Lord of Snow and Shadows by Sarah Ash

Series: Tears of Artamon (#1)

Format: 704 pages, Paperback

Published: January 1, 2004 by Bantam Books

Fantasy

Own

Tsarist "Russia" fell and an empire was divided. One is ruled by a "dragon", one kingdom seems to be mostly Swedes, oh and Finn! And the rest eh, something. It was a mix of things.

Guy gets kidnapped and is told he is to rule as the dragon, and then he starts to change. Ohhh. I liked Gavril, clueless kid who tried to be nice. His mother had spirit too.

The bad guy, I do not know why he is bad, maybe cos he is Swedish? HA, burn. Sorry. Finnish joke.

Lots of political intrigues, a bitchy woman just cos women are bitchy. A princess in distress. A maid that is shown to be more. Oh and those dragon powers, I need to know more.

I gave up the first time, but this time I finished, and it was decent. I got it for free and I have book 2 also, so will continue. Cos that stupid boy, ugh, maybe save that for later! He just doomed his kingdom

Seemingly always the outsider, Gavril Andar - an impoverished young painter - yearns to join the privileged circles of Muscobar polite society. However, unbeknownst to him, he does have royal blood in his veins: the dark and powerful blood of a father he never knew - the Drakhaon, ruler of the isolated northern kingdom of Azhkendir. And when the Drakhaon is brutally murdered, an unwilling Gavril is forced to take up the mantle of both his father's rule - and his power. For blood will out. And the Drakhaon's carries within it a taint that gives its bearer access to awesome, unimagined magics - but at a soul-shattering price.

Now trapped in this bleak, mist-shrouded land full of superstition and racked by bitter rivalries, Gavril faces an awesome task. He must find his father's killer and unite his fractured kingdom against those who see it as weak, defenceless and ripe for invasion before he pays the price of kinship and succumbs to the dread curse that uncoils within him . . .