Review – Wrath of Dragons by Scott King
After reading a couple of powerhouses in Grim Solace and The Gutter Prayer, Scott King’s Wrath of Dragons was definitely a change of pace. While the previous two were dark and brooding (and funny), this epic fantasy is light and, well, funny.
The story tells of a young magician, Carter, who decides to solve dragon attacks on his own, leaving his teacher and heading to take out the first dragon he can find. When he finds one, instead of disintegrating said beast, he shows his tenuous grasp of magic by turning the dragon, Doug (yes, Doug) into a human. Carter feels bad, and decides to go with Doug to find a way to turn him back to his original form. Of course, nothing is ever that simple in epic fantasy, and they end up trying to save the world. Along the way they meets a princess, Alex, and her ward, Gideon, who join them on their quest for reasons of their own. There’s also all manner of beasties and evil-doers who try to foil them along the way.
Sounds a bit of run-of-the-mill? Well it is, and yet again, it isn’t. They don’t really become hardened warriors on this journey, like so many journeys before this one, Instead, they’re somewhat hapless, with dumb luck often saving the day. Doug hates not being a dragon, and his constant ponderings on the failings of humanity are pretty funny, Alex is neither damsel-in-distress nor badass heroine, but she’s all the better for it, and her quick thinking and courage often saves the day. Carter, and only Carter, thinks he is a great wizard. He’s pretty creative, but he also has a tendency to exacerbate situations. Even the bad guys aren’t quite as bad as they initially seem, and we feel a little sympathy for at least some of them, Being part of a trilogy, (series?) there is more coming, and there was some stuff left on the table that makes me wonder what else is coming down the road.
So, it you like teen/YA epic fantasy with bickering buddies who save the day, but not how the script usually goes, you might want to check this one out.
Definitely deserves somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars.
