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Amazon.co.uk Review
The Dragon Waiting, like many of the best fantasies, is about something more than the magic, sudden perils and daring adventures that dominate its plot. It is about more than the fortunes of the group of variously flawed and charming individuals who come together in its central enterprise. John M Ford is discussing with us the historical process and the ethical considerations involved in taking a hand in it.
He has created a Late Middle Ages subtly different from the ones we know--the failure of Christianity to become more than an outlaw faith has as its consequence a far more powerful rump of the Roman Empire in Byzantium. The politics of England and Italy are much as we know them--but the wars of the condottieres and the Roses have become part of a Byzantine master-plan of universal control and empire. An exiled prince, a one-eyed magician, a vampire artillery expert and a woman doctor with a side-line in assassination all come together to prevent this.
Ford does battle scenes, the smell of markets and the terror midnight rituals so well that at times it is hard to remember that this is not at all how things were. This is a book which, even though it was written as recently as 1983, deserves the title of Fantasy Masterwork. --Roz Kaveney
Product Description
The Wars of the Roses have put Edward IV on the throne of England, Lorenzo de' Medici's court shines brilliantly, and Duke Galeazzo Maria Sforza plots in Milan. But this is a changed world, and medieval Europe is dominated by the threat from the Byzantine Empire. Sforza, the Vampire Duke, marshals his forces for his long-planned attack on Florence, and Byzantium is on the march. A mercenary, the exiled heir to the Byzantine throne, a young woman physician forced to flee Florence, and a Welsh wizard, the nephew of Owain Gly Dwr, seem to have no common goals but together they wage an intrigue-filled campaign against the might of Byzantium, striving to secure the English throne for Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and make him Richard III.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
John M. Ford is a first-rate world-builder. His evocation of a 15th century with no Christianity, a dominant Byzantium and widespread magic and vampirism is by far the best thing about this book, and the most compelling reason to buy it.
In other areas, however, his skills desert him. The main characters are very well-drawn, with each protagonist getting his or her own extensive prologue illustrating their lives up until their meeting, and the beginning of the actual plot. The secondary characters, however, tend to be mere cyphers, a problem that so pronounced that when one King Edward dies and is replaced by another it is difficult to tell, despite the fact that the new king is only ten years old. Perhaps this stems from a reluctance on Ford's part to tamper with known historical characters, but it results in a cast whom it is difficult to sympathise with. A consequence of this is that the plot can get very difficult to follow. Convoluted plots are not necessarily a bad thing, but when combined with a deliberately evasive prose style they result in a tale that is not worth the effort of reading.
So, buy this book if you like convincing alternate history and detailed primary characters, but are willing to let a decent plot slide.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is one is from the Gollancz Fantasy Masterworks series, and it actually won the World Fantasy Award back in 1984 against:
Pet Sematary, Stephen King
Wandering Unicorn, Manuel Lainez
Tea with the Black Dragon, R. A. MacAvoy
The Armageddon Rag, George R. R. Martin
Lyonesse, Jack Vance
Most of which I have heard of. Although it was only published 25 years ago, it is considered a modern classic by some, and there are whole websites devoted to the minutiae of Ford's story.
The Dragon Waiting is an alternate history novel, set in a Europe, in the Middle Ages, where Byzantium is still alive and kicking and Christianity is a just another minor sect amongst many. A large portion is set in Renaissance Italy, before shifting to the court of King Richard III in England, as our cast try to halt the relentless spread of the Byzantine Empire. With vampires. And a few wizards.
It's a crazy novel. The world-building is very, very good and will stay with me a long time, but I would probably have got more enjoyment if I had understood half of what was going on. There's an over-reliance on the historical knowledge of the reader, particularly with regard to the War of the Roses and Richard III. From what I can tell, though, Ford's re-imagining of Richard (determined to prove a villain or kindly hero?) is quite different to that of Shakespeare's eponymous play, and I expect that were I more familiar with all the subtle changes that Ford has made throughout this book, I'd have loved it. "Now is the winter of our discontent /Made glorious summer by this son of York." But I thought he was dead? Oh, wait, that's a different Richard of York... Even with my limited understanding, the world-building is still my favourite part of this book.
The characterisations were fairly good, and I enjoyed the eclectic nature of the dramatis personae. We have a Welsh wizard, Hywel; a German vampire, Gregory; a Florentine doctor-come-assassin, Cynthia; and Dimi, a French nobleman whose family was destroyed by a Byzantine ploy, and now seeks revenge as a mercenary. Dimi's reason for wanting to turn back the tide of the Byzantine spread, by -- in a complicated bit of politicking and intrigue -- going to England and fighting the War of the Roses, made the most sense to me. I couldn't really see the motives of the others.
It's a good book, one woven thickly with history and politics that are often hard to understand, but it's a done well enough as it is that it makes me want to do all the necessary research, including catching up on most of the history of the Middle Ages!, a confusing enough time even in "real" history: always a good sign. I look forward to re-reading this in twenty or thirty years time!
Pet Sematary, Stephen King
Wandering Unicorn, Manuel Lainez
Tea with the Black Dragon, R. A. MacAvoy
The Armageddon Rag, George R. R. Martin
Lyonesse, Jack Vance
Most of which I have heard of. Although it was only published 25 years ago, it is considered a modern classic by some, and there are whole websites devoted to the minutiae of Ford's story.
The Dragon Waiting is an alternate history novel, set in a Europe, in the Middle Ages, where Byzantium is still alive and kicking and Christianity is a just another minor sect amongst many. A large portion is set in Renaissance Italy, before shifting to the court of King Richard III in England, as our cast try to halt the relentless spread of the Byzantine Empire. With vampires. And a few wizards.
It's a crazy novel. The world-building is very, very good and will stay with me a long time, but I would probably have got more enjoyment if I had understood half of what was going on. There's an over-reliance on the historical knowledge of the reader, particularly with regard to the War of the Roses and Richard III. From what I can tell, though, Ford's re-imagining of Richard (determined to prove a villain or kindly hero?) is quite different to that of Shakespeare's eponymous play, and I expect that were I more familiar with all the subtle changes that Ford has made throughout this book, I'd have loved it. "Now is the winter of our discontent /Made glorious summer by this son of York." But I thought he was dead? Oh, wait, that's a different Richard of York... Even with my limited understanding, the world-building is still my favourite part of this book.
The characterisations were fairly good, and I enjoyed the eclectic nature of the dramatis personae. We have a Welsh wizard, Hywel; a German vampire, Gregory; a Florentine doctor-come-assassin, Cynthia; and Dimi, a French nobleman whose family was destroyed by a Byzantine ploy, and now seeks revenge as a mercenary. Dimi's reason for wanting to turn back the tide of the Byzantine spread, by -- in a complicated bit of politicking and intrigue -- going to England and fighting the War of the Roses, made the most sense to me. I couldn't really see the motives of the others.
It's a good book, one woven thickly with history and politics that are often hard to understand, but it's a done well enough as it is that it makes me want to do all the necessary research, including catching up on most of the history of the Middle Ages!, a confusing enough time even in "real" history: always a good sign. I look forward to re-reading this in twenty or thirty years time!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I don't know why but this kind of book always appeals to me. Don't get me wrong, I can't be doing with " What if Germany won the war?". My tastes require something a little more on the subtle side of things if you are going to mess about with History.
It has got to be said that the Renaisance is fertile ground for these kinds of shennanigins and the characters in the book, all but one historical, play on this slightly altered stage very well.
The basic premise is that the Byzantine Emperor Julian could have reinstituted paganism after Constantine if he had not been so much of a wet. Christianity would have suffered the fate of lots of religions around at that time such as the worship of Mithas, (which features in the book) and become just one of many. Imagine this premise moved on to the Renaissance with chararacters such as the Medici's, Sforza's, Plantagenet Kings and Byzantine Emperor's all reveling in a sumptious, conspiratorial, scenario with added magic and Vampires. There you have it, lovely stuff, well worth reading.
It has got to be said that the Renaisance is fertile ground for these kinds of shennanigins and the characters in the book, all but one historical, play on this slightly altered stage very well.
The basic premise is that the Byzantine Emperor Julian could have reinstituted paganism after Constantine if he had not been so much of a wet. Christianity would have suffered the fate of lots of religions around at that time such as the worship of Mithas, (which features in the book) and become just one of many. Imagine this premise moved on to the Renaissance with chararacters such as the Medici's, Sforza's, Plantagenet Kings and Byzantine Emperor's all reveling in a sumptious, conspiratorial, scenario with added magic and Vampires. There you have it, lovely stuff, well worth reading.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
buried treasure worth rediscovery
I can't believe it's taken so long for this lovely novel to be republished, but better late than never. John M. Read more
Published on 11 April 2005 by Gisele Baxter
Overrated tosh
Why? we keep asking ourselves,what is the point? as we trawl through Ford's po-faced seriousness, in a re-working of historical fact where the major changes are the continuing... Read more
Published on 21 Dec 2003 by D. J. Walker
at last!
I can't believe it's taken so long for this lovely novel to be republished, but better late than never. John M. Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2002 by GMBaxter
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