The Last Dragonlord

This “winning fantasy epic” introduces a race of dragon shifters with “political intrigue, romance, bloody menace, and sweeping adventure” (Booklist).Dragonlord Linden Rathan, last-born of a race of immortal weredragons, has spent six hundred years alone, searching for his soultwin while his fellow Dragonlords watch over humanity’s Five Kingdoms.When the Queen of Cassori dies mysteriously, Linden and the other Dragonlords are called upon to prevent civil war as two human claimants vie for the regency. As the battle for Cassori rule escalates, Linden becomes the target of the Fellowship, a secret society of true-humans who could actually destroy his immortal life.Then he meets a beautiful young ship captain named Maurynna who may be the only one who can help Linden bring Cassori back from the brink of chaos. The Last Dragonlord is the debut novel in Joanne Bertin’s acclaimed Dragonlord series.

Amazon.com Review

Linden Rathan is the last of a race of weredragons--magical, nearly immortal half-humans who can transform themselves into mighty dragons. Linden is one of three dragonlord judges who will determine the next ruler of a true human kingdom. Political and sorcerous machinations and ancient hatred threaten the dragonlords' decision, and Linden must sort out the good from the evil, all the while fighting loneliness and despair. When he meets a beautiful young sea captain, Linden thinks he might have a chance at love after all. This is Joanne Bertin's first novel, and sometimes her storytelling ambitions make for a bit of confusion when new characters, history, and plot devices are introduced all at once. The Last Dragonlord is an excellent fantasy, nonetheless, with interesting, sympathetic characters and an intriguing setup. Fans of Anne McCaffrey's Pern series and other high fantasy sagas will find themselves caught up in a wonderful, romantic world.

From Publishers Weekly

Action brews constantly at several interstices within the web of characters in this honest and engaging first novel by Bertin. Linden Rathan, youngest of the Dragonlords?humans born with souls that are half human and half dragon?is lonely. Since the time he was born, six centuries ago, the True Dragons have not sensed the birth of a fledgling Dragonlord. It is feared that Linden's soul-twin?the Dragonlord with the other halves of his two souls?will never be born. Linden and the soultwins Kief and Tarlna are sent to Casna to settle a simple dispute over a king's regency?but the plot that unfolds there is far from simple. A group called the Fraternity of Blood seeks to destroy the Dragonlords using magic the likes of which has been seen only once, many centuries before. The brewing conflict between good and evil becomes more complex with the entrance of Otter, bard and longtime friend of Linden, and of Maurynna, one of the youngest and spunkiest ship captains anyone has seen, along with a host of characters from the court. Bertin's writing is only serviceable, but the flow of action and many layers of intrigue will float readers toward her novel's hard-fought conclusion. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Newcomer Bertin launches a winning fantasy epic featuring weredragon Linden Rathan, presumed to be the last-born Dragonlord, for there have been no other new ones since his own First Change. He is assigned by the Lady, ruler of Dragonskeep and the Dragonlords, who are "lords and servants of humankind," to be one of the three Dragonlords sent to the kingdom of Cassori in the mortal world to judge a dispute over its regency. The trio finds terrible danger and evil magic arising from the machinations of the Fellowship, a powerful, clandestine society, and of one scheming mage in particular. The beautiful and spirited sea captain Maurynna Erdon, who may be an incipient Dragonlord and Linden's "soultwin," also is threatened by those seeking to bring down the Dragonlords. What with political intrigue, romance, bloody menace, and sweeping adventure as well as well-realized characterizations and intricate, believable world building, this is full-bodied fantasy, sure to be a hit with fans of Dickson's Dragon Knights (e.g., The Dragon in Lyonesse, reviewed below) and McCaffrey's Pern. Sally Estes

Judith Tarr

“At last--a new take on dragons! Delightful characters, well-realized setting, witty dialogue, and a whole new species of dragon. I can't wait to read the further adventures of Linden and Maurynna.”

Anne McCaffrey

“I enjoyed this very much indeed. It's nice to find a new writer of such obvious merit and vivid imageries. Joanne Bertin is a brand-new author whose first yarn is extremely readable, with good descriptions, good characterization, and really evil people for villains.”

From the Publisher

Praise for The Last Dragonlord: "I enjoyed this very much indeed. It's nice to find a new writer of such obvious merit and vivid imageries. Joanne Bertin is a brand-new author whose first yarn is extremely readable, with good descriptions, good characterization, and really evil people for villains."I stayed up until 1:30 last night so I could finish it off. With a good book like this, I didn't want to miss anything." --Anne McCaffrey "Joanne Bertin's The Last Dragonlord is fresh and different, a story nobody's ever told before. The writing is clear and powerful, and the characters appealing. Altogether, I had a wonderful time." --Joan D. Vinge "The Last Dragonlord by Joanne Bertin features villains who have not lost their humanity, and heroes who are still capable of making mistakes. Court intrigues are entangled with unabashed romance in this fast-paced and satisfying story. The reader gets a sense of the world's rich history and unique magic." --Robin Hobb

About the Author

JOANNE BERTIN is the author of the novels The Last Dragonlord, Dragon and Phoenix and Bard’s Oath. She lives in Connecticut.

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