The Dragon and the Gnarly King - Gordon R. Dickson Book Review

Enter a review
of your own!

Other books by
author Gordon R. Dickson

"The Dragon and the Gnarly King"
Message Board

Gordon R. Dickson Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR: Ursawolf

SCHOLARS: William Betts Will B. Speaker43

Would you like to be a scholar and make five dollars per review? Click here to submit a review!

Review Summaries

"This is the seventh book in the Dragon Knight series. The Earl of Cumberland convinces the King to raise taxes--something that many nobles are very unhappy about. One noble starts hiring knights to attack the Earl's property in revenge. Jim Eckert, the Dragon Knight, is dismayed when Sir Brian, his best friend, offers his services to this noble so that he can earn the eighty pounds his betrothed's father demands as a bride price. The Dragon Knight is drafted by the King's war captain, Sir John Chandos, to counter these hired knights in order to defend the Earl's property, and Jim finds himself facing his best friend in battle. Sir Brian is wounded and Jim uses his magical powers to take him away to Malecontri. Jim and Angie Eckert's ward, the infant Lord Robert Falon, is stolen away from Malecontri by underground Naturals called Gnarlies. Jim sets out with a rescue party—Sir Brian, Master Archer Dafydd, and Hob—to the Gnarly kingdom. They are joined by a Gnarly prince seeking vengeance against his uncle who killed his father and took the Gnarly throne. When they arrive, they discover that not only has Jim's friend the Mage Carolinus been captured by the Gnarly King, but that Robert's kidnapping is linked to his aunt, Agatha Falon (book #5), in league with Jim's old nemesis, the Earl of Cumberland (book #2). The Earl wants the Gnarlies' help in destabilizing the kingdom so that he can take over as king. It is up to Jim and his friends to defeat the Gnarly King and save Carolinus and Robert."
Ursawolf, Resident Gordon R. Dickson Scholar

Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!

Overall Review

Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 30%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - rescue mission/escape from confinement
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - factions fight within govt for control
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
If enemy is a group... - political faction

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - mage/magician
Age: - 20's-30's
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Terrain - Forests
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Most similar books by Gordonator ranking
Season Of Sacrifice by Mindy L. Klasky
The Vacant Throne by Ed Greenwood
Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs
The Gilded Chain: A Tale of the King's Blades by David Duncan
Jingo by Terry Pratchett

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Movie search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed movie search
(click here) or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion

Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!

Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!

Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game

Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

Star Trek Enterprise: Jolene Blalock on T'Pol and Star Trek Enterprise 10/12/2008 3:22:58 AM

Blade Runner: Blade Runner 10/12/2008 3:05:05 AM

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 10/10/2008 3:56:33 PM

Blade Runner: Was Harrison Ford on Tranquilizers or an Actor's Strike When Filming Blade Runner? 9/20/2008 3:18:54 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best companion? 9/18/2008 6:59:25 AM

Clash of the Titans: Clash of the Titans 9/7/2008 3:53:28 AM

Star Trek Enterprise: T'Pol shows her nude butt on Enterprise! 9/2/2008 3:20:24 AM

Star Trek Enterprise: Is T'Pol supposed to be a Vulcan lesbian? 9/2/2008 3:02:45 AM

Charmed: How can Phoebe Halliwell get an abortion? 8/29/2008 10:02:34 PM

Alien Hunter : Alien Hunter 8/28/2008 1:25:23 PM

Newest slaves:
Creegan 8:21:03 AM
Barbara Eden (Jeanie) 8:20:48 AM
Clint Eastwood 8:20:30 AM
Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) 8:19:22 AM
Chocolate Romana 8:18:58 AM
Colonel Samantha Carter clone 8:18:22 AM
Cleopatra 8:17:58 AM
Chuck Norris 8:17:38 AM
T-1000 8:17:34 AM
Nicollette Sheridan 8:15:47 AM
All slaves
(click here)

Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)