Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Kill the dragon, marry the princess, and rule the kingdom. It’s a fantasy come true… if you’re straight.

 

Adam is a chemistry student and martial artist, active in his local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism. But none of that prepares him to be the savior of a faraway land locked in perpetual dusk.

 

In a world of shape-shifters, necromancy, and religious politics, Adam is fated to slay the golden dragon, Khalivibra, and defeat its mind-controlling sorcery to help Princess Esmeralda of Aergon retake her city. Tradition dictates he’ll rule by her side—but Adam is much more interested in Duin, a warrior who changes to beast form in the light of the sun… or fire.

 

Adam hopes he and Duin might end up together when their ordeal ends. But first, the reluctant hero, the spell-casting heir to the throne, the beast-shifting object of Adam’s desire, a six-legged cave lizard, and any allies they can gather must do the impossible… and live to celebrate their victory.

 

Book Review

Traditional fairy tales, as mentioned in the blurb, have some basic rules we are all aware of, and a definite pattern they follow – but despite the fact that ‘Dragonslayer’ contains all the traditional elements of a fairy tale (and then some), it is anything but conventional. The combination of ideas and the composition of the world and its various societies is unusual, if not completely unique. In this world, dragons caused the destruction of the day/night cycle and annihilated the peaceful feudal society on the surface that previously existed. Various factions are now trying to restore their way of life but need the help of a hero to succeed. This is the story of the initially rather unwilling man they pick to fulfill this role, and his journey from skepticism to acceptance of a role he never asked for.

This world feels real and is full of fantasy-like creatures from four-armed giants to lizards (they replace horses) and mysterious fur-covered men. It's a great background to Adam's adventures, and quite interesting. Sunlight has a strange effect on some people, there is neither day nor night, no moon – enough strangeness to keep me entertained and wanting to find out more. The language used is different as well - like "yestersleep" instead of yesterday, since there are no days.

Adam is a second-year science major from Melbourne, an enthusiastic member of the Society for Creative Anachronism who enjoys the staged battles and learning about different weapons, and a modern-day gay man. Then he gets transported into a different world where everything he has only “played” at is suddenly real. In fact, the opening scene jumps straight into his impending execution, pulling me right into the action. The flashback that follows explains how he got there, and things remain exciting, suspenseful, and surprising from there on out.

Duin is a "furred" man, despised and mistrusted by the other humans in this world, for a reason that is only revealed later. Duin is rescued by Adam because Adam figures he knows the lay of the land better than the other humans who are trying to survive without any local knowledge. Duin is curious, grateful to Adam, and mistrustful (no surprise) of the others. He is a great guide, a wonderful friend, and definitely interested in more than supporting Adam on the battlefield.

As is fitting for a fantasy of the adventurous kind, the mystery of what happened to Adam and where he ended up is intriguing. So is the slow exploration of his new reality, including lots of surprises, various enemies, and a few unexpected friends. There is an initial quest – the travel companions are looking for Wyrmbane, the sword of Fernando Aergon, a prophesy about who is to wield it, legends of things that happened in the past – all woven together into a fascinating tale. The final confrontation is justifiably long in coming and truly epic.

If you like creatively crafted fantasy stories, if a good old-fashioned quest with lots of surprises is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that combines character growth, a subtle romance, and lots of suspense, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. I certainly hope there will be another installment in this series sooner rather than later.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by DSP Publishing for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 258 pages/89314 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	25-September-2018
Price	$6.99 ebook, $16.99 paperback, $16.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dsppublications.com/books/dragonslayer-by-matthew-lang-473-b