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Legend of the Five Rings: Clan War #6
The Dragon
The Dragon Rises!
For a thousand years and more, the world's most mysterious clan has dwelt secluded in its mountain fastness. Wrapped in tattoos and riddles, the Dragon has watched and waited until the time for revelation is right. Until now.
What draws them out? Whispers have always said that the Great Dragon would emerge only at the end of the world.
He Has Emerged.
Cover art by R.K. Post
For a thousand years and more, the world's most mysterious clan has dwelt secluded in its mountain fastness. Wrapped in tattoos and riddles, the Dragon has watched and waited until the time for revelation is right. Until now.
What draws them out? Whispers have always said that the Great Dragon would emerge only at the end of the world.
He Has Emerged.
Cover art by R.K. Post
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2001
5 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Ree Soesbee
81 books50 followersRee Soesbee is a writer, game designer, and lore editor for massively multiplayer online games as well as traditional pen and paper RPGs. She has authored more than sixteen novels in a wide variety of fantastic worlds ranging from the popular Legend of the Five Rings setting to Star Trek, Dragonlance, Deadlands, and Vampire: the Masquerade. Her body of work includes over a hundred RPG texts, and inclusion in numerous short story anthologies and professional literary journals. Currently, she is a lead designer and lore writer for Guild Wars 2; innovative follow-up to the award-winning Guild Wars MMORPG. Already, Guild Wars 2 has recieved Gamescom's 'Best Online Game' and MMORPG.com's 'Most Anticipated MMO' awards.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 24, 2010
This has nothing to do with this book. I read the first 5 books, thinking there were only 5, but then I saw there are 7 total. But I couldn't find this book in stores, so I checked online and the book was almost $25. For no apparent reason, none of the other books were so much. I checked again a couple months later and it was $50! So I watched for awhile, then picked it upfor $20, then read and and sold it online for $25. The ONLY explanation I could find was the print date was Sep 2001, I could only imagine a portion of the inventory was affected by the 9/11 attacks.
I may never know for certain, but I do know it was not the greatest book, but it did allow me to finish the series.
I may never know for certain, but I do know it was not the greatest book, but it did allow me to finish the series.
July 20, 2007
Become the Riddle
August 23, 2012
Being a fan of the Legend of the Five Rings CCG and the Dragon Clan this book to me was the highlight of the series. The continuation of the series set in the world of Rokugan.
June 15, 2019
“Become the riddle.”
*
what a wild book. did Ree Soesbee just...hate the Dragon? because this is the most unflattering picture of any clan that these books have presented — Crab included, since at least The Crab portrays them as dedicated even if deeply misled; the incessantly bickering Dragon come off here as selfish and petty (apart from Hitomi, who spends about half the book challenging every other person she meets to duels). what the fuck was Togashi doing for literally a thousand years to leave his clan so purposeless at the one moment in their entire history when they need to be totally unified? it just doesn’t make sense in-world.
aside from that broad narrative problem (at least Junzo showed up again in this book, though! he wasn’t completely forgotten), there were some other issues, especially around pacing — there were so many time jumps, some of which skipped over, like, crucial character development (Hitomi’s return to Otosan Uchi at the end, for example). the result felt rushed, like Soesbee was so focused on racing towards the Second Day of Thunder (which, perhaps not coincidentally, is the best-written part of the book — the epilogue, chapter 20, and the prologue) that she lost sight of the fact that the rest of the book needed attention, too.
Hitomi. she’s really just. like that. I said while reading The Crab that in another setting — one that’s less grim than Rokugan — her periodic appearances to scream at Yakamo to duel her would be almost funny. but they’re played seriously, and the result is a profoundly unlikable character. on the other hand, though, there’s maybe something to be said for a character whose arc is from “profoundly unlikable” to “slightly less unlikable” — especially in a setting like this, being a chosen hero doesn’t mean she has to be a nice person. she just has to be willing and capable to do her duty to the world.
all of that aside: the epilogue. what a beginning! that’s what’s got me most torn about this book: the bits surrounding the Second Day of Thunder are some of the strongest in the whole series so far.
anyway, I’m settling on three stars, somewhere between The Crab and The Crane.
*
what a wild book. did Ree Soesbee just...hate the Dragon? because this is the most unflattering picture of any clan that these books have presented — Crab included, since at least The Crab portrays them as dedicated even if deeply misled; the incessantly bickering Dragon come off here as selfish and petty (apart from Hitomi, who spends about half the book challenging every other person she meets to duels). what the fuck was Togashi doing for literally a thousand years to leave his clan so purposeless at the one moment in their entire history when they need to be totally unified? it just doesn’t make sense in-world.
aside from that broad narrative problem (at least Junzo showed up again in this book, though! he wasn’t completely forgotten), there were some other issues, especially around pacing — there were so many time jumps, some of which skipped over, like, crucial character development (Hitomi’s return to Otosan Uchi at the end, for example). the result felt rushed, like Soesbee was so focused on racing towards the Second Day of Thunder (which, perhaps not coincidentally, is the best-written part of the book — the epilogue, chapter 20, and the prologue) that she lost sight of the fact that the rest of the book needed attention, too.
Hitomi. she’s really just. like that. I said while reading The Crab that in another setting — one that’s less grim than Rokugan — her periodic appearances to scream at Yakamo to duel her would be almost funny. but they’re played seriously, and the result is a profoundly unlikable character. on the other hand, though, there’s maybe something to be said for a character whose arc is from “profoundly unlikable” to “slightly less unlikable” — especially in a setting like this, being a chosen hero doesn’t mean she has to be a nice person. she just has to be willing and capable to do her duty to the world.
all of that aside: the epilogue. what a beginning! that’s what’s got me most torn about this book: the bits surrounding the Second Day of Thunder are some of the strongest in the whole series so far.
anyway, I’m settling on three stars, somewhere between The Crab and The Crane.
September 18, 2022
The events of the Battle of Beiden Pass and the following battle with Fu Leng’s troops told from the perspective of the Dragon Clan. I definitely think the books in this series are getting better, not necessarily in quality of writing, but definitely in overall, combined storyline. I won’t say I liked Hitomi as a character but her progression, and Daini’s, gave the book much-needed thrust. I agree with some of the other reviews that the ending felt rushed. I imagine that the next book will pick up and detail more the Seven Thunders and their meeting with dark god Fu Leng, but their addition at the end of this novel seemed abrupt. Other than that, my largest issue with this series is that, while the setting and plot are so fascinating and gripping, I find it hard connecting to or caring about the characters. But I did enjoy this read and look forward to finishing up the final book in the series.
April 5, 2020
Sixth in the seven-book Clan Wars series for the Legends of the Five Rings game(s).
This book has us follow its highly unsympathetic protagonist, Hitomi, daimyo of the Mirumoto Family of the Dragon Clan, and to a lesser extent her younger brother Daini, from high status through failure and treachery to redemption.
Both become assets in the defeat of the ultimate enemy of this storyline (and up to that point, setting).
Presenting events through the eyes of members of just one of the seven Clans the respective books are named for leads to a somewhat disjointed reading experience that relies heavily on the reader's knowledge of events and characters from this series' previous volumes.
Still, a solid game novel, entertaining enough and definitely essential to the overarching story.
This book has us follow its highly unsympathetic protagonist, Hitomi, daimyo of the Mirumoto Family of the Dragon Clan, and to a lesser extent her younger brother Daini, from high status through failure and treachery to redemption.
Both become assets in the defeat of the ultimate enemy of this storyline (and up to that point, setting).
Presenting events through the eyes of members of just one of the seven Clans the respective books are named for leads to a somewhat disjointed reading experience that relies heavily on the reader's knowledge of events and characters from this series' previous volumes.
Still, a solid game novel, entertaining enough and definitely essential to the overarching story.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews