Customer Reviews

Dragon Outcast (Age of Fire)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like so many great stories, E.E. Knight's Age of Fire series is about a family and what happens when that family is torn apart. Admittedly, this family has claws and wings and the ability to breathe fire, but the emotional core underneath resonates, even as the books oscillate between tragedy and playfulness, thoughtfulness and pulp action. If Ursula K. Le Guin and Edgar Rice Burroughs had collaborated on a series of dragon books, the result might have been something like Age of Fire.

Whereas other dragon books tend to either regurgitate fantasy clichés or use dragons as really neat horses, E.E. Knight's dragons are something else entirely. Anyone with an interest in the behaviors of birds, reptiles, or dinosaurs will find the instincts of Knight's dragons refreshing. They behave like top predators from the moment they hatch, and watching them evolve from ravenous beasts to thinking beasts is worth the price of admission.

Knight's plots speed along, as addictive and rich as really good coffee. I have trouble setting his books down. That he manages to confront troubling issues (racism, slavery, and genocide) within the format of a page-turner makes these books a stimulating read for both teenagers and adults.

This is one of the most under-rated fantasy series currently being published. Plus, the first three books (Champion, Avenger, Outcast) can actually be read in any order. Plus, it's like Rashomon with dragons. Do yourself a favor and buy them. They're a treat.

This is one of the most well written Dragon Tales of all time. It's dark, funny, completely unpredictable, and our main character is not a good guy/dragon, but you'll sympathize with him anyway. You don't have to start at the beginning of the series either. Each dragon's tale stands alone and these are my most favorite dragons EVER!

I absolutely love these books. They are great. The whole take on them is something very new, and something I loved when I read the first book in the series. This isn't the best in the series, but by no means is it bad. I guess I'll just have to try and wait patiently for the next and last(?) book in the series.

I never could help rooting for an underdog! Since the beginning of this series, I have been wondering what happened to the copper hatchling that was injured and driven from the cozy egg shelf.

This third book of the series is even more emotionally complex and poignant than the first two. All of the dragon hatchlings lost their family. But the copper (or the Copper, as the book calls him) lost his family twice...

This story, filled with the last hatchling's courage, persistence, bad luck, and (eventually) good luck and growing morality, is absolutely engrossing. The maneuverings, plots and politics of a royal family are all here in the dragons' world in the Lavadome.

I am impressed by Knight's integrity in creating all the books of his series in such a fashion that they can all be read and appreciated independently as outstanding books, and yet create an even greater whole together. This is turning into an impressive work on the series level.

A good new look from a dragons point of view. No human dragon riders here, or cute talking horse like mounts. It is a refreshing new way to examine dragons with a great developing plot.

Through both of the previous editions in the series (Dragon Champion and Dragon Avenger) I learned to despise "the Copper" as much as AuRon and Wistala. In Dragon Outcast, I learned to sympathize with him, and deeply enjoyed his travels. One of the standout portions of the book is the Copper's travels underground with his bat companions. The well-developed supporting characters bring the world of these dragons alive.

The ending of this book will bring satisfying closure to some plot threads opened earlier in the series, and will open the gates to the next 3 books in the Age of Fire, starting with Dragon Strike!

If you've been following this series (and you really should be if you like dragons at all), you probably know this book is the one about the Copper- the Outcast. From the first two books it was easy to place this dragon as the 'bad guy'. This book is from his perspective and I think it is an important perspective to take. Few things are black and white and this character that was so easy to cast off as a despised traitor in the first part of the series suddenly becomes a complex individual. We get to see how he struggles with his mistakes and essentially grows up in dragon society.

I love the Age of Fire series- they are a look at dragons as I'd always hoped: dragons as their own entities, without making them big scaly mounts to 'dragonriders' or making them overly malevolent or benevolent- they just are. This is a no-frills realistic type of fantasy that is easy to believe in.

Please do note that all opinions expressed in the following review are, as all opinions are bound to be, highly subjective and personal.

In the third book of this series, Mr. Knight shows a definite improving trend in his writing. While Auron of book one was frankly annoying to me and Wistala slightly less so, Mr. Knight very effectively manages to get me to empathise with Rugaard, using literary methods which in the hands of lesser authors would definitely have turned me off. The angst and pain Rugaard goes through are definitely warranted and not cheapened, thrown away or shrugged off. In all, this was a reasonably good read, and I agree the series is highly underrated as a whole.

The pros:

Rugaard's character development is much more extensively detailed than AuRon's or Wistala's; we're not only allowed to explore his motivations for doing what he does, which is vital for building character empathy, but also allowed to follow an antagonist's "start of darkness", to see Rugaard's hatred for his family--and his brother in particular--to fester and consume him, to feel his loneliness, to see his heart harden and his loathing for the hominid races cement itself--all while remaining a sympathetic and likable character. That in the end, we're allowed to understand why Rugaard does what he does, and while we may not agree with his actions, we are aware of his motivations and can empathise--for if we were in his position, who are we to say we wouldn't behave the same way?

This, in my opinion, is far more interesting than Auron's struggles in book one, which I feel were far too easily resolved and seemed to pop randomly out of nowhere, or goody-two shoes Wistala. To make a small comparison between Auron and Rugaard; the former's obstacles stem from without, while the latter's obstacles ultimately stem from within--making the difference between cheap angst and great tragedy. In my opinion, Rugaard's character carries the whole weight of the book on its shoulders, and it's only because of him I'm enthused about reading the next book in the series--the knowledge that the characters are set in their current paths--that there's no solving Rugaard's issues with a wave of a hand, that three great dragons are being turned against one another by their convictions and experiences and so forth, and I can't help but get the feel from this book that the first confrontation between AuRon and RuGaard as adults will be epic.

Oops. I think I started rambling. In short: yes, buy this book, or at least, get it from your library. It will pull at your heartstrings. It may even make you cry, so strongly do Rugaard's emotions seep through the prose at some points of the story.

The cons:

However, I must say that the book is not without its cons. Firstly, as with the first (and perhaps second; it's benn a while since I read the second) book, Bibilical allegories abound: Rugaard selling his family out for pieces of silver, the Cain and Abel dynamic, the Adam and Eve allegory explaining the rivalry between snakes and dragons and so forth--I'm not exactly sure why those are in the book. If these books had been explicitly Christian fantasy like Donita K. Paul's Dragonknight, I might have accepted them, but used in this manner they pulled me out of the prose kicking and screaming before reminding me that I was reading a book--ruining my enjoyment of Rugaard's tale.

Secondly, there have been comments that Mr. Knight's fantasy races feel too "canned"; that they're the stock archetypes used for Dwarves, Elves, and so forth with only a quirk or two added. Dwarves were dwarves, elves were elves, blighters were orcs-by-another-name, and so forth. The trend does seem to continue in this book with gryphons simply being renamed "griffaran" and chucked into their assigned role.

Thirdly, although this might be just me being nitpicky over this, I was hoping (and still hope for in future books) for the possibilities in a draconic society such as the Lavadome to be more fully explored. Like James Maxey's "Bitterwood", the draconic society feels too human for a species which is at the very least vastly physiologically and psychologically different from humans. I don't know, but with all the platters and banquets and gardens and baths and smiles around I still can't shake off the impression that I could have reached in, picked out a dragon and plopped in a human in disguise without any problems. Mr Knight DID try to differentiate his society from a human one, yes, but I'd like to explore what else the dragons do besides ordering thralls around, eating, sleeping, guarding the Lavadome, making more little dragons and so forth, especially in a supposedly decedant society. The Anklenes had me all excited, but little enough airtime was given to them. Perhaps more of dragon art and culture can be revealed in future books, especially if Wistala or someone else were to go to Silverhigh once more.

All in all, though, this is an excellent book and definitely worth a read.

E.E Knight is truly a master. He spins a tale of three dragon siblings who are thrust into a world of chaos, where the races of hominids and beasts must fight tooth and nail for survival. Each dragon must find his or her position in this war of worlds and craft a living as best as they can. I've never read a book more than one time except for these, which I have read all more than five times each. With wide appeal, from hate and deception to redemption and greatness, Knight paints dragons who seem more human than scaled brutes (in a good way). I'd sooner stand by one of Knight's dragons than my fellow man. I've never found such a powerful series that makes me question morality and life, these books gave me insight to my own existance and won me over. As art is wont to do, riches such as these will capture any reader's imagination and send them soaring. I highly recommend them!

Dragon Outcast is the third installment of Age of Fire and details the journey of the Copper Dragon Outcast. When the Copper dragon is forced out of his family, he must live by his own devices and wiles. Forced to make some less-than-easy decisions, it's a true tale of what happens when you're backed up against the wall with limited options of recourse. The story creates feelings of sympathy for the poor guy.

This is my favorite of the first three and tied for first out of the currently written five. Knight seems to draw upon his political science degree by creating an imperialistic society of dragons, which is full of intrigue and back clawing. Out of the first three, this one expertly lays the groundwork for future installments.

The main plot moves along pretty quickly, and is great for people who like a fast-paced story line. Knight does a great job intertwining different dimensions of the story, and skillfully weaves in different characters. Together the story is amazingly deep, and keeps readers interested from beginning to end.

Dragon Outcast also highlights many of the quirky humor we're used to seeing in the other two. The unique sayings and actions of the dragons caused me to laugh multiple times. Knight also does a great job with dramatic irony, and foreshadowing, which leaves readers asking, "What will happen next?"

I recommend this book to any who like dragons in a general sense, and those who like to read stories with solid character development. The dragons in this story are more physical than magical and it is a unique perspective these creatures of myth. Although it's part of the Age of Fire series, it can stand alone if need be with little detriment to the reader or the story.