The Adamantine Palace

The Memory of Flames #1

by Stephen Deas

A "remarkable debut" ( Locus ) from the "new Dragon Lord in town" (Gareth Wilson, Falcata Times).

The power of the Realms depends on its dragons. With their terrifying natures, they are ridden by the aristocracy and bred for hunting and war. But as dangerous political maneuverings threaten the complacency of the empire, a single dragon has gone missing. And even that one dragon-returned to its full intelligence and fury-could spell disaster for the Realms...

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Magic, Adult

368 pages, Hardcover

First published March 19, 2009

About the author

Stephen Deas is an engineer in the aerospace industry, working on communications and imaging technology in the defence sector. He is married with two children and lives near Writtle in Essex.

Also writes as Nathan Hawke and S.J. Deas.

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll keep this brief as I am waiting for a plane to take off.
A pretty good read really. For easy to follow and the characters are fun for the most part. It's like 'how to train your Dragon' for adults.
The main character is but if a self centred git, A princess who is a tomboy dragon loving tough girl who you just know is going to end up with the Prince Git.
Basically Dragons are raised from the egg and given secret potions to keep them docile and subservient. But one escapes and goes rogue and begins what will be no doubt a trilogy about Dragon vs Human, but where loyalties and love may be the thing to stop total destruction.

So yeah, probably predictable, but an easy read all the same.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

How can you love fantasy and not like dragons? They're kind of like vampires: everybody uses them, everybody who wants to make their mark on the genre tries to come up with a clever new way to use them, and usually they fail, so as a fantasy reader, you're inclined to roll your eyes at any book with a dragon on the cover. And yet, dragons are still pretty damn cool, when they're done right.

The Adamantine Palace is a mediocre effort in the field. It's not awful, like anything with "Dragonlance" in the title, but it's not great, like the first few books in some series that were pretty good until the author descended into hackdom and just started churning them out as reconstituted work-product. (What's McCaffrey's latest, Housecats of Pern?)

The author's description on John Scalzi's "Big Idea" is what sold it to me:

The dragons in these books are monsters. They’re not cute, they’re not cuddly, and the only reason anyone gets to ride around on the back of them is because they are forcibly subdued by alchemical potions that are fed to them from birth. In fact, these dragons are so dangerous that for even one to break free could spell disaster for pretty much the entire civilisation (no prizes for guessing what happens pretty close to page one).

So you can, and probably should, read it as a straight epic fantasy with a cast of shady characters and a rampaging dragon that’s pretty ticked off about having been kept in a drugged stupor. I had no pretensions to anything more than a story about kick-ass dragons that ran on rocket-fuel when I set out to write these books; but sometimes when you sit down and write, you don’t get quite what you asked for.

Well, that sounded pretty cool. The idea of an escaped dragon being kind of like a missing nuclear warhead, except the nuclear warhead is sentient, and pissed off, appeals to me, and I was in the mood for a story that's "rocket-fueled" adventure, with dragons.

Did Deas deliver? A little yes, a little no, but mostly not so much.

The book is pretty fast-paced, as promised. There is a lot of action, there is much carnage and burning and dragons eating people, though it stays pretty limited in scope: no Reign of Fire-level apocalypse...yet.

The dragons were indeed interesting, or at least, the handful who get free of their drug-induced servility were. Yup, any sympathy you might have had for the poor beasts who've been drugged and enslaved as a species and used as riding beasts goes away once it turns out that, freed from their alchemical shackles, they're bloodthirsty predators who will happily burn human civilization to the ground and hunt the survivors like rabbits. (Okay, if you were an escaped dragon just waking up to the fact that you're an intelligent being who's been turned into a riding animal, you might want a little fiery retribution too, but from what we learn in the book, that's how the dragons treated humans before they were enslaved.)

None of the human characters are particularly interesting or likeable. Non-nobles in this world are nothing but spear-carriers. That's how both the nobles and the author treats them. Where the humans come on stage, it's mostly just a bunch of scheming, backstabbing nobles playing their reindeer games, and since they're all equally scheming, backstabbing, and non-sympathetic, and none of them will do anything different from the others if they wind up on the throne, we don't care who wins. The "protagonist" (inasmuch as this book has one), Prince Jehal, is clever, but whenever his cleverness isn't quite enough to make his schemes work, one of his opponents conveniently makes a mistake so that he wins anyway. He's an arrogant bastard, but none of his adversaries are any better, and most of them are worse.

The action-packed parts of the book are a decent read, but the worldbuilding is weak. Like so many epic fantasy novels, The Adamantine Palace starts with charts showing the genealogies of all the various royal families, with lofty names like "The Queen of Sand and Stone," but all this means is that Queen Shezira lives in a desert. There are a bunch of royal families with rival kingdoms, making up an essentially indistinguishable mob of kings, queens, princes, and princesses, all of whom have dragons and dragon-knights and castles. The one foreign element is the Teitaykei, a bunch of vaguely Oriental traders who come from across the sea, and whom I assume will probably show up again in the next two books of the trilogy, but in this book, they existed solely to hand Prince Jehal a magical plot device.

The double- and triple-crossing is entertaining enough, but I would have liked more dragon action. Also, Deas uses an amateurish multiple-POV writing style throughout the book, shifting from one character to another in each chapter, and focusing on none of them. Some of the POV characters end up dying unceremoniously without ever having contributed much to the plot.

This is a book that people who still think AD&D novels are cool will probably like. Anyone else who really likes dragons will probably find it worth reading, but the Great Dragon Novel it is not.

[Hailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I adored it.

This is the kind of book that I’m always searching for. A book with awesome badass sentient dragons. That’s all I need in a book and this one definitely delivers.

Thre is definitely more politics in this novel than action scenes but that is not a bad thing. There are very few likeable characters in this book but Stephen Deas has the ability to ensure you do not need to like them to want to read about them. In fact I found that the morally corrupt characters were far more interesting to read about that the few characters in this that had a bit of good in them.

It may sound a bit clichéd but this novel definitely gave off strong Game of Throne vibes. It’s just Game of Thrones with a LOT more focus on dragons and how that affects them politically. So being the dragon fanatic I am this book is basically what I want Game of Thrones to be.

The dragons are really fascinating as well. Their ability to read thoughts really adds an interesting dynamic to the plot and their interaction with humans. And I can’t blame them for how they are acting after what humans have been doing to them for hundreds of years (for more information on this please read the book ;-D).

The only negative thing I have to say about this book: I can’t get the matching covers for books two and three! Seriously I even rang the publishers and asked them to check their stock and they don’t even have it. It’s not as if I was asking for the older covers either, it’s the newer one I wanted. So now, out of the seven books, two of them don’t match on my shelf. But that really is the only bad thig I have to say about this series so far. I hope book two is as good (despite the cover).

Basically I can’t wait to see how this series develops and I would definitely recommend this to fantasy fans, especially people who love politically motivated fantasy and Game of Throne fans, especially those like me who’s favourite POV is the Daenerys'.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Adamantine Palace is the prize that one prince seeks and through all manner of realm craft, diabolical planning, love craft, cruelty, potions and poisons he schemes his way throughout the novel to seize his price. Meanwhile, Snow, a dragon, which was to be a gift for the prince from Queen Shakiza was attacked by a party of dragonriders and escaped into the wilderness with her Scale, a man charged with watching over her from birth. Unknown to both however, the dragons are drugged by the alchemists with a portion that makes them controllable.

In the wilderness, without the control of the potion, Snow reverts back to her native intelligence and aggression, and with the aid of a captive mercenary, who also bears a grudge against dragon riders, hatches a plan to destroy the alchemists and free her fellow dragons.

The fast paced action as both the dragon and the prince strive to accomplish their goals is straight forward.

Do you cheer for the dragon. Its a hard call.

But you cannot cheer for the Prince, who is a conviver, a womanizer and a murderer.

Nonetheless, here is a book as good as its wonderful cover art and well worth reading.

[Brandon Zarzyczny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings regarding this book. While there are a lot of interesting concepts, and it's written well, I really didn't care about any of the characters. The book isn't too long, yet it took me awhile to read it, as it really wasn't a page turner. There are definitely interesting characters, but none of them are likable, even as villains. There also isn't too much of an arcing story, it's basically just a political power struggle. Also, there are dragons. So, I'm really not sure if I want to read the sequel or not, maybe I'll give it a chance if I'm desperate to find something to read.

[Simcha Lazarus · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been many years since I last read a book featuring dragons because for some reason dragons just don’t appeal to me now as much as they did when I was younger. But after reading The Adamantine Palace I found myself wondering what I might have been missing out on over the years because this books was really fantastic. The Adamantine Palace is one of those books that remind me of why I was attracted to fantasy in the first place, though it is rather more sophisticated than those fantasy books of my youth.

In addition to the engaging writing style, the wonderful world building and the steady pacing which kept me completely hooked all the way through the book, I was particularly impressed by the way the characters are presented. The story is told from the perspective of each character so the reader comes to intimately understand and sympathize with each one, even though many of them are enemies of one another.The dragons receive similar treatment as well. At first we only view them through the eyes of the humans but eventually we get into the head of the one of the dragons and receive a new perspective of the unfolding events. Initially I had felt sympathetic for the plight of the dragons, for their having been drugged and enslaved by humans for the past hundred years, but once it becomes clear what the dragons are like in their natural form I felt my sympathy shift to their human captors. There is no black and white in The Adamantine Palace, no clear lines separating villains from heroes, which is part of what makes this story a complex and deeply satisfying read.

The only complaint I have is that none of the various story-lines are actually resolved by the conclusion of the book and, in fact, the book ends just as events get even more heated. This means that you will want to have the sequel, The King of the Crags, close by so that you can immediately delve into it once you finish The Adamantine Palace. I certainly wish I had been properly prepared as now I have to wait impatiently for the week, or so, that it will take The King of the Crags to be delivered to my mailbox.

I highly recommend The Admantine Palace to all readers of fantasy. Even if it has been years since you last read a book about dragons, don't hesitate to give this one a try. You will not be disappointed.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 4 out of 5]

В началото на май ме налегна остра фентъзи жажда. Огледах се с какво да я утоля и... веднага се спрях на сагата „Спомен за пламъци” на Стивън Диас и „Студио Арт Лайн”. „Елмазеният дворец” е първият роман от поредицата, а красивата му корица обещава приказен свят на властни аристократи и люспести, достолепни дракони! Прочетете ревют�� на "Книжни Криле":

https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

[Kara Babcock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can’t tell if this is a compliment or criticism, so I’ll just put it out here and let you decide: I spent most of this book trying to cast different actors from Game of Thrones to play the characters in this book. The similarities are just so glaring—not that I’m saying The Adamantine Palace is in any way derivative of A Song of Ice and Fire. Its world and plot and characters are entirely its own, and Stephen Deas definitely has some interesting ideas cooking here. But the overall tenor of the work, from the multiple kings and queens, the dragons, the scheming maester-like alchemists, and the use of multiple POVs and tendency for characters to keep killing each other off … all of that makes this feel along the same lines of Game of Thrones. I feel like this is exactly the kind of book series an opportunistic network that wanted to jump on the Game of Thrones trend might option and then do a terrible job adapting.

If you like more “traditional” high fantasy, this book will appeal. As previously mentioned, the book follows nobility in the throes of unceasing intrigue. The nobility and their knights ride dragons, kept tame by the potions of the alchemists. During The Adamantine Palace, certain nobles conspire with and against each other (allegiances shift really fast) in the weeks leading up to the election of a new Speaker, who is kind of like the Secretary of the UN, if the Secretary of the UN had a small military force and a massive palace and tortured people. So, you know, exactly like the Secretary.

I feel like a really awful person. I keep saying I want to read more traditional high fantasy, and then I rip into the books for being too traditional and not doing enough to circumvent, subvert, or otherwise play with the tropes of high fantasy. Why do I do this to myself? Shadow Prowler is another recent example, and although I think I liked The Adamantine Palace better on the whole, I have similar complaints. By and large, Deas reaches in the Fantasy Tropes Grab Bag, pulls up a handful of good ones, and puts them to work. But one reason I’m not a huge fan of uninnovative traditional fantasy is simply because it’s lazy. With a generation or two of readers raised in this tradition, authors don’t have to spell things out. They just say, “dragon” or “knight” or “castle” and let us do the rest. I get the sense there is a rich and interesting society in this world, but Deas spends very little time explaining it. We get vague allusions to wars of succession, etc., but no fulfilling background.

Yet it’s not as if this book is devoid of exposition. There is plenty of it, spread across far too many POVs. Indeed, The Adamantine Palace jumps from character to character even more than Game of Thrones does! With each new chapter, I kept thinking, “Ugh, not another perspective!” Don’t get me wrong: I love, love, love books that show me characters on either side, protagonists and antagonists, perpetrators and victims of schemes, etc. That’s all well and good. But there is a limit, and Deas exceeds it.

Worse still, some of the POVs seem utterly unnecessary. He introduces a few characters only to unceremoniously kill them off (or they disappear, presumably killed) after one or two chapters. What, exactly, was their point? I don’t object to the killing of main characters, but the issue here is that they didn’t have time to become established as main characters. Meanwhile, characters who were previously side characters suddenly get promoted to main characters, and—look, do you know how hard it is for me to redraw my Fantasy Character Org Chart for a book every time someone dies? I need to stop working in permanent marker….

Once the ink is dry, though, and we have a fairly stable cast, what then of the story, the plot, all those intrigues? Well, I do love the dragons. My only complaint is that Deas drops his bombshell a little too far into the novel—I kept reading, because I could see hints along the lines of what he eventually reveals, but he plays it almost a little too coy. Still, once we learn the Truth About Dragons and get more scenes with the vengeful Snow, the book picks up pace. I also love how very few people actually understand the scope of this problem; most of the nobility who are even aware of the issue think it’s simply a case of a missing or kidnapped dragon. This feels very realistic to me (insofar as a fantasy book can be realistic), and it’s also something that can be difficult for an author to achieve. Balancing the need for characters to have imperfect information while also letting the audience in on the joke can be a delicate act, but Deas does it well.

Unfortunately, the dragon plot gets sidelined by political machinations that are not as exciting or well-thought-out as their author might think they are. For one, Prince Jehal switches sides more the narrator of Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold”, to the point where I don’t think even he knows whose side he’s on. I think he’s just an overconfident, scheming psychopath amidst a bunch of overconfident, scheming sociopaths. This could have made for a good character study, except that we get treated to one too many chapters in which Jehal cackles over this or that scheme while the narrator explains to us precisely what’s going to happen next. The same goes for many of the other POV characters wrapped up in this plot. I just want to get back to the dragons.

Because, at the end of the day, I care about the dragons more than I do about these people. The dragons have my sympathy. These kings and queens? Not so much. Deas gives me little reason to cheer for any of these human characters; they’re all pretty despicable, and none of them sound like they’re going to do a better job running this land than any others. (It’s important to note that we get precious little face time with anyone who isn’t nobility, and the one sell-sword POV character is on Team Dragons. So that tells you a lot about the moral fibre of these rulers right there.)

Machinations in medieval-inspired fantasies should be like the medieval machinations that inspired them. There’s a reason why A Song of Ice and Fire steals so much from the Wars of the Roses. While it’s true that people changed sides during such conflicts, there was much more going on. I find such epic conflicts interesting because, when you read about them, you learn about what’s at stake, as well as the family politics behind the story. That isn’t present here. There are vague references to a war or two, as I mentioned above, and some allusions to pacts made long ago—and that’s about it. The Adamantine Palace is adrift in its timeline, providing little in the way or weight of history to anchor it.

I would really like to recommend this, if only because Deas does some interesting things with dragons. But it overreaches, overpromises, and does not end up delivering the depth of politics, characterization, or worldbuilding I’m looking for in my high fantasy. Am I overly critical and picky? Probably. But that doesn’t make me wrong!

[Knigoqdec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Един дракон ще се пробуди от своя сън...

http://knigoqdec.blogspot.bg/2017/01/...

[Jacey]

I expected to like this a lot and I was disappointed to find that I didn't.

I appreciate that redemption may yet come in subsequent books, but none of the characters redeem themselves - even a little bit - by the end of the first book. The bad guy (or perhaps the slightly worse guy, since there don't seem to be any good guys) wins.

The plot, centres around the election of a new Speaker (a kind-of king of kings who reigns in the Adamantine Palace for a ten year term). It should be a foregone conclusion. Hyram, the outgoing speaker, is ill and according to an ancient pact Queen Shazira will be his successor, but Prince Jezal - whose own father seems to be afflicted with the same illness as Hyram (but much more advanced) - has other ideas. We know he seems to be up to something devious, but the detail of his actual intent is hidden until the end.

I checked the author's website. This is the start of a trilogy - but I won't read on, sorry. This is not like Joe Abercrombie, whose characters might be a bunch of twisted, evil bastards, but they are ones you can care about.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas
Published by Gollancz, March 2009 (ARC copy received)
350 pages
ISBN: 9780575083738

Ah, Dragons! Otherworldly, yet surprisingly comforting.

So here we have a new book from a new writer that is pretty much about a medieval-style world with dragons. It’s probably a little quirky in that the title of the book doesn’t really reveal it is about dragons (though I suspect the cover will.) Although the Palace and its many eyries are an important setting for the novel, it’s not apparent from that title that the tale is a High Fantasy, with, perhaps more than the Palace, dragons at its centre.

What we get here is a rompingly good, character-focused tale, with royal families that have clearly taken a leaf out of history. In a style reminiscent of George RR Martin’s Westeros or perhaps from real-life The Borgias, the seven realms are represented here by one of the most rampant, back-stabbing, adulterating, self-centred and arrogant groups you’re likely to read. They think nothing of sleeping with one family member and poisoning another. In fact, to reflect this, one member of royalty is dealt with in the first five pages of the book.

With such a background then it is perhaps no surprise that poisons and potions are a key feature in the book, for more than one reason. Not only are some accused of poisoning their elders in the book, others are kept active via a mysterious elixir surreptitiously created by the Alchemists of this tale. Furthermore, the Alchemist’s key duty is to keep in tow the dragons of this tale.

Here dragons are a key part of society, used for royal carriage, goods transport, for battle and troop deployment. As you might therefore expect, they are ridden by Riders, who are often of a regal persuasion, and looked after by Scales, a nomenclature given to the servants whose close and constant proximity to the dragons from hatching mean that their skin develops a condition which I will describe as ‘terminal eczema’. The position of dragons in this society is therefore one of domestic servility, though they’re not the sort to be found on the fire hearth at home.

The story mainly deals with the consequences created by the breeding of a flawless white dragon, a major wedding dowry in a piece of political machination (often found in royal circles). Named Snow, its attempted murder and subsequent escape into the wilderness has consequences for all concerned. Snow’s escape leads to her growing up without the regular dosage of an alchemist’s potion, a circumstance that leads to her ‘awakening’, a remembrance of other lives in a time when dragons did not do the bidding of Riders but spent their time destroying humans (called ‘Little Ones’) on a whim and eating, occasions when dragons were not so docile. As a result, Snow’s subsequent return to the world of humans means that Snow is looking for revenge and revolution. It is time for dragons to be free….

There are a lot of pleasing qualities with this debut novel. Though the tropes are not particularly new, it’s very well done. The life cycle of a dragon is quite different and suggests some interesting concepts. Above all, the book is engaging from the start, with the reader is drawn into the High Fantasy trappings very quickly – unrest and power struggles in the monarchy, life amongst the lowlife servant culture is soon to be altered forever and so on – and the pages kept turning very quickly after that.

The structure of the book is in that modern MTV-fastcut style, so beloved on our TV screens, where there are 70 short chapters which kept moving from one character to another. This kept the ball rolling for me but may annoy some readers as it flits from perspective to perspective.

These characters are interesting, and their interactions are reminiscent of the political shenanigans of the world of Westeros, though without that world’s complexity. The human characters (unlike those of Pern) are devious, manipulative and self-centred, more reminiscent of Westeros or Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series. To reflect this, there is swearing and sex here, though not particularly explicit. Like many recent tales of this genre, there are heroes and villains, (not to mention heroines and villainesses), all with that sense of ambiguity which raises the plot and makes the book more interesting. There’s a nice mixture of strong male and female characters to give the book an ambiguous social structure. The dialogue between the characters is pleasantly appropriate. Having read some recent debuts where the language didn’t work for me, this one, on the whole, did.

The world building is reasonable, though not the greatest strength of the book. From the Adamantine Palace itself, a symbol of the High Fantasy opulence inherent in the novel, to the types of dragons bred for use – fighting, racing, breeding – this is a confident book that belies its author’s relatively new publication. The dragons are pleasingly un-human and their sense of power is quite apparent throughout the book.

There was much here that reminded me of the character-driven novels of Anne McCaffrey’s Pern: indeed, many dragon devotees will remember a white dragon as a character of importance in a number of McCaffrey’s books. However, these dragons are not the cosy horse-surrogates of Pern, nor the eager-to-please servants of Novik’s Temeraire, though there are broad similarities. The dragons of Deas are like rather like other wild creatures – angry, defiant, stubborn, vengeful. And this book is all the better for it.

It is a difficult thing to write a novel that uses many of the icons of High Fantasy and make it enjoyable; this is something though that Stephen has done here. The book is an entertaining mix of Pern and Westeros, with the knowing characterisation of Abercrombie and the endearment of Novik. To be recognised alongside such authors is a real achievement. The book is a very nicely put together package that will satisfy many a Fantasy and dragon fan.

In summary, this is a very well written book that, to my mind, is better characterised than Naomi Novik’s Temeraire and more enjoyable than Anne McCaffrey’s more recent Pern series. This is traditional-style fantasy, but written in a contemporary manner that should attract many new readers. As the first of a series (clearly shown by its ending), it bodes well for Stephen’s future writing career and one that I will forward very much to reading on further.

October 2008

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was very little that I really liked about this book, and rather a lot that I absolutely hated. Still, I can't give it one star because there's at least something about it that's interesting.

The Daily Telegraph's comment of "Dragons are restored to all their scaly, fire-breathing glory" just makes me wonder if anyone who writes for that paper has actually read much fantasy at all. The dragons are indeed fearsome and their actions and appearances are fairly well-done...albeit in a rather primitive fashion. They're formidable, powerful and cunning, but their intelligence is debatable. They're inherently selfish and hell bent on domination, and that about sums it up. The legendary dragons I've read about before aren't just formidable, powerful, and cunning, they're also wise and majestic. There's no grandeur to them as far as I am concerned. I recognise them as a powerful, ancient race (some good, some evil and some indifferent). In this, they're basically just big fire-breathing monsters who happen to be able to think and plot. There was a lot missing from them. Personality perhaps?

There's also not one single character I was able to give a damn about in this book. The human characters don't even have descriptions of their appearances. You get the occasional word or two such as Rider Semian being buck-toothed and Nastria having long black hair, but next to nothing else. They're all lying, scheming bastards who just want to further their own ends and nothing more, and their motives aren't explained either. Oh wait! There was ONE character I began to have a bit of sympathy for, but it's suggested that the dragon he's cared for since it was hatched turns around and eats him. The dragons then follow suit with the wickedness and scheming.

This might seem to some as lazy because I'm sending a link to a review that someone else wrote, but for the most part I couldn't describe what they've said any better than they have. I agree with EVERYTHING this person says about this book besides the part about the world-building. A small world isn't a bad thing at all, and parts of it are well-described, but the regions don't have any proper names, like: Realm of Sand and Stone, Realm of the Salt King, Realm of the Sea King and so forth. It would have been intriguing to see on the small map "NAME - The Realm of Sand and Stone", or something. This is the review that I related to significantly - http://www.lurvalamode.com/2010/03/15...

[Iliana Simeonova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Започнах „Елмазеният дворец“ без да имам никаква представа какво ще намеря в тази книга.
Книгата на моменти ми бе изключително интересна нямах търпение да разлиствам страница след страница, но в други моменти ми бе леко скучна.
Това е една история за свят на дракони и техните крале и ездачи.
Навлизането в този свят ми бе леко трудно, той е разделен на няколко кралства, а тези кралства ги обединява един Говорител, който е над всичко крале и кралици.
В тази книга ще намерите изключително много интриги и заговори, една борба за власт, в която всеки е готов да направи нужното.
Да не забравям да спомена и драконите!!!! Тяхната история е представена по различен начин, при тях има една борба за свобода, борба, в която читателя не знае коя страна да вземе.

[Gabriela Kozhuharova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Драконите чупят оковите си в „Елмазеният дворец“: http://azcheta.com/elmazeniyat-dvorec...

„Елмазеният дворец“ е идеалната книга за онези, на които им се чете добро фентъзи, което обаче не се разпростира в петнайсет тухли от по 1000 страници. Даже напротив, историята се ниже доста бързо заради кратките глави, динамично развиващото се действие, честата смяна на гледни точки и лекия стил на писане на Стивън Диас. Лошо впечатление ми направиха единствено многото пунктуационни грешки в българското издание.

[Anna-Maria Popova (Bookfan.tasy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*

[Tanabrus · Rating 2 out of 5]

L'idea alla base del libro è interessante.
Abbiamo un mondo di cui conosciamo solo un continente, e questo continente è diviso in nove regni.
A quanto pare, dopo infinite lotte, i nove regni si sono accordati per darsi un sovrano comune, che dall'Adamantine Palace controlla tutti quanti per quanto riguarda le questioni tra regni.
Questo sovrano generale è lo Speaker, che assieme agli Alchimisti, ai Maghi del sangue e ai Sacerdoti è l'autorità sovranazionale locale. Sta in carica dieci anni, e alla fine del mandato nomina il suo successore, che solitamente è già deciso da tempo in base a accordi tra le varie nazioni.

Questo concetto, con una sorta di sfida per il palazzo Adamantino (e gli invincibili soldati che lo difendono), richiama alla mente il Trono di Spade di Westeros, in qualche modo. Ma non è questo a rendere noiosa e indigesta tutta la metà del libro dedicata alle trame politiche.
Il protagonista di questa parte è Jehal, un personaggio modellato sul principe di spine di Lawrence e, immagino, su Ramsey Bolton: astuto e infido, ambizioso e privo di morale, pronto a uccidere e a ridere mentre lo fa.
In più è anche una sorta di playboy, con metà delle principesse dei nove regni (che a quanto pare ultimamente sfornano pochi principi e moltissime principesse) pronte a cedere alle sue advances.
L'ho trovato insipido, e molto meno... tutto, di Ramsey Bolton. Migliore del personaggio di Lawrence, ma comunque troppo "stereotipo". E si, purtroppo continuavo a immainarlo con la faccia di Iwan Rheon.
Gli altri personaggi sono sbiaditi, abbozzati. La regina Shezira è una sorta di Ned Stark ancora più rigida, la figlia minore è semplicemente priva di caratterizzazione, Jaslyn è comica nel suo essere solamente qualcosa relativo ai draghi, Zafir sembra una ragazzina in preda a una cotta per un serial killer, di quelle che poi finiscono discusse ai talk show pomeridiani.

Ho nominato i draghi, però.
Ecco, i draghi sono la cosa buona di questo libro.
All'inizio fanno male, essendo poco più di bestie accudite, ammaestrate e in grado di eseguire gli ordini impartitigli. Ma poi scopriamo il segreto dietro di loro, la storia remota di umani e draghi, e ci ritroviamo a desiderare di leggere i capitoli dedicati a Snow per scoprire di più e per vedere come procederà la sua lunga missione di salvataggio dei draghi.
Risulta un po' complicato comprendere appieno le motivazioni dietro l'aiuto fornitole da Kamir, visto che va bene l'odio per i Cavalieri dei Draghi, ma qui si parla di tentare lo sterminio di tutta l'umanità... comunque Kamir, e suo cugino, sono probabilmente gli unici personaggi degni di nota. Con un presente (di mercenari), un passato (da Outsiders, col trauma conseguente che li ha spinti ad andarsene nel mondo), un segreto (il giuramento fatto dopo la distruzione del villaggio), una situazione di paradosso che li vede al soldo di re e regine dei Draghi.

Lascia un poco perplessi il fatto che Snow sembri essere il primo drago a finire così, eppure non sembra esserci voluto tantissimo per cominciare a manifestare i primi sintomi.
Lascia moltissimo perplessi, invece, il fatto che i draghi ammaestrati accettino ordini da chiunque, e a un certo punto accettino qualunque ordine (anche ordini per cui non sono certo stati addestrati) e divorino carne umana con gioia... il tutto dopo poche ore senza i proprietari.


Restano molti interrogativi alla fine di questo primo libro: quanto andrà avanti la guerra prima che il nemico comune obblighi a una tregua? Che accadrà alla principessa ingenua? Cosa sceglierà l'aitante Jehal, riguardo le sue due donne? Chi ha tentato di rapire Snow? Cosa vogliono gli stranieri che ricoprono Jehal di doni?
Ma sopratutto, ce ne importa realmente? Per quanto mi riguarda temo di no, abbandonerò volentieri questi draghi al loro destino.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Realms are a manipulative place. Dragons are being manipulated through the form of potions to serve humans as glorified war horses. Speakers are manipulated to pick their successor. Sell swords are manipulated into embroiling themselves in wars that will easily cause their deaths. The Realms are not a soft place to live, in this, the first of a trilogy written by Stephen Deas.

Let's say this right off the bat: some fantasy novels currently fool themselves into being serious literary fiction. The Adamantine Palace does not do this. It, instead, presents sheer unadulterated fun - glossy characters, vivid dragons, cinematic actions sequences. I would definitely class it as a popcorn book - the pages turn swiftly while you remain almost unaware, drinking down the story in huge gulps. I loved it.

Of course, I couldn't tell you exactly why the Realms are at such odds; or much about the political intrigue between each of the major players. I couldn't tell you why a speaker is needed every ten years, or what their role comprises. I wouldn't be able to picture the Realms in my head, or explain why there is such a difference between the nobles in the eyries and those who live 'Outside'. I have no idea what caused this rift.

If someone were to ask me about the book, I would end up grinning and saying 'Dragons are COOL!' in an enthusiastic manner. All of the sequences that involved Snow, the perfect white dragon, were just superb. In fact, my lasting impression of the novel is a brilliant scene between Snow and her Scales - I won't ruin it, but her sense of embarrassment and shame is just perfectly played. I could have stood a whole novel about dragons, in fact, and I enjoyed every moment reading about their life cycles, the potions that keep them docile, how they're trained, etc. I had become rather disillusioned with dragons, but The Adamantine Palace has left me wanting a great deal more of them. The impatient, fiery, clever type anyway.

Deas is clearly a talented author. He has an amusingly dry touch to many of the conversations; he writes action scenes well; and he delights in showing us wickedly Machiavellian Kings and Queens.

In terms of characterisation, Jehal and Shezira are both done very well, and I want to know more about them - Jehal's insouciance is very attractive to me as a reader, while Shezira gives a little emotional depth about the nature of being a woman, a tradable commodity, in medieval times. Lystra, Shezira's daughter, showed some promise as a sassy princess sort, but ended up fading out into a girl who dotes on her man, while Zafir is deadly but somehow vapid and left no lasting impression.

The Adamantine Palace is the fantasy equivalent of one of my chick lit novels - a book that I read swiftly, enjoy thoroughly and would be willing to pick up at some future point as a comfort read. There were few surprises, lots of good scenes, and a great deal of fun to be had. I will be looking forward thoroughly to picking up King of the Crags in the near future. If you're looking for a breathless light-hearted read, you could not do better.

[Lowed · Rating 5 out of 5]

The power of the Realms depends on its dragons. Jealously guarded, nurtured by their handlers, ridden by the aristocracy, they are bred for hunting and for war. But only the alchemists and the mysterious liquid they administer to the dragons stand between the Realms and disaster. For without the liquid, the dragons would return to their natural fury-- unbiddable, terrifying, strong, and able to destroy an entire army and to burn a kingdom to ashes.

Prince Jehal is thinking of other things. Of power over all the the Kings and Queens of the Realms-- and he is prepared to charm, lie, betray, plot, and murder to get it. Nor is he alone in his ambition. Queen Sheriza has her daughters, and she means to use them as she herself was used, to gain the ultimate prize: marrying them off to secure her influence and power.

All sell-sword Kemir is thinking of is money. Of freedom from the unending arrogance of the dragon riders. And maybe of a little cold revenge against the warlords who both need him and despise him.

The Realms are uneasy. Who will rule?

And now a dragon has gone missing...


Intriguing isn't it? So I thought I will give this a try.! Will not get my hopes up though, you know how dragons are in fantasy lit these days. They're no longer as powerful and "otherworldly" as they used to be. I think they have reached their peak in the fantasy genre. Kind of like the vampires and werewolves in the paranormal romance genre.

Of course, every once in a good while you would always encounter some REALLY good use of them. I mean books written in a good way. Fantasy peppered with good characters, written in good prose, and dragons presented in a mysterious and "otherworldly" way. And this is THAT once in a good while. This is THAT book where you could say, it's classic with a fresh twist!

And for a first book, Stephen Deas did an excellent job. Now mind you, there are a lot of things that he needs to improve on here. Characterization for example was not enough. I think he ought to have given attention to those characters he planned to kill along the way. And, as a rule, antagonists should be stronger/more powerful than protagonists.

World building was lacking in some areas too. And I'd like to quote another reviewer for this. It may not be THAT good, but it's "reasonable."

Oh yeah, when writing a fantasy book-- please DO NOT forget the map! Else we'd have to keep on referring to that damn family tree on the front page!

I'm giddy! It could be the holidays! This is a five!

[Jessica Strider · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel full of plots, poison and dragons. Part of the fun of the novel is trying to figure out who is betraying whom and why. With some characters double crossing their partners, it's not clear until the very end what everyone's goals are.

Though all of the characters had logical reasons for their actions, I found it hard to like any of them and cheer them towards their goals. There was no 'good' character. Just a bunch of people trying to achieve something. Normally that would kill a book for me (I like at least one person I can empathize with). But Mr. Deas has created such an intriguing set of plot twists that I couldn't stop reading. Is Jehal really poisoning his father? Is Hyram going to honour his clan's agreement to make Queen Shezira the next speaker (and thereby ruler of the Nine Realms)? Who attacked the white dragon's entourage and what happened to it? Who are the mysterious Taiytakei people and what do they want? And what's in the bottle the sellswords Kemir and Sollos stop a group of dragon knights from selling in the prologue of the book?

It reads like a Joe Abercrombie novel, only with less swearing and fighting and more political scheming. The book does end in a way that suggests there will be a lot more warfare in the sequel.

Well written, often surprising, and definitely worth picking up.

[Gishata · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 80-100 pages are hard to read, I couldn't remember the characters because the author is constantly changing the POV and every chapter is centered around a different person. It's also good to mention that I wasn't able to figure out the main plot at that time which hardly ever happens (I haven't read the summary before I started the book) and I think that this contributes to my hard reading time.

So, after the first 100 or so pages, it became easier to read(maybe because I figured out who will be the main characters) and way better in my opinion but still nowhere near the quality I would want to see in a book to add it in my top readings list. I should also mention the fact that after I've finished "The Adamantine Palace", I can't think of many good qualities except the ones I will mention now. I like the fact that it is fast-paced, the setting, the dragons, and probably the thing I like the most is the ending but that's probably all.

One last thing that is quite important to mention, even if many before me have already said it, is that the characters all think the same way, you can't feel any attachment to anyone and this really makes the story so much less enjoyable.

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

c2009. Oh dear. This was a dreaded DNF. The synopsis attracted me - who can resist dragons for Heavens Sake. Sadly, I found the multiple POVs disjointed, little or no world building, one dimensional characters with too many secrets in the offing. Half way through the book, when other reviewers have mentioned that the story got going, I found to be inevitable and plodding. At this point, I did not care for any of the characters either the good ones or the bad ones. Joe Abercrombie's quote is "A fast, sharp, ruthless read." and I am starting to believe that Mr Abercrombie is playing with words when asked for a recommendation. His writing is brilliant and plotting so ingenious, that I find it hard to believe that he would lend any credibility to this debut effort of Mr Deas. "Ruthless read" - well, the author certainly did not have much mercy for his readers. Prince Jehal, Queen Shezira, Queen Aliphera, Zafir and Kemir.........excerpts from the Arabian Nights? Apologies to Mr Deas - but not recommended at all. Half a star - well, there were dragons.

[Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum · Rating 3 out of 5]

After watching The Lord of the Rings series in a massive movie marathon, I was inspired to introduce some fantasy books to my repertoire. The Adamantine Palace is a story of dragons and humans living together in a different world consisting of many Queens and Kings of the different realms.

After a somewhat slow start, the book took an exciting turn when one of the dragons starts communicating with the humans. The story really picks up here, and I thoroughly enjoyed the drama, conflict and the secondary plot featuring court plotting, lust and deception. I also enjoyed the description of the diamond palace, and found myself imagining how this could be depicted on the big screen.

I couldn't help but side with the plight of the dragons, led by the pure white dragon 'Snow' and would be interested in reading a sequel.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and page turner where the main heroes are a traitorous and murderous Prince who has a way with Queens and Princesses and a mercenary who is willing to help a renegade dragon "liberate" the drugged dragons at the possible cost of civilization itself.

The seemingly straight-up characters - though with dark secrets of their own - are an easy target for manipulations, but it's just book one.

With an extra hundred pages this novel would have stood very high among the fantasies of 09; this way it comes up as a great fun, showing promise, but the sequels will decide where the series will stand - in the rank of major league Abercrombie, GRRM, Bakker, or in the fun but minor and forgettable rank.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked the story of this book, but the characters were a little boring to me. I love dragons, and read many books with them, and I loved them in this book. So read this one for the dragons, not for the humans!

[Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

"We are alike. We both miss our kind in the same way. We miss what they could be, or should be, not what they truly are."

The Adamantine Palace is a great set-up for an pocket court intrigue with enough characters to keep track of in your working-memory. Let's see, we've got Jehal (in no way similar to his doppleganger from the First Law series Jezzle), who is the obligatory tyrannical schemer. "'How could anyone not covet it? I simply don't understand.'" Then there's his conspirator-cum-nemesis the shrewd and morally upright Queen Shezira, who might be spoilt, but doesn't collapse all her principles the way many powerful queens do in fantasy. Queen Zafir, the Kim Kardashian of the nine realms. And the decrepit and desperate old Hyram whose Parkinsonian disease exposes his fundamentally weak character and inability to accept adversity without bitterness. Even if that adversity is his own age. "She didn't know whether to despise or pity him." I'm really looking forwards to this cast expanding, and I hope that the main players have long enough life-spans to develop in the series.
I was enjoying cruising through a light court-intrigue fantasy book until the second section started and the narrative began to follow the escaped dragon Snow as she awoke from the effect of the alchemist's potions which formed a chemical cosh on her mind. "even one dragon on the loose, returned to its full intelligence, its full fury, could mean disaster." This is where the novel becomes really unique. The dragons have been humbled by chemical manipulation, but they are as indomitable masters of their own minds as they are of their bodies. They possess an intensity and vividness in their thoughts which infects humans, surpasses them, dazzles them. And yet humanity has turned them into mounts. "All my kin are still sleepwalking their lives." The psychology of Kailin's interaction with Snow was incredibly interesting, like contact with a much more advanced extra-terrestrial being. "He spent the rest of the day wondering what use a dragon would have for a veil, until he realised, she wasn't hearing his words any more, she was seeing into his mind. And when she answered him, she was looking inside him for things that he would understand." I am very interested to see how Snow's mind develops, and whether she grows in patience and maturity the longer she recaptures her intelligence. I definitely enjoyed Snow, Kailin, and Kemir's narratives the best. I was interested by the Outsiders and their political helplessness, with a loss of identity or socioeconomic security somewhat similar to Native American or Aboriginal populations. "The worst of the rage was gone now, and he couldn't find the fire to rekindle it. All that was left was sadness." Overall, all the best characters in one place.
Now for the part when I have a little tangent about why I had to deduct a star. Mostly, the world-building outside of the dragon-lore is rather sparse in this book to keep it fast paced and animated. However, if an author is going to introduce a cultural norm in which bride and groom are drugged on their wedding night and consummate without either giving full consent or having any memory of what happened, I need a thorough explanation why this choice has been made. And preferably a challenge. The effects of Maiden's Regret are uncomfortably similar to rohipnol, not discussed in depth, and not relevant at all to the overall story. I'm not done. Snow, how could you eat Kailin? How could you? He raised you from a baby! He loved you! HOW COULD YOU?

[Shaitarn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather more than three stars, but not enough for four.

I warn you the back cover description below is rather spoiler-y, so if you're wary of such things you may want to skip hurriedly past it.

From the back cover: Once dragons ruled the world and man was little more than prey; then a way of subduing the dragons was discovered. Now the dragons are bred to be little more than mounts for knights and the highly valued tokens in the diplomatic power-players that underpin the rule of the competing aristocratic houses. The Empire has grown fat.

And now one man wants it for himself. A man prepared to poison the king just as he poisoned his own father. A man prepared to murder his lover and bed her daughter. But unknown to him there are flames on the way. A single dragon has gone missing. And even one dragon on the loose, returned to its full intelligence, its full fury, could spell disaster for the Empire. But that is not all. because of the actions of one unscrupulous mercenary the rivals for the throne could soon be facing hundreds of dragons...

This novel was one of those frustrating 'meh; it's okay' books. There was plenty of intrigue and a fair number of POV characters and the bones of an interesting story.

These sometimes worked against the story as much as they worked for it. As soon as we learnt a little about a character and their plots and actions, we'd cut to someone else; as a result everyone felt a little short changed. That said, most of the characters in this book come across as selfish and unpleasant at best, downright evil at worst, so perhaps not spending too long a stretch with them is a good thing.

The plot was intrigue heavy, with a bit of action sprinkled in here and there. It was entertaining enough but to me it had a distinct 'first of a trilogy feel' - a lot was being set up for resolution for the second book. Whether this was because I read the second book many years ago I'm not sure - you may appreciate it more.

Finally I found the world-building a little lacking - the royal characters have titles like 'The Queen of Sand and Stone' or 'The Harvest Queen' without any explanation of what that actually meant. A little more explanation or description of their realms wouldn't have come amiss, but again I'm aware that may simply be my personal preference.

If you'd like a story with lots of dragons and intrigue then you could do worse than check this out.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
It’s been a while that a debut novel has been this good. It took a little while to get the hang of things, but this story really takes off.
For me there are neither characters nor dragons that I cared about. So I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed this conniving twisted tale by the end.
I guess I was in the mood for lots of villains because that’s what I got. Everyone has flaws and cracks in their armour. No one is innocent or completely guilty. I loved the little twists and turns the plot took.
I’m very interested in what will happen next as the dragons get their voices back and seek revenge.

[The black spot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Game of thrones meets How to train your dragon

I didnt read the whole book, but everything was actually pretty good. Especially the word-building.

The low rating is caused of the authors writing style and the characters. I just couldn't finish it because of that.

Otherwise the plot was quite intriguing.

[Solim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way this ended warrants needing to read the sequel. Too many questions unanswered that will be in the oncoming novels. Hopefully.

[Pauline Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this is a whole heap of rip-roaring fun and no mistake. It's not profound, the characters are all selfish and devious bastards, the world-building is a bit flat and the writing is capable if not particularly memorable, but - what a cracking story. Of course, it's the dragons who make it. I've heard it said that dragons are a bit out of favour these days, and publishers are avoiding them. Maybe so, but I for one just love them, and these dragons are terrific - big, powerful monsters, just like they should be, and totally mean-spirited. And they feel very alien, nothing like the loveable pals from Pern, or even the riddle-swapping Smaug. Brilliant.

The plot revolves largely around the political machinations of the various dragon-owning families, and it's at a level which makes Machiavelli look like a two year old. There are lies and subterfuge and double-dealing, all layered up to create an incredible writhing snake-pit of deception. I kept up with it pretty well until about three quarters of the way through, when it got to the point of (for all I know) double double double dealing, and I kind of lost the thread altogether. So at the end, I'm not completely sure who was really in league with whom, and who was just pretending to be. It was complicated. But it really didn't matter, because all the twists and turns raced by so fast it was all a blur anyway. Talk about breathtaking.

The characters never really came alive for me. They all seemed just a little too - well, too much. Too clever, too smug, too beautiful, too sexed up, too devious, too self-centred. There were just a few moments where something deeper shone through - Kemir deciding not to kill Semian, for instance, but to inflict a much slower and more painful punishment on him, in pure revenge, and Jaslyn's grief for her dragon. But mostly the characters seemed distant, too unemotional and too wrapped up in their own cleverness to be truly three dimensional. A word of warning, however: don't get too attached to any particular character, as the author is shockingly ruthless about disposing of them without a moment's notice.

The real stars here are the dragons, and what stars they are. These beasts are not cute or cuddly, but they are intelligent, and once they start to break free from human control they make formidable opponents. While the political complications got a bit dull towards the end, every dragon chapter was a joy, even if edged with a tinge of fear. You just never quite knew when they were going to eat one of the named characters. Because that's what these dragons do. Very much looking forward to seeing where things go from here. This is a book with some flaws, but it was such fun to read it merits four stars.