The Ring of Five Dragons

Pearl Saga #1

by Eric Van Lustbader

A towering epic of fantasy, The Pearl, is launched in The Ring of Five Dragons . Filled with action, color, and the myriad details of another world, The Pearl is the first great fantasy series of the new millennium, set to rival Robert Jordan, David Eddings, George R. R. Martin, Terry Brooks, and Terry Goodkind in popular appeal. This astonishing first volume opens as the Kundalan people have suffered for a century under the viciously oppressive, technologically-superior V'ornn invaders. In the resulting crisis of faith -- why hasn't their goddess Miina saved them? -- Kundalan religion has fallen under the control of evil forces from within who forbid the teaching of traditional sorcery, pretending to have no magic of their own. The V'ornn's mysterious leaders, the Gyrgon, know better, and search for the lost Ring of Five Dragons, the key to the door of the fabled Kundalan Storehouse, and perhaps to Kundalan sorcery as well. But misused, the Ring is the trigger of seemingly inexorable annihilation for V'ornn and Kundalan alike. Now from among the oppressed must arise the hero of prophecy, the Dar Sala-at, who alone can wield the sorcerous power to save the world. Thus begins a huge epic rooted in the conflict between spiritual and technological cultures. The twisting plot raises difficult and provocative moral questions in the course of a constantly surprising, sometimes shocking, fantastic adventure that will transport fantasy readers to new heights of enthusiasm, and make them ask for more.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, High Fantasy

688 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 11, 2001

About the author

Eric Van Lustbader was born and raised in Greenwich Village. He is the author of more than twenty-five best-selling novels, including The Ninja, in which he introduced Nicholas Linnear, one of modern fiction's most beloved and enduring heroes. The Ninja was sold to 20th CenturyFox, to be made into a major motion picture. His novels have been translated into over twenty languages.

Mr. Lustbader is a graduate of Columbia College, with a degree in Sociology. Before turning to writing full time, he enjoyed highly successful careers in the New York City public school system, where he holds licenses in both elementary and early childhood education, and in the music business, where he worked for Elektra Records and CBS Records, among other companies.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/ericva...

Reviews

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this book has exceeded my expectations. It blends science and sorcery in an interesting way. It is full of bizarre science-fictiony cliches and pseudo geek-speak, but it also has interesting characters. It, surprisingly, involves some critiques of gender assignments, freedom of choice politics, racism and classism that I was not expecting from a pulp sci-fi-fantasy novel.

[MadMaxx · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this idea, sci-fi meets fantasy, aliens meet mystical. My only problem with it was that it is on the wordy side for me, but that's me. I grew up with comics and picture books. The reason i read and loved the Hobbit was i had the old picture book with the 45 that would read it to me. Back to Ring of Five Dragons. It starts off interesting with the son the alien leader being put into the body of a female local who is now on the run. She or he(still the boy inside) finds friends and aids on the journey. I never read the series again but it is still in my collection, they were just too much to want to read a second time and the pay off was not that impacting for me. Some day i will take these back out and read some more but, there are other stories now days that are more my speed. I guess i should also add, i read this back in like 2000 before the eBook thing when it came out, i have first drafts of them, so i guess at the time i was interested in them. Maybe i will have to break them out, but as for now the new authors out there with just as cool of stories and not as long on words keep calling me back, but my love of fantasy and sci-fi will get me to pick this series up again. Check out the first couple of chapters yourself and see how you feel, that the great thing about books is you step in, and if you don't like you move to the next.

[Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man... this book was... interesting.

I really did try with this one. I gave it as much of a chance as I could. It just... kept doing all the wrong things. Lots of potential, really not so great on execution. The world-building is INCREDIBLY clumsy, first of all. This book suffers a lot from not knowing how to convey all of the information it needs to without using exposition... there's just too much. And there's too much going on in the plot too for one book, in my opinion. It's confusing and feels super rushed, the characters all feel like pieces of cardboard, and the vast majority of them are not likable at all. It's all very melodramatic, definitely not in a good way. The couple of interesting concepts that were in here were just buried by all of these huge issues.

That's not even all the issues I have, actually. Those are just the worst ones. I could also complain about the copious amounts of unnecessary sex scenes (at least half of those being rapes), the numerous cliches, the weird point of view switches mid-scene, and the typos. OH MY GOSH THE TYPOS. I don't know who fell asleep on the job while working on this book, but there were an ungodly number of grammar and formatting errors in this for a published piece of fiction. Commas added where they shouldn't be, no commas in the places they're necessary, misspelled words, tense shifts, even a spot where a scene changed and there was no paragraph break to clue the reader in. This book was a HOT MESS.

I'm giving it a two-star instead of a one-star because I feel kinda bad for it. With the amount of world-building stuff crammed forcefully into this, I get the sense the author probably cared and spent time thinking about this book. (Also most of the typos are in the second half, approaching the end, so I choose to believe the author got a little excited about what he was doing, and I can't fault him for enthusiasm I guess). And, as I mentioned before, there are some genuinely cool ideas in here that could have been explored to great effect... they just aren't. Overall, quite a disappointing read in my opinion. Unfortunately not worth the time for me.

[Filip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that was weird. At the same time very innovative and very clichee. The characters, the plot, the prose... that really irked me and made reading it to be a slog. That said, there are some REALLY good ideas in it, the worldbuilding is not bad... but all that makes me only more annoyed at the wasted potential.

I don't think I'll be reaching out for another volume.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly I know we are not to judge a book by its cover. But when I see dragons in the title and a girl sporting medieval clothes.. Well.. The last thing I expect is aliens. I was not given a nice summary to understand what the book is about. When I saw the typical reviews on the back I saw this book had technology. I thought technology meeting medieval times would be neat. I really did not expect aliens. And weird aliens at that. I wouldn't say it was awful, but definitely offputting and not for me!

[Mrs. Watermelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book! All of the major characters are strong, well-developed and well-written. Though it's a bit tricky to get past the first 100 pages, all the worldbuilding is worth it. Characters often question their own moralities, so it's not your typical good vs. evil fantasy tale. Not to mention there are ALIENS in this book! It's a breath of fresh air to see some sci-fi stuff too. The traditional idea of the "chosen one" tale is handled in a very interesting way, too. I had an absolute blast reading this. Please, please continue writing this series, Lustbader!!

[Leo Barrio · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good fantasy novel, a bit slow and dragging at start, but slowly it piques interest.

[HauVe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good innovation and cool planet, interesting storyline. Lots of fascinating stuff. I would have liked it a lot more, but I do not recommend to read for anyone that has been sexually assaulted or has considered or had an abortion.

Multiple rapes happen and are not presented well. Victims, if they have a reaction at all, are just kinda mad, and then move on unaffected. Rape is presented as very natural for the oppressor society in the book, and this is problematic for readers who have been exposed to it, and is problematic since the author repeatedly tries to make points about the pregnancies resulting from rapes. Philosophical arguments against rape victims considering an abortion felt ill-considered since the author did not show any understanding of what rape is.

As an analogy for people largely unexposed to rape, it felt like a book with veterans where the author has them return from war and be merry and unaffected by it. And then the author has the audacity to make philosophical arguments about how the VA should be run.

Otherwise decent book, with some really cool and unique scenes and ideas.

[Jeff Pfeiffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's got the makings of a good fantasy novel, but something is missing. It lacks intensity. The scenes just seem overly languid, like a PBS special. The names are a bit distracting as well, as he gives them triple K's and K's and the like, which makes it impossible to tell how they're supposed to be pronounced without the pronunciation guide in the back of the book. I get how he wants the invaders to seem alien with the odd spelling, but I got a little frustrated with it, and just plain bored with the idea.

It wasn't until the very end that the pace quickens, and you feel like you're really in the moment with the story. I don't have any urge to pursue the series after finishing this, the first installment.

The cover art by Keith Parkinson is gorgeous. Publishers don't give that kind of attention to a cover unless they think they've got something. Too bad the editor didn't advise increasing the pacing and losing the off spelling of names.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hooked by page 60--my new benchmark, having just turned that venerable age. However, by page 460 I had lost interest. The characters start out interesting but plod into predictability. The idea of space-faring aliens mixing with, and doing battle with, more "typical" fantasy figures was intriguing, but became confusing due to lack of in-depth explanation of cultural mores of both sides. When two characters stop to do some shock-sword training in the midst of being immediately hunted by hard-core, technologically superior, bad guys, I called it quits.

[Jimmacc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story. The world/rules/magic for this story is presented in very dense format. At several points, it feels like the situations are resolved by magical/science rules explained just at that moment. I found the pronunciation guide at the end both frustrating and useless- just spell the names they way they are to be pronounced.

If I find more books in this series, I am inclined to try them.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting ideas but I likely won't continue with the series, as I heard the author has abandoned it after 3 books . The book focuses about two rival alien spieces, one which has invaded and the other. There are some novel tweaks, but at its core, this book is the standard fantasy "chosen one" concept. Some of the characters are likable, others are too one-note.

Probably not worth picking this series back up unless the author confirms he'll finish off the series!

[Scott Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be prepared this is a monster to read. For me anyway, it was really complex and multilayered. I only stuck with it because I love the author. Once I learned the lingo and cultures and people of the book the story really started to hum along.
And by the end of book one I was very satisfied!
I just hope there’s no learning curve for the rest of the books. Cross my fingers. LOL.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book, so different from the rest of the fantasy/sci-fi canon. The premise - a highly sophisticated alien race conquering a comparatively primitive human planet - means that it intersects both genres and is really a refreshing change.

[Benjamin Kirkegaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found The Ring of Five Dragons a little slow for me to get into. However, once I got into the book, it was worth the read. The characters were interesting, if a little rushed in their development. The story was good and unique. I look forward to the next book.

[Laifalath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, struggle beyond the first 300 pages. The first 300 pages are really tough and boring, but thereafter this book is a great pleasure!
I'm looking for the next two parts...

[Carol & Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was hard to put down.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story but was a bit long and slow. I enjoyed it though and will continue to read rest of the series.

[Tiago Pereira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, sometimes confusing narrative mixing scifi and fantasy.

[Michael Vawser]

2P

[Debra Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complex and satisfying plot with many twists and turns. Pleasant blend of “science fantasy.” Archetypal characters to love and to hate. Stay-at-home space opera.

[Sarah Kay]

I have three books in this series and I’ll be honest I never finished the first one. It’s good I just was Ickes out by a lot of things in it. Seems like a story by men for men.

[Robert Zurn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up after 30+ pages, didn’t want to learn a new language just to read the book.

[Conan Tigard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ring of Five Dragons was my first novel by Eric Van Lustbader and I found myself quite pleased. This is not a novel that you can sit down with and polish off in a day or two, as it is quite large. The story moves along at a constant pace and there is plenty going on in all the different storylines to keep the reader engaged.

The characters are well-written and the story is intriguing. I found that I most enjoyed reading the storylines about Annon and Giyan, while my least favorite was about Stogggul and the V'ornn, but those storylines are a necessary evil to the fleshing out of the plot. The main character is quite likable, even if he/she is a little confused about how he should be acting towards the girl he fell in love with when he was a male.

The only thing I had a problem with, and it is not the author's fault, was the binding of the hardback book I had. It cracked a split open on page 30 when I was about two-thirds of the way through the story, and I wasn't treating the book harshly.

Overall, I would have to say that The Ring of Five Dragons is a great book and quite worthy of reading. So . . . if you want an interesting Fantasy/SciFi story, this is one that you will definitely like.

I rated this book an 8½ out of 10.

[Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is my opinion that a science-fiction book should not be more difficult to read than it is to understand. The invented language of the author distracts the reader on every single page, its pronunciation not at all intuitive or even logical, with tripled vowels always amounting to "w" at the end of the vowel they follow. (e.g., A prominent character, at least in as far as I managed to read, was named Wennn Stogggul. This was pronounced, according to the provided guide at the end of the book, "WOON STOW-gul," with "stow" rhyming with "go.")

If one can manage to get beyond the dizzying number of letters in nearly every character's name (and you will see them all, for many of the creatures who use this language always address each other with full names), there is allegedly a decent story behind it. However, as I am unable to ignore the language (let alone the "plot twist" at the end of part one, where I stopped reading altogether), I shall never be privy.

[Shane · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The Ring of Five Dragons" was, simply put, not very good, which is a shame considering I thought the initial premise had great promise. Here, a "primitive", faith and sorcery based people have been conquered by a "civilized", science and technology based people. This is an interesting dynamic. Unfortunately, however, the novel soon becomes far too confusing and nonsensical. There are vague prophesies, unexplained mystical objects, strange travel to other dimensions, "technomancy" whatever the heck that is, random daemons that don't affect the plot (or do they?). Too much, and almost never explained properly.
Some of the characterizations also seem haphazard or confused, such as Barrta or Eleana. I will admit the main character, Annon/Riane, was interesting, although why did the former have to somehow inhabit the latter's body?
The action sequences were well done; I wish there had been more of them.

[Carl Alves · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first thing about this novel is that it could be cut in half at a minimum. There was so much unnecessary, extraneous information. The characters did not fell real. The story was convoluted. In the world of the story, the Vornn are the invaders who have taken over the planet inhabited by the Kundalan. Despite this, the Vornn male seem to have no interest in the females of their species, but are overly enthralled with every Kundalan female on the planet. The story line is so convoluted that I can't even succinctly explain it. It does, however, involve a ring and the fate of the planet. The part that really lost me was when the main character, a Vornn male transforms into a Kundalan female. Yeah, exactly. Not to mention that if I see another word with three consecutive same letters, I might have to scream. This book is not worth reading.

Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this series many years ago and was intrigued by the lovely covers, but never managed to get far into the first book. Finally began it last year and found myself thoroughly engaged by the rich worldbuilding and language, the melding of fantasy and science fiction, and the likeable cast of characters, whom I came to care about and who go through many trials and ordeals. I like the author's writing style and the positive way he depicts women characters; they are strong and have their own agenda, and are not just there for decoration. If you enjoy being immersed in a world and have patience for detailed descriptions you may like this book.

[Berk · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strange book. Perhaps I should use the word unique instead of strange. Nah, it is both strange and unique.

This book everything that you are NOT looking for in a fantasy series, and that is why it is so great. No other fantasy/scienc fiction book that I have read has this many complicated and impposible to fully understand themes intertwined into a truly unusual story.

I like how weird it was. I enjoyed the not so subtle punctuations about gender, good and evil, love, sex, and rape. Good book over all.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to trip (or thripp, get it?) without taking drugs. What a gem.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Ring Of Five Dragons
A compelling read. Lots of interesting twists on the classic fantasy formula. The ending wasn't as big as it had been built up to. I was a little let down. Even for a book with sequels, it should've been better, I thought. There was an overwhelming amount of female characters for me personally. I don't mind violence, but it was overdone to the point of being boring. I know it doesn't sound like I liked the book, but I really did. I just don't know if I'll pursue the sequels.