Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Advance Review of Diane Rapp's new novel

I was so happy to read an advance copy of Dragon Defense, Diane Rapp's third novel in the Heirs to the Throne series. I thought I'd post the review I wrote for her here. The book should be out in July.


http://quicksilvernovels.com/

Fantastic friendly dragons, telepathic wolves and humans, a space ship crew bent on destroying the planet, and a feudal system under reform by “spacers” from Earth who make the planet Drako their second home. What more could a reader want? Diane Rapp’s imagination appears boundless and her ability to bring a story to life is impressive. I enjoyed this third installment of the Drako adventure as much as the first two novels in the Heirs to the Throne series.

Dragon Defense is a delightful completely unique fantasy blended with science fiction. King Donovan and Queen Krystal, along with their three exceptional cloned daughters and an extensive cast of interesting well developed characters attempt to overthrow Jarrack, a dangerous madman bent on using mind control to extend his life and rule Drako. At the same time, an Institute space ship commanded by a dangerous spy approaches the planet with the intent of revenge and planetary destruction. All the while, romance blossoms for the King’s daughters who use their considerable talents to help free Jarrack’s children from their desert prison, search out and repair a dangerous radiation leak, and train teenagers and dragons to form a strange air force defense system.

The story is complex and thought provoking. The plots and subplots weave threads of space travel, life extension and cloning, mind control, telepathic communication with animals, and evolving social structure into a fascinating tapestry. As the tale winds to an exciting and suspenseful conclusion, the humans, dragons, and wolves must join forces to defend the planet using cooperation and ingenuity, since most of the planet’s previous technology has been abandoned and outlawed.

The rich descriptions of Drako and its inhabitants transport the reader to another place and time. Diane does a marvelous job describing the beautiful intelligent dragons and the experience of humans who fly on their backs and once again, the wise telepathic wolves play a central role in helping the humans overcome Jarrack’s treachery. I recommend this unique and very intelligent book for readers who like adventure, romance, science fiction, or fantasy. It’s all in there!