June 17, 2011

Dragonlord of Mystara by Thorarinn Gunnarsson

Title:  Dragonlord of Mystara
Author:  Thorarinn Gunnarsson
Format:  PB
Pages:  395
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher:  Wizards of the Coast, 1994
ISBN-13:  978-1560769064
Series:  The Dragonlord Chronicles, Book 1

Favorite Quote:  "You?" Solveig said incredulously.  "You haven't the patience of a yak in heat.  You don't even fight in a normal manner, now that you've taught yourself to use those gadgets you attach to your wrist cuff."

Synopsis (Back Cover):  Pursued across rugged mountain country by dragons until nearly dead from fatigue, the sorceress of unknown origin lived only long enough to give birth to her son.

Now, years later, the dragons have returned in fury to ravage the northern lands in search of the sorceress's orphaned offspring.

Thelvyn Fox Eyes and his guardian, one-handed adventurer Sir George Kirbey, embark on a fantastic quest to unlock the secret of an elusive prophecy that will lead them to the legendary Dragonlord.

For if the dragons decide to go to war, only the Dragonlord can hope to stop them...

Review:  I picked up this complete trilogy at a yard sale.  I wasn't expecting too much since they are books based on a role-playing game, but they had dragons on the cover and I'm a sucker for dragons, so I thought I'd at least give them a try.  I must say, this book was really quite good.

The only negative thing I really have to say is that the language is a little awkward and old-fashioned sounding.  I imagine this is because English is probably not the author's first language.  It reads like a book written far longer ago due to the language usage, but I'm not 100% sure it's actually a bad thing.  It feels right in many places.

Most of the characters have impossible to pronounce names.  I like the characters, though, especially the dragons.  The dragons are well-written, being intelligent and civilized creatures for the most part.  The companions on the quest are all memorable, with the female warrior, Solveig, being my favorite.  She is accompanied by a dwarf, a mandrake, a mage, and the main character, Thelvyn, who is not sure of his background yet.  This is not exactly an original mix and the characters attitudes and behaviors are somewhat stereotypical, but they are still enjoyable.

This novel left me curious as to what will come next.  I've already begun the next book of this series.

Rating:  6 / 10

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