The Knights of Dragonwatch

The Dragon Queen of Chaos #1

by Eric T. Knight

Led by dragons, the Emperor’s vast army conquers every nation in its path…

The Emperor seeks to free the Dragon Queen from the Abyss. The only ones who could have opposed him are the Knights of Dragonwatch, an ancient order created to defend the world against the Dragon Queen, and they are no more, betrayed by one of their own and hunted to extinction.

Jarryd is a young man with a secret. He sees demons. The visions have plagued him since he witnessed a traumatic event as a small boy.

Jarryd lives in fear that his secret will be discovered, and he will be condemned to the fate of those who consort with demons. Or, even worse, that the demons will consume him, make him one of them.

As the visions grow ever more powerful, Jarryd sets out on a journey to find answers at Knights Keep, the ancestral home of the Dragonwatch Knights. The journey brings him to the notice of the Emperor himself and sets Jarryd on a desperate quest to resurrect the Dragonwatch Knights.

Can Jarryd overcome the demons within himself and defeat the Emperor in time? Or will the Dragon Queen escape her prison and ravage the cosmos once again?

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Coming Of Age

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 8, 2020

About the author

Born in 1965, I grew up on a working cattle ranch in the desert thirty miles from Wickenburg, Arizona, which at that time was exactly the middle of nowhere. Work, cactus and heat were plentiful, forms of recreation were not. The TV got two channels when it wanted to, and only in the evening after someone hand cranked the balky diesel generator to life. All of which meant that my primary form of escape was reading.

At 18 I fled to Tucson where I attended the University of Arizona. A number of fruitless attempts at productive majors followed, none of which stuck. Discovering I liked writing, I tried journalism two separate times, but had to drop it when I realized that I had no intention of conducting interviews with actual people but preferred simply making them up.

After graduating with a degree in Creative Writing in 1989, I backpacked Europe with a friend and caught the travel bug. With no meaningful job prospects, I hitchhiked around the U.S. for a while then went back to school to learn to be a high school English teacher. I got a teaching job right out of school in the middle of the year. The job lasted exactly one semester, or until I received my summer pay and realized I actually had money to continue backpacking.

The next stop was Australia, where I hoped to spend six months, working wherever I could, then a few months in New Zealand and the South Pacific. However, my plans changed irrevocably when I met a lovely Swiss woman, Claudia, in Alice Springs. Undoubtedly swept away by my lack of a job or real future, she agreed to allow me to follow her back to Switzerland where, a few months later, she gave up her job to continue traveling with me. Over the next couple years we backpacked the U.S., Eastern Europe and Australia/New Zealand, before marrying and settling in the mountains of Colorado, in a small town called Salida.

In Colorado we starved and froze, started our own electronics business, and had a couple of sons, Dylan and Daniel. In 2005 we shut the business down and moved back to Tucson.

I am currently working on finishing The Devastation Wars fantasy series and attending graduate school.

Reviews

[Nick Borrelli]

My semi-finalist pick for #SPFBO6. Fun and entertaining fantasy with a great villain and awesome dark magic.

[Jennifer (bunnyreads)]

This was one of our SPFBO semifinalist in our group. My review only. Links for team reviews and about the contest at the bottom


This kind of reminded me of some the eighties and nineties fantasy – like Eddings. It has that noblebright farm boy trope kind of thing happening and it’s a lot of fun. At first, I thought of this story being more into the YA side of things because it does start off feeling on the younger side, with the style, writing, and the main character, as we skip through a few ages until Jarryd has grown. I did like these age skips though because they gave us some nice insight to Jarryd’s personality and the people around him that helped to shape his character.

But once Jarryd is grown and sets out on his quest, things happen pretty quickly and the world gets a lot more complicated and feels a little less YA as we learn about the Emperor, magic, and of course the Dragonwatcher’s and their history and how Jarryd’s family fits into that particular space. I am wondering if the series grows with the character sort of like Harry Potter or if just hits the YA/NA area and stays there?

The battles were fun and Jarryd learning how to use his skills has that “origin story” feel to the lessons, which I always enjoy more when they are the hands-on Peter Parker style, than classroom style learning. I also loved the inclusion of Pythas. He and Jarryd were the perfect foil for one another. Jarryd and his hopeful optimism and Pythas with his grumpy ‘get off my lawn’ demeanor made for some good entertaining moments. I enjoyed the back half the book a lot because of their mentor/friendship relationship.

Some of the story was a little predictable to me but, that’s to be expected in an origin-type story and when you have been reading for as many years as I have. The ending leaves this wide open for lots more to tell and what looks like might turn into a really fun series.


spfbo score 7/10 or 4 stars


Go here to find out more about SPFBO contest and to find links to all the participating bloggers/authors and reviews.

https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...

finalist board-

https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...

RockStarlit BookAsylum Team reviews

https://starlitbook.com/2020/10/22/sp...

[Mary T]

Excellent
As a little boy Jarryd saw someone he knew burned at the stake for seeing demons. This affected his entire life.
The Emperor has killed all the knights but one. Pythas is the last knight. He meets up with Jarryd and teaches him what he needs to know to be a knight. Excellent story which will be picked up in 'Knight of Visions'.

[Don Riddle]

Great Series

This is fun read with great characters and plot!!!Looking forward to the next book in the series and hope for many more!

[Terrible Timy]

I've read The Knights of Dragonwatch as part of SPFBO6, in which it was a semi-finalist.

You can find the reviews of the rest of the team on RockStarlit BookAsylum!

The Knights of Dragonwatch was the last semi-finalist which I’ve read from our group. And while it wasn’t my favorite, it still provided a worthy ending of Phase 1 for me.

This is the story of Jarryd, living in a small village with his parents, being obsessed with the Knights of Dragonwatch. He dreams of becoming one and idolises them in all his life. Holding onto their Code helps him to overcome the visions he has from time to time. When one day he gets his hands on a map showing the way to his dreams it’s time to have his own journey. Along the way he makes friends and enemies. Mostly enemies though.

The Knights of Dragonwatch is pretty much your typical coming-of-age, farmboy-becomes-a-hero type of fantasy with a looming evil and really bad odds for the MC. What I liked about it is that we get enough time to acquaint ourselves with Jarryd as we watch him grow up through short(ish) sequences. I also felt for him as he prepared to leave his home. I’ve read this in a time when I was flying out of the nest myself, and while I’ve been longing for that moment for a long time, it still was hard. I also liked one of the side characters, Pythas and their banter. He definitely was a great addition.

As for criticism, this book needs polishing. There was at least one or two holes in storytelling, where the MC asks about things he is supposed to know already. The pacing was sometimes a bit off – at times I was able to immerse myself and enjoy the ride, sometimes it felt a bit dragging, but this can come down to personal preferences. I also felt like that the ending was a bit abrupt.

Overall, The Knights of Dragonwatch is an entertaining, quick read if you are looking for a fantasy adventure with dragons and magic under 300 pages.

[Lana]

This first book in a new series introduces us to a young lad living in a small town where everyone knew everyone else and where there was supposedly a sense of communal spirit however an evil minded rector turned the people against one another in their fear of his retribution. His temple was one dedicated to Vidon, God of justice and retribution and Rector Freckus preferred to rule through fear. Poor Jarryd witnessed a scene instigated by the rector which was to mar the rest of his days for years to come. A scene no child should have been witness to! Since then Jarryd greatest wish was to become a knight, in order to fight evil but he was a shy and naïve lad and constantly bullied by other boys his age, however Jarryd refused to resort to violence as he believed in the Knight’s Code. He also used the code to ward off the evil dreams he had about the Queen of chaos and her re-entering the world. This is a story about good against evil, about the use of clean energy called Kriyana which Jarryd learnt how to use from Pythas, against the evil chaos power the Emperor and his death squads led by shifter dragons used. In Jarryd we are given an unlikely hero, but one who was always true and steadfast in his beliefs of honour and bravery but will he be enough to stop such evil from returning to their world? I loved the character of Pythas, his cynicism and wit wrought a balance against Jarryd’s idealism and stoic demeanour and I hope to see both characters in the fight against Emperor Skrellis and his minions in the next book in the series.

[Gayreth Walden]

This book is fantastic! The beginning of a new series in the world of "Chaos" created by the author . Jarryd dreams all his life of becoming a Knight of Dragonwatch. He is told the Knights are no more. So, Jarryd begins a journey to find Dragonwatch and bring the Knights back. I fell in love with the new characters and enjoyed the direction of a smooth and fast paced plot. The author has brought us a truly enjoyable and captivating read. I was irresistibly drawn in to Jarryd's goal to become a Knight. In this book, expect the unexpected, especially the dragons. This book has all the elements I love in a well crafted story. Magic, honor, action, friendship, betrayal, victory, defeat and shocking surprises. (And yes, I shed a few tears)! This part of the journey is utterly magical. I cannot wait for book two.........

[Tiffany L Poynter]

Absolutely adored this book and can not wait for more!! It follows the life a boy as he grows up and learns the harsh truths of the world he lives in. Dragons, magic, knights and more!! Amazing world that I cannot wait to get lost in over and over.

[Elizabeth]

A great beginning! The story of Jarryd, a farm boy with a secret and a dream of becoming a knight. When he gets the opportunity to visit the ruins of Dragonwatch Keep, things are set into motion that will change his life forever. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

[Cherish Kasner]

This book had me feeling many emotions. I was sad for Jarryd, he loses a lot in this book. He has to witness some heart wrenching things and he feels all alone. His belief in the Knights helps keep him sane and he grows up to be a great man. He takes off on his own to find his destiny and things don't go as planned. It's a great adventure that left me very excited for the next book. He proves that you don't have to be born a knight to be a Knight. What matters is what is in your heart! Great visualizations and an original plot. I recommend the adventure to all who love fantasy.

[Scott]

Knight did it well again ,as we travel along with Jarryd a vision touched farmers boys.
As is to be expected we soon discover their is great tasks for Jarryd as we are soon pulled into a masterful world of characters and fantasy adventure. Knight does what he does best and brings the characters into our heart and so draws us into the pages to live the emotions of this story.
Especially enjoying that book 2 is so close to coning out so i can enjoy even more of this enthralling new world

[Alex Campbell]

This first book in the Dragon Queen of Chaos series starts you off with little Jarryd and a terrible thing he endures. How he can live with it is hard to say but that very thing is what endears us (the readers, or 'stalkers from afar' – tomayto, tomawto) to him and has us yearning for more of the weary yet dauntless young man as he finds the one thing that may help him through the turmoil he is going through. Well maybe not the ONE thing. There is a lass as well and that always complicates things but you'll have to read the story for yourselves to find out more and I absolutely love a certain surly old man he meets and I’m positive you will too. Nearly impossible not to!

Then we have the amazing actions scenes Mr. Knight has in The Knights of Dragonwatch that get your heart pumping and the magic systems that are unique to this particular authors mad genius mind, that keep you on the edge of whatever you happen to be sitting in. Truly engaging fight scenes with memorable characters are a great combo to have you drooling for what comes next. I absolutely love the a certain surly character he meets and I’m positive you will too. Hard not to!

Now for that worst bit...I've finished this book and I need more! I feel like a man in the desert who has just finished his lone water skin and my literary mouth is dryer than a dead Dingo's backside. Yeah I need the next one.

If you like wonderful characters full of life, humor and grit. And action that hits like a jet powered sling shot to lead you on a tempest like trek through a very real feeling world then you are in the right place, for The Knights of Dragonwatch is the jackpot of Epic Fantasy for 2020!

[Artrain]

This book is so similar to Paolini's Inheritance Cycle, that at ~60% point I stopped and decided that I might as well re-read the original.

Couldn't bear the protagonist. He was too much of a do-gooder. Now I don't mind idealistic protagonists at all, especially those that strive to make good examples of themselves, but its when they're badly written that it gets on my nerves.
For example in one case, our main character, whilst on his travels, comes across a bunch of people running from a disaster. He gives them his own food and money because thats how good he is. Later on in his travel he runs out of food and money and can be seen grumbling and cursing at his predicament. It gets rather annoying.
Then in another instance he ends up saving a maiden in trouble as good guys are always wont to do. Because of his actions, he indirectly brings misfortune on his family, and can then be seen crying and wishing he hadn't done anything, or saved anyone.
It is these kind of fake idealists that I especially don't like. If you want your character to be the sort that always does the good thing no matter what, then make him smart enough and strong enough to stick by his actions and deal with the consequences without whining and crying. Either that, or use these instances as chances to develop your character's personality so that he doesn't mindlessly act in any situation any more, and doesn't always take the 'good' option. Unfortunately authors hardly ever do that.

Other than this there are also some strange issues with the writing where sometimes the same line gets repeated again a few sentences later. Needs a more thorough scan for editing.

Overall this felt like it could have been good, but fell way short. Early on, although it was clear this was inspired from Eragon, at least the style of writing (except for the above point) was good enough to get easily immersed in the book. I was hoping this would spin a similar kind of magic that Paolini's work did, but what it did was spin the same magic with pretty much the same important bits. In the end the story did not feel unique enough to take seriously.

[Amy Shannon]

Fantastical story

Knight pens a remarkable story in The Knights of Dragonwatch. I have read work from this author before, and I really enjoyed it. The characters were realistic and very in some ways intense. The story started out a bit slow, but slowly increased in its pace. This author brings the story to life. Jarryd is on a quest, and he also takes a hard look at himself, and the world around him. The journey is magical and intriguing. This author has a great imagination and I'm glad it's being shared with stories. Jarryd encounters obstacles, and marvels, and yet, still is growing up. It takes a lot for him to become the man he should be. This author is not just a writer but a great storyteller. The author's technique of magnetic characters and great plotlines is a gift. This is the first book in The Dragon Queen of Chaos and there are more after this one. The Knights of Dragonwatch is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I look forward to reading many more stories by this author.

[Suki Rickey]

Book 1

Book 1 had a few errors throughout and the MC was naive and annoying in his quest to be a good knight. I was disappointed in the first book. The plot was interesting enough and would have been great if not for the MC always blaming himself for others actions and for being dumb in his thoughts. The book spent almost half of it growing the character to 18 yrs old and then poof, the character has to run for his life. It was overall a hard book to read through and I will not be continuing the series.

[Caroline Atkins]

A brilliant start to an adventure I want to see unfold.

The book follows the story of Jarryd, a farmers boy beset by visions of demons. His world changes when he discovers he is actually the son of a Dragon Knight not a farmer as he always thought.
In true Eruc T Knight style I am already drawn into his world of magic, dragons and chaos. Thankfully I only have 5 days to wait for the next book in the series.

[MGB]

Jarryd is a young farmer. But he knows he is different than the other young men of his town. He yearns to be a Knight after receiving a book from his father.

Life take a really ugly twist for him and sends him down the path to being a Knight. The story is a long, detailed documentation of his travels. Certainly there are fights against evil - the followers of the Dragon Queen.

This is only the beginning of his story, the follow up books are necessary to document his travels.

[Alon Lankri]

I enjoyed this book. The banter between Pythas and the MC was fun. Hiding the visions seemed excessive to me, and the parents sending off their only child to a destroyed stronghold in the mountains was quite dumb. The tragic event made no sense based on a lack of information. I enjoyed this enough to continue to book two, hopefully the MC will be interesting enough on their own.

[Dennis Lemons]

Fast Moving and a little predictable. The best part of the writing is the authors descriptive style. Just a few character’s whom the author provides threat amount of details so that readers become part of the story. No Celt done.

Dennis Lemons

[Eleanor Shepherd]

Read this book

Jarred is one courageous young man. How is he going to build an army of Knights when he is supposedly the last one?

[Richard Gormley]

Nice fun romp into the world

Nice story, well thought out and the backstory into who the Knights and the Emperor are fit in nicely. I definitely look forward to the rest of the tail

[Carmen]

Loving this series

Loving this series its a different paranormal story but so good love the story line character's I cried I laughed can't wait to read more

[Travis]

Decent story. Kind of backwards from what I expected based on the title, but I guess that sort of thing should be expected from time to time. Probably will read the next one, but not sure just yet.

[Leda]

It was a very enlightening adventure in its own way.