Dragon's Gold [Hardcover]

Piers Anthony (Author), Robert E. Margroff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 1992

When Kelvin was a child, his mother read to him from the Book of Prophecy and he asked what the poem meant. Now he was about to learn.

The Kingdom of Rud languishes under the heel of a usurper; an evil sorcerer has taken the throne in the name of his wicked daughter. Even deep in the forest, away from all power, the people tremble and await the day of prophecy's fulfillment. It cannot come too soon: Charlain and her children are soon to lose their home to the tax collector.

But Kelvin and Jon have other plans. they have found a dragon's territory, where scales of purest gold, shed by the dragon, lie free on the ground for anyone with courage, or innocence, to take.

And the words of Mouvar the prophet echo across Rud.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Spiced by some genuinely frightening moments. A persuasive performance...that should swell the ranks of Anthony's already huge audience. —Kirkus Reviews

Anthony and Margroff mix fantasy and science much as Mark Twain did in A Connecticut Yankee. Action, character development, and romance blend nicely in this captivating tale. —Kliatt Paperback Book Guide

Good quest fantasy...one of the better examples of its type. —Science Fiction Chronicle

This pleasant...fantasy adventure possesses the added irony and realism one expects from Anthony. —Publishers Weekly.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

About the Author

Piers Anthony is one of the world's most popular fantasy authors, and a New York Times bestseller twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and he daily receives hundreds of letters from his devoted fans.

In addition to the Xanth series, Anthony is the author of many other best-selling works. Piers Anthony lives in Inverness, Florida.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Publishers Ltd (January 31, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0727843079
• ISBN-13: 978-0727843074
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Piers Anthony is one of the world's most popular fantasy authors, and a New York Times bestseller twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and he daily receives hundreds of letters from his devoted fans.In addition to the Xanth series, Anthony is the author of many other best-selling works. Piers Anthony lives in Inverness, Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is wonderfly entrancing!, May 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dragon's Gold (Kelvin of Rud) (Mass Market Paperback)

I first read this book six years ago when I was twelve. Recently I was going through some old boxes and I found this old dusty book. I read it and just like that I fell in love with reading all over again.I definetly recomend reading all of the books in this series.(Dragon's Gold, Serpent's Silver, Chimaera's Copper, Orc's Opal, and finally Mouvar's Magic.)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good start to an entertaining series, October 30, 2010

By 

Matthew S. Kronk - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dragon's Gold (Paperback)

This is the first book of a series. Start with this book and its likely you'll be hooked.

I read through this series in about a month, its easy reading and highly enjoyable. The core of the story is a "hero's quest" with several interesting twists.

This book is probably the "best" of the series and could almost stand alone if you were unwilling to go on to the rest. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to escape from this world for a while and visit a place where things are not quite what they seem.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Potential Hero, April 30, 2003

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dragon's Gold (Kelvin of Rud, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Dragon's Gold is the first novel in the Kelvin of Rud series. John Knight was a Terran and a fugitive from the Queen's dungeon when he meet Charlain while trying to steal her horse. Charlain was a fortune-teller and knew that John was coming and that they would be married, so they were wed the next day and had two children, Kelvin and Jon.

In this novel, Kelvin and his sister Jon are dragon hunting with Mockery, the mule they have just bought. Jon finds a scale and then another and then more, following the dropped dragon scales up and over the nearby hill. On the other side is a dragon, which she first thinks is dead, but then only injured. To resolve the problem, she bounces a stone off the dragon's snout with her sling and gets his attention. Now she decides that she is in trouble and yells for Kelvin. Coming down the hill, she falls in a hole and can't get out. Kelvin goes to her rescue and falls into the same hole.

The dragon doesn't see Jon when he comes over the hill, but he does see Mockery. As he goes after Mockery, Jon pops up, yells that he can't eat their mule, and bounces another stone off him. Now the dragon is after Jon again. When the dragon grabs Jon with his tongue, Kelvin and Jon drop a boulder on it. The dragon reflexively lets go of Jon and tries to pull his tongue out with no success. Kelvin sends Jon after the tent pole to use as a weapon. Of course, she has to ask why he wants the pole and then checks out the injury on Mockery where the dragon has pulled out the mule's tail, but finally she brings back the tent pole. Kelvin sharpens the pole and stabs the dragon in the eye, which causes the dragon to jerk up his head, with pole and Kelvin attached thereto. The resulting fall knocks Kelvin unconscious.

When Kelvin comes to, he finds himself up a tree, the dragon dead, and Jon busy prying off scales. They remove as many scales as they can reach without moving the dragon and start home. However, a bandit acosts them, steals the scales, and heads off to sell Jon to the Boy Mart (he hasn't yet noticed that Jon is a girl). Kelvin tries to stop him, but is totally ineffective. The only thing left for him to do is to follow Jon and the bandit, but instead he goes home and reports the kidnapping. The guardsmen identify the bandit -- a former guardsman -- but kick Kelvin out for wasting their time. The youngest guardsman, however, refers Kelvin to his father, Mor Crumb.

This novel is about a prophecy of the Roundear that will unite the kingdoms of Rud. Kelvin has round ears from his Terran father and so is supposed to fulfill the prophecy. He has fought a dragon, but he has a long way to go before he is ready to lead armies. His sword play needs a lot of work. So does his aggressiveness; Jon has more than he does.

This story is a magical quest tale, searching for the magical artifacts of Mouvar the Magnificent. On the way, Kelvin learns to fight and to be an effective leader. He has plenty of help, starting with Jon and Mor Crumb.

Recommended for Anthony fans and anyone who enjoys light adventure tales with a touch of humor.