Dragonslayer is a funny and refreshing read. It takes popular fantasy tropes and twists them just enough that they take on a new light. Our valiant and noble hero is a reluctant drunk who hasn’t picked up a sword in years. Our magical sorceress is merely an uncertain and frightened girl with an immense power she doesn’t quite understand.
Guillot is a fun and relatable character. He has a sense of duty and honor; very different from some of the other bannerets who lust after fame and fortune. Despite the fact that his prime is behind him, he manages to pull himself from the bottom and become worthy of the title “hero.”
Solène was spunky and eager. She wields a crazy amount of power and isn’t afraid to use it. I was a little skeptical of how well she managed to use her magic in such a short amount of time, but I enjoyed her portions of the story nonetheless. It was easy to root for her success, especially after all of the hardship she has had to face.
One thing Hamilton does that I loved is provide the dragon’s POV. Alpheratz is not merely a dragon rampaging through the mountains for the hell of it. He wakes up after centuries only to discover he is the last of his kind. Everyone he loves is dead — his mate, his children, even his rival — all thanks to the dragon slayers. His fury manifests as an understandable act of vengeance, and you can’t help but feel for him. It raises the question — is Alpheratz a villain?
That being said, the villains in this story fell a little flat for me. Prince Bishop Amaury believed he was doing the wrong things for the right reason... but ultimately, I can’t help but think his motivation was power. Dal Sason, on the other hand, was motivated by money and money alone, and while that is reason enough for some to get their hands dirty, it just seemed as though his character was not fleshed out.
Another thing that wasn’t fleshed out was the world building. It was almost nonexistent besides some mention of the surrounding nations and the county’s past. There were some legends and stories thrown in as well, but all seemed to be plot relevant. I loved Hamilton’s writing style, but there was a lack of detail that I couldn’t get past. In a fantasy such as this, I really wanted more information about the world in which the story takes place in, and I feel like I didn’t get as much as I wanted.
Toward the end, there was a lot of exposition and internal monologue trying to tie up the loose ends of the story. However, I felt as though things were being over-explained.
The ending fell a bit flat for me and was pretty predictable. I don’t want to spoil it or assume anything, but since there is meant to be at least one sequel, the story has the chance to redeem itself. So I’m feeling a bit more lenient on that end.
This story was entertaining and perfect for the fantasy lover who wants something a little different.
Guillot is a fun and relatable character. He has a sense of duty and honor; very different from some of the other bannerets who lust after fame and fortune. Despite the fact that his prime is behind him, he manages to pull himself from the bottom and become worthy of the title “hero.”
Solène was spunky and eager. She wields a crazy amount of power and isn’t afraid to use it. I was a little skeptical of how well she managed to use her magic in such a short amount of time, but I enjoyed her portions of the story nonetheless. It was easy to root for her success, especially after all of the hardship she has had to face.
One thing Hamilton does that I loved is provide the dragon’s POV. Alpheratz is not merely a dragon rampaging through the mountains for the hell of it. He wakes up after centuries only to discover he is the last of his kind. Everyone he loves is dead — his mate, his children, even his rival — all thanks to the dragon slayers. His fury manifests as an understandable act of vengeance, and you can’t help but feel for him. It raises the question — is Alpheratz a villain?
That being said, the villains in this story fell a little flat for me. Prince Bishop Amaury believed he was doing the wrong things for the right reason... but ultimately, I can’t help but think his motivation was power. Dal Sason, on the other hand, was motivated by money and money alone, and while that is reason enough for some to get their hands dirty, it just seemed as though his character was not fleshed out.
Another thing that wasn’t fleshed out was the world building. It was almost nonexistent besides some mention of the surrounding nations and the county’s past. There were some legends and stories thrown in as well, but all seemed to be plot relevant. I loved Hamilton’s writing style, but there was a lack of detail that I couldn’t get past. In a fantasy such as this, I really wanted more information about the world in which the story takes place in, and I feel like I didn’t get as much as I wanted.
Toward the end, there was a lot of exposition and internal monologue trying to tie up the loose ends of the story. However, I felt as though things were being over-explained.
The ending fell a bit flat for me and was pretty predictable. I don’t want to spoil it or assume anything, but since there is meant to be at least one sequel, the story has the chance to redeem itself. So I’m feeling a bit more lenient on that end.
This story was entertaining and perfect for the fantasy lover who wants something a little different.