''The Dragon of Despair'' is a 2003

fantasy novel Fantasy literature is literature set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Magic, the supernatural and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds. Fa ...

Jane Lindskold Jane M. Lindskold is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels. Early life Jane M. Lindskold was born on 15 September 1962, and grew up in Washington, D.C., and the Chesapeake Bay area. Jane is the first of fo ...

. The book is the third in the ''

Firekeeper Saga The ''Firekeeper Saga'' is a series of books written by Jane Lindskold. The series was launched in 2001 with the novel ''Through Wolf's Eyes'' and as of 2020, is currently made up of eight novels. Premise The series follows Firekeeper, a woman wh ...

'', happening about a year after ''Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart''.

Synopsis

The novel continues the story of Firekeeper, who must deal with the continued machinations of Melina Shield. Continuing to desire power and strong magic, Melina has brainwashed a powerful leader into marrying her. It's up to Firekeeper to stop Melina and hopefully bring peace.

Release

''The Dragon of Despair'' was first published in hardback and ebook formats in 2003 by Tor Fantasy. A paperback edition followed the next year, also through Tor.

Reception

Don D'Ammassa, who reviewed for the ''Chronicle: SF, Fantasy & Horror's Monthly Trade Journal'', considered ''The Dragon of Despair'' to be an improvement on the two previous books in the series, "despite its familiar plot". Jackie Cassada, for the '' Library Journal'', considered the book to be an enjoyable closure to the first three books of the series, praising " e author's ability to create complex tales involving believable human and animal characters". Barbara Riley of ''

The Santa Fe New Mexican ''The Santa Fe New Mexican'' or simply ''The New Mexican'' is a daily newspaper published in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dubbed "the West's oldest newspaper," its first issue was printed on November 28, 1849. Background The downtown offices for '' ...

'' also wrote a favorable review and a reviewer for the '' Albuquerque Journal'' noted that Lindskold had done "a hefty amount of study on wolf behavior". '' Kirkus Reviews'' criticized Lindskold's book, saying the "distracting subplots, tedious dialogue, and multiple points of view stalls a story that starts too slowly and never gains momentum." ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'', on the other hand, praised the story, especially for Lindskold's use of "lore about pack behavior and feral animals."

References

American fantasy novels 2003 American novels 2003 fantasy novels Tor Books books Novels by Jane Lindskold {{2000s-fantasy-novel-stub