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Steal the Dragon (Sianim #2)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 2,726 ratings · 124 reviews

A former slave girl gambles with her freedom to return to the land of her bondage--a world of deadly magic and deception.

From the author's website:
The second book in the Sianim series. A stand alone novel set in the same world as Masques.

Mass Market Paperback, Reissue of 0441002730 (9780441002733), 288 pages

Published by Ace (first published November 1st 1995)

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May 13, 2012 Kathy Davie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Second in the fantasy series, Sianim. The only connection any of the books have is the countries involved and the ae'Magi although the Voice of Altis, the current ruler of Cybelle, does get a mention in When Demons Walk.

In Steal the Dragon, a horse trainer in Sianim, Rialla, agrees to return to Darran from which she had escaped slavery in an effort to aid a Darran lord who wants to end slavery in company with a mercenary friend, Laeth, who is also a brother to that same lord. Naturally, there ar...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Jacey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

There are no dragons in this book – well there is, but not a significant one and it only appears on the page once, in a dream. So having got that out of the way, this is early Briggs (1995). It’s the second in her Sianim books, the first being her debut book, Masques which is so difficult to find that it’s listed at several silly priced from around $135 (so I haven’t read it yet). However not having read the first is no problem because this is a complete standalone (apparently the two books shar...more There are no dragons in this book – well there is, but not a significant one and it only appears on the page once, in a dream. So having got that out of the way, this is early Briggs (1995). It’s the second in her Sianim books, the first being her debut book, Masques which is so difficult to find that it’s listed at several silly priced from around $135 (so I haven’t read it yet). However not having read the first is no problem because this is a complete standalone (apparently the two books share some side characters) in which former dancer/slave, Rialla, is asked to return to the land of her slavery on an important mission for the Spymaster of the mercenary nation of Sianim.

She’s disguised as a slave to her spy-mission-partner Laeth and the big issue at first is whether she can go back to the guise of slavery and, indeed, whether, after seven years of freedom. she’s ever really left slavery behind. This is heightened by the appearance of her former slave-master and his demand (unmet) that his property be returned to him. When Laeth is accused of murder and incarcerated help appears from a totally unexpected quarter, the somewhat hunky, but rather strange healer, Tris, who is rather more than he appears. He’s not-quite-human for starters. With Laeth rescued and heading back to the Spymaster with the first part of the required intelligence, it’s left up to Rialla and Tris to find the real killer and that, means Rialla is going to have to let herself fall into her former owner’s clutches again.

Patricia Briggs has learned a lot about writing since she wrote ‘Steal the Dragon’, but the early promise was definitely there and this is well worth reading. Rialla’s internal conflict about her independence and her feelings about slavery are well done and not too heavy-handed. Tris is a decent love interest – for once a hero in a fantasy novel who does not carry weapons of any kind. Rialla is the sword-wielder of the pair, though mostly the problems are solved by brain-power rather than muscle power and by some hearty running away. Nice! But the ending – the actual consummation scene between the two protagonists – is a missed opportunity to explore the last of Rialla’s relationship issues. Briggs has herself admitted that (in an online interview) but also said that – at the time – Rialla’s issues had taken her right to the edge of her (then) writing ability. Happily her abilities to bring out characters and their issues and not take the easy option have developed at a great rate (see the Mercy Thompson novels for proof of that), however I’m looking forward to catching up (retrospectively) with some other early Patricia Briggs novels to see the progressive development of a huge talent.

Oh, and Steal the Dragon is a sneaky chess-like game of skill, strategy and guile which Tris is delighted to find Rialla can not only play, but can beat him at, too.
(less)

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Aug 03, 2011 Anita rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-traditional

This is book 2 in the Siaim series, but you really don't need to read this series in order - each story stands alone with a different setting and a different couple. There are no sex scenes, so I wouldn't call this romance, but in each of the 3 books, the lead characters fall in love. Mostly, it's traditional fantasy from the early days of Patricia Brigg's writing. She disparages her early works, but it's still strong. I can see why her publisher kept investing in her - she has a knack for creat...more

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Oct 03, 2010 (´*•.¸ღBexღ¸.•*´) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Steal the Dragon has so much to it. It is fairly short, but it does not read too fast, and nor does it read to slow. The characters are brilliant and not cliched messes.

We have a strong heroine, yes--but she's not that cold super-chick we see so often in fantasy now. No, she seems very human, and her motivations are realistic. The other characters are equally as entertaining and unique.

While Steal the Dragon was not Briggs' best written novel, I am willing to cut that slack. After all, this wa...more

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Jun 05, 2010 Cayleigh rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2010

I really like Briggs' Mercy Thompson series & have found myself enjoying some of her other stand alone books as well. This was not one of those times. Rialla is a former slave, she escaped to the country of Sianim and learned how to train horses & wield a sword. She is asked by the spy master to go back to her country to be a spy to help solve a problem and maybe help bring an end to slavery.
Sounds like a good story line, where I have my problem is the fact that she is asked to go back...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

My late husband bought this book, and although I love fantasy, it sat on the shelves for years before I read it because the cover didn't do it justice. I thought the half naked, buff chick looked tacky, and I thought it must be a book geared towards men. Also, the tagline, "a slave, swordwielder, and spy - some girls have all the fun" didn't inspire me at all. What girl -wants- to be a slave? How is that fun? This is a great example of don't judge a book by its cover.

I can't say that Steal the D...more

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Apr 04, 2009 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Steal the Dragon" is the tale of an escaped slave, Rialla, who returns to the land where she was enslaved. As a spy, she hopes through her efforts to support a peace accord that will end slavery. But to effectively spy, Rialla must (at least for awhile) become a slave again.

Briggs takes a slew of nasty topics -- murder, torture, rape, slavery -- yet avoids dropping the reader into despair or depression. This novel is enjoyable, lively and mainly light hearted, despite the weighty topics. The c...more

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Jun 28, 2009 Kit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i already had a copy of this lying in my TBR list, but didn't want to damage my own copy with any wear and tear, so instead borrowed a copy from the library instead. the cover of the library copy is a lot more updated and colorful, so it probably lended a different mood to what i would've expected going in with my copy instead. it's almost funny how much these little things affect my expectations, and i suspect that's why publishing companies still have marketing departments.

so, moving right on,...more i already had a copy of this lying in my TBR list, but didn't want to damage my own copy with any wear and tear, so instead borrowed a copy from the library instead. the cover of the library copy is a lot more updated and colorful, so it probably lended a different mood to what i would've expected going in with my copy instead. it's almost funny how much these little things affect my expectations, and i suspect that's why publishing companies still have marketing departments.

so, moving right on, i wanted to get into how this ties in with the previous book, masques, first. there are almost no recurring characters, but they are set in the same world; sianim is still the mercenary headquarters from where our protagonist originates, and the magic system is the same as the one from previous books. we learn that the ae'magi is a different man now, and learn more about the races that wield green magic. darran, which was introduced briefly in the first book, is the main setting in this one. the one main difference between the last one and this one is the nature of the characters themselves. the slave turned spy, rialla, is a lot more tortured than the heroine from the last book (damn, i forgot her name already). the relationship that developes throughout the book was also a lot less abrupt. instead of the slightly strange transition i felt in masques, i felt that there was a distinct buildup of the relationship between rialla and tris. however, i didn't find any of the other characters all that compelling, which was a shame, because i never got a true taste of the villain, really. at least, that's how i felt. not much of a fight against overwhelming forces here, but it definitely did concentrate more on the spying she did.

while masques explored torture quite vividly, this one is also quite dark in its own way; among them i found rape and slavery the most prevalent and disturbing. though sometimes i felt that her talk of slavery is only slightly melodramatic, the rape thoroughly disturbed me, only because i am not accustomed to reading about it. the way she ends (sort of) the issue raised with slavery with the conversation near the end is quite satisfying, and it ties religion loosely with the concept of slavery, which is also quite thought provoking. the Finis chapter, though, makes me curious; is this supposed to be the opener for the next book? because that chapter in itself ruined the closure she had established by the end of the chapter before it. i guess i'm going to have to read the next book yet in the sianim world to find out what happens to the rising political conflicts here. i'm somewhat reluctant to move on though, because it would require me to leave behind yet another character. this is yet another reason why i find her series that share protagonists that much easier to read. but aside from that, i will certainly try.(less)

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Sep 06, 2011 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

If you've read other books by this author, you might be disappointed.
Bottom Line: Try before you buy
I had read the Mercy series by Briggs, so I was expecting something along those same lines, in the quality of writing and quality of story.
However, this book was a complete surprise because it did not match the Mercy series in the slightest way..not even a hint of it. And the reason, it's a much earlier work of the author's...like 1995.
Setting that aside, as a stand alone story, it was just 'okay'...more

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May 10, 2011 May rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The whole time I read this book I kept wondering what the point was, what issue(s) would be resolved and how would it end up standing alone? The answer is: it was really interesting, at times quite dark reading but at the end it leaves more questions than answers.

There's a reason why these fantasy/sci-fi/alternate reality/world books tend to run in series, and that's because there are questions, issues, and generally just too much info to possibly fit into a single satisfying read.

Book still g...more

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Oct 23, 2010 Estara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-read, read-in-2010

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

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Apr 15, 2010 vylit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fantasy, fiction

This is the first Patricia Briggs book that I ever read, and I read it so long ago that I was afraid that the book wouldn't live up to my memory. Fortunately, while I don't love it with the passion I did when I was a teenager, I still think it's a good book.

Rialla is interesting, and while I think the book could have been longer, and we could have known the character better, I think she is both contradictory and charming. Tris is kind and genuinely seems to care for Rialla by the time the novel...more

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Nov 18, 2008 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

A pretty good fantasy with a believable female heroine. Her world has interesting magic, a good plot & well formed characters. It was an enjoyable read.

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Oct 23, 2010 Tess rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

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

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Mar 02, 2012 Rekall rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: female-mc, adult, 3rd-person-pov, fantasy, female-author

In some ways I thought the summary on the back of the book was misleading. I thought it was going to be a slave's journey from freedom to revenge. Somewhat like a female version of the film 'Gladiator' only set in a fantasy world instead of ancient Rome. Instead the story begins with Rialla already freed and she's not a spy but rather a horse master who is bribed into going under cover as a slave with a mercenary friend of hers.

Despite the novel not being what I expected, I still enjoyed it for...more In some ways I thought the summary on the back of the book was misleading. I thought it was going to be a slave's journey from freedom to revenge. Somewhat like a female version of the film 'Gladiator' only set in a fantasy world instead of ancient Rome. Instead the story begins with Rialla already freed and she's not a spy but rather a horse master who is bribed into going under cover as a slave with a mercenary friend of hers.

Despite the novel not being what I expected, I still enjoyed it for the first half of the story. It's during the second half, I felt things feel apart and is completely the reason why I rated it so low.

For over half of the novel we are repeatedly told that dancers like Rialla are valuable slaves and that's why Rialla does not fear returning to her former master since she knows she will not be harmed too much. But then, after only be back a few days, Rialla is raped by her master's son. The reader is also told that Rialla was raped during her former life as a slave as well and it's apparently a normal occurrence for dancers.

I fully realize that these are slaves and so rape should be expected, but don't tell us that dancers are slaves who are not harmed and then go and harm them by one of the most horrifying acts possible. The worst is nothing happens to these rapists. Rialla rapists goes unharmed by the end of the novel (he's actually a lot better off at the end than during the course of it). And another lord who once raped and murdered a girl (which cause Rialla to escape when she had been a slave) is in an even better position.

The other thing that really bugged me in the second half of the novel is the healer. Through out the first half of the story, he's pretty sweet. And then he goes and soul bonds himself to Rialla without her consent. Is Rialla mad at him when she finds out? Nope, we're simply supposed to accept that it was a "wonderful" thing that happened to her.

It's a shame that rape and forced bonding had to get in the way of what had been an entertaining story in the beginning. I was prepared to give this novel 4 stars until I read the second half.(less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Allison Boroda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Steal the Dragon is the third book in Patricia Briggs' Sianim Series. Each book builds on the story of the history of a fantastic world known as Sianim. The first two books, Masques and Wolfsbane were dedicated to the relationship between Aralorn and Wolf (aka Cain Ae'Magi). Steel the Dragon takes us beyond that time to meet Rialla and Tris. In a style similar to that of author Sara Douglass, Patricia Briggs weaves a tale of mystery, human frailty, personal growth and love all wrapped within a f...more

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Jul 11, 2010 Crystal Starr Light rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: simply-the-best, fantasy, signed-by-author, so-good-it-s-awesome

"It's my turn to help steal something from them--from him"
Another find from my local used bookstore, I needed something light after an intensely horrible book.
Rialla had been a slave, but she escaped to the Sianim, a mercenary clan. Now, Ren, the leader of the clan, is having her leave with Laeth to protect Laeth's brother, Karsten, from death. But their mission changes drastically, threatening the safety of their lands.

I Liked:
Most of my experience in the fantasy genre has been Tolkein's works...more

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Feb 16, 2009 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, lady-assassins

Briggs has a knack for writing strong, sympathetic female characters, and Rialla is no exception. She's spunky without becoming annoying, and while she accept help from Laeth and Tris, she's a competent heroine in her own right. Tris also makes for an engaging hero with unique abilities, if considerably more enigmatic than the lady.

I was a little confused by the whole empath thing. At the beginning of the story, it's said that Rialla had largely lost her powers during her term as a slave, but t...more

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Aug 23, 2008 Janice (Janicu) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the story of Rialla. As a young woman she belonged to a travelling clan and was a gifted empath, but her family was killed by slavers and she was made a dancing slave in Darran. The carnage of her clan ripped away most of her empathic ability. She escaped the slavers and went to the mercenary country of Sianim where she found a job as a horse trainer. But her life as a horse trainer is interrupted: her past as a slave in Darran makes her the perfect spy. She is sent to protect a lord pus...more

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May 06, 2008 Ron rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Felicia Day

Shelves: fantasy-sf

I enjoyed this book a great deal. I love her style for plot. She doesn't drag out what is going to happen next. If it seems like the obvious thing to happen, it just happens and quickly. If there is a surprise, then that happens naturally and is explored to the depth it should

There were a number of times I felt, "Hey she can't be doing that now, there's not enough book left."

So the story is rich.

The characters are well done, but not super deep. Mostly they just deal with tragedy and don't wallo...more

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Dec 03, 2010 Linda George rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story of Rialla. When she was young, slave traders from Darran ambushed her clan, killing all the men and enslaving the women and children. After living in Bondage for years as a Dancer, she has escaped an found a home in Sianim, caring for the horses of the Mercenaries there. When her good friend needs help in finding out who is trying to kill his brother, Lord Kristen, who wants to end slavery, she agrees to play "his slave" to explore what is going on. Of course, it turns out to be far mo...more

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Jun 26, 2011 ***Dave Hill rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: text

A very fast read, full of a mish-mosh of romantic fantasy cliches. Evil mages, threatening cults, a protagonist who is an ex-slave dancer turned spy, with elves, vampires, shapeshifters, and court politics thrown in for good measure. Set in a common world with other stand-alone fantasy novels of hers, this by no means as interesting as Briggs' Mercy Thompson series, and nothing that makes me at all interested in finding other books by her outside that.

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Sep 29, 2010 stitchnsnitch rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm a big fan of Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega and Mercy Thompson series, so I decided to go back and read some of her "stand alone" works.

This book was good, but I thought that it wasn't as well crafted as some of Ms. Briggs' other work. The plot wasn't as tight as I would have liked and the characters weren't as fleshed out as they could have been, but it was still a nice read, and I look forward to reading other books from Ms. Briggs.

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Dec 26, 2012 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a quick read - I've read some of the books in Briggs' Mercedes Thompson series, and I think that Steal the Dragon packs less punch than her later books. Nevertheless, the plot flowed well and kept me interested, and I really liked the main character, Rialla, and the overall character development. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the other books in the Sianim series!

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Mar 14, 2012 Lj Ducharme rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you're looking for a new "Mercy Thompson", then this isn't it. I very much enjoyed this book, but felt it was lacking some of the humour that I've come to appreciate in Ms. Briggs writing. As I type this I recognize I'm not being fair to an author by pigeon-holing them into a certain style. Forgive me.
I went into this book expected a certain thing, but got something completely different. And it was good. Don't get me wrong. I will continue to read other books in this particular series.

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Jan 04, 2011 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Even though only two minor characters overlap, this is a very entertaining installment in the Sianim series. The story was completely compelling, and skipped over objectionable content without losing the thread of the story. The romance is a subtle, emotional one with unusual characters the like of which I have not read before. Lucky me, I already have the sequel in my hands. :) 4.5 stars

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Dec 30, 2010 Music_lover3 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this one, lots of good things happening. I think she could've wrapped things up a bit better, namely the relationship/emotional stuff and the invasion thing. But otherwise I really liked it, and I loved the relationship between Rialla and Tris. I would love to read more about these characters. Sadly there isn't another book with them. Briggs is a wonderful storyteller. I wish I had bought this book instead of borrowed it from the library.

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Sep 23, 2010 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am very prejudice toward Patricia Briggs. I love her other books and expect a riveting time when I read them. This wasn't quite the journey to another land I wanted it to be, but it was still very good. (Much better than that leopard one!) I enjoyed the story, world and characters and she really is a fun writer.

Recommend it if you like her others. If you haven't read Mercy Thompson books, read those first!

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Oct 19, 2010 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-reads

I really enjoyed this early work of Patricia Briggs. I have read all the Mercy books but this is the first of the older works I have read.

Overall, I thought it was written well and an easy read. Nothing seemed pushed or rushed even though the book is short.

Rialla learns to control her gift throughout the book. I also liked that her relationship with Tris was not pushed too hard through the book. It seemed very flow gradually.

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Nov 16, 2009 Elin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy

I liked it but not as much as her werewolf books. I will be looking for the others in the series. I'm a little disappointed to see that they have different characters. I felt like this ended a little fast. I also would have like to have seen the romance developed a little more.
As always I appreciate that Briggs doesn't dwell on details of pain and torture.

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About Patricia Briggs

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a na...more

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