Storm Of Wings (Dragonmaster: Book One) by Chris Bunch
01/05/2003 . Source: Donna Jones 

Pub: Orbit/Times Warner. 409 page paperback. Price: £ 6.99 (UK), $ 9.99 (CAN). ISBN: 0-84149-192-6.

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Hal Kailas is a thoughtful boy. Life holds no wonders to him as it stands in the small village of Caerly. Working in the local mine or inheriting his family business, the local tavern, would be torture for him.

In a twist of fate, he decides to protect his family by leaving his village. There is one wonder in the world that occupies all his dreams, dragons. The thought of flying and controlling these mighty monsters fills him with delight.

As his wandering journey leads him across the lands, he never seems to settle. After a while, the land itself becomes unsettled. Through a war that denies its people life itself, Hal becomes an amazing man. His soldiers call him 'Lucky' behind his back because if you go out with Hal Kailas you always seem to come back.

Eventually, he ends up with fliers on the backs of dragons. They don't fight, they scout. Hal Kailas knows that this is a great waste and through his determination realises the dream. Take the fight to the skies, using the real weapon, the dragon itself! Through doing so he faces loss, old adversaries and near death but during it all Hal Kailas is the Dragonmaster.

This book won't be for everyone. The scenes of battle and war are shocking. At times, for those who don't like old black and white war movies, they could be conceived as dull but damn, I liked them! Chris Bunch writes from experience.

His main character is thrown into war by men who do not have the presence of mind to change the way war is fought. You start to wonder if Mr Bunch has experienced this in the Vietnam war in which he served.

Time and time again, the main character is ignored and then somehow manages to use the ideas he has. Each time he uses his knowledge it is then denied. You get a sense that the underdog will prevail, though the path for him isn't easy.

The characters are gloriously multifaceted. The crew of first dragon-fliers stick together and are likable and hateable in the right ways. Their histories make them deeper and more realistic. I fell in love with each and every one of them.

This leads me to my next point. Hal has several love interests. Each are very different to the next. Starting with his first teenage encounter with sexual pleasures, ending in more solidly based relationships. The scenes of romance are quite beautiful, not to sound too mushy, but they feel just right. Finding yourself wrapped up in the affairs of Hal Kailas even more.

The dragons in ‘Storm Of Wings’ are not pussyfooted. They are portrayed as they should, as magnificent revered beasts. Throughout the story the characters are constantly learning about the dragons' habits and their sometimes enigmatic ways. This results in more pulling of the reader in.

There are secrets yet unknown. By the time you finish the book you damn well know they will come out by the end of the series, with hopefully gratifying results for hooked readership.

I just think this book is a great read. There isn't much you can not like unless you really do hate scenes of war and army combat. At times you find your imagination taking off and flying with the dragons in the book. I loved it. Breathtakingly awe-inspiring.

Donna Jones