Synopses & Reviews
Praise for
Glass Dragons:
"McMullen has a gift worthy of the best mainstream authors for creating memorable, finely nuanced characters, making him must-reading for fantasy enthusiasts."--Booklist
* "Like 2002's well-received Voyage of the Shadowmoon, this second novel in Australian author McMullen's Moonworlds Saga expertly blends fantastic melodrama and broad farce . . . the book is especially attractive for its tricky shifts from dark, passionate intrigue to sly but rowdy slapstick, like a Storm Constantine plotline performed by Monty Python. There may be a lot of story to come before the world's balance of magical powers is restored, but the readers won't mind if additional books in the series are as entertaining as this one."--Publishers Weekly Starred Review
"This one is much better than its predecessor, which was pretty good itself, and suddenly McMullen is threatening to emerge as one of the leading names in fantasy."--Chronicle
"Australian author McMullen depicts a world filled with intrigue and strange magic . . . His sometimes whimsical, always literate style brings a gentle touch of wry humor to a tale of courage and cowardice, love and death, mystery and magic."--Library Journal
"A complicated and fast-moving tale of unlikely heroes . . . fans of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams will appreciate McMullen's dry wit, shifting points of view and almost complete disregard of fantasy conventions, making for a highly entertaining and far from typical fantasy adventure."--Romantic Times
"A captivating and unique blend of fantasy, comedy, cloak and dagger, sword and sorcerty, blood and thunder and almost any other pair of linked icons you care to name . . . Such is McMullen's expertise at action-packed scenes, so admirable is his spare yet evocative prose, and so fecund is his sens of invention, that you will finish this book in a gallop, eager for a third foray into the Moonworlds realm."-Scifi.com
"A boisterous entertainment, as spectacular as its memorable predecessor, Voyage of the Shadowmoon. . . McMullen's heady and headstrong brand of fantastic adventure is sure to remain addictive, and I for one will follow its siren call anywhere."--Locus
Review
"Such is McMullen's expertise at action-packed scenes, so admirable is his evocative prose, and so fecund is his invention, that you will finish this book in a gallop." Locus
Review
"McMullen has a gift worthy of the best mainstream authors for creating memorable, finely nuanced characters, making him must-reading for fantasy enthusiasts." Romantic Times
Review
"Like 2002's Voyage of the Shadowmoon, this second novel in Australian author McMullen's Moonworlds Saga expertly blends fantastic melodrama and broad farce." Booklist
Review
"A boisterous entertainment, as spectacular as its memorable predecessor, Voyage of the Shadowmoon." Chronicle
Review
"Fans of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams will appreciate McMullen's dry wit and shifting points of view, making for a highly entertaining and far from typical fantasy." Library Journal
Review
"His sometimes whimsical, always literate style brings a gentle touch of wry humor to a tale of courage and cowardice, love and death, mystery and magic." Jackie Cassada
Review
"Suddenly McMullen is threatening to emerge as one of the leading names in fantasy." Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
A broad and complicated novel filled with wonderful characters, woven through with low humor and great courage, and built upon grand acts of heroism and love. It is the tale of Laron, the chivalrous 700-year-old vampire, the appallingly dangerous and beautiful Velander, and the long-suffering Terikel, as they investigate a secret project of arcane magic, a magic so dangerous it could destroy their world . . .
About the Author
Sean McMullen is one of the leading Australian SF authors to emerge during the 1990s, having won more than a dozen national awards in his homeland. In addition, he has sold several dozen short stories to magazines such as
Analog, Interzone, and
Fantasy & Science Fiction, and was co-author of
Strange Constellations, a History of Australian SF. He established himself in the American market with the publication of the
Greatwinter trilogy (comprised of
Souls in the Great Machine, The Miocene Arrow, and
Eyes of the Calculor). His fiction has been translated into Polish, French, and Japanese. The settings for Sean's work range from the Roman Empire, through Medieval Europe, to cities of the distant future.
He has bachelor's and master's degrees from Melbourne University, and post-graduate diplomas in computer science, information science and business management. He is currently doing a PhD in Medieval Fantasy Literature at Melbourne University, where he is also the deputy instructor at the campus karate club, and a member of the fencing club. Before he began writing, Sean spent several years in student reviews and theatre, and was lead singer in three rock and folk bands. After singing in several early music groups and choirs, he spent two years in the Victorian State Opera before he began writing.
He lives in Melbourne with his wife Trish and daughter Catherine.