), the three-novella collection Three Heralds of the Storm, and the gender-bending Wraeththu trilogy. With Sea Dragon Heir, Ms. Constantine turns to what appears at first glimpse to be traditional high fantasy--but the novel (the first of a new trilogy) proves as darkly romantic, stylish, sharp, and twisted as her fans expect, even as it extends the author's appeal to a new readership. --Cynthia Ward
Book Description
In a world beyond time, the Palindrake family rules the rocky kingdom of Caradore, their right ordained by their allegiance to the power of the sea. But war came to them, and defeat at the hands of the king of Fire. For generations the Palindrake Lords served the god of Fire.But now, five lifetimes later, the Palindrake heir, Vlraven V, has a twin sister, a woman who embodies their inheritance of power in a way that no wife ever could. The tidal power in their blood draws them to each other, into a forbidden passion that cold sweep away the bonds of fire placed upon the oceanic magic of the sea, and free Caradore from its long imprisonment.
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Twin children, a boy and a girl, learn that they are the legal and magical heirs to the Sea People kingdom and the power of the Sea Dragon. As they discover what their power is capable of, they become pawns of opposing factions of the Sea People and their conquerors, those who worship the Fire God.
Customer Reviews:
Great style, terrible message.......2005-10-15
In the Sea Dragon Heir I glanced through the book and was quickly seduced by the writing style of the author. The description and language used by Constatine was opulent, it filled every moment of the story and left an atmosphere as thick as a smoking room's interior.
It was to my great disappointment that I found on finishing the book... I really didn't like most of the characters. In fact, some of the ones I enjoyed at first became those I disliked the most. I read on, her wonderful writing style like the sweet nothings of a lover, as I was disappointed again and again by the actions of the characters.
There are books with no "heroes" that are interesting stories in their own right, in which the events themselves intrigue. Then there are stories to which you become apathetic to the drives and whims of the characters themselves, and unfortunately this book falls in that category.
I finished this series, hoping to see some wonderful resolution to the many events that begin in this book. There was none - if anything, purpose and meaning flop about like a fish out of water. However, I did find one constant throughout the course of the series. One message that Storm Constantine seemed to want to convey, and one that I didn't agree on.
"It is only those people who have been emotionally and psychologically scarred in a way that would leave modern people in an institution are strong enough to persevere and in the end become victorious." Now, that's summing it up in my own words, but it's pretty plain that's the author's point. And I just can't swallow that no matter how strong my suspension of disbelief.
Gothic Fantasy - not for me, thanks!.......2005-04-24
Two hundred years ago, Cassilin, king of fire and son of the great Magravandian house of Malagash conquered Caradore and its guardian family, the Palindrakes. He took their land and crippled their heritage by demanding an oath of perpetual fealty from Valraven, the young heir to the throne. Valraven's mother bid him accept this humiliation willingly such that their association with the power of the Sea Dragons could be hidden until the time was right for its revival to aid them in reclaiming their land and their freedom.
Many generations have passed. Valraven, the current eldest son of the Caradorean family, accepts posting to the Magravandian military, part of his ancestor's oath, but his twin sister Pharinet struggles with the realization that the time is coming to reawaken the magic of their country's connection to the sea and the Sea Dragons.
What a shame! That Storm Constantine can write is beyond dispute. Her descriptive passages are moving and brilliant. Her dialogue is lucid, realistic and fast-paced. The magic or dream sequences are eerie, fascinating and compelling. But, in spite of all that, this novel is as fundamentally flawed as its characters. One and all, they are driven by emotions and traits that are either dark and ugly or weak and pathetic - greed, lust, ambition, hunger for power, ambivalence, amorality or moral turpitude, egocentricity, sycophancy and selfishness. Pharinet, for example, comes to realize that her incestuous love for her twin, Valraven, cannot be continued but at no time expresses even the slightest apology or twinge of regret. Even when these characters appear to display strength or courage or unity of purpose, it is not noble and seems to arise only out of their dark side.
The plot, such as it is, develops slowly but it is masked by deep, impenetrable, swirling layers of foggy mysticism, magic and fantastical writing that make the story line all but inscrutable. At no time does the story aspire to anything uplifting. Unrelenting darkness with no interludes of pleasure or lightness makes this novel depressingly difficult to continue. If this is Gothic fantasy, then I'll give the genre a pass. I'm certainly not inspired to continue with the trilogy or seek out anything else by the same author. I repeat - what a shame!
Paul Weiss
Interesting stuff but no depth.......2003-09-22
After reading the trilogy set, I can go back to this first book and safely say that Sea Dragon Heir is my least favorite of the three. I'm tired of being "told" what Valraven is rather being "shown." In fact a great many things are being told and hence the characters are barely flesh and bone and I didn't care about the melodramas going on in their lives. There are too many convenient plot devices that is contrived and tiresome. As for the bed-hopping scenes..... why? They don't seem to serve any other purpose other than to "oh lets be shocking, shocking(!)" and then left at that with no futher insights to the characters themselves. Once again it is the "telling" rather than the "showing" flaw of Constantine's writing that bores me to no end.
I will say that Constantine's writing style is lovely and rather poetic. Too bad she waste it trying to be the next Anne Rice or something.
Taking a standard and twisting it.......2003-04-16
The Magravandias series (starting with this book) is probably the easiest Storm book to get your hands on. Out of all her books, this series is closest to what I always thought regular "fantasy" books would be like -- has a Medieval type setting, castles, dragons, heroes on a "quest" for artifacts, noble ideals, forces of darkness to be overcome, etc. That said, I think Storm turns a lot of the cliches on their heads and makes it all quite twisted :) The books have a big undercurrent of sexuality, notably a strong same sex attachment while at the same time tying in with things like Medieval sagas and German myths. Best of all, the books really lead up and up to a cool conclusion which you don't see coming and which is very satisfying.
Taking the standard and twisting it.......2003-02-07
The Magravandias series (starting with this book) is probably the easiest Storm book to get your hands on. Out of all her books, this series is closest to what I always thought regular "fantasy" books would be like -- has a Medieval type setting, castles, dragons, heroes on a "quest" for artifacts, noble ideals, forces of darkness to be overcome, etc. That said, I think Storm turns a lot of the cliches on their heads and makes it all quite twisted :) The books have a big undercurrent of sexuality, notably a strong same sex attachment while at the same time tying in with things like Medieval sagas and German myths. Best of all, the books really lead up and up to a cool conclusion which you don't see coming and which is very satisfying.
Average customer rating:
- A Pictish take on King Arthur
- You have no choice, you must read this book.
- A great retelling of the Arthurian legends
- What a book!
- If you liked "Mists of Avalon", you'll enjoy this!
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In the Shadow of the Oak King (Dragons Heirs, No 1)
Courtway Jones
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
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A Prince in Camelot
ASIN: 0671734032 |
Customer Reviews:
A Pictish take on King Arthur.......2005-09-15
This is the first in the series and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants a new slant on the King Arthur saga. This book is told from the viewpoint of Peleas, a Pictish blacksmith. The other two books are told from the perspectives of Morgan, Arthur's half-sister, and Mordred, who turns out to be not so evil a fellow. Together they will leave you with a very well researched and compelling look back into a time that might have been.
You have no choice, you must read this book........2001-02-01
This is how the Arthurian legend should have gone. The story fills in the gaps that a typical King Arthur story fails to address. By the end of this epic tail you will have come to love these characters through crying, laughing and cheering for them.
A great retelling of the Arthurian legends.......2000-11-16
Young Pelleas is a Pictish boy, one who has earned the ire of the Druids, and does not expect to survive the next Samhain. When a smith named Myrddin rescues Pelleas, he begins an adventure that introduces him to his half-brother Arthur, makes him instrumental in the founding of the Knights of the Round Table, and crowns him as High King of the Picts.
In this book, Professor Courtway Jones takes the Arthurian legend back towards its Dark Age roots. Many of the original characters are recast as Britons, Picts and Gaels, and many of the old customs (including those of a sexual nature) are reflected in the story. Christianity is merely a patina on this multi-ethnic society, as both religions and races fight for dominance. Magic is downplayed in this book, with telepathy and magical healing potions being about the extent of it.
This is a great retelling of the Arthurian legends. Though Professor Jones' inclusion of knights and tournaments in the Dark Ages represents an anomaly, his Dark Age story is fascinating and informative about the era. The storyline is fascinating, and becomes positively gripping once Pelleas is knighted. Indeed, I found myself unable to go to sleep before I read the final few chapters.
By the way, though this is the first book in a trilogy, it is an entirely self-contained story, and can be read on its own.
What a book!.......1999-04-10
Author Courtway Jones takes you into the magic of Camelot with characters who are seen with all of their human foibles. Rather than the hocus pocus of Merlin, and the heroic Arthur, Jones gives us more reasonable characterizations of these mythical figures. You are drawn in because first and foremost, these are flesh and blood men and women, who do ordinary things, have reasonable explainations for the actions they take, and act like you would expect could really have been the way things were in medieval Britain. The reader, rather than feeling like they are reading a fantasy novel, feel like they are reading about real peoples lives. This made this reader feel much more involved in the storyline and characters. This is a fabulous book. I, for one, will be reading the next books in this fabulous series.
If you liked "Mists of Avalon", you'll enjoy this!.......1998-10-22
A playful retelling of the Arthurian legends from the point of view of a mischievous, bright young boy. Detailed and educational while telling a familiar story with unexpected twists and turns.Very easy to read and hard to put down!
Book Description
Blood-Soaked Dynasty
Theodore Kurita is heir apparent to the Draconis Combine, one of the most powerful realms of the Inner Sphere. But the Draconis Combine has never been a place of smooth transitions. Historically, a Kurita proves himself fit to lead by a successful bid for power--political or...otherwise.
Theodore's perilous journey to power is a twenty-year odyssey of lethal encounters and narrow escapes. And at the end awaits the most dangerous foe of all, the man whom Theodore must one day depose--his own father.
Customer Reviews:
ATTN Amazon... Robert N Charette only, not Stackpole.......2003-08-29
its a very good book
Excellent.......2003-02-07
I've never bought a book on tape before, but I had some idea of what it was. It's not just someone reading out loud to you but more like an old fashioned radio show with sound effects expressing the story that before you could only conjure in your mind. The "Heir to the Dragon" version contains 2 cassettes with a 3 hour playtime. The story is about Theodore Kurita's rise and the relationship between himself and his father the Coordinator Takashi Kurita. Starting with Theodore's command in the Legion of Vega and continuing through the War of 3039 the audiobook follows the original novel very well. The Narrator Christopher Graybill does a good job representing each of the characters his only fault was in his pronunciations of the various locations. One example that made me cringe everytime he said it was "Dieron". Maybe its just me but I've always pronounced it "Dear-ron". He would say it as "Die-ron". If you know which way is correct let me know.
Very few important scenes were cut out of the audiobook. There's one scene in the paperback where Theodore is meeting with Comstar to broker a deal on gaining some mechs. In that scene he presents Frederick Steiner, who was captured back in the 4th Succession War and who would later become Precentor Martial Focht, to them as a gift. That was the only major scene I thought should have been kept in but if you hadn't read the Warrior books then it would have made no sence. So I understand why it wasn't there. Overall I really enjoyed this audiobook. This would make a perfect companion to any roadtrip or just when you need to keep yourself entertained while painting your miniatures. The complete "Return of Kerensky" trilogy is also available.
Kurita rules!.......1999-10-04
Are you sick and tired of that endless praise on Davion-Steiner holy crusade against the Evil Everybody Else? Do you hate to see the greatest concept in the science fiction history being spoiled by infantile moral preachments? Do you end up asking over and over again: WHY DO THE DAVION BASTARDS ALWAYS WIN??? Why are the authors so panicked about different ways of thinking that they cowardly refuse to give the other side even a slightest chance?
Well, if you feel that way, 'Heir of the Dragon' is the book you need. For the first time, some fairness is brought into the Battletech series. Mr. Charrette shows you the universe from inside of the Draconian empire. The book's written with a deep understanding of Japanese way of life and the Kuritas are actually described as human beings rather than mindless animals that must be exterminated at any price.
Before you read this book, it is absolutely necessary that you read the previous volume - 'Wolves on the Border'. If you haven't read 'Wolves...' (I made that mistake), many things that happen in 'Heir...' will be difficult to understand. In fact, it's a good idea to keep 'Wolves...' at hand while reading 'Heir...' to refresh your memory occasionally. Even if you don't like 'Wolfes...', don't let it keep you from reading 'Heir...' It's much better, I promise!
'Heir of the Dragon' is the book that awoke the fascination about Japan in me. And it helped me hold through the Battletech series until my patience was rewarded by the Clan wars.
The best Battletech novel set before the clan invasion!!!.......1999-07-13
Michael Stackpole may have a talent for intrigues and fast action,but Robert Charette is the better author.His novel is very well written and its got atmosphere,depth and realism. "Heir.." describes the life of Theodore Kurita as son of the Coordinator of the Draconis Combine. The novel provides you with an in-depth look at the inner workings,the philosophy and the life in House Kuritas realm and its still the best source for anyone interested in the Draconis Combine, especially for Battletech Game Masters. In addition to that,it covers the time from Theodores birth til the 3040s,and so it gives you an overview of the Inner Sphere history of the whole era too.You should note that this book is also the only source in novel-form for the war of 3039,a very interesting chapter in the history of struggling between the houses Davion and Kurita.
A glimpse inside the Dragon...........1999-05-07
A chance to view the inner workings of House Kurita! Honor, Duty and Courage, this book has it all. This book documents the forging of a great leader, Theodoore Kurita. It really breathes life into this character as well as the Draconis Combine! A must read for any BT reader!
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Genesis Project: Heirs of Ashes
Fanthorpe ,
Gathercoal , and
Ramsey
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1412083990
Release Date: 2006-06-30 |
Book Description
From Ravania Entertainment and Trafford Publishing comes the continuation of the Genesis Project series, Genesis Project: Heirs of Ashes. Heirs of Ashes is a fast moving adventure novel that takes readers to different worlds and places in an age long, long ago. Combining the fantasy and science-fiction genres the book includes wizards, dragons, great sword battles, and all the things readers of fantasy have come to love, set on the back drop of an intergalactic community. The story is one of love, loss and survival in an age of conflict an uncertainty. Heirs of Ashes is set three years after the end of a war between the Kasna Republik and the Planetary Empire. The Kasna were once the greatest power in the known worlds, but they fell to the power of the Empire and are now a scattered people. The Empire was set to take control of the stars, but in their greatest hour of glory, the known worlds were invaded by an alien race: Durinians. Monsters of terrible power, the Durinians destroy everything that stands in their way. After three years of war with the Durinians, the Empire is falling to their might. Now, only an alliance with former enemies will save the Empire and all the beings of the known worlds. Heroes from both sides of the war must stand together. Enemies must become allies. In this time of conflict, one woman, who is important to both the agents of light and darkness will be drawn into the war. Hardened by losses and dark torments, the woman is reluctant to become involved. However, unbeknownst to her, she is the catalyst and in the end, she will change everything...
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Heir to the Dragon
Manufacturer: FASA Corp. IL
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HTTRBM |
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Heirs Of The Dragon: China's New Entrepreneurs In The Aftermath Of Tiananmen Square
Satoshi Tomizawa
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1569310904 |
Book Description
What do UFO believers, Christian millennialists, and right-wing conspiracy theorists have in common? According to Michael Barkun in this fascinating yet disturbing book, quite a lot. It is well known that some Americans are obsessed with conspiracies. The Kennedy assassination, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the 2001 terrorist attacks have all generated elaborate stories of hidden plots. What is far less known is the extent to which conspiracist worldviews have recently become linked in strange and unpredictable ways with other "fringe" notions such as a belief in UFOs, Nostradamus, and the Illuminati. Unraveling the extraordinary genealogies and permutations of these increasingly widespread ideas, Barkun shows how this web of urban legends has spread among subcultures on the Internet and through mass media, how a new style of conspiracy thinking has recently arisen, and how this phenomenon relates to larger changes in American culture. This book, written by a leading expert on the subject, is the most comprehensive and authoritative examination of contemporary American conspiracism to date.
Barkun discusses a range of material--involving inner-earth caves, government black helicopters, alien abductions, secret New World Order cabals, and much more--that few realize exists in our culture. Looking closely at the manifestions of these ideas in a wide range of literature and source material from religious and political literature, to New Age and UFO publications, to popular culture phenomena such as The X-Files, and to websites, radio programs, and more, Barkun finds that America is in the throes of an unrivaled period of millennarian activity. His book underscores the importance of understanding why this phenomenon is now spreading into more mainstream segments of American culture.
Customer Reviews:
Hysterically funny reviews!.......2007-08-30
Call this a review of reviews:
One star is not so much a review rating as a vote; people on Amazon who give one star to books are generally saying "I don't like what this book is telling me!!!" When I see a pile of one star (and very brief text) reviews I know the jig is up, the author has struck a nerve.
The essential argument of the one-star reviewers is that Barkun, by questioning conspiratorial thinking is, of course, part of the conspiracy. I believe one "reviewer" calls him a shill of the power elite or something like that. These reviews should be incorporated into the next edition of this OK book as they give Prof. Barkun's arguments added weight.
By the way, the CIA paid me big bucks to write this favorable review of a key work of New World Order propaganda.
Overstretched and merely adequate.......2006-12-05
I had expected this book to be a general review of developments in contemporary American conspiracy theory, a sort of summary of the ever-evolving worlds of the true American religion. While Barkun offers a relatively competent effort in that respect, his true interest in this book is to link the emergent threads of conspiracy theory to pre-existing political sources, particularly right-wing sources that fall within his pet interest, millenial right-wing religious groups in the United States. While there are plainly some quite interesting connections between the two social phenomena, Barkun goes much too far too force his thesis; he ironically begins to tred a path down his own conspiracy theory, attempting to convict myriad persons of holding hard-core anti-Semitic/racist views, even while admitting that the external evidence is absent, ambiguous, or tangential. We are treated to speculations, "connections," historical contamination, and the same type of silly theorizing that his own subjects so routinely engage in. The whole enterprise is then overlaid with a rather sickly and pallid academic liberal bent ... forced is the word.
Overall, a mediocre effort by a mediocre scholar, but still worth reading for those intrigued by the field, particularly insofar as Barkun truly does have an extensive grasp of the relevant background materials.
PS -- I hope that the reviews of this book posted by conspiracy theorists entertain others as much as they entertain me. Anyone interested in conspiracy theory has to possess a considerable sense of humor.
Typical paid shill.......2006-10-19
I wonder who is paying him off to make the statements that he makes in this book... I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who is searching for the truth. It is the same ol' "nothing is really wrong" mentality that most Americans have today.
For Lack Of Evidence........2005-10-09
The odd think about conspiracy theorists is how they build layer after layer of 'proof' on spurious sources - a house of cards of inference based, in the long run, on myth, hallucination, and too much moonshine. Michael Barkun does an excellent job of debunking the conspiratorial mindset and showing how this false layer of belief has been used to support many of the atrocities of apocalyptic thinking and behaviour.
Barkun's theses are simple presentations of the lack of any concrete proof behind the rambling raciocinations of the paranoid minority. And that, if anything, it is the ethnophobic radical right which has seized on fevered imaginings like those of F. A. Ossendowski to further agendas that would be inconceivable except in the context of a terrified fear of God's final reckoning.
Barkun uses good sense toblow back the dark clouds of conspiracy. This is a breath of fresh air. One can't help but wonder if the world would be a saner place if more people read enough of books like these to maintain a health scepticism when dealing with apocalyptic fantasies.
The Conspiracy Underground........2005-10-09
_A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America_ by Michael Barkun traces out the growing trend among various underground writers of incorporating conspiracy theories into a system of stigmatized knowledge. The book explains how various conspiracy beliefs have been shifted into a realm normally occupied by such stigmatized and underground beliefs as those of the New Age and UFO subcultures. In addition conspiracy beliefs in the rise of a New World Order, beliefs in UFO abductions, government experiments in mind control, forbidden knowledge, occult science, alternative medicine, revisionist history, and speculations about the nature of reality have been combined into what Barkun refers to as "superconspiracies" which provide a systematic epistemological understanding of reality.
First though I have some criticisms of the book. Barkun obviously supports the establishment view of history, politics, and science. As such he seems to believe that conspiracy theories are "unfalsifiable" which he defines to be the determiner of a scientific theory (an arguable point) and therefore can be easily dismissed. Barkun dismisses the claims and beliefs of various liberty loving individuals who seek to track the development of an all-encompassing global government without really backing up his dismissals except by appealing more to establishment beliefs. Further, Barkun seems to believe that "improvisational millennialism" can be dangerous, leading to violence. His claims on this point appear overly alarmist, particularly in the light of the very dangers posed today by modern governments. Finally, Barkun refers to conspiracy beliefs as "right wing" and part of the "antigovernment right". Such references to traditional political categories of right versus left seem feeble in the light of the encompassing nature of conspiracy theories. Indeed, conspiracy theories are as often left wing as right wing, and simplistic categorizations of them serve no further purpose than providing a conveninent label with which to stigmatize and dismiss. Nevertheless, despite these criticisms much in this book is interesting in that it provides a systematic approach to understanding the convergence of various subcultures as well as the rise of millennial beliefs among the conspiracist underground.
Two central things to most conspiracy beliefs are the presence of a hidden organization controlling events (usually the Illuminati, based on the very real quasi-masonic secret society of the Bavarian Illuminati founded by Adam Weishaupt in 1776) and the rise of a New World Order (often with reference to Bush I's speech identifying a "new world order"). Barkun outlines in successive chapters the origins of the Illuminati in conspiracy literature as well as the role of the New World Order. Barkun considers both religious millennial sources involving the coming of Antichrist (particularly with reference to Christian dispensationalism) as well esoteric "secular" sources focusing on elite conspirators. Barkun considers the role of various government agencies in conspiracy beliefs including particularly the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as well as attempts at mind control by the CIA. Barkun also discusses the notorious black helicopters and U.N. concentration camps which are bandied about by many New World Order conspiracy theorists.
Three prominent individuals played an important role in the creation of late 1990s conspiracy theories. These included the researcher Jim Keith, who notoriously emphasized both black helicopters, UFOs, and CIA mind control experiments. The tax protestor and favorite of the militias Milton William Cooper, a former military officer who expressed belief in UFO conspiracies at one point. And, the eccentric New Age conspiracist David Icke, who has made various outrageous claims involving New World Order conspiracies and a "reptilian agenda". Both Jim Keith and Milton William Cooper died mysteriously which has led to much speculation on their deaths by researchers (Cooper died in a shoot-out with local authorities).
Barkun also discusses the role of UFOs in conspiracy literature. Barkun believes that UFOs which are actively believed in by a sizable portion of the population serve to legitimize conspiracy beliefs. (Of course his argument here assumes that conspiracy beliefs are illegitimate to begin with!) Barkun also discusses various esoteric beliefs in the existence of an inner earth, both in pulp literature (including especially the Shaver mystery) as well as in non-fictional travel narratives such as those of Ferdinand Ossendowski. Barkun also discusses the role of anti-Catholicism, anti-masonry, and anti-Semitism in various conspiracy beliefs as well as the rise of these beliefs within certain UFO circles. Barkun seems overly enthusiastic to attribute these labels to individuals who may take alternative views on religion to those expressed in the mainstream. Finally, Barkun turns his attention to various conspiracy beliefs that arose out of the September 11, 2001 disaster.
This book provides a good compendium for understanding various conspiracy beliefs. However, it must be approached with caution because Barkun obviously represents an establishment viewpoint opposed to all alternative modes of thinking.
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