Fortress of Dragons

Fortress of Dragons (2000) is the fourth fantasy novel of the Fortress series, following Fortress of Owls. In the previous volume, the Southron lords and troops converged on Henas'amef at Midwinter. Tristen hosted the Southron lords and sent hot food to their troops encamped in the meadows. As they celebrated, Auld Syes came avisiting to Tristen's Hall. Later, he sensed someone out in the cold and rode out on Petelly to discover the Aswydd twins huddled in the snow on the way to Henas'amef. Tarien was very pregnant. Tristen put Tarien on his horse and Orien told him their story as they led Petelly towards town. Raiders had burned the nunnery, but the twins had escaped. When their horse ran away, they had continued onwards back to their home. In Geulemara, the wedding of Luriel and Rusyn was underway, but then someone murdered the Patriarch. The assassin had decorated the corpse with Bryaltic amulets, obviously to divert suspicions to foreigners. In the ensuing riots, Ninevrise's Bryaltine priest was lynched and his shrine was burned. In this novel, in Amafel, Tristen takes Orien and Tarien Aswydd back to Henas'amef. Once they reach the Zeide, Orien insists that they occupy their former rooms, but Tristen doesn't want these sorceresses to have such access. Besides, he is presently living in these quarters. Instead, he sends them to Cefwyn's old rooms and then asks Cook to attend Tarien, for she has much more experience with pregnancies than himself. He also seeks advice from Master Emuin and, for a change, receives some pertinent comments. Uwen estimates that Tarien is about seven or eight months into the pregnancy and Cook agrees with that opinion. Orien says that Tarien is carrying Cefwyn's illegitimate son. Tristen also learns that the child is male and a wizard. Sedlyn -- Paisi's Gran -- is assigned the task of attending Tarien as the midwife. Tristen calls the Southron Lords and all available Amefin nobles into council. He announces the arrival of the Aswydd twins and recounts their tale of the burning of the Anwyfar shrine. The Amefin lords are not too surprised at the involvement of Captain Essan. After much discussion, Tristen orders his gathered forces to cross the river and camp in Elwynor. Emuin writes a report on these changed circumstances and Tristen adds his own notes to Cefwyn and Ninevrise. The note to Cefwyn is just a letter, but the note to Ninevrise can be read only by someone with the Gift. Indeed, Tristen can update this information as needed. Crissand is beginning to respond to magic and wizardry. First he is driven to leave the Zeide without his guards and without Tristen's permission -- although not without his knowledge -- and then he loses himself in the snow. After an encounter with Elwynim rebels, Crissand returns to the Zeide only slightly wounded, but quite confused. Later, he hears voices near the old mews and discovers a way through the gray space to Ilefinian. Tristen informs him of

This series is verry well written, However the last book leaves you wanting another. The conclution closes up the primary plot rather neatly, but leaves the characters hanging. I believe this series is comparable to the lord of the rings series, that is, if the hobbit was 700 pages long. This follows the same path, a first book where the lesser enemy is defeated, then a trilogy following it where the full extent of evil is revealed.A must read for anyone who likes fantisy, but start with the beginning of the series!

--Not that you couldn't start with this book, but the whole series is worth the read. As with many of her stories, this one is highly atmospheric, building detail upon lyrical detail, slowly and usually darkly, until it is the whole, rather than the elements, which makes itself preeminent and enjoyable. This is Tristan's story--Tristan, conjured into being by a sorcerer, who has a looming Past, Present and Future, that is totally unknown to him. He is born a blank slate, has not been in the world a full year, and yet needs to make his way amongst religious and armed strife, political intrigue, dark powers, complex human relationships and everthing else contained in the wide world. Not only must he find his way, but he must contend with a Destiny: rumors that hint that he might be the fore-told High King. This, while his great friend is King Cefwyn, whom Tristan loves and desires to aid to keep Cefwyn's enemies at bay and keep him secure on the throne. In this book we see Tristan begin to come into his own, growing more sure of his way as his responsibilities and his powers increase--to the point of him changing the fate of kings and kingdoms and the welfare of the world itself.

I am by trade a Technical Writer, but I have always had a great love of literature and the English language. "Fortress of Dragons" concludes one of the most finely crafted works in Fantasy. The first volume, "Fortress in the Eye of Time", is the only book I have ever reread immediately upon finishing it. It is the first book that ever moved me to send a "fan" letter. The subsequent volumes are the only hardcover editions I have ever bought because I did not have the patience to wait for the paperbacks. The series is a "mood" piece, a dark gothic tale that centers around hauntings past and present - a magical being is brought back into the world to battle an evil that haunts it. And it is this magical being, Tristen, who in the past may have been (and later is confirmed to be the case) one of the Magical Kings brought down from the frozen North to rule over a corrupted society. Those seeking a fast pace action story will not find it here; rather this is a tale of the psyche, a delving into the persona of Tristen who comes full born into the world with an impaired memory and how he comes to know who he is and what his purpose is. And in describing the inner conflict of Tristen and those about him, Cherryh has used magnificent prose, some of the best in the English language. Cherryh has along the way meticulously crafted a world, a world with a past, present and future filled with characters that the reader grows to care very much about. This is the true hallmark of a great fantasy. The growing self-awareness of Tristen that is developed throughout the series is a marvel to read. Cherryh has imbued this world with a completeness and consistency that shows the results of the 20 years she spent in gathering the materials for it. The mythological underpinnings of the storyline are well developed and have a "rightness" to them. The political and religious themes are so intricately intertwined with the magic of this world to make a perfect whole. I think that ultimately, though, what makes this a great fantasy is that, in distinction to many other fantasies, Cherryh has not devoted her entire efforts into making an evil at the cost of creating cardboard protagonists. Protagonist and antagonist are each perfectly realized. If you love beautiful English, there are few examples in literature as good as the Fortress series.

I've waited a year for this book and was not disappointed. This is a wonderful conclusion to the series. It contains intrigue, adventure, romance, loyal friends. Many questions are answered, and we learn more about Tristram, Cefwyn, Ninevrese, and are introduced to new characters. Ms. Cherryh's strongest points as a writer are her ability to develop characters so well that I feel as though I know them. This, of course, means that I care about what happens to them. Along with her character development, she also keeps you in suspense about their fate. This book, like the previous 3 in the series is no exception. I kept having to resist the urge to turn to the back and read the end. Do resist that urge. Getting there is well worth it with this book.