Dragon's Oath (House of Night Novellas, #1)

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Dragon's Oath (House of Night Novellas #1)

by P.C. Cast (Goodreads Author), Kristin Cast

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 9,517 ratings · 641 reviews

The first in an enthralling new mini-series of novellas from the #1 bestselling authors of the House of Night,Dragon’s Oathtells the story behind the House of Night’s formidable fencing instructor – the love that will transform him, and the promise that will haunt him

In early 19th century England, long before he’s a professor at the Tulsa House of Night, Bryan Lank

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Hardcover, 145 pages

Published July 12th 2011 by St. Martin's Griffin

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Mar 28, 2012 Lissa Notreallywolf rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This wasn't worth the trouble of carrying it home from the library. While it seems to be about Dragon, it's actually about his romantic entanglement with his professor. Although there is little age difference between Dragon and Anastasia, there is the reiteration of the breaking of professional boundaries, just as there was between Zoey and the Poet Loreate, Loren. The Casts seem to think this is an appropriate plot line because it is the second time it has been employed.
Yes, age would be a ver...more This wasn't worth the trouble of carrying it home from the library. While it seems to be about Dragon, it's actually about his romantic entanglement with his professor. Although there is little age difference between Dragon and Anastasia, there is the reiteration of the breaking of professional boundaries, just as there was between Zoey and the Poet Loreate, Loren. The Casts seem to think this is an appropriate plot line because it is the second time it has been employed.
Yes, age would be a very important factor in vampire novels because the vampires are almost immortal. So far none of them have shown much maturity for their advanced age-Dragon is still under the evil headmistress's spell despite the fact he has lived for a hundred years with Anastasia. Apparently he was a slow student, or she lost her preceptive powers as time went on, because Nefret had both of them confused, and then Dragon is willing to overide his oath and his sneaking distrust of Neferet. The closest thing we have to peeking into a love matured by a lasting long term relationship is on the cloistered Isle of Skye, which has a fairy tale quality about it. There is no social evolution evident in vampire culture.
One of my discomforts with this series was reading about Zoey with a man four years her senior, especially for the first time. There are some good reasons for statory rape laws, because there is a threshold of development, emotionally and physically that people pass in their own time. The law seeks to protect minors from experienced predators. The rules about students and teachers are also put there for good reason. Pop culture tends to exagerate girls getting grades by office hours with male professors, but it never really explores what this says about female education-if you beelive that women are as smart as men, why would they take this path unless they were simply lazy? And at what cost to their self esteem? What meaning would a diploma based on prostitution provide one?
But Zoey and Dragon weren't seeking to seduce their instructors in grade prostition. Zoey was being undermined by Nefret, and Loren was Nefret's tool. Zoey's self esteem is tanked out very briefly, but only because of her fear that others will think she is a 'ho. Zoey's concerns are very animalistic-she fears her own desires and projects them on to her peers. When she has given it up to Loren, she is mostly concerned about being torn apart from or by her pack. As usual she's saved from any introspection by Impending Doom.
In Dragon's Oath, the male saves his professor from harm, several times, a Warrior motif, but one that leaves one doubting Anastasia's abilities. And she isn't in control of her sexuality any more than Zoey is, because she pursues Dragon, or allows him to pursue her. In the 1890's sexuality of any kind usually debarred female school teachers from teaching. Male teachers might be married, but the women were not allowed the priviledge and paid far less. There is no real historical sensitivity in Dragon's Oath.
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Mar 05, 2012 CαthεεBooks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to CαthεεBooks by: Stephanie ♥Loves Adrian Ivashkov and Warner!♥

Shelves: great-reads, beautiful-covers

Come by my blog, Forever Lost in Books, for MORE reviews, giveaways, interviews and memes!

My (High!) Opinion : So, this is the first book in the House of Night Novellas series, which is a story set in the the Cast's House of Night world, which is awesome.

First, let me say I really like the HoN (House of Night) series by the Casts. And i was really excited when my library contacted me to say this book had arrived in my account. I almost screamed. Okay, maybe not, but I was really happy. I had rea...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Donna {Book Passion for Life} rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, for-review, from-publishers, ya-paranormal-romance

I’ve always been a fan of the House of Night series so I was looking forward to reading more about another character. Admittedly when I found out this book was Dragon’s story, I was a bit hesitant but I actually really enjoyed his story. With this novella only being 160 pages, I flew through the book and found I enjoyed Dragon’s story a lot more because it didn’t drag. It was a nice short and simple read and just what I needed.

Dragon for me has always been a likeable character and after losing...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Maria Mercedes The Oracle Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've been looking forward to this novella for a while now. Dragon Lankford was my favorite of Zoe's instructors. I always knew there was more to him than beat the eye. This is the story of how he came to be a vampire & how he fell in love with his Anastasia. The mother daughter team tie the modern day story line in perfectly. it is truely a great read!

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Mar 28, 2012 Chasity added it · review of another edition

Dragon’s Oath was a nice backstory into how Professor Dragon and Professor Anastasia met and fell in love. It was a nice quick read. It takes place after the book ‘Awakened’ in the series. Then you see Dragon reflecting and taking you back to his youth and meeting Anastasia.
It was a good novella because not only did it show how they met and give you their backstory it also gave a little insight into how decisions they made back then contributed to the mass destruction of the school and possibly...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Selin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Güzeldi ve ben bu kitabın daha çok pc cast tarfından yazıldığını düşünüyorum...
Uslubu iyiydi,hikayeyide sevdim değişik bir havası vardı ve yazarların önceki kitaplarndaki gibi saçmalıklar ve sırf sayfa sayısı artsın diye yapılmış şişirmeler yoktu. Ancak yinede ikilinin çabuk aşık olduklarını ve ejderhanın bir anda değiştiğini düşünüyorum...
Sonunun iyi bitmesini isterdim,mutlaka okunması gerekmez ama gece evinden daha güzeldi kesinlikle,zoey artık baydı...

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Jun 08, 2013 Susan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reading-goal-for-work, paranormal, fantasy, rated-pg-to-pg-13, romance, relationships-and-emotional-problem, teen

In early 19th century England, long before he’s a professor at the Tulsa House of Night, Bryan Lankford is a troublesome yet talented human teen who thinks he can get away with anything… until his father, a wealthy nobleman, has finally had enough, and banishes him to America. When Bryan is Marked on the docks and given the choice between the London House of Night and the dragon-prowed ship to America, he chooses the Dragon – and a brand new fate.

Becoming a Fledgling may be exciting, but it open...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Liz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Let me preface this review, like my other recent reviews of this series, by stating that I decided to re-read the books before I read Hidden. I'm doing this for a few reasons, one is that I can't remember a lot of the things that happened in previous books, because I haven't read them in a long while, and two, to avoid the confusion I felt when I read Destined. I have realized as I read this novella for the first time, (I hadn't bothered before, since supposedly you don't need to read it to be f...more Let me preface this review, like my other recent reviews of this series, by stating that I decided to re-read the books before I read Hidden. I'm doing this for a few reasons, one is that I can't remember a lot of the things that happened in previous books, because I haven't read them in a long while, and two, to avoid the confusion I felt when I read Destined. I have realized as I read this novella for the first time, (I hadn't bothered before, since supposedly you don't need to read it to be fine reading only the series) that part of my confusion reading Destined was from not reading Dragon's Oath. Which brings me to my irritation with the authors, and their publishers. DO NOT state that these novellas are just complimentary additions, and not needed to be read along with the series, then make them extremely important to the plot in the books. No wonder I was confused about Dragon and his attitude in Awakened, and then even more lost in Destined the first time I read them. You really do need to read this book before the other, which begs the question as to why they are listed completely separately, when really they should be listed as 9.5 and whatnot, like novellas/shorts are in other series. It was annoying that I had to look up on my own the true order of the series by the publishing dates. This book is so blatantly tied to both Awakened and Destined.....it's beginning is even a scene from the end of Awakened! But you don't need to read it!? As Zoey would say, bullpoopie!

But back to the novella itself. I like this glimpse into the past of a character, as I have always enjoyed history. Being vampires, and having long lives, you know there's a back-story to the adult vamps in the HoN world. It was actually refreshing to be apart from the main Zoey and friends vs. Neferet and evil storyline, which seems at times never-ending. Up until I first read Destined, I hadn't really wondered about Dragon's past, or given any thought to his relationship with Anastasia. They simply were the cool professors who saw through Neferet's ruse and helped Zoey and the nerd herd. Now that I've read this backstory though, I appreciate Dragon and his honor even more. I understand now his reaction (view spoiler) beyond his love being killed and grief overwhelming him. The love that he and Anastasia shared from the time they were very young was a huge influence on who Dragon became as a Warrior and Sword Master, and directly impacted his decisions in both Awakened and Destined. In Dragon's Oath, you get to see the foolish but talented fledgling begin to grow into the goddess Nyx's Warrior, but only through the love and temperance of a gentle adult vampire, Anastasia. The bond that is developed in this novella is strong, and endures with them through centuries, until the present day in the heart of the HoN story. It shows the depth of Dragon's devotion to Anastasia, and lays out the foundation of his despair and anger when she is killed, leaving him alone for the first time after being with her for most of his long life. After reading the novella, you can fully understand why he loses his mind and sense of self as he turns to anger instead, an anger that is more easily understood because of the events from the past. So when I read Destined again after Dragon's Oath, I was consistently going "aha! Now I get it," and was able to follow along with the story, without the confusion I remembered from my first reading.

Even though I believe these novellas are just another way to make money and milk the consumers (we the readers) out of even more money aside from what we pay for the original books in the series (I mean, $18.99 for a 300 page novel!?!? Thank goodness I never pay full price), I do believe it is worth reading, especially if you want to really understand all that is going on with the series. If you don't read it, it's like only seeing the movie version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with only a select few of the memories of Voldemort instead of reading the book with all of the memories, which helps you actually understand the true meaning behind them. Maybe not to that extreme, but you get my drift. It really should be changed so that the novellas are listed with the actual series in order, not to the side like The Fledgling Handbook should be.(less)

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Dec 28, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first heard that a series of novellas were coming out for the house of night series, I was not too thrilled. I have enjoyed the series, but found that the books have tended to drag. In this case I am happy that I picked up this novella because I loved it more that the recent books in the series. It could have been longer for me because I would love to have read more about Anastasia's and Bryan's young love. The story fit perfectly for what has happened in the house of night series and has...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Nisareen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Spoiler Alert!
Dragon's Oath is the first of the House of Night novellas spin-off series, which focuses on Dragon's first meeting with Anastasia.

The beginning of the book opens with the conclusion of Awakened following Jacks funeral and Rephaim's transformation from Raven Mocker to human. Dragon sits by Jack's funeral pyre and reminisces about his first meeting with Anastasia. He pulls out a locket and opens it, but the wind lifts the last of her hair inside and carries it over to the pyre. This...more Spoiler Alert!
Dragon's Oath is the first of the House of Night novellas spin-off series, which focuses on Dragon's first meeting with Anastasia.

The beginning of the book opens with the conclusion of Awakened following Jacks funeral and Rephaim's transformation from Raven Mocker to human. Dragon sits by Jack's funeral pyre and reminisces about his first meeting with Anastasia. He pulls out a locket and opens it, but the wind lifts the last of her hair inside and carries it over to the pyre. This starts a spell Anastasia had laid on the locket, that conveys to Dragon her last wish, to temper his blade with mercy.

The book goes back to his human days. The third son of a lord, Bryan is young, cocky and bold. His father disowns him when he becomes involved in a scandal with a neighbour's daughter and sends him to the Americas. At the docks he meets a Tracker, who claims him as a fledgling and takes him abord a ship with a sculpted dragon's head, which inspires Bryan in regards to his new name.

At the Chicago House of Night, Anastasia, a 22-year-old newly adult vampyre, has been hired as the Spells and Rituals teacher. While talking with the local High Priestess, Pandeia, and her mate, Anastasia brings up the problem of some fledglings who had asked for a love spell for Bryan. Instead of refusing them, she asks permission to perform a drawing spell, to show the fledglings the truth about Bryan.

She starts the spell on a night with a full moon. As she is also thinking of him at the time of the spell, she is shown a futuristic apparition of him, when he has fully Changed and is no longer a fledgling. Anastasia finds that she loves Bryan, and then he really appears as his nineteen-year-old self. Bryan, who is now Dragon, helps Anastasia finish her spell, and begins leaving her sun-flowers from that moment.

The Sheriff, Jesse Biddle, consults with a creature (it is revealed at that this is Rephaim, the Raven Mocker who is Stevie Rae's Consort) about who he should kill. The creature seems to know that Dragon is a threat and urges Biddle to kill Anastasia so that Light doesn't defeat them.

At the House of Night, Pandeia expresses concern regarding Biddle's harassment. Anastasia proposes she go and perform a peace spell. As a Warrior represents the opposite of the spell, they propose she take Bryan, who is still a fledgling, but already a Swordmaster. While she performs a circle near his place, Anastasia is attacked by Biddle and dragged inside after he chokes Bryan. Biddle fights and nearly kills Anastasia, and prepares to rape her, but she draws a circle of salt around her and creates a barrier.

Dragon comes and kills Biddle, and prepares to also kill the creature, but Anastasia has a vision of him and tells him to temper his strength with mercy, and think about what he's doing. Dragon sets the creature free and pledges his Warrior's Oath to her. As a result he Changes into an adult vampyre.

Little is mentioned about Dragon Lankford's and Anastasia's relationship or about Anastasia character in general throughout the other books in the House of Night series, so this was the perfect opportunity to learn more about their relationship and history. The book gives crucial insight into why Anastasia was so important in balancing the dragon and why her death caused him to unravel. (less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Anorielt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Erster Satz: Zorn und Verwirrung regten sich in Dragon Lankford.

Dragons Schwur beginnt mit unsäglicher Trauer und endet mit Trauer, einem neuen Schwur und unbeschreiblicher Wut. Die ersten paar Seiten und die letzten spielen in der Gegenwart und leider habe ich das Gefühl total gespoilert worden zu sein, weshalb ich auch empfehle die House of Night Reihe erstmal so weit zu lesen wie sie erschienen ist, bevor man sich an dieses Novella wagt, ansonsten erlebt man eine unschöne Überraschung. Bei mi...more Erster Satz: Zorn und Verwirrung regten sich in Dragon Lankford.

Dragons Schwur beginnt mit unsäglicher Trauer und endet mit Trauer, einem neuen Schwur und unbeschreiblicher Wut. Die ersten paar Seiten und die letzten spielen in der Gegenwart und leider habe ich das Gefühl total gespoilert worden zu sein, weshalb ich auch empfehle die House of Night Reihe erstmal so weit zu lesen wie sie erschienen ist, bevor man sich an dieses Novella wagt, ansonsten erlebt man eine unschöne Überraschung. Bei mir jedenfalls hat das Buch viele Fragen aufgeworfen und auch das ein oder andere schlechte Gefühl was das Geschehen der Hauptstory angeht.

Dragon ist einer der Nebencharaktere der zwar immer mal wieder erwähnt wird, den man aber nie wirklich kennenlernte (zumindest bis Band 5), weshalb ich auf diesen kleinen Teil seiner Geschichte sehr gespannt war. Hier erlebt man hautnah wie er und Anastasia sich kennen und lieben lernen und wie sie auf etwas stoßen das in der Gegenwart mittlerweile Allgegenwärtig ist.

Da über Dragon wie gesagt nicht viel bekannt ist, konnte man sich als Leser bisher nicht wirklich ein Bild seines Charakters machen. Sicher, er ist Schwertmeister und ein Krieger und ebenso ist bekannt das er Anastasias Gemahl ist, doch der Rest lag bisher im Dunkeln. Jetzt stellt sich heraus das Dragon zum einen der Sohn eines Earl war, wie auch ein Draufgänger der nichts dagegen hatte wenn die Mädchen um Liebeszauber bitten um ihn zu verhexen.

Anastasia lenkt ihn auf die richtige Bahn und sorgt dafür das er der Vampyr wird den wir alle aus der House of Night Saga kennen. Natürlich passiert nicht allzu viel, das Buch hat schließlich nur 176 Seiten, aber man bekommt einen guten Einblick in die Gefühls und Gedankenwelt der beiden, sowie einen tiefen Einblick in die Macht einer Priesterin und das weben von Zaubersprüchen bzw. bannen.

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Fazit
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Für Fans der House of Night Reihe ist Dragons Schwur ein muss. Es zeigt einem die Vergangenheit des Kriegers und ist genau das richtige für Zwischendurch.

5/5 Sternen(less)

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Aug 04, 2012 Heartykiss rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beschreibung:
Dragon kann noch immer nicht fassen, dass seine Frau Anastasia tot ist.. Er verspricht sich zu rächen und das Unrecht, was er zugelassen hat, wieder gut zu machen. Doch wie durch ein Wunder spricht seine Frau plötzlich mittels einen Erinerungstückes zu ihm und ermahnt ihn, sich an seinen Eid zu erinnern, den er geschworen habe. Doch Dragon kann nicht fassen, wie sich ihn daran nur erinnern kann.. schließlich ist sie aufgrund dieses Eids gestorben!

1830: Bryan Lankford ist entsetzt, d...more Beschreibung:
Dragon kann noch immer nicht fassen, dass seine Frau Anastasia tot ist.. Er verspricht sich zu rächen und das Unrecht, was er zugelassen hat, wieder gut zu machen. Doch wie durch ein Wunder spricht seine Frau plötzlich mittels einen Erinerungstückes zu ihm und ermahnt ihn, sich an seinen Eid zu erinnern, den er geschworen habe. Doch Dragon kann nicht fassen, wie sich ihn daran nur erinnern kann.. schließlich ist sie aufgrund dieses Eids gestorben!

1830: Bryan Lankford ist entsetzt, dass sein Vater ihn nach Amerika verbannen will und das nur weil es zu einer Auseinandersetzung zwischen ihn und einen Schotten kam. Doch es war nicht nur irgendein Schotte, sondern ein Laird, der einen gleich großen Besitz vorzuweisen hat wie sein Vater.. Noch am selben Tag entehrt er seinen Sohn und schickt ihn auf ein Schiff nach Amerika - er will ihn nie wieder sein. Einzig sein Schwert, dass er ihm zum 13. Geburtstag schenkte, darf er mitnehmen.
Als die Mannesleute seines Vaters ihn auf ein Schiff bringen will, bemerkt Bryan in seinem Anfall von Husten einen Mann mit komischen Zeichen auf der Stirn. Sofort weiß er, dass er kein Mensch sein kann, sondern ein Vampir ist..Mit einer Art Zauberformel spricht er auf Bryan ein und gibt den Männern zu verstehen, dass er nun ein Gezeichneter Jungvampyr sei und sie nicht mehr für ihn verantwortlich seien.

Eines Tages begegnet Bryan Anastasia, einer jungen Priesterin für Zaubersprüche und Rituale, welche sein Leben komplett auf den Kopf stellt..

Eigene Meinung:
Ich muss zugeben, dass ich anfangs etwas skeptisch war, ob mir das Buch auch gefallen würde, da es letztlich nur um Dragon und Anastasia geht. Doch meine Zweifel lösten sich schon schnell auf. Dank des flüssigen Schreibstils, habe ich mich wunderbar in die Geschichte eingefunden.

Ich fand es sehr interessant zu erfahren, wie die beiden sich eigentlich kennengelernt haben, was vorgefallen ist und dergleichen. Deshalb kann ich von meiner Seite aus nur eine Empfehlung aussprechen. Aber das Buch bitte erst lesen, wenn Ihr bereits wisst, was in der House of Night Reihe vorgefallen ist, sonst versteht ihr wohlmöglich den Inhalt des Buches nicht bzw. könnt einige Dinge nicht nachvollziehen! :)

Fazit:
Wer ebenfalls ein großer House of Night-Fan ist, wird jene Geschichte sicher auch gefallen! ;)(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Marie-Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Als Vampyr Gezeichnet. Von der Liebe geblendet. An einen Schwur gekettet.
Lange bevor Zoey Gezeichnet wurde . . . bevor sie ins House of Night eintrat . . . bevor sie den Kampf gegen das Böse aufnahm gab es schon einen, der dort seit langem lebte: Dragon Lankford, Schwertmeister und Krieger. Dies ist seine Geschichte.
Vom eigenen Vater verstoßen, der ihn im Jahre 1830 auf ein Schiff nach Amerika verbannt, wird Dragon Lankford noch im Hafen von London als Jungvampyr Gezeichnet. Doch das Leben als V...more Als Vampyr Gezeichnet. Von der Liebe geblendet. An einen Schwur gekettet.
Lange bevor Zoey Gezeichnet wurde . . . bevor sie ins House of Night eintrat . . . bevor sie den Kampf gegen das Böse aufnahm gab es schon einen, der dort seit langem lebte: Dragon Lankford, Schwertmeister und Krieger. Dies ist seine Geschichte.
Vom eigenen Vater verstoßen, der ihn im Jahre 1830 auf ein Schiff nach Amerika verbannt, wird Dragon Lankford noch im Hafen von London als Jungvampyr Gezeichnet. Doch das Leben als Vampyr im Amerika des 19. Jahrhunderts ist gefährlich. In St. Louis wird er zum Schwertmeister ausgebildet. Sein neues Leben birgt nicht nur viele Gefahren, sondern hält auch einige Vergünstigungen bereit. Denn da ist Anastasia, die junge, bildhübsche Lehrerin für Zauberei und Rituale, die sein Leben für immer verändern wird. Doch noch ist der Kampf gegen das Böse nicht gewonnen. Kann er sie beide retten?

"Dragons Schwur" ist der erste Band der "House of Night Stories", die sich mit den Lehrern des House of Night Tulsa und ihrer Geschichte befassen.
Dabei sei empfohlen, die Bände der "House of Night"- Reihe zu kennen, da diese eine elementare Grundlage für diese Serie bilden.
"Dragons Schwur" ist ein ziemlich dünnes Buch und somit schnell gelesen. Die Handlung ist zwar ganz spannend, aber eher oberflächlich als tiefschürfend. Man erfährt einiges über das Leben Dragon Lankfords, allerdings werden diese Fakten lediglich angekratzt.
Dafür gibt es eine Liebesgeschichte und das obligatorische Böse, welche dieses Buch doch ein Stück weit aus der Oberflächlichkeit herausholen.

In "Dragons Schwur" liegt das Hauptaugenmerk auf Dragon, dem Schwertmeister. Seine Anfänge als Vampyr werden geschildert und der Grundstein für sein weiteres Leben wird gelegt.
Weiterhin treten auch Personen auf, die wichtig für ebendieses zu sehen sind.
Charakterzeichnungen stehen in "Dragons Schwur" nicht im Vordergrund, sodass alle Protagonisten ein wenig blass erscheinen.

Ansonsten lässt sich diese Geschichte schon auf Grund der geringen Seitenzahl schnell lesen. Dennoch sei zu erwähnen, das der Schreibstil dieses Buches sehr viel besser ist, als der der "House of Night" Bücher, da er weniger umgangssprachlich, sondern gewählter und flüssiger anmutet.

Das Cover passt sehr gut zum Inhalt, da es die elementaren Dinge dieser Story wiedergibt. Dennoch fehlen mir optische Feinheiten, um es zu einem Hingucker werden zu lassen.
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Jun 26, 2012 Luciana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Actual rating: 3.5 ~~+ 0.5 for the cover~~ :)

I started reading it... last year, but It didn't attract me that much. And today, and I must admit that I read it out of boredom, I cheked my 'to read' folder and decided to star over again, just because it was a short story and I wouldn't finish today a 300 pages book, not starting it at eight p.m.

I must say that I enjoyed it.

This is the story of Dragon and Anastasia. He is an arrogant young warrior, and Anastasia is the rituals and spells young teache...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

So I wasn't overly excited about these new novellas the Cast women are bringing out, mainly because there are so many authors doing this lately that I've personally got a little tired of it. Sometimes the original story is enough. I don't need to know everthing about every minor character.

However, because I'm a little OCD I find it very hard not to read every book in a series, spin-off, prequels and novellas included. And so I sat down to read this on my Kindle which I had abandoned to a dusty...more So I wasn't overly excited about these new novellas the Cast women are bringing out, mainly because there are so many authors doing this lately that I've personally got a little tired of it. Sometimes the original story is enough. I don't need to know everthing about every minor character.

However, because I'm a little OCD I find it very hard not to read every book in a series, spin-off, prequels and novellas included. And so I sat down to read this on my Kindle which I had abandoned to a dusty shelf for the last three or four months simply for not being a book. I try and use my Kindle for books I'm not overly excited about but still want or need (OCD related) to read. These little novellas are perfect for Kindles however, mainly because they're small and compact just like the Kindle itself. Anyway I'm beginning to sound like an Amazon saleswoman so I'll continue to the actual review.

This was not a let down in the slightest. As previously mentioned I wasn't excited about this book but not just for aforementioned reason. I never really liked Dragon. If this was a book based on Rephaims former life or Kalona or even Neferet I would have been super excited but Dragon... He just never appealed to me. He's kinda handy with a sword, sure but so are a bunch of other vampyres who we care more about. By the end of this book I LOVE Dragon Lankford. You get to understand everything about why he made his unexpected decision at the end of Awakened and even though I prayed for a different ending to this book it didn't change much but you can so see why.

Anastacia, who we had never really seen before, is also a lovely interesting character who I was delighted that we got to see more of a background of. Her and Dragon really had a lovely story of how they got together and I understand, now, his ultimate depression after her death and his unwillingness to forgive and forget.

I look forward now to more of these novellas. I know there is one already released on Lenobia and I am pretty intrigued to read that one now and learn more of the history of the Houses of Night and how the professors all came to end up where they are in their present lives.(less)

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Mar 20, 2012 Maddy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

ZUM INHALT:

Als Vampyr Gezeichnet. Von der Liebe geblendet. An einen Schwur gekettet.
Lange bevor Zoey Gezeichnet wurde . . . bevor sie ins House ofNight eintrat . . . bevor sie den Kampf gegen das Böse aufnahm gab es schon einen, der dort seit langem lebte: Dragon Lankford, Schwertmeister und Krieger. Dies ist seine Geschichte.
Vom eigenen Vater verstoßen, der ihn im Jahre 1830 auf ein Schiff nach Amerika verbannt, wird Dragon Lankford noch im Hafen von London als Jungvampyr Gezeichnet. Doch das L...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Anna Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Jan 01, 2012 Burçak :) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Zoey ve onun salakça olan aşk hayatından sonra Ejderha ve Anastasia'nın aşkı ilaç gibi geldi :)
Jack'in cenazesiyle başlayan bu kitapta Ejderha geçmişte Anastasia'ya verdiği söz yüzünden Anastasia'yı kaybettiğini düşünürek geçmişi ve söz verdiği anı hatırlıyor.. Ve kitap geçmiş üzerinden devam ediyor..
Olaya gelcek olursak Anastasia ritüel profosörü ve barış yanlısı bir genç vampir. Ejderha ise küstah ve kılıcına düşkün bir çaylak :D Ama bazı olaylar sonucu Anastacia şimdiki çaylak Ejderha'nın içi...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: novella, urban-fantasy, vampires, young-adult

For those of you curious about the series but haven't started it, this is not a starting point. This novella takes place after book eight, Awakened. Because the last couple of House of Night books have been somewhat disappointing, I put off getting this novella. Instead of buying it when it came out I waited on it at the library. That being said, I really enjoyed the novella and wish I hadn't waited to read it. Dragon's Oath tells the story of Bryan (Dragon) Lankford and Anastasia and shows how...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Kathy Ann Coleman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

My Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3
Great!

The House of Night series is what got me into YA and made me want to write my own book. Don't get me wrong -- I've wanted to write for ages -- but the series made me realize something: humans can know about magic if I want them to. Why am I telling you this? Because you deserve to know that this series has a special place in my heart; that could mean I'm a little biased.

This review is short, but so is this book. I hope that does not mislead anyone regardin...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

As posted on Fictional Fantasy

Dragon’s Oath by PC and Kristin Cast is set in nineteenth century England and takes a look at Bryan (Dragon) Lankford’s life before he became the Tulsa House of Night’s fencing instructor.

Bryan is a troublesome teenage human who in the past has been able to get away with anything, until his father takes action and banishes him to America. While waiting on the docks Bryan is Marked a vampire and is given the choice between going to the London House of Night or sailin...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Anne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, read-in-2011, romance, short-stories, young-adult

First, let me say that I hate the House of Night series. So, if you look at it that way, a 2 star rating really isn't that bad. Still. It wasn't good.

For those of you who have read the HON books, this is Dragon and Anastasia's story. For those of you who haven't read the series...lucky you.

It's got all of the usual House of Night mumbo-jumbo in it. It reads like a wiccan coca-cola commercial. If the whole world could just get together and hold hands, then everything will be ok! Whatever.

I know...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Mindy Macheske rated it 5 of 5 stars

Title: Dragon's Oath
Author: P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: 2011
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Romance, Vampires, Magic
Pages: 145
Plot: (From the dust jacket)

"In early nineteenth century England, long before he's a professor at the Tulsa House of Night, Bryan Lankford is a troublesome yet talented human teen who thinks he can get away with anything...until his father, a wealthy nobleman, has finally had enough, and banishes him to America. When Bryan is Marke...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Rachel Krisko rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Dragon's Oath" didn't live up to the Cast's usual writing, but I still very much enjoyed the novella and Dragon's story. It was good to delve into the lives of some other House of Night characters, and because Dragon and Anastasia had a lot of drama in the more recent House of Night novels, it was easier to relate to the pain Dragon has been feeling. Me, and I'm sure many other readers, have realized the bond Dragon and Anastasia really did share with this past book. The Cast's did a fine job o...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Illiriam rated it 4 of 5 stars

As a novella, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a smaller book, but then that is to be expected, since it is not a full HoN novel. I will try to keep anything too spoilery out, but some knowledge of the HoN books is expected.
Dragon's Oath brings the back story of Dragon and Anastasia into play and helps the reader understand why Dragon has such a hard time after the ending of the last HoN book. We get to see how Dragon was Marked, and how he changes from an arrogant fledgling to a more matur...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Annie rated it 2 of 5 stars

The following disclaimers apply to the following review: I've never read anything by either author, I have no idea what series this book belonged too and therefore read it as more of a stand-alone novel, and I won this as a Goodreads First Read.

I've read worse. At least this was relatively short- though not short enough.
All I could think about was the term 'fluffy bunny,' which is a "pejorative expression used since at least 2001 in Wicca (and in Neopaganism generally) to refer to adherents of t...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Pamela rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 25, 2011 Cameron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful addition to the House of Night series. This novella focuses on the story of Brain "Dragon" Lankford and the events take place prior (one can say years prior) to events in Marked and the rest of the series (though it does begin with a momentary glance at what happened right after Awakened).

Combined with beautiful illustrations at the start of every chapter, this story will leave the reader anxiously awaiting the next installment of the series, Destined, which comes out November 2011.

I r...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Lacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

‘Had I chosen differently those many years ago, perhaps I could have kept all this from happening. Strength tempered by mercy was a mistake. So you do not remember, my love? I do. I will never forget.’
Dragon Lankford wasn’t always an instructor at the House of Night. Once he was a student: young, talented and in love. But the mistake that cost him everything might be the key to helping Zoey and the rest of the vampyres in their fight against darkness…
The first House of Night novella from bestsel...more ‘Had I chosen differently those many years ago, perhaps I could have kept all this from happening. Strength tempered by mercy was a mistake. So you do not remember, my love? I do. I will never forget.’
Dragon Lankford wasn’t always an instructor at the House of Night. Once he was a student: young, talented and in love. But the mistake that cost him everything might be the key to helping Zoey and the rest of the vampyres in their fight against darkness…
The first House of Night novella from bestselling authors P.C. and Kristin Cast, Dragon’s Oath is the perfect introduction to this fang-tastically addictive world.
(taken from the official House of Night website)

Hey guys!

This review is of another novella by P.C and Kristin Cast called Dragon's Oath.

I have recently posted a review for the matching novella Lenobia's Vow so if you are interested, be sure to check that one out too!

With this book, I feel as if it would be best to read the House of Night series beforehand, in order to understand and enjoy the storyline to its full capacity. However, I think the majority of the book can be understood without it :)

Ok... I usually steer clear of things that make me cry such as films and books, but with both the novella's I found myself silently weeping whilst reading the last chapters! I didn't even realise that I had been crying until I had turned the back cover and had finished the book completely.

Without giving away the entire plot of the story, the reason I was crying was the fact that I wished it had ended in a different way! However, I understood why it had to end this way.

If this had been a book that stood alone then I think my opinion of the book would have decreased majorly as I don't like sad endings. However, as it is a book that is in conjunction with The House of Night series and therefore the storyline is still continuing, I am really in love with this book the same as I was with Lenobia's Vow.

Once again, one of the main things I loved about this book were the beautiful illustrations at the beginning of each chapter! They added something special to the book that other books don't have in the form of influencing your mind with pictures.

Overall, I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone who loves Young Adult books!

Well done on creating ANOTHER epic novel P.C and Kristin Cast!(less)

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Nov 05, 2012 Juanitah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Para quem segue a saga Casa da Noite, facilmente identifica o protagonista deste livro... Ele é Dragão Lankford, o Mestre de Esgrima da Casa da Noite de Tulsa, onde é professor de Zoey e dos seus amigos, assim como, companheiro da falecida Anastasia, a professora de Sortilégios e Rituais, assassinada por um dos filhos de Kalona.
Em "Juramento de Dragão" conhecemos o professor como um iniciado, o princípio da sua vida no mundo da noite, onde, ainda como quintanhista se apaixona loucamente pela jov...more Para quem segue a saga Casa da Noite, facilmente identifica o protagonista deste livro... Ele é Dragão Lankford, o Mestre de Esgrima da Casa da Noite de Tulsa, onde é professor de Zoey e dos seus amigos, assim como, companheiro da falecida Anastasia, a professora de Sortilégios e Rituais, assassinada por um dos filhos de Kalona.
Em "Juramento de Dragão" conhecemos o professor como um iniciado, o princípio da sua vida no mundo da noite, onde, ainda como quintanhista se apaixona loucamente pela jovem professora Anastasia, após um sortilégio que correu para o torto.
É através desse erro de Anastasia, que estas almas destinadas a estarem juntas, se entregam ao amor.
Admito que fiquei agradavelmente surpreendida por este livro, passo a explicar porquê:
Conhecer Dragão ainda na adolescente é hilariante e completamente o oposto do professor regrado de Tulsa. Dragão é irreverente, apaixonado, bom em tudo o que se compromete a fazer, e extremamente arrogante, conquistando corações por onde passa, sejam eles de mulheres ou homens.
Anastasia, por seu lado, é recatada, insegura, talentosa e bela mas, também determinada a acabar com a arrogância do iniciado.
Embora sendo um livro pequeno, é bem explorado e aproveitado, com um enredo básico, que se foca essencialmente no casal protagonista.
Achei inteligente a forma como as autoras finalizaram este juramento, ao fazerem Anastasia libertar quem um dia a havia de matar. Não poderia ser um final mais trágico, e no entanto, deveras emocionante e de nos trazer as lágrimas aos olhos.
Mais um ponto super positivo neste livro é a linguagem. As autoras optaram por um discurso mais rico e adulto, apropriado às personagens, em vez de uma linguagem adolescente.
"Juramento de Dragão" é entusiasmante, sentimental e até mesmo sensual, com muito feito em poucas páginas.
Confesso que esta "side-story" me prendeu mais e melhor do que muitos dos livros da saga a que lhe deu origem.
Se Dragão foi bom, então Lenobia tem tudo para ser excelente, e mal posso esperar pelo seu livro!

http://leituranaoocupaespaco.blogspot...(less)

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About P.C. Cast

P.C. Cast was born in the Midwestern United States, and grew up being shuttled back-and-forth between Illinois and Oklahoma, which is where she fell in love with Quarter Horses and mythology (at about the same time). After high school she joined the United States Air Force and began public speaking and writing. With her tour in the USAF completed, she taught high school for 15 years before retirin...more

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Quotes from Dragon's Oath

“I've bespelled this locket, for you; my own, my mate. The day has come when death forced us to part. You must know that I for you, forever, I shall wait. So until we meet again I hold your love safely within my heart.
Remember, your oath was to temper strength with mercy. No matter how long apart we shall be, I hold you to that oath
eternally... eternally...” — 27 people liked it

“Mercy is stronger than your sword.” — 11 people liked it

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Dragon's Oath (House of Night Novellas #1)

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