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The Lost Sword #1
Dragon's Rook
Captain Gaerbith is heir to a secret: the location of a lost sword he cannot touch. Made of etherium, Azrin can be wielded only by the true king.
Kieran the blacksmith remembers nothing before the day when, as a young boy, he was found beside a dead man, a dagger in hand.
Maggie is a healer's apprentice, and earns her way as a laundress. Her shadowed past and crippled hand make her an object of suspicion and ridicule.
Far to the north, the king's daughter--Yanámari--plots to escape the royal city and her father's iron control.
King Morfran seeks a Kellish blacksmith who can recreate the lost sword and "prove" Morfran's right to the throne.
In the distant past, Dragons allied with Men, but Attor Dragonking broke the bond and slaughtered them. A farm lad, Kel, made a sword of etherium, the only metal capable of harming Dragons, and killed Attor after a fierce battle at the River Kel. Now, after generations in exile, Attor's kin-dragons seek revenge on Kel's descendents.
Forces are aligning, old prophecies are fulfilling, and in the east a fire glows in Dragon's Rook.
Kieran the blacksmith remembers nothing before the day when, as a young boy, he was found beside a dead man, a dagger in hand.
Maggie is a healer's apprentice, and earns her way as a laundress. Her shadowed past and crippled hand make her an object of suspicion and ridicule.
Far to the north, the king's daughter--Yanámari--plots to escape the royal city and her father's iron control.
King Morfran seeks a Kellish blacksmith who can recreate the lost sword and "prove" Morfran's right to the throne.
In the distant past, Dragons allied with Men, but Attor Dragonking broke the bond and slaughtered them. A farm lad, Kel, made a sword of etherium, the only metal capable of harming Dragons, and killed Attor after a fierce battle at the River Kel. Now, after generations in exile, Attor's kin-dragons seek revenge on Kel's descendents.
Forces are aligning, old prophecies are fulfilling, and in the east a fire glows in Dragon's Rook.
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 26, 2015
3 people are currently reading
859 people want to read
About the author
Keanan Brand
11 books33 followersKeanan lived his first fourteen years on the West Coast of the United States, then moved to the South, and now lives on the cusp of the the West.
As a teenager, he visited Central America, and would like to see more of the world, but decades have passed, and still he remains.
Keanan writes mainly fantasy and science fiction, but enjoys mixing up genres and eras, and is always ready to read a good yarn.
He enjoys the give-and-take of working with fellow writers, and has been a freelance editor, a proofreader for a now-defunct science fiction press, an associate editor for a publishing house, and a magazine submissions editor.
He occasionally blogs at Adventures in Fiction (http://keananbrand.wordpress.com/), and at Penworthy Press (https://penworthypress.com/). Readers may also find him at his website (https://www.keananbrand.com/).
As a teenager, he visited Central America, and would like to see more of the world, but decades have passed, and still he remains.
Keanan writes mainly fantasy and science fiction, but enjoys mixing up genres and eras, and is always ready to read a good yarn.
He enjoys the give-and-take of working with fellow writers, and has been a freelance editor, a proofreader for a now-defunct science fiction press, an associate editor for a publishing house, and a magazine submissions editor.
He occasionally blogs at Adventures in Fiction (http://keananbrand.wordpress.com/), and at Penworthy Press (https://penworthypress.com/). Readers may also find him at his website (https://www.keananbrand.com/).
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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October 15, 2016I received this book in exchange for a review.
Dragon's Rook is the debut novel from author Keanan Brand. It is a fantasy epic about prophecy, war, and overcoming struggle. Considering it is a fantasy epic, it is very thick and quite dense so it took me a while to plow through it, but it was worth it in the end. I was impressed by Keanan's wide-ranging story telling and the complexity of the narrative. Don't expect any easy reading here, this is a story you'll need to sit down with to really focus on.
I recommend this to fans of Game of Thrones and Brandon Sanderson. High fantasy fanatics will definitely want to give this a go.
Dragon's Rook is the debut novel from author Keanan Brand. It is a fantasy epic about prophecy, war, and overcoming struggle. Considering it is a fantasy epic, it is very thick and quite dense so it took me a while to plow through it, but it was worth it in the end. I was impressed by Keanan's wide-ranging story telling and the complexity of the narrative. Don't expect any easy reading here, this is a story you'll need to sit down with to really focus on.
I recommend this to fans of Game of Thrones and Brandon Sanderson. High fantasy fanatics will definitely want to give this a go.
March 13, 2016
A border war is, or should be, a simple thing. Two kingdoms want land, to the point of battles and blood; they fight it out, until one gets the land and the other finally goes home. Tragic, as we all know, but straightforward.
But in the war Dissonay and Skarda wage over the unclaimed Territories, nothing is straightforward. Beyond the dispute over the land is a riven family, rumors of an unfaithful queen and brothers-in-law turned against each other and cousins crossing swords to the death. Further yet, a more distant kinship is the heart of a more ancient feud, where lost heirs and lost swords are menaces to the Mad King. And at the furthest edges, old, inhuman powers reach hands into human battles.
In Dragon’s Rook, Keanan Brand spins a complex and epic tale. The novel is high fantasy, of an old-fashioned flavor. There are bits of an invented language, and the story is more multi-threaded than I see in most contemporary fantasy (excepting works by Stephen Lawhead, an old-fashioned author in his own right).
The book itself is long for a modern novel – just breaking 500 pages. A second book will finish the story. It might have been possible to shorten Dragon’s Rook and create a duology, and I salute the author for not doing so. Dragon’s Rook ends in a good place as it is, with its climaxes and converging story lines. Additionally – I will confess it – I have seen so many trilogies, a duology spices things up a bit.
Dragon’s Rook features a large cast of characters, all realistically drawn and many vivid as well. Relatively few got under my skin, but they did exist: Maggie, Yanamari, Mad Morfran and, to a lesser extent, Kieran and Rhon. I felt a couple more would have, had they been given the stage for it. The plot moves through many dangers, and the author lets this take its toll on the characters. A number die, and not only throwaway characters. I am inclined to think too many died. But the author’s willingness to discard characters has its upside, most notably in paving the way for a brilliant new villain.
This novel possesses a strong religious element. Characters struggle with questions of suffering, God’s will, and their own free will. Unlike much Christian fantasy, the outward forms of religion are built into this world: churches (called kirks), priests, religious signs, funeral rituals. Superstitions and a dark, sorcerous order are also part of the religious landscape. In this, as in other ways, the world-building is realistic and thorough.
Although the book is not generally graphic, there are grisly moments. I found one scene hard to bear. The large cast, though mostly a strength, had a negative side in that the characters were sometimes hard to keep track of. It wasn’t always easy, for example, to distinguish one secondary member of the Fourth Lachmil from another.
Dragon’s Rook is strongly written, with beautiful phrases and evocative descriptions. It is a complex epic, drawing its characters from many different corners to face the revival of old hostilities, old legends, and old hopes. Recommended to all lovers of high fantasy.
But in the war Dissonay and Skarda wage over the unclaimed Territories, nothing is straightforward. Beyond the dispute over the land is a riven family, rumors of an unfaithful queen and brothers-in-law turned against each other and cousins crossing swords to the death. Further yet, a more distant kinship is the heart of a more ancient feud, where lost heirs and lost swords are menaces to the Mad King. And at the furthest edges, old, inhuman powers reach hands into human battles.
In Dragon’s Rook, Keanan Brand spins a complex and epic tale. The novel is high fantasy, of an old-fashioned flavor. There are bits of an invented language, and the story is more multi-threaded than I see in most contemporary fantasy (excepting works by Stephen Lawhead, an old-fashioned author in his own right).
The book itself is long for a modern novel – just breaking 500 pages. A second book will finish the story. It might have been possible to shorten Dragon’s Rook and create a duology, and I salute the author for not doing so. Dragon’s Rook ends in a good place as it is, with its climaxes and converging story lines. Additionally – I will confess it – I have seen so many trilogies, a duology spices things up a bit.
Dragon’s Rook features a large cast of characters, all realistically drawn and many vivid as well. Relatively few got under my skin, but they did exist: Maggie, Yanamari, Mad Morfran and, to a lesser extent, Kieran and Rhon. I felt a couple more would have, had they been given the stage for it. The plot moves through many dangers, and the author lets this take its toll on the characters. A number die, and not only throwaway characters. I am inclined to think too many died. But the author’s willingness to discard characters has its upside, most notably in paving the way for a brilliant new villain.
This novel possesses a strong religious element. Characters struggle with questions of suffering, God’s will, and their own free will. Unlike much Christian fantasy, the outward forms of religion are built into this world: churches (called kirks), priests, religious signs, funeral rituals. Superstitions and a dark, sorcerous order are also part of the religious landscape. In this, as in other ways, the world-building is realistic and thorough.
Although the book is not generally graphic, there are grisly moments. I found one scene hard to bear. The large cast, though mostly a strength, had a negative side in that the characters were sometimes hard to keep track of. It wasn’t always easy, for example, to distinguish one secondary member of the Fourth Lachmil from another.
Dragon’s Rook is strongly written, with beautiful phrases and evocative descriptions. It is a complex epic, drawing its characters from many different corners to face the revival of old hostilities, old legends, and old hopes. Recommended to all lovers of high fantasy.
November 16, 2015
Dragon's Rook
Quite a fantasy saga, a tale of prophecy and those meant to fulfill it. Good story but you have to wait for the second book.
Quite a fantasy saga, a tale of prophecy and those meant to fulfill it. Good story but you have to wait for the second book.
October 1, 2017
An excellent and intelligent read, so good to find in what is an overstuffed genre filled with often formulaic fiction. Brand approaches every trope of the genre from a slightly different direction, bringing freshness to both plot and characters.
In particular, the dragons are startlingly and realistically depicted, their powers intelligible and in context, a danger as much to those who wield them as to those against whom they are sent.
The book is very well written, leading the reader smoothly from scene to scene, unfolding histories, bringing revelations, developing mysteries. Although it has a big cast, it does not feel crowded or confusing.
There is so much in Dragon's Rook, it is impossible to give it justice in a review. And now I, along with many others, are eagerly awaiting the sequel.
In particular, the dragons are startlingly and realistically depicted, their powers intelligible and in context, a danger as much to those who wield them as to those against whom they are sent.
The book is very well written, leading the reader smoothly from scene to scene, unfolding histories, bringing revelations, developing mysteries. Although it has a big cast, it does not feel crowded or confusing.
There is so much in Dragon's Rook, it is impossible to give it justice in a review. And now I, along with many others, are eagerly awaiting the sequel.
February 12, 2015
Dragon's Rook is a wide-ranging fantasy epic. With two kingdoms at battle, the crazed King Morfran is delving into some dark secrets to try and secure his rule. As Captain Gaerbith leads a party to entreat the king, he uncovers more than he expected, and he has to make some daring choices with the lives of his men at risk.
Meanwhile, two orphans in a village are confronted with danger and a risk that could expose them both. Neither of them knows the role they have yet to play in the wider world.
Brand's book isn't a light read - there's great description and poetic flow here. It is an intriguing book, but it is a good mental challenge to appreciate everything going on. I read a lot of speculative fiction, and his fantasy stands apart with both the story and the writing quality. I highly recommend it.
Meanwhile, two orphans in a village are confronted with danger and a risk that could expose them both. Neither of them knows the role they have yet to play in the wider world.
Brand's book isn't a light read - there's great description and poetic flow here. It is an intriguing book, but it is a good mental challenge to appreciate everything going on. I read a lot of speculative fiction, and his fantasy stands apart with both the story and the writing quality. I highly recommend it.
May 3, 2016
Dragon's Rook is high fantasy at its best. At first glance, it seems filled with clichés: dragons, evil sorcerers, lost swords, etc. But author Keanan Brand brings new life and depth to these well-used elements. His characters, heroic and villainous, struck me with their realistic struggles and triumphs. His story constructed an emotional roller-coaster that kept me reading far into the night. Turning the last page left me with mixed feelings of satisfaction and longing.
I await the sequel with eager heart and ready credit card.
I await the sequel with eager heart and ready credit card.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews