Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

The Dragon Engine

Doing this as a standalone starting September 22nd. If it's good we may roll into book two but you don't need to commit to that Twilight of the Dragons which is release Sept 6th.

BookWraith's review is what sucked me into this one. It ticks so many boxes for me.

https://bookwraiths.com/2015/09/04/th...

If J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin had gotten together to write a grimdark interpretation of The Hobbit, The Dragon Engine would have been what they came up with. Centered upon a quest to dwarven halls filled with mounds of gold and once inhabited by mighty dragons, it is a tale filled with pulse pounding combat, explicit sex, cringe worthy torture, and plenty of vulgar language. Literally, it is a story that gets your attention the simple, old-fashioned way.

Maybe for me, depending on what September looks like :)

Bump........to see if there's any interest.

I planned it in for this month..

Sweet.

Is everyone just grabbing this from Amazon?

Celise wrote: "Is everyone just grabbing this from Amazon?"

That's what I plan to do. 90% of my reading is Kindle anyway.

OMG that was funny. Beetrax and Daron in the tavern.

(view spoiler)[
“Right. For a start, I can’t even see her tits from here. And if her face is anything to go by, I’d be more after grooming her horse mane than trying to fumble with her nipples. But that’s by the by, friend. You need to turn around and fuck off before I break your stupid nose. Then your jaw. Maybe a few fucking teeth.”
(hide spoiler)]

Scott wrote: "OMG that was funny. Beetrax and Daron in the tavern.

Yeah! This chapter is hilarious! I already love Beetrax!

He reminds me of Dug from Age of Iron only much more crass.

Scott wrote: "He reminds me of Dug from Age of Iron only much more crass."

Indeed.

I just finished ''Civil Unrest'' chapter and so far I'm enjoying this book very much, it has a great flow.

I'm at the start of civil unrest and yes so far so good.

Skalg is such a great over the top villain with zero moral compass. He is so easy to loathe. Great character. He's kind of like Glotka and Tyrion Lannister mixed into one tiny humped-back package of evil.

That's a great image! But Tyrion Lannister had a few redeeming qualities, didn't he?!

Emma wrote: "That's a great image! But Tyrion Lannister had a few redeeming qualities, didn't he?!"

Thanks. Yes and Klotka as well so Skalg only has their bad traits. :)

Up to Mountain Gives.
(view spoiler)[ the Splice is a hideous creature, but I think I have some sympathy for it if it is under a curse and has some human in it. I hope we find out more about their creation as the book or series continues....
<\spoiler>
Really enjoying this. Will definitely want to continue the series unless the second half is a real let down which I seriously doubt! (hide spoiler)]

Party time:
(view spoiler)[ the torture in this and the dwarves' cruelty is making me cringe and wince.. Feeling quite nervous about reading on and finding out the repercussions of all those torture scenes! Might wait for daylight..<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

Emma wrote: "Up to Mountain Gives."

(view spoiler)[
The interesting part of the splice was the king has a hundred of them. I'm wondering how that will play out. Dragons vs Splices?

I'll read the second one as well. I haven't been blown away but it's been an enjoyable read.
(hide spoiler)]

Emma wrote: "Party time:"

(view spoiler)[I really want the splice to show up and eat those little fucks! (hide spoiler)]

Samir wrote: "Emma wrote: "Party time:"

[spoilers removed]"

Maybe that will happen...

Re: Party time.

(view spoiler)[
The torture scenes were brutal and made Glotka seem empathetic towards his victims. If I didn't know there was a sequel I'd be thinking at this point they were going to kill everybody and die themselves. They obviously have to be freed and take part in the slaughter but the question is on which side.

The splice taking out some dwarfs to do so is a great theory. I also wonder at Lillith controlling it with dark magic. If that was me in that situation I would have opened a can of demonic whoop ass and the consequences be damned.
(hide spoiler)]

Scott wrote: "Re: Party time. "

(view spoiler)[Lillith taking control of the splice is also a great theory and I would love if things played out that way. (hide spoiler)]

Scott wrote: "Re: Party time.


The torture scenes were brutal and made Glotka seem empathetic towards his victims. If I didn't know there was a sequel I'd be thinking at this point they were going to kill ever..."

That's exactly what I thought- Glotka seems kinder, well less evil anyway!

Emma wrote: "Scott wrote: "Re: Party time.


The torture scenes were brutal and made Glotka seem empathetic towards his victims. If I didn't know there was a sequel I'd be thinking at this point they were goin..."

I think it's because Glotka is a better developed character. We know his story, his motivations, his thoughts. None of the characters is developed in this book. Not the heroes, not the villains, nobody. This is my main problem with the book so far. And the fact that the torture and violence and sex feel gratuitous. As far as i can tell, they serve no purpose and minimally pull the story forward.

Melina wrote: "Emma wrote: "Scott wrote: "Re: Party time.


The torture scenes were brutal and made Glotka seem empathetic towards his victims. If I didn't know there was a sequel I'd be thinking at this point t..."
I think Skalg is well developed but I agree the gang of humans could do with some more fleshing out.

Wyrmblood:
(view spoiler)[ ok. This is the point at which the excessive swearing becomes too much: when we are listening to the dragon's consciousness and even the dragon is swearing! Too much.
<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

Melina wrote: "I think it's because Glotka is a better developed character. We know his story, his motivations, his thoughts. None of the characters is developed in this book. Not the heroes, not the villains, nobody. This is my main problem with the book so far. And the fact that the torture and violence and sex feel gratuitous. As far as i can tell, they serve no purpose and minimally pull the story forward."

I definitely think there's some merit what you are saying. I do think additionally though there's the fact that the torture is for many of the characters sexual in nature.

I do agree there isn't as large of a back story as other books of the GD genre. A Glotka or a Jorg ( Broken Empire) we know what made them crack. However the church of hate is the driving force between the dwarfs evil and hatred. We haven't received great back history.

For the humans Beetrax is the best defined. He's the prototypical broken down hero on a last chance power drive ( yes I stole that :)). But he has some depth with his feelings for Lillith and a softer side.

Dake and his wife the motivation is her life and I like the sequence with him doubting his own motives.

The others I don't really understand what would make them go but at least they questioned their choices. People sometimes do things for odd reasons and that's life.

Emma wrote: "Wyrmblood:
ok. This is the point at which the excessive swearing becomes too much: when we are listening to the dragon's consciousness and even the dragon is swearing! Too much.
"

The funny part is I didn't even pick up it probably because it's been so ubiquitous from start to finish. I think the splice swore too. It's GD so it really doesn't bother me any more than it would it a historical fiction piece about soldiers or a movie about football players. It really isn't that far from accurate in those settings.

Scott wrote: "Emma wrote: "Wyrmblood:
ok. This is the point at which the excessive swearing becomes too much: when we are listening to the dragon's consciousness and even the dragon is swearing! Too much.
"

Th..."

In my view, it's not the too much as the "ubiquitous" you mentioned. Everybody sounds the same! The point where the dragon speaks with the dwarf king, it could be either/or who is talking. Shouldn't a thousand-year old all-wise creature sound, I don't know... different?

I finished the book! I admit I was a bit underwhelmed. And totally spoiled from my grimdark reads lately, so this was distinctly sub-par.

My main problem is the under-developed characters. At some point, they all sound the same and I didn't really care for any. As Scott mentioned in one of his comments, most (Beetrax foremost) are stereotypical of the genre. It can be done and it can be done well, but it needs either an amazing story, great writing, or something distinctive/original in the characters. Unfortunately, this book didn't have any of the above, so it never went beyond the ok for me.

I don't think I will read the following books, especially since I have something like 4 series in my to-read list that I really want to finish.

I still enjoyed the book. The final scene with the dragons going on a rampage would be fun to see on film.