Synopsis
An exciting fantasy adventure by a Hugo Award-winning author continues the story that began with The Dragon on the Border and The Dragon, the Earl, and the Troll.
Reviews
YA?This series entry follows the exploits of Sir James Eckert, the brave Dragon Knight and apprentice magician whose 20th-century upbringing and knowledge make him an oddball in the 14th-century England he inhabits. This time, Sir James is embroiled in a trip to help his friend search for his future father-in-law in the Holy Land. As the two progress in their travels, they meet pirates; sea giants; assassins; Mongols; and the legendary Djinn, who have awesome power over good and evil. What was supposed to be a relatively simple quest turns into a dangerous journey into mysterious, unknown lands. Dickson has created an entertaining fantasy that will thoroughly satisfy fans of the saga. New readers will be captivated and want to track down every book they can find about Sir James. YAs will especially enjoy the fish-out-of-water humor, the action, and the characters straight out of myths and legends.?Charlotte Bradshaw, San Mateo County Library, CA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Dickson's style of fantasy hearkens back to the era before both the glossy epic approach of Robert Jordan or Terry Brooks and the pseudo-postmodern slickness of Ellen Kushner or Pamela Dean, but it has its own special charms. In this new story about James and Angela Eckert (following The Dragon, the Earl, and the Troll), the author's meticulous historical research salvages what in the hands of a lesser talent could have been a pedestrian work. The Eckerts are 20th-century humans trapped in the 14th century, where Jim has discovered that he possesses magical powers. Here, Jim agrees to help his friend Sir Brian Neville-Smythe find the father of Brian's beloved Geronde, so that Brian and Geronde may wed. The father was last known to be in the Muslim land of Palmyra, and Dickson's fascination with the cultures of that area proves infectious. While the adventures here are cut from standard fantasy cloth?kidnappings, caravans and sorcery abound?the detailing is marvelous. Also appealing are Jim's pet hobgoblin, Hob, and the djinn named Kelb, who generally appears in the form of a small, mangy dog; both provide comic diversion. The characters may be secondary to the historical re-creation?Angela Eckert is especially ill-used in this volume?but those looking for fantasy in the mode of L. Sprague de Camp or L.E. Modesitt should delight in this book.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The latest adventure in Dickson's popular series takes its intrepid hero, Sir James Eckert, to the Holy Land. Set in an alternative Middle Ages and featuring a transplanted 20th-century hero, the series also includes The Dragon on the Border (Ace: Berkley, 1992); The Dragon at War (LJ 11/15/92); and The Dragon, the Earl, and the Troll (LJ 12/94).
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The latest in Dickson's series about Sir James of Malencontri, a twentieth-century scholar flung precipitously into a fantastic fourteenth-century England, has him accompanying his friend Sir Brian on a search for Sir Brian's father-in-law, missing in the Holy Land. What follows are encounters with classic, well-imagined Arabian Nights like magic, a convoluted plot, and a great deal of exuberant action. None of the Sir James series has been unsatisfactory, but this one is definitely the best-crafted, most satisfying entry in quite a while. Highly recommended for Dickson's or the series' fans and as a good starting point for newcomers to either author or Sir James. Roland Green
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