The histories of Old Earth record that in the Year of Our Lord 778, Charlemagne’s rearguard under the command of Count Roland of the Breton March was ambushed and slain to a man. But Roland and his men were drawn through a magical gate, to a new and strange world of magic and deadly creatures. A world where every man, no matter what his estate or rank, no matter how poor or common or rich and influential, was born with the power of magic. But the magic of this world carries a deadly curse, and the price for abusing its power is ruinous. This, then, is the story of the kingdom they built, and the knight who would decide its fate.
Standing over six feet tall, USA Today bestselling author Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair of a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas.
He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works. His books have sold over one million copies worldwide.
I will read almost anything that has dragons in it. Ditto for anything written by Jonathan Moeller. Best of both worlds.
I like this kickoff novel. The places are familiar but have different names than what we encounter with Ridmark, et al. I'm pretty sure the cloak elf, Rilmael, is Rhodruthain under a different name. They both are described as being a Guardian and since elves live practically forever it stands to reason that they are one and the same. I believe they are called various names over their long lives.
Everyone has magic. However, if you use too much you will be changed into a dragon-like creature and become an eternal slave of the dark elves. This is very creepy. Individuals can tell when they are starting to overuse magic, which is called Malison. Those with stronger magic are better able to keep it at bay.
The dark elves are making a play at taking over the world as usual. Our hero, Tyrcamber, is destined to save everyone.
Sir Tyrcamber Rigamond, 19, is a fierce warrior and a strong magician, but he's young and has a lot to learn about the workings of the world. He's been sent by his father, Duke Chilmar, to the town of Tongur which is under attack by dark elves, goblins, dragons, etc. His mission is to inform the city leaders that help is on the way and to assist in the defence. Just getting there is no walk in the park and he falls in with a protected merchant caravan and, wonders of wonders, the legendary, the one and only, the founder of human magic in the kingdom, the Guardian Rilmael of the hidden city of Cathair Kaldran. I've never read Jonathan Moeller before (which is surprising given the sheer number of books he has written) and it seems that "Dragon Curse" is set in the same world as other series he has created. Even though it is a standalone it sometimes reads as if you have been dropped into the middle of the story. There's too much repetition, particularly with regard to peasants sticking to farming (!). The story is very linear and, towards the end gives an idea of the way sequels will go. The battle scenes were, for me, the best part. Overall it is not bad, and it is not great. I'll probably read on but I am not in any great hurry. 2.5 Stars, raised to 3 Stars.
A good book with magic, goblins, secretive wizard types, and the impending threat of dragons. The plot is good and the storyline follows 19 year old Sir Tyrcamber who goes to let one of his father's vassels know that help is on it's way. In the ensuing fighting Sir Tyrcamber shows himself to be a good man to have on your side. This book seems to be setting the scene and lining Tyrcamber up for future novels in a series and builds the world nicely. I will look out for another in this series.
I enjoyed the novel, my only complaint was the constant reminder of how dangerous 'the malison' is, as I felt it was unnecessary to the reader to have that detail explained more than once or twice (a bit like American movies and tv series when they think you won't understand the gravity of the situation if it's not hammered home).
This promise's to another great series from Jonathan Moeller . We follow the adventures of a young Knight and his companions as they fight goblins dark elves and even dragons. Great and thrilling
Absolutely fantastic! Written in the same world series as the Frost Born series and the Tower series, you dive into a brand new world with brand new characters!
For all the similarities, there are so many differences as to make it an entirely new and still thoroughly enjoyable experience!
Book 1 was a fun read and had a few errors. I love the plot and characters. This book is another fun read with new characters and a plot that is related to Moeller's other books. I look forward to the next book.
Great start to the series. It is well written, and constructed word smithing that seemlessly delivers an engaging storyline leaving you wanting more! A must read for the fantasy genre lover.