King's Dragon by Kate Elliott

It begins with a civil war...For though King Henry still holds the crown of Wendar, his reign has long been contested by his sister Sabella. there are many eager to flock to her banner, and there are ways to make even the most unwilling lord into a weapon pointed at the heart of Henry's realm. — Torn by internal strife, Wendar also faces deadly raids from the north by an inhuman race, the Eika. And now terrifying portents are being seen; old ruins restored to life under the light of the full moon and peopled by the long vanished Lost Ones; dark spirits walking the land in broad daylight.

And suddenly two innocents are about to be thrust into the midst of the conflict:

Liath, who has spent her early years fleeing from unknown enemies, is a young woman with the power to change the course of history if she can only learn to master her fear and seize what is rightfully hers.

While Alain, a young man who may find his future in a vision granted by the Lady of Battles, must first unravel the mystery of who he is -- whether the bastard son of a noble father, the half-breed child of an elfin lord, the unwanted get of a whore, or the heir to a proud and ancient lineage. For only when he discovers the truth can he accept the destiny for which he was born.

Liath and Alain, each trapped in a personal struggle for survival, both helplessly being drawn into a far greater battle, a war in which sorcery not swords will determine the final outcome, and the land itself may be irrevocably reshaped by the forces unleashed...

I'm really not feeling much up for a long, drawn out review of this book. I've been slowly slogging through for a couple months...I broke my own "never read two books at once" rule because I just couldn't get into it. 

I really couldn't tell you why. The characters were interesting and complex. The magic system was okay, the world was generic but that can be overcome. The writing was good. The story had potential (it is the first book in the series, after all). But I just...couldn't quite get into it. It was like you never got to the point of the book. There was no climax or turning point or anything...if there was, I missed it completely.

Either way, I think some would love this book. I'm not giving it away just yet, because I felt like I was sooooo close to liking it. It just didn't do it for me, and I'm tired of it sitting there mournfully on my goodreads. Don't let my review of this book deter you from this author though. I loved her new book, Cold Magic.

Bottom Line

 To sum it up: I really couldn't tell you.

Overall Rating: 2 / 5

Buy or Try? Try

More? 1 / 7

Content

Plot: 3 / 5

Setting: 2 / 5

Characters: 3.5 / 5

Style
Pace: Slow.
Descriptiveness: Middlin'

Fantasy factor: High Fantasy