Review: Fun fantasy read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 30, 2014
There will be spoilers in this review.I wasn't positive what to expect when I began Draykon. Right away there is a map of the fantasy world, and different areas of the world seem to have different versions of day and night. In some places, it's always day. In others, it's always night. And in yet others days and nights come and go like normal.I liked many of the characters. Eva was good. She was strong, but not impervious to mistakes. I found her attitude towards Vale and marriage refreshing. In many books it's "true love within five minutes" or "they hate each other but really it's true love" and other cliches. In contrast, Eva and Vale were companions. She didn't feel strongly about wanting to marry him, but she didn't complain either. She became engaged because she felt it was the right thing to do for logical reasons, and she and Vale had a comradery. Perhaps it wasn't romantic but it was nice to see a couple who were trying to decide what to do with their lives and not necessarily knowing. They treated each other well and had respect for each other.The world created for the book is nice as well. It's expansive and consistent. I actually think this is the type of book that would benefit greatly from artwork because I wasn't always sure what everything looked like, and there was quite a bit of stuff. Things like pictures of Llandry's home and of the small animals would have been great.I'd say the downside for me was Llandry herself. It's not that I particularly hated her - she was all right. I liked that she was a jeweler and had a passion for it.It was more her anxiety that got to me. Everything she did or experienced she was anxious about. She was a nervous wreck 24/7. It's possible to do this with a character and be fine, but it got in the way for me in this story because her experiences didn't have the excitement of everyone else'. While Eva, Tren and the others were off battling wills with dangerous beasts, Llandry was barely able to handle a friendly stranger visiting her home. It made me want to spend more time with Eva and people who were actively doing something.Also, in contrast with Eva and Vale's relationship, Llandry brought some cliches to the table. For example, she obviously liked Devary, and when Devary met with a another woman he was amiable with she and Llandry had to be at odds. This sort of thing happens all the time in movies and stories. I much prefered Eva's relationship.Even when Eva and Tren became close, it was over a period of time and after going through a lot together, so I prefered both of her relationships to Llandry's.The story was good, though. It was colorful and highly imaginative, and it's obvious a lot of thought went into it. It would be a great read for people who love fantasy.