ladyofbooks's review against another edition
5.0
A Beautiful and Unique Story
Full of dragons, betrayal, and swords this book was enthralling! Right from the beginning I knew that this book would be something unique. Astrid is a believable, realistic character that I very much want to read more of. I will say if you have depression then a word of caution reading this story as it gets rather sad halfway through.
I truly want to thank the author for such a good book, and will definitely be reading the next one as soon as I possibly can. The writing style is excellent, the story long and filling. I cheered Astrid every step of the way!
Five stars to the author for a very beautiful and unique story!
Full of dragons, betrayal, and swords this book was enthralling! Right from the beginning I knew that this book would be something unique. Astrid is a believable, realistic character that I very much want to read more of. I will say if you have depression then a word of caution reading this story as it gets rather sad halfway through.
I truly want to thank the author for such a good book, and will definitely be reading the next one as soon as I possibly can. The writing style is excellent, the story long and filling. I cheered Astrid every step of the way!
Five stars to the author for a very beautiful and unique story!
ladilira's review against another edition
5.0
I have spent the past couple months working my way through this series. After having read her newest story for the companion series Dragonfly, I needed to know more about the characters I was being introduced to. The Dragonslayer Series, is the story of Astrid, a common blacksmith, who in the end is anything but common. Each book continues her journey and each one contains an element she must overcome to gain knowledge about herself and about the world she is destined to protect.
I find it sometimes hard to critique one book in a series when they are heavily connected — where the sequels are just a continuation of the story. Therefore, instead of talking about each one individually, I prefer to look at the series as a whole.
There are four books in the series: The Dragonslayer’s Sword, The Iron Maiden, The Stone of Darkness, and The Dragon’s Egg.
Once again Nelson had me hooked within the first couple chapters. Every element a good story should have Nelson included. I never felt anything was missing. Plot holes I was afraid would never be answered, were tidied up at the end. A clean, well-written, dragon-ish and magical adventure that I believe most fantasy buffs will enjoy. Nelson is a good storyteller and I feel a part of the world she created. A place where dragons are not always dragons, and what is a dragon exactly? A place where the bad guys aren’t always as awful as one first thought and like all of us have many complicated layers. The protagonist is a likeable character, she has suffered much in her life, and is always just looking to belong. But where does she belong is the ultimate question. I cannot recommend this series enough.
I saw a review about Nelson being a simple writer. I am not sure why that is supposed to be a bad thing? I personally read for enjoyment and appreciate an author who cares more about telling a good story than about sounding erudite. I enjoyed her writing and ease of her flowing words. She also had some great quotes that touched a cord in me.
If you are a fantasy lover like me, than I’m sure you will enjoy this story. A collection of cultures much like our own in history, Nelson breathes life and imagination into the creatures and civilizations we have only read about. A beautiful story that will appeal to many and to all ages.
My other reviews:
https://cellardoorbooks.wordpress.com/
I find it sometimes hard to critique one book in a series when they are heavily connected — where the sequels are just a continuation of the story. Therefore, instead of talking about each one individually, I prefer to look at the series as a whole.
There are four books in the series: The Dragonslayer’s Sword, The Iron Maiden, The Stone of Darkness, and The Dragon’s Egg.
Once again Nelson had me hooked within the first couple chapters. Every element a good story should have Nelson included. I never felt anything was missing. Plot holes I was afraid would never be answered, were tidied up at the end. A clean, well-written, dragon-ish and magical adventure that I believe most fantasy buffs will enjoy. Nelson is a good storyteller and I feel a part of the world she created. A place where dragons are not always dragons, and what is a dragon exactly? A place where the bad guys aren’t always as awful as one first thought and like all of us have many complicated layers. The protagonist is a likeable character, she has suffered much in her life, and is always just looking to belong. But where does she belong is the ultimate question. I cannot recommend this series enough.
I saw a review about Nelson being a simple writer. I am not sure why that is supposed to be a bad thing? I personally read for enjoyment and appreciate an author who cares more about telling a good story than about sounding erudite. I enjoyed her writing and ease of her flowing words. She also had some great quotes that touched a cord in me.
If you are a fantasy lover like me, than I’m sure you will enjoy this story. A collection of cultures much like our own in history, Nelson breathes life and imagination into the creatures and civilizations we have only read about. A beautiful story that will appeal to many and to all ages.
My other reviews:
https://cellardoorbooks.wordpress.com/
qu073179's review against another edition
2.0
This wasn't my cup of tea. I found it to have magic layered on top of magic. Magic as a reasoning for this, that. The plotline took a backseat. Kind of haphazard magic, and uselessness took up the majority of it. She had a really good start though, it could have really been something special. Sorry.
napqueeniereads's review against another edition
5.0
WHAT AN ADVENTURE! I loved reading this book. The premise is something new to me, and that's always exciting. There's magic and dragons, love and loss. The writing was really good, and the details were amazing. I didn't know how to forge a sword before, but I do now! I was never bored reading this. Astrid is a really intriguing character to follow. She goes through so much in her lifetime that you can't help but feel connected to her. I think Lenore was my favorite though. Her tragic story turning into a fairytale made me really happy. Not everything ended with a happy ending either, and I really appreciate that. Not every story should end perfectly.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
flosmith's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy of this book for review.
This was such a fun read. We follow the life of Astrid from the time she is a small child that is bought from a bad place by a child seller. Alone and horribly disfigured she is terrified of the world but at the same time determined to find a place for herself in it. In a world full of dragons and lizard and shapeshifting humans Astrid grows up to make a life for herself and learn what true friendship is.
I love the way the story comes together as Astrid gets older. We see bits and pieces of her life reavealed and come to learn what happened to her as a child. Along with Astrid, the characters that are a part of her life are not perfect. They are flawed as humans are. Love is sometimes requited and sometimes those we love will die or betray us. The bad characters are also not all evil. There are shades of gray among the dark.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a YA fantasy set in a land with dragons and magic. Its not something I would recommend for younger children as it is a bit bloody in places. To sum it up: a very fun read!
This was such a fun read. We follow the life of Astrid from the time she is a small child that is bought from a bad place by a child seller. Alone and horribly disfigured she is terrified of the world but at the same time determined to find a place for herself in it. In a world full of dragons and lizard and shapeshifting humans Astrid grows up to make a life for herself and learn what true friendship is.
I love the way the story comes together as Astrid gets older. We see bits and pieces of her life reavealed and come to learn what happened to her as a child. Along with Astrid, the characters that are a part of her life are not perfect. They are flawed as humans are. Love is sometimes requited and sometimes those we love will die or betray us. The bad characters are also not all evil. There are shades of gray among the dark.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a YA fantasy set in a land with dragons and magic. Its not something I would recommend for younger children as it is a bit bloody in places. To sum it up: a very fun read!
marufahoque's review against another edition
2.0
Stars and dragons and swords! That's what the whole story is about. I found myself thinking about Sabriel, which is one awesome book, but unlike Sabriel, I didn't like Astrid. Maybe it's the writing style. I just felt like it wasn't working for me. It was too choppy and more telling than showing. The story had many typos/errors (Kindle version), and the plot was basically Astrid being naive and childish. I got the feeling that the "dragonslayer's sword" was actually Astrid, since at the end she has some sort of transformation. Too be honest, I don't like the name Astrid. But for some reason, coincidentally, this story also made me think of a novel I'm working on about a main character girl who's a blacksmith employed under the king, but then is forced to make a sword to slay the dragon that killed the prince.
kjharrowick's review
5.0
Why I picked up this book:
I picked this book out of a stack of freebies to hit my email one day. Not expecting much, I put it in line behind about a dozen other books I wanted to read first.
All I gotta say is some things are always worth waiting for, and this story was no exception. It was everything I could have hoped for in a fantasy, and I can’t wait for more.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
I couldn’t put this book down. Every page I turned just got better and better, and sometimes weirder, but in an awesome way. No matter what I had going on, it was handled and I was curled up with my kindle again, my nose almost pressing through the screen.
Astrid was an amazing main character. I tend to fall in love with side characters far too easy, but Astrid really stole my heart. She’s strong, smart, and yet there’s something about her that’s both endearing and optimistic.
I fell in love with DiStephan from his opening pages all the way to the end. Then halfway through I fell in love with Randim’s character. I spent the rest of the book wanting both men for Astrid… and that’s all I’m gonna say about that. Anything else will put out spoilers.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
If I had to be nit-picky, I would have loved to see at least one scene with Astrid and DiStephan as adults before his disappearance. To sort of drive home the special bond they shared. I see why the author chose not to, but I really, really wanted it. And maybe an awkwardie scene with Randim as well.
Overall:
I absolutely loved this book. The world is rich and beautiful, and each character is strong and memorable. I’ve already marked the next one for my TBR list and I’m looking forward to diving back into Astrid’s story.
I picked this book out of a stack of freebies to hit my email one day. Not expecting much, I put it in line behind about a dozen other books I wanted to read first.
All I gotta say is some things are always worth waiting for, and this story was no exception. It was everything I could have hoped for in a fantasy, and I can’t wait for more.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
I couldn’t put this book down. Every page I turned just got better and better, and sometimes weirder, but in an awesome way. No matter what I had going on, it was handled and I was curled up with my kindle again, my nose almost pressing through the screen.
Astrid was an amazing main character. I tend to fall in love with side characters far too easy, but Astrid really stole my heart. She’s strong, smart, and yet there’s something about her that’s both endearing and optimistic.
I fell in love with DiStephan from his opening pages all the way to the end. Then halfway through I fell in love with Randim’s character. I spent the rest of the book wanting both men for Astrid… and that’s all I’m gonna say about that. Anything else will put out spoilers.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
If I had to be nit-picky, I would have loved to see at least one scene with Astrid and DiStephan as adults before his disappearance. To sort of drive home the special bond they shared. I see why the author chose not to, but I really, really wanted it. And maybe an awkwardie scene with Randim as well.
Overall:
I absolutely loved this book. The world is rich and beautiful, and each character is strong and memorable. I’ve already marked the next one for my TBR list and I’m looking forward to diving back into Astrid’s story.
amia's review
5.0
I throughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. The world is beautifully described and the characters are well-defined. It's filled with lots of action.
Read via Kindle Unlimited
Read via Kindle Unlimited
kittyg's review
2.0
* I read this as I'm a judge for the #SPFBO *
Honestly, this book was so weird. Everything seemed very disjointed and had no real rhyme or reason. I feel like this started out as short stories with the same main character, but then when in book form it never really got melded together properly so there are many instances where there seems to be a lack of clarification.
This story follows Astrid, a girl from a place which is awful. She's scarred and scared that no one will buy her from the child taker who bought her to sell. She doesn't want to die but she's shown kindness by a Dragonslayer... From there, her story begins.
Now I really think there's cool ideas here but the nature of the story is so discombobulated that it makes no real impact as a tale. I think the book is different in style from many others and it may work for some because of that, but to me it was problematic and didn't flow at all.
I also found a fair few typos in this one.
Overall, not a bad story if you took each chapter as a tiny disjointed one, but as a book it didn't work for me. 2*s
Honestly, this book was so weird. Everything seemed very disjointed and had no real rhyme or reason. I feel like this started out as short stories with the same main character, but then when in book form it never really got melded together properly so there are many instances where there seems to be a lack of clarification.
This story follows Astrid, a girl from a place which is awful. She's scarred and scared that no one will buy her from the child taker who bought her to sell. She doesn't want to die but she's shown kindness by a Dragonslayer... From there, her story begins.
Now I really think there's cool ideas here but the nature of the story is so discombobulated that it makes no real impact as a tale. I think the book is different in style from many others and it may work for some because of that, but to me it was problematic and didn't flow at all.
I also found a fair few typos in this one.
Overall, not a bad story if you took each chapter as a tiny disjointed one, but as a book it didn't work for me. 2*s
bookishlyruby's review
5.0
I just finished reading The Dragonslayer's Sword and I have to say I'm very tempted to go back and read it again.
I'm going to be honest here. I was completely out of my comfort zone with this book. First of all, I don't think I've read a lot of books with medieval themes. So I didn't really knew what to expect. Also, I know nothing about blacksmiths. I was pleasantly surprised by the way Ms. Nelson managed to combine the fantasy details with the historical details. Another thing I loved was how the author described the process of sword making and how she made it sound somewhat easy. Of course, I know it's not easy, but it didn't sound like something impossible to learn.
I also loved the new take on shapeshifters and dragons. It was refreshing, because it's so unlike any other fantasy novel I've read, it's different and new. I liked that a lot, because I didn't feel like I knew what the dragons or shapeshifters would be like.
In this book we watch the heroine, Astrid, grow up and become an amazing woman. Despite her childhood, she manages to move on with the help of DiStephan, the dragonslayer, and her best friend, Mauri. Most of the book is told from her perspective, but at the end, we get to see some of the scenes told from the perspectives of other characters and I liked that.
I have to say, one of the things I loved most about this book was the balance in it. The descriptions weren't too big or too short for me, the action scenes were great and the dialogues were well written and they had the perfect length. The book also fast-paced and I loved that. There wasn't a moment when I felt that the story was in one scene or place more than it should.
The only thing I was hoping was to be inside other character's perspective a little more. There is one scene with Astrid and some other blacksmiths when Astrid realized how she was truly seen by those men and it makes her more confident in herself and in who she is, so I think it would've helped her more to see things from another angle.
I think this was a great start for a series and I'm very curious what happens next, in The Iron Maiden
I'm going to be honest here. I was completely out of my comfort zone with this book. First of all, I don't think I've read a lot of books with medieval themes. So I didn't really knew what to expect. Also, I know nothing about blacksmiths. I was pleasantly surprised by the way Ms. Nelson managed to combine the fantasy details with the historical details. Another thing I loved was how the author described the process of sword making and how she made it sound somewhat easy. Of course, I know it's not easy, but it didn't sound like something impossible to learn.
I also loved the new take on shapeshifters and dragons. It was refreshing, because it's so unlike any other fantasy novel I've read, it's different and new. I liked that a lot, because I didn't feel like I knew what the dragons or shapeshifters would be like.
In this book we watch the heroine, Astrid, grow up and become an amazing woman. Despite her childhood, she manages to move on with the help of DiStephan, the dragonslayer, and her best friend, Mauri. Most of the book is told from her perspective, but at the end, we get to see some of the scenes told from the perspectives of other characters and I liked that.
I have to say, one of the things I loved most about this book was the balance in it. The descriptions weren't too big or too short for me, the action scenes were great and the dialogues were well written and they had the perfect length. The book also fast-paced and I loved that. There wasn't a moment when I felt that the story was in one scene or place more than it should.
The only thing I was hoping was to be inside other character's perspective a little more. There is one scene with Astrid and some other blacksmiths when Astrid realized how she was truly seen by those men and it makes her more confident in herself and in who she is, so I think it would've helped her more to see things from another angle.
I think this was a great start for a series and I'm very curious what happens next, in The Iron Maiden
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