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The Blood Dragon Empire #2
Twilight of the Dragons
During a recent dwarf civil-war deep under the Karamakkos Mountains, the magick-enslaved dragonlords have broken free from centuries of imprisonment and slaughtered tens of thousands throughout the Five Havens before exploding from the mountain and heading in fire and vengeance for the lands of Vagandrak. Two once-noble war heroes of Vagandrak - Dakeroth and his wife Jonti Tal, an archer and scholar, the Axeman, the White Witch and a Kaalesh combat expert find themselves in a unique position: for they have discovered the ancient dragon city of Wyrmblood, and a thousand unhatched dragon eggs. Dakeroth and his companions must work with their enemies, Skalg and the Church of Hate, in order to bring down the dragonlords and save the world of men and dwarves. But there is no bartering with these ancient dragons; for they seek to hatch their eggs and rebuild the cruel Wyrmblood Empire of legend.
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2016
About the author
Andy Remic
57 books183 followersAndy Remic lives in Lincoln, UK, although his heart and viking soul belong to the Scottish mountains. Married with two children, Andy has a variety of esoteric and sometimes contrasting loves, including sword fighting, climbing, mountain biking, kick-boxing, Ducati motorcycles and retro-gaming. He recently wrote the computer version of his novel Biohell for the 48K Spectrum, in which many people are still stuck. He writes in both SF and fantasy fields, and is sometimes accused of literature. Current novels include: Spiral, Quake, Warhead, War Machine, Biohell, Hardcore and the upcoming Cloneworld, Theme Planet and TOX for Solaris Books, and the Kell’s Legend trilogy, Kell’s Legend, Soul Stealers and Vampire Warlords for Angry Robot Books.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 5, 2017
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
I read somewhere that the author has a nickname ''Tarantino of epic fantasy'' and after reading this book I understand why; there are multiple storylines with constant shifting between them which reminded me of ''Pulp Fiction'' and there are a lot of action scenes with blood spraying all around which reminded me of ''Kill Bill''. I'm a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino so this book ticked all the right boxes.
This book picks up the story where the first one ended, dragons are spreading chaos and our heroes are deep in the dwarven world trying to find the ancient dragon city.
As the book progressed, the story itself was more interesting and more exciting, it felt more epic and it was hard to put down.
Some reviews of the first book emphasized the lack of character development and this book showed improvement in that area, there is more focus on the characters, there are flashbacks which help us to get to know them better and that gives more depth to them, and even creates a certain emotional bond with them.
The thing I most liked about this book is that the author gave us additional group of heroes, or should I say anti-heroes, to root for, the Iron Wolves. I haven't read Remic's other duology ''The Rage of Kings'' where they were first introduced but I'm sure going to because, for me, they were the highlight of this book, their chapters were non-stop adrenaline rush with awesome action scenes and they simply stole the show.
The story wrapped up nicely, there were no loose threads but there was a hint at the end of a potential sequel which I hope will happen.
I read somewhere that the author has a nickname ''Tarantino of epic fantasy'' and after reading this book I understand why; there are multiple storylines with constant shifting between them which reminded me of ''Pulp Fiction'' and there are a lot of action scenes with blood spraying all around which reminded me of ''Kill Bill''. I'm a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino so this book ticked all the right boxes.
This book picks up the story where the first one ended, dragons are spreading chaos and our heroes are deep in the dwarven world trying to find the ancient dragon city.
As the book progressed, the story itself was more interesting and more exciting, it felt more epic and it was hard to put down.
Some reviews of the first book emphasized the lack of character development and this book showed improvement in that area, there is more focus on the characters, there are flashbacks which help us to get to know them better and that gives more depth to them, and even creates a certain emotional bond with them.
The thing I most liked about this book is that the author gave us additional group of heroes, or should I say anti-heroes, to root for, the Iron Wolves. I haven't read Remic's other duology ''The Rage of Kings'' where they were first introduced but I'm sure going to because, for me, they were the highlight of this book, their chapters were non-stop adrenaline rush with awesome action scenes and they simply stole the show.
The story wrapped up nicely, there were no loose threads but there was a hint at the end of a potential sequel which I hope will happen.
September 15, 2016
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
My rating is 3.5 stars.
Violent, bloody, and adult in every way. That is a concise descriptions of every tale penned by Andy Remic. And Twilight of the Dragons is no exception, delivering a fitting and frantic sequel to the grimdark tour de force The Dragon Engine.
Taking off almost immediately after the ending of book one, the three dragons freed from dwarven captivity (Volak, Kranesh, and Moraxx) are busy reintroducing themselves to a world which has largely forgotten them: dragon fire, claws, and talons serving as notice to everyone in their path, as they rampage, terrorize, and kill, trumpeting loudly that the dragons have returned!
Back in the bowels under the Karamakkos Mountains, our surviving heroes Beetrax, Lillith, Dake, Talon, and Sakora are nearly spent; the torture, rape, and deaths they have endured at the hands of the Harborym dwarfs sucking away their will to go on. But go forward they must, to find the hidden, dragon city of Wyrmblood — somewhere in the dark labyrinth underground — and kill the ancient terrors, which lay unhatched there, before the three mighty dragons return from their pillaging.
Also in the darkness of the dwarf cities, Skalg, First Cardinal of the Church of Hate, hides in the Iron Vaults, surrounded by his people’s most sacred texts. And while he prays at the altar of the Great Dwarf Lords, despairing at the destruction of his civilizaion, he is contacted, touched by the divine; these beings making him a simple proposition: become their champion to strike down the dragons. But Skalg wonders if he is worthy of such a role, and wonders even more if he can refuse the gods themselves.
Meanwhile, back in the Kingdom of Vagandrak, the surviving members of the Iron Wolves are busy drinking and bickering at their favorite bar in the capital when trouble finds them. To begin with, the trouble is of the sort they are well conditioned to deal with, but then things turn more dire, as a rampaging dragon makes an appearance. As always, these Wolves rise to the occasion, giving their adversary all a dragon can handle in a running fight across the battered, burning city of Vagan.
What can I say to sum up this book other than it is pure Andy Remic grimdark: ultra realistic, nasty, and violent. A reader smelling the corpses rotting, feeling the dragon flames slowly melting their skin, and cringing at the feet of hard men and women dealing out death. Mixed in with all that violence, though, is deft characterization, as the author exhibits his innate talent for taking characters who are complete scum, showing their past to explain their present, and then allowing them to do heroic things — even if their motives aren’t always pure as newly fallen snow. Which is why the characters here outshine the bloody goings on around them.
My favorites were our heroes left in the dwarven caverns. Learning more about Beetrax and Lillith was especially entertaining, as they were my favorite characters in this tale, but Dake, Talon, and Sakora had their moments as well. The scenes of these friends past especially heartfelt and memorable to me, adding another layer to these hard men and women, allowing me to understand them and empathize with them somewhat.
As for the return of the Iron Wolves, it took me completely by surprise and excited me immensely. Can’t say I ever loved Dek, Trista, Narnok, and Mola in their books (The Iron Wolves – The White Towers), but this return was a cool twist by Mr. Remic, one which really stole the show. And since their part of the story was filled with non-stop action (bar brawls and dragon fighting) it was quite the adrenaline rush.
I would also feel remiss if I didn’t mention Remic’s dragons. These three are horrific, cruel, and clever specimens of the species, who radiate pure menace. Sure, they are intelligent beings and loyal to their kind, but all other creatures are mere fodder to be incinerated, torn apart, or eaten, as the dragon’s current whims dictate. Especially memorable is how Volak, Kranesh, and Moraxx taunt, mock, and bait their prey, making sure to have fun while they mete out vengeance on a world which once belonged to them.
Now that I have gushed over all my favorite pars of the story, I have to list my handful of criticisms. These dislikes able to be narrowed down to only two.
First, Skalg’s continued tale was a bit of a letdown for me. This dwarf was such a vile piece of work in The Dragon Engine that I was expecting some amazingly awful deeds in this tale. What I got was interesting and an appropriate progression of his story perhaps, but it just wasn’t what I wanted out of old Skalg.
Second, the narrative is a bit of an enigma. Specifically, I’m referring to the continual narrative shifts. These taking the form of jumps from character to character, from past to present, and from place to place without any seeming rhyme or reason. The flashbacks to past moments were certainly enlightening; the looks inside the minds of the victims of the rampaging dragons were horrifying; and the spotlights on our villains were entertaining; but there were too many shifts. Whenever I’d become comfortable with a character or group, deeply involved in their story, BAM! I’d be ripped away and sent spinning to another without warning. Just a little too much of this for my tastes, I suppose.
All in all, Twilight of the Dragons was an undeniably brutal, no-holds barred grimdark, which grabs a reader by the throat and never lets go. It is an epic fantasy which pisses on readers notions of heroes, dwarfs, and dragons, even as it forces them to cheer for heroes who are not very hero-like much of the time. Sure, Andy Remic’s stories are an acquired taste, but once you acquire the taste you want more of them, which is why I’m hoping he has another round of this series yet to come — just without quite so many narrative shifts next time.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
My rating is 3.5 stars.
Violent, bloody, and adult in every way. That is a concise descriptions of every tale penned by Andy Remic. And Twilight of the Dragons is no exception, delivering a fitting and frantic sequel to the grimdark tour de force The Dragon Engine.
Taking off almost immediately after the ending of book one, the three dragons freed from dwarven captivity (Volak, Kranesh, and Moraxx) are busy reintroducing themselves to a world which has largely forgotten them: dragon fire, claws, and talons serving as notice to everyone in their path, as they rampage, terrorize, and kill, trumpeting loudly that the dragons have returned!
Back in the bowels under the Karamakkos Mountains, our surviving heroes Beetrax, Lillith, Dake, Talon, and Sakora are nearly spent; the torture, rape, and deaths they have endured at the hands of the Harborym dwarfs sucking away their will to go on. But go forward they must, to find the hidden, dragon city of Wyrmblood — somewhere in the dark labyrinth underground — and kill the ancient terrors, which lay unhatched there, before the three mighty dragons return from their pillaging.
Also in the darkness of the dwarf cities, Skalg, First Cardinal of the Church of Hate, hides in the Iron Vaults, surrounded by his people’s most sacred texts. And while he prays at the altar of the Great Dwarf Lords, despairing at the destruction of his civilizaion, he is contacted, touched by the divine; these beings making him a simple proposition: become their champion to strike down the dragons. But Skalg wonders if he is worthy of such a role, and wonders even more if he can refuse the gods themselves.
Meanwhile, back in the Kingdom of Vagandrak, the surviving members of the Iron Wolves are busy drinking and bickering at their favorite bar in the capital when trouble finds them. To begin with, the trouble is of the sort they are well conditioned to deal with, but then things turn more dire, as a rampaging dragon makes an appearance. As always, these Wolves rise to the occasion, giving their adversary all a dragon can handle in a running fight across the battered, burning city of Vagan.
What can I say to sum up this book other than it is pure Andy Remic grimdark: ultra realistic, nasty, and violent. A reader smelling the corpses rotting, feeling the dragon flames slowly melting their skin, and cringing at the feet of hard men and women dealing out death. Mixed in with all that violence, though, is deft characterization, as the author exhibits his innate talent for taking characters who are complete scum, showing their past to explain their present, and then allowing them to do heroic things — even if their motives aren’t always pure as newly fallen snow. Which is why the characters here outshine the bloody goings on around them.
My favorites were our heroes left in the dwarven caverns. Learning more about Beetrax and Lillith was especially entertaining, as they were my favorite characters in this tale, but Dake, Talon, and Sakora had their moments as well. The scenes of these friends past especially heartfelt and memorable to me, adding another layer to these hard men and women, allowing me to understand them and empathize with them somewhat.
As for the return of the Iron Wolves, it took me completely by surprise and excited me immensely. Can’t say I ever loved Dek, Trista, Narnok, and Mola in their books (The Iron Wolves – The White Towers), but this return was a cool twist by Mr. Remic, one which really stole the show. And since their part of the story was filled with non-stop action (bar brawls and dragon fighting) it was quite the adrenaline rush.
I would also feel remiss if I didn’t mention Remic’s dragons. These three are horrific, cruel, and clever specimens of the species, who radiate pure menace. Sure, they are intelligent beings and loyal to their kind, but all other creatures are mere fodder to be incinerated, torn apart, or eaten, as the dragon’s current whims dictate. Especially memorable is how Volak, Kranesh, and Moraxx taunt, mock, and bait their prey, making sure to have fun while they mete out vengeance on a world which once belonged to them.
Now that I have gushed over all my favorite pars of the story, I have to list my handful of criticisms. These dislikes able to be narrowed down to only two.
First, Skalg’s continued tale was a bit of a letdown for me. This dwarf was such a vile piece of work in The Dragon Engine that I was expecting some amazingly awful deeds in this tale. What I got was interesting and an appropriate progression of his story perhaps, but it just wasn’t what I wanted out of old Skalg.
Second, the narrative is a bit of an enigma. Specifically, I’m referring to the continual narrative shifts. These taking the form of jumps from character to character, from past to present, and from place to place without any seeming rhyme or reason. The flashbacks to past moments were certainly enlightening; the looks inside the minds of the victims of the rampaging dragons were horrifying; and the spotlights on our villains were entertaining; but there were too many shifts. Whenever I’d become comfortable with a character or group, deeply involved in their story, BAM! I’d be ripped away and sent spinning to another without warning. Just a little too much of this for my tastes, I suppose.
All in all, Twilight of the Dragons was an undeniably brutal, no-holds barred grimdark, which grabs a reader by the throat and never lets go. It is an epic fantasy which pisses on readers notions of heroes, dwarfs, and dragons, even as it forces them to cheer for heroes who are not very hero-like much of the time. Sure, Andy Remic’s stories are an acquired taste, but once you acquire the taste you want more of them, which is why I’m hoping he has another round of this series yet to come — just without quite so many narrative shifts next time.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
September 19, 2017
Book 1: 3.0*
Book 2: 3.5*
If you like action, a lot of swearing, grimdark characters of dubious to flat out evil nature this book and series are for you. There were several things that made this better than book one. First the character's stories became more developed giving them a great dimension. Second that action and battle scenes were flat out terrific. I would love to see these on the big screen. Third there's a lot more of the dragons and their nasty personas.
After book one I was unsure if I would read his other series but given the Iron Wolves played a part in this one I think I will upon further review.
Book 2: 3.5*
If you like action, a lot of swearing, grimdark characters of dubious to flat out evil nature this book and series are for you. There were several things that made this better than book one. First the character's stories became more developed giving them a great dimension. Second that action and battle scenes were flat out terrific. I would love to see these on the big screen. Third there's a lot more of the dragons and their nasty personas.
After book one I was unsure if I would read his other series but given the Iron Wolves played a part in this one I think I will upon further review.
August 23, 2016
First, I will admit to being a huge Andy Remic fanboy, so take that however your happy self wants too. If you like your fantasy kick arse, epic, dark and just all around awesome, jump into book two of The Blood Dragon Empire.
True villains, great heroes, tons of fighting, action and GREAT STUFF. Wonderfully fun fantasy for GROWN FOLK...yes, that's you.
Give Andy Remic your money, seriously..go buy the whole series, then find his other books, buy them too. Thank you to the wonderful overlords at Angry Robot for the ARC and for feeding the beast that is my appetite for books.
True villains, great heroes, tons of fighting, action and GREAT STUFF. Wonderfully fun fantasy for GROWN FOLK...yes, that's you.
Give Andy Remic your money, seriously..go buy the whole series, then find his other books, buy them too. Thank you to the wonderful overlords at Angry Robot for the ARC and for feeding the beast that is my appetite for books.
October 5, 2016
Review also published here
Twilight of the Dragons is an oddly entertaining book. It is still vulgar, "offensive" and unrecommendable to younger readers, but also in many ways different from The Dragon Engine . Not in a bad way, however.
Where with The Dragon Engine I was utterly unprepared for the vulgarity, sex jokes, assault, torture and what have you, having me wince at the ideas presented by Andy Remic (reading about "ball crushers" was pretty grim!), I was definitely prepared for more of the like in Twilight. To my surprise, those aspects were tackled to a lesser degree here. Instead the book focused more on the characters' resignation, fears, trauma and the rampage of the dragons in Vagandrak.
Surprisingly, this novel also throws a crossover with Remic's Iron Wolves novels at us: The heroes from The Iron Wolves and The White Towers appear here, stealing a lot of the spotlight. This, of course, includes spoilers for their own novels, seeing that this is a sequel, chronologically.
I honestly wish I had read those novels before I did Twilight, but after the fact I cannot say that, while I was initially not so keen on it, I disliked their inclusion. In fact, I liked all of the crossover-characters a good bit. They were easily relatable, had a decent amount of comedic relief (one part of which even crops back up in the epilogue and had me laughing out loud!), and gave a much-needed perspective of the dragon rampage outside the mountains that the heroes are stuck in for pretty much the entire novel.
Disappointingly, the heroes, that is, Beetrax, Lilith, Sakora, Dake, Talon and the boy Jael, are stuck underground until the very end, and as a result don't even encounter Volak and her sisters for most of it. I had expected them to be the driving force when it comes to subjugating the dragons again, but instead the futility of that task was tackled via the Iron Wolves chapters. For the original heroes from The Dragon Engine, oddly little happens in terms of external threats, comparatively. There is one battle against a dragon-splice which I liked a lot, and some dwarf-killing, but until the climax chapters (and I don't mean those involving past romance scenes between Beetrax and Lilith with that!) they're fighting themselves and their own insecurities more than anything else.
Which, as a theme, I liked. None of them were left unaffected by the preceding events, the torture, the lack of sunlight, and most notably the death of Jonti Tal, Dake's wife. They're traumatized, growing in apathy and start turning on one another. Of course, equiem magic plays a role in it as well, raising the stakes to a higher point. The point stands, however: Their quest to find and destroy the dragon eggs of Volak isn't easy, and that is more down to their own sensibilities and fraying nerves than to outside forces.
In a way, this made the inclusion of the Iron Wolves inevitable. The action against Volak was necessary to the book, both to get the tension up and to balance the depressing nature of the other parts of the book. Remic nailed the conflict on the surface very well, too; Narnok, Dek, Trista and co were all amusing to read about, and their struggles to somehow manage to harm and/or kill Volak were offering up cool setpieces. Narnok especially had me chuckling over how absurd it was for him to constantly taunt the mighty dragon queen.
It was a massively entertaining romp of thrilling action, with ever-growing desperation and things just got better and better. I was incredibly sad when, inevitably, heads began to roll (or ashes got blown into the wind, eh?). Andy managed to make me care about characters that came out of the blue and stole the fireworks show, giving them a personal background that I enjoyed and made me curious about the rest of their story. Yes, I was definitely disappointed that it wasn't down to Beetrax and co, but what I got instead was no less entertaining than what I expected.
The dragon rampage itself is worth noting too. The prologue kicks it off, set right after the end of The Dragon Engine. Volak, Kranesh and Moraxx are free to do as they please: which just so happens to be slaughtering humans. If you're not a fan of seeing children die, then you might want to back out of this one, because the story starts right with that; it gets us to care about a little girl who finally made a friend and has fun playing around, just to be eaten alive. That had me gulp - I didn't expect that kind of thing within the first 5 pages! But damn if it didn't set the scene for just how terrible a renewed Blood Dragon Empire would be!
Multiple similar scenes of disaster are featured throughout the book, up until the dragons get their dues through no other than Skalg. Where in The Dragon Engine I had nothing but disdain for the fucker, here I actually cared for him as an individual. The author managed to humanize him a great deal, giving him a layered personality and personal dilemma. He is made relatable in his role, and showcases how mountains of frustration and pain can come tumbling down and break our own backs.
In a way, Skalg is the real hero of the book, which surprised me. He is still a megalomaniac and doesn't get off lightly, but he definitely pulls more than his own weight to resolve the looming doom. Remic definitely addressed Skalg's situation in a satisfying way.
If you're a fan of the sexual themes from The Dragon Engine, the book has you covered too. Not only does it have some orgies going on involving Vagandrak royalty, involving an arrogant princess trying to rape her soldier-become-servant, but it also has some more romantic flashbacks for Beetrax and Lilith.
I honestly cannot believe how well-done the romance in the latter actually was. It was actually nice, and sweet, and made me care even more about the couple. It wasn't blunt and on the nose, and instead reinforced their relationship as a whole.
More than anything, those scenes were relatable, authentic and respectful. They hammered home just how much of these two books was actually about Trax and Lil and their reunion. Those heartwarming scenes raised the stakes for the depressing underground excursion tenfold, and had me raging as the climax came about.
My regrets about the novel, after all is said and done, boil down to the original heroes taking a bit too much of a step back. While I liked the themes and execution, I figured they'd be more prominent here. It wasn't a dealbreaker by any means, but I was wishing for them to be more involved.
On top of that, there are various plot nuggets that weren't resolved, and deliberately left open. The epilogue makes it pretty clear that there is room for sequels yet, tying all the way back to the Iron Wolves books (and I'll damn well read those before I get into the next one), but there's more to be said about the Dragonheads, King Yoon, the remaining Splice in Vagandrak and a bunch of side characters who I figured would contribute a bit more yet.
Be that as it may, I think I enjoyed Twilight of the Dragons even more than I did The Dragon Engine. It flowed well, I cared for the whole, larger cast and the dragons were magnificent to behold. The action was great, the personal drama high, and I'd like to read more about all involved.
If you've read The Dragon Engine, you owe it to yourself to read this one as well.
Twilight of the Dragons is an oddly entertaining book. It is still vulgar, "offensive" and unrecommendable to younger readers, but also in many ways different from The Dragon Engine . Not in a bad way, however.
Where with The Dragon Engine I was utterly unprepared for the vulgarity, sex jokes, assault, torture and what have you, having me wince at the ideas presented by Andy Remic (reading about "ball crushers" was pretty grim!), I was definitely prepared for more of the like in Twilight. To my surprise, those aspects were tackled to a lesser degree here. Instead the book focused more on the characters' resignation, fears, trauma and the rampage of the dragons in Vagandrak.
Surprisingly, this novel also throws a crossover with Remic's Iron Wolves novels at us: The heroes from The Iron Wolves and The White Towers appear here, stealing a lot of the spotlight. This, of course, includes spoilers for their own novels, seeing that this is a sequel, chronologically.
I honestly wish I had read those novels before I did Twilight, but after the fact I cannot say that, while I was initially not so keen on it, I disliked their inclusion. In fact, I liked all of the crossover-characters a good bit. They were easily relatable, had a decent amount of comedic relief (one part of which even crops back up in the epilogue and had me laughing out loud!), and gave a much-needed perspective of the dragon rampage outside the mountains that the heroes are stuck in for pretty much the entire novel.
Disappointingly, the heroes, that is, Beetrax, Lilith, Sakora, Dake, Talon and the boy Jael, are stuck underground until the very end, and as a result don't even encounter Volak and her sisters for most of it. I had expected them to be the driving force when it comes to subjugating the dragons again, but instead the futility of that task was tackled via the Iron Wolves chapters. For the original heroes from The Dragon Engine, oddly little happens in terms of external threats, comparatively. There is one battle against a dragon-splice which I liked a lot, and some dwarf-killing, but until the climax chapters (and I don't mean those involving past romance scenes between Beetrax and Lilith with that!) they're fighting themselves and their own insecurities more than anything else.
Which, as a theme, I liked. None of them were left unaffected by the preceding events, the torture, the lack of sunlight, and most notably the death of Jonti Tal, Dake's wife. They're traumatized, growing in apathy and start turning on one another. Of course, equiem magic plays a role in it as well, raising the stakes to a higher point. The point stands, however: Their quest to find and destroy the dragon eggs of Volak isn't easy, and that is more down to their own sensibilities and fraying nerves than to outside forces.
In a way, this made the inclusion of the Iron Wolves inevitable. The action against Volak was necessary to the book, both to get the tension up and to balance the depressing nature of the other parts of the book. Remic nailed the conflict on the surface very well, too; Narnok, Dek, Trista and co were all amusing to read about, and their struggles to somehow manage to harm and/or kill Volak were offering up cool setpieces. Narnok especially had me chuckling over how absurd it was for him to constantly taunt the mighty dragon queen.
“I’m Narnok. Don’t forget it. It’s a name I’m going to carve on your arse.”
It was a massively entertaining romp of thrilling action, with ever-growing desperation and things just got better and better. I was incredibly sad when, inevitably, heads began to roll (or ashes got blown into the wind, eh?). Andy managed to make me care about characters that came out of the blue and stole the fireworks show, giving them a personal background that I enjoyed and made me curious about the rest of their story. Yes, I was definitely disappointed that it wasn't down to Beetrax and co, but what I got instead was no less entertaining than what I expected.
The dragon rampage itself is worth noting too. The prologue kicks it off, set right after the end of The Dragon Engine. Volak, Kranesh and Moraxx are free to do as they please: which just so happens to be slaughtering humans. If you're not a fan of seeing children die, then you might want to back out of this one, because the story starts right with that; it gets us to care about a little girl who finally made a friend and has fun playing around, just to be eaten alive. That had me gulp - I didn't expect that kind of thing within the first 5 pages! But damn if it didn't set the scene for just how terrible a renewed Blood Dragon Empire would be!
Multiple similar scenes of disaster are featured throughout the book, up until the dragons get their dues through no other than Skalg. Where in The Dragon Engine I had nothing but disdain for the fucker, here I actually cared for him as an individual. The author managed to humanize him a great deal, giving him a layered personality and personal dilemma. He is made relatable in his role, and showcases how mountains of frustration and pain can come tumbling down and break our own backs.
In a way, Skalg is the real hero of the book, which surprised me. He is still a megalomaniac and doesn't get off lightly, but he definitely pulls more than his own weight to resolve the looming doom. Remic definitely addressed Skalg's situation in a satisfying way.
If you're a fan of the sexual themes from The Dragon Engine, the book has you covered too. Not only does it have some orgies going on involving Vagandrak royalty, involving an arrogant princess trying to rape her soldier-become-servant, but it also has some more romantic flashbacks for Beetrax and Lilith.
I honestly cannot believe how well-done the romance in the latter actually was. It was actually nice, and sweet, and made me care even more about the couple. It wasn't blunt and on the nose, and instead reinforced their relationship as a whole.
More than anything, those scenes were relatable, authentic and respectful. They hammered home just how much of these two books was actually about Trax and Lil and their reunion. Those heartwarming scenes raised the stakes for the depressing underground excursion tenfold, and had me raging as the climax came about.
My regrets about the novel, after all is said and done, boil down to the original heroes taking a bit too much of a step back. While I liked the themes and execution, I figured they'd be more prominent here. It wasn't a dealbreaker by any means, but I was wishing for them to be more involved.
On top of that, there are various plot nuggets that weren't resolved, and deliberately left open. The epilogue makes it pretty clear that there is room for sequels yet, tying all the way back to the Iron Wolves books (and I'll damn well read those before I get into the next one), but there's more to be said about the Dragonheads, King Yoon, the remaining Splice in Vagandrak and a bunch of side characters who I figured would contribute a bit more yet.
Be that as it may, I think I enjoyed Twilight of the Dragons even more than I did The Dragon Engine. It flowed well, I cared for the whole, larger cast and the dragons were magnificent to behold. The action was great, the personal drama high, and I'd like to read more about all involved.
If you've read The Dragon Engine, you owe it to yourself to read this one as well.
September 7, 2016
https://lynns-books.com/2016/09/05/tw...
3.5 of 5 stars
Twilight of the Dragons is the second in the Dragon Empire series by Andy Remic. This series is very dark and I will say upfront that it certainly won’t be for everyone. I have to say from the outset that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first, but, first things first – to the review and please note that there will be spoilers below in terms of the first book.
This story sets off almost immediately where the Dragon Engine concluded and there are a number of threads to follow. The three dragons being held captive beneath the mines have been let loose and are terrorising the countryside burning down villages and killing people. Meanwhile, back at the mine our would-be heroes are now on a revised mission, no longer a treasure hunt, but a quest to save the world from the disaster that has now been released (although if the opportunity comes along the way to snag a few precious stones then so be it). We have a storyline that sees Skalg in a far different role than I ever expected and we have the inclusion of the Iron Wolves.
Firstly, what did I enjoy about this. Well, I haven’t previously read Remic’s Iron Wolves and this series can be read without having done so – however, it was great to make their acquaintance here – in fact, truth be told I thought they stole the show a little.
I thought the dragons were just marvellously nasty. Nothing to like here. Fire breathing maniacs who own the skies and swoop down dramatically to leave death and destruction in their wake.
Then we have our motley crew – yes, they’ve escaped, but they’ve been brought low by the treatment they received at the hands of the dwarves. Led by Lilith they are journeying through the mines to an unknown goal. They still make a great bunch of characters – especially Beetrax who is just a gloriously larger than life character.
So, why didn’t I enjoy this book as much as the first? It has the feel of a book with second in series syndrome, the plot jumps about a lot and is interspersed with flashbacks. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the flashbacks as it was good to learn more of the background to some of the characters, but, it interrupted the flow somewhat. And, even though I say this feels like a book with middle book syndrome, I’m not entirely sure that this is the case as this feels like a conclusion. Granted, there is room for manoeuvre to continue but I’m not sure if that’s planned or not. On top of that, and this is still puzzling me, but in spite of what seems like a lot of action on reflection the story doesn’t go a whole lot further. I’m probably not articulating that very well but it has a feel of lots of dashing about with bloodshed and fighting, all really well described, but it somehow doesn’t have the scale of the first book and indeed the flashbacks almost feel like book filler. Finally, I think I mentioned in the last book review that Remic doesn’t shirk from the gritty in fact he paints his story quite liberally with it. But, I felt that in some respects this book just went too far for me. I got to a point where I was thinking ‘okay, I get it’ – leave something to the imagination.
I hope this doesn’t sound too critical. I think Remic is an excellent writer. He brings these scenes alive on the page. He can create an atmosphere of light hearted camaraderie and banter in one paragraph and then go to overwhelming despair the next and he is an expert at putting your emotions through the wringer.
Overall I enjoyed both books in the Dragon Empire series and if the author intends to write more I would definitely read on.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher through Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
3.5 of 5 stars
Twilight of the Dragons is the second in the Dragon Empire series by Andy Remic. This series is very dark and I will say upfront that it certainly won’t be for everyone. I have to say from the outset that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first, but, first things first – to the review and please note that there will be spoilers below in terms of the first book.
This story sets off almost immediately where the Dragon Engine concluded and there are a number of threads to follow. The three dragons being held captive beneath the mines have been let loose and are terrorising the countryside burning down villages and killing people. Meanwhile, back at the mine our would-be heroes are now on a revised mission, no longer a treasure hunt, but a quest to save the world from the disaster that has now been released (although if the opportunity comes along the way to snag a few precious stones then so be it). We have a storyline that sees Skalg in a far different role than I ever expected and we have the inclusion of the Iron Wolves.
Firstly, what did I enjoy about this. Well, I haven’t previously read Remic’s Iron Wolves and this series can be read without having done so – however, it was great to make their acquaintance here – in fact, truth be told I thought they stole the show a little.
I thought the dragons were just marvellously nasty. Nothing to like here. Fire breathing maniacs who own the skies and swoop down dramatically to leave death and destruction in their wake.
Then we have our motley crew – yes, they’ve escaped, but they’ve been brought low by the treatment they received at the hands of the dwarves. Led by Lilith they are journeying through the mines to an unknown goal. They still make a great bunch of characters – especially Beetrax who is just a gloriously larger than life character.
So, why didn’t I enjoy this book as much as the first? It has the feel of a book with second in series syndrome, the plot jumps about a lot and is interspersed with flashbacks. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the flashbacks as it was good to learn more of the background to some of the characters, but, it interrupted the flow somewhat. And, even though I say this feels like a book with middle book syndrome, I’m not entirely sure that this is the case as this feels like a conclusion. Granted, there is room for manoeuvre to continue but I’m not sure if that’s planned or not. On top of that, and this is still puzzling me, but in spite of what seems like a lot of action on reflection the story doesn’t go a whole lot further. I’m probably not articulating that very well but it has a feel of lots of dashing about with bloodshed and fighting, all really well described, but it somehow doesn’t have the scale of the first book and indeed the flashbacks almost feel like book filler. Finally, I think I mentioned in the last book review that Remic doesn’t shirk from the gritty in fact he paints his story quite liberally with it. But, I felt that in some respects this book just went too far for me. I got to a point where I was thinking ‘okay, I get it’ – leave something to the imagination.
I hope this doesn’t sound too critical. I think Remic is an excellent writer. He brings these scenes alive on the page. He can create an atmosphere of light hearted camaraderie and banter in one paragraph and then go to overwhelming despair the next and he is an expert at putting your emotions through the wringer.
Overall I enjoyed both books in the Dragon Empire series and if the author intends to write more I would definitely read on.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher through Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
February 16, 2017
Not a bad follow up novel but the first one was light years better. There were a few chapters in here that felt unnecessary and filler, however this story works well as a duology and I'm glad it wasn't stretched out to a trilogy.
September 3, 2022
I have to admit, I'm of two minds regarding Twilight of the Dragons. Yes, it's a fun, foul-mouthed, frantic sequel to both The Dragon Engine and The White Towers, but its narrative quality is all over the place. Much of it reads like a first draft manuscript, awkward and juvenile in places, that somehow sneaked past the editor. Structurally, it feels like it's one step removed from being polished as well, jumping between storylines, with random flashback chapters interspersed, and some definite pacing issues. It made for a frustrating read, which (unfortunately) took something away from the enjoyment.
Having said all that, this is a bold, brash, bloody story in which Andy Remic returns to the world of grimdark fantasy. One story thread catches up with the survivors of the The Dragon Engine, following their war-weary, emotionally exhausted descent into the bowels of Wyrmblood. These are adventurers who suffered greatly in the last book - beatings, torture, and even rape - and it weighs heavily upon them. As depressing as it made those scenes, I admired Remic for not just shrugging off the pain and going all gung-ho with the heroics.
The other story thread catches up with the survivors of The White Towers, drawn into the story when the escaped dragons of Wyrmblood attack the town, interrupting their own bitter infighting. Not surprisingly, the Iron Wolves have some of the best scenes in the novel, although the constant bickering between Dek and Narnok wears a bit thin. Again, Remic deals with the aftermath of heroic deeds, catching our heroes at their lowest, and allowing them the chance to deal with both past and present. There's a lot of bad blood and tainted motives here, but Nanok's suicidal challenges to the dragon are probably the high point of the book.
As for the dragons, they are every bit as fearsome and horrific as you'd expect from Remic. Their attacks upon villages and towns are beautifully choreographed, with equal parts fear and awe on those unlucky enough to be torn apart, chewed in half, roasted alive, or buried beneath rubble. Both angry and clever, they're not only out for revenge, but enjoy verbally baiting their victims. We don't see as much of the dwarves this time around, but they are still mean, miserable, and malicious, with Crayline challenging Skalg for the title of most monstrous. As for Skalg, his story arc was interesting, but I didn't feel the pay off was nearly worthy of his legacy - one place where the story itself faltered for me. Similarly, I thought the Splice were wasted a bit here, especially given the new twist put on them by King Yoon, but it was immensely satisfying to see them take on a dragon.
Despite its flaws, this is still no-holds-barred epic fantasy for a mature audience, with the reappearance of the Iron Wolves definitely kicking it up a notch. There's very clearly a door left open at the end of Twilight of the Dragons, so here's hoping there's one more adventure to come.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Having said all that, this is a bold, brash, bloody story in which Andy Remic returns to the world of grimdark fantasy. One story thread catches up with the survivors of the The Dragon Engine, following their war-weary, emotionally exhausted descent into the bowels of Wyrmblood. These are adventurers who suffered greatly in the last book - beatings, torture, and even rape - and it weighs heavily upon them. As depressing as it made those scenes, I admired Remic for not just shrugging off the pain and going all gung-ho with the heroics.
The other story thread catches up with the survivors of The White Towers, drawn into the story when the escaped dragons of Wyrmblood attack the town, interrupting their own bitter infighting. Not surprisingly, the Iron Wolves have some of the best scenes in the novel, although the constant bickering between Dek and Narnok wears a bit thin. Again, Remic deals with the aftermath of heroic deeds, catching our heroes at their lowest, and allowing them the chance to deal with both past and present. There's a lot of bad blood and tainted motives here, but Nanok's suicidal challenges to the dragon are probably the high point of the book.
As for the dragons, they are every bit as fearsome and horrific as you'd expect from Remic. Their attacks upon villages and towns are beautifully choreographed, with equal parts fear and awe on those unlucky enough to be torn apart, chewed in half, roasted alive, or buried beneath rubble. Both angry and clever, they're not only out for revenge, but enjoy verbally baiting their victims. We don't see as much of the dwarves this time around, but they are still mean, miserable, and malicious, with Crayline challenging Skalg for the title of most monstrous. As for Skalg, his story arc was interesting, but I didn't feel the pay off was nearly worthy of his legacy - one place where the story itself faltered for me. Similarly, I thought the Splice were wasted a bit here, especially given the new twist put on them by King Yoon, but it was immensely satisfying to see them take on a dragon.
Despite its flaws, this is still no-holds-barred epic fantasy for a mature audience, with the reappearance of the Iron Wolves definitely kicking it up a notch. There's very clearly a door left open at the end of Twilight of the Dragons, so here's hoping there's one more adventure to come.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.
October 7, 2018
I enjoy fantasy. When I found Andy Remic’s book, Twilight of the Dragons, at a bookstore, I was immediately drawn to the cover. The blurb on the back sounded very interesting. I leafed through the first few pages and found that Mr. Remic has an innate ability to use just the right details to paint a physical image of characters and locations such that I was able to envision them in my mind, yet the details did not slow down the story. I took the book home with great enthusiasm.
My enthusiasm turned to disappointment. The story moves forward in unconnected spurts rather than with cohesive, overarching and interconnected plot lines. I enjoy fantasy role playing games. The dialog and story in Twilight of the Dragons read like transcriptions from several unrelated campaigns strung together. Mr. Remic spends time creating tertiary characters in which he describes their background, temperament and motivations, only to have them killed a few pages later and never mentioned again. He interrupts battle scenes and inserts flashbacks that may or may not include any of the characters in the battle. These flashbacks provide no new insights or information and only serve to disturb the action. The battles, themselves, are unrealistic. The main characters encounter a threat, seem on the verge of death, and then defeat the threat. This happens repeatedly.
The dialog reads like frat house banter with excessive drinking, threats and challenges that weaken the characters and make them seem juvenile. There are two groups of heroes who have completely different adventures and only meet once in a tavern at the end of the book where they engage in that frat boy dialog.
I am no prude. I served in the military and have heard and used profanity before. The following observation is not made from any moralistic stand, but from a craft perspective.
Mr. Remic streams profanity throughout Twilight of the Dragons, particularly in the use of the ‘F’ word, in both dialogue and narration. This overuse is a problem for the book. It does not ring true. Instead it seems gratuitous and forced. The author may intend to project rough and tough characters in a rough and tough world, but, in truth, the profanity is a crutch that keeps the author, who demonstrates his command over detail, from using more effective language to show the mood and intent of each individual character.
This, of course, is my own opinion and I know that there are readers who will enjoy Twilight of the Dragons>/i>. For myself, it did not fulfill my expectations.
My enthusiasm turned to disappointment. The story moves forward in unconnected spurts rather than with cohesive, overarching and interconnected plot lines. I enjoy fantasy role playing games. The dialog and story in Twilight of the Dragons read like transcriptions from several unrelated campaigns strung together. Mr. Remic spends time creating tertiary characters in which he describes their background, temperament and motivations, only to have them killed a few pages later and never mentioned again. He interrupts battle scenes and inserts flashbacks that may or may not include any of the characters in the battle. These flashbacks provide no new insights or information and only serve to disturb the action. The battles, themselves, are unrealistic. The main characters encounter a threat, seem on the verge of death, and then defeat the threat. This happens repeatedly.
The dialog reads like frat house banter with excessive drinking, threats and challenges that weaken the characters and make them seem juvenile. There are two groups of heroes who have completely different adventures and only meet once in a tavern at the end of the book where they engage in that frat boy dialog.
I am no prude. I served in the military and have heard and used profanity before. The following observation is not made from any moralistic stand, but from a craft perspective.
Mr. Remic streams profanity throughout Twilight of the Dragons, particularly in the use of the ‘F’ word, in both dialogue and narration. This overuse is a problem for the book. It does not ring true. Instead it seems gratuitous and forced. The author may intend to project rough and tough characters in a rough and tough world, but, in truth, the profanity is a crutch that keeps the author, who demonstrates his command over detail, from using more effective language to show the mood and intent of each individual character.
This, of course, is my own opinion and I know that there are readers who will enjoy Twilight of the Dragons>/i>. For myself, it did not fulfill my expectations.
September 19, 2017
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.0 of 5
I just finished the first book in this series, The Dragon Engine, and I jumped right in to this next book because I was on such an octane high from the story.
Author Andy Remic picks up right where the previous book left off and adds some complications (as if Beetrax, Lillith, Dake, and Talon needed more complications). In addition to the story following our band of intrepid heroes we have the story of the dragons who'd just been released back into the world at the end of the previous book, as well as the (re)introduction of a different band of heroes - those from Remic's Rage of Kings series. And we also have a slightly surprising side story of one of the villains from the previous book. It is non-stop action upon action, bouncing between all the different aspects of the story.
And that's a little bit of a problem.
In the previous book we had a relatively clear story path. We followed Beetrax and his associates through battles and highs and lows (fearsome lows!) and we had faith that following the characters would tell a story. Which it did.
But now instead of a character-driven story, we're suddenly tossed an adventure with multiple characters and multiple stories and it's just a little bit challenging to keep it all straight and to really enjoy what Remic has put together. Instead of the pinnacle that Remic was preparing for through the various books and series' we get a conglomerate mess and an unfocused story.
Still...it's Andy Remic, and if you like his work, there is still much to enjoy. There are still the colorful characters and brutal battle sequences that practically define a Remic story. The problem is that there is so much of it that you can't really savor what's there.
I'll keep reading Remic, and I'd like to stay within this world, but I'd rather a slower series of events that tells a story than this rapid fire adventure.
Looking for a good book? Twilight of the Dragons by Andy Remic follows up on the adventures begun in The Dragon Engine as well as the Rage of Kings series but loses some focus by trying to do too much.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I just finished the first book in this series, The Dragon Engine, and I jumped right in to this next book because I was on such an octane high from the story.
Author Andy Remic picks up right where the previous book left off and adds some complications (as if Beetrax, Lillith, Dake, and Talon needed more complications). In addition to the story following our band of intrepid heroes we have the story of the dragons who'd just been released back into the world at the end of the previous book, as well as the (re)introduction of a different band of heroes - those from Remic's Rage of Kings series. And we also have a slightly surprising side story of one of the villains from the previous book. It is non-stop action upon action, bouncing between all the different aspects of the story.
And that's a little bit of a problem.
In the previous book we had a relatively clear story path. We followed Beetrax and his associates through battles and highs and lows (fearsome lows!) and we had faith that following the characters would tell a story. Which it did.
But now instead of a character-driven story, we're suddenly tossed an adventure with multiple characters and multiple stories and it's just a little bit challenging to keep it all straight and to really enjoy what Remic has put together. Instead of the pinnacle that Remic was preparing for through the various books and series' we get a conglomerate mess and an unfocused story.
Still...it's Andy Remic, and if you like his work, there is still much to enjoy. There are still the colorful characters and brutal battle sequences that practically define a Remic story. The problem is that there is so much of it that you can't really savor what's there.
I'll keep reading Remic, and I'd like to stay within this world, but I'd rather a slower series of events that tells a story than this rapid fire adventure.
Looking for a good book? Twilight of the Dragons by Andy Remic follows up on the adventures begun in The Dragon Engine as well as the Rage of Kings series but loses some focus by trying to do too much.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2020
Twilight of Dragons
Our heroes are in trouble.
Having lost one of their number during the escape from the dwarven slave mines, they long for the simple pleasures of the sun on their faces and wind in their hair. But such pleasures are hard to find when you’re heading in the opposite direction, and trekking ever further underground.
But why on earth would they do such a thing when there’s nothing to stand in their way?
Because they’re heroes, that’s why. And the dragons are free, spreading death and fiery destruction upon the descendants of those who locked them away, so long ago. And nothing can stop them celebrating their liberty in an orgy of violence. . .
. . . Or so it seems.
Longtime enemies face off. Unlikely alliances are made. Old scores are settled, while new ones are kindled. Ancient magicks are unleashed. Unearthly powers come into play.
And all the while, a dark peril lies forgotten. Yes, a thousand dragon eggs are nearing maturation, awaiting the catalyst that will give rise to a new reign of terror.
How do you prevent an apocalypse when the world is coming down around your ears?
Find out, in this spectacular, action-packed saga filled with heroic deeds, traitorous scum, and sinew rending battle scenes. It won’t give you a moment’s rest. The pace really is that exhilarating, setting off at a sprint and maintaining its momentum until the breathtaking finale.
What I particularly liked about Twilight of Dragons is the fact that it takes a series of unexpected, sometimes heartrending/sometimes welcome turns as it nears the end. I’m usually a jammy so and so at working out the plot and guessing how things will turn out. So, when I’m taken by surprise – which doesn’t happen very often – I love it.
So, accept the challenge. Turn the first page and enter the quest. Death and glory await you, toasted in your enemy’s blood.
Awesome fun!
Our heroes are in trouble.
Having lost one of their number during the escape from the dwarven slave mines, they long for the simple pleasures of the sun on their faces and wind in their hair. But such pleasures are hard to find when you’re heading in the opposite direction, and trekking ever further underground.
But why on earth would they do such a thing when there’s nothing to stand in their way?
Because they’re heroes, that’s why. And the dragons are free, spreading death and fiery destruction upon the descendants of those who locked them away, so long ago. And nothing can stop them celebrating their liberty in an orgy of violence. . .
. . . Or so it seems.
Longtime enemies face off. Unlikely alliances are made. Old scores are settled, while new ones are kindled. Ancient magicks are unleashed. Unearthly powers come into play.
And all the while, a dark peril lies forgotten. Yes, a thousand dragon eggs are nearing maturation, awaiting the catalyst that will give rise to a new reign of terror.
How do you prevent an apocalypse when the world is coming down around your ears?
Find out, in this spectacular, action-packed saga filled with heroic deeds, traitorous scum, and sinew rending battle scenes. It won’t give you a moment’s rest. The pace really is that exhilarating, setting off at a sprint and maintaining its momentum until the breathtaking finale.
What I particularly liked about Twilight of Dragons is the fact that it takes a series of unexpected, sometimes heartrending/sometimes welcome turns as it nears the end. I’m usually a jammy so and so at working out the plot and guessing how things will turn out. So, when I’m taken by surprise – which doesn’t happen very often – I love it.
So, accept the challenge. Turn the first page and enter the quest. Death and glory await you, toasted in your enemy’s blood.
Awesome fun!
October 23, 2017
Published 2016. Well, book one was better than book 2. This one is a mish mash of stuff, invented escapes, repetitive coarse language and disjointed. In the middle the author goes to a crawl introducing new characters into the plot which are very much the same as before and the seduction joke gets old fast. Found myself skip reading to the end just to get there. No book 3 for me.
May 24, 2017
My spouse gave me this book as a gift. I did not know if I would enjoy it. I did though and am wondering (hoping), will there be another one? Does anyone know? These characters and their stories will be a pleasure to read again.
March 16, 2018
Worth the effort
Not the easiest read but worth persevering, a wild tale that follows on from the previous books and unites the survivors.
Not the easiest read but worth persevering, a wild tale that follows on from the previous books and unites the survivors.
December 7, 2019
Best book ever I loved it so much it's a mix between game of thrones and Lord of the rings
April 23, 2022
A wild ride! An orgy of fighting and swearing with a few emotional scenes thrown in.
September 7, 2016
I’ll begin this review with a warning. Those of you delicate disposition probably don’t want to read any further. Andy Remic novels have a tendency to be bloody, brutal and extremely adult. This book is no exception. Firstly, it contains a bucket loads of bloodletting and violence. I suppose that is to be expected really; there are lots of axes, and what with dragons about, people bound to get bitten in half from time to time. There are also a whole host of swears. Seriously, I’m not joking here, there are a lot. I just wanted to get that out the way before we begin. I don’t want to hear any whiney complaints of people being shocked or offended.
Now that I’ve done my due diligence, and it’s only those of us who relish the chaos and mayhem who remain, we can proceed.
Forget what you may have read elsewhere. All that sentimental brouhaha about the nobility of dragons is utter tosh. Andy Remic puts it as plainly as possible. To paraphrase The Dark Knight – some dragons just want to watch the world burn. Freed from the confines of the dwarven mines, the three dragons, Volak, Kranesh and Moraxx, who were part of The Dragon Engine have taken to the skies. They are intent on reestablishing their bloody reign on the world and reaping their revenge on just about everyone. It is up to our band of motley heroes to try and stop these killing machines from regaining power. Our group’s first task? Stop the dragons from reaching their hatchery in the ancient city of Wyrmblood. Three dragons is bad, hundreds of dragons would be a damn sight worse.
In the aftermath of the events in book one, all of our heroes are broken in one way or another. Dake and Beetrax are both at a particularly low ebb. Everyone has suffered greatly, and the bad news is that things are only going to get worse. These are heroes who have to fight tooth and claw for every victory. Andy Remic never goes easy on his protagonists.
What of the bad guys? Well, there is a new female dwarf character called Crayline Hew, who is a complete and utter sociopath. I liked her immediately. Cardinal Skalg also remains thoroughly loathsome. His part in the narrative veers off on a wholly unexpected tangent, as brilliant as it was unexpected.
I’ll admit to a little whoop of delight when I spotted characters from The Rage of Kings books also pop up in some of the chapters. The Iron Wolves are great fun and I love it when Dek and Narnok are bickering with one another. Drinking, fighting and causing all manner of chaos is always the order of the day whenever the Iron Wolves are concerned.
As some of you have spotted, I like to try and find a complimentary soundtrack to listen to whenever I read a book. In this instance, I think I’ve found an absolute corker. Dragon Age: Inquisition by Trevor Morris lends itself perfectly to Twilight of the Dragons.
There is a visceral rawness to Andy Remic’s work that I have enjoyed for a long time. His heroes and heroines aren’t perfect. They are flawed, but always compelled to try and do what is right. When violence does occur it is never sugar coated or dumbed down, it’s swift and extreme. If that sounds like your idea of literary heaven then I suggest giving this book and its predecessor a try. In fact, you really can’t go wrong with anything this author has written.
Twilight of the Dragons is undeniably brutal and uncompromising, but it is also completely engrossing. I didn’t think it possible but I appear to have been proven wrong. Andy Remic has successfully out Remic’ed himself. Most impressive.
Now that I’ve done my due diligence, and it’s only those of us who relish the chaos and mayhem who remain, we can proceed.
Forget what you may have read elsewhere. All that sentimental brouhaha about the nobility of dragons is utter tosh. Andy Remic puts it as plainly as possible. To paraphrase The Dark Knight – some dragons just want to watch the world burn. Freed from the confines of the dwarven mines, the three dragons, Volak, Kranesh and Moraxx, who were part of The Dragon Engine have taken to the skies. They are intent on reestablishing their bloody reign on the world and reaping their revenge on just about everyone. It is up to our band of motley heroes to try and stop these killing machines from regaining power. Our group’s first task? Stop the dragons from reaching their hatchery in the ancient city of Wyrmblood. Three dragons is bad, hundreds of dragons would be a damn sight worse.
In the aftermath of the events in book one, all of our heroes are broken in one way or another. Dake and Beetrax are both at a particularly low ebb. Everyone has suffered greatly, and the bad news is that things are only going to get worse. These are heroes who have to fight tooth and claw for every victory. Andy Remic never goes easy on his protagonists.
What of the bad guys? Well, there is a new female dwarf character called Crayline Hew, who is a complete and utter sociopath. I liked her immediately. Cardinal Skalg also remains thoroughly loathsome. His part in the narrative veers off on a wholly unexpected tangent, as brilliant as it was unexpected.
I’ll admit to a little whoop of delight when I spotted characters from The Rage of Kings books also pop up in some of the chapters. The Iron Wolves are great fun and I love it when Dek and Narnok are bickering with one another. Drinking, fighting and causing all manner of chaos is always the order of the day whenever the Iron Wolves are concerned.
As some of you have spotted, I like to try and find a complimentary soundtrack to listen to whenever I read a book. In this instance, I think I’ve found an absolute corker. Dragon Age: Inquisition by Trevor Morris lends itself perfectly to Twilight of the Dragons.
There is a visceral rawness to Andy Remic’s work that I have enjoyed for a long time. His heroes and heroines aren’t perfect. They are flawed, but always compelled to try and do what is right. When violence does occur it is never sugar coated or dumbed down, it’s swift and extreme. If that sounds like your idea of literary heaven then I suggest giving this book and its predecessor a try. In fact, you really can’t go wrong with anything this author has written.
Twilight of the Dragons is undeniably brutal and uncompromising, but it is also completely engrossing. I didn’t think it possible but I appear to have been proven wrong. Andy Remic has successfully out Remic’ed himself. Most impressive.
September 3, 2016
Originally posted at http://wp.me/p4Wvzn-1Mw
Fans of Two Nerds Talking might remember that we were fortunate to do an advanced review of the first book in this series about a year ago.
Well, lightning has struck twice with we being fortunate enough to get an advanced review copy of Twilight of the Dragons, the second book in this amazing fantasy series by author Andy Remic.
Twilight of the Dragons picks up exactly where the last book left off with the Heroes of Vagandrak bruised, battered and somewhat worse for wear, still trapped within the bowels of the mountain.
Meanwhile the newly freed dragons Volak, Kranesh and Moraxx set about reminding the world just why dragons should be feared, wreaking havoc and devastation across the land.
From start to finish, Twilight of the Dragons is an action-packed adventure, with some fantastic flashbacks and side-stories that give us some great insight into established characters as well as introducing new ones.
Above all, I have to applaud author Andy Remic for his amazing, vibrant and beautifully descriptive writing style. He paints such a vivid picture that I could almost SEE the events in the book unfolding in front of my eyes.
It should be noted too that like it's predecessor, this is not a book for the kiddies who want to read nice stories about Dragons.... The Dragons in this book EAT kiddies.
All in all, this is a fantastic book that I couldn't fault in any way.
Fans of Two Nerds Talking might remember that we were fortunate to do an advanced review of the first book in this series about a year ago.
Well, lightning has struck twice with we being fortunate enough to get an advanced review copy of Twilight of the Dragons, the second book in this amazing fantasy series by author Andy Remic.
Twilight of the Dragons picks up exactly where the last book left off with the Heroes of Vagandrak bruised, battered and somewhat worse for wear, still trapped within the bowels of the mountain.
Meanwhile the newly freed dragons Volak, Kranesh and Moraxx set about reminding the world just why dragons should be feared, wreaking havoc and devastation across the land.
From start to finish, Twilight of the Dragons is an action-packed adventure, with some fantastic flashbacks and side-stories that give us some great insight into established characters as well as introducing new ones.
Above all, I have to applaud author Andy Remic for his amazing, vibrant and beautifully descriptive writing style. He paints such a vivid picture that I could almost SEE the events in the book unfolding in front of my eyes.
It should be noted too that like it's predecessor, this is not a book for the kiddies who want to read nice stories about Dragons.... The Dragons in this book EAT kiddies.
All in all, this is a fantastic book that I couldn't fault in any way.
February 18, 2020
I'm not able to put my finger on what it was exactly, but this book I enjoyed so much better than the first. Andy Remic is an excellent storyteller when you are craving brutally violent and mature content with adventure and fun. The Great Dwarf Lords were my favorite characters. Their role in this book with their history made them fascinating. The stakes are high and the challenges are impossible, so the Iron Wolves are drawn into the fight against the dragons. For me the grandeur of the dwarf kingdoms under the Karamakkos Mountains are so much awesome that it can be difficult to imagine. The weight of the mountain on top kept my fear of tight spaces on going. I had a great time reading this highly entertaining duology and am looking forward to this author's next story.
March 30, 2024
Not as good as the first .. fairly obvious, even without the adverts in the back that he had an "Iron Wolves" series and wrote them in. Now it might be that the first set a benchmark and I'm more used to this sort of thing, but no. There's plenty other grimdark out there, and unfortunately, for me, this doesn't reach the heights the first book in the series did.
February 1, 2017
Worthy of Gemmel's Crown - BLOODY BRILLIANT!
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