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Title: Dragondoom (Mithgar)
ISBN: 0451458818
Author:
Dennis L. McKiernan
Publicate Date: 2002-05-01
Publish: 2002-05-01
List Price: $7.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $4.06
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $1.49
Amazon Merchant Price: $7.99
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| Customer Review: |
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1: A solid, satisfying novel
I suppose I should begin this review by citing that many of the previous reviewers are correct in their assessments of this book: it is tragic, it is touching, and it consists of many flashbacks and a lot of time and setting changes. It also exists in a universe which holds some parallels to that of Tolkien and LoTR, though many key differences also exist. All in all, for a true Tolkien fan, it may trigger strange and warped feelings; for a McKiernan fan, this book is by far the best of his Mithgar series.
The story centers around a pair of enemies forced to collaborate on grounds of mutual gain; because the depth of their backstories, the flashbacks are frequent and varied, and indeed disorienting at times. I would state, however, that the said flashbacks are not overly confusing, and each is labeled clearly with time and setting at its beginning.
After the resolution of all of the backstories, the novel continues relatively linearly, telling a tale of well-developed and touching characters. The style is maintained in high prose, and there are also many philosophical and ethical questions addressed through the course of this work. With scenes devoted to active battle, romance, discussion, and emotional conflict... this novel has the potential to captivate readers of all tastes.
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2: Too obvious source
Elgo=Fram
Sleeth=Scatha
Vanadurin= Eotheod
Chakka shok=Baruk Khazad... and many more.
LOL in tolkien original's tale, Fram just gives the dwarves a necklace made of Scatha's teeth,in this tale elgo gives them a bag made of Sleeth's skin (resulting in his death, killed by the dwarves). Too similar in my humble opinion. Some writers should learn to hide their sources better. I enjoyed the book anyway,i liked the main plot where Throk and Elyn have to overhelm the hate their races had to each other.The source of the hate between Chakka and Vanadurin is just blatantly copied from Tolkien.
Having read all 25 previous comments i must say i deeply disagree with those who want to compare this writer with Tolkien whose creations go far beyond from simple storytelling. If you want just a tale (not bad written and enjoyable) this is a book for you. If you want a real universe based on a lot of ancient legends and saga from western world put together by richly developed languages, a universe which took a life for his author to create, just stick to Tolkien.
Sorry for my english.
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3: Still Thieving from Tolkien
The entire story of this book was lifted from an appendix to the Lord of the Rings. It is found in the appendix section dealing with the history of the Rohirrim. This McKiernan dude is incapable of writing anything worth reading. If you've finished reading LOTR and you want to read something else similar... just read LOTR again. Seriously.
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4: Grat Book!!
I was searching my highschool library and came across this book. I have a slight obsession with dragons, so this one did catch my eye. At first, I didn't get into it, but after the first 10 or so pages, I really got into it. I haven't read any other books by this author, but I have to say this one is a must read!
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5: derrick Stahl's "Dragondoom" Review
Elyn (human) and Thork (dwarf) search for a magic war-hammer to kill a dragon that is tormenting both of their homelands.
Story - 3 out of 5 (Standard "small group searches for something to save the day" story. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's done a lot. The grade is for a few very clich??d "love" parts. A poem at the beginning of the book, which is meant to be heart wrenching, caused me to laugh out loud. The book is claimed to be a "love story," but the "love" sections are written too corny to be taken seriously. The novel switches between "the present" and "the past" every two dozen pages or so, but it's done in a way that actually adds to the reading experience.)
Style - 4 out of 5 (His long, period-needing sentences take about 25 pages to get used to. But once you learn how to read Mr. McKiernan's run-ons, the pages really start to come alive.)
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Sex - 1 out of 5 (A single kiss and a nude scene, but nothing descriptive.)
Violence - 4 out of 5 (War, war, and more war. There is also a fair amount of one-on-one fighting.)
Blood / Gore - 3 out of 5 (Brief descriptions of dead bodies and skin / bodily disfigurations.)
Language - 2 out of 5 (A few bad words here and there, but nothing to cry about.)
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Overall - 5 out of 5 (Despite its minor setbacks, "Dragondoom" is one of the best titles I've read this year. I recommend it to everyone.)
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