Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs, published by Ace Fantasy.
Find it, read it. You will NOT regret it. There is also a sequel, Dragon Blood. I'll give that one its own review later. It's every bit as good. I tend to think of them as one story, honestly, because of how well they flow together, but they are separate novels and thus get separate reviews.
Now, I have read almost every published novel by Patricia Briggs. I haven't gotten my hands on Masques yet, but I hope to at the end of the season, because it's supposed to be reprinted at LONG last. I have never once been disappointed by her work. She is one of my three all time favorite authors, surpassed in my opinion only by Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton.
So, when I say that Dragon Bones is my favorite not only of Patricia Briggs' novels, but of pretty much any novel, you'll know how high that opinion is. I have read it at least a dozen times, probably more. I'm about to wear out my copy, actually.
Now that I've gone on about how much I love this book, I should explain why.
I could write for a long, long time about how well written and exciting this book is. But I've found that completely positive, gushing reviews are just as dull to read as completely negative ones. So, I'll go back to the writer's trinity and let the book stand on its considerable merits.
Setting
I will grant that the setting is the weakest part of this novel. Not that it doesn't have a vibrant, believable world. It does. It's just not as well realized as some of Patricia Briggs' later worlds.
Hurog keep is brilliantly and lovingly described. You can feel the main character's love of his home and his bone deep grief as he is forced to leave. A good setting is as much a moving force in a well written story as the characters. That is definitely true of Hurog keep.
The rest of the world, which consists (as far as we are told) of five countries all uneasily united under one king, is vivid if somewhat small. But given the time frame of the story, it's easy to excuse the lack of an epic scope. While it seems unrealistically easy to move from one end of the five kingdoms to the other, it doesn't break the reader's suspension of disbelief. The pacing and plot easily manage to explain any sense of spatial disorientation, and there is a handy little map printed on the first page of my copy that helps keep all the exotic place names in order.
Plot
The plot of Dragon Bones is wonderful. It's complex without being so complicated as to annoy the reader. It is very much a character driven plot, with very little of the "great destiny" trope that plagues so much of fantasy writing. There are vague hints of some kind of prophetic dream, but those only serve to explain the presence of an interesting and well utilized side character. They also nicely foreshadow the climax. I generally balk at the word "prophetic" but it was handled so well I didn't even blink.
Like any well written story, it follows the "introduction, build up, climax" pattern with no sense of following a formula. The first chapters introduce our hero, Ward, and his home, Hurog. These chapters also hint of the deep corrupting rot that has seeped into the very bones of the land thanks to an ancient crime. As Ward moves out into the wider world in order to reclaim his home, we learn more of just how wide ranging that corruption is and how vastly important it is that that rot be cleared away.
Over the "corruption" plot is a stronger, more prosaic plot about Ward going off to war in order to prove himself competent to rule his holding. It weaves into the corruption plot seamlessly. There is also a sub-plot starring Ward's cousins and the king's favorite, who must deal with conflicting loyalties and a frankly insane king. All the threads of the plot weave together into the final climax, which offers a mostly satisfying ending while still leaving just enough wiggle room for the sequel to slide into the mythology smoothly.
Some would say the final ending is just a little too... happy. I don't. I see it as a skilled author finding a neat if somewhat deus ex machina way to keep a fascinating character around for subsequent books. It takes nothing away from the grimly triumphant climax and even knowing how it will really end doesn't leech any of that emotion from Ward's final choice for me each and every time I read it.
Character
This is where Patricia Briggs, and Dragon Bones in particular, shines.
The book is told in first person, from several points of view. This allows a complete story to be told that doesn't leave out important plot points simply because one particular character didn't see everything that happened. It does, however, make it slightly difficult to categorize the characters simply as protagonists, antagonists, and supporting characters. Instead, I'll list the point of view characters, the main antagonists, and a few of the non-focal characters. If I wrote about EVERY great character in this book, this post would be three times as long as it already is.
Ward: Called Ward, Wardrick of Hurog is the protagonist. The bulk, at least three fourths, of the story is told from his viewpoint. He's a large man, with brown "cow eyes" (his own words) and a habit of speaking very slowly. His size and looks make him seem like a fool, and this is an impression he goes to great lengths to foster in his abusive father and everyone around him. The truth is, Ward is a very swift man. He's highly intelligent, and a great fighter. He's also incredibly protective of his family and his few friends. It isn't his heroic qualities that make him interesting and drive the story, though. It is his flaws. Specifically, his mistrust. Because of his father's abuse, Ward trusts very, very few people. Beyond that, Ward has some interesting identity issues. He feels that he plays his various roles so well that he's forgotten who he really is.
Erdrick and Beckram: These are Ward's twin cousins. They tend to share their chapters. Beckram is the more outgoing, Erdrick the quieter of the two. They start out as very mildly antagonistic towards Ward, but as they learn the truth about him, they come to admire him. Their characters aren't as developed as Ward's but they are interesting. Their chapters largely deal with introducing the treacherous King Jakoven and showing how life in the central court of the Five Kingdoms works.
Garranon: The king's "favorite", and one of the more conflicted characters in this book. He could be seen as an antagonist, as it is his actions which start the sequence of events that lead to Ward's exile. However, Ward never sees him as such and the reader is led to see him as a sympathetic character. Much of his character growth is shown in the sequel.
Kariarn: The main antagonist of Dragon Bones. Kariarn is a young ruler, in some ways a foil to Ward. He invades Oranstone, the southernmost of the Five Kingdoms, in an attempt to gain magical artifacts from which he can draw power. There, he learns a secret about Hurog... and sets himself to claim it. Power, both political and magical, is his driving obsession. As a villain he's more interesting than chilling. You can almost sympathize with his motives, if not his means.
King Jakoven: He's an antagonistic force in this novel, though he's more clearly dealt with in the sequel. Mostly it is his name and the threat of his ire that feature in this novel, barring one specific instance.
Oreg: Oreg is the main supporting character, and a pivotal character in the climax. He's bound to Ward's service by an ancient, magical spell. He's also more or less insane. His motivations are constantly a mystery, though what he really wants is quite obvious if you pay attention.
Other important supporting characters
Tosten is Ward's brother, a musician who most of the family thought long dead.
Uncle Duraugh is Erdrick and Beckram's father. He's steward of Hurog until Ward turns 21.
Stala: Ward's aunt, and armsmaster of Hurog. She should really feature more in the books, but she suffers I think from being a little too awesome. She'd overpower the other characters.
Ciarra: Ward's sister. She's mute from birth. She's the only character Oreg shows any real affection for. She is a relatively skilled fighter and travels with her brother to help him regain his home.
Axiel: Part of Ward's fighting force, used to be his father's valet.
Penrod: Part of Ward's fighting force, used to be the stable master.
Bastilla: A mage and an escaped slave who travels as part of Ward's fighting force.
Overall, the characters are fascinating. I could easily write an entire blog about every single one I've listed above. Don't worry, I won't actually do that.
So, in summary: Read this book. I can go on for pages about how well written it is, how solid the pacing is, how great the characters are. That won't do anyone any good. You have to read these things for yourself, and this one is definitely worth the investment of time it might take to find it. It's still in print, so it shouldn't be too hard.
Find Dragon Bones, read it, enjoy it.
Ward: Called Ward, Wardrick of Hurog is the protagonist. The bulk, at least three fourths, of the story is told from his viewpoint. He's a large man, with brown "cow eyes" (his own words) and a habit of speaking very slowly. His size and looks make him seem like a fool, and this is an impression he goes to great lengths to foster in his abusive father and everyone around him. The truth is, Ward is a very swift man. He's highly intelligent, and a great fighter. He's also incredibly protective of his family and his few friends. It isn't his heroic qualities that make him interesting and drive the story, though. It is his flaws. Specifically, his mistrust. Because of his father's abuse, Ward trusts very, very few people. Beyond that, Ward has some interesting identity issues. He feels that he plays his various roles so well that he's forgotten who he really is.
Erdrick and Beckram: These are Ward's twin cousins. They tend to share their chapters. Beckram is the more outgoing, Erdrick the quieter of the two. They start out as very mildly antagonistic towards Ward, but as they learn the truth about him, they come to admire him. Their characters aren't as developed as Ward's but they are interesting. Their chapters largely deal with introducing the treacherous King Jakoven and showing how life in the central court of the Five Kingdoms works.
Garranon: The king's "favorite", and one of the more conflicted characters in this book. He could be seen as an antagonist, as it is his actions which start the sequence of events that lead to Ward's exile. However, Ward never sees him as such and the reader is led to see him as a sympathetic character. Much of his character growth is shown in the sequel.
Kariarn: The main antagonist of Dragon Bones. Kariarn is a young ruler, in some ways a foil to Ward. He invades Oranstone, the southernmost of the Five Kingdoms, in an attempt to gain magical artifacts from which he can draw power. There, he learns a secret about Hurog... and sets himself to claim it. Power, both political and magical, is his driving obsession. As a villain he's more interesting than chilling. You can almost sympathize with his motives, if not his means.
King Jakoven: He's an antagonistic force in this novel, though he's more clearly dealt with in the sequel. Mostly it is his name and the threat of his ire that feature in this novel, barring one specific instance.
Oreg: Oreg is the main supporting character, and a pivotal character in the climax. He's bound to Ward's service by an ancient, magical spell. He's also more or less insane. His motivations are constantly a mystery, though what he really wants is quite obvious if you pay attention.
Other important supporting characters
Tosten is Ward's brother, a musician who most of the family thought long dead.
Uncle Duraugh is Erdrick and Beckram's father. He's steward of Hurog until Ward turns 21.
Stala: Ward's aunt, and armsmaster of Hurog. She should really feature more in the books, but she suffers I think from being a little too awesome. She'd overpower the other characters.
Ciarra: Ward's sister. She's mute from birth. She's the only character Oreg shows any real affection for. She is a relatively skilled fighter and travels with her brother to help him regain his home.
Axiel: Part of Ward's fighting force, used to be his father's valet.
Penrod: Part of Ward's fighting force, used to be the stable master.
Bastilla: A mage and an escaped slave who travels as part of Ward's fighting force.
Overall, the characters are fascinating. I could easily write an entire blog about every single one I've listed above. Don't worry, I won't actually do that.
So, in summary: Read this book. I can go on for pages about how well written it is, how solid the pacing is, how great the characters are. That won't do anyone any good. You have to read these things for yourself, and this one is definitely worth the investment of time it might take to find it. It's still in print, so it shouldn't be too hard.
Find Dragon Bones, read it, enjoy it.
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