Dragonlord of Mystara

by Thorarinn Gunnarsson

Reviewed by Ruby

A young pregnant woman is running for her life and for the life of her unborn child. Dragons are on her trail and they seem very intent on killing her. Using magic, she escapes into the small village of Graez where she gives birth to her son and then dies. Sixteen years later Thelvyn Fox Eyes is sick and tired of being treated like a foreigner even though he has lived in the village for his entire life. The Flaem are a race of people new to this world and they have a series of laws that insure that no outsider can take away what they have. Thelvyn, being of an unknown origin and unknown race is excluded from most of the laws, leaving him feeling excluded by the entire village.  As soon as he comes of age, however, he becomes the heir of Sir George Kirby an adventurer and antiques dealer that travels quite frequently. Being the only two non-Flaem in a Flaem village have left the two feeling close, so when Sir George comes home with other friends they are all off on Thelvyn's first adventure.

The dragons have renewed their attacks, something they haven't done since the night Thelvyn was born, so Sir George takes the gang up to Tokryn Falls, a stronghold of the Gnomes to a) see if they are alright and b) see if they can find out what the dragons are up to.  They didn't find out what the dragons wanted but they did help out the Gnomes by taking some of their artifacts that they couldn't get out and they sneak them off to other Gnomes.  While that is going on Perrantin, the wizard of the bunch, has discovered a device that might actually help subdue a dragon long enough for them to ask what it wants.

So after a few more mini adventures, the gang makes the weapon and heads back up to Torkyn Falls. Surprisingly it doesn't work  but they find something out about Thelvyn: he has the powers of a cleric! Now they must travel to the land of the Elves (and Dwarves) to see if they can determine what Thelvyn is once and for all and why the dragons want him dead. Can they do it? *insert suspenseful music here*

Honestly, this book was really kind of boring. The characters are more or less flat and just clichéd stereotypes. You have the guy from an unknown race that slowly develops the powers of a god; the wise old adventurer who isn't what he seems; an absentminded wizard; a stubborn and untrusting, but surprisingly loyal dwarf; and the beautiful barbarian warrior woman, learned in both the ways of the sword and in politics. They go on seemingly meaningless adventures that bring them nowhere and everything of importance happens in the last few chapters. Even then it's not very exciting.

There was just nothing new and inventive. Everything felt like it's been done before. Even the races in the world are just copies of themselves done in other fantasy novels/movies. The only new race were the Flaem and they are dull as toast.

There are two more books in this series. I can only hope that it gets more interesting.  

Grade: D