Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: The Dragon Lord's Daughters by Bertrice Small, Beatrice Small ISBN: 1-57566-857-2 Publisher: Kensington Pub Corp Pub. Date: February, 2004 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (4 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: disappointed
Comment: I had looked forward to something new by Ms. Small, but I didn't like the novella style of the book. There is no time for major character development that I love from her previous works. Also the endings of each story leave much to be desired. The sex scenes are starting to become short and predictable in most cases. I read the book, but came away wanting much more from my favorite author.
Rating: 3
Summary: Where's the beef?
Comment: "The Dragon Lord's Daughters" is Bertrice Small's return to the short-stories-within-a-story format she used in "Vixens". Unfortunately, it doesn't work any better here than it did there. "Daughters" tells the stories of the three daughters of King Arthur's descendant Merin Pendragon: Averil, the beautiful and haughty eldest; Maia, the middle and only legitimate daughter; and Junia, the impetuous youngest girl. (April, May, and June; how --- ahem --- clever.) Each girl hopes for a fine and noble husband, but that's not always what they end up with.
The problem with this book, as with "Vixens", is that the individual stories are so short that they don't allow for proper character or plot development. To use "Averil" as an example, Averil is "bride-napped" by the illegitimate Rhys FitzHugh on the suggestion of his dying father. In just a few pages the two are married in front of the King of Wales and haughty Averil seems to have resigned herself to her fate. According to the back-cover blurb, Rhys must now win his prickly bride's "love, loyalty, and trust". Of course that's not especially difficult in the Bertrice Small universe --- all it takes is two steamy sex scenes and Averil is madly in love with her husband, not to mention pregnant. (Guys in the real world must be wishing it could be that easy.) The sketchy "obstacle" (the elderly nursemaid Rhawn) is quickly dealt with, the legitimate half-sister dies of a remarkably fast-moving ague, and lo and behold the illegitimate Rhys becomes both master of the estate and a father within a few paragraphs of each other. All this is very quickly and sparsely sketched out by Small; the only things that really get any detail are the frequent sex scenes. I realize that this is Small's specialty, but I still would have liked to see the characters and plots fleshed out more. As it stands, the heroines are cliched ciphers with none of the spirit or fire of, say, Skye O'Malley or Janet Leslie/Cyra ("The Kadin" --- one of my all-time favorites).
I hate to say it but Small's work is, like many others before her, becoming formulaic --- I guess when you've done this for so long you hit a rut eventually. If "Skye O'Malley" and "The Kadin" were rich, satisfying meals,"The Dragon Lord's Daughters" is spun sugar; sweet, light, and enjoyable, but it leaves you hungry.
Rating: 5
Summary: three fabulous novellas
Comment: "Averil". In Everleigh, Godwine Fitzhugh extracts a deathbed promise from his bastard son Rhys to care for his legitimate heir six year old Mary and to "steal an heiress", suggesting the Pendragon girl. Rhys journeys to Dragon Lair in Welshry and abducts Averil Pendragon to be his wife, but not realizing that she, like him, is illegitimate.
"Maia". The legitimate heir Maia rejects all her suitors insisting that her beloved, who she has met in her dreams, will come for her soon. Emrys Llyn, the Lord of the Lake, arrives to court Maia. He claims to be a descendent of Lancelot and the Lady of the Lake. He admits he lost two previous wives who suddenly died for no known reason. As Emrys and Maia fall in love, will the jealous Lady of the Lake tragically end their relationship?
"Junia". Two years later, Junia misses her married sisters, but meets Simon de Bohun and over time they fall in love. Simon tells his dad that he wants to marry Junia, but his cruel father Hugo will never accept a Pendragon. Over a century ago, a feud between the clans formed leaving no hope for the star-crossed lovers. When Junia and Simon meet to say goodbye, Hugo captures her, making it even more impossible for the lovers.
The three novellas are refreshing well-written tales that move forward the Arthurian legend a few centuries though the audience needs to know that Junia is raped. The three sisters, descendents of Arthur, make delightful protagonists that fans of Bertrice Small and the Camelot mythos will value highly and want a sequel starring their brother Brynn.
Harriet Klausner
 |
Title: Until You by Bertrice Small ISBN: 0451209745 Publisher: New American Library Pub. Date: 07 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
 |
Title: I Love Rogues by Bertrice Small, Thea Devine, Jane Bonander ISBN: 0758204191 Publisher: Kensington Pub Corp Pub. Date: December, 2003 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
 |
Title: Enchantress Mine by Bertrice Small ISBN: 0451209737 Publisher: New American Library Pub. Date: 06 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
 |
Title: Vixens by Bertrice Small ISBN: 1575668564 Publisher: Kensington Pub Corp Pub. Date: February, 2003 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
 |
Title: Pure Silk by Susan Johnson ISBN: 1575668092 Publisher: Kensington Pub Corp Pub. Date: January, 2004 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
