Review: A tale of madness and sorcery
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 14, 2014
This is the fifth book in the Dragoneer series, if you overlook the novella that preceded them.The sequel begins with King Richard, a dragoneer who is exiled on a small island called Serpent Isle. Even as he sinks into the dark abyss of mental illness and evil cravings, focusing more on his past memories, Richard shows the reader occasional glimpses of his former self. As he sets off on a new journey and forges an alliance with King Chad, his brother - the ruler and the other dragoneers face a new challenge and fight dangerous battles. When Colossals, powerful winged creatures, attack the warriors and their dragons, they uncover dark magical elements at work - wizards from the Old World.What does this signify for Clover and Crimson and their friends? What role does Richard play in the tumultuous events affecting the fragile peace in their kingdom - the New World?The novel is engrossing in places and some characters are well defined. The book has a Young Adult vibe despite the seemingly experienced and older characters. There is no system of magic in this fantasy world and no restrictions on magical abilities. Spells seem easy to master and are cast by most of the characters in the book. The narration often strikes a discordant note with the use of modern slang and cuss words in a clearly medieval setting. The author does have a way with descriptions, especially of the battle scenes.I've the read the free promotional novella  - a way of testing the waters when it comes to unfamiliar authors. It had a different and more vibrant feel to it - something I found lacking in this tale. A language and structure edit could do wonders for this one.That said; you may end up liking it in the current avatar.