The first generation of characters are a bit idealistic in nature.

The good guys are the good guys and the bad guys are the bad guys, but there are instances where the good guys do bad things and the bad guys do good things, so it isn’t all cut and dry. My one complaint with the series is that the early characters seem a little one dimensional. But, because this is a family saga, it’s also a story about love, and how that has power too. The biggest theme in this series is Power-the motivations behind the wanting of it, how it can be a burden, the responsibility of keeping it. If you like reading stories with lots of political maneuvering, this is a great series for you. But even a master strategist can be outmaneuvered by fate. Rohan’s strength as a leader is not his sword, but his brain. Through various marriages the Princedoms become a giant chessboard with two main alliances. Throughout the series the characters age and the responsibilities of ruling are passed on to the following generations. At its heart, Dragon Prince is a family saga. The series revolves around a Rohan, a prince of a desert holding, and his family and friends in their struggle to wrest power away from a cruel overlord and establish peace throughout the various Princedoms. The Dragon Prince trilogy is one of the first epic fantasy series I ever read, helping to cement my love for the genre. I am not familiar with all of Rawn’s works-there are a number that I have not read, so I will do my best to speak to the ones that I have read here.ĭragon Prince Trilogy (1988-1990) and Dragon Star Trilogy (1991-1994)ĭragon Prince, The Star Scroll, Sunrunner’s Fire She has written a number short fiction stories, but Rawn is most well known for her works of Epic Fantasy. Relationships and family are usually a key element to her stories. In all of Melanie’s books I’ve read there are at least little threads of romance. She has a degree in history-something, I believe, that has had a great effect on her fantasy works with the world building and seeing how the societies function.īefore writing fantasy, Melanie Rawn wrote a romance novel titled The Rushden Legacy under the pseudonym Ellen Randolph.

Before getting her start in fiction she worked as a teacher and also an editor.

You can check out more of the Author Appreciation series here.

This originally appeared as part of the Author Appreciation series on the r/fantasy forum.

Captal's Tower by Melanie Rawn