Bones of the Dragon

November 24, 2008
In this barely disguised Viking pastiche, the dragonships have real dragons and the gods fight side by side with their heroes. Named Chief of Chiefs of the sea-raiding Vindrasi, Skylan Ivorson discovers that his victory over the last chief came through another's treachery, his betrothed is in love with his best friend and his gods may be dead. Impetuously, he plunges ahead on a quest to recover the sacred Vektan Torque, but betrayal leaves the voyagers in chains. Despite some clumsy alterations to Norse myth and history, Weis and Hickman (Dragons of the Highlord Skies
) have created a believably human story out of their mix of saga and sorcery, and the problems of ruling after the glee of seizing the crown make Skylan a more honest and sympathetic hero than the typical, overly successful fantasy protagonist.

March 2, 2009
Authors Weis and Hickman embark on a dragon series very different from their most famous series, DragonLance, and marked by deeper mythological underpinnings, a more realized world and tighter rendition. New gods have come into existence, beating down the gods of the Vindras. As their rising leader, Skylan Ivorson must reclaim the sacred dragon bones and bring his people together, but only if he can overcome his worst enemy: himself. Stefan Rudnicki has a great baritone voice that, while masculine, is effective with voicing female characters. At times, some character voices are not consistent throughout the reading, which causes confusion, but overall, Rudnicki’s command is remarkable. His tone ably creates the atmosphere for raging battles or intimate encounters. A Tor hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 24).

Hickman and Weis's new fantasy series evokes memories of Norse mythology. The gods are battling, and the fate of the Vindras gods lies in the hands of the younger generation, which is off to a bumbling start. The five sacred hidden bones of the Vektan dragons must be found and protected from interlopers in order to preserve the Vindras' way of life and independence. Stefan Rudnicki brings the characters vividly to life. He speaks with the voice of authority and sounds as if he's reciting the oral history of the Vindras. Consistent with the warrior mentality of the Vindras, Rudnicki adopts a firm tone with an undercurrent of restrained violence that is briefly lifted from time to time for sporadic moments of tenderness. J.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine