The Dragon in Waiting is a Masque that masks the author's love of language, of libraries, of the wonderful, of the wondrous, and of the obscure. Goodreads is a free service. Perhaps the best way to describe this book is to say that Ford writes with panache. A magician and a small group of like-minded individuals travel to England to attempt to stymie its plan. The Dragon Waiting Quotes Showing 1-3 of 3 “Then the syncretist Ficino, sitting hunched with Lorenzo standing at his side, put all the ideas together, along with Lorenzo's new song: chariots blazing between the worlds as gods fought rebel gods, the destruction of a city -- a planet? I honestly don't know how to review this book, it's that personal. occultists, mediciacs, yorkists and lancastrians, grecophobes. Not in the least: in fact, Scotland is never mentioned again in the book. Another is an ageless wizard with one. Do we every find out the spy's motives? I, This is an immensely challenging book to read, not just in terms of subject matter; Ford does not hold the reader's hand at all. Sforza, the Vampire Duke, marshals his forces for his long-planned attack on Florence, and Byzantium is on the march. A mercenary, the exiled heir to the Byzantine throne, a young woman physician forced to flee Florence, and a Welsh wizard, the nephew of Owain Gly Dwr, seem to have no common goals but together they wage an intrigue-filled campaign against the might of Byzantium, striving to secure the English throne for Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and make him Richard III. Mixing historical characters from the 15th century and captivating fictional heroes, this is a book that is both engrossing and enjoyable. AH purists will take offense at how Ford breaks "the rules" , but I wasn't bothered by it. . I had to look up the dates of various historical characters in Wikipedia in order to guesstimate when the events of this novel were taking place, since there were a multitude of different dating systems in use. (I understand the original manuscript was about three times longer than the current novel. If you don't find the book or author you're looking for in the first page of results the chances are it's because it is not one that we have featured. Do I have a son, or brothers? NAMED A REAL SIMPLE BOOK OF THE YEAR From the award-winning author of Dust comes a vibrant, stunning coming-of-age novel about a young woman struggling to find her place in a vast world–a poignant exploration of fate, mortality, love, and loss. The protagonists of this story each have their own reason to hate the Byzantines and set off to England in an attempt to foil their plots. (I understand the original manuscript was about three times longer than the current novel. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson CONTENTS TITLE PAGE PROLOGUE A FRIDAY IN NOVEMBER THE VANGER FAMILY TREE PART 1 Incentive CHAPTER 1 Friday, December 20 CHAPTER 2 Friday, December 20 CHAPTER 3 Friday, December 20–Saturday, December 21 CHAPTER 4 Monday, December 23–Thursday, December 26 Roger Zelazny called it “A Thunderclap of a book, a thing of blood and magic,” and Gene Wolfe called it “The best mingling of history and historical magic that I have ever seen.” It won the 1984 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. Sforza, the Vampire Duke, marshals his forces for his long-planned attack on Florence, and Byzantium is on the. . First, let it draw you IN because it's a fine book on its own -- but, please, then let it lead you OUT into your OWN exploration of alternate history and into realities that we barely understand even though they occurred just 600 years ago. FIND & GET BOOKS • Scan book covers to instantly read reviews and save it on your Want to Read shelf. My bookseller reccomended me this one. Martin." Wonderful! The former has it's well deserved virtues expressed elsewhere, and while this book has also had its virtues expressed I can't help but praise it's magnificence. Naturally, the characters have style to match the dialogue. Helen placed the mass-market paperback with its … It falls under sword & sorcery and Alternative History. Then there's the German engineer (his specialty is artillery) who is also a vampire, and the Greco-French (it makes sense in the context of the book) mercenary who is an almost unstoppable killer as well as, possibly, the rightful heir to the Byzantine Empire. show more. "The Dragon Waiting" is set in a late mediaeval Europe which is mostly ruled by the Byzantine Empire, and in which Christianity and Islam never became the dominant religions that they were in our world at that time. The Wars of the Roses have put Edward IV on the throne of England, Lorenzo de' Medici's court shines brilliantly, and Duke Galeazzo Maria Sforza plots in Milan. A supercharged battle formation, essentially. A historical revisionist (and fantastical) story of Richard III and his contemporaries, including vampires and Byzantium princes. 3.79 out of 5 stars. Excellent. Welcome back. I'm sure sure if this is because I'm dense, or a failure of the writer's craft, or even of the editor's. Spend the time with it. The main characters of this fantasy, science fiction story are Richard III of England, . As Gaiman put it, "Had he taken The Dragon Waiting and written a sequence of five books based in that world, with that power, he would've been George R.R. The dragon feigns a hit and falls into the river where he stealthily swims away. RELATED: Dragon Age: The Tragic Backstory of Cassandra Pentaghast, Seeker of Truth Darkspawn first began appearing in the Deep Roads in -395 Ancient, foreshadowing the darkness to come in the form of the First Blight. Some characters povs were better than others. ISBN: 0671475525 (ISBN13: 9780671475529) Edition language: English. First, let it draw you IN because it's a fine book on its own -- but, please, then let it lead you OUT into your OWN exploration of alternate history and into realities that we barely understand even though they occurred just 600 years ago. His characters are witty, or darkly brooding, or make comments that are full of deep meaning or are elliptical yet foreboding. Luckily, Ford is a good enough writer to carry you through the occasional rough patches in the plot without you really noticing them, and he manages to infuse a really rather squalid phase of English history with a noble purpose that in real life it certainly didn't deserve. The Dragon Waiting on Amazon.com. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. If you don't find the book or author you're looking for in the first page of results the chances are it's because it is not one that we have featured. Probably one of the better fantasy books (I'm going to go with that) I've ever read, Ford has a real talent for plotting, his language is strange and not at all bad, and his take on Richard 3rd is the absolutely original. Despite its relative age, Dragon Age: Inquisition has remained a popular and beloved RPG since it was released. Wow. Lots of fun. It was a busy week: It was a … I'm sure sure if this is because I'm dense, or a failure of the writer's craft, or even of the editor's. More about BookBrowse. This book is set in an alternate 15th Century Europe where a pagan Byzantine Empire dominates Europe and Christianity is a minor religion. The next day we see the dragon flying over a village, terrorizing the peasants. I can't help but feel that from this day until I die all books of the fantasy genre shall be be ranked in my mind according to Harry Potter and The Dragon Waiting. Did you set an extremely ambitious Reading Challenge goal back in January? The Chinese even have a year of the dragon, and it is said that anyone born in this year will be healthy, wealthy, and wise, all of the things which the dragon of the East represents. Author (s): John M. Ford. • Get personalized recommendations based on your tastes. Start by marking “The Dragon Waiting” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Dragon Waiting: A Masque of History by Ford, John M. and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. I loved the historical and literary references scattered and embroidered all over the text. Shall I decree happiness, on pain of death?”. It won the 1984 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. 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