The Iron Dragon's Daughter
by Michael Swanwick
published
April 1995
(first published 1993)
by Avon Books
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binding
Paperback
isbn
0380720981
(isbn13: 9780380720989)
description
'A superb book' John Clute
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 195)
Read in February, 2008
Well, the Iron Dragon's Daughter pulled a big switcharoo on me. The first 150 pages were great, the last 200 pages...not so much. It started off fresh and inventive, with some great situations and interesting characters, and then quickly started going nowhere. By the time the plot comes back to the narrative, it's too late, and the thing is so far off track that I just couldn't care any more. The dragon, you know the Iron one in the title, vanishes for most of the book, the main character Ja...more
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Read in March, 2008
The one where Jane, a changeling and child laborer in a world where magic and industry coexist, steals (or is stolen by) a giant, intelligent machine called a dragon.
This book gets three stars from me on the basis of the worldbuilding, which is fantastic. It reminds me of Wicked: familiar and strange and neverendingly inventive.
But it's full of cruelties large and small, and it's unrelentingly nihilistic. Which would have been mor...more
This book gets three stars from me on the basis of the worldbuilding, which is fantastic. It reminds me of Wicked: familiar and strange and neverendingly inventive.
But it's full of cruelties large and small, and it's unrelentingly nihilistic. Which would have been mor...more
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Read in August, 2002
Faerie cyberpunk. Jane is a changeling, working as slave labour in the dragon factory. Her life is planned out for her, and it's not particularly pleasant path. Then she meets an iron dragon, and decides to rebel.
This is a FANTASTIC book. The world is incredibly difficult.
The only trouble is, it's about two books in one. We start off with Jane in childhood, and go through to her adulthood. Jane is wonderful. Smart, stubborn, not always especially moral and very, very angry.
This is a FANTASTIC book. The world is incredibly difficult.
The only trouble is, it's about two books in one. We start off with Jane in childhood, and go through to her adulthood. Jane is wonderful. Smart, stubborn, not always especially moral and very, very angry.
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recommends it for:
those who are sick of cliche fantasy/sci-fi stories
By far the book I've reread the most. It is absolutely fascinating in every way...it's bizarre, grotesque, sexy, enchanting and so much more. A fantasy unlike any other! There are no cute little fairies or gnomes in this one. I love how you get to watch as the main character grows up trapped in a twisted fairy world and see how it affects her. It's mind-boggling how much fairy lore and myth the author fits into the book. You'll definitely have to do some research as you read if you want to...more
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Read in September, 2008
I loved the concept and its execution so much - a changeling human grows up in, for lack of a better term, the world of Faerie, which is strangely modern yet oh so exotic - that I wanted MORE from this book. More explanation, more delving into this world's mysteries (for instance, I'm devilishly curious about ordinary family life in this world - all we get to explore is student life, which is kinda kooky no matter what world you're in), just more STUFF. Still, Jane is wonderfully passionate an...more
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Read in January, 1998
An interesting take on Faerie as a distorted mirror of our own world, including technology and Magic/Science. The book is quite dark and sexually explicit, fitting with the mirror effect desired.
The main characters pale compared to the gorgeous setting, being quite predictable and flat. Or maybe it is intended and they are "archetypical". Nevertheless, it marks a difference on fantasy as was considered, influencing many books after it.
The main characters pale compared to the gorgeous setting, being quite predictable and flat. Or maybe it is intended and they are "archetypical". Nevertheless, it marks a difference on fantasy as was considered, influencing many books after it.
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
fans of Shadowrun, Bordertown or steampunk
Jane is a young girl, stolen from the human world to work in a Dickensian plant that services great steam-powered dragons. With a dragon’s help she escapes the factory, only to find that life in Faery is just as bad without a master as with. Although excited by her alchemy classes in school, Jane spends most of her time shoplifting and hanging out with drugged out punks. This is a highly dystopic book, but a very well written one.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 2000
A coming-of-age story set in a baroque, decadent world full of puckish and predatory characters. Swawick combines elements of fantasy and SF in an impressionistic manner that suggests more than it reveals, and creates a wonderful sense of unease. This is a character driven novel that is brutal and heartwarming, and very hard to put down.
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Read in September, 2007
I am almost finished with this book and so far am quite pleased. I had been searching for this book for a couple of years now and finally got a copy a few weeks ago. I had read a short story of the author's, in a "Year's best Sci-Fi" collection that takes place in the same 'reality.'
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
Sci/fi readers
This book confused me mostly. I hated the main character throughout; at some point you must learn to take responsibility for your life. The ending gave me hope, but failed as well. I've been told to read it again as the second time you get mroe out of it becuase you know what to expect.
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This book was really hard for me to understand the first time I read it. Then I read some reviews on the internet, got a bit more of an idea what it was about, re-read it and enjoyed it much more than the first time. Do research before reading this science fiction novel.
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A friend of mine lent me her copy of this book, swearing that I just had to read it. Gladdly I took it home and gave it a once over. A very distinct writing style and fun narrative. Unfortunately finding the author is hard where I live as I would like to read more.
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Read in February, 2007
I don't know exactly why I love this book so much, but I do. It reminded me a lot of "Wicked," but with more sex. The end gets a bit bogged down in high fantasy, which is the only reason I give it four stars instead of five.
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Read in November, 2007
It plays out more like a series of non-sequitered stories about one character rather than a novel with a consistent through line. Also there are too many climaxes to make any one of them thrilling.
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Read in October, 2007
I rarely disliked a fantasy novel. But this one really got to my nerves. I could not enjoy reading the book. I just finished it for the sake of "have nothing else to read" at that moment.
Sorry.
Sorry.
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Not my ususal genre, but ended up liking it.
Interesting combo of modern YA life in a dragon fantasy environment. Going to the mall and learning alchemy end up being a good fit.
Interesting combo of modern YA life in a dragon fantasy environment. Going to the mall and learning alchemy end up being a good fit.
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Just... odd. Takes a couple of read-throughs to put it all together (at least, if you read like I do), but it's totally worth it.
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Brilliant and dark, the world of faerie is dickensian in its cruelty. All a girl wants is to be free.
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After a chapter, it turned into anime and I haven't had the courage to face it again.
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
any sci-fi or fantasy fan
Weirdly good blend of sci-fi and a sort of contemporary elfin fantasy thing.
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