Dragonsbane
by Barbara Hambly
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Book Summary Information
Author: Barbara HamblyEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1987-05-12
ISBN: 0345349393
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Del Rey
Book Reviews of Dragonsbane
Book Review: A wonderful surprise!
Summary: 5 Stars
The title and cover of this book both have the look and feel of a very typical type of fantasy tale - the evil dragon clutches a revealingly clad babe in its black talons, and a warrior looms not far off - obviously coming to the rescue... But almost immediately the book begins to correct these false impressions (though the picture IS true to a major episode in the story...). There is no clich? here; Hambly has actually given us a far subtler sort of story, with a conflicted couple at its heart.
"Dragonsbane" is a label given to the very rare handful of human heroes that have actually managed to kill dragons. All of them (of course!) have been immortalized in legends and ballads galore. Only one of them is actually currently alive... Unfortunately, legend and reality are not the same, and the dragonkiller hero (the Dragonsbane of title) is a very practical guy, in charge of a squalid little struggling community in a very hostile land. The king of the little community's country has abandoned them to struggle with their local problems without federal (or royal?) assistance for years. But when a dragon comes along, who ya gonna call?
The story of the Dragonsbane's second dragonkilling adventure is told by his girlfriend, Jenny. But Jenny is not just an observer in this story. She is also the resident witch and healer in the squalid little community, and rather effective right-hand "man" to the Dragonsbane. As a witch, or "mage", she is sort of second-rate, and has always striven to learn as much as possible, and to be as good at her art as she can be. She's tough, she's humble, she's honest - she's admirable. She can't really afford the time away from her magic that her love for this man (and their 2 kids) has pulled from her. She knows she could be better at it if she spent more time with abstract magic, but... she loves her family and community, and feels responsibility for them, so she spends most of her time as a healer and mother. She is torn between her love and her career! And the Dragonsbane, John, recognizes her conflict. Indeed, this ultimately is the biggest conflict in the book - beyond the conflict with the dragon, the conflict with the witch, and the conflict with the monster. (No more plot clues!!)
Hambly draws her characters beautifully. Jenny is the protagonist, and the tale is told from her viewpoint, but all the main characters are clear and quirky individuals: John, the "Dragonsbane", is a brilliant, largely self-taught, amateur engineer/naturalist with a wacky sense of humor; Gareth, who comes to beg for his help, is a dreamer and idealist who slowly discovers that substance is more important than surface glitter. And the more minor characters are well rendered and believable also.
From the beginning, the story sets us up to expect the usual, only to turn it on its head. The glorious shining hero, the Dragonsbane, makes his first appearance ankle-deep in muck. Expecting a horrible physical battle, the heroes end up instead beset by politics. Ironic reverses and surprises continue throughout the story, all the way to the complex and surprising ending. Need I add that I loved it?!
Summary of Dragonsbane
When the Black Dragon seized the Deep of Ylferdun, young Gareth braved the far Winterlands to find John Aversin, Dragonsbane -- the only living man ever to slay a dragon. In return for the promise of the King to send help to the Winterlands, Aversin agreed to attempt the nearly impossible feat again.With them, to guard them on the haunted trip south, went Jenny Waynest, a half-taught sorceress and mother of Aversin's sons.
But at the decadent Court, nothing was as expected. Rebellion threatened the land. Zyerne, a sorceress of seemingly unlimited power, held the King under an evil spell, and he refused to see them. Meantime, the dragon fed well on the knights who had challenged him.
In the end, Aversin, Jenny, and Gareth had to steal away at night to challenge Morkeleb, largest and wisest of dragons.
But that was only the beginning of the perils they must face.
Hambly, Barbara Books
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