Dragonslayer Duncan M. Hamilton Book 1 Book Review and Giveaway



 SYNOPSIS

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

Once a member of the King's personal guard, Guillot dal Villevauvais spends most days drinking and mourning his wife and child. He’s astonished—and wary—when the Prince Bishop orders him to find and destroy a dragon. He and the Prince Bishop have never exactly been friends and Gill left the capital in disgrace five years ago. So why him? And, more importantly, how is there a dragon to fight when the beasts were hunted to extinction centuries ago by the ancient Chevaliers of the Silver Circle?

On the way to the capital city, Gill rescues Solène, a young barmaid, who is about to be burned as a witch. He believes her innocent…but she soon proves that she has plenty of raw, untrained power, a problem in this land, where magic is forbidden. Yet the Prince Bishop believes magic will be the key to both destroying the dragon and replacing the young, untried King he pretends to serve with a more pliable figurehead.
Between Gill’s rusty swordsmanship and Solene’s unstable magic, what could go wrong?


Author of one of BuzzFeed 's Greatest Fantasy Books of 2013 

Do you have what it takes to be a Dragonslayer? In this epic, adventure fantasy series, an unlikely hero, Guillot dal Villevauvais, must overcome his disgraced past as a failed member of the King’s guard and hunt down a ferocious beast thought long extinct. A dangerous quest, led by the swordsmanship of Gill, the magical powers of Solène, a barmaid nearly burned to the stake and the goodness of Prince Bishop. From the critically acclaim fantasy author Duncan M. Hamilton, this fast-moving series is a must-read for fans of epic, sword-and-sorcery adventures.  

MY BOOK REVIEW

"Dragonslayer" is an epic adventure fantasy series. A dragon appears from nowhere after they believed they were extinct. Gill, a drunk old man, who hasn't trained in years is now faced with having to go kill the dragon or does he? 

Hamilton created some relatable characters. "Dragonslayer" mainly focuses on Guillot (Gill) a banneret who had previously been one of the greatest swordsmen of the kingdom and champion of the king.  He is a retired king's personal guard. He suffers from PTSD.  He retired because of the death of his wife and son, his ex-friendship with the Prince Bishop.  After retiring he turned to alcohol. We see him struggle with alcoholism.  is one lazy drunk who can be very rude and stubborn. It isn't explained why he lost everything. Gill is supposed to be the last of the Chevalier of the Silver Circle which are people who hunt and slay dragons. Don't know why he is the only one left. 

When a dragon rampages through the kingdom Gill pulls himself together to help his king and kingdom. Prince Bishop is the ruler of a new magical order which is replacing the Chevaliers of the Silver Circle. He needs Gill to kill the dragon. 

Gill ends up saving Solene, a strong, confident, and charismatic woman who has no clue she has a lot of magical powers.  She has magic and his being looked at like a witch. In this medieval timeframe, magic was illegal.  Gill calls out the villagers, shaming them for their deeds and raising a few questions in his rescue of the young woman. Solene shrugs off this horrid event. She not only returns the favor in saving Gil's life but in demanding her place in his quest.  Gill has huge growth in the book unlike a lot of the other characters in the story. 

Hamilton does a great job in inserting his mysterious tragic backstory. Hamilton's writing at times doesn't explain the characters in depth or their memories. It is hard to understand why the characters are the way they are because of not much depth.  He humanized the dragons by giving them purpose and emotion. He allows us to develop sympathy from cheering on the deaths of these monsters to mourning the loss of these magnificent beasts. 

There is a map included on the inside of the book. It was sort of helpful, but I still had a hard time understanding the world they live in. didn't know much about the country and towns.  

His writing style had some great twists and snappy dialogue. The pacing moves pretty well. There were a couple of spots at the beginning that moved a little on the slower side. The book has many unanswered questions. I am looking forward to the second book of this series in hopes of getting some of the questions I have answered. Sometimes I find authors leave gaps in the story to get the reader to get the next book. This is a story about redeeming oneself and taking responsibility to make things better. Self-pity isn't the answer it will just make everything worse.  I really enjoyed this medieval fantasy story. It was a lot of fun to read.  I am looking forward to the second book in his series. 


I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Jean Nerd Book all opinions are my own.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Duncan M. Hamilton is the Amazon best selling writer of fantasy novels and short stories, including The Wolf of the North and the Society of the Sword trilogy. He has Master’s Degrees in History and Law and practiced as a barrister before writing full time. Duncan is particularly interested in the Medieval and Renaissance periods, from which he draws inspiration for his stories.

He lives in Ireland, near the sea, and when not writing he enjoys sailing, scuba diving, windsurfing, cycling, and skiing.

His debut novel, ‘The Tattered Banner (Society of the Sword Volume 1)’ was featured on Buzzfeed’s 12 Greatest Fantasy Books Of The Year, 2013.

Duncan is a member of The Society of Authors, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). He is represented by DongWon Song of Howard Morhaim Literary.

PHOTO CREDIT: JASON CLARKE

WEBSITE: http://duncanmhamilton.com/

GIVEAWAY

--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

- 6 Winners will receive a Copy of DRAGONSLAYER by Duncan M. Hamilton.




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