Servant of the Crown

The Dragonslayer Trilogy #3

by Duncan M. Hamilton

The Exciting Conclusion to the Dragonslayer Trilogy
Long laid plans finally bear fruit, but will it prove as sweet as hoped for? With the king on his deathbed, the power Amaury has sought for so long is finally in his grasp.

As opposition gathers from unexpected places, dragonkind fights for survival and a long-awaited reckoning grows close.

Soléne masters her magic, but questions the demands the world will make of her. Unable to say no when the call of duty comes, Gill realizes that the life he had given up on has not given up on him.

Once a servant of the crown, ever a servant of the crown...
The Dragonslayer
1. Dragonslayer
2. Knight of the Silver Circle
3. Servant of the Crown

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Magic, Audiobook, Adventure, Fiction, Adult

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2020

About the author

Hi, thanks for visiting my page. I’m Duncan, a fantasy and science fiction author from Ireland. I love to blend my passion for Medieval and Renaissance history with the freedom of fantasy environments to create fast paced heroic fantasy adventures with compelling characters and high stakes—exactly the types of stories that I love to read, so I hope you’ll like them too.

You can find more of my online hangouts and my work at the links below. Don’t forget to sign up for my news letter if you want to keep up to date on all my news and new releases!



I’m delighted to announce my most recent trilogy with Tor, Dragonslayer - a heroic fantasy tale about redemption, revenge, and megalomania. Oh, and dragons. Plenty of dragons! The entire trilogy - Dragonslayer, Knight of the Silver Circle, and Servant of the Crown - is now out in the wild, and available to purchase. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.



My next trilogy is already well under way, and I've a couple of new projects that occur in different worlds (and genres!) that I'm very excited about, and hope to start releasing this coming Spring 2021.If that’s too long to wait, then please check out my other books, all of which are currently available!

Society of the Sword



The Tattered Banner was one of Buzzfeed's 12 Greatest Fantasy Books of 2013!

In a world where magic is outlawed, ability with a sword is prized above all else. For Soren this means the chance to live out his dreams.

Plucked from a life of poverty, he is given a coveted place at Ostenheim's Academy of Swordsmanship, an opportunity beyond belief.

Opportunity is not always what it seems however, and gifts rarely come without conditions. Soren becomes an unwitting pawn in a game of intrigue and treachery that could cost him not just his dreams, but also his life.

Wolf of the North



It has been generations since the Northlands have seen a hero worthy of the title. Many have made the claim, but few have lived to defend it. Timid, weak, and bullied, Wulfric is as unlikely a candidate as there could be.

A chance encounter with an ancient and mysterious object awakens a latent gift, and Wulfric’s life changes course. Against a backdrop of war, tragedy, and an enemy whose hatred for him knows no bounds, Wulfric will be forged from a young boy, into the Wolf of the North. This is his tale.

If that’s not enough, I’ve a standalone novel, and some shorter work to give you a taste of what I write. You can get a free digital copy of the Marcher Lord if you sign up for my news letter!

Reviews

[Duncan Hamilton]

Not a review - just a placeholder where I can post some updates to keep you all informed of how things are progressing!

10-03-20 Release day is here! Servant of the Crown, the concluding part of The Dragonslayer trilogy, is now available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook - once again narrated by the superb Simon Vance!

12-12-19 Servant of the Crown is all finished, and ready for launch on 10 March 2020. It's crazy to think that the whole trilogy is nearly at its end - and from my work perspective is completely done. It seems like only a few weeks ago that I started mulling over the idea of an old, washed up swordsman looking for purpose in the world. And dragons...

14-11-19 Servant of the Crown is pretty much wrapped up at this point. I recently completed the first pass of the manuscript, where I get a print of the typeset copy, and read through it to catch any final typos that have managed to make it through this far! A few always do, so hopefully we got them all!

21-2-19 I've just received the notes for the developmental edit from my editor, so things are moving forward nicely for the final part of the Dragonslayer Trilogy. Lot's of heavy lifting to do at this stage, which I'll be working on for the next few weeks. There'll be scenes to move around, characters to be given a little more, or a little less, page time, and a variety of other things to keep the plot thundering forward, the characters continuing to evolve, and everything unfolding in a smooth and consistent way.

19-12-18 This is the book I'm working on at the moment, and we're about to move on to developmental edit stage for Servant of the Crown. That means the first draft is pretty well completed, and we'll be going over the plot, pacing, and character arcs to make sure everything is well developed, entertaining, and interesting! Making sure everything is consistent is also an important job at this stage. Plenty to keep busy with over the holidays!

[kartik narayanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Servant of the Crown is a great conclusion to the Dragonslayer series, at least for the current story arc.

The two aspects of the series that have stood out for me so far are the sheer pragmatism of the characters as well as their believable motivations. Numerous characters - main & side - have a satisfying character arc. Their beliefs are challenged; some of them grow for the better out of this and some grow worse. But, this is not just an arc oriented around unreal changes rather these arc are also influenced by the pragmatic choices the people in the story make.

Now, take the classic 'dragons reappear' trope, put it in a setting like France in the 1600s on the verge of technology advancements and mix it with the afore mentioned characters - you have the perfect recipe for some great story telling.

I really liked how Servant of the Crown ended the current arc while keeping a few alive for, hopefully, further stories down the line. Not everything is perfect though - the main story is reasonably predictable but, on the flip-side, it is not just about the destination but how one gets there.

So, overall, I would strongly recommend this series to fantasy lovers.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book of the trilogy will not disappoint you. Gil, Solene and Amaury all have their twists and turns throughout the book. What Duncan Hamilton created in his first and second books just flows into this one.

5 stars for not only this book, but the whole trilogy.

[JM · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the end of the last novel Guillot and Solene team up with the dragon Pharadon in order to retrieve the second magic cup that they need to enlighten the goldscale dragon, which was stolen by the Prince Bishop's daughter/agent.

After having been dismissed by Guillot under the pretense of sending a message to Mirabay, young Valdemar finds that the man he was sent to find has died some time since, so he manages to find a job and a fencing teacher in order to prepare for the Academy's examinations and take advantage of Guillot's recommendation, but ends up getting involved with a secret plot by the surviving Intelligencers to rescue the king from the Prince Bishop. This leads Guillot and his crew to become involved and, though they manage to escape with the king, they fail at retrieving the cup and the Prince Bishop drinks from it, using up its magic and becoming exponentially more powerful. Sadly, Val dies during the rescue.

Fleeing to the camp of a loyalist nobleman's army, Pharadon helps Solene in curing the king's magic-induced catatonia, but this means that by the time he goes back to the temple to take care of the goldscale, he finds her missing and tracks her down to Mirabay, where she's being kept prisoner. If he doesn't find a way to free her and enlighten her, she'll die, so he goes out in search of the remaining cups and finds them in a cave guarded by ancient demons, requiring Solene and Guillot's help.

The three remaining cups are won but two are used up by Pharadon and Solene in order to be able to escape, and even then Pharadon sacrifices himself in exchange of Solene's promise that she will rescue and enlighten the goldscale dragon. Guillot goes back to king Boudain's camp to get ready to take back Mirabay and Solene goes to the capital to rescue the goldscale, manages to enlighten her and they both escape the city. Solene agrees to help her enlighten any other dragons she might find in the future and she flies away.

For his part, the Prince Bishop is losing fear of this newfound magical power and starting to use it more, but he has no control and ends up killing hundreds of protestors outside the palace, so his defeat becomes more pressing.

Both armies face each other outside the city and the Prince Bishop, intending to use magic to cheat, proposes a resolution by single combat. Now that he's used magic to heal his limp, he intends to fight Guillot and kill him using magic but is summarily defeated and killed by Guillot's superior skill when Solene manages to block him from using magic.

The city and kingdom are retaken and the king awards both Guillot and Solene with lands and titles, making him a Marquis and Warden and her a Baroness, and also making them the new Master and Marshall of the Knights of the Silver Circle and tasking them with rebuilding the order in prepartion to face the demons they encountered with Pharadon while retrieving the magic cups. Guillot, ever the servant of the crown, reluctantly accepts his duty.

After having burned through this trilogy in a couple of days, I'll be sure to look up Hamilton's other novels set in the same world. They're fun and fast-paced, and he can write interesting characters that are fallible enough to seem real.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars ⭐️

This is the third and final book in this trilogy and it has everything coming to a head. The Prince Bishop has finally decided to play his hand. The King ihas been dealt with and the Prince Bishop just KNOWS that the People are going to back him and understand magic once they realize that the Order and their magic is what killed the dragons. Unfortunately.......things don't always go the way you want.

Then there is Gil. He is coming full circle. He has become an actual dragon slayer, but along the way, he learns that there is much more to lose. He has also become a huge target for the Prince Bishop who has a grudge on him for an act that occurred when they were young. Along the way, we see a massive growth of character in him. I think he is one of the characters in this story who comes the farthest and who learns the most. It was so very easy to like him and to root for him. He is not perfect, yet he knows that.

Solene - she is on her own journey, learning that magic should not necessarily be feared, just respected. She also is on the hunt to discover the tomb of the ancients and what she discovers there can change everything. She also realizes that magic is power and power should never ge given to those who would not respect it. She actually has quite the turnaround from the character we met at the beginning of this series. She turns out to be quite the bad**s :)

Then there is the Prince Bishop's daughter. I felt very sorry for her. She spends the entire book trying to gain her fathers approval - even though to him, she is not worthy of it. He only cares about himself, his glory, HIS achievements. Everyone else is just a stepping stone to get him what he wants. In the end, it was never worth it.

This book starts immediately where the last book left off and in this book, it feels like we are barreling forward. Barreling towards an unknown future. The Prince Bishop is on the verge of gaining untold power. Power that no man - ESPESCIALLY a man with no morals or scruples should ever have.

We have the King actually stepping into his power, and listening to those who should actually be listened to instead of the normal sycophants that usually surround a monarch. And he learns to respect and listen to Gil. That was my favorite thing of all - and much to Gil's surprise, I think it was a shock to him as well.

So- lots happens in this book. There is also a very sad event that takes place. In the scheme of things, the sacrifice wasn't in vain and ended up serving a good purpose. That didn't make it any easier. There is a ton of action, drama, and fighting and we have a conclusion to the over arching storyline that began in book 1.

If you like dragons, this is a good entryway into that genre.

[Tim Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and Servant of the Crown is a great conclusion to the series. I really enjoyed following Gil and the other characters from beginning to end. Great series and well worth taking the time to read it.

[Traveling Cloak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis

The King is dying, putting the whole Kingdom in an uproar, as Amaury sets his final plans to make a play for the throne in motion. When news of the living dragons reaches his ears, Amaury’s scheme gets even more sinister. If he can paint himself as a hero during these times of strife, who is going to stop him?

Gill and Solene find a few friends who are willing to help. Can the kingdom be saved? And what is to be the fate of the dragons? Everything comes to a head in SERVANT OF THE CROWN, the conclusion to THE DRAGONSLAYER TRILOGY.

Review

If you have been following along, THE DRAGONSLAYER TRILOGY has been an interesting adventure-type fantasy full of genre tropes. It has the quintessential hero-turned sob story-turned hero in Gill, the former Knight of the Silver Circle. There is Solene, mage-in-training with a huge heart who is still learning how to harness her powers. An inexperienced king whose power-hungry top advisor has his hand up his ass in an attempt to take control of the Kingdom. SERVANT OF THE CROWN (Book 3 of the Trilogy and the concluding volume) offers mostly the same as the rest of the Series: a steady storyline, good versus evil, tension in the Kingdom, and DRAGONS.

We will return to the dragons in a minute, but first I want to address the rest of the story. Having been on this journey from beginning to end, I want to tell you that I like the series. It is fun and entertaining, and I have grown to care for the characters. It stirs a sense of adventure, and I find myself actively rooting for the good guys and hating the bad guys. In this sense, there is nothing ground-breaking here. It is simplistic, and in this era of fantasy a series is not going to win awards or be hailed as one of the greats. But it is a good read, and it is well-written.

The most interesting aspect of this series to me are the Dragons. We see many dragon tropes play out here, too: they are ancient and wise and magical, awaking a long slumber. People fear them, but should they? But in THE DRAGONSLAYER TRILOGY they are so much more than the sum of those tropes. I do not want to say too much, but in this Series the dragons are DIFFERENT. The reader gets to learn about their experiences and history and feelings. To me, this took the series from an average story about an old, drunk knight to something worth spending more time with.

Nothing about this book in particular changed my feelings one way or another about the Trilogy. Gill, Solene and Amaury are the mainstays and in constant gridlock with each other. Amaury continues his royal assholeness, while Gill and Solene try to stop him from destroying the Kingdom and killing the dragons. There is a new cast of characters introduced, both for the good and bad of the story. Some of them are right and necessary, while others feel like filler to me. There are a few scenes that play that way for me, also. They do not feel necessary and do not further the story much, but feel more like a way for the characters to pass the time while everyone is waiting for something big to happen. These superfluous characters and scenes did not take away from my enjoyment of the overall story, though.

On the whole, THE DRAGONSLAYER TRILOGY is a good read. It is a solid, fun story that I found to be a good escape. It has its drawbacks (a storyline that is full of plateaus and its climaxes do not quite always hit the mark), but I recommend it for fantasy readers who are looking for a simple story about knights, mages, good versus evil, and, of course, DRAGONS.

[Priya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait 😍😍

[Tom O’Shea · Rating 1 out of 5]

0.5/5 – thank christ the pain ended.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating is 3.5-4 leaning closer to 4. Servant of the Crown was a fun and fitting conclusion to the Dragon Slayer series. There are a couple of things I want to touch on, but let’s go over what I like. I really enjoy both Solene and Gill as characters. I think they are great and their friendship is probably my favorite part of the story. I’m glad Amaury got what was coming to him. The goldscale and Pharadon were also really cool. Overall I liked the story. Found my self constantly thinking about it and how it was going to play out and now that it’s over I would like to see more of Gill and Solene in another adventure.

Now on to stuff that kinda bugged me and the reason I say this is more in the lower 4 star range. First this book has many similarities to the First Law trilogy. Now I’m not saying the author took ideas from there cause he may have never read it. But if he did I can see some parallels. And only reason I am so kinda bothered by it is because I read the entire First Law trilogy while waiting for “Servant of the Crown” to release. So minor spoilers for first law and major spoilers for the Servant of the Crown below

So first Gill fought one a dueling tournament called “the competition” which makes him famous. This also happens in the first law. And it’s called “the competition” in there as well. Alright not that big of a deal. I’ll get over it.

Next Amaury a renown swordsman who fought in the competition is now a cripple and is not as great as he once was. Same as Glokta in first law.

Next we have to decide the fate of a kingdom and ruler based on a duel. Strong warrior versus someone who has a magical advantage. But strong warrior wins when the magical advantage is some how hindered. This happens with Gill and Amaury but is also in First law.

Lastly we are introduced to demon-esque creatures called the Venori (which I thought were really cool and want to see more of) which to me seem very similar to the Shanka.

There were a couple other problems; like it felt rushed at some parts and there was times where the author did more telling than showing. Val’s death was probably handled the worst in that regards. The constant traveling back and forth was kind of repetitive as well. At the end of the day though I look past a lot of it’s flaws and enjoy it for what it was. I will probably be picking up more of Duncan Hamilton’s work cause I did enjoy it. If the dragon slayer books were like 500-600 pages a piece where the author could flesh out his world a little more and take time needed for certain scenes, I think the entire trilogy would get a rating of 5 stars. Would just like to end saying that I thought what was accomplished in these 3 books (less than a thousand pages) was impressive in its self and for me a very fun read.

[Alyssa (HeartwyldsLibrary) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final book in the Dragonslayer Trilogy and once again a 3 star from me. So overall the trilogy is a 3 star.

I was glad that there was a lot more dragon interaction in this one, but unfortunately it just came way to late in the trilogy to really be excited about.

At times the book felt prolonged with unnecessary plot extensions, like the added Demons bit, why did we wait till book 3 for this to even come up? It felt so out of place, I understand that magic was making its way back into the world but the demons uptill this point were never mentioned, so it just felt like an oddball move.

The end felt dragged out as well. There was more action in this one so that’s a plus as well as more characters interacting with one another.

Also the only character I liked died, but also I felt no sadness because I figured it was going to happen since it become a noticeable trend in the books. None of the deaths carried any real weight since we never got to have much time with them and they kept coming that you ended up building this numbness to it and it never strikes that cord that is necessary to make one feel anything.

Overall it’s a decent story that’s easy to get through but nothing marvelous, expect those covers, gosh do I love the cover art for these books.

[Lizzie J · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect conclusion to the series! I really, really enjoyed this one, and it's so rare that a last book finishes just as strong as the beginning of the series! I really am so sad to see Gill go :( He's literally one of my favorite characters that I've read in a long time. There's just such a good mix of bravery and chivalry, mixed with the burdened weight of his past. He's perfect enough to be *chef's kiss* but makes mistakes and struggles with enough to be relatable and well-rounded. I actually finished the book a few weeks ago, and I still have moments to think and reminisce about not having any more of the series with him.

The other characters in the series are amazing too, and I love that there's so much depth to Amaury's evil. We can see him grow into it, and even though we don't like it, there's a small part that still understands why he's taken this path.

The ending was satisfying and wrapped the story up nicely. I have no complaints other than the fact that it's over :(

[Vukskarr · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Levi Dykstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book breaks out of the dragon slaying genre a bit. Still quite readable, I'm happy I started and finished this series.

[Tylan Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book a 5 star within the exposition and rising action, but it quickly fell shorter. Truthfully, I’m torn between a 3 or 4 stars. I enjoyed this book, but I have my qualms. I’ll start with my problems:

Foremost, the death of a character should always hold some weight. After being introduced to Guillot’s squire, Val, and even starting the book in his perspective, I was ready to follow him to his inevitable end (but unless characters are Solene, Guillot, Prince Bishop, or the King apparently, you very likely will die). What hurt me the most was after the mission to save the king, his body was brought and we were given the simple explanation of “he sacrificed himself” and “got caught”. Whatever it was, it was cheap. I would have much rather structured that sequence of events to INCLUDE his perspective. And when Guillot went to Amaury it could’ve hit harder when he was wondering what his friend was up to. When all were escaping the dramatic tension could’ve been WAY higher that way.

One could extend that even further by going back and forth to draw up tension. But no, we are just given his body and a funeral. I wanted to root for him and see his special place in the world! Could’ve even had weight if he were there to help with the demons (which should’ve been introduced long ago- more on that later) or one of the several battles.

It bothered me as well because the books time skips important events like this often. A few examples of such that should’ve been skipped over rather than painfully described in such detail: Guillot’s sword being forged/reshaped, the making of the damn dragon’s cage, and the nuances of the tactics of battles.

I agree with other critiques that say the story was drawn out. But I want to add that there were many cheap tactics used as well, and elements that could’ve been used but weren’t. For instance, the demons. Simply put, they should’ve been introduced sooner. Otherwise, I now see them as a cheap way to make a dungeon crawl because we couldn’t think of any other way to bring someone to enlightenment and we needed obstacles for the newfound ultimate power cups. The fount was over-powered in moments like that where it meant someone could just instantly track any object they ever wanted. Just sensing a shipment of a bunch of cups felt like such a cheap way to get both the dragon and Solene to enlightenment- why not keep the tension and have Pharadon and Solene race to find the way people came to enlightenment BEFORE the cups? And do demons even understand the cups’ importance? Hell, if we wanted to keep the discovery of ANOTHER cup we could have at least started a debate after the demons were cleared of “we only have one more cup. Who gets it? Solene or the teenage dragon?” And we could then see Solene be selfless and tell everyone she won’t stand to see that dragon die, but she understands she must also find a way. She’ll find her own way.

Watching Pharadon and Solene struggle to find a way to find an alternative way to becoming enlightened (Faragon stated that there was a way before the cups!) would’ve kept us on the edge of our seats and also feel so much more rewarding. The whole point was that Amaury doesn’t have to work so he gets the cup for an easy way out- but everyone else has had to work so hard to get to where they were. Leave the cheap and luck to villains and let our heroes work hard.

Telastrian steel. I love and hate it. For a fantastical metal, it’s not very fantastical to me. We mention it had some magic absorbent properties of some sort, but then it’s never touched upon again. Truthfully, I thought we’d see its use against Amaury. When Amaury was said to be holding a telastrian blade fighting Guillot, my first thought was “oh! THATS what is absorbing his internal fount and maybe he doesn’t even know it!!” It would’ve been cool even to see Amaury take form his personal reserve for a cheap shot but Guillot blocking it with Amaury’s own sword that Guillot disarmed. I keep thinking back to that last battle because it was… not climactic. It didn’t feel realistic to me. How could Amaury have been in any shape to stand any chance against Guillot?

The last battle wasn’t climactic. We reduced Amaury to nothing. I don’t even feel we saw enough of Amaury abusing it either and causing fear. At that point, Amaury died like any other useless noble. But because of that, Guillot killing didn’t feel impactful. It’s not like he had to work hard in that fight- he clearly outmatched Amaury. I also felt he outmatched him especially since the guards that were once on Amaury’s side went up and left! And nobody internally was on his side! There could’ve been way more tension for the battle had people been scared so much of death they would fight for him. It was another cheap tactic utilized and it felt it was only introduced because we didn’t know how else Guillot would fight an archmage with unlimited powers. I wish there had been a different solution.

And also, Isabella’s reversal threw me off. At the very end she decides she isn’t one for killing… After talking so lowly of people for so long. It’s not that I don’t think it should’ve never happened, I just feel it was so sudden. I know there were inclinations of her questioning her father, but turning on him was so sudden. And her not dying in the end after causing so much trouble felt… unsatisfying. To get maybe even a glimpse of redemption I would’ve even liked to see her attack her father after seeing I’m mad with power and then her father killing her slowly like he had done for all his other minions that hav expended their use to him.

Small issue, but constantly having Amaury say in public “my daugh- I mean…” was annoying, do it once or twice in the height of emotion and then after? No need. He’s been hiding her for YEARS I doubt he’d slip up all the time like he does.

I’ll end it with this: I have a height of emotions because I’ve been reading/listening to this series over the course of months here and there. And I kept telling myself it would get better. Truthfully, it did get better. I really watched Duncan grow as an author. There were so many fun moments in the series. I especially enjoyed a lot of the magic system! My favorite part of all were dragons going into human form. I really wish we had more of that to add to the tension of “you can’t trust anyone! They may work for Amaury, Intelligenciers, or even be a Dragon!!!”. I liked Solene a lot too. Guillot was a good man to follow. I really enjoyed seeing him beat addiction and find his place in the world again. And I absolutely love the covers of all the books. It’s really made me want to delve more into art and start painting dragons!!

Clearly, I was still pulled in by the story. I found it captivating and wanted to delve more and more into it. Hell, I do actually want a fourth book where we fight the demons. That would be cool as hell. And to see dragons make another appearance even later in that series would be the icing on the cake. Plus, we’d see the old intelligenciers conspiring to take down Magic too! There was a lot built up that we could play with.

[Laura Newsholme · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit of a lacklustre conclusion to the series for me, which is a shame because I have enjoyed both of the previous books. It tells the story of Gill and Solene as they try to foil the Prince Bishop once and for all.

The Positives: I enjoyed the magical aspects of this book very much and the way in which Solene's magical abilities are improved and used to further the action. I also loved all of the dragon action!

The Negatives: This was too focused on the military action of the world and consequently, it didn't feel as magical as the previous books in the series. I also thought that characters were introduced and then completely dropped out of the action, which was a bit disorientating.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the series as a whole, but this was my least favourite book unfortunately.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

First things first. I just want to say what a treat it was to start a series, fall in love with it, and be able to just read – or be read to – all the way through to the end without having to wait months if not years for the later books in a series. I don’t always have that opportunity, either because I fall in love with the first book long before the others are out, or because I run into the “so many books, so little time” conundrum and have to space things out because of other reading commitments. Because I waited to start the first book (Dragonslayer) until the entire series was out – a happy accident! – I was able to do the whole thing in one swell foop. And wow! What a ride!

Second, this is epic fantasy of the sword and sorcery school, and there just hasn’t been as much of that around recently. I’d forgotten how much I love this end of the epic fantasy pool, so I’m grateful for the reminder and will be looking for more of it.

Third, this story manages to be both epic and not epically long at the same time in a way that just really, really works. In an era when so many epic fantasies are made up of several individual door-stop sized books, it was a joy to get such a rich and complete story in a length (or maybe I should reckon this as height) of just under one doorstop at 1,000 pages in total.

Fourth, but still not last, what makes this series so fascinating to read are its characters, and the way that their individual arcs both fulfill fantasy tropes and subvert them at the same time. Because this is a story where the characters feel like real, flawed human beings – and yet they still manage to be Big Damn Heroes, whether they want to be or not. And it’s definitely not.

I’m specifically referring to Gill and Soléne, because their respective journeys, separately and together-but-not-TOGETHER, form the backbone of the series.

Gill is the failed hero of the previous generation. His character, who is very much a classic archetype, usually becomes the mentor figure in most epic stories, whether fantasy or not, and that character usually dies somewhere in the middle so the “real” hero can take center stage. (One of my personal favorite characters of this type is actually dead to begin with, but that’s another story.)

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a great example. He was a hero in the previous war. He failed, he fell and then he hid himself away in the deserts of Tatooine. He becomes Luke’s first trainer and mentor in the Force, and then he’s killed by Vader. The mentor figure always dies. Like Merlin. And Dumbledore. And every other teacher/trainer of the young hero.

But the young hero in the Dragonslayer series is on an entirely different course than Gill’s. Because Gill doesn’t die. Instead, he becomes the hero, one more time, in spite of his own wishes to die in obscurity at the bottom of a bottle. He is, in the end, the “Servant of the Crown” as named in the title of this final volume. He serves no matter what he, himself might want. And he becomes the hero because no matter how many times he’s struck down, he gets up and tries again. And again. And again. Until the job is done.

If it ever will be.

Soléne is that young hero. Gill’s the one out in front to collect all the glory and fight all the battles, or so it seems. But she’s every bit the hero that he is, just from behind the scenes. Her power is huge, but it is also quiet. She’s the mage who operates in the shadows, not because she’s the woman inspiring the hero, but because the power she wields works best from the dark – and the quiet. He knows that she brought him the victory, and he knows that the best thing he can do for her is to acknowledge that privately and not publicly. Not that the Crown won’t give her its own semi-public acknowledgements. Maybe. If they succeed.

It is fascinating that both of their personal journeys are the journey to learn to trust themselves. He has to step up, and she has to step forward, but in so many ways it’s the same step.

I also absolutely adored that there is no romance here – nor should there be. It is wonderful to see trust, friendship and true comradeship in a relationship between a man and a woman that has absolutely no basis in will they/won’t they. Because this particular pair really, really shouldn’t – at least not with each other – and the reader is NEVER led to believe that they should. Solene is never Gill’s reward or his prize, nor is she ever fridged. She’s as big a damn hero as he is, just in a different way.

Even Amaury the villain is very, very human. While he is certainly a meditation on the cliche that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, he’s never able to grasp the absolute power he thinks he deserves. And the minute he gets close to it, it does him in. But throughout he’s human and understandable, even if he’s never a sympathetic character at all. And it’s another subversion of trope that Amaury the human is the big villain, while the really big creatures we think will be the villains, those dragons of the series title, actually aren’t. Well, at least all of them aren’t.

Escape Rating A++: I need to stop squeeing at this point. It’s pretty obvious that I adored this series from beginning to end. I began it in audio – every time – but switched to text at the point where I just couldn’t find out what happened next nearly fast enough.

I will say that the reader for all three books, Simon Vance, was absolutely marvelous. I wanted to continue to listen to him, but patience has never been my long suit. If you love fantasy and have an excuse to listen to the full story, it’s a wonderful listen.

[Fred · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the previous books. Ending was abrupt, but I liked it.

[Libriamo3116 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Tor Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

After leaving off with a huge cliffhanger at the end of Knight of the Silver Circle, book two of The Dragonslayer series, Duncan M. Hamilton leads into the last book by focusing on a side character from book two, a lad named Val. With Guillot's letter of recommendation in hand, he makes his way to begin apprenticing in hopes of being a banneret one day. Even small characters like this have big impacts as the story builds to its final climax, and that is just one of many things I really enjoyed about Servant of the Crown.

In this last chapter, many loose threads are tied up, but also we get entirely new concepts and players (some not entirely human) introduced and explored. I was thrilled to be thrown a few last curveballs coming into the home stretch here, and many characters got great payoff without feeling like they were steamrolling the proceedings. Amaury, the great villain of the tale, succeeds in many ways and makes our heroes' lives difficult, and the odds continually seem as if they are in his favor. The only thing our heroes have to hope for is that Amaury's magic lust and power hunger is stronger than his cunning.

Guillot began his journey as a washed up drunk, and his arc really pays off in these last pages. Solene, from such humble origins, soars as high as a dragon. Val and Pharadon give the proceedings so much heart, and getting into Amaury's head as he schemes for his madcap future as supreme ruler of Mirabaya is both intriguing and maddening.

Guillot and Solene are one of the most satisfying pairings I've enjoyed in modern fantasy, and that's because of the sheer honesty of their relationship. I say relationship, but it isn't one borne of desire or falling in love. Rather, the bond they share is one of necessity, camaraderie, and most importantly, friendship. They are there for each other when the other needs them the most, and that was so refreshing and welcomed as they fought to turn the tide against Amaury, and also against their own internal demons.

Delving into politics, leadership, war strategy, the cost of magic, hidden dangers, the nature of humanity in war, and hope against the odds, Servant of the Crown will shock you at times, warm your heart in others, and keep you rooting for its heroes even as you curse the arrogance of its villains. If you haven't yet picked up and read the first two in this series, Dragonslayer and Knight of the Silver Circle, you're sorely missing out. For those who are ready to leap off that cliffhanger into the final stretch, you won't be disappointed.

Discover for yourself the fate of dragonkind and the future of humanity as Guillot aims to prove once and for all that his best days aren't behind him, and that he truly is a Servant of the Crown.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

All good things must come to an end, as the saying goes. Servant of the Crown was a great ending to the Dragonslayer trilogy. Many emotions ran through me, thoughts on hyperdrive, because I didn’t know how Gill, Solène, and Pharadon would succeed in stopping the usurper, Amaury. I was hooked!

Mirabay is irrevocably changing, which is never easy to deal with, especially on this scale. I think for some characters they’re starting to realize their worth, what they want from life, find a purpose, and/or discover what matters. Almost like, what will they do with the time they have left?

Some parts of the story were sad because of certain character deaths, leaving me brokenhearted. One death I felt had a high chance of being avoided if people didn’t waste time.

I wish Solène had more page time. Though told in varying POVs, Gill was featured the most, which makes sense in the grand scheme of things, because he kind of begins the series and we finally get that long awaited showdown between Gill and Amaury in this last installment.

I was a little disappointed with the end of Amaury’s story. He’s one of the best, most wicked antagonists I’ve ever read. I felt he deserved a longer build up in that final scene. It went by too fast.

The last little bit of the story was also disappointing. While things wrapped up well and came full circle, it seemed like Gill and Solène got the short end of the stick. After all they’ve been through and sacrificed to save Mirabay from danger, they’d more than earned…a happier ending? for lack of better words. “Once a servant of the crown, ever a servant of the crown,” I guess.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the book and would recommend this series. Hamilton’s stories will leave you amazed and entertained.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this ending to the Dragonslayer trilogy! The young squire, Val, has entered Mirabay to join the Academy of Bannerets. He inadvertently begins working for Maestro dal Ruisseau in exchange for training classes at the Maestro’s Salon. Ruisseau and others are secretly trying to locate Mirabay’s imprisoned king. Meanwhile Gill and Solene are looking for the Cup of Enlightenment that has powerful magical properties, which they must keep away from Amaury at all costs. They meet Val and dal Ruisseau in the city and agree to help rescue the king and look for the cup. The red dragon Pharadon, who has been traveling with Gill and Solene, must also find the cup in order to bring the newfound goldenscale dragon to enlightenment. The Prince Bishop drinks from the cup when he learns it is being sought. He becomes very powerful, but is unable to control the power. Val looses his life in the fight to free the king. The group rescues the King and takes him to safety while Pharadon goes in search of another cup. He finds one with the help of Gill and Solene, then has Solene take the cup to the goldenscale dragon as he fights to the death demons who are with the cup. Solene saves the goldenscale while Gill is helping the king to fight a war between King Boudain and the Prince Bishop Amaury. Gill and Amaury agree to a single duel to the death to determine the winner of the war. Little does Gill know that Solene helps him win the duel by taking away Amaury’s magical abilities. The kingdom is once again in good hands.

[Gr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy and for that I have rounded this book up from 3.6 to 4.0 stars. Ultimately, I felt that the series contained so much potential but felt choppy and lacked refinement. The whole series felt rushed needing both editing and some additions as it lacked the texture and color of solid world-building to achieve this story's ultimate promise.

Gill, Solene and Amaury remain the main characters, good vs evil. Gill and Solene strive to stop Amaury from destroying the Kingdom and killing the dragons. Amaury continues to be conniving and evil but at times lacks basic intelligence. I felt the character of Amaury's daughter to be untapped potential. New characters are introduced in this book, both for the good and bad of the story. Some of them are right and necessary, while others felt like filler, leading me to believe that books two and three were written as a single book, chopped in half to achieve a trilogy.

There is action, battle, heroism, and sacrifice but the story is missing key elements and does not flow smoothly. Guillot and Solene remain great and worthy heroes along with the dragon Pharadon. The ending of the book was satisfying and may indicate that there is more to this world. I found these audiobooks at my library and listened to them on Libby. The narration by Simon Vance was excellent. If not for the outstanding narration, I do not think I would have rated this series as high as I did.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last book in the Dragonslayer trilogy did not disappoint! Val was lost in the effort to recover the king. He had so much potential, but his life was cut short before he could live his dream. Solene saves the king's life, becomes enlightened, enlightens the goldscale, has a thought that may be important in the future (enlightened dragons can transform into humans, so could she...), helps Gill defeat Amaury, and is ultimately rewarded with lands and titles. Gill helps to rescue the king, becomes a top advisor during the fight for the king to regain his crown, helps Pharadon defeat some demons, defeats Amaury, and is rewarded with more lands, a charter to rebuild his town, and new titles. Pharadon gave his life so the goldscale could be enlightened and to destroy some enemies long thought to have been destroyed. Amaury drinks from the Cup, but instead of becoming enlightened he is one that becomes not enlightened. He gets what he deserved. If anything, this book wrapped up a little too quickly. I hope that a new trilogy is on the way about Gill and Solene defeating demons and the goldscale finding more of her kind. This was the first trilogy by Duncan M. Hamilton that I have read. I can't wait to read his other books!

[T. M. Crandall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
Everything comes to a head in the epic conclusion to Duncan M. Hamilton’s The Dragonslayer trilogy. After having the cup stolen at the end of the last book, Gill, Solène, and Pharadon are chasing the thief, heading back to Mirabay, attempting to reach them and take back the cup before Amaury can get his hands on it. Arriving at the city too late, Gill meets up with Val and ends up in the middle of a plot to sneak into the palace to rescue the King and bring him to his cousin’s war camp in a neighbouring village. This event provides Gill with the perfect opportunity to confront and kill Amaury, the Prince Bishop, but he hesitates and Amaury ends up drinking from the cup, giving him unthinkable magic power. Now the heroes are faced with the dilemma of escaping the palace without being killed and mourning the loss of the opportunity to use the cup on the young Goldscale dragon to enlighten it, making it aware and non-threatening to humans. Will the heroes escape with their lives? Will the lives of the last two living dragons be saved?

My Thoughts:
This was the perfect way to end the trilogy. Servant of the Crown was filled with action, heartbreak, suspense, twists and turns, everything. Every detail from all three novels come together to tie up the ending but also leaves some new ones open for more potential stories in the future (which would be nice).

The characters have finally become what they needed to be throughout the story. Gill is finally the Hero that everyone needed, including himself. He was able to find joy in life again, after everything that he had been through, and can settle down in the end once everything is said and done. Solène finally is confident and has full control over her magical powers. She uses her powers for the betterment of humanity, helping others medically, teaching others to have control over their magic, so they don't have to go through what she had to. There are also a lot of sad moments when it comes to the characters, which although unfortunate, makes for a nice balance to the happiness.

Another thing that had greatly improved in this novel was the world-building. Duncan M. Hamilton gives us a look at some more of the villages in his fantasy world since the characters travel more during the events that take place. It was also really cool to see Gill and Solène flying with Pharadon to a far mountain to explore an old cave that may hold another cup, where we also got to see a new type of creature.

In this novel, the pace is very fast; it is constantly events after events. From chasing down a thief, rescuing the king, flying out to hunt down other cups, fighting battles with other royals claiming the throne, and the big battle for Mirabay against Amaury at the hight of his power, there are no real slow moments in Servant of the Crown. I read through this book so quickly, never wanting to put it down, since there was always so much happening. It was a really great ending to a great trilogy.

This is definitely deserving of a rating of 4.5/5 Wyrms.

Check out my other reviews at: www.avidbookwyrm.com

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 The Dragonslayer Trilogy was good but it never quite reached it’s potential. The third book particularly. Most times when I’m not enjoying a book or series as much as I could be it’s because they’re to verbose or long winded and some fat needed to be trimmed. Servant of the Crown had the opposite problem. Everything felt too rushed and I feel it would have benefited from an additional 100+ pages. Major events are over so quickly that they feel like you are hearing a summary of what happened after the fact as opposed to feeling like you’re in the thick of it.

The characters are all serviceable and the dragons in particular are good. However some poor decision making on their parts sometimes felt out of character or shoehorned in to fit the story. Amoury continues to get too much attention while characters like Val didn’t nearly get enough.

The world building and magic system were ok albeit a little too run of the mill.

The story wrapped up nicely in 3 books so I’ll give it credit for that. Though it still does leave enough open for Mr. Hamilton to do a sequel series if he chooses to. I may read more of his work in the future but they won’t be must reads unless there’s really good word of mouth behind them.

[Betsy Scalzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last volume of this trilogy begins with high expectations, since we the readers know that we are finally going to get all of our questions answered. As with the last volume, I think new readers will miss much of the story without the context of the previous two volumes.

This volume begins with Val, the squire, arriving in Mirabaya to attend the academy for the bannerets. How he becomes a banneret is quite a subplot in itself. The bulk of the story is about how the king is rescued, and how he regains his throne; however, another major subplot is about how the young golden dragon is saved and brought to enlightenment. We know in our hearts that Amaury, the Lord Protector, must be eliminated, but we don't know how. Solene is back and plays an important role, too.

Again, there is humor and pathos, devious plotting and exciting duels. I would love to see some of these characters emerge into another series that explores what happens in the dragon world. All in all, this is another rollicking tale with exciting subplots and very readable. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves fantasy.

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duncan M. Hamilton tells of a world where magic had ebbed and now was coming back, awakening dragons and other magical creatures. Guillot who had been drinking his life away after exile from the court and his wife’s death, has the village on his estate destroyed by a dragon. It’s been decades since the last Dragonslayer (paper) was need and the magical techniques that protected them have been lost. Guillot was, in fact, the last Knight of the Silver Circle (paper). But with the help of a wizardress Solène who had been hiding her powers for fear of being put to the stake for being a witch, he manages to kill two. But there’s a problem. The Prime minister, Amaury, an old rival of Guillot, has used his small magical powers to throw the king into a coma, and has declared himself Prime Defender. Guillot and Solène have to each be a Servant of the Crown ( hard from Tor) to cure their king and set him back on his thrown. Fun tale with lots of potential for sequels.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press

[Daryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Servant of the Crown is the final book in Duncan M. Hamilton's Dragonslayer Trilogy. Three explosive action packed books in a Faux-French setting. It was a very satisfying conclusion to what's been a fantastic trilogy. Throughout these books I found myself enjoying Hamilton's style of writing, it was definitely my cup of tea and I cannot wait to read more of his work. So, here's my thoughts in a bit more depth.

The first thing I want to say is how well the characters have developed over the three books. In the first book I really enjoyed the characters but now looking back they lacked that bit of fire. By the third book, I loved everything about them, even the tyrant Amaury. I've always said, if you hate a character so much you want to punch him/her in the throat, the author has created a great character that will be remembered when you finish the book. That's exactly what's happened with the other two main characters, Gill and Soléne(minus the throat punch). I've really enjoyed following their journeys too. Guillot has gone from being a self pitying drunk to a warrior whose in decent shape for his age. Maybe not the infamous warrior with lightning speed that he was in his youth, but enough to stop most people in their tracks. Soléne has gone from the timid young woman who was petrified of her magical ability to one of the strongest female characters I've ever come across. I have no doubt you would love her character if you read these books. My favourite characters are a toss up between Val and pharadon. Val's determination, courage and loyalty made him in instant favourite of mine. He might not be the most renown warrior but the kid will have a crack at anyone. Pharadon is very similar to Alpheratz, one my favourite characters from book one. I mean who doesn't love a talking dragon? He plays a huge role in this story so I wont go into too much detail about pharadon because it's one of the best parts of Servant of the Crown.

The world building improved dramatically throughout the series. In the first book, Dragonslayer, the world building was lacking. Not to the point it was unreadable but Hamilton didnt paint a detailed picture which was quote disappointing. In the Servant of the Crown, we travelled between lots of cities and places with unsavory creatures. The detail was truly excellent and it was one of the reasons the final book was my favourite out of the three.

The last part of my review was saves for my favourite aspect of the book. The action packed battles and one on one fights. Hamilton's ability to conjure up a deadly blood bath was phenomenal. I completely lost myself in the battles which is always what a reader looks for. The battles at the end was why I love reading this genre so much. It reminded me a lot of Conn Igguldens Wars of the Rose's, specifically Trinity with Amaury being Richard of York. I go into who the characters are but the one on one battle at the end was spine tingling, I genuinely didn't know who was going to win!some incredible writing by Hamilton. 

This is another trilogy that I would recommend to anyone who loves action packed fantasy with strong characters and decent world building. Thank you to Tor books and Netgalley providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. 

[J. d'Merricksson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great finale to an amazing series! One character, Boudain, really surprised me. He stepped up and at least tried, instead of acting like a young, spoiled royal. It's clear he has the potential to be a great ruler. Another character I really liked died in this book too. I understand the necessity, in terms of the storyline, but dang. It really hit me hard. I'm not naming names as it would be a big spoiler.

I am sad to leave Gil's company. He was definitely a character I fell in love with. Each major character really changed over the course of the series. For Gil, I hope the changes stick, and he doesn't go back to what is familiar and easy. He deserves better. I'd love to see the future of the female dragonling, and if other dragons are still out there somewhere. It seems open for another story with some of the same characters due to the arrival of the ghul/vampire like creatures. As for this story arc, and its characters, things felt pretty well wrapped up. The perfect series for any dragon fan! Highly recommended.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy and I was sad to finish those last few chapters knowing it was the end. Gil, Solene, Amaury, Boudain, Pharadon, Val(damar) and Ysabeau... I feel as if I know the characters intimately and that is something only a truly remarkable author can accomplish. There are aspects of each character the reader can relate to with many moralistic choices to be made. I absolutely loved the surprises in this book with Val and Ysabeau. The battle scenes were fun to read and I enjoyed the pictures my mind created from the pages. I would enjoy reading future books for those dangling threads of Ysabeau, the Gil and Solene now, and the goldscale. If you like fantasy with believable characters, good but not too much action, great dialogue... and dragons, then you will love this series.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.