It has been some time since I last read a young adult high fantasy. Any high fantasy really. And I'm not just talking about a story involving dragons. Recently I've felt a lot of the high fantasy is too Tolkien-esque and I can figure out the end from the first paragraph. In Paul Genesse's THE GOLDEN CORD I was entranced by the story from the very beginning.
The main character, Drake, is presented with a situation that tests everything he believes in. I was really worried that he was going to make what I deemed to be the wrong choice but he came through in the end and from that moment I knew I would enjoy reading about this character. He's so human in his thoughts and emotions and there are times I just wanted to beat Drake over the head to get him to see the choice but he pulls through in some way or another. This book includes a couple of dwarfs. Since Tolkien's time this race has become predictable. My favorite character in the book is Bellor, the senior dwarf. Paul Genesse gives us what we expect but puts a whole new spin on it.
I am looking forward to reading the sequel. This book is geared towards young adult and while there is one scene where seduction is attempted it didn't bother me. First because nothing is described and second because the reasoning behind the final decision is something I agree with. I really enjoyed this book and it kept my attention to the very end. In fact I am glad the sequel is currently sitting on my shelf.
THE DRAGON HUNTERS by Paul Genesse kept my attention from beginning to end. I thought I knew what was going to happen, but I was pleasantly surprised with how everything fit together. I am growing more attached to characters from THE GOLDEN CORD, but I also enjoyed the new characters that we met in this story.
Though the idea behind the book is fairly straightforward, kill the king of the dragons, the other plot elements intertwined are very intriguing. The rift between the dwarves and the humans become much more apparent in this book and I really felt my sympathies drawn to the various groups. I am really curious to see how all of the plot lines will be resolved by the end of the series.
While the plot gets more and more intricate with this book, so do the characters. I enjoyed the addition of a new human to the band of hunters and although I didn't agree with all of his methods or choices, I liked the difference of personalities. None of the characters felt like cardboard cutouts with only their names being different. Paul Genesse gives us a variety of motives, personalities, and opinions in the characters that keeps the story moving forward with their own development not just within the plot. I look forward to the next book in the series.
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