Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Fool's Gold (The Dragon Lords, #1)” as Want to Read:
Fool's Gold
(The Dragon Lords #1)
by
"YOU'RE NOT PROPOSING WE STEAL FROM A DRAGON?"
It's not easy to live in a world ruled by dragons. The taxes are high and their control is complete. But for one group of bold adventurers, it's time to band together and steal back some of that wealth.
No one ever said they were smart.
Ocean's Eleven meets The Hobbit - Jon Hollins' debut combines non-stop action, death-defying ...more
It's not easy to live in a world ruled by dragons. The taxes are high and their control is complete. But for one group of bold adventurers, it's time to band together and steal back some of that wealth.
No one ever said they were smart.
Ocean's Eleven meets The Hobbit - Jon Hollins' debut combines non-stop action, death-defying ...more
Get A Copy
Paperback, 516 pages
Published
July 21st 2016
by Orbit
(first published July 19th 2016)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Fool's Gold (The Dragon Lords, #1)
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/08/06/...
I’ll admit, it hasn’t exactly been a smooth year for me when it comes to fiction and humor. Excitement over highly anticipated satire and parodic works have mostly fizzled after finding out they are in fact not what I had in mind. Undeterred though, I decided to leap next into The Dragon Lords: Fool’s Gold, intrigued by its “Guardians of the Galaxy meets The Hobbit” tagline and hoping against hope that I’ll finally get ...more
I’ll admit, it hasn’t exactly been a smooth year for me when it comes to fiction and humor. Excitement over highly anticipated satire and parodic works have mostly fizzled after finding out they are in fact not what I had in mind. Undeterred though, I decided to leap next into The Dragon Lords: Fool’s Gold, intrigued by its “Guardians of the Galaxy meets The Hobbit” tagline and hoping against hope that I’ll finally get ...more
A solid 4.5*s for this book and I am soooo happy I finally got around to this as it was EXACTLY what I was in the mood for and it was completely what I love. This follows a rag-tag group who live in a world filled with Gods and Dragons. The section of the world we're focused on is fairly similar to a 'classic' medieval fantasy, but the witty awareness of the author whilst writing made this book into something so much more than the average and I have to say that this is rude, lewd and crude
...more
4,25 stars - Audiobook - review will follow later. Still have to get my thoughts together about what I heard.
...more
Apr 14, 2018
kartik narayanan
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
unfinished-series
Fool's Gold is an excellent mash of fantasy and humour.
This book grips you by the throat right from the start with its humour, and never lets go. There are few rough edges though. I found some of the humour to be forced in the first third of the book. And some of the scatological references get old after a while. Thankfully, there is more variety to be found which helped me get over these few minor annoyances.
In addition to the humour, the characters are also memorable in a sense since they are ...more
This book grips you by the throat right from the start with its humour, and never lets go. There are few rough edges though. I found some of the humour to be forced in the first third of the book. And some of the scatological references get old after a while. Thankfully, there is more variety to be found which helped me get over these few minor annoyances.
In addition to the humour, the characters are also memorable in a sense since they are ...more
First off, thanks to Hachette Audio and Libro.fm for an audio copy of Fool’s Gold (The Dragon Lords #1) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this audio copy does not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel or author.
One of the easiest recommendations I can make if you enjoy audiobooks. Jon Banks is again phenomenal and never ceases to make daily commute highly entertaining.
Have you ever come across a book that exceeds your expectations?
Who am I kidding.
OF COURSE you have.
Well, Fool ...more
One of the easiest recommendations I can make if you enjoy audiobooks. Jon Banks is again phenomenal and never ceases to make daily commute highly entertaining.
Have you ever come across a book that exceeds your expectations?
Who am I kidding.
OF COURSE you have.
Well, Fool ...more
I can only imagine the day Jon Hollins (a pseudonym for Jonathan Wood) devised the plot for Fool’s Gold. He might have turned over the final page of some dour tome of epic fantasy and thought: Fuck this noise–I want something fun for a change. He may have googled, “Ocean’s Eleven meets The Hobbit,” figuring some brilliant bastard had already mashed these two worlds into one awesome story because WHY THE HELL WOULDN’T THEY!? And then, upon discovering this inexplicable vacuum in the universe of
...more
It wasn't a bad book. Solid action fantasy with mixed comedic elements. Actually enjoyed the first 1/3 quite a bit, then it sort of lost its appeal a bit for me. Could appeal to those who like the witty banter mixed with minimal fantasy tropes thrown in. The action scenes are quite well done, and the characters are fun but none really stood out for me (Will annoyed me haha).
If you’re a fan of heist stories — particularly the planning, the bickering between co-conspirators, the moments when it all goes dreadfully wrong or sublimely right — and you also happen to enjoy epic fantasies with vicious fire-breathing dragons and their vast caches of filthy lucre, then you’ll be happy to know that there’s a Venn diagram where those two genres meet, and the center is filled by Jon Hollins’ debut fantasy novel, The Dragon Lords: Fool’s Gold.
In the lovely but oppressed ...more
In the lovely but oppressed ...more
Dec 01, 2018
Jenifer
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
bookclub-selection,
dnf
Got over 6 hours into the book and I just couldn't go on any further. The book was ridiculous and there wasn't a character I liked and the plot line was awful. I'm sorry I wasted 6 hours of listening time on this.
I would have wanted this just from the cover alone, but Guardians of the Galaxy meets The Hobbit??? I gotta check this out
Mar 11, 2018
Taylor
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2018-books,
fantasy
"So we can rob Mattrax?" Will said just to be sure.
Firkin laughed again, loud in the small sty. "Maybe," he said. "I don't know. But we can try, Will. Anything could end up happening. Maybe we could even rob them all. I've learned about all of them, Will. Matrix, and Dathrax, and Kithrax, and the whole cursed lot of them. I can tell you about them all. We can make plans for them all. You can make plans. And then..." He smiled, reached for his flask again. "Beautiful chaos."
...
I'm just going to ...more
Firkin laughed again, loud in the small sty. "Maybe," he said. "I don't know. But we can try, Will. Anything could end up happening. Maybe we could even rob them all. I've learned about all of them, Will. Matrix, and Dathrax, and Kithrax, and the whole cursed lot of them. I can tell you about them all. We can make plans for them all. You can make plans. And then..." He smiled, reached for his flask again. "Beautiful chaos."
...
I'm just going to ...more
ARRRRRRRGH! Right then, now that that's out of my system let's begin. This book has got to be one of the most frustrating books I have ever read. I'm so conflicted by it. On the one hand I have laughed out loud at some of the scenes and dialogue and been left almost breathless with excitement with some of the action. This book knows how to put the Epic in epic fantasy! 5 star book right?
On the other hand I have wanted to cry in frustration at some of the juvenile dialogue and ridiculous chapter ...more
On the other hand I have wanted to cry in frustration at some of the juvenile dialogue and ridiculous chapter ...more
one of my top books!
Hilarious, witty, fun, are the only words to describe this book!
This debut by Jon Hollins (a pseudonym for Jonathan Wood) reminds me so much of Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames whereby the humor element shines strongly throughout the book. I literally laughed out loud when I’m reading this book! While some big words were used by Hollins, it does not dilute the humor element. Some may think that the a lot of vulgar words/descriptions were used, but seriously, I have no issues with that.
The ...more
This debut by Jon Hollins (a pseudonym for Jonathan Wood) reminds me so much of Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames whereby the humor element shines strongly throughout the book. I literally laughed out loud when I’m reading this book! While some big words were used by Hollins, it does not dilute the humor element. Some may think that the a lot of vulgar words/descriptions were used, but seriously, I have no issues with that.
The ...more
God, this was so much more better than I ever expected it to be! I felt so entertained the whole time, that end battle was expuisitely epic and, come on! It's about dragons! How could this not be awesome as hell?!
...more
DNF. Well, I gave it 120 pages. Its not bad, its just not particularly good and I have other books I would rather read.
I was not ready for how good this book was. It had great humor, an amazing plot, a satisfying conclusion, and an epic caper.
Dec 31, 2015
Vinay Badri
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2016-read,
best-of-2016
Ok this is an insanely insane and fun book. I don't think I have laughed and giggled my way through a book this year as much I have on this. It's just non-stop and the book just lets it go with the flow until it takes a turn to comic booky violence towards the end featuring one of the craziest take down ever.
Plot wise there really isn't much and the book also really doesn't have any pretentious airs around it. It's silly, crass and an absolute hoot
Plot wise there really isn't much and the book also really doesn't have any pretentious airs around it. It's silly, crass and an absolute hoot
A fantastic, epic and very easily loveable start to a new series of books. Between great characters, an awesome setting and an "if you think I'm going to stop reading now you can royally do one" final few chapters Fool's Gold captures the humour and writing style of the author while still feeling fresh and unique.
Buy it. In fact buy two copies in case you crease one of them.
Buy it. In fact buy two copies in case you crease one of them.
Rating: 5 stars
Review posted at Fantasy Literature.
Review posted at Fantasy Literature.
4.25 stars
I've not read much "high fantasy", but feel it's a good stepping point before high diving in.
We follow Will from the beginning and his day isn't going well and continues to get worse. Throughout his day he comes across three strangers Quirk, Lette, and Balur. There we pretty much have our band for the book.
We follow their quest from the offset and shenanigans ensue. This story lacked in world building, as it just follows the band, but you see snippets of what the world could be. The ...more
I've not read much "high fantasy", but feel it's a good stepping point before high diving in.
We follow Will from the beginning and his day isn't going well and continues to get worse. Throughout his day he comes across three strangers Quirk, Lette, and Balur. There we pretty much have our band for the book.
We follow their quest from the offset and shenanigans ensue. This story lacked in world building, as it just follows the band, but you see snippets of what the world could be. The ...more
It's been a crap year. Fortunately I've read some good books that have kept me afloat. Some have made me smile. This one put the biggest grin of the year on my face. I've loved the humour, the characters and the interplay between them. The prose is irreverent and coarse (exactly to my liking), but also well written when out of speech. The story isn't complex, but enough to keep the plot going at a good pace. This reminded me of the fun that I had reading the Lies of Locke Lamora and the
...more
Ya'll, it's a fantasy heist story with heart, humor, and moments of badassery. Read it!
I love this book. just read it, it is a fun ocean's 11 type thing in a D&D like world.
This was highly entertaining, funny, and very exciting, loved it! The writing was very snappy and engaging and I fell in love with all the characters and really felt like I got to know them. The narration of the audiobook was hilarious and I think it added to the development of some of the characters. I really enjoyed how this story took typical fantasy tropes and turned them on their head and twisted them around. Looking forward to more from this author!
For other reviews and bookish things ...more
For other reviews and bookish things ...more
A very enjoyable fantasy romp.
Plans that always seem to go slightly awry and including dragons, goblins, lizard men and an excellent cast of characters, this is a fun read.
The only thing i didn't really like was the character Quirk. Even though we got backstory and things that should have fleshed her out, i never really connected with her and found her annoying.
But this was made up for by Lette being excellent.
Plans that always seem to go slightly awry and including dragons, goblins, lizard men and an excellent cast of characters, this is a fun read.
The only thing i didn't really like was the character Quirk. Even though we got backstory and things that should have fleshed her out, i never really connected with her and found her annoying.
But this was made up for by Lette being excellent.
Okay...let's take stock here. This is not your normal fantasy novel about dragons and gold and awesome protagonists with bulging muscles and the gleam of righteousness in their eyes. Take all those notions and toss them in the rubbish bin. Got it? Good.
Sure, there are bulgy muscles and epic deeds aplenty, lots of blood and gore and all the good sword and sorcery type of mayhem that would satisfy the most jaded appetite, but it's wrapped in the soft cottony cloth of complete and utter sarcasm.
...more
Sure, there are bulgy muscles and epic deeds aplenty, lots of blood and gore and all the good sword and sorcery type of mayhem that would satisfy the most jaded appetite, but it's wrapped in the soft cottony cloth of complete and utter sarcasm.
...more
This was absolutely crazy fun! Don’t go into this expecting in-depth world building or an intricate plot. That’s not what this is. This is a fun, over the top, heist story with dragons.
This book doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that tone throughout is what makes it work. It’s fast paced, full of foul language, predictable but crazy circumstances, that get crazier as the story goes and the characters are a hoot…I haven’t laughed so much in a book in years. If there was a next book, I ...more
This book doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that tone throughout is what makes it work. It’s fast paced, full of foul language, predictable but crazy circumstances, that get crazier as the story goes and the characters are a hoot…I haven’t laughed so much in a book in years. If there was a next book, I ...more
Shallow read
This lacked depth of character and every character sounded the same in how they communicated. The story line was shallow and it left me wishing I had picked a different book. I had to stop reading half way through because I lost all interest in the outcome of the story and I didn't like any of the characters. The title is apt because this book is lack luster like fool's gold.
This lacked depth of character and every character sounded the same in how they communicated. The story line was shallow and it left me wishing I had picked a different book. I had to stop reading half way through because I lost all interest in the outcome of the story and I didn't like any of the characters. The title is apt because this book is lack luster like fool's gold.
DNF.
I just couldn't finish this book. None of the characters had chemistry with one another. They felt like they were all in a different story.
It wasn't for me... and I'm in the D&D crowd. :/
I just couldn't finish this book. None of the characters had chemistry with one another. They felt like they were all in a different story.
It wasn't for me... and I'm in the D&D crowd. :/
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers also enjoyed
Jon Hollins is a pseudonym for urban fantasy author Jonathan Wood
Other books in the series
The Dragon Lords
(3 books)
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
