Gollancz, London, 2001, 1^st pr.  ISBN 0-575-60319-4.  Trade soft cover, 408 pages.  Very good; light edge and cover wear, light reading creases; binding sound.  Interior clean and unmarked with lightly tanned pages.  ‘In Magrast, the capital of the Magravandian Empire, the emperor Leonid Malagash lies dying.  His warring sons wait in the background to fight for the throne against the legitimate heir, Prince Gastern.  Valraven Palindrake, Dragon Lord of the imperial army … has vowed to support Gastern.  But other people, in secret cabals across the world, have different ideas, and see Valraven as the obvious champion to overthrow the rule of the decadent Malagashes.  He is the Sea Dragon Heir of mystical Caradore, the only man in power fit to wear the ancient Crown of Silence that embodies all the best qualities of a true king.  While Valraven devotes himself to keeping order in Magrast … his wife Varencienne and his daughter Ellony are kidnapped… As the new emperor goes slowly insane, tormented by horrific visions, Valraven is, slowly but surely, forced to face up to the dreams that others have invested in him.  And the great dragons of old, who rule the elements, are woken from their timeless sleep, as the eternal conflict between Foy, the Sea Dragon Queen of Caradore, and Efrit, Lord of the Magravandian Firedrakes, is played out through human avatars.’ (from rear wrap)