Tuesday 9 July 2019

Dragon Assassin 5 Elder Magic - Arthur Slade - Dragon Assassin Book 5

Dragon Assassin 5: Elder Magic
Arthur Slade
Dava Enterprises
ASIN B07TQKVX3L


This is a book that is being released serially. There is a new chapter coming out every month or so. I have been a fan of Slade’s work for many years, and this series is pure classic fantasy. Being episodic, is a good thing and a bad thing. It is good because we get new parts of the story much more frequently. Not so good in that we are often left hanging. It is like being a kid again in the 70’s or 80’s and waiting for the next episode of a show each week. Except the wait now is a month or two. But the waits have been more than worth it. And this latest installment is by far one of the best, and I was not even sure Slade could top some of the pieces of the story already released. As soon as one of these stories release, I drop whatever I am reading, and this immediately jumps to the book being read.

My first thoughts on this installment were: that it was an incredible piece of writing. I love the homage to merlin and the dragon with a mind like a broken mirror. A dragon that had spent so much time surfing the possibilities that he was uncertain what was read or not anymore. Carmen’s realization as the knife plunged down ever slower, was startling, and presented with extreme skill. But when you combine that with Carmen failing to complete her oath, because of the interference of another dragon. Brax and Carmen both ending up in the dungeon. And then …

Well to find out more you will need to read this book and the four that go before it. I have said for a few years now that Arthur Slade has a masterful pen. He often writes with wit and humour. But in this new series he is writing in a classic fantasy style I grew up reading. And not only does he craft stories in a classic style, he does so with great skill and magnificent mastery. 

Many years Slade has ended up on my favorite authors list. This year he would for any of the volumes in this series. And some of the other stories published. If you love a great fantasy story, in an epic style you must give this book and this series a try!   

Books by Arthur Slade:
The Dragonfly's Journey (1996)

John Diefenbaker: an Appointment with Destiny (2000)
Dust (2001)
Tribes (2002)
Monsterology (2005)
Villainology (2005)
Megiddo's Shadow (2006)
Jolted (2008)
Shades: 17 Startling Stories (2011)

Flickers (2016)
Crimson (2018)
Death by Airship (2019)
Mr. Universe (2021)
...

Hunchback Assignments Series:
aka Modo Mission Clockwork Series:
The Hunchback Assignments (2009)
The Dark Deeps (2010)
Empire of Ruins (2011)
Island of Doom (2012)

Modo Embers End - Graphic Novel (2014)

The Northern Frights Series
Draugr (1997)
The Haunting of Drang Island (1998)
The Loki Wolf (2000)

Northern Frights Reprint Editions:
Draugr (2020)
Drang (2020)
Loki Wolf (2020)
...

The Canadian Chills Series
Return of the Grudstone Ghosts (2002)
Ghost Hotel (2004)
Invasion of the IQ Snatchers (2007)

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