Knighthood of the Dragon

This isn't a masterpiece of literature. The writing sometimes doesn't flow and sometimes it is plainly non-grammatical. However, it is a great story and makes for a good reading that is capable of keeping me up at night and cancel the stresses of my life.

The military strategy was outstanding and throwing dragons into the mix made it more interesting.

I am usually not a military fiction reader, but I did get hooked on this series from the first book, Dragonmaster. I devoured the first two books and can't wait to get the third. For hard core sword and scorcery fans, you do have to get used to some of the "modernisms" that the author used. Sometimes the dragons seem to be nothing more than fighter planes, which I guess what the author intended. But his characters are strongly built and very real. The effect of war on people and countries tweaks your compassion. I am curious though on the cover of the new edition, if the artist even read the series....or did I miss some of the fire-breathing dragon battles. Like fantasy thats not cookie cutter, pick this up you'll enjoy it!

The war of attrition between the kingdom of Deraine and Roche has been bloody with both sides willing to send pawns to death to gain a slight edge. Entire units are treated as fodder to move a position forward a few miles. Neither side will grudgingly give an inch though the decision makers remain comfortable far from the deadly front lines. Dragon Master Hal Kailas knows first hand how bad the war has depleted his forces as his side slowly loses the entrenched ground war and Roche begins to show superiority in the skies with their black dragon riders. Kailas has to find an answer even as he squabbles with his superior officer Asir the King who refuses to listen to supply inadequacies including a dragon shortage and a lack of trained soldiers. He must emulate the enemy and take the war to their civilian populace. Meanwhile his adversaries make a concerted effort to catch the Deraine war hero with plans to lock him away in magical binds inside a death camp as a demoralizer aimed at his people. As with the first Dragonmaster tale (see STORM OF WINGS), there are obvious comparisons to the trench warfare and aerial fights of WWI and the civilian attacks of WWII, but set in a fantasy realm. The story line showcases the fortunes and foibles of armed combat; highlighted by the concept that peaceful solutions are for the naive while the realist errs on the side of someone else's death. However, as the tale spins its moral issues, the key characters even Hal never seem to have learned anything from their previous adventures. Still KNIGHTHOOD OF THE DRAGON is a superb military fantasy that will have the audience looking forward to the reprint of the LAST BATTLE. Harriet Klausner

With this and the preceeding book, Chris Bunch has written some of the best dragon action stories available today (see the end). His work stands up quite well against the icon of dragon stories; Anne McCaffrey. Chris Bunch brings military knowledge and nuance to add real depth to his plot, settings, and action; as he has in his Star Risk and Last Legion series. I especially liked the super-position of World War I aerial war development onto dragon riders at war. The bad guys (the Roche, not the Boche) even had technical air superiority (black dragons over the local domestic green dragons in lieu of Fokkers vs the Spads), and a titled leader. The analogy can be carried too far; I don't think the Red Baron's brother was sleeping with the Kaiser. The ground war is (thankfully) kept as germain to the plot development; the flyboys ( & gals) didn't win it all single-handedly.This is not a slam on Michael Stackpole's Dragoncrown War Cycle (DWC). The DWC is less about dragons (at least in the first three books) than it is about people and cultures fighting to control a vital resource. These are also an excellent read!