The Golden Cord (Five Star Science Fiction & Fantasy) [Hardcover]

Paul Genesse (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 399 pages
• Publisher: Five Star (ME) (April 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594146594
• ISBN-13: 978-1594146596
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,688,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I love writing and I've sold about a dozen short stories and two novels so far. The Golden Cord, Book One of the Iron Dragon Series is the bestselling fantasy novel my publisher has ever had. Book two, The Dragon Hunters is the sequel and more books are to follow. Please visit me online if you want to chat about writing or want some advice on how to break in. Best wishes and follow your dreams.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Fantasy Adventure, April 23, 2008

By 

Shelleyflower "Rebecca" (Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Golden Cord (Five Star Science Fiction & Fantasy) (Hardcover)

The Golden Cord is set in a lush and dangerous world where Drake Bloodstone must choose between protecting his own people and leaving them to pursue a perilous quest against the dragons. Either way his life and very soul face destruction as he tries to fight off the forces of evil. This is quest fantasy at its best. A page-turner with gripping characters and a wondrously original setting.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read!, April 25, 2008

By 

C. Nilson "CN" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Golden Cord (Five Star Science Fiction & Fantasy) (Hardcover)

In this adventure fantasy book, Drake Bloodstone is a young man who is sworn to protect and serve his small village. With danger lurking on all sides, Drake becomes a protector to all as he embarks on a quest filled with dangerous griffins, wyverns and dragons. I found Drake's connection to the world of spirits and his love back home to be intriguing and can't wait to see how it develops more in the books to come. I also enjoyed the flashbacks to the great dragon battles in the past. It definitely had a huge role-play adventure feel to it, which was fun in some respects but would probably make it a bit predictable for experienced role-play enthusiasts. I thought the climax of the book was great, and left me wanting to know more about what is to come (I won't give any of it away). I would definitely recommend this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Adventure Fantasy!, May 8, 2008

By 

Shaun Duke "Arconna" (Santa Cruz, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Golden Cord (Five Star Science Fiction & Fantasy) (Hardcover)

The Golden Cord is book one in Paul Genesse's new The Iron Dragon Series due for release on April 16th through Five Star. The story follows Drake, a hunter and village guardian in the treacherous Thornclaw Forest. When two Drobin--dwarves known for their enslavement of humans and hated by the villagers--show up in Cliffton, dragging with them a wicked Aevian Wyvern, Drake is thrust into a journey that threatens to destroy him and his family. The Drobin are searching for their lost kin and Drake volunteers to help them against the wishes and desires of his fellow villagers. And the great dragon Draglune and his dark minions have risen up, vying to destroy everything he loves.
Genesse has a firm grasp on the high fantasy concept. The Golden Cord is like Dragonlance, only in a new world, shared only in one imagination--his. Magic, fantastic creatures, and a hero's journey are major factors in this work (adventure fantasy if you will). One of the strong points is Genesse's style. It's not too overbearing, which can be a problem in fantasy, but balances action, dialogue, and description evenly. The world, while certainly very serious, does have a fun feel to it. It's a little like Tolkien, although, at this point, not quite at that epic scale. I call it fun fantasy, though that's probably not the proper term for it.
This is quite a fun book, to put it simply. The love story was really cute, which might have been what Genesse was hoping for. It felt realistic, as if these were really two people from a small village that actually loved one another. This, of course, does create some tension among the villagers, which proves rather beneficial to push the plot forward. Tension arises elsewhere, in another village, later on in the book, giving you an idea of just how complex the social relations really are in such small communities. While Genesse doesn't spend time going into all the intricacies of these relationships, he gives you just the right amount to make you understand that these villages follow a code and have rules that must be followed.
With a quick moving plot, just the right balance of magic, weird critters, and action, The Golden Cord is a great opening for a new fantasy series. I look forward to the next book. This is definitely a series to watch.

P.S.: The cover is gorgeous!