The Dawn Star

Lost Continent #3

by Catherine Asaro

With no teacher to guide her, no mentor to discourage her from the impossible, Mel Dawnfield pushed her magic to its limits -- and surpassed them. Only to find that her powers aren't enough to halt burgeoning rebellion within her husband's fledgling realm -- or a plot devised to strike at the very heart of Mel's family.

The lines have been drawn.

Mel's mage strength has become greater than any power ever known, but dare she forge her spells into weapons to protect her people, her husband? For her magic might transform the brutality of war into the birth pangs of a peaceful empire…unless it proves the death blow to her world.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Fantasy Romance, Fiction, High Fantasy, Adult

448 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2006

About the author

The author of more than twenty-five books, Catherine Asaro is acclaimed for her Ruby Dynasty series, which combines adventure, science, romance and fast-paced action. Her novel The Quantum Rose won the Nebula® Award, as did her novella “The Spacetime Pool.” Among her many other distinctions, she is a multiple winner of the AnLab from Analog magazine and a three time recipient of the RT BOOKClub Award for “Best Science Fiction Novel.” Her most recent novel, Carnelians, came out in October, 2011. An anthology of her short fiction titled Aurora in Four Voices is available from ISFiC Press in hardcover, and her multiple award-winning novella “The City of Cries” is also available as an eBook for Kindle and Nook.

Catherine has two music CD’s out and she is currently working on her third. The first, Diamond Star, is the soundtrack for her novel of the same name, performed with the rock band, Point Valid. She appears as a vocalist at cons, clubs, and other venues in the US and abroad, including recently as the Guest of Honor at the Denmark and New Zealand National Science Fiction Conventions. She performs selections from her work in a multimedia project that mixes literature, dance, and music with Greg Adams as her accompanist. She is also a theoretical physicist with a PhD in Chemical Physics from Harvard, and a jazz and ballet dancer. Visit her at www.facebook.com/Catherine.Asaro

Reviews

[John Loyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost Continent #3 picking up shortly after The Misted Cliffs. Jade is worried that Cobalt will invade Taka-Mal. If she combined her forces with Jazid they could probably stop Cobalt's Chamberlight forces, but Ozar is a misogynistic tyrant and his terms would make her his subjugated wife. Instead her plan is to kidnap Drummer, Mel's uncle, to use as a hostage so that Cobalt won't continue his conquest. Meanwhile Cobalt and Mel have their own saga. Stonebreaker dies leaving Cobalt king of the Misted Cliffs. Stonebreaker was a domineering father to Dancer and an abusive grandfather to Cobalt. After he could no longer to it physically Stonebreaker still manipulated Cobalt's psyche. Between Drummer's kidnapping (which turned into romance), being incited by Stonebreaker and some third party manipulations by Ozar, Cobalt is hungry for battle.

Fast read, intrigue, romance, action, betrayals. The drive for some of these leaders to expand their territory seems a bit taken for granted. Why? Ego? Extra taxes? I'm a better ruler than what they have now? Preemptive strike? This is the way things have always been? I guess without a bit of irrationality there'd be less story, and less need for the calming presence of Melody. 4.5 stars.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love cobalt's character and feel he is the strongest one for me. He shows strength from both ends of the emotional scale. To love someone so deeply you would level the lands with out so much as a thought or hesitation. Whew.. Steamy! That's a lot of passion. So much so that it’s barely believable that it can be contained in one human being. But Cobalt isn’t just your average man; he is big and strong and has an enormous heart, for those he loves. Mel as certainly released something in him. I hope there is more about cobalt and Mel to come. I really enjoy reading about them.
The Dawned Star brought another story in and I liked it but it kept taking me away from Cobalt.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great! Need to read more by her.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The middle of this book was actually really good. It was well written and had interesting plot twists.

The beginning and end were not as good. We've got the same problem here with the villains as the first book. They're bad then they're not so bad. Which is it? Baz especially made a 180 degree turn around. It left me thinking, 'Wait. What just happened here.'

The banter between characters has an immature feeling to it. I have to smile when characters are talking to one another even in serious moments because they sound silly to me. I also would've liked to feel more of the characters emotions. In the first and second book, I felt a connection with the characters that I just didn't feel here even though they're mostly the same characters.

I do have to say towards the very end when Jade and Mel encounter one another, I could really feel Jade's insecurity in the presence of the warrior queen.

[Jedi Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asaro is one of my favorite authors, but in both her Skolia series, and here in Dawn Star, she has written books built to carry political plots forward within a larger series of books. This and one of her recent Skolia books featured masses of familiar characters getting cameos and climaxed with a treaty. That kind of book is never going to be as good as a book driven by character and relationship development and focused on a more immediate plot/conflict. I dislike the style of book where you have to jump from character to character- some of whom you care about more than others. (For example, I read Game of Thrones out of order. I'd rather learn Arya's story in one go without forcing myself to plod through a host of characters I could care less about.)

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heroine married her hero a book or so ago. He’s the son of a famously ambitiously evil would-be-conqueror father, and the grandson of an abuser. But he wants to do better. For the heroine. She’s from a very loving royal family where magic is required to rule, but her magic came in late, so she doesn’t know how to work it very well. There’s lots of adventure in this story—kidnappings and rescues and snookery. And the romance is lovely too—the hero struggling against his past, trying to find a new way. The heroine fighting to do what’s best for the man she loves, and keep him from backsliding... One of the best in this series, IMO.

[R.L. Stedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great escapism. I love this sort of fantasy novel, where the heroine and hero are treated as equally relevant to the plot, and where the heroine gets to enjoy kick-arse fighting! Can't believe I haven't read Asaro up until now. I have two quibbles with this story - there's a lot of back-story filling in that read like info dumps - that might be because this is the third part in a series and I haven't read the other books. And there's a lot of convenient finding out of powers just at the moment they're required. Having said that, if you're prepared to suspend disbelief, its still lots of fun. I want to read more.

[Stacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the previous one. For a book that's marketed as "fantasy romance," there sure wasn't a lot of "romance" in it. I didn't really like the instalove between Jade and Drummer. I wasn't expecting the revelation of Cobalt's ancestry at the end of the novel, which was interesting. Other than that, it was just okay.

[Elar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This time nothing new in essential happened - some people discovered their inherited powers, kidnapping, falling in love with a Stockholm syndrome. Terrifying is that maybe I am already used to this soft romantic fantasy and that is why it got higher rating.

[Hilary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Untrained mages are a danger to themselves and others. War provides a powerful catlyst -- and training ground -- even for the self-taught.

Okay. So I read it because the cover was pretty.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just okay for me. It's not as good as the first two in the series, but if you like the setting, it's worth reading.

[DemetraP · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was full of war and conquering. I preferred the Misted Cliffs which was more romantic.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the 'second' one, I didn't really care much about Jade and what happened with Ozar, I just wish it would've sticked with Mel and Colbat's view.

[Amy Sheldon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the previous ones.

[Mamak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1 was ok, 2 was better and book 3 was better yet. Looking forward to book 4 to see what is next.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like The Misted Cliffs before it, The Dawn Star seemed to take a little while to get going, but once it did, the story flew.

Asaro has created a fascinating world here, that gets more complicated as she ties all the various countries up into various alliances. I'm glad there is a second trilogy coming so I can find out how the events of this book change the future of the settled lands.

I love all the characters as well. I was initially annoyed when first Drummer and later Jade were introduced - I wanted to know more about Mel and Cobalt, not be sidetracked by new characters. However, I was quickly won over. Now I want to know more about Jade and Drummer as well as Cobalt and Mel. Oh, and more about Chime and Muller and most of all, more about Iris and Jarid.

Jarid and Iris actually remain my favourites in this series and I wish they'd got a full book instead of just a novella. Ah well, I can always go and reread Moonglow.

One of the lovely things about Mel and Cobalt's developing relationship in this book is the way neither of them has turned into a perfect hero or heroine. They function really well together and temper each other perfectly, but they need each other and alone neither is anything as strong. Or, especailly in Cobalt's case, as balanced. He needs Mel, not so much to keep him in check, but to keep him in touch with parts of himself he doesn't really believe are there.

As for Drummer and Jade, theirs is just a lovely - if complicated - romance and I thoroughly enjoyed how it played out.

My biggest - and really only - complaint is simply that the book isn't long enough to give everyone the screen time and character development they deserve, leaving me feeling vaguely unfulfilled. I've had a lovely meal, but I'm still kind of hungry.

[Copied across from Library Thing; 17 October 2012]

[Kelsie Beaudoin (The Bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dawn Star was every bit as exciting as I hoped it would be. Plus, look at the cover! I love the cover art on these books. Just so fantastic! We get the continuation of Cobalt and Mel’s story line, which was perfect because I really liked them as characters.

One of the things I love best about Mel and Cobalt is that neither is perfect. Together they temper each other, making each other stronger, but apart they are not as strong, and Cobalt wants to ravage every kingdom in sight. I think my favorite part of this book was when Mel was kidnapped. She is chained in a cell and focuses her power just enough to free herself. It was fantastic. And then, because Cobalt thinks she is dead, he goes into a tornado of rage and starts conquering nearby countries. It was so beautiful, his love for her.

Read the full review at: http://readbookwormread.blogspot.com/...!

[Soopi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book filled in a bit of information that I didn't have because I missed the second book and read the fourth after the first ... confused ... yes well welcome to my life. Luckily you don't have to read them all in order to understand what's going on. But there is a sequential order of events through out these books over years or even months of the characters' lifespans. I'm looking forward to finding out more. I think the author is enjoying her creation and I am happy to go along for the ride.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melody Dawnfield and Cobalt the Dark are happily wed, but Cobalt's thirst for power and conquest may threaten all they hold dear.

Talk about an alpha hero! Cobalt continues on with his conquesting ways, even after his love repeatedly tells him she doesn't want it. This time we get to meet the queen of Taka Mal, Jade, as she schemes to find allies in the face of the imminent threat of invasion. Jade and Drummer were a great addition to the series, and I loved learning about some more countries and cultures in this fantasy world.

[Kerry (The Roaming Librarian) O'Donnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book dealing with the Aronsdale people and it was interesting. I liked all the political intrigues and the different cultures in this book. It gave it a bit more spice. I will say, it was a bit predictable, but a fast read and enjoyable. I really enjoyed the character of Mel, and I wasn't entirely sure that this is the last book we will see of this world. There were more questions to answer and characters to hear from.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I like books in series that carry on for quite a while, but still intertwine with each other. I found that I really liked Drummer, and all of the characters in the story just continued to add to their background. Mel is my favorite. I love the way she strikes fear and awe in to everyone who sees her. Good battle politics and love stories intermingled. Makes me remember why I like Asaro so much.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 of Lost Continent collection

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun and good character development, as usual for the author

[Lynn Calvin]

SF,Romance

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent conclusion to the series! I'm sad that I won't be able to read about Mel and Cobalt anymore.

[Lindsey Rojem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one more than the first two, but it still feels too quick. Fall in love in two days and have a war in an afternoon. Good for a quick read though.

[Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Bonnie O'malley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's not to like each was new book in this series draws you into the storyline that is well developed and easy to read.

[Medea Sweet]

I think that is there's no more, I shall be disappointed.