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205 ratings, 3.88 average rating, 19 reviews
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published
May 12th 1987
(first published 1985)
by Del Rey
binding
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
isbn
0345349393
(isbn13: 9780345349392)
description
When the Black Dragon seized the Deep of Ylferdun, young Gareth braved the far Winterlands to find John Aversin, Dragonsbane -- the only living man ev...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 278)
Read in February, 2008
When a huge black dragon descends upon the Deep of Ylferdun, young Gareth sets out to find the Dragonsbane, the only man alive who has ever defeated a dragon. But Sir John Aversin is not what Gareth had hoped for—he’s a scruffy academic who is less concerned about honor than he is the health of his villagers’ pigs. And Aversin’s lady love is not what Gareth had expected either: a plain, middle-aged witch, who has borne Aversin two sons out of wedlock and is utterly unapologetic. Swall...more
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recommends it for:
Anyone who likes fantasy or romance
In this, one of her more recognizable works, Barbara Hambly demonstrates her great potential as an author and that she perhaps deserves more respect and recognition than she gets. 'Dragonsbane' is a well written, imaginative, and mature (in all the best and truest senses of the word) fantasy story with well drawn and complex characters. Additionally, Hambly spends a good deal of time demythologizing her mythology and the mythology of the faerie story and heroic epic in general, but manages to ...more
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Read in January, 2008
Hambly writes adults, a rarity in the fantasy genre; in particular, Dragonsbane is a depiction of middle-aged regret, of people who because of historical circumstances and personal situations will never achieve what they dream of, and somehow Hambly writes it in a way that's not depressing and that appealed to me even as an adolescent unsympathetic to the failure to achieve. Also, the dragons are cool.
Under no conditions read the sequels. In fact, let us agree that the publishing rec...more
Under no conditions read the sequels. In fact, let us agree that the publishing rec...more
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1 comment
recommends it for:
everybody execpt for natasha (natasha hates good books)
it is awesome! i really really liked it! though that might be because i haven't read a new book for monthes, but still it was reeeeally good. Its about these people who come to slay a dragon, but when they get there they have to deal with a problem thats waaay worse then any old dragon. It sort of changes the way you think about heroes in stories and ballads and stuff. I really enjoyed reading it. The only part I didn't like was when it seemed like she ended the book with a reeeeeeeally bad endi...more
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I love this book and have read it more than once. The characters are believeable and certainly not heroic in the normal sense. They are like people you would meet doing what needs to be done in real life, except there is a dragon.
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Read in February, 2008
Practically written with the intent of turning fantasy trademarks on its ear, an uncharming prince seeks a hero, who turns out to be middle-aged bespectacled Lord John Aversin and his mistress Jenny Waynest, a witch of middling power. Unwillingly they go with Prince Gareth to slay a dragon only to find an enchantress with a evil plot to seize power forbidden to her. Attempting to untangle her web of corruption brings all the characters, dragon included, closer together resulting in a sincere and...more
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Hambly establishes herself as a master of combining Fantasy with modern emotion and consequences beginning with her book Dragonsbane. From the spectacle wearing hero and the menopausal witch who bore his children, Hambly makes light of idea of perfect players in deadly situations that is prevalent throughout the genre. Instead she shows petty teenagers with a flare for drama, puffed up royal courtiers under a veneer of political corruption and backwoods heroes that you admire because they are ...more
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Read in January, 1992
Probably cheesy to some but an escapist gem. Maybe I love it because I first read it when I needed escape. Very easy to lose myself in Hambly's beautiful writing. Also, you know that musical phrase, that sunset on an empty beach, that gesture that can bring tears to your eyes? This book had many of those for me. Poignancy? Beauty? Romance in the sense of the movement, not the checkout counter paperbacks?
Plenty of action, psychological metaphors, humor. Still love this tale.
Plenty of action, psychological metaphors, humor. Still love this tale.
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recommends it for:
dragon lovers
What at first seems to be a straightforward "hero slays dragon" tale, turns out to be much more complex. Characters are multi-dimensional and far from perfect, including the dragon Morkeleb, my favourite dragon in literature. Not what you would expect.
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Gorgeous fantasy examining the nature of humanity through a witch and her lover, a dragon, and an enchantress who is endangering the land with her greed. Avoid the sequels.
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Read in August, 2008
Very good fantasy series. Strong female Witch character without long drawn out battle scenes. Characters also aren't black and white. Creative dragon depictions.
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Hicks come to court. Very well done. Don't read any of the other books that follow, the author tortures her characters for no story benefit whatever.
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Read in February, 2008
Eh, it was pretty good. I'm running out of scifi/fantasy to read in the PC library sadly...a tad misogynistic I'd say, too. Odd, that.
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2 comments
My favorite of Hambly's novels. Jenny Waynest and Lord John Aversin are not the usual fare for a love story.
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High quality fantasy - Barbara Hambley writes male protagonists I invariably fall in love with.
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recommends it for:
Dragon Fantasy books
My son might get this book for Christmas!
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Read in January, 1986
Best novel from a very good fantasy writer.
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