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caitie95's review against another edition
4.0
I got this book, not quite as an experiment, but certainly as a wild card. I thought it looked interesting, but hadn't heard anything about it at all. And I can quite happily say I was pleasantly surprised.
The plot follows two protagonists, boys the same age (though one is a dragon), with a few bits with the antagonists as well. Looking back, I would say this book focuses on them growing up, and ending up in the situations which will shape the events in the rest of the series (I think it's supposed to be a quartet).
It was also quite fun to see all the Welsh inspired names (don't know enough to know if they are actual names in the real world or not). Must get round to reading [b:The Rose Cord|23783697|The Rose Cord (The Ballad of Sir Benfro, #2)|James Oswald|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418402333s/23783697.jpg|23576392] soon!
The plot follows two protagonists, boys the same age (though one is a dragon), with a few bits with the antagonists as well. Looking back, I would say this book focuses on them growing up, and ending up in the situations which will shape the events in the rest of the series (I think it's supposed to be a quartet).
It was also quite fun to see all the Welsh inspired names (don't know enough to know if they are actual names in the real world or not). Must get round to reading [b:The Rose Cord|23783697|The Rose Cord (The Ballad of Sir Benfro, #2)|James Oswald|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418402333s/23783697.jpg|23576392] soon!
littlefische's review against another edition
4.0
Honestly, a fantastic start to a great series. I'm sad I've only been able to find it in one library, an ocean away.
echo86's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
rachael_knight's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
aliceexmachina's review against another edition
4.0
So at first I was annoyed about the slow pace, I'm not gonna lie about that. In fact, it was so slow I even thought about returning book 2, 3 and 4 to the shop.
However, what. A. Comeback.
I have a lot to do tomorrow, but if The Rose Cord starts the way Dreamwalker ended, I may have to cancel everything for some me-and-my-awesome-book time.
Errol and Benfro are growing up, in a very convincing way. I'm looking forward to getting to 'see' how they will interact together :)
However, what. A. Comeback.
I have a lot to do tomorrow, but if The Rose Cord starts the way Dreamwalker ended, I may have to cancel everything for some me-and-my-awesome-book time.
Errol and Benfro are growing up, in a very convincing way. I'm looking forward to getting to 'see' how they will interact together :)
bibliobethreads's review against another edition
4.0
Dreamwalker, the first book in The Ballad of Sir Benfro series is a high fantasy novel which appears to be marketed at the young adult population although can easily be read by adults. Written by James Oswald (yes, he of the Inspector McLean thriller/crime fiction series) this was a recommendation by one of my favourite bookshops, Mr B's Emporium Of Reading Delights when I went there for a reading spa with my sister and fellow blogger, Chrissi Reads. I have to say, when the bookseller sold it to me, I was initially unsure as I'm not a huge dragon fanatic but as with all the reads we ended up choosing, she made it sound so fantastic that any misgivings I did have were thoroughly quashed. Generally, I found it to be an interesting story although I wasn't as enamoured by it as I might have hoped...more on this later.
Encompassing multiple story-lines and characters, Dreamwalker is the story of a world where intelligent dragons exist but are constantly threatened by a minority of the human population that are determined to hunt them to extinction. This means that the small community that has survived have secluded themselves in a forest, protected from human eyes and those that would wish them harm by a magical spell. It is also the tale of three characters - the first, a young dragon called Benfro, the first male dragon to be born for a thousand years and destined for great things. The second and third of our protagonists are human, the first, a merciless princess called Beulah who has recently ascended the throne and will stop at nothing to get exactly what she wants. Then there is Errol, a young boy who has had a humble upbringing but unknown to himself possesses a royal bloodline that could shake everything up irrevocably. Finally, we have Inquisitor Melyn, the villain of the piece who is thirsty for dragon blood, the elimination of the species and hell-bent on using the magic system in this world for his own diabolical purposes.
This novel combines all these complex and intertwining elements to form a story that is highly convoluted at times but also incredibly imaginative. For me, there were good things and bad things about it and I have quite mixed feelings which I have to admit, does make me hesitate in continuing with the series. First of all, the intricate nature of the multiple plots mean that the novel is at times a bit of a slog to get through so if you're a fan of fast paced narratives, this might not be the book for you. On the other hand, I did fall in love with many of the characters, including the endearing Benfro the dragon, sweet Errol and our "bad guy" Melyn who was wonderfully wicked. The magic system is also intriguing but I have to say, took me a little while to get my head round. However, if you're looking at this purely as a fantasy novel, it's got everything you could want so I think fans of the genre will be satisfied. Personally, I'm really torn over whether I'm going to carry on to book two. I'm interested and care enough about the characters to wonder how it's all going to pan out but on the other hand, the pacing does put me off slightly. If anyone has read the second book and can tell me if this is still the case I would really appreciate it! Otherwise, I'm not sure if I'll be rushing to read it - there's too many other brilliant books out there.
For my full review and many more please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
Encompassing multiple story-lines and characters, Dreamwalker is the story of a world where intelligent dragons exist but are constantly threatened by a minority of the human population that are determined to hunt them to extinction. This means that the small community that has survived have secluded themselves in a forest, protected from human eyes and those that would wish them harm by a magical spell. It is also the tale of three characters - the first, a young dragon called Benfro, the first male dragon to be born for a thousand years and destined for great things. The second and third of our protagonists are human, the first, a merciless princess called Beulah who has recently ascended the throne and will stop at nothing to get exactly what she wants. Then there is Errol, a young boy who has had a humble upbringing but unknown to himself possesses a royal bloodline that could shake everything up irrevocably. Finally, we have Inquisitor Melyn, the villain of the piece who is thirsty for dragon blood, the elimination of the species and hell-bent on using the magic system in this world for his own diabolical purposes.
This novel combines all these complex and intertwining elements to form a story that is highly convoluted at times but also incredibly imaginative. For me, there were good things and bad things about it and I have quite mixed feelings which I have to admit, does make me hesitate in continuing with the series. First of all, the intricate nature of the multiple plots mean that the novel is at times a bit of a slog to get through so if you're a fan of fast paced narratives, this might not be the book for you. On the other hand, I did fall in love with many of the characters, including the endearing Benfro the dragon, sweet Errol and our "bad guy" Melyn who was wonderfully wicked. The magic system is also intriguing but I have to say, took me a little while to get my head round. However, if you're looking at this purely as a fantasy novel, it's got everything you could want so I think fans of the genre will be satisfied. Personally, I'm really torn over whether I'm going to carry on to book two. I'm interested and care enough about the characters to wonder how it's all going to pan out but on the other hand, the pacing does put me off slightly. If anyone has read the second book and can tell me if this is still the case I would really appreciate it! Otherwise, I'm not sure if I'll be rushing to read it - there's too many other brilliant books out there.
For my full review and many more please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
audreykerr's review against another edition
4.0
No idea why it took me so long to finish this. Flew through the second half, but the first 200 pages took a week to get through, and I can't put my finger on why - the Welsh names took me out of the story at the start, and meeting all the characters at once through different perspectives was a bit tiring to keep up with when reading at night alongside keeping up with how long had passed, since it skips forward weeks/months at a time. It's quite world-building (which after finding out it was written because the second book needed more explanation of the world/story makes a lot of sense) vs plot or development. It's basically a set-up for the series, and I'm looking forward to getting round to the rest of it.
3.5 - 4 stars.
3.5 - 4 stars.
soroba's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I picked this book up, wanting a story about dragons, and I was not dissapointed! A great read that will spark your imagination. I'm off to get the second book!