Fantasy Books

 

Title: King's Dragon Book I of Crown of Stars

Author: Kate Elliott

Summary: IT BEGINS WITH CIVIL WAR--For though King Henry still holds the crown of Wendar, his reign has long been contested by his sister Sabella. There are many eager to flock to her banner, and there are ways to make even the most unwilling lord into a weapon pointed at the heart of Henry's realm.

Torn by internal strife, Wendar also faces deadly raids from the north by an inhuman race, the Eika. And now terrifying portents are being seen; old ruins restored to life under the light of the full moon and peopled by the long vanished Lost Ones; dark spirits walking the land in broad daylight.

And suddenly two innocents are about to be thrust into the midst of the conflict:

Liath, who has spent her early years fleeing from unknown enemies, is a young woman with the power to change the course of history if she can only learn to master her fear and seize what is rightfully hers.

While Alain, a young man who may find his future in a vision granted by the Lady of Battles, must first unravel the mystery of who he is-whether the bastard son of a noble father, the half-breed child of an elfin lord, the unwanted get of a whore, or the heir to a proud and ancient lineage. For only when he discovers the truth can he accept the destiny for which he was born.

Liath and Alain, each trapped in a personal struggle for survival, both helplessly being drawn into a far greater battle, a war in which sorcery not swords will determine the final outcome, and the land itself may be irrevocably reshaped by the forces unleashed...

Review: I really have mix feelings for this book. To start of, King's Dragon begin with the origin of Prince Sanglant, a half human half Aoi, an ancient race. It is said that since his mother is an Aoi, he could not die. His father is the king of the realm and wants to see Sanglant as his heir but many people disagree with his decision because Sanglant is recognized as a bastard, unworthy of kingship. Sanglant, on the other hand, care little for the kingship. He only seeks to obey his father, King Henry in any way possible.

Meanwhile, Liath, a girl of powerful talents, is bought by a priest after the murder of her father by some unknown force that has been trying to seek them for years. The priest has a different agenda in mind for Liath, who possesses a secret given to her by her late father to keep. Unknown to her past, she is tormented by the twisted priest and his pursue for the forbidden art of sorcery, a practice that is not accepted by the church. Detesting the priest, Hugh, she tries all means to escape but to no positive outcome.

In another part of the country, there's a boy, Alain. Like Liath, he's oblivious to his past. He is not sure who is mother or father really was. Taken in as a child, he is fostered by a merchant named Henri. He is promised to the church but cirumstances change everything. The land is erupted in raids by the inhuman Eika, a foul and deadly race. They destroy the church that Alain is suppose to go to. Meanwhile, Alain witnesses a strange vision. He sees the LADY OF BATTLE and she asks him to pay homage to her and he agrees by taking the magical rose given by her.

The story has great scenes in which the main characters have to deal with the turmoil of their fate as well as their destiny and past. The use of the Eika raiding the realm as an excuse for the chain reaction for the characters is okay for the story but not great. There are too much religious discussions in the story which are extremely dull to read through as well. There were time I would just roll my eyes at the endless yabbing of the characters about the "CHAMBER OF LIGHT". That concept was very repititious to the point of ruining most part of the story. But other than that, the story flows well with the characters which had their own struggles and guilts.

Rating: 7 out of 10