This is the perfect kind of book when your really wanting a story that goes back to stories you grew up with. One classic is the town that gets ravaged by dragon and a legendary hero is sent off to slay the dragon and maybe rescue a princess or some sort of treasure. The Dragonslayer gives us the perfect twist on this classic story. In this version our hero is a someone who comes from a long line of famous Dragonslayer but has never stayed one in his life. In fact he was disgraced and has lived the last years as the towns trunk to the point where someone else is even collecting the town taxes.

Another twist on this classic tale is the dragon itself Alpheratz i really felt for this dragon as he been asleep for a long time and some buffoon comes to his cave in search of a magic cup and wakes him up. When he is awoken he goes out in search of his dragon mate and find her and the eggs gone and destroyed by humans. So what does an angry dragon who lost his whole world do he takes it out on those he deems responsible.

Then enter our Dragonslayer who rescued a damsel in distress this time it a witch but Solene is a very enjoyable character who is strong, confident and has a power tool her magic to defend herself. Now our party has Gil, Solene and the rest of those charged with taking out this Dragonslayer. This story is enjoyable in that the characters play their parts to a tee and in the end their some secrets to be uncovered. This is the first book so i am eager to see what is to become of our dragon and wether Gil will really be forced to destroy him.

I was honored to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for redemption type stories. This one is so much more than that, though. It has a smaller cast, but every character has their own flaws and strengths. I enjoyed all of them, which is a rare thing for me. There are three different POV's, two being main characters and one being the dragon for part of the story. I found that to be an excellent way for us to catch up on what has happened between dragons and humans without getting an info dump. Plus, dragons are always cool. Although the story is mainly about getting a washed-up hero to help slay the dragon, it also has a nice bit of intrigue. It was fast paced and didn't waste any time getting into the meat of the story, which I enjoy. I don't like a lot of set up. I want to be swept up in the story. The main character is a bit of a mess, but he isn't one of those that can't seem to help himself. He genuinely works hard to be better. He was very likable, and I enjoyed getting to know him. There isn't a ton of world-building, and I didn't see anything terribly original, but it was a great story driven by awesome characters. I will definitely be looking out for the next one!

Dragonslayer, a fantasy fiction novel by Duncan M. Hamilton, is a fun read that is diminished by its inability to connect its characters and their interactions seamlessly, and is bereft of small moments that could have elevated it. The protagonist Guillot, a has-been alcoholic banneret (knight), has fallen out with antagonist Prince Bishop Amaury, who schemes for power and restoring legality to the use of magic. A running joke throughout the book is that Guillot tries to spend as much as possible whenever the expenditures made are put on Amaury's tab. It would have been nice to have a small scene where Amaury begins to receive the bills for Guillot's expenditures, and for Amaury to become angry about it. Small flourishes such as these can provide pay-off for running gags rather than just having a bunch of setup and nothing to show for it.⁣
⁣
I enjoyed Guillot's battle with alcoholism for the most part, and I appreciated that he was not allowed to overcome years of abuse to his mind and body for the sake of the story. Additionally, I appreciated the character of Solene, who offered us a window into Amaury's character, his machinations, and the extent of his ambition. I do feel that Guillot and Solene had somewhat excessive "plot armor" that allowed them to overcome difficult situations with more ease than I might have expected, but they did still experience trauma, which hopefully will be covered in more depth in the next book in this series.⁣
⁣
Despite some of my misgivings, I enjoyed this book. I think it developed a strong sense of history, lore, myth, and politics about the land of Mirabaya. Many questions introduced during the story remain unanswered, so that leaves room for more depth in the next book in this series. I think the most important thing is that I would definitely read the sequel to this book, and I can overlook most of this book's shortcomings because of its breezy pace and engaging style. It's a fun read, with an unusual protagonist, that has a magic-steeped world I would have liked to explore more. It may not be an instant classic, but will you enjoy its take on magic, swordsmanship, and dragon-slaying? Yes, I think you will.⁣
⁣

There was so much I loved about this book, but I'm having mixed feelings about the writing style.
The story is well thought-out, well written, just overall a fun read. Classic enough to Fantasy while Hamilton's strong voice shines through the whole story. Characters have their own stories, making them more real, which I appreciate.
The writing style bothers me, but I still appreciate it. Whole paragraphs of backstory are just dumped on the reader as backstory is needed... part of me considers this lazy writing. Show, don't tell, right? But reading the entire book in a couple of days, I appreciate the way the writing focuses on the present. Drama is happening dammit. We don't have time for showing, here's the information you need, now back to killing dragons. This style seems the opposite of Stephen King or Justin Cronin, whole chapters of backstory that aren't really needed for the present story... I love their stories with rabbit holes of background, and Hamilton's writing isn't bad, just different.
Overall I liked the story, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
** I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dragonslayer is purely an adventure novel. This follows a small group of characters who live in a world filled with mystery and... well, dragons. The section of the world we're focused on is fairly similar to a 'classic' medieval fantasy, but the witty awareness of the author whilst writing made this book into something so much more than the average.

What I adored about this book was the fact that it truly kept me laughing out loud and smiling throughout. In addition to the humour, the characters are also memorable in a sense since they are so stereotypical that they are self-referential. Guillot was such a breath of fresh air. He's a little bit on the older, frayed around the edges and his character arc comes full circle as you read. The story, too, works very well in this context. It has its fair share of tropes but Hamilton somehow makes this whole mixture - humour, characters, tropes - work very well. The action sequences are great with the climax being the best.

In conclusion, I have rarely had as much fun reading a book as with Dragonslayer

This was a decent start to an epic fantasy series with a fun premise. I enjoyed reading from the perspective of the dragon, which was my favourite part of this novel. Otherwise, I found the story to be quite average. The plot was predictable with lackluster characters. This was such a forgettable read. While not bad, it is hard to recommend this one when there are so many better fantasy series out there.

Disclaimer: I requested a copy from the publisher, Tor Books, via Netgalley.

I’m really not sure what to rate this book. I generally liked it. It was an entertaining read, full of magic and action. I particularly liked the chapters from the point of view of the dragon. I thought the ending fighting was really well written, and engaging—and where the book left off definitely guaranteed that I’ll read the next one, so overall good, but didn’t strike that magic note with me.

Otherwise, I found the hints of world-building that were there intriguing, I especially loved the depth of the history, and how it was brought into the present for the characters, but at the same time, it felt like there were things that could just be more rounded out. The same for the magic, there was some discussion of how the magic worked, but then Solène just seemed super OP anyway, so it almost felt like it didn’t apply. But alas, the whole I want more complaint is one I have frequently, so, if you find you tend to love a lot of world-building, then you might find the same, otherwise, I wouldn’t worry about my belly-aching haha.

Where I was disappointed, was that it was a book that’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect. Which is definitely just a personal thing. It disappointed me, but I could actually see specifically seeking this book out because I just want some action packed dragonslaying action! There's definitely a mood that would go well with this.

If you love classic high fantasy, and want a book about a guy going to slay a dragon, this is definitely a book to check out. It's full of action, magic and definitely some good humor!

Today I’ll be reviewing the ARC copy of Dragonslayer by Duncan M. Hamilton I received. Thanks to Tor publishing for approving me to read this one.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Dragonslayer is the first of the Dragonslayer trilogy. The book is set in a world where dragons are believed to be extinct. The men who once hunted them, The members of the Silver Circle, are now shadows of the famed knights they were previously.

The story follows one such former hero, Guillot. A chevalier fallen into disrepute he spends most of his days at the bottom of a bottle. So when a dragon turns up and begins to terrorise his home and country he finds himself called up to serve as dragonslayer once more. But will he be able to meet the dragon with the skill he was once famed for?

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK?
Guillot is set up from the beginning as your unlikely hero. An alcoholic, grieving the loss of his wife and child, he has let himself deteriorate from the famed hero he once was.

While the character concept of the ‘unlikely hero’ is one most readers are familiar with I found Guillott to be one of the most believable I have read in this genre. He genuinely struggles though out the entire quest with his poor suitability to the task he has been set.

“Was it possible for a person to use up all of their talent in their youth, leaving nothing for the remainder of their life?”

Guillot, Dragonslayer – Duncan M. Hamilton
As a reader I found myself, like Gill, unsure of how he would succeed with the quest. This is refreshing, as sometimes with character tropes you know what will happen. This one was convincing. I was second-guessing what I thought I knew about the ‘unlikely hero’ trope.

This book is about more than fantasy, and explores themes of addiction and loyalty to others. The action scenes are really interesting and well-written.

Dragons! Need I say more? Dragons are a great staple in fantasy writing for a reason. They’re a blend of scary, yet awe inspiring. The dragon in this story was really amazing in my opinion.

You have to read this book to know what I’m talking about. Then please contact me so we can talk about it!

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK?
Initially I found it difficult to connect to characters in this book due to the events of the first few chapters. That being said, the instability of characters and perspectives does mirror the way the awakening of the dragon throws the world into chaos.

Once I got into the book and figured out which characters the book was focusing on I found this a great read! The ending… Let’s just say I’m looking forward to the next book already!

There wasn’t a whole heap of world building in this book compared to other fantasy novels, which again I don’t know if that’s a bad thing at all. Just something to bear in mind. The world has a lot of medieval characteristics to it, but then there is language and technology that shows the world to be its own making. There’s maps at the start of the book which I think will come in handy as the trilogy progresses.

RECOMMENDATION?
If you like reading books about dragons with a medieval vibe and a good serving of magical interest this book is probably for you. I haven’t read much high fantasy, but this book falls into that category.

It’s quite a long book, so be prepared for that. I found I quite enjoyed this book, it just took a bit to establish itself. Once you get into it though, I think most fantasy readers will enjoy it.


Isn’t the cover awesome?
Dragonslayer is released on 2nd July 2019. You can pick up a copy online or in bookstores after that. I believe it is going to be an audiobook so if that’s your preferred format you’re in luck! All the covers of this series look amazing, I’ll be checking out the next books in the series that’s for sure.

A solid epic fantasy that puts an exciting new spin on the classic "let's go slay the dragon" trope, Dragonslayer won me over with the first glimpse of Alpheratz. Duncan M. Hamilton humanizes dragons, gives them memories and purpose and emotion, and flips our sympathies from cheering on the deaths of monsters to mourning the loss of these magnificent beasts.

In fact, I'd liked Alpheratz far more than most of the humans, but there were two exceptions. Solène is a character I liked from the first moment we met her. She was strong, confident, and charismatic, her magic making her more than a match for a back-alley assault. The whole "she's a witch, burn her!" trope was handled nicely here, with Gil calling out the villagers, shaming them for their deeds, and raising a few philosophical questions in his rescue of the young woman. You might expect that scene to scar her, possibly even define her, but Solène shrugs it off to not only return the favor in saving Gil's life, but in demanding her place in his quest.

Now, as for Gil, he's a man I was prepared not to like. Mysteriously tragic backstory aside, we first meet him as a lazy drunk, too wrapped up in his own problems to do his job and care for his people. He's standoffish, rude, self-pitying, and has trouble sticking to his own vows to better himself. The problem is, he's entirely human, and as we begin to see glimpses of the man he once was and the man he could become, he grows on you. It's just a shame that his rival, Prince Bishop, doesn't experience the same growth, because his weakness as a character not only leaches a little tension from that enmity, it actually feels like it takes away from Gil's backstory.

The writing here was solid, with some nice turns of phrase, snappy dialogue, and well-managed points-of-view. In terms of pacing, beyond a necessary pause for introductions and character-building early on, it moves along nicely. World-building felt a little light, but that might owe something to the fact that I'm not familiar with his Wolf of the North saga, which is set in the same world. Then again, it may be because the wider world simply isn't important here, and this first chapter in a new saga is about one thing - man vs dragon. Perhaps the biggest issue I had with the book is that there are so many unanswered questions as to why things happen, and why characters do things. It's not just that motivations were unclear, but that logical implications of men and magic were simply set aside.

In the end, however, the positives of Dragonslayer far outweigh the negatives, and I am curious to see where the story goes next - even if it will be without a favorite character.

The dragon Alpheratz has awoken to humans rummaging through his cave. He doesn't know how long he has slept but he is very hungry. He does not particularly like the taste of human but when there is nothing else to eat it will do. He quickly dispatches the weak humans and remains satiated in his cave. Alpheratz proceeds to his mate's cave across the valley only to find that she has been dead for many a long year and her carcass has been ravaged of its scales, teeth, talons and horns. He finds his brood clutch smashed. All hopes of his offspring rising to the airs destroyed. Then, Alpheratz takes aim at the farms and villages near his home. He seeks to fill his belly and quell his lust for revenge.

Guillot Villerauvais, a Chevalier of the Silver Circle, lives at the foothills of Alpheratz's mountain home. He has left the professional life some five years ago. He now seeks to drowned out his suffering in his cups. As the Lord of the demesne of Villerauvais, he is charged with the protection of his land and its inhabitants. A raging dragon was not on his agenda for his retirement from military life. He is summoned by the King and the Prince Bishop to come to the capital. On his way to find help for his people before it's too late, Guillot rescues a young woman accused of witchcraft, Solene. Magic is forbidden by order of the King. It is punishable by death. There are secret police who hunt suspected witches and spies from neighboring kingdoms. Guillot does not know about Solene's powers or what she is truly capable of when he rescues her. He only sees an injustice and tries to rectify it.

Solene and Guillot travel to the capitol and meet the Prince Bishop Amaury. There is apparently some unpleasant history between Guillot and Amaury. Guillot is charged with destroying the dragon as he is the last of the Chevaliers. He is provided with men at arms to assist him while Solene is the prodigy that the Prince Bishop has searched for. She can use the Fount, a magical force, with little effort. This has not happened for hundreds of years.

There is more intrigue and adventure that awaits but you will have to read the rest to find out what happens.

This was a fun read, the story did take awhile to pick up pace but once it did it pretty much maintained the same flow for the rest of the book. It has a lot of medieval French influence with the names of characters and organizations involved. Overall a really good read and very enjoyable characters, you even feel for the Dragons in the story once you find more out about them.

I am at a loss as to how to rate this book. On the one hand I enjoyed it. On the other hand there were things missing. The missing thing? Worldbuilding.

And let us just start right off with that. This book is a high fantasy, inspired by our own Medieval history. There is a map at the front of the book. Which is good because I would otherwise have no idea. There are three surrounding countries/regions of which two were mentioned in the book. But nothing that really gave me much on where they were and what the relations really were. But even worse I have no idea about this country. Most of it took place in a few towns and cities but I could not tell you anything of interest about any of them (well except the witch hanging perhaps). The biggest problem is that all the world building and even character histories (though I’ll get back to that) are only there when it serves a purpose to the plot. And even then it is thin. And from an adult fantasy I have quite a bit more expectations than that.

And it is a shame because this author clearly can write. I enjoyed his writing style. I enjoyed most of the plot. The dragon’s few point of views were really interesting to read about (though I do have a lot of question marks regarding the dragon population and how long this particular dragon slept). I couldn’t hate the dragon. I completely understood him. Burn them all I’d say.

Our main character Gil was a very interesting character. I liked him. He was an older man, retired from the king’s personal guard. Turned to alcohol. Alcoholism and detoxing are a thing in here. It is in the background but it is there. The thing however is that again a lot of his history is only mentioned because it works with the plot. The reason he ‘retired’, the death of his wife and son (who didn’t even get a name or reason of death), his ex-friendship with the Prince Bishop. A lot of mentions but no depth and no memories. If it didn’t matter to the plot, it wasn’t there. And this was the case for all the characters.

Solene was our other main character, with magic, about to be burned on the pyre for being a witch. She was a nice character to have next to Gil, that also showed us another side of the society. The witch huntings, the use of magic being illegal. But we got little on her history before she ran away from her hometown. Because it didn’t matter to the plot.

And for me that with the world building is something I can’t quite see past. This could have been a great book with depth and a great world but just those things were discarded.

Dragonslayer is a call-back to old school fantasy, and that's a great thing.

The writing is clever and to the point (I'm a sucker for turns of phrase), the story moves at just the right pace, and I enjoyed reading the dragon's POV. There is even a twist and political shiftiness thrown in for good measure.

This is a solid book, with an obvious sequel to come.

Dragonslayer by Duncan M. Hamilton was a slightly below average reading experience for me. The hero is of the drinking-myself-into-oblivion variety. The dragon is the kill-and-burn-everything variety. The magic was not interesting to me at all. There isn't any worldbuilding to speak of. So...…

If you are a fan of Duncan Hamilton's, you are going to like this one just fine and you won't agree with me at all. I simply found it all too average; not an original element in the whole story. I was not convinced that a former champion dragon slayer who had pickled himself in alcohol for over ten years could come back and do a few sword waving exercises over a few days time and be able to kill the dragon - even if he was given some mysterious magic ability to help him. We think we know what has happened at the end of the story but then Mr. Hamilton pulls a very worn out rabbit out of the hat which changes everything. Oh, goody!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge for an e-Galley of this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book, in exchange for an honest review. This will be available on July 2nd.

Dragons! Huzzah! I’m a sucker for “traditional fantasy”- you know, monsters, warriors, epic quests, that sort of thing. So, I was excited to dive into this one. I’m happy to report that it lived up to my expectations.

I was hooked from the beginning. I loved that it started with an encounter with Alpheratz, the dragon. It established right away what sort of dragons this world has (spoiler: it’s not the cuddly kind). From there, the book takes us to Gil, a grizzled swordsman whose drinking has rendered him kind of useless.

While the plot is interesting, what stood out to me was how well Gil was developed. I really felt for him from moment one. He’s let himself fade away almost into obscurity as a way of dealing with his personal tragedies. The quest to kill the dragon ends up sort of being his salvation, in that he remembers who he was and is brought back to that.

There are things hinted at from his past, some of which has yet to be fully explored. I’m hopeful that more of that will be revealed as the series continues. The story is unfolding naturally, albeit slowly at parts, which I appreciate.

Solene was a great addition, adding complications that Gil wasn’t exactly ready for, and the Prince Bishop was a fun adversary. I couldn’t help but like him; his machinations were so entertaining.

This book felt reminiscent of the Drenai series by David Gemmell, although I really couldn’t tell you why. I honestly think it was Gil’s personality. I happen to really enjoy Winter Warriors by Gemmell, so this comparison is meant as a compliment.

This book is a fantastic start to a series, and a great introduction to Duncan M. Hamilton’s writing, if you haven’t already read any of his work. I highly recommend it.

DNF at 33%. I can tell the writing style is not for me and I did not connect with any of the characters or the storyline.

Thank you Tor Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

(This review will be posted to Netgalley & IG stories without a rating.)

Dragonslayer by Duncan Hamilton, a great read. The last dragon has lain dormant for centuries, and magic use has fell by the wayside, yet when an ambitious man revives the use of magic, and the dragon awakens can one man besotted with alcohol make a difference?

Thank you to Tor Books (Macmillan-Tor/Forge) and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to read and review.

"Dragonslayer" is an entertaining adventure about a man fighting to pick himself up after falling so low and a woman looking to find a place she can finally call home where she won't have to live in fear.

This was a heavily character driven story as the reader witnesses the internal/external struggles of the main characters and their subsequent growth. This is always nice to see and it was well-crafter by the author. I just wish there had been a bit more action to balance things out. However, based on the ending, I expect things to engage things of epic proportions in book 2, which I am looking forward to reading.

Guillot dal Villevauvais is a drunk. His drunkenness understandable once you learn what prompted it but it makes you wonder if he really is going to be the supposed hero of the story. His fall from grace, his loss of those he loved most, sent him into a deep drunken depression. But I liked that the author didn't make that the sole reason. That his past goes much deeper than what we and Guillot originally thought. And although he's fallen so far, he still is the brave, honorable chevalier people used to respect him for being.

Solène I liked but I kind of wished there was more to her. There was just something missing, something unexpected, to make her more a rounded character.

Mystery and millennium old secrets are brought to the surface, making the world Hamilton builds a very intriguing puzzle to solve in future books.

I loved and was sadden by Alpheratz, the dragon in question, getting sections of the story told from his point of view. I think it was a good choice to hear his thoughts and feelings. He is not some terrifying wild beast (well, not completely) but a living being whose everything was taken from him, the last of his kind. His rage and vengeance are understandable. Getting to know Alpheratz brought an additional awareness as to who the true villains of the story are.

I'm looking forward to reading book 2.

Title: Dragonslayer
Author: Duncan M. Hamilton
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Publication Date: July 2nd, 2019
Rating: 3 stars
eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

"In his magnificent, heroic, adventure fantasy, Dragonslayer, Duncan M. Hamilton debuts the first book in a fast-moving trilogy: a dangerous tale of lost magics, unlikely heroes, and reawakened dragons." (taken from Goodreads)



My Review:
Okay, can we just take a moment to appreciate this gorgeous cover? The dragon looks epic and I absolutely love it! Its one thing that drew me in along with the synopsis and of course, the title. Although I liked the idea of this book, it just felt lackluster to me.

The book is written with multiple point of views. Usually I enjoy it because it adds to the characters and their development throughout the story. I didn't feel that it added it much to the characters as much as I would have liked. My favorite point of view was from the dragon, Alpheratz. It was a great detail that I have not seen before.

The main character Guillet was interesting and had a harsh background. Since he was a drunk, he took everything so lightly at times. He was always calm and collected through the bad and I loved his character. I found myself laughing at a few of his lines.

When it came to the other characters, they were just okay. They added to the plot but at times it felt like they knew things about the other characters plans without any context. Maybe I missed it. I also felt like some of the characters weren't as developed as others and when it came to connecting with them it just wasn't there.

The plot was good but I love plot twists and all were quite obvious minus one. I wish there would have been more from the dragon. The ending felt very anti-climatic and didn't appeal to me. The author did set it up for a second book but it wasn't a major cliffhanger that makes me want the second book instantly.

Overall, I just wanted more. I am hoping there will be more character development and more world building in the second book.