Customer Reviews

The Dragon and The Djinn

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After the first two books in this series, this was the best. We finally get to see what happened to Geronde's father. And there's a wonderful moment when Angie seemingly defies the rules of magick (and upsets Carolinus quite a bit in the process)--delightful! The only pssible way it could have been improved is if Daffydd had had a nice large role, too. *sigh* (Okay, I'm obsessed with Daffydd.) Great book!

Althought I love the entire series of these books this one only grabs your attention at the end of the book. Admittidly this has a very exciting ending but the body of the book was much slower than the rest. Of course I still enjoyed the battle of the Jim and Brian but it seemed to stray too far away from the other books. However if you have come this far you have to keep going becuase the following books raise back up to the usual standard that is expected. So in short, read the book. It isn't bad but you have to do it to get to the next two which are much better.

James Eckert, the Dragon Knight, who was transported to an alterante 14th Century and there became known as both a magician (he can transform himself into a dragon) and a member of the nobility (a baron, to be precise), here finds himself drawn by the obligations of friendship into new perils. His friend and neighbor, Sir Brian Neville-Smythe, has learned that Sir Geoffrey deChaney, the father of his betrothed, has been seen in the city of Palmyra in the Holy Land, and is resolved to seek him out and ask him to grant his permission for Brian to marry his daughter. When Jim's petition to the King for guardianship of the infant Robert Falon, is granted earlier than he had expected, he finds himself free to follow his friend and offer his assistance. And it turns out to be needed. Through a siege upon the Cypriot castle where they're temporarily lodged (including the need to deal with the owner, who's been cheating Brian at dice), an abduction by Assassins (the kind who ate hashish), and the repeated appearance of a mangy dog that claims to be a djinni in hiding from a jealous counterpart, Jim and Brian persevere, and finally discover that their journey has a meaning far beyond what they had expected, as they confront a Muslim sorcerer who's raised a major demon--and can't control it.

Dickson here expands somewhat on his previous explications of how magic works in his world, while at the same time following Jim's sustained unease over just how fit he and his wife Angie really are to live in this alternate reality, where magic may work but people are the real stumbling block. The final confrontation between Jim, Angie, Brian, Geronde and her father, two hobgoblins, a Christian knight turned slave, and the sorcerer himself vs. the demon and its machinations--intended to, as Jim says, "upset the balance between History and Chance"--is particularly thrilling, though the djinn-in-disguise turns out not to be as vital a character as I had expected it would be. It's clear, too, that the author did some serious research into the 14th-Century Near East. Though my favorite Dragon Knight volume will probably always be the initial one, The Dragon and the George, this sixth entry is a satisfying blend of magic, intrigue, and human interaction, with a lot to say about friendship and courage.

This is the first of this series that I've read and I thought it was highly imaginative. His alternative uses of magic as based on a 20th century person's perspective were most enjoyable. I'll certainly be looking for the other books in this series.

I enjoyed this (almost) latest adventure of James Eckert. It, like the preceding books, was light and easy to read. I was confused with the title though since the Djinn barely figured into the story. Maybe it was just to misdirect our expectations. It was a cheap way to do it, but if you liked the previous books, you will like this one.

This book was terrible - the writing dragged and the plot was lame. The story had little to do with dragons (the hero could change into a dragon but rarely did so, and for no real heroic purpose). The djinn was hardly even a character in the story, despite being given credit in the title. This book should only be read by a die-hard fan of medieval knights.

The book was pretty good but nothing stands out in my mind when I think of it. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful