I finished the Swan War trilogy by Sean Russell just prior to starting into the Kings Dragon. Even though I would highly recommend The One Kingdom as well as the rest of the trilogy, it was superficial compared to what Kate Elliott has created in her book. The characters are both complex and interesting. The slant on religion and medieval history made this a most interesting read. I especially like the two main characters of Alain and Liath. The politics and power struggles that take place in this book draw you in because they are so rich in subtle nuance. I higly recommend this book and I am excited about continuing the series.

I read many positive reviews of this book so when I saw it at Barnes and Noble after reading The One Kingdom by Sean Russell (Great book by the way!) I picked it up, figuring I could sink my teeth into something good while waiting for the next George Martin.

My mistake. I found this book incredibly boring and after 400 pages finally had to just put it down. It is very heavy on religion (something not mentioned in the synopsis on the back cover). And because the religion is simply a rip off of Christianity it is not interesting at all. The characters are flat and uninteresting (with the exception of Agius but it is not written from his point of view). You would think a female writer would be adept at writing female characters but Elliot is not. Her female characters are very similiar to Jordan's in that they seem like cardboard cutouts.

I suggest you save your money and purchase either George Martin, the first four Jordan books, or Sean Russell's One Kingdom. You'll be glad you did.

This a great epic fantasy saga set in a world that is like medieval England. Elliot's world is atmospheric and filled with menace, magic and wonder. She like George R.R. Martin, J.V. Jones and Robin Hobb are the next generation of fantasy writers who created complex realistic worlds that geared toward adults.This novel and it's sequel: Prince of Dogs are gripping novels that has sinister intrigue, memorable characters, and stirring battle scenes.