The Dragon Heir - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
The covenant that was meant to keep the wizard wars at bay has been stolen, and Trinity must prepare for attack. Everyone is doing their part -- Seph is monitoring the Weirwalls; Jack and Ellen are training their ghostly army; even Anaweir Will and Fitch are setting booby traps around the town's perimeter. But to Jason Haley, it seems like everyone wants to keep him out of the action. He may not be the most powerful wizard in Trinity, but he's prepared to fight for his friends. When Jason finds a powerful talisman --a huge opal called the Dragonheart--buried in a cave, his role takes on new importance. The stone seems to sing to Jason's very soul -- showing him that he is meant for more than anyone guessed. Trinity's guardians take the stone away after they realize that it may be a weapon powerful enough to save them all. Without any significant power of his own, and now without the stone, what can Jason possibly do to help the people he cares about -- and to prove his mettle?

Madison Moss can feel the beating heart of the opal, too. The desire for it surges through her, drawing her to it. But Maddie has other things besides the Dragonheart on her mind. She has a secret. Ever since absorbing the magical blow that was meant to kill Seph, she's been leaking dark powers. Although Maddie herself is immune to magic, what would her friends think if they knew what kind of evil lay within her? Trinity's enemies are as enthusiastic about her powers as she is frightened. They think they can use her to get to the Dragonheart -- and they'll use anyone Maddie cares about to make her steal the stone for them.

Moral compasses spin out of control as a final battle storms through what was once a sanctuary for the gifted. With so much to lose, what will Jason and Maddie be willing to fight for -- and what will they sacrifice? Every man is for himself in this thrilling conclusion to the Heir trilogy.

Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

dragons rule August 16, 2008
5 out of 7 found this review helpful

This book was a great read and everything came full circle. There were plot twists that made this book hard to put down and was full of action and suspense. Characters show thier true colors and everyone is involved in this final battle for Trinity. Every man/woman for themselves, both Wier and Anaweir alike are at war to save someone they care for. A great ending to a great series.

5 out of 5 stars

Yet another favorite of mine! August 25, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Warning: Here there be spoilers (semi-mild)!

I'm usually a calm reader when I read books. I might weep a little or laugh aloud on occasion, but I rarely wind up acting like I did when I finished The Dragon Heir. My chest was so constricted I could hardly breathe. I was grateful my parents didn't wake up because I was breathing so loudly. The last battle had me shaking like a leaf.

Cinda Chima's latest novel is a jewel rivaling the Dragonheart itself. From start to finish I treasured every last moment with some of my favorite characters in all fiction-dom, from their greatest highs to their worst lows.

The beginning made me sad, because I was worried about how much pressure was being put on Seph and what it led him to do. I also was sad because of Maddie's multiple predicaments. I really related to her on a lot of leves: I've been separated from the one I love, I struggle with college, I was persecuted in high school for being strange, artistic, a lot of things. I've also had many a Mr. Wrong harass me-though not about my property. On that note, I was surprised that Booker Mountain didn't have some sort of magical property to it which was why Brice really wanted it-it.

But for all my feeling bad for Maddie, her troubles kind of gave the book a grounding in reality that would have been lost had it all been about the Weir War-she had such real problems and worked through them. It not only reminds the reader that this is "our" world we're reading about, but it also makes the average person feel they can handle the hell life hands them because it she could, on top of the Weir pounding on her door every night. lol

On top of the wonderful characters, the pacing of the story throughout the middle was great, and it wasn't too difficult to follow the multiple points of view- Barber and Brice and The Roses and D'Orsay and "Auuggghhh!!!!" It was just so much to handle yet you pulled it off. I've never seen so many "dark sides" in a story. Haha. It was only fitting that they'd wind up half wiping themselves out FOR the people in the Sanctuary. I'll bet there's thousands of stories you could still write about the people who aren't happy with the way things were resolved.

I thought the ending was a little rushed-but that may have been my reading. It just seemed that Maddie and Jason got to the wall and BOOM! I was on the last page. However, I was delighted with the last line: "fear of dragons can't last forever." It leaves the story open to more, but for the time being it's over, though I'm hoping it's not really over!

Though it's hard to decide, overall I think I preferred The Wizard Heir the most; but that had a lot to do with the fact I never seem to like the "last" book the best. I also would have probably enjoyed The Dragon Heir better if I'd been able to just read it straight through like Wizard Heir-you know that physically painful "tearing your eyes from the page" feeling you get because everyone keeps interrupting you in the middle of a good book? I had that happen too many times this time around. I also like The Dragon Heir more than The Warrior Heir, because it just got so deep and rich with everything coming together. Overall I wasn't disappointed at all. I got an awesome rush from the book, and when it all comes down that what really makes a book worth a read or not, and it remains one of my favorite books.

5 out of 5 stars

A fitting heir August 28, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

A lot of times, when a new author emerges in the world of fiction, it seems like every good idea they've ever had -- 20 or 30 or 40 years of dreaming -- finds its way into that brilliant debut. Then, when it's time for the sequel... well, there's not much left. And that's why I'm so amazed that Cinda Chima's books just keep getting better.

The Dragon Heir is the third and final book of the Heir series, which started out following young Jack Swift as he found out that he was born to be a warrior fighting in the name of wizard politics. Now full war is breaking out among the magical guilds, and the wizards are determined to put everyone back in their place.

But we're not just following Jack anymore -- in each book of the Heir series, Chima writes from a new character's point of view. It's a technique that seems, well, incredibly simple, but it creates a slew of unique perspectives that engrosses you immediately. In The Dragon Heir, we see the world through the eyes of Jason Haley and Madison Moss, who were supporting characters in The Wizard Heir but could probably carry a series by themselves.

All of the characters in Chima's books are incredibly well-developed. There's the perfect combination of magic and teenage problems (Does he really love me? And how come things blow up whenever he's around?) that makes young adult fantasy so appealing, even to those of us who have already inched into full adulthood. The best example of this comes when the characters are finally forced to reveal some of their secrets to the non-magical people around them (the muggles, if you will). Most series just make sure that situation never happens, but Chima's characters handle it with the pitch-perfect amount of shock, logic and intelligence (My son is a WHAT?!). They behave like real people, and it makes you wonder why Spider-man didn't fess up to Aunt May a lot sooner.

Each of the Heir books has been better than the last, and The Dragon Heir ties it all together with a conclusion that just seems to fit. It doesn't have some of the brilliant moments of suspense that The Wizard Heir had, but it weaves layers of plot and intrigue in a way that is elegant instead of muddled. You might figure out the ending -- maybe -- but you'll feel smart for getting it.

The Dragon Heir stands on its own as a great read, but why would you want to do that? You'll love all three.

4 out of 5 stars

Great Read, but Pick up the Pace! August 15, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful

I am a big fan of this series. It's well-written and original. After so much action, adventure, and drama in the first and second books, I had high expectations for the third. The author definitely did not disappoint! We the readers got to know more about each character as they were further developed in this volume. There was a lot of action, which made it an excellent, eventful read. However, I do have a few gripes. Each character had their own problem to deal with that lasted throughout the entire book. I felt that while it was captivating that each character was further developed, it was even more so a drag. Throughout the book I kept thinking, "get to the end already!" I just wanted to know what would happen and how it would all be tied up. The problem with the book was that it was not a progressive journey to the book's finale, but rather consisted of ample dull story-lines with a moderately satisfying finish. The author seemed to dwell too much on the downtime, instead of focusing on the more important, consequential events that would lead to the big, conclusive finish. Although many questions were answered at the end, it seemed like they were answered in too much of a hurry and the reader did not get enough time to comprehend what had occurred. It was simply not a story that continued escalating. It was very dull in many parts in the middle, and then ended in a pretty good finish. The author could have made the whole book more interesting, instead of forcing the reader to read through the boring parts so they could find out what happens in the end. Despite that fact, the book did have its fair share of action, and was a superb read. I highly recommend it, and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

1 out of 5 stars

Unfortunate end -- Major Spoilers Included! October 18, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful

What an unfortunate end to this trilogy! I wasn't someone who would say any of the books knocked it out of the park, but I certainly didn't expect this. Especially since The Wizard Heir (despite major plot flaws) was better than The Warrior Heir. I had hopes that the story telling was on the upswing.

The Dragon Heir starts out fine, but very soon we have a story of a bunch of moody kids and the adults who dump a ridiculous amount of responsibility on to those kids. The plot points in the story were hard to believe and demanded too much irrational behavior from the principles to make them come about.

SPOILERS
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My biggest complaint is the handling of Jason. Not his ultimate fate, but that it meant nothing in the end. There was no true resolution to the character. He was still on the outs with Alicia and his end came through vengeance. Sure he was saving someone's life, but how convenient that he was able to off the guy he'd wanted to get throughout the whole story? It also seemed the nature of his attack caused his own demise and not some noble sacrifice or fateful event, and that is an insult to a very good character.

Jason was given some of the biggest personal issues to deal with. Frankly, his emotions are probably more accessible to the reader than any of the other characters in the story. Envy, frustration, grief, the need to avenge a loved one. And yet, he resolves nothing and disappears from the world with a couple lines from the other characters that come off pretty much as 'poor guy.' And who cares, really? Looking at the other reviews, many don't even mention him. His death had no impact. Every death of a main character should have an impact on the story. Without that the loss of life is gratuitous.

Madison's choices throughout were beyond stupid. I'm not sure how any of her friends could ever trust her again, and yet somehow they do -- in a heartbeat.

Seph is a drug abuser who is suddenly ... cured? ... soothed? ... something else altogether? by Lady Aiden. And then that particular, disturbing story line is forgotten.

Jack is worried about his urge to kill. And that is ... dropped entirely by the end. I guess he's come to grips with and learned to love his inner killer tendencies.

We see nothing of the Hastings and Linda reunion with their son. Their assault on the Ghyll castle was what prompted the assault on Trinity. As major characters throughout the trilogy, their thoughts and feelings on what they missed and on what could have happened are very important and deserve more than a line or two.

The arc of the story and the structure itself are a major disappointment. The Dragonheart stone exists, but only as a distant catalyst for bad behavior, until the last few pages. Madison's transformation comes so close to the end it's basically part of an epilogue. We have no idea what she can do. We have no idea what her abilities are. It's a classic deus ex machina, even though the Dragonheart has been talked about since the beginning of the series and has existed in real form from the start of this book. The entire event of its use is confusing, abbreviated, and never explained.
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SPOILER END

The end of the story felt as if Chima was tired of writing and just wanted to get it over with. Perhaps a publisher was breathing down her neck, and if so, that's too bad. But the story was tanking long before the last chapters.

This book may be a good example of the dangers of deadlines and series installments that are expected to come too quickly on top of each other. Shortcuts are taken, bad plots are engaged rather than rejected, characterizations are uneven.

I apologize for inserting so many spoilers, but the specifics are a big part of what earned this book a one star review.

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