Skybowl (Dragon Star Series #3)

by Melanie Rawn

Overview

The final book in the Dragon Star trilogy returns to the spellbinding fantasy world introduced in the bestselling Dragon Prince trilogy

With her widely acclaimed fantasy trilogy, Dragon Prince, Melanie Rawn opened an enchanted gateway to a spellbinding universe of Sunrunner’s magic and sorcerous evil, telling the tale of one man’s crusade to bring peace to a land divided into often warring kingdoms.

In the first two novels of the bestselling Dragon Star trilogy, the peaceful reign of High Prince Rohan was shattered by a mysterious invasion force which began a devastating campaign against the people of the Desert and the Sunrunners. And now, Skybowl brings this magnificent epic work of fantasy to its dramatic close.

With High Prince Pol’s wife Meiglan held prisoner by the Warlord of the enemy, and Skybowl Keep purposefully abandoned to this deadly foe, Pol’s mother Sioned leads a daring mission into the castle, using all her years of experience as High Princess in a cunning attempt to strike at the heart of the invasion force.

And even as Sioned carries out this perilous plan, Pol and his cousin Andry, Lord of the Sunrunners of Goddess Keep, are forced into an uneasy alliance. For only if they can overcome their longtime rivalry and suspicions of one another and draw upon their combined powers of Sunrunning and Sorcery, do they stand any chance of defeating the invaders who have sworn to destroy the people of the Desert—down to the last newborn child....

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780886775957
Publisher:	DAW
Publication date:	03/28/1994
Series:	Dragon Star Series , #3
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	776
Product dimensions:	4.34(w) x 6.89(h) x 1.63(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Melanie Rawn, the author of DAW’s bestselling Dragon Prince trilogy—Dragon Prince, The Star Scroll, and Sunrunner’s Fire—is a second-generation Californian who, after graduating from Scripps College with a B.A. in history, worked as a teacher and editor while writing her first two novels. She lives in a small town outside Los Angeles and keeps cacti as pets. She can be found at melanierawn.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Dragon Star trilogy:

“Rawn demonstrates a fine sense of world building and characterization.... Challenging fantasy well worth the effort.” —Booklist

“Continues the skillful plotting and complex relationships outline in previous novels. Epic in scope, with a large cast of vivid characters.” —Library Journal

“Rawn’s complex and appealing major characters, her fully imagined historical and cultural backgrounds, and her absorbing systems of Sunrunners’ and sorcerers’ magic all give this series a tremendous and well deserved appeal to lovers of intricate and intelligent fantasy worlds.” —VOYA

“Melanie Rawn’s dragons grow more fascinating with each new book. Readers will luxuriate in the spellbinding characterizations and compelling plot convolutions that make Ms. Rawn’s tales some of the best ever.” —Rave Reviews

“Rawn paints a strong portrait of a world where magic and war are strongly entwined.” —Bookwatch

“The climax at the embattled castle of Skybowl is exciting and tragic.... Rawn’s fans should love this one.” —Starlog

From the Publisher

This surprisingly toothless final volume of the Dragon Star fantasy trilogy (after The Dragon Token ) reads more like a melodramatic Russian play than like an epic adventure tale. Pol, sorcerer and High Prince of the Desert, must come to terms with his fanatical cousin Andry, High Lord of Goddess Keep, so the two can pool their magic and influence to defeat a barbarian horde that threatens their people. While Pol and Andry strike an uneasy truce in Pol's castle, surrounded by the intrigues and agonizing of their friends and relations, far away the High Warlord of the barbarians holds Pol's wife and child hostage. The major characters languish passively in their lush surroundings while the reader learns of desperate battles for survival through occasional off-stage reports, a device that makes the entire conflict seem unreal. Rawn writes fluidly and creates reasonably complete characters, but there's not enough action to justify the book's excessive length. The tragic climax, when it comes at last, is lost amid the general angst suffered continuously by all. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

With his wife and daughter held captive by the invading army of Vellant'im, High Prince Pol is forced to put aside his old antipathies and accept the help of his cousin Andry, the Lord of Goddess Keep. This conclusion to the second trilogy set in Rawn's world of Sunrunner magic continues the skillful plotting and complex relationships outlined in previous novels. Epic in scope, with a large cast of vivid characters, this belongs in most fantasy collections.

Library Journal

The conclusion of Rawn's Dragon Star trilogy picks up where "The Dragon Token" left off and follows an intricate series of events that leads to the reluctant cooperation between the High Prince and the maverick Lord of Goddess Keep in preparing for and waging the final battle against the evil enemy Warlord, who has sworn to destroy all the people of the Desert. Once again, Rawn's plotting is complex and her characters are legion, but the pace is brisk and the action exciting as the story moves relentlessly to a dramatic and fitting conclusion. Readers of the previous volumes will come away thoroughly satisfied.

Sally Estes