Dragonslayer Review
Hello, all!
One movie I used to wear out playing when I was younger was DragonHeart. It had Dennis Quaid as a disgruntled knight and Sean Connery voiced the dragon. It was terrible and I loved it. Ever since I've had a soft spot for medieval set stories that feature dragons. So, Dragonslayer by Duncan M. Hamilton was a no brainer. Thank you to Tor Books for the copy!
Guillot dal Villevaurais was once a highly decorated soldier in the King's personal guard, but now he's a washed up drunk mourning the loss of his wife and child. To his surprise, the Prince Bishop calls upon him to help save the kingdom from a dragon that's woken up from centuries of sleep. After being run out of the capitol in disgrace years earlier, Gill isn't quick to jump up and protect the people who turned their backs on him. He's also wary to believe in the existence of a dragon, since the whole race was hunted to extinction by the ancient Chevaliers of the Seventh Circle thousands of years before Gill was even born. That is, until he witnesses the dragon ravage his lands and people.
On his journey to the capitol, Gill rescues a young woman named Solène who was about to be burned at the stake for being a sorceress. He believes her to be innocent, but soon finds out this woman actually is brimming with raw, unbridled magic. Fearing for her life, Gill tries to get her to run away, but the Prince Bishop has other plans for her. Believing that her power is the only way to destroy the dragon, he inducts her into his ranks. While there, Solène learns of a devious plan to overthrow the King which starts with Gill's death. Solène rushes to Gill's aid, and the two must use his rusty swordsmanship and her unstable magic to not only kill a dragon, but stop the Prince Bishop's plan before it's too late.
Dragonslayer definitely had all the elements that make for a great fantasy: magic, ancient beasts, knights, underlying danger and betrayal. I was hooked from the start and flew through this. I loved the subtle humor and sarcasm that Gill had. I was instantly drawn to Solène and this massive power she tried so hard to hide, but in the end embraces and lets empower her. I also enjoyed the little bits we got to see from the dragon's perspective, which you bet I read in Sean Connery's voice. My only issue was that for a book titled Dragonslayer, I expect more...slaying. I went in thinking that the whole story would revolve around killing this dragon, and while that is always the endgame, the story was more geared toward court politics and setting the scene for this plot of the Prince Bishop's. While the big confrontation between Gill and the dragon was satisfying, I just wish there were more of it. Despite that, I really enjoyed this and can't wait to see where else this series goes.
Rating: 4/5
One movie I used to wear out playing when I was younger was DragonHeart. It had Dennis Quaid as a disgruntled knight and Sean Connery voiced the dragon. It was terrible and I loved it. Ever since I've had a soft spot for medieval set stories that feature dragons. So, Dragonslayer by Duncan M. Hamilton was a no brainer. Thank you to Tor Books for the copy!
 |
| Pub Date: 7-2-19 Adult - Fantasy |
On his journey to the capitol, Gill rescues a young woman named Solène who was about to be burned at the stake for being a sorceress. He believes her to be innocent, but soon finds out this woman actually is brimming with raw, unbridled magic. Fearing for her life, Gill tries to get her to run away, but the Prince Bishop has other plans for her. Believing that her power is the only way to destroy the dragon, he inducts her into his ranks. While there, Solène learns of a devious plan to overthrow the King which starts with Gill's death. Solène rushes to Gill's aid, and the two must use his rusty swordsmanship and her unstable magic to not only kill a dragon, but stop the Prince Bishop's plan before it's too late.
Dragonslayer definitely had all the elements that make for a great fantasy: magic, ancient beasts, knights, underlying danger and betrayal. I was hooked from the start and flew through this. I loved the subtle humor and sarcasm that Gill had. I was instantly drawn to Solène and this massive power she tried so hard to hide, but in the end embraces and lets empower her. I also enjoyed the little bits we got to see from the dragon's perspective, which you bet I read in Sean Connery's voice. My only issue was that for a book titled Dragonslayer, I expect more...slaying. I went in thinking that the whole story would revolve around killing this dragon, and while that is always the endgame, the story was more geared toward court politics and setting the scene for this plot of the Prince Bishop's. While the big confrontation between Gill and the dragon was satisfying, I just wish there were more of it. Despite that, I really enjoyed this and can't wait to see where else this series goes.
Rating: 4/5
Haha, I'd be reading the dragon parts in Sean Connery's voice too, for sure!
ReplyDeleteHaha like, how could I not?!
Delete