Customer Reviews

Knights of the Crown (Dragonlance Warriors, Vol. 1)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Beware of this book, it truly stinks. Many people said it was good, but don't be fooled. Roland Green obviously doesn't know how to write a Dragonlance novel. The characters are unimaginative and boring. And the story just drags on and on. Pirvan is a terrible character. Save your money and buy something by Douglas Niles or Richard A Knaak, real Dragonlance writers who I definitely recommend!

This book is really a very good story, despite what many others on this website have posted. Although it starts out a little slowly it gains strength with each chapter. It may be a little confusing for avid Dragonlance fans who will be expecting a book about the Knights of Solamnia and big red dragons, when in reality it explores a world yet untouched by the authors of this saga. That in turn may play a part in the unfamiliarity in which practiced readers will find them, thieves and Istarian nobility are not a subject explored in detail in many other Dragonlance tales. I won't go into detail about the book itself except to say that it is in the end a love story, but not the passionate love we tend to find among our fantasy characters. Strangely enough the thief who comprises half of the lovers duo is an extremely honorable man, who even after stealing some very valuable jewels is compelled by his conscience to return them. The adventure continues over the high seas and into the jungles and even involves a pair of dragons. Standing alone it could be a great read, however the final chapters of the book seem cut from the pages of some other novel, they just don't fit. They do connect the inside of the book with the cover art and the title but it is much too little too late. What is supposed to be a surprise ending is easily recognized by even the most passive reader. Ultimately if you like this sort of book you will enjoy this one, but for those who need a little more I would say look elsewhere.

This was a good tale of an honorable ex-thief named Pirvan. It was a good story about how Pirvan gained the honor of being a Knight. Only weakness is Haimya. She didn't truly serve a purpose.

I thought Knights of the Crown was a pretty good book. It isn't every day that you get to live the life of a thief. I did feel that some of the parts were a little slow, but the characterization of Pirvan is outstanding. It makes you feel like you are really him. Another thing that Dragonlance fans will appreciate are the battles. They are written in quite vivid detail. So, if you like DL and you love battles, this is the book for you.

I'll admit it, I love knights of Solomnia. This book rocked because it was interesting to see Pirvan become less of a thief and much more honorable as the book went on. Roland Greene can certainly write a good book!

What would have helped this book is a map showing the locations where the areas take place. To those who are familiar with Dragonlance, or indeed AD&D, this book breached a number of "traditions" -

1. Pirvan the Spell Thief - cast without memorising from notes, fights better than the average fighters, has a highly developed sense of honour etc. Many thieving characters do have honour, but hardly as finely developed for one who is supposed to be so young.

2. A thieves' guild asking a thief to return the loot which had been acquired "fair and square" ???

3. What is actual strength level of the Golden Cup ? At times it seems to be weak, especially in Karthay, but they can kick minotaurs' butts!

4. How difficult is the voyage supposed to be from Istar to Karthay to Craters' Gulf? Or is the Golden Cup just plainly unlucky?

5. How is it that Pirvan can become so well known and endangered upon his return? Unless the comrades he went through the voyage are big mouth louts who are reckless of his safety.

6. How powerful the House of Encuintras really is ? They can't keep a thief out of the room of the daughter of the House, they can deter people from crossing them openly, they can't get Gerik released for a long time, they can send an expedition to ransom him with enough force to fight minotaurs, they quibble over the ransom sum so much that Eskaias has to add her own dowry to it, a lot of things are just internally inconsistent.

7. Fustiar's and the black dragon completely lacked any personality and motivation, more info on them would have improved the book.

8. Now we learn that the Solamnic Knights are so stiff-necked holier-than-thou after all, they actually run a CIA-type of agency doing some dirty work which normal honourable knights wouldn't dream of.

The title of the book is completely misleading - at least in Luck of the Weasel and Galen Beknighted, we have a more realistic expectation of the book.

BTW, where in the story did that red dragon and plate-armoured knight wielding the long weapon feature in the story ?

Despite all the negative reviews here, this book isn't actually bad. I found it difficult to truly get into it for the first few chapters (as the characters seemed rather uncharismatic and petty at first) but the further it went on, the more I enjoyed it. I've read better, but this one is actually pretty good.

Maybe I read it too fast to catch all the "inconsistencies". If that's the case, then it's further proof that the book is good, in my opinion.

With that said, if you've read any of the others in the series, then this is the book where Pirvan, Haimya, Jemar, and Eskaia first meet. And Tarothin the rather unimpressive, if amusing, wizard.

Friends of mine claim that the Dragonlance series is extremely addicting. I think that I started with the wrong series for addiction. This was a good story, but the many inconsistencies within the story and the predictability were a little dissappointing. Not a terrific story, but for the price of a paperback, you could definitely choose worse. Check for it at the library first though.

I enjoyed this book namely because it shows how a unlikely theif who soon becomes a noble knight. The story had many intriguing scense and a great plot. And I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more of the vast world of DragonLance.

First off let me mention a few NECESSARY SPOILERS! These will not ruin the story or anything. In fact it may help you to enjoy the book.

1. The Book is called 'Knights of the Crown'. When in reality it should have been called something like 'Pirvin the Spellthief'. Why you ask? The books title implies that it will be a book about the Solamnic Knights of the Crown. When in fact it is about the adventure of a thief. He will eventually become a Knight. But that does not happen until the last chapter in the book.

2. The cover art is misleading. There is no red dragon in the book period. Now other than those 'Inconsistencies' The book is really good.

Pirvin the spellthief ends up stealing a few pouches of Jewels, not realzing the importance of them until two late. Becuase of this he ends up going on a mission to help save the betrothed of the person who he stole the jewels from. (The Jwewels were part of a ransom)

In this book we get to see a couple of dragons who have mysteriously been awakened from the dragonsleep.

Ships full of Minotaurs.

Sea Barbarians.

Drunken, Insane regade mages.

And one of my favorite weapons on Krynn (Especially when playing D&D)

The Frostreaver Axes.

I would definately suggest picking this book up. Pirvin is a very interesting character who has his own sense of honor.