Dragonslayer
Author of one of BuzzFeed 's Greatest Fantasy Books of 2013
In his magnificent, heroic, adventure fantasy, Dragonslayer, Duncan M. Hamilton debuts the first book in a fast-moving trilogy: a dangerous tale of lost magics, unlikely heroes, and reawakened dragons.
Once a member of the King's personal guard, Guillot dal Villevauvais spends most days drinking and mourning his wife and child. He’s astonished—and wary—when the Prince Bishop orders him to find and destroy a dragon. He and the Prince Bishop have never exactly been friends and Gill left the capital in disgrace five years ago. So why him? And, more importantly, how is there a dragon to fight when the beasts were hunted to extinction centuries ago by the ancient Chevaliers of the Silver Circle?
On the way to the capital city, Gill rescues Solène, a young barmaid, who is about to be burned as a witch. He believes her innocent…but she soon proves that she has plenty of raw, untrained power, a problem in this land, where magic is forbidden. Yet the Prince Bishop believes magic will be the key to both destroying the dragon and replacing the young, untried King he pretends to serve with a more pliable figurehead.
Between Gill’s rusty swordsmanship and Solene’s unstable magic, what could go wrong?
Title: Dragonslayer (Dragonslayer #1)
Genre: Fantasy
Author: Duncan M. Hamilton
Hardcover, 304 pages
Publishing Date: July 2nd 2019
Publishing House: by Tor Books
ISBN: 1250306728 (ISBN13: 9781250306722)
My Review
Shut the front door, because a savory tale of redemption awaits in the pages of the first Dragonslayer novel and the famous slayer that once was but has seasoned past his prime with nothing left to live for. No distractions needed when the opportunity affords to spend time far away from the now, immersed in a pseudo-European landscape around the middle ages where one can feel the echoes of fear bounce back on cave walls and hear the thoughts of a living, breathing dragon!
Long gone are the days when the Chevaliers of the Silver Circle protected the land of fire-breathing dragons and the practice of magic existed. So, as a shock to all of Mirabaya comes the news that a large creature is sweeping over villages causing destruction and an uproar of fear in the citizens across the land. On the orders of the King, the Prince Bishop is to recruit the once-famous Guillot dal Villevauvais, ex-member of the King's personal guard to find and kill the beast.
Spending more time inebriated than sober, Gill mourns the loss of his wife and child and reminisces in the tales of glories past when he was still a revered man. Weary, he takes the journey to answer the King at the capital city and rescues a young woman, named Solène, persecuted for supposed witchcraft.
In the meantime, in a cave not so far away, a dragon has woken from its slumber and in first pov, the reader goes through all the notions with him as he regains his memory of haunted pasts, dragon raids, and senseless killings. Almost philosophical his plot parts reveal a sense of ancient wisdom that easily gains a readers’ sympathy. But a fire-breathing creature needs to eat, and so we spread those wings with him, glide through the valleys and pry on the meals that will get him by till the next time.
Broken Gill learns of Solène's healing gifts she can't yet control while they travel to the city and brings her along to the King. There, she gains peculiar measures of interested in her abilities and is offered room and board in exchange for plying her talent.
Facing the truth about who he has become, Gill is confronted with inner doubts as he rides out of the city surely to be killed by a beast full of menace. What he finds is an object of secrecy that could save his life and unveil the real doing of the King and the fate of all of Mirabaya.
***
THIS! I loved.
The story took its time. The main characters were vulnerable with a breath of valiance. It doesn't have to be loud and full of clashing action all the time to create an interesting and enjoyable fantasy novel (To me, anyway). This is definitely more on the savory side despite the menacing, amazing raging beast on that gorgeous cover :)
Backstabbery and intrigue for gains tugged the the plot in different directions, keeping it moving and interesting. The element of a secret object holding answers from the past created a touch of mystery that needed solving. New to me was reading in the pov of the dragon, and those parts quickly became the most anticipated ones for me in the novel. Listening to the book partially on audio gave the characters the perfect voices and I enjoyed the narrator's unhurried speed in reading, enhancing a tale told.
I came across this title on Twitter, and it was available to me through the library. Only after I read the book did I notice the mixed reviews for this title. It did crush me a little, or perhaps made me doubt my taste buds.
Just kidding.
In the end, we just simply enjoy novels differently for different reasons. This is definitely a great book to dip your toes into the genre or for those readers who enjoy journeys redolent of old dragon tales.
I loved it :)
