** spoiler alert ** This book featured "clunky" writing and a rather heavy-handed religious subtext, but in spite of those issues, I enjoyed the story of Quentin and his comrades in their quest to find and free the Dragon King.

What I liked: The Jher, especially Toli, who accompanies Quentin and becomes both his servant and friend. The city of Dekra and the caretakers who are restoring it. Durwin, ex-priest, ex-sorcerer (who still has a few tricks up his sleeve), ever-seeking enlightenment and peace.

What I disliked: The Queen was a bit too unqueenly for me--she adapted to her circumstances marvelously well, but that was unrealistic, even for fantasy. And the revelation at the end, that Bria is her daughter, the Princess--totally unbelievable. She never once worried for her safety, nor did anyone else, yet she was left in the castle with Nimrood. I can't believe he would not have used her as a pawn in this power game. (OK, Lawhead never says that Bria is the Eskevar & Alinea's daughter, but she is a Princess of the realm, which would imply that.)

This book featured "clunky" writing and a rather heavy-handed religious subtext, but in spite of those issues, I enjoyed the story of Quentin and his comrades in their quest to find and free the Dragon King.

What I liked: The Jher, especially Toli, who accompanies Quentin and becomes both his servant and friend. The city of Dekra and the caretakers who are restoring it. Durwin, ex-priest, ex-sorcerer (who still has a few tricks up his sleeve), ever-seeking enlightenment and peace.

What I disliked: The Queen was a bit too unqueenly for me--she adapted to her circumstances marvelously well, but that was unrealistic, even for fantasy. And the revelation at the end, that Bria is her daughter, the Princess--totally unbelievable. She never once worried for her safety, nor did anyone else, yet she was left in the castle with Nimrood. I can't believe he would not have used her as a pawn in this power game. (OK, Lawhead never says that Bria is the Eskevar & Alinea's daughter, but she is a Princess of the realm, which would imply that.)

I liked the story well enough that I will definitely read the rest of the Dragon King trilogy. ( )

At first I rather liked the clunky attempts at high fantasy which reminded me of an unpolished Anne McCaffrey or Patricia McKillip, and the subtle Christian touches were okay too (after all mythology is mythology whether it's Celtic, Greco-Roman, or Judeo-Christian). But around the halfway mark the proselytizing began with an Epiphany scenario expounding the virtues of the one and only LORD THY GOD complete with heavenly visitations, a baptism, and the book's protagonist essentially being "born again"...and that's when I gave up. I don't really mind a bit of spiritual mumbo-jumbo but when the author almost breaks the fourth wall in order to preach the good news that's my signal to reach for something else to read. Since I didn't finish it I can't give it any stars.

It's been a long time since I've had to force myself to plod through a fantasy novel. I heard that Lawhead is a modern day Lewis and decided to take a chance. Unfortunately, I chose his first book and it really, really shows. From the setting, plot, characters and even dialogue is trite and retread. I began to notice this when I started rooting for the main character to fall into a pit and die a slow, horrible death. That didn't happen. I'll give Lawhead another try; I've heard he's since improved vastly.
The only plus is the reader is introduced to the notion of a god who is actively searching for us. ( )

The book In the hall of the dragon king is about a boy name Walker and he is sent to his father’s for the summer and he gets lost in the woods and does not know his way out. Walker now gets to his father’s house and then he goes outside with his dad for a hike and his dad fall down a hill and dies. Walker now has no where to go and his father is dead cause he fell down a hill and is stuck in the woods all by himself. In the jungle he finds a sword lying in the middle of the woods. Walker picks up the sword and brings it home and then when it is at home a guy comes over and takes it when he goes into the shower. No he says my sword is gone and I must go hunt it down and so he finds a trail and it takes him to a house and they guy is at the porch with his sword and he takes it and runs back home. When Walker gets back home he finds a dragon and kills him because he said it was not the hike that killed your father it was the guy who stole the sword. Then he goes back and kills him.
What I liked about his book was that it was cool and very interesting. The book was also interesting because it had tons of action in it. After the dragon comes I thought that was going to be a good part but then it was boring. I liked how the author wrote his book it was cool. I also liked the book but it was too long. When Walker’s dad died that I thought was a sad part. Last is that the way the author put his feelings in the book was cool. Clearly you can see that the book was good and what it is about.