Very boring, at the start. Dull throughout the rest. Also quite confusing, as there wasn't any lead-up to the how and why the story started as it did. Throughout the story, there is something rather missing: a sense of adventure. Now, it feels more like chess pieces slowly moving in a certain direction, while the players communicate meaningless descriptions to their actions before, during, and after.Better dialogue in the beginning scenes of complex diplomacy. Luthien's Gamble had at least one or two scenes in which the dialogue perfectly illustrated their thoughts and intentions, and the tension of the scene. In this one, the tense, complex dialogue is more common and with much at stake. While sometimes not immediately or easily understandable, for it counters common expectation in dialogue, I much appreciate the style.Too many new characters. Many of them are not properly, fluidly introduced as in the first two books. Often I didn't understand the importance of a scene because I didn't know who was who and why they were there.Use of extremely violent words in the context of sexual violence. Where in past books there was an implication of kidnapping with specific intentions, in this one there are several moments in which the issue is blatantly, needlessly stated in an insensitive and exploitative way.A lot of insults in the series, gradually increasing toward the end, describing characters as 'dogs' or stating something threatening or violent with regard to dogs. I find this, as with any such ignorant comparison to other life, disgusting and unnecessary.The series as a whole, and this one in particular, possesses some of the typical fantasy racism. The Cyclopian species is derided as completely brutish, violent, and stupid. Targeted by many (in particular Oliver) as a game to mock the members of the cyclopian species before killing them. In this one, there is an implication of plans for genocide, of the complete ridding of the species from the land. As with any fantasy racism I come across, I see this as a missed opportunity for more complexity to the story.Many of the chapters begin and/or end with a more cliffhanger-y style than I've come to expect from the series. Instead of drawing in my interest with dramatic tension, it became an annoyance and a trite form of writing.Overall, the final book is mostly unsatisfying. There's an unnecessary death utilized for drama, but in reality as a result the book simply ends wrong and is often a terrible bore.
Okay, this book was god-awful, but not because the author isn’t skilled or talented (he is both, I loved the Icewind Dale Trilogy) – it is god-awful precisely because he is so skilled and talented!Every hackneys motif of the Fantasy genre is here – the rugged and handsome roguish young nobleman who is an expert swordsman, archer, thief, nuclear engineer, tracker, and lover; his not quite so noble-born but still beautiful and deadly lady love; the ancient yet kind wizard-king; the comedy-relief s
What do You think about The Dragon King (1997)?
The book was my favorite of the three. Suprised to see one of the main characters died, but such is the cost of war. Interesting twists.
—Matt Laduke
