Stronghold on your imagination (Stronghold - Melanie Rawn)

Member Name: monkee-blue

Product:	Stronghold - Melanie Rawn
Date:	12/04/06 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gripping so real the characters are so strong

Disadvantages: Very hard to get into at first but keep going.

Stronghold is the first book of three of the Dragon star series.This book continues on from the previous Dragon prince series but a good few years onto the future( unfortunatly i havent read them).
I came across these books by pure accident after forgeting to send my slip back to the book club and thank god i did as these are the most indepth books of fantasy i have ever had the pleasure to read.
The characters in this book must exist somewhere at least part of them as the are to tangible not to be. They come alive in your head to such a point you can hear them talk argue and fight, Ive even cryed in parts where certain characters have died and felt waves of emotion for the joys and fears etc, the rest of the characters go through.
Rawn really gets inside all of her main characters and even most of the side ones, giving them real depth, showing thought processes, dreams, goals, pain, fear, love, joy, ideas, how and why they interact with each other the jealousies and power struggles. Even facet of a human world is lain down for you to experienc inside this and the other two books.

Info.

These people also have magic, some are known as Sunrunners: able to send they're minds traveling the sun light all across the land also they can call hot or cold fire at will, they are the main power in the land.
The other for of magic is sorcery: these people can do the same as sunrunners but tend to use the stars and the moons aswell and have a few more spell casting abillities than sunrunners also, they are little know and are enemies of the sunrunners who nearly whiped them out ( though this is not the main story of the book/s)

Story.

After many years High Prince Rohan and High Princess Sioned are finaly content with the hard one peace they have made throughout the land and desert slowly but surely hading over power to theyre son Prince Pol.
As they reach home in the desert castle Stronghold, an immense Castle situated in the long sands of the desert That has never fallen, Rohan's sister Tobin is taken ill with a sroke.
They both rush to her side at the entance to the desert aswell as they're son.
As this is taking place, an unknown fleet of barbarians lands all over the coasts and begins systematic desruction of everything in they're path as they martch to the desert.
No-one knows why? No-one knows who? The only information is th battle cry they shout " DIARMADHI " the name for sorcerer in the old tongue and a dream by Andry Lord of Godess Keep and leader of the sunrunners, son to Tobin ( Rohan's sister),
cosin and mutual enemy of Pol the next high prince ( Rohan's son). A dream of when Dragons sailed the sea he and Pol would finally unite. Something that doesnt seem likely.
So begins a dash across the long sands to reach Stronghold. A place never to have known defeat and the hope of the entire land.
Dragons, magic and war combine to try to stop these unknown people but can Stronghold survive.



Personally i love these books a true escapism experience, to a world so rich and inviting full of emotion. They can be hard to read at first but once in and emersed you'll find it hard to leave. On average i read the books about 3-4 times a year if not more i always find or re-discover a new fact.
With Stronghold such a fabulous book its hard to imagine it gets better but it does with the follow up books " Dragon Token" and "Skybowl" which are even more enticing as the story truly unfolds in these as they continue on directly from Stronghold.

Street price in paper back is £6.99 prices vary online.
Otticars is above price last time i looked.

For real fantasy fans you cant go wrong here. Full of everything you could ask for.

Summary: The stuff dreams are made of a true experiance.