Dragon Blade: The Book of the Rowan

This older series of Andre Norton is as wonderful as The Elvenblood trilogy more recently published.

Dragon Blade (2005) is the fourth novel in The Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan Cycle, following A Crown Disowned. In the previous volume, the Dowager Queen Ysa, Zazar and Ashen used their various magics to defeat, and maybe even to destroy, the Great Foulness. Ashen became pregnant again by Gaurin and this time she is bearing an heir for NordornLand. In this novel, kings and ambassadors are coming to the new Castle of Fire and Ice for the coronation of Gaurin and Ashen as the King and Queen of NordornLand and the naming day of their son. They bring grand gifts for the royal pair and for the NordornPrins. Rohan has brought a gift of mystery and challenge: a solid silver Ice Dragon box with a hidden drawer. Within the concealed compartment is a necklace of nine small teeth and a document in the archaic language of Rendel. Zazar translates the manuscript, but it raises more questions than answers. Ashen decides to travel to Galinth, the ancient city in the Bog, to present this mystery to the antiquarians there. Ashen, Zazar and their guards take ship with Rohan, Anamara and young Obern to New Vold and then ride on to Galinth. On the way, Ashen meets Nayla, the new Wysen-Wyf of the Bog, and receives a warning of someone of indiscernible gender at the Castle of Fire and Ice and of great upset there. Ashen resolves to watch for such a person when she returns to the castle. At Galinth, Ashen meets Master Emmorys and Tusser, an old friend who is assisting in the restoral of the city. She is shown relics retrieved from the ruins and is presented with the long lost sapphire signet ring of the House of Ash. She is also entrusted with the delivery of the signet rings for the Houses of Oak, Yew and Rowan to the appropriate persons. Although she learns little in Galinth, Master Emmorys vows to forward any future information on Ice Dragons and the Dragon Blade. On the way back to NordornLand, Ashen delivers the signet ring of the House of Yew to the Dowager Queen Ysa. She is welcomed with every sign of pleasure and soon finds herself allowing the Dowager to accompany her to the Castle of Fire and Ice. Little does she know that Ysa has inadvertently awakened a noisome creature buried under one of the towers of Yewkeep. Now Ysa wants only to flee the monster before it consumes her. This novel is subtitled The Book of the Rowan and is presumably the final volume in the series. While the Great Foulness is probably dead, the Mother Ice Dragon may well be dwelling within the ice and snow of the north. Ashen is determined to find the great Dragon Blade to protect the region from the dragon broods. This novel lacks some of the zest and suspense of the first three works in this series. The Great Foulness is defeated and now the heros and heroines are cleaning up the remaining bits of corruption. The Mother Ice Dragon is only one of these remnants. The Dowager Queen Ysa is, of course, the false friend of which the omens have warned. Ashen is still pu

Interesting story, great characters, and strong female characters. I have enjoyed all of the books in this cycle. As the series continues, the characters are taking on more depth and complexity. The author has a sly sense of humor, so pay attention.

The Nordon monarchs Ashen NordornQueen and Gaurin NordornKing are looking forward to peace, spending quality time together and with their infant son having recently defeated the Great Foulness ice dragon. However, their tranqulty ends when Ashen finds a letter inside the false bottom of a box containing a gift; the note explains that only the legendary DRAGON BLADE can kill the Mother Ice Dragon. Corageous though wary, Gaurin leaves to find the blade made from the scales of the enemy's deceased mate that will finally end this nightmare. After her sposue left, Ashen disocvers a map that shows where the DRAGON BLADE and the Mother Ice Dragon lair are located. She sets off to catch up to her husband while their land has a new foe, a rogue troll destroying anything in its path. The fourth tale in the Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan saga is a fabulous fantasy especially when the exciting story line follows the escapades of the Nordorn rulers. The action is fast-paced and never slows down even when the Troll threat takes fans down a sidebar that is fun to follow by bringing in other favorites from previous books, but also weaves a thread that takes away from the grand adventure. Still fantasy fans will gain immense delight from this fine tale. Harriet Klausner