A Brief Note on “The First Dragoneer”. August 29, 2011

So, I was looking for something really light to read on my husband’s iphone, and spent some time browsing through the fantasy section. (It’s been ages since I’ve read something on elves and dragons and I’m missing it.) I came across a free novella by M R Mathias called The First Dragoneer (click on link to Goodreads’ blurb and free ebook). It sounded promising and the reviews were good. I ‘pick it up’ and read through it quickly.

It’s a well-written story about a couple of youth on the threshold of manhood, who go hunting. They come across a huge cave outside the safety of their kingdom’s borders and an adventure they sure couldn’t forget for the rest of their lives.

However, after this adventure, things moved to quickly, without pause. The story seemed to go out of control, rushed, as though the writer decided that he had given his readers enough of a prequel and it was time to get to the real thing. I found it disappointing in away, especially after the detailed description of these boys on a final hunt and the exploration of the cave. Also, at the end, I was reminded so suddenly and strongly of Christopher Paolini’s Eragorn. A dragon, dragon rider, and the connection between the minds of two completely different beings.

This novella is the prequel to the actual Dragoneers Saga, and consists of the first two chapters of The Royal Dragoneers. I did not read those two chapters as I wasn’t sure I would be able to read this series, and I preferred not to be tempted too much. I would recommend this, though. M R Mathias has a great deal of writing potential, and premise of the story sounds interesting.

Book Meme: Day 04 – Favourite book of my favourite series. August 29, 2011

Having mentioned in my previous book meme post that Song of Albion is my favourite series, I have to say now that my favourite book from the trilogy is The Silver Hand (Book 2 of Song of Albion). The entire series is written in the first person. Books 1 and 3 are narrated by the whiny university student I mentioned, in the previous post, was the hero (Lewis/Llew). Book 2, however, is narrated by the hero’s bard, Tegid. Of the three I find this book to be most lyrical and full of stories within stories. Tegid is blind (in this book), and whatever is narrated is what Tegid sees through the eyes of Llew. Later, he is blessed with inner vision, and what is narrated is somehow more ‘clear’. This is also the book that sees Llew grow the most, where he begins to show the qualities, courage, and decision-making capabilities of a king.