Servant of the Dragon is the third book in the Lord of the Isles series by David Drake and I am currently reading it. So far it is pretty good - with the same kind of elements found in the prior books. Huge problems are discovered and then solved with suprising ease. However, both Sharina and Cashel have both found themselves in interesting lands with difficult problems to solve so I hold out extra hope for this book.One of Drakes best traits in these series is his inventive characters and cultures and this book so far has introduced me to at least two new ones. The Dragon's and a Bird guy, Dalar, whose name I can't remember at the moment. Finally, Drake also has a cool habit of allying suprising characters such as demons with the heros. It tends to set any preconceived notion you might have about the term demon on it's ear when one suddenly starts helping to save the world - even if it is for a selfish reason and not a noble one.Well I finished the book and so far it was my favorite in the series. Each of the characters went on completely different patters in their quests and amazingly all ended up in the center of the same big problem. You don't really have to read the other books in the series to follow what is going on in this book; but I still recommend reading the whole series. However, if you don't have the time for all three books - just skip to this one.
Wow! Servant of the Dragon had the original charm of the first book in the series, Lord of the Isles, and was a much faster read than the first two, despite being a similar length. I think it went quicker because of how much I enjoyed it.Drake develops his characters impressively in this installment, particularly Ilna, whose storyline was my favorite of the ones I read. Liane also becomes more of a character and less of a romantic interest/non-entity. Each storyline had more purpose and felt far less contrived than those in the second.Definitely my favorite of the first three in the series.
Read this on the flight to California, in one sitting. Despite being the third book in a series, I had no trouble following what was going on. The novel held my interest throughout. Drake is a good storyteller, and the plot advances smoothly yet unpredictably. The characters are well drawn, and very likeable. Picks up a number of well-used fantasy tropes but stitches them together in unusual ways.And I admire Drake greatly for not trying to write his own poetry, but stealing it from Horace and Virgil.
—Ari
I enjoyed the previous two books. I liked the characters and the plot was enjoyable. For reason's i can't explain (well), I couldn't get through this book. If i can vaguely recall, the transition to the different characters and their respective.. plane of existence.. seemed to get tedious for me to read. I also didn't care for some of the convenient methods to which the characters resolved their plights. sigh.. this is my first less than par review i've ever posted, so don't hurt me! :) btw.. i may be wrong on some accounts because i read this book over 7 months ago..
—Jeromy
This was an enjoyable continuation of the Isles saga. I love the protagonists--each one is strong in his/her own way, and each one has a part to play toward the conclusion. There's magic and danger and love that stands through distance and time and place. I love the descriptive nature of the writing and can't wait to start the next one!Yes, I took my time reading it. It sat on my dining table, and I read a chapter any time I sat at the table to eat alone or have a cup of coffee. That's not a statement about what I thought of the book--it's just the WAY I thought of it--as a pleasure that was all mine.
—tatiana
