Skybowl (Dragon Star, #3) by Melanie Rawn

Skybowl (Dragon Star, #3) Reviews

• 
  Heather

  The final book in the Sunnerrunner's world. It does not dissapoint. The battles are furiuos, the intrigue thick, and the characters engaging (as always).
  
  While I wasn't particularly happy with everyone who ends up dead and those who remain alive (it is a war after all not everybody makes it). I do love this book. It's dufficult to say which I like more in this trilogy Stronghold or Skybowl. At least Meiglan redeems herself and isn't quite as stupid or insipid as she was when she first was introduced and Pol grows up some as well.
  
  I like that the end of the book, the end of the war, is also a new beginning which the readers are left to imagine for themselves.
  
  I always feel a little sad when I get to the end of this book, closing the pages on a whole world and a whole set of characters, but that just goes to show how great the books and the writing are.
  
  (edited for grammar)
• 
  Ban

  nothing to add - see review of The Dragon Prince
  
  I seriously cried when this series ended.
• 
  Amanda R

  There are too many editions of this book and my comments are scattered all over the place and it's very annoying. Anyhow, here are my accumulated thoughts (with spoilers):
  
  * The whole banquet scene at the end makes me so very happy every time I read it, and that has been a lot of times, let me tell you.
  * At one point towards the end, Melanie says Beth sits down in Ruala's chair, that would have been Beth's if Sorin had lived. Only they're at Skybowl, which was never Sorin's. Oops.
  * I've always been very frustrated that we don't get more information about Rosseyn and the mirror, including exactly who put him in there and why. There's some sketchy info but nothing terribly specific and most of it happens offscreen, so to speak. I want more!!!
  * It also bugs me that nobody wonders how Camigwen came to be in possession of that mirror and how much she knew about it.
  * Meiglan is the absolute best.
  * I've read this book a hundred million times, and I JUST figured out what Sioned is talking about when she says she and Aldiara have the same problem with their hair. It's because she chopped it all off and it's an awkward length. That line always confused me before.
  * Jeni and Sethric need to break up.
  * As much as I dislike Andry (as a person, not as a character; he is an awesome character), I bawl my head off at his death every single time. It's so well written.
  * What a perfect ending.
• 
  Kaila

  I wanted this series to end more epically than it did. It was so close. I could feel it building it up, I knew shit was about to go down. Some shit did go down, but the final battle did not strike the right chords for me.
  
  As was my complaint with the last two books, there are too many characters with too many similar names. I’m beginning to wonder if I was more willing to keep characters straight when I was younger. Or had a better memory. I need them to have distinct characteristics and distinct introductions or they are gone. That was another problem – I could keep the names of castles straight, but not who was in charge of them. Often someone would be brought into a scene in the context of what they ruled and I always had no idea (except for a few characters, of course, where it was really obvious. Like Pol, Chiana, and Andry). One of the denouements was the giving of land and castles to various vassals and I really badly wanted to skim. Who cares who becomes whose heir? The series is over! I also could not keep track of which minor characters were Sunrunners, though again, some of those were obvious and I had no problem (such as Rohannon or Meig).
  
  In general the series has a tendency to tell us about an event that could happen, build up to it, and then fizzle. This happened multiple times with things about Andry and the trickle of information the reader gets about why the Vellanti’m are even there. The build ups became meaningless as their climax was hardly worthy of the term.
  
  However, I will say this. I have a thing for people breaking down and accepting who they are. It gets me every damn time. It’s one of the reasons why I find The Dragon Reborn so epic, why I love super hero origin stories, and really why I love the whole damn genre. So when someone heaves that breath, squares their shoulders, and says, “Ok, I’ll do it,” I cannot even. There was that moment in this book. It’s the sort of moment that makes 6 books of fantasy worth reading. To me, it was the climax, as the final confrontation was not very impressive. Like…at all. Like…it was really disappointing. But the moment Pol accepts who he is, that was worth it. You can’t make epic like that up. You have to slowly experience every damn page that comes before it, and then, THEN it is truly epic.
  
  Other than that moment, though, the rest of the denouement was disappointing. Though I do thoroughly approve of what happened with Sionell. I love the main cast but there were too many threads.
• 
  Josephine McNabb

  Where do I start? Maarken... Rohannon... Sethric... Chayla... Meiglan... Rislyn... Kazander... Sioned... Audry... Meath... Chay... Tobin... Alasen... Sionell... Beth... Tilal...
  
  It was a stunning ending with the final battle leaving me feeling wrung out and yet oddly satisfied. All of these characters just made the book for me. Rawn's talent for making the reader feel so immersed in the world is astounding.
• 
  Markus

  This book is the third in the Dragon Star Trilogy, taking place after the Dragon Prince Trilogy again it starts out to be a very politically oriented story line but turns into a great saga. The story keep your attention and takes you into a world of High Princes, Sunrunner magick and evil sorcery. It is a good read for any dragon and fantacy lover.
• 
  Amanda R

  This is me right now:
  
  
  
  The wonderful thing about Melanie is her ability to yank the tears right out of me, even for characters I either barely know or don't like all that much. Spoilers galore coming up!
  
  Take Andry, for example. His actions often fill me with rage - murdering innocent people just because of their heritage, impregnating teenage Sunrunners without so much as discussing it with them, colossal arrogance in general - but I cry like a baby when he dies, every time I read it. In fact, of all the many, many deaths in this series, his is the one that hits me the hardest - and Andrev is a close second, even though I don't have much of an opinion about him one way or the other.
  
  And then of course there's Sioned. Holy cow. What do I even say about that.
  
  Basically, the whole ending of this book, starting with the battle at Skybowl, blows me away. And the banquet at the end is my favorite thing Melanie has ever written. Sometimes when I need something to make me happy I just open the book to the part where they're getting dressed and read onward from there. I want to go to that banquet so badly.
  
  The only thing that bugs me every time I read this is that although the mirror is amazing, we don't get nearly enough detail about it! I would have loved to be in on Thassalante's explanation, rather than coming back in after it's done, and we never do find out why Rosseyn's lady (who I guess was also named Lallante? that's never made especially clear) betrayed him the way she did. And HOW MUCH DID CAMIGWEN KNOW??? It doesn't make sense that she would have been totally clueless if her family is still so honored among the diarmadh'im but that's never addressed. It bothers me to death, because that mirror is fascinating to me and I want to know as much about it as possible.
  
  Basically this book is amazing and I want to live there.
• 
  David

  A final end to the world of Sunrunners that Melanie Rawn has painted. An end... and a new beginning. This certainly upped my enjoyment a notch compared to books 1 and 2. I loved this one as much as the original trilogy.
  
  The pacing of the story is fast, and there's no let up as events unfold towards a final conclusion. War, violence, meaningless deaths, and even ethically-charged arguments regarding rape and abortion. The author certainly holds back nothing in trying to paint the sometimes pointlessness of the nature of war.
  
  As usual, you can see the characters grow up, reconcile with themselves and others, and almost all of them come to redeem themselves at the end.
  
  The final concluding chapters were both bittersweet and very touching. Both a reminder of earlier happier times and the makings of a new beginning. Take it how you will, but it's definitely an almost perfect close to what has been a grand series.
• 
  Alyssa Nelson

  Another behemoth of a book and I’m so glad to finally have resolution for this series! Rawn does a good job in wrapping up all the loose strings so that there are no lingering questions after this book; however, I found the book itself to only be okay. There are a lot of plot points that don’t really make sense, so I felt that a lot of it was forced and some things that happened didn’t really “need” to happen–while I understood why Rawn chose to end things in a certain way, she didn’t craft a believable enough plot to make it seem genuine.
  
  However, she tackled a huge amount in this book and I appreciated being able to keep all the different story lines apart in my head–she’s very good at keeping things clear so I didn’t get confused while reading. Overall, I like this series, but I was underwhelmed by some of the final conclusions.
  
  Also posted on
  Purple People Readers.
• 
  Tanya

  I think this is my 6th or 7th reread of this series. First time on audiobook. The very first book, Dragon Prince, the narrator was a bit irritating with how she voiced a few characters, but by book 3 or 4, she hit her stride and she's marvelous. Absolutely, epically amazing story! I love the complexity of characters snd the world-building. Definitely engages your mind, especially with keeping track of all the characters and bloodlines and how they pertain to & affect politics. And I love all the romances! They are not the focus of the story, but love does drive the story. I love how this series follows first Rohan & Sioned and then, later their son, Pol and his contemporaries. I love these generational stories.
• 
  Sarah

  Epic ending to an epic series. It's been so long since I last read these, I've really enjoyed my extended reread! I must have been of a more spry mind when I was a teenager because each time I read them again I find it harder to keep all the family and political connections straight! I didn't even really try this time 🤷🏻‍♀️ Gettin old!
  
  Mel's writing has its flaws (oy, the fat shaming!), but the good massively outweighs the bad. The magic system is so unique, well-defined and downright cool. The dragons are awesome. The themes of morality, duty, religion, faith, honour and more are so rich and nuanced. I could go on, but honestly you should just read them.
• 
  Stephen

  Probably the best of this trilogy, though way too long. I think this book featured the largest amount of characters and it's incredibly difficult to figure out who is who still. I had to keep referencing the guides at the end of the book to make sure I was thinking of the correct people. Even then, still got confused.
  
  The plot continues from the previous books, with the Vellant'im war still raging and Andry and Pol still at odds, for awhile. Then it all comes together in an epic climax that is really worth the payoff, truly.
  
  The only thing I didn't like was the seemingly random discussion of abortion about halfway through. Politics aside, it was jarring to read pro-life and pro-choice arguments in a sword and sorcery type novel.
• 
  Paul

  The Achilles heel of the Stereotypically Irrational Invaders is found and exploited, the invasion is thwarted, the killings stop, we feast, brief return to excessive description of dresses, huzzah! It's a nice little plot. Makes me feel strangely better about my marriage, as my wife is a nearly dead ringer for one character who helps save the land.
• 
  Neil Steinwand

  A wonderful ending to my favorite series as a teenager. The plot line moved quickly, the plot twists were surprising, and the ending brought closure to the series.
  
  Another reviewer reminded me of the fact that I cried at the end of the first reading... and the second reading, and the third reading, and every time I have finished the series.
• 
  Lana

  a magnificent book, the war is on and though many favourite people lose their lives its a great ending to an epic series. Andry and pol work together but then the need for power is too much!! love the way melanie rawn ties up all the loose ends at the end of the book, a great ending to a great series. am going to miss these books!!
• 
  Lee Ramsay

  This book gets five stars out of me because it wraps up both the Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies in an overall satisfying way, despite having several cringeworthy issues.
  
  As a concluding book, naturally it has to tie off plot threads laid down all the way back in Dragon Prince. Skybowl does this quite well. Also, appropriate for a book set in the middle of a continent-spanning war, major characters die in totally plausible, believable, and acceptable ways - which elevates this series above a lot of other fantasy series, at least in my opinion. Naturally, the series ends on a happy(ish) note, even though it's tied off a little too quickly in my opinion (and with some eyeroll worthy overpowerdness).
  
  After 30 years, I still enjoy this book thoroughly despite some of the issues you'll see me pick out in my Dislike section.
  
  Things I like:
  
  - Themes. Like I have said on other books in this series, the fact that this series danced on that line between an R and a PG-13 rating (were it a movie) is what makes it so damned good. In this book and series we're dealing with things like maiming, rape, abortion, PTSD (from combat as well as sexual situations), drug addiction and recovery, alcoholism, religious conflicts, conflicts over social values, classism, vengeance, hate, love, death, mercy, forgiveness, and so much more. In fact, even after reading these books for 30 years I am still amazed at how much Rawn managed to pack into not just all six books, but one book.
  
  - The characters are very human. Yeah, they have their archetypal basis, but the execution of them is on the whole really solid. I may gripe about characters like Pol being whiney while also being extremely self-important and entitled, but it's not much of a stretch to see how those characters became what they are. And because they are very human characters, it's easy to give a damn what happens to most of them.
  
  - Pacing. For a fantasy war novel, the action scenes are frequent enough to keep the pace up while avoiding gratuitous graphic content. At this point in the series, given everything covered theme wise, the reader SHOULD be as exhausted as the protagonists. Skybowl balances a lot of that very carefully, with action and dramatic scenes spaced out appropriately. A few scenes may be too long or too short, but it's not that big of an issue.
  
  - A Happy-ish Ending. While the ending is definitely positive, it doesn't have your Happily Ever After. In fact, the series ends with just enough questions that it could be conceivable to return to the world of Dragon Prince/Dragon Star, though Rawn probably won't (and probably shouldn't, at this point). The ending has just enough realism to satisfy jaded fantasy nerds like me.
  
  What I Dislike:
  
  - Pol is a whiney snot. Seriously, he literally has all the power, and he whines about it as much as he whines about the responsibility...then he turns around and almost gleefully uses it because he can. If there is any one failing I would assign to Rawn's protagonists, it's this quality. Also, his character is so overpowered by the end of the trilogy that he almost wrecks it.
  
  - Sioned is quite clearly a Mary Sue and active wish fulfillment. At over 60 years old, she's still almost as lovely as the day we met her in her 20s, still sexy as hell, but also incredibly brilliant, ruthlessly practical, magically powerful, politically savvy, apparently screws like a teenager on Ecstasy (at least in Stonghold), can drink mass quantities and stay sober, be smarter than everyone else, and also be an outright evil witch while still being "good." Now to be fair, I liked Sioned through the first five books of the series - to the point where she is one of my favorite fictional characters despite some pretty significant writing flaws. Her being so overpowered and everything-including-the-kitchen-sink almost ruined the story and points Rawn was trying to make...but didn't.
  
  - Meiglan (Pol's wife) is probably the most shoddily treated character in the entire series - not because she was written that way, but because she was written for one purpose and, when that was complete, she was still pretty much a non-entity. In fact, it's in Skybowl that she actually becomes a truly interesting and compelling character.
  
  - The final fight is what I call masturbation on paper. It's literally a "look how powerful I am!" scene that neatly wraps up the story. Seriously, I can almost hear Rawn's agent and editor both saying, "Not that many words, dear. You'll bore your readers," when the exact opposite would have been true (but then again, it was the early 90s when this came out and she was a female author in a male-dominated genre). Following up on that, the final scenes go by WAY too quickly to deal with the fact that we've just spent three seasons at war.
  
  - Oh, and that's the final thing. Three seasons of being at war in a medieval setting. That's...a little too quickly, particularly when the people being attacked (the heroes) are all but wiped out by the end of Stronghold. It's more of a conceptual thing than a pacing thing, and more of a nitpick than an actual problem.
  
  Regardless of my nitpicks, still one of the best series I have ever read and also heavily influential on what I am doing (and not doing) with my own writing. It must be good, since I read these books at least every other year.
  
• 
  Natalie Lozano

  I believe this is the third or fourth Time I have read through this series. Along with Dragon Prince series before it. I love this series. Melanie Rawn is a inspiration to me. I hope I can be as good as she is, at storytelling.
• 
  Helen Corcoran

  I lost it with Sioned's choice.
  
  ...I... I don't really know what to do now. I want to know more--Pol and Sionell; Meig; Rislyn; the next generation--but I know there won't be more, and it's both infuriating and heartbreaking.
  
  Also, in the Andry vs. Pol debate--I can't stand either of them. :P
• 
  Jesse

  Still good...but I hope you wern't attched to all the characters...
• 
  S

  I loved this series. I laughed. I cried. I LOVED theser characters. This series is awesome!
• 
  Alex

  The very first fantasy/sci fi story I ever read. Unforgettable, addicting and amazing.
• 
  Lynn

  It is a toss up for me on the best epic fantasy series. I think my favorites would be Rawn, Tolkien, Williams & Eddings but had to follow my heart and say this series was the best for me.
• 
  Jim Pike

  I'm saddened to see this series come to an end. Very well told, and intriguing every step of the way. I laughed, I cried and I worried. I couldn't wait to finish, yet dreaded finishing it.
• 
  Kirk Burris

  Great book and series. Should still hold up well today for new readers who want to be engrossed in great character development and good story telling.
• 
  Jonathan

  The final book of the second trilogy and the conclusion of the epic saga written from the mid-80s to the early 90s. Like the Fire and Ice saga by George R. R. Martin, it features rich, complex world-building, spanning many realms and a fantastic world of humans interacting with sentient dragons. It introduces many characters over the span of dozens of years, and explores both close, loving, familial bonds as well as the motivations of ancient hatreds and long-standing feuds.
  In this final story, High Prince Pol tries to rescue his beloved wife from the mysterious, overwhelming, and indefatigable enemy, the Vellanti'm, before she becomes a human sacrifice in a misguided ritual. In the process of the final confrontation with the High Warlord, Pol will unite Sunrunners, sorcerers, and disparate principalities across the continent.
  Overall, I enjoyed the entire series. It kept me enthralled and engaged with the many characters. However, in this book I was conflicted at times by the author's use of rambling summaries of the many characters previously deceased as she tries to enlist our sympathies of the motivations of Pol and his allies. This tendency of rambling thought processes distracted from the story flow and dragged the conclusion out. It provided a weak conclusion to an otherwise great series.
• 
  Misty

  If I had to vote this book for his own merit, I would probably give 5 stars. My enjoyment of it was around the 3 stars, so I will settle for 4.
  I wish I stopped reading with the first trilogy. This second was more action packed, with a brutal war that broke my heart, killed lots of people and ended in an epic way.
  But this was all spoiled by the fact that the true conflict wasn't with the enemy but between Andry and Pol. And the worst part is that it felt artificial from the beginning to the end.
  I mean, the concept isn't wrong: it was all engineered in the first series when Andrade set up a future High Prince who would also be a Sunrunner. Her dream was to have a cooperation with Goddess Keep that clearly didn't happen. My problem with it is that the reason for the animosity and lack of trust felt wrong and made up just to provide angst.
  Since I felt this was more a badly executed twist, it spoiled the three books, making me see everything with irritation.
  The end, with Andry shut away from the light, without the comfort of most of his family was the last straw.
  
  Maybe I will reread this some time in the future and see if I change my mind. Right now, this is how I feel.
• 
  Harrison Delahunty

  These books are really, really bad.
  
  Six novels, all around or greater than 600 pages. The vast majority of these pages are spent on discussions; maybe 50 of them actually move anything forward or are at all interesting.
  
  Also, super cool of the author to fridge off the main character's wife so he can pursue the woman he actually wants, only to not have any definitive answer to any of the rigmarole of the characters' relationship.
  
  I really wish I hadn't accidentally gotten the second trilogy first, so that I got the first three next and felt obligated to read them all. Blegh.