So much about this book reminded me of the Eragon series, although it is perhaps a slightly easier read than Paolini. That’s partly because the world building is a little less intense… not that Wichland’s world is somehow lesser, but the writing feels more approachable—as if the author were more mindful of his audience (which feels YA and would be appropriate for some MG readers). I might be comparing it to Eragon more, though, for the plentiful use of familiar tropes, than for the type of world (and inclusion of dragons, etc.) although there is certainly a parallel there, too.
I was pleasantly surprised by the tightness of the writing and although there are a few moments of “as you know bob” those are fleeting and not a huge concern provided they don’t wax overly passive and these didn’t drop me out of the narrative… they are also to be expected in a world with so much history but written in a book that’s so short… weighing in at only 120 pages I didn’t really expect the end when I arrived (I had the ebook and so didn’t have a tactile reminder of the length.) I normally have a bone to pick indie authors who put “book 1 in an epic series with an interesting hook” on the cover page (usually because of the rarity of those arcs being completed) but I think it’s appropriate in Dragon Knight Chronicles—it certainly needs a follow-up, especially given how it ends, and Wichland signals to his readers that it’s underway by including an advanced snippet of book 2.
I received the book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Inside the Inkwell 