Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
DAW Books (New York, 1997). 1st edition, 1st printing. 544 pages. $22.95.
Description
Set in an alternate Europe where bloody conflicts rage, the first book of the Crown of Stars epic fantasy series chronicles a world-shaking conflict for the survival of humanity 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 middle 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....… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member SlySionnach
This book brought me back to my fantasy roots. As I was reading it, I realized just how much I missed series and following multiple points of view, traveling around the world, and seeing the intricate world that authors create.
I didn't need the female-slanted version of Christianity being pushed on
We follow a few main POVs:
Alain - an orphan sent to become a member of the religious order. His life takes an unexpected turn and he goes from the teenager who doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in a monastery to one who has the chance to travel and change the world.
Liath - the daughter of a man named Bernard, her life is consisted of running and hiding until she manages to fall in with the right group of people, after almost losing everything.
Rosvita - a scholar who works under the King, becoming one of his close personal advisers without any sort of fancy title. Through her, we get glimpses into the castle.
We also follow Sanglant, the Prince, and Hanna, Liath's dear friend.
The novel itself is a fantastic start to a series that I have a good feeling I'm going to enjoy. I have all six other books already, so it's just going to take time to get through them all. Definitely a good read if you want to pick up a completed sword and sorcery series!
I didn't need the female-slanted version of Christianity being pushed on
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me on nearly every page, but I could look around that for the story.We follow a few main POVs:
Alain - an orphan sent to become a member of the religious order. His life takes an unexpected turn and he goes from the teenager who doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in a monastery to one who has the chance to travel and change the world.
Liath - the daughter of a man named Bernard, her life is consisted of running and hiding until she manages to fall in with the right group of people, after almost losing everything.
Rosvita - a scholar who works under the King, becoming one of his close personal advisers without any sort of fancy title. Through her, we get glimpses into the castle.
We also follow Sanglant, the Prince, and Hanna, Liath's dear friend.
The novel itself is a fantastic start to a series that I have a good feeling I'm going to enjoy. I have all six other books already, so it's just going to take time to get through them all. Definitely a good read if you want to pick up a completed sword and sorcery series!
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LibraryThing member pwaites
Trigger warning: abuse, sexual assault
King’s Dragon is the first book in a completed epic fantasy series by noted fantasist Kate Elliott.
King’s Dragon focuses on two young people in the Kingdom of Wendar, a fantasy nation that seems to be based on medieval Germany. On the large scale, Wendar is
However, it takes a while for our protagonists to become involved in events of international importance. Both Alain and Liath have their own problems. For his entire life, Alain’s been promised to a monastery, although he yearns to see the world. Just when it is time for to enter a cloistered life, the monastery is destroyed by raiders and his life is saved by a goddess, the Lady of Battles, in return for dedicating his life to her. Meanwhile, Liath and her father have been traveling her entire life, running from something her father won’t explain to her. When her father dies, Liath is arrested for his debts and sold as a slave an abusive man.
I had a lot of trouble getting through the beginning of King’s Dragon, and I nearly quit. I was already stressed due to other things happening in my life, and Liath’s situation was very difficult to read about. Her sections of the first two hundred pages of this book are the reason for the trigger warnings at the top. However, I just couldn’t let this book go, and when Liath’s friend Hanna began on a plan to save her, I felt like I was getting to the end of the worst of it. I was right. Thanks to Hanna, Liath does get out and begin to recover, although I think she’s showing signs of trauma and PTSD.
Liath is obviously the main female character in King’s Dragon, but she wasn’t the only female character. I like for the books I read to include more than one significant women, and thankfully this wasn’t a problem for King’s Dragon. I mean, this is Kate Elliott we’re talking about. Of course there’s going to be women doing things!
As I already mentioned, the world is inspired by medieval Germany. This makes it fairly close to the medieval European worlds you see in a lot of fantasy fiction, but it was well drawn and with just enough variations to keep me interested. The largest difference from actual history is the gender norms and religion. In this world, women are just as likely to inherit as men, and most of the high ranking Church leaders are women. Most of the army is still male, but there are women who fight. While I wouldn’t say that the world is egalitarian, it is a lot less patriarchal than the history it’s based off of.
A lot of the elements of King’s Dragon are fairly standard fantasy fare. There’s battles, political intrigue, hints of destiny and ancient myths come to life, orphans with magical powers, contenders for the throne, elves, ect. While some elements were familiar, Elliott still manages to bring them to brilliant life. I got to the very end and realized I was hooked. Kate Elliott’s got me stuck on a seven book long epic fantasy series, so you can expect to see more reviews of this series in the future.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
King’s Dragon is the first book in a completed epic fantasy series by noted fantasist Kate Elliott.
King’s Dragon focuses on two young people in the Kingdom of Wendar, a fantasy nation that seems to be based on medieval Germany. On the large scale, Wendar is
Show More
facing a civil war, with the current king’s sister raising an army to contest his rule and place herself on the throne. At the same time, the kingdom is under attack from raiders that seem like a cross between orcs and Vikings.However, it takes a while for our protagonists to become involved in events of international importance. Both Alain and Liath have their own problems. For his entire life, Alain’s been promised to a monastery, although he yearns to see the world. Just when it is time for to enter a cloistered life, the monastery is destroyed by raiders and his life is saved by a goddess, the Lady of Battles, in return for dedicating his life to her. Meanwhile, Liath and her father have been traveling her entire life, running from something her father won’t explain to her. When her father dies, Liath is arrested for his debts and sold as a slave an abusive man.
I had a lot of trouble getting through the beginning of King’s Dragon, and I nearly quit. I was already stressed due to other things happening in my life, and Liath’s situation was very difficult to read about. Her sections of the first two hundred pages of this book are the reason for the trigger warnings at the top. However, I just couldn’t let this book go, and when Liath’s friend Hanna began on a plan to save her, I felt like I was getting to the end of the worst of it. I was right. Thanks to Hanna, Liath does get out and begin to recover, although I think she’s showing signs of trauma and PTSD.
Liath is obviously the main female character in King’s Dragon, but she wasn’t the only female character. I like for the books I read to include more than one significant women, and thankfully this wasn’t a problem for King’s Dragon. I mean, this is Kate Elliott we’re talking about. Of course there’s going to be women doing things!
As I already mentioned, the world is inspired by medieval Germany. This makes it fairly close to the medieval European worlds you see in a lot of fantasy fiction, but it was well drawn and with just enough variations to keep me interested. The largest difference from actual history is the gender norms and religion. In this world, women are just as likely to inherit as men, and most of the high ranking Church leaders are women. Most of the army is still male, but there are women who fight. While I wouldn’t say that the world is egalitarian, it is a lot less patriarchal than the history it’s based off of.
A lot of the elements of King’s Dragon are fairly standard fantasy fare. There’s battles, political intrigue, hints of destiny and ancient myths come to life, orphans with magical powers, contenders for the throne, elves, ect. While some elements were familiar, Elliott still manages to bring them to brilliant life. I got to the very end and realized I was hooked. Kate Elliott’s got me stuck on a seven book long epic fantasy series, so you can expect to see more reviews of this series in the future.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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LibraryThing member humouress
This story is set at a time when saints, elves and sorcerers still walked the land, the Church had a strong presence and visions and miracles were not unheard of, though magic was frowned upon. Life was uncertain, and freedom could not always be taken for granted.
King Henry rules the joint kingdoms
There is also a hint of dark forces moving to shatter the world, and a circle dedicated to light who will try to prevent them.
I really liked this story. It has a similar feel to one of my favourites, the epic Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, with its alien magic, elves who still interact with the world of humans, and commoners with integrity who come to the notice of the royal family. Alain, especially, reminds me of Simon, the hero of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.
I found this a well written, compelling book. It really conveyed, to me, a sense of medieval Europe, when thrones were warmly contested and noble houses and the Church were tightly intertwined. Events kept moving, whether they occurred in a village or a court, in battle or in peace. And Elliott's depiction of insidious evil, which can wear a charming, friendly face is quite ... sinister.
I will definitely be continuing with this series.
King Henry rules the joint kingdoms
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of Wendar and Varre, and dreams of recreating the old southern Holy Dairyan Empire of Taillefer. However, his sister, the Lady Sabella, disputes his right to the throne of Varre, and the border raids in the north by the alien Eika race are getting worse. We journey with such people as Alain, Liath, Hanna and Rosvita who are freeborn common people who stumble, in most cases, onto the fringes of courtly life, and are well placed to observe the historic events occurring.There is also a hint of dark forces moving to shatter the world, and a circle dedicated to light who will try to prevent them.
I really liked this story. It has a similar feel to one of my favourites, the epic Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, with its alien magic, elves who still interact with the world of humans, and commoners with integrity who come to the notice of the royal family. Alain, especially, reminds me of Simon, the hero of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.
I found this a well written, compelling book. It really conveyed, to me, a sense of medieval Europe, when thrones were warmly contested and noble houses and the Church were tightly intertwined. Events kept moving, whether they occurred in a village or a court, in battle or in peace. And Elliott's depiction of insidious evil, which can wear a charming, friendly face is quite ... sinister.
I will definitely be continuing with this series.
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LibraryThing member willowcove
A great series. My only complaint is the ending of the final book. It just seemed that 7 books worth of plot and intrigue came to a very abrupt halt. I still highly recommend the series.
LibraryThing member flemmily
I'm loving the Jaran series but was not as impressed by the start to this series.
I'm anti dream sequence, which is part of my frustration.
But mostly it just feels like this book is all description. I find how the characters interact with their religion pretty interesting, but I can't stand the
I'm anti dream sequence, which is part of my frustration.
But mostly it just feels like this book is all description. I find how the characters interact with their religion pretty interesting, but I can't stand the
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endless sermons, poetry, etc that grace every other page. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tilinka
I generally enjoyed this book. The setting is interesting in it's parallels and divergences. It was perhaps surprisingly straightforward compared to other epic fantasies I've read. I am undecided as to whether or not I like that. The series may grow boring if it stays as predictable as this book
The climax and denouement in particular were quite satisfying. (Yes, yes. Giggle if you must.)
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was, but I will reserve judgement until I've read more of it.The climax and denouement in particular were quite satisfying. (Yes, yes. Giggle if you must.)
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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
A fun jump into a fantasy series. The author weaves together multiple stories and rich characters - a young man of uncertain parentage, a woman with the potential for great magical power, scheming siblings, dynastic uncertainty, a long war that suddenly takes an unexpected turn. This style of
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fantasy may be traditional, but it's just what I was in the mood for and the ending had me eager to start the next in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
This is really engaging high fantasy. Lots of characterization and world building from the very start. No infodumps. Just good, solid fantasy, complete with doomed loves and huge batttles.
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Interesting start to a series, several characters that I'm sure are being set up to cause change, but they have to go through some growth and learn some lessons first.
It's an interesting start to a series.
It's an interesting start to a series.
LibraryThing member renbedell
A fantasy novel set in historical Europe following a young woman and man finding their place in a warring kingdom. The world is a typical historical European setting but with different fantasy races and magic. There is also a strong focus on powerful women. The plot is slow as the characters build
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and more elements of the world are demonstrated. The main characters are well written and believable, but take time to be enjoyable. The book gets better the farther it goes a long. There are a few romance pieces that I just don't really get. The ending is good and I feel like this book really set up the series. I wouldn't recommend this book if not committed to moving forward as there are a lot of plotlines that are unanswered. Show Less
LibraryThing member wishanem
I think most successful Fantasy novels written in the last 15 years have some twist or signature element that sets them apart from the others. This book, 20 years old, doesn't have a particular hook. Instead, it is a competent attempt at telling the typical Hero's Journey archetype with a couple of
The characters were generally well-formed and worth investing in, but I found the story a little disappointing. This book reads very much as the first entry in a single multi-volume story, with a great deal of setup and background without very much payoff. I haven't decided yet whether I'll seek out the next book in this series.
Words I learned from this book:
Faience - A sort of Earthenware decorated with colorful glazes.
floralegia - From Latin, literally a gathering of flowers, in Medieval usage a compilation of excerpts from other writings.
soughing - To make a moaning, whistling, or rushing sound.
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interesting wrinkles. Language and events from Christianity are borrowed and inserted into the Fantasy setting. For example, the characters talk about "pentekoste", an event at which tongues of flame appeared above the heads of believers and they became able to understand languages they don't speak. The book didn't have any commentary or strong opinion on the real things it was referencing except maybe to highlight how male-dominated Christianity is, and I found its straightforward borrowing of religious terms, stories, and characters to be distracting.The characters were generally well-formed and worth investing in, but I found the story a little disappointing. This book reads very much as the first entry in a single multi-volume story, with a great deal of setup and background without very much payoff. I haven't decided yet whether I'll seek out the next book in this series.
Words I learned from this book:
Faience - A sort of Earthenware decorated with colorful glazes.
floralegia - From Latin, literally a gathering of flowers, in Medieval usage a compilation of excerpts from other writings.
soughing - To make a moaning, whistling, or rushing sound.
Show Less
Awards
Nebula Award (Nominee — Novel — 1997)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1997
Physical description
544 p.; 6.6 inches
ISBN
0886777275 / 9780886777272
UPC
071125022956