Review by Library Journal Review
As war threatens to rip apart a once peaceful land, a young kitchen boy turned magician's apprentice embarks on a journey that could save his world from the dark machinations of a king gone mad. The author of Tailchaser's Song draws on many mythologies for the background of his fantasy epic, creating a solid story spiced with political intrigue and strong, appealing heroes. Highly recommended. JC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
YA-- Williams, author of Tailchaser's Song (NAL, 1986), scores with the first book in another fantasy trilogy. Simon is an ordinary kitchen helper who is taken under the tutelage of the magician Morgenes. When King John Presbyter dies and his son Elias ascends the throne, the way opens for a long-dormant evil to enter the realm. Elias, a pawn of the black magician Pyrates, moves to eliminate his brother Josua, and the brother-against-brother, good-versus-evil clash begins. Simon is thrown in with Josua and muddles through adventure and peril, maturing into a hero by book's end. Williams weaves all of the classic ingredients of fantasy into his tale--trolls, giants, elf-like sithi, and dragons. Simon must travel from drought-stricken lands to ice-bound peaks as he follows his far-seeing dreams. The land of Osten Ard is well created, and readers quickly become immersed in the story. Unfortunately, despite the high adventure and excitement, The Dragonbone Chair leaves many loose ends, so readers, like Simon, are left waiting--for book two.-- Margaret Sloan, Willowridge High School, Sugar Land, Tex. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
From the author of Tailchaser's Song (1985), the opening chunk (672 pages, no less) of yet another imitation-Tolkien trilogy. In Osten Ard, the local Middle-Earth, stands the ancient castle Hayholt, where soon the ambitious prince Elias will be crowned king. Prompted by his evil advisor, the sorcerer-priest Pryrates, Elias intends to obtain an ancient sword of great but dark power. But where has Elias' honest brother Josua One-Hand disappeared to? Well, Simon, inept but lovable kitchen-boy and apprentice to the wise Dr. Morgenes, stumbles upon Josua chained in the dungeons. Morgenes and Simon free Josua, though Pryrates sorcerously kills Morgenes. Simon barely escapes, to go wandering blindly through the countryside. He rescues a trapped and dying Sithi (the cat-like local Elves) who gives him a White Arrow in return. Next Simon is befriended by the dwarfish troll Binabik, and finally joins up with Josua, now leading the resistence against Elias. According to one of Simon's prophetic dreams, two other ancient swords (both now lost) may help to counteract the power of Elias' sword. So a quest to the frozen north gets underway; Simon encounters his old friend, the Sithi prince Jiriki; they find one of the swords, and discover the real enemy: the Storm King (guess who he resembles), an evil sorcerer-Sithi long thought dead. Simon grows, pleasingly, from an inattentive and foolish preteen into a thoughtful and determined young adult. As for the rest: derivative ideas, a numbing plot, banal invented languages, and no conclusion whatsoever. A vast, dusty, irrelevant drone. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
