Dragon Hunters by Marc Turner

Dragon Hunters, the second instalment of Marc Turner’s Chronicle of the Exile series published by Titan Books delivers everything an epic fantasy addict expects, and then tosses in an extra side quest for good measure.

One of the biggest advantages of the Chronicle of the Exile series presents for readers who enjoy large scale world building is the ability to join an established epic fantasy series with Dragon Hunters; you can read book two without any knowledge of what events unfold in When The Heavens Fall. You’ll be robbing yourself of a good story by doing so, but not spoiling your enjoyment of Dragon Hunters.

I was disappointed to learn that my favourite characters from When the Heavens Fall didn’t feature in Dragon Hunters, but the sentiment didn’t linger. Turner’s ability to create a colossal scope without the need of heavy descriptive language is once again evident as we follow the paths of Karmel, Kempis, Sentar Sol, and the deliciously complex Agenta.

Familiar tropes (‘Wary Hero’ in Kempis, the ‘Female Assassin’ in Karmel. ‘Power Hogging Ruler’ in Imerle) are used against one another building both conflict and pace as Dragon Hunters crams the various subplots together. The Storm Lords seek to remove Imerle from power while hosting the city’s annual Dragon Day while other factions seek to profit from the situation. In essence the day is a display of magical force with each character caught up in the chaos in their own way.

Dragon Hunters again reveals Marc Turner’s ability to shape believable characters whose justifiable existence bring a greater depth to the story and strengthen the world they inhabit. They know why they’re there, and you are very much on a need to know basis. Turner offers hints of his world’s history as opposed to revealing all around the expositional campfire. It’s done so well that as a reader I’m willing to forgive the (very) few cliché moments.

One of the most unusual elements from When the Heavens Fall is used again; the Dragon Hunters plot brings the characters together in a way that reveals the scale of the Chronicle of the Exile world. This is accomplished in a fashion reminiscent of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series or even of the expansive battles scenes in G.R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series.

Seeing how Turner has worked with politics and complexity within his plots to date, it wouldn’t be a surprise to discover some interconnection between books in the future, and the growing fan base of Chronicle of the Exile are keenly looking for links.

I know I’m not the only one expecting to see Turner’s work in the run for awards in the coming year.

Dragon Hunters is available from all good book shops and direct from Titan Books.

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