Customer Reviews

THE DRAGON LORD.

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The thing about David Drake is that he absolutely refuses to be bound by sentimental genre restrictions that he hasn't agreed to.

And this is a typical, albeit early, example of him doing that. His Arthur isn't the doomed romantic of T.H. White; he's a historically believable conqueror, every bit as credible -- and unsavory -- as Genghis Khan, Attila the Hun, or Ibn Saud. Drake's protagonists, while capable of some personal nobility, aren't cookie-cutter heroes, or even the more complex (and also thoroughly enjoyable) ones from White -- they're the sorts of folks who simply don't let cutting a few throats bother them.

This is probably the most original take on the whole Arthurian thing that I've ever read, and I've read quite a few.

Could be called sword and sorcery, Arthurian retelling, Irish mythology.... Whatever you call it, this tale of two very different but well matched mercenaries, trying to stay alive and true to each other and what they believe (or don't believe), despite the forces of history and the machinations of warlords, magicians, witches, and mythic monsters -- it held my attention each time I picked it up. I don't have many books of this sort on my shelf, but I know I will continue to reread this one every few years as I have for over fifteen years, so I'm looking for a hardcover edition.

NOTE: Where I learned the meaning of 'I've got your back' even though it's never said. Read when you want to restore your faith in less-than-perfect but still-the-best friends.

The Dragon Lord

(1979)

The Dragon Lord

(1979)

First, I `d like to say how pleased I was to find that I could purchase a brand new copy of this from Amazon, and since I'm an Amazon Prime member I received free shipping.

An Arthurian Tale out of the Ordinary, Arthur Warlord of Britain, has forged together a Mercenary Army more savage and terrible than the Saxon barbarians who have invaded his Island. Victory isn't enough. Now Arthur wants to annihilate the Saxons by becoming the Dragon Lord.

He needs a Skull.

This is Drake's first novel. He showed promise even back then that this guy was going to be special.

Warning: There is a scene toward the end of chapter Eleven that might give sensitive juveniles nightmares. It is best to have sensitive juveniles avoid this scene, in my humble opinion, it almost gave me nightmares. What were you thinking Dave?

From the author:

Very little of what I wrote before finishing Redliners was

intended for juveniles, sensitive or otherwise.

That particular scene was stolen from a Danish historian,

Saxo Grammaticus. (Who was also the source of Hamlet, if you were wondering.)

I have no objection to the warning--which as I say could be

applied more generally.

All best,

Dave

I highly recommend this novel to fans of Arthurian Fantasy and to Drake Fans, but not for juveniles say under the age of 15 or so.

Gunner June, 2,010

This is not a typical King Arther tale in which the king is the primary character. Arther plays a role but it is minor compared to the two main heros in the story. It has an interesting take on the personality and the physical characteristics of Arther. An fun book to read because it is not the same old thing.

An excellent blend of history and period detail carries a cast of savage warriors to a bloody showdown in Arthur's kingdom.

I came to this book with high expectation based on the mention in "Sorcerer and Sword". Because of that, I ended up a bit underwhelmed.

Good book. It moves fast, the ideas are fresh even though it is working the "Arthur" field. A few of the images will stick with me and I may reread it. Ultimately though, it was a good airplane read.

great combat descriptions, really. but this work is too fragmentary. stuff happens, then something quite else, then the story takes a turn when it should be moving forward. drake should have made this into short stories. then it might have worked. not the fight in the end though, which somehow doesn't seem to fit in. this is like a warning to fantasy writers: sometimes you shouls make a short story, not a novel. this didn't really seem lie a novel to me. some of the things that happened and how they happened seem weird

There is retelling of traditional folklore. There is new, innovative fantasy fiction made up from the imagination of a modern author. And then there is the cheap ripoff of the first in the guise of the latter.

David Drake is a marginal author, and has very little new or original in any book of his that I have read. I thought perhaps this would be different, but I see he is set in a formulaic rut, where characters are wooden, plots are obvious, and all the old archetypes get trotted out in the hope of capitalizing on their popularity. If you are looking for anything new or different, you will not find it here.