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DragonCrown War Cycle #prequel
The Dark Glory War
New York Times bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole is a recognized star of military fantasy. The Dark Glory War is a thrilling new tale set in a world threatened by an unstoppable foe. . . .
In the sacred season of the Moon Month, four young men don the masks that herald their coming-of-age celebration, a time of testing, ritual, festival, and romance.
But for Tarrant Hawkins and his friends Leigh, Rounce, and Nay, their first test becomes a desperate struggle for survival. For they will encounter the vanguard of an invasion force poised to overrun their homeland of Oriosa, and all four will find their lives changed forever when they encounter a legendary weapon that brings its wielder invincibility. Yet the magic sword may prove more curse than blessing, signaling the arrival of a cataclysmic battle with ancient foes. And in the face of dire sorceries and terrible battles, these youths will come to manhood . . . or to death.
In the sacred season of the Moon Month, four young men don the masks that herald their coming-of-age celebration, a time of testing, ritual, festival, and romance.
But for Tarrant Hawkins and his friends Leigh, Rounce, and Nay, their first test becomes a desperate struggle for survival. For they will encounter the vanguard of an invasion force poised to overrun their homeland of Oriosa, and all four will find their lives changed forever when they encounter a legendary weapon that brings its wielder invincibility. Yet the magic sword may prove more curse than blessing, signaling the arrival of a cataclysmic battle with ancient foes. And in the face of dire sorceries and terrible battles, these youths will come to manhood . . . or to death.
402 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 11, 2009
Pretty stock standard epic fantasy. Nothing terrible about most of it, and a couple of nice culture touches like the masks. But the ending _was_ terrible; our heroes inexplicably ditch their army and go trapsing into Moria on their own (ok, its not actually called Moria, but it might as well have been) where they get their butts kicked because the badguys did not inexplicably leave their army at home. Surprise! And then the book waffles on for another 50 pages or so before finally curling up to whimper in a corner.
There's a strange pacing problem here too, where the most verbiage gets spent on bits that don't appear to be particularly important to the story, and then some of the bits that _are_ important feel a bit rushed. For example, towards the end we get a paragraph or two that says something like "I trekked across the snow for a couple of weeks, hiding from pursuers and nearly empty-handed, before I was finally rescued." What a perfect opportunity to make us feel his desperation in this amazing battle against the elements and his hunters, but instead we get this kind of casual offhand mention of it from after the fact. And then we get details about his ride home that we couldn't possibly care about.
There's a strange pacing problem here too, where the most verbiage gets spent on bits that don't appear to be particularly important to the story, and then some of the bits that _are_ important feel a bit rushed. For example, towards the end we get a paragraph or two that says something like "I trekked across the snow for a couple of weeks, hiding from pursuers and nearly empty-handed, before I was finally rescued." What a perfect opportunity to make us feel his desperation in this amazing battle against the elements and his hunters, but instead we get this kind of casual offhand mention of it from after the fact. And then we get details about his ride home that we couldn't possibly care about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2012
At first I thought this book was going to be lame. They wear masks and I wasn't really buying into it. The story moves at a nice pace keeping you interested in the development of the plot and characters. The ending was fantastic! Definitely non-traditional and therefore made it on my great list. I loved how politics discredits Tarrant's reputation and ultimately will leave the kingdom doomed in the future. Highly enjoyable. I tip my hat to Michael Stackpole and will read more by this guy!
Want to read
May 11, 2016
July 10, 2014
Buddy read with Cory, Ange, Jenny, Catherine & Kathyhill (although I don't think anyone apart from Cory and I actually finished reading it!)
I've not read anything by Michael A Stackpole before but I was in the mood to start a new epic fantasy series and the DragonCrown War Cycle came highly recommended by my friend Cory. In fact she raved about it so much that several of us decided to buddy read this! I found The Dark Glory War to be a likeable read but unfortunately it didn't wow me as much as I expected it to and although I've already bought the rest of the series I don't find myself in any kind of rush to carry on reading them.
There is a lot to like about the book though and I found the idea of the masks quite an interesting one. All adults from Oriosa wear a mask when they're in public, the mask isn't so much to hide their identity (although it does that to a certain extent) but it is used to show their achievements and they add marks and embellishments to them as they achieve certain goals or to show their allegiances. It's used a bit like a badge of honour and I enjoyed seeing the ways that characters added to their masks throughout the story. I also liked the main character Tarrant, he's an honest and trustworthy guy who just wants to do right by the people he cares about. He is pulled into a horrible situation and does a good job of rolling with the punches and he grows a lot through out the story as he faces his worst nightmares.
While I did enjoy the story I found it quite a slow read. I can't even put my finger on why that is because I can't think of anything I actively disliked but I just didn't feel as hooked as I should have done. As much as I liked Tarrant and I want to know what happens to him most of the other characters came across as fairly one dimensional and I don't particularly feel invested in the outcome of their stories. The book is well written and I enjoyed both the action scenes and world building so it is a series I'll be continuing at some point in the future but it's not one I'll be jumping back into immediately.
I've not read anything by Michael A Stackpole before but I was in the mood to start a new epic fantasy series and the DragonCrown War Cycle came highly recommended by my friend Cory. In fact she raved about it so much that several of us decided to buddy read this! I found The Dark Glory War to be a likeable read but unfortunately it didn't wow me as much as I expected it to and although I've already bought the rest of the series I don't find myself in any kind of rush to carry on reading them.
There is a lot to like about the book though and I found the idea of the masks quite an interesting one. All adults from Oriosa wear a mask when they're in public, the mask isn't so much to hide their identity (although it does that to a certain extent) but it is used to show their achievements and they add marks and embellishments to them as they achieve certain goals or to show their allegiances. It's used a bit like a badge of honour and I enjoyed seeing the ways that characters added to their masks throughout the story. I also liked the main character Tarrant, he's an honest and trustworthy guy who just wants to do right by the people he cares about. He is pulled into a horrible situation and does a good job of rolling with the punches and he grows a lot through out the story as he faces his worst nightmares.
While I did enjoy the story I found it quite a slow read. I can't even put my finger on why that is because I can't think of anything I actively disliked but I just didn't feel as hooked as I should have done. As much as I liked Tarrant and I want to know what happens to him most of the other characters came across as fairly one dimensional and I don't particularly feel invested in the outcome of their stories. The book is well written and I enjoyed both the action scenes and world building so it is a series I'll be continuing at some point in the future but it's not one I'll be jumping back into immediately.
November 15, 2008
A prequel to the DragonCrown War. My first book by Stackpole and it certainly grabbed my attention. So much so that I will be reading a majority of his other works as I get the time. I'm already reading Fortress Draconis. What I like about his book is his attention to details on battle scenes. There is also a bit more gore to his books that brings a bit more reality to it.
October 25, 2008
My review is here:
Full Review
Full Review
August 13, 2016
Buddy read with Ange, Brandi, Cathryn, Kathy, Khanh, JennyJen, Rashika, and Sarah.
November 18, 2025
I'm torn between a 3 and a 4. Cliff hanger doomsday ending that will pick up in a trilogy set years later doesn't appeal super well to me. I get it, from a writing perspective it's unique. Just terribly depressing for the characters. (Which according to the description of the next book, depression seems to indeed flow out of these concluding events)
Action is well written, characters are a plenty, but there is a trope of every kind in here. Soooo many stereotypes. Which hey, if you just want a fun fantasy with stereotypes and a unique twist ending, this ticks all the boxes. It's good! Just for an optimist like me, a sucker punch of an ending before moving on to a trilogy that changes protagonists.
Action is well written, characters are a plenty, but there is a trope of every kind in here. Soooo many stereotypes. Which hey, if you just want a fun fantasy with stereotypes and a unique twist ending, this ticks all the boxes. It's good! Just for an optimist like me, a sucker punch of an ending before moving on to a trilogy that changes protagonists.
February 11, 2025
A solid fantasy. Relatively fast paced with an interesting "conclusion" which of course leads to the next book in the series.😁
April 11, 2023
Starts slow but picks up some urgency. Unfortunately, I had several problems with it.
The narrative is first-person with the framing that the narrator/protagonist is writing this many years later. I've never been one to worry about how I'm getting a first-person account so this conceit that has the narrator breaking in now and then with a comment about the future or a "Little did I know at the time, but later..." annoys me by knocking me out of the immediacy of the story. Seriously, don't remind me that you'll survive to tell this story. Stackpole makes this worse by having the narrator break in now and then with a bolt of insight from the future that's completely unnecessary because he soon shows it happening. Thus, I'm broken out of the feel of immediacy several times for what turns out to be an unneeded remark. It feels crude.
I also feel that Hawkins doesn't work well as a viewpoint character. Yes, he does and sees all kinds of amazing things but his usual "aw shucks" demeanor drains them of majesty or danger. He's so matter of fact that some of his foes seem a lot less dangerous than they probably are. I think third-person, with some outside views of him, would have been a better choice. Some authors can find a way to show that a first-person or close-third-person narrator is unreliable or not totally informed of some things, but Stackpole doesn't do it.
At one point when the more interesting characters leave the narrative the book bogs down and dies, at least for me. It doesn't help that there's also a lot of dry summarization after that point.
There are a lot of battle scenes, but sometimes the descriptions don't let me know what's going on.
Finally, our protagonist makes a plethora of stupid assumptions at the end that lead to a cliffhanger that bored me completely. To be continued? I don't care. I'm not following any further.
The narrative is first-person with the framing that the narrator/protagonist is writing this many years later. I've never been one to worry about how I'm getting a first-person account so this conceit that has the narrator breaking in now and then with a comment about the future or a "Little did I know at the time, but later..." annoys me by knocking me out of the immediacy of the story. Seriously, don't remind me that you'll survive to tell this story. Stackpole makes this worse by having the narrator break in now and then with a bolt of insight from the future that's completely unnecessary because he soon shows it happening. Thus, I'm broken out of the feel of immediacy several times for what turns out to be an unneeded remark. It feels crude.
I also feel that Hawkins doesn't work well as a viewpoint character. Yes, he does and sees all kinds of amazing things but his usual "aw shucks" demeanor drains them of majesty or danger. He's so matter of fact that some of his foes seem a lot less dangerous than they probably are. I think third-person, with some outside views of him, would have been a better choice. Some authors can find a way to show that a first-person or close-third-person narrator is unreliable or not totally informed of some things, but Stackpole doesn't do it.
At one point when the more interesting characters leave the narrative the book bogs down and dies, at least for me. It doesn't help that there's also a lot of dry summarization after that point.
There are a lot of battle scenes, but sometimes the descriptions don't let me know what's going on.
Finally, our protagonist makes a plethora of stupid assumptions at the end that lead to a cliffhanger that bored me completely. To be continued? I don't care. I'm not following any further.
August 6, 2016
[2006] I read Fortress Draconis by this author. Unfortunately, I have no record of it anywhere. But when I learned that this book was the prelude to the Fortress Draconis series, I thought it would be a good idea to read it. I'm not sure that I really cared for the first person narrative style that Stackpole used in this book. But it was an interesting book. I liked the mask concept, although after a while I never pictured the characters with masks. As I got closer to the end, I wondered how it would end, and there were several surprises. A great ending, the kind that makes you want to jump into the next book right away to see what happens next. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how well the problems at the end of this book will be resolved in the later books, especially since I think they happen much later in time. Now I will re-read Fortress Draconis and then the other two books that follow.
February 5, 2015
OK - well, this is "exactly what it shows on the tin" - the character with the mask? That is a plot devise throughout this novel. And it is not an interesting one at that. I like the premise behind what the novel was trying to do, but the characters had zero qualities for me to enjoy. Again, I got sucked into a novel that everyone raves about online, but I feel that our standard of what we expect is too low these days, and we will read anything if it has a gimmick or a creature that is cool, or something without actual merit or plot device. I was sorely disappointed in this and look forward to what I can do with the money that I won't be spending on future works of Michael Stackpole.
December 8, 2018
Very nice but generic military-type fantasy.
As the prelude to the Dragoncrown War Cycle (trilogy), I loved the premise but not the ending, especially the unwise & ultimately fatal decision to pursue the primary antagonist without sufficient military backing, leading to the really frustrating conclusion.
Still enjoyed it for the action, 40% of the characters (Leigh was often incredibly annoying & most characters were terribly one-dimensional; not enough depth) and some of the political & social intrigues. Resolute is my favorite & hope to see more of him.
As the prelude to the Dragoncrown War Cycle (trilogy), I loved the premise but not the ending, especially the unwise & ultimately fatal decision to pursue the primary antagonist without sufficient military backing, leading to the really frustrating conclusion.
Still enjoyed it for the action, 40% of the characters (Leigh was often incredibly annoying & most characters were terribly one-dimensional; not enough depth) and some of the political & social intrigues. Resolute is my favorite & hope to see more of him.
December 30, 2019
Its been years since ive read this one but its never too far from my mind. When I meet someone new I ask them if theyve read this book and if they say no I promptly bring it to them. Tons of action. Its a great fantasy novel. I love stackpoles earlier stuff and this book may be his best.
January 15, 2023
Yeah, still remains one of my favourite fantasy novel series though with what I've read from when I first rated this it should go down a bit.
Still, Stackpole remains one of my fav fantasy authors.
Still, Stackpole remains one of my fav fantasy authors.
October 17, 2017
Fascinating races and cultures and... a good story.
Glad we found the second when we found the first.
Glad we found the second when we found the first.
September 3, 2025
I wish I’d read this sooner.
First let me say that there’s great and not great things about the writing of this. The story is well thought out and the end will not disappoint at all. I think reading the entire 4 books will enlighten me as to why certain things happened. The way it ends, knowing the series must continue because Chytrine is not only still alive but as powerful as ever gives great motivation to read the next book, Fortress Draconis.
As for the writing, one great aspect is that the fight scenes are described in fine detail. There are no “we won the battle” generalizations. All the important parts are well described. Relationships between the characters are enforced throughout the book, giving the reader both loyalty and distrust as intended. Magic fails, or has realistic limitations, which is sometimes unusual in fantasy. It is both strong and defeat-able by all parties. Nice touch because things don’t alway go our protagonists’ way. There is a love interest, but it doesn’t occupy the story. The readers gaze is drawn towards very good descriptions of locations and actions, to a specific point in a battlefield but still having a good overall view. That view is provided in a sort of “I found out later but I’m telling you as it happens” from the narrator.
There are some things the author does that I didn’t care for. One is the constant mentioning of places or people from places that we the reader have zero idea about. Maybe in the other books it expands on this.
There are also a few holes in the story. Few of the experienced warriors are mentioned by name. That our main characters somehow are these big heroes is unlikely at best. I wish there were a little explanation as to why they got such opportunities.
There is a secret society that the boys are invited into. I wish this had been more developed and had been explored more. Sometimes its use was a little convenient, sometimes it was vague. Cool descriptions of it though.
I am unsure of the timeframe of the book although it clearly seems to be several seasons. The first half happens very fast, within a few weeks. There’s some mention of time in reference to the characters’ Moon Month which starts day one of the book. A lot happens quickly then I sort of lost track of time. Not a deal breaker though.
Overall I loved it. Fast paced, not a crazy amount of extraneous characters, there were unique monsters (a living bridge!!!) and great action. Well done!
First let me say that there’s great and not great things about the writing of this. The story is well thought out and the end will not disappoint at all. I think reading the entire 4 books will enlighten me as to why certain things happened. The way it ends, knowing the series must continue because Chytrine is not only still alive but as powerful as ever gives great motivation to read the next book, Fortress Draconis.
As for the writing, one great aspect is that the fight scenes are described in fine detail. There are no “we won the battle” generalizations. All the important parts are well described. Relationships between the characters are enforced throughout the book, giving the reader both loyalty and distrust as intended. Magic fails, or has realistic limitations, which is sometimes unusual in fantasy. It is both strong and defeat-able by all parties. Nice touch because things don’t alway go our protagonists’ way. There is a love interest, but it doesn’t occupy the story. The readers gaze is drawn towards very good descriptions of locations and actions, to a specific point in a battlefield but still having a good overall view. That view is provided in a sort of “I found out later but I’m telling you as it happens” from the narrator.
There are some things the author does that I didn’t care for. One is the constant mentioning of places or people from places that we the reader have zero idea about. Maybe in the other books it expands on this.
There are also a few holes in the story. Few of the experienced warriors are mentioned by name. That our main characters somehow are these big heroes is unlikely at best. I wish there were a little explanation as to why they got such opportunities.
There is a secret society that the boys are invited into. I wish this had been more developed and had been explored more. Sometimes its use was a little convenient, sometimes it was vague. Cool descriptions of it though.
I am unsure of the timeframe of the book although it clearly seems to be several seasons. The first half happens very fast, within a few weeks. There’s some mention of time in reference to the characters’ Moon Month which starts day one of the book. A lot happens quickly then I sort of lost track of time. Not a deal breaker though.
Overall I loved it. Fast paced, not a crazy amount of extraneous characters, there were unique monsters (a living bridge!!!) and great action. Well done!
February 16, 2019
DNF as 50%. More superhero comic than fantasy.
First the positives:the humor and character conversations were well done, not too sarcastic or quippy, just the right amount of banter. The narrators inner monologue was balanced and well done.
Now for the negatives.
The pacing was off, it seemed the story moved more quickly than desirable, not spending time anywhere. The narrative focused only on the battles, each combat scene is detailed with descriptions of how each of our characters arced their weapons. The rest of the book is basically rushed and only exists to get us to the next battle.
Few women in the entire book, none of them given any page time.
But the biggest problem here is the fighting skills of Tarrant and Nay (discounting Leigh due to his sword) who are supposed to be ordinary 18 year olds (one of them a blacksmith by upbringing). They seem to be fighting better than the career solders and (hundreds of year old) elves taking out waves and waves of T-Rexes/Goblins/Orcs seemingly like Captain America and Thor.
With the exception of the first fight (2 boys vs 1 T-Rex in the dark, pushing the limits of imagination, but I'll allow it), I simply cannot take any other fight scene in the rest of the book seriously unless it is revealed in the end that our heroes are the War God(s) incarnate or something.
On top of all this, our narrator Tarrant comes off as super arrogant and smug. Promises an elf to free his home town which has been under control of the Orcs for atleast 100 years. Gets into a fist fight in a rundown part of town with the gangster running the aforementioned neighborhood. Asks a dwarf how she is going to be able to climb a mountain. Advises battle plans to a gathering of princes and career statesmen. Most of these should not be possible or should end in bad consequences for our hero which does not happen.
First the positives:the humor and character conversations were well done, not too sarcastic or quippy, just the right amount of banter. The narrators inner monologue was balanced and well done.
Now for the negatives.
The pacing was off, it seemed the story moved more quickly than desirable, not spending time anywhere. The narrative focused only on the battles, each combat scene is detailed with descriptions of how each of our characters arced their weapons. The rest of the book is basically rushed and only exists to get us to the next battle.
Few women in the entire book, none of them given any page time.
But the biggest problem here is the fighting skills of Tarrant and Nay (discounting Leigh due to his sword) who are supposed to be ordinary 18 year olds (one of them a blacksmith by upbringing). They seem to be fighting better than the career solders and (hundreds of year old) elves taking out waves and waves of T-Rexes/Goblins/Orcs seemingly like Captain America and Thor.
With the exception of the first fight (2 boys vs 1 T-Rex in the dark, pushing the limits of imagination, but I'll allow it), I simply cannot take any other fight scene in the rest of the book seriously unless it is revealed in the end that our heroes are the War God(s) incarnate or something.
On top of all this, our narrator Tarrant comes off as super arrogant and smug. Promises an elf to free his home town which has been under control of the Orcs for atleast 100 years. Gets into a fist fight in a rundown part of town with the gangster running the aforementioned neighborhood. Asks a dwarf how she is going to be able to climb a mountain. Advises battle plans to a gathering of princes and career statesmen. Most of these should not be possible or should end in bad consequences for our hero which does not happen.
January 13, 2026
Currently on a quest to reread my favorite childhood fantasy books.
Some unique ideas for sure, I’m definitely a fan of the introduction of gunpowder and canons, and I actually liked the twist on the band of hero’s quest at the very end of this book. It’s not super explored until the later books, but I also did remember liking the magic system, and how each spell is akin to a “knot” that can be untied given enough time, knowledge and practice, but I don’t think it becomes more fleshed out until the later trilogy.
Also loved the fantasy creatures? velociraptors in a Middle Ages setting!?
One thing I did not remember was how incredibly breakneck the pace was. There’s tons of exposition and everything either happens at a full sprint or one of the narrators close friends just happened to hear a specific story that allows them to give crucial info to the reader and the expedition.
The book FEELS like a prequel, and maybe that accounts for the pace and exposition dumps, setting up the world and the rules now in order to tell a more complete story later. In any case, I think this could’ve benefited a lot from slowing down and maybe being a bit longer as well.
Some unique ideas for sure, I’m definitely a fan of the introduction of gunpowder and canons, and I actually liked the twist on the band of hero’s quest at the very end of this book. It’s not super explored until the later books, but I also did remember liking the magic system, and how each spell is akin to a “knot” that can be untied given enough time, knowledge and practice, but I don’t think it becomes more fleshed out until the later trilogy.
Also loved the fantasy creatures? velociraptors in a Middle Ages setting!?
One thing I did not remember was how incredibly breakneck the pace was. There’s tons of exposition and everything either happens at a full sprint or one of the narrators close friends just happened to hear a specific story that allows them to give crucial info to the reader and the expedition.
The book FEELS like a prequel, and maybe that accounts for the pace and exposition dumps, setting up the world and the rules now in order to tell a more complete story later. In any case, I think this could’ve benefited a lot from slowing down and maybe being a bit longer as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2024
The Dark Glory War started slowly. Four boys come of age and are presented with their "moonmasks." The author is worldbuilding, and the ceremony is an important milestone for the characters and the society. It didn't add a lot of value for me, but once the action started, I was pretty much hooked. I really liked the main characters but had some trouble keeping track of the secondary characters.
The storytelling and action are top-notch. The worldbuilding didn't thrill me, but most of it was delivered in ways that it didn't destroy the pacing. I feel that books should always have a proper ending—even when they are part of a series. So, to me, the twist at the end felt more like a cliffhanger to compel one to buy the next book rather than a satisfying wrap-up of this story.
The storytelling and action are top-notch. The worldbuilding didn't thrill me, but most of it was delivered in ways that it didn't destroy the pacing. I feel that books should always have a proper ending—even when they are part of a series. So, to me, the twist at the end felt more like a cliffhanger to compel one to buy the next book rather than a satisfying wrap-up of this story.
July 19, 2017
This is a coming of age story of Tarrant Hawkins and his friends. Destiny was set for these young men if they only knew it. A chance encounter on their first test becomes a desperate struggle for survival, for they have ran into the vanguard of an invasion force. This story has excitement, mystery and magic. If you are new to the DragonCrown War series this is the one you want to start with.
July 1, 2024
I read this book over a decade ago and I still remember scenes from it vividly. This book built me up and then emotionally destroyed me in literally the last paragraph. I spent the rest of the day in a daze because I had no one to talk to who would understand the way this book tore the heart out of me.
September 7, 2020
I loved this book, and for some reason, did not know that it was a prequel. Lucky me!
February 18, 2022
It was not very good, but the last ten percent was very enjoyable.
March 21, 2011
A light fantasy tale with a dark foreboding narrative. The story follows Tarrant Hawkins and his friends welcoming into manhood, a sacred tradition for this fantasy world which includes a new mask and parties. Also included are tests to find out where you belong. Things take a turn for our heroes straight away, and one is picked off in their first few chapters by an unexpected arrival of the main villain's minions.
The story from there kind of snowballs into your typical fantasy fare, with a quest for the main characters to rid the world of the evil that is now threatening their boundaries. Having faced the first of the bad guys our young heroes are brought along and continually preform awesome feats, earning reputations as they go. All the while the story has a ominous tone as it is being told.
Coming up to the second half of the book, everything is going great for the heroes. They are winning battles, killing the generals of the army, felling giants and other beasts. Tarrant even ends up with a foxy elf, well done sir. And then it starts to fall apart. Our hero with the magical sword loses it. Our second hero with the blacksmith strength is forced to retire with injures and help out the first hero. A prince falls, but not the one we all want to die. The cowardly prince who is just looking for a reason to destroy our heroes has it but is thwarted by the commander and sent back to a rear guard position.
The remains of our heroes try to chase down the main villain, while the remaining good prince destroys the remains of her army.
So things look bad at this point. But, surely there is not more. Shows what you know! Treachery! Everyone dies! Only Tarrant is left standing to face the dark queen and she tricks him several times over. All the heroes who aren't beheaded in the ambush succumb to the dark promises she offers with the exception of Tarrant who she bloodies and sends on his way home with a two day head start before her hunters track him down. >.<
He is game, and ends up making it against all odds before Resolute finds him. Unfortunately, he is the only one left to tell the story and prince jackhole is the one who receives him. Tarrants word versus the crowned prince, and we all know who the kingdom believes. He is branded a traitor and stripped of his mask. His father tells him he has no son as he takes his mask.
I don't mind a down ending, but geez man. I was quite enjoying your typical fantasy adventure when out of nowhere it goes pear shaped. The world is definitely an interesting one, with magnificent beasts unique to this story and standard fare. The culture of the world, requiring different masks to be worn at all times to show your station in the world was definitely interesting and sucked me. I would think always wearing a mask would get old, but thats just me.
I enjoyed this book, but it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I hated that Seethe and Norrington fell. They didn't confirm the end of Faryaah-Tse but I can only assume that has happened and it makes me angry as well. We could all see the betrayal of the prince from the beginning, but it still was weak. And the ultimate slap in the face was his father automatically assuming the worst. I guess he has me hooked for more because I just bought the next trilogy, but damn. 4 stars.
The story from there kind of snowballs into your typical fantasy fare, with a quest for the main characters to rid the world of the evil that is now threatening their boundaries. Having faced the first of the bad guys our young heroes are brought along and continually preform awesome feats, earning reputations as they go. All the while the story has a ominous tone as it is being told.
Coming up to the second half of the book, everything is going great for the heroes. They are winning battles, killing the generals of the army, felling giants and other beasts. Tarrant even ends up with a foxy elf, well done sir. And then it starts to fall apart. Our hero with the magical sword loses it. Our second hero with the blacksmith strength is forced to retire with injures and help out the first hero. A prince falls, but not the one we all want to die. The cowardly prince who is just looking for a reason to destroy our heroes has it but is thwarted by the commander and sent back to a rear guard position.
The remains of our heroes try to chase down the main villain, while the remaining good prince destroys the remains of her army.
So things look bad at this point. But, surely there is not more. Shows what you know! Treachery! Everyone dies! Only Tarrant is left standing to face the dark queen and she tricks him several times over. All the heroes who aren't beheaded in the ambush succumb to the dark promises she offers with the exception of Tarrant who she bloodies and sends on his way home with a two day head start before her hunters track him down. >.<
He is game, and ends up making it against all odds before Resolute finds him. Unfortunately, he is the only one left to tell the story and prince jackhole is the one who receives him. Tarrants word versus the crowned prince, and we all know who the kingdom believes. He is branded a traitor and stripped of his mask. His father tells him he has no son as he takes his mask.
I don't mind a down ending, but geez man. I was quite enjoying your typical fantasy adventure when out of nowhere it goes pear shaped. The world is definitely an interesting one, with magnificent beasts unique to this story and standard fare. The culture of the world, requiring different masks to be worn at all times to show your station in the world was definitely interesting and sucked me. I would think always wearing a mask would get old, but thats just me.
I enjoyed this book, but it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I hated that Seethe and Norrington fell. They didn't confirm the end of Faryaah-Tse but I can only assume that has happened and it makes me angry as well. We could all see the betrayal of the prince from the beginning, but it still was weak. And the ultimate slap in the face was his father automatically assuming the worst. I guess he has me hooked for more because I just bought the next trilogy, but damn. 4 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2016
Tarrent Hawkins knows he is coming of age. He knows this will mean changes for him and the start to his life-path. However, on the evening of the first celebration of Tarrent and his friends' "moon month" a "normal" test takes a completely unexpected turn and ratchets up the danger. Evil creatures are discovered where they shouldn't be and soon it is realized that war is coming to the whole continent.
So the journey with Tarrent and friends is fun; the battles are harsh but interesting. The other main characters and main side characters, have some great development and even if they aren't in the story for long, are enjoyable. (Often aspects of the story reminded me of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, especially with how many characters there are that are important to the story, but we only really "see" from Tarrent's perspective.)
Okay, so with all of these positives so far, why only three stars? Remembering that this is the "prequel" for The DragonCrown War cycle, I figured there was going to be some unfinished plot / story, whatever, (though I was really hoping it would be like The Hobbit where it's still a complete story, just a minor thing that comes back to bite them eventually) but that is sadly not the case (even though it was perfectly set up for that!). The first 350 pages of story were great! I was eating it up and didn't really have a clue what was going to happen next, but the likable characters were doing a great job of taking care of each other and (mostly) staying alive. Than the last 50 pages happened... With a drastic change of tone and a very un-complete (and evil!) ending; stars were lost.
Content notes: Only made-up swear words if any. The hero meets / falls in love with and starts a relationship with a girl he meets on his travels; though he does mention them sleeping together there is very little detail and nothing lewd. There are several battles that include medieval warfare, magic weapons and creature violence. Some descriptions of injuries or kills, mostly lopping off of heads / limbs or slashes through chest / throat, but no gruesome details.
February 27, 2014
After enjoying a number of Stackpole's books in various worlds, I decided to take the plunge with the Dragoncrown War Cycle and started with the prequel. I don't know if this was a poor idea or not, but I am pretty encouraged on the whole.
I can see that there's been all kind of talk about the ending of this book in particular, which is almost directly at odds with the claim that this is a "typical fantasy" adventure. Being something of a fantasy connoisseur myself, I fall somewhere in the middle of both.
This is a fantasy novel that starts in an idyllic fashion with the coming of age for several young men, but quickly spirals out of control into a continent-spanning conflict against (what I will grant is sort of your typical) an evil host from the north. The young men rise in heroic fashion, generally best the evil horde, and yes, there's an all-too-obvious "hidden" antagonist.
HOWEVER, the interesting part of this book is the last fifth or so, when Tarrant leaves Nay and Leigh behind to join the small command company going north. Not having read the actual Dragoncrown War trilogy, I can't say how all of this fits into the history of those books, but I imagine that events here are somewhat intimately tied. Things get very dark and interesting in what I considered to be a despicably effective (if not totally unforeseen) plot twist, and Tarrant comes home as a traitor. I'll admit frustration at the rushed-feeling last chapter, the obliviousness of Tarrant to Prince Scrainwood's obvious venom towards him (I don't know if I've seen a more blatant self-serving antagonist in a book in some time), but I felt that it set the stage quite well for the trilogy, which I am now eager to read.
Other impressive aspects of this book included the creatures that compose the enemy's army (temeryces, gibberers, etc.) and the detail that is taken to describe them throughout. The typical halfling race (the ur'Zrethi) is given quite a twist in this series as well. If this book and the rest still abide by the most oft-prescribed tropes of the fantasy genre, then at least Stackpole knows how to switch things up a bit and write a detailed, entertaining tale with some excellent dark parts.
I can see that there's been all kind of talk about the ending of this book in particular, which is almost directly at odds with the claim that this is a "typical fantasy" adventure. Being something of a fantasy connoisseur myself, I fall somewhere in the middle of both.
This is a fantasy novel that starts in an idyllic fashion with the coming of age for several young men, but quickly spirals out of control into a continent-spanning conflict against (what I will grant is sort of your typical) an evil host from the north. The young men rise in heroic fashion, generally best the evil horde, and yes, there's an all-too-obvious "hidden" antagonist.
HOWEVER, the interesting part of this book is the last fifth or so, when Tarrant leaves Nay and Leigh behind to join the small command company going north. Not having read the actual Dragoncrown War trilogy, I can't say how all of this fits into the history of those books, but I imagine that events here are somewhat intimately tied. Things get very dark and interesting in what I considered to be a despicably effective (if not totally unforeseen) plot twist, and Tarrant comes home as a traitor. I'll admit frustration at the rushed-feeling last chapter, the obliviousness of Tarrant to Prince Scrainwood's obvious venom towards him (I don't know if I've seen a more blatant self-serving antagonist in a book in some time), but I felt that it set the stage quite well for the trilogy, which I am now eager to read.
Other impressive aspects of this book included the creatures that compose the enemy's army (temeryces, gibberers, etc.) and the detail that is taken to describe them throughout. The typical halfling race (the ur'Zrethi) is given quite a twist in this series as well. If this book and the rest still abide by the most oft-prescribed tropes of the fantasy genre, then at least Stackpole knows how to switch things up a bit and write a detailed, entertaining tale with some excellent dark parts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2016
I had such high hopes for this one. I'm a Michael Stackpole fan, and while I know he's not perfect, I've enjoyed his previous novels quite a bit. In fact, his novel Talion: Revenant was my introduction to the world of fantasy fiction. Needless to say I was eagerly awaiting the first installment in his multi-part fantasy epic the DragonCrown War. After reading his surprisingly mature Eyes of Silver, my expectations rose even higher.
Unfortunately Stackpole fell back into old habits with the Dark Glory War. The book, which serves as a prelude to the DragonCrown War saga, centers on a young warrior and his friends during their transition into manhood, which occurs during a monstrous invasion from an ancient enemy's forces. While Eyes of Silver presented characters that were complex and flawed (in short, human), the characters in the Dark Glory War are 2-dimensional and quite predictable. Hawkins, the main character, is the same flawless noble hero that you'll find in just about every Stackpole novel. Only the circumstances make him any different from Nolan, Locke, or even Corran Horn. The rest of the characters are simply there to fill roles in the hero's life, such as the arrogant friend, the slow but faithful friend, the shallow enemy, the exotic girlfriend, etc. The events in the book are just as predictable as the characters.
That's not to say the Dark Glory War is a bad book. It's actually pretty enjoyable in the same way a summer blockbuster movie is. It's fast-paced and there is plenty of action, as well as some very cool creatures. The Sullanciri, despite their similarities to Tolkien's Nazgul, are a particularly entertaining group. And the idea of a society where everyone wears masks to signify who they are and what they have accomplished is a neat touch. It's a fun book, but you know after reading it that the series will never come close to that George R.R. Martin or Guy Gavriel Kay level of sophistication, intelligence, and sheer quality.
If you're looking for a series that is entertaining, the DragonCrown War will no doubt satisfy. If you want something original with real substance, you're better off reading Martin or Kay.
Unfortunately Stackpole fell back into old habits with the Dark Glory War. The book, which serves as a prelude to the DragonCrown War saga, centers on a young warrior and his friends during their transition into manhood, which occurs during a monstrous invasion from an ancient enemy's forces. While Eyes of Silver presented characters that were complex and flawed (in short, human), the characters in the Dark Glory War are 2-dimensional and quite predictable. Hawkins, the main character, is the same flawless noble hero that you'll find in just about every Stackpole novel. Only the circumstances make him any different from Nolan, Locke, or even Corran Horn. The rest of the characters are simply there to fill roles in the hero's life, such as the arrogant friend, the slow but faithful friend, the shallow enemy, the exotic girlfriend, etc. The events in the book are just as predictable as the characters.
That's not to say the Dark Glory War is a bad book. It's actually pretty enjoyable in the same way a summer blockbuster movie is. It's fast-paced and there is plenty of action, as well as some very cool creatures. The Sullanciri, despite their similarities to Tolkien's Nazgul, are a particularly entertaining group. And the idea of a society where everyone wears masks to signify who they are and what they have accomplished is a neat touch. It's a fun book, but you know after reading it that the series will never come close to that George R.R. Martin or Guy Gavriel Kay level of sophistication, intelligence, and sheer quality.
If you're looking for a series that is entertaining, the DragonCrown War will no doubt satisfy. If you want something original with real substance, you're better off reading Martin or Kay.
September 8, 2011
My husband recommended this book for me, and generally I trust his recommendations. And this book was certainly fabulous for most of my reading experience. I very much enjoyed the world Stackpole created for us to immerse ourselves in - the masks were an interesting and enriching part of the story. But I felt like I couldn't really get close to any of the characters. I wanted to, but they felt formal and distant. Tarrant a little less than the others, obviously.
My biggest problem with this book was the ending. Stackpole led us into this fantastic geographical area, set up the bones for an amazing plot, and then had the main character lose consciousness. Then, the author gilded over what could have been a chance for great character and plot development and simply ended the book. Maybe this was because this book is meant to be a prequel to another series, but it was completely frustrating to myself as a reader and soured my desire to read the next book in the series.
My biggest problem with this book was the ending. Stackpole led us into this fantastic geographical area, set up the bones for an amazing plot, and then had the main character lose consciousness. Then, the author gilded over what could have been a chance for great character and plot development and simply ended the book. Maybe this was because this book is meant to be a prequel to another series, but it was completely frustrating to myself as a reader and soured my desire to read the next book in the series.
September 18, 2015
Enjoyable, if not as immersive as I wanted it to be. The pacing is good (doesn't dwell too long on the 'boring' parts, doesn't rush through the important parts), the primary characters are all easy to identify with and like, and there's plenty of action throughout.
A major thing I thought was missing was a sense of urgency - it didn't feel as though the threat of the antagonist was as pressing or all-consuming, despite the ever present hordes invading from the north. Minor gripes included the complicated world map - there seemed to be about twenty 'countries' too many - and some of the editing was imprecise ('trial-markings,' things of this nature).
Nevertheless, despite the flaws I still enjoyed the book and was rooting for Hawkins...and will hope that the next three books don't just leave these threads dangling entirely.
A major thing I thought was missing was a sense of urgency - it didn't feel as though the threat of the antagonist was as pressing or all-consuming, despite the ever present hordes invading from the north. Minor gripes included the complicated world map - there seemed to be about twenty 'countries' too many - and some of the editing was imprecise ('trial-markings,' things of this nature).
Nevertheless, despite the flaws I still enjoyed the book and was rooting for Hawkins...and will hope that the next three books don't just leave these threads dangling entirely.
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