Dragon Blood (The Hurog Duology, Book 2) Mass Market Paperback – December 31, 2002

It needs to be more the books were really good. Make it a trilogy, please. The story line is great.

This book happens to be one of my favorite books. Its not often where you like the second book in the series better than the previous one. That being said you should read the previous book Dragon Bones because you'll just enjoy the whole journey better! In this book you have plenty of action, suspense, magic and of course romance.The universe is set in what would be maybe like our medieval times but with magic,.. think the setting of Camelot. The hero has always kept his nose out of trouble and in much of the first book thought of as dumb and very incapable. He manages to prove himself in a big way in this book and I always find myself rooting for him because hes just so darn likable. I don't often like when the story is told from the point of view of the guy but this book would not work any other way and I loved it because of the viewpoints of the hero.The heroine is unusual as well in that she's not really described as beautiful or delicate, but strong and smart. You can really see that the hero fights for her sees in her all the qualities that make her shine.When I say that this book has everything...I do mean everything. This author does not pull any punches as you may already know in reading her other series as well. Just a warning there are some elements that may disturb some like child abuse/sexual assault. In the opening scene we know that the heroine also is sexually assaulted as well.In this series there is only two books but they are worth it!

I think the two books, Dragon Bones and Dragon Blood, are very good. The plot (for fantasy) is good, the characters are great and the period of time and culture are believable. I wish the author would write more books in this vein. I read four of the Alpha and Omega books and that is enough with the werewolves. The hero in the Dragon books has well thought out ideas, grievances and love for his country and countrymen. I enjoyed these books very much, although I could do with a little less torture.

This became one of my favorite Patricia briggs book series . It's really hard to put down , it feels more adult somehow than some of her other books

I really enjoyed these two books and I would love to see where it goes in the future. If she ever gets a chance to write it....

I fully admit that I’m completely biased in Ms. Briggs’ favor, after falling in love with her Mercy series. But still, this duology is just brilliant. What she does best is give you complicated characters. And this story is full of them. From Ward, the Shavig Giant who has to overcome first his father’s abuse, then torture at the hands of a sadistic mage. A giant of a man with the softest heart of anyone in the land. To the king, baddest of the baddies, but still complicated in his feelings toward his lover. Even the Hurog keep is a complicated character, in the process of being rebuilt after the devastation of book 1. And then there’s the warhorse named Pansy, and a mare named Death-Bringer. It’s all just a delightful read (except the torture parts, those were pretty painful to get through). I wish there were more than two parts to it.

I am giving this story 5 stars because of the volume of plot, twists, flutters, surprises, shocks, betrayals, and heartwarming emotion elicited from the reader. Ward has lived as a simpleton since his father (leader of Hurog) all but beat him to death. He has learned to watch, mimic and play the role of an idiot to survive. But when his father dies he must step up and claim his land and people or it will be forfeit to his uncle. However he realizes that even though he has inherited the family ghost and his father's man-servant (with an unusual skill set), he will find it impossible to garner his people's trust as a leader without proof he can be a HERO in battle.Leaving his life long home, riding his father's war horse (whose name had drifted from Stygian to Pansy), with his sister, his valet, the family ghost, and the head groomsman, Ward rides off to seek a battle royal.Ward learns what true friends are. What family means. And how to become a leader when the crushing decisions must be made for the greater good of his land and people.Kudos to Ms Briggs for again bringing a tale with so much meat that it must be savored rather than gnawed. High adventure with enough magic and mayhem to push it into the paranormal realm's face and survive standing.

Yes a fine finish to the dualogy. As usual Patricia Briggs does not disappoint! This was a fine completion of the story started in Dragon Bones. As an author Patricia Briggs just keeps getting better and better! I find no fault in any of her work! It's one thing if you don't particularly care for the type of stuff she writes. that's fine, but you can't tell me she's a crappy writer cause she's not! she's a fantastic writer and I really like her! I've been reading her stuff for quite a while And I intend to continue to do so Hopefully for a long time!

Though the trappings of fantasy are here (magic, dragons, dwarves), Patricia Briggs tells a very human story. The narrator Ward has a wry humour that engages you. The other characters have their different and strong viewpoints. The author does not avoid the contradictory motivations that drive us all.

Loved it. The book is short like the first book, so I believe not much space to cram a grand battle and the aftermath of it all. At the ending of the first book I might have been hoping for a battle that didn't happen but it was quite moving and powerful in the end. I could have done with a few more books in the series but this is where it ends sadly. I loved it.

<b>My Thoughts:</b>I bought this book because I just have to read it after I listened to Dragon Bones . I just wanted more Hurog goodness from Patricia Briggs ! At first, I bought Dragon Bones (Book 1) just because I wanted to hear Joe Manganiello 's deep timbred voice. It wasn't really the book, it was Joe . But with Dragon Blood , it's the story and not about Joe 's voice anymore. I would credit Patricia Briggs ' wonderful story telling quality for that shift in the magnetic force!This book is infinitely more interesting for having read Book 1 . Reading Book 1 first is therefore highly recommended, though it makes the story seems like a very thick book to read (2 volumes). Having said that, I have to say that it feels too short and there are no more books in this series! Now, it would be difficult for me to find something which is as good to read to stem the tide of withdrawal symptoms! And that is the only down side of this book... The paperbacks (of both Book 1 and 2) is normal-sized and the font is not big so the actual size of the book is not short, but because I read it too quickly, it felt short. So, yes, this is a very fast read...I am a touchy-feely and a visual reader. That means that the cover art plays a big role in my reading habit. I have to say that I am not fond of the cover art at all! Yet despite that strong deterrent I love this doulogy! That just shows you of how good a read I found this book!<b>Empirical Evaluation:</b>Story telling quality = 5Character development = 5Story itself = 5Ending = 5World building = 5Cover art = 3.5Pace = 5Narration = 5<b>Overall Rating:</b> 5 out of 5

Vorgänger 'Dragon Bones' war das erste Buch von Patricia Briggs, das mir in die Finger fiel. Damals (muß so drei Jahre her sein) fand ich das Buch zwar richtig gut geschrieben, aber für einen 'richtigen' Fantasy-Roman etwas zu dünn: die Geschichte ist in sich abgeschlossen und 'leider- relativ schnell vorbei. Dazu muß ich sagen, daß ich vorher George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire gelesen habe, welches natürlich das andere Extrem darstellt. Jetzt habe ich allerdings beide Hurog-Bücher hintereinander weggelesen und bin absolut begeistert.Patricia Briggs ist wunderbar leicht zu lesen, da sie sich auf die wichtigen Dinge beschränkt ' was bei ihr bedeutet: glaubhafte (da nicht perfekte), abwechslungsreiche, interessante Charaktere, die man sofort in's Herz schließt, eine gut durchdachte Story und ein schnelles Tempo. Langweilig wird's nie, und Spaß machen beide Hurog-Bücher von Seite 1 bis Ende, und obwohl sich Briggs nicht in epische Breiten ergießt, wie es bei vielen Fantasyautoren der Fall ist, ist sie keinesfalls oberflächlich. Und obwohl 'Dragon Bones' und 'Dragon Blood' wohl keine Meilensteine der Fantasyliteratur sind, gibt es trotzdem 5 absolut verdiente Sterne von mir.Wenn man bombastische Fantasy-Zyklen wie Martin's Song of Ice and Fire als Hauptgang sieht, dann ist die Hurog-Saga die Vorspeise: weniger mächtig, aber nichtsdestotrotz ein Vergnügen. Ich kann diese kleine Fantasy-Reihe uneingeschränkt weiterempfehlen, denn der einzige Wermutstropfen ist, daß dazu keine Fortsetzungen geplant sind.

Great story, lots of action and a really good storyline