Dragon Rule

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOOK THREE OF THE AGE OF FIRE

“Presents [dragons] in a way that makes them seem almost human . . . interesting.”

—Fresh Fiction

“Spans decades of time, miles of territory, and a host of philosophical precepts. . . . I must say that I’m really looking forward to the fourth book in the series.”

—SFRevu

 

 

BOOK TWO OF THE AGE OF FIRE

“Knight breathes new life into old conventions. His characters are complex and compellingly drawn, and scene after scene is haunting and memorable. Knight always evokes a strong sense of place and location, not as mere backdrop, but as a grand stage upon which spellbinding events are played out. Here is no warmed-over Tolkien playground, but a new world breathed to life and populated with fascinating characters we long to hear more from. Nothing is as simple as it first seems, even vengeance, and Knight, a master plotter and world builder, alternately surprises and delights, keeping us on the edge of our seats. Had I a working crystal ball, I’d guess that Knight has written a classic here, a kind of
Watership Down
with dragons—a book that will be cherished for generations to come. It is, simply, a grand tale, full of the mystery and wonder fantasy readers long to discover and too often find absent in modern fiction.”

—Black Gate

“[A] the gritty coming-of-age story. . . . Knight makes the story complex enough to entertain readers of all ages.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Knight offers a thoroughly crafted fantasy world. . . . For a lushly unique fantasy read, look into
Dragon Avenger
, as well as its predecessor,
Dragon Champion
. You’ll never look at dragons the same way again.”

—Wantz Upon a Time Book Reviews

 

BOOK ONE OF THE AGE OF FIRE

“Knight, best known for his Vampire Earth mass market series, makes an auspicious trade paper debut with this smoothly written fantasy told from the point of view of its dragon hero . . . a bloody, unsentimental fairy tale.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“An enchanting story of a young dragon’s search for answers to help him understand what it is to be a dragon. This is a heartwarming story full of adventure where good deeds and friendship always succeed. The characters are wonderfully endearing and the adventures that Auron experiences as he grows into an adult dragon are exciting and entertaining. A superb introduction to what I hope will be a wonderful series.”

—The Eternal Night

“A refreshingly new protagonist who views the world from a draconic, rather than a human, perspective. A fine addition to most fantasy collections.”

—
Library Journal
(starred review)

“Knight did a great job of hooking me into the story. . . . This concern and attention to the details illustrates how strong the overall feel of the book is—Knight clearly is building something more in this world and the amount of backstory to the characters and creatures is very impressive. . . . Very entertaining, the characters were genuine and the world full of depth. With the ending Knight gave us, I am very interested to see where he takes these characters next.”

—SFF World

“E. E. Knight makes the transition from the science fiction of his Vampire Earth series to a fantasy saga with an ease that is amazing but not surprising with someone with his enormous amount of writing talent.”

—Paranormal Romance Reviews

 

 

“Knight flavors action with humor in [
Valentine’s Resolve
]. . . . Classic apocalyptic SF on a grand scale is always scary, but Knight makes it terrifically entertaining as well.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Knight has managed to write a book six that keeps fans thirsting for more in the series. . . . [He] maintains a tight point of view, controls scene transitions beautifully, and never wavers in tone. His main character, David Valentine, keeps readers coming back for more.”

—Science Fiction Weekly

“E. E. Knight brings excitement and interest to his Vampire Earth series. . . . [David] is an extraordinary character who turns the Vampire Earth war into a compelling tale.”

—Alternative Worlds

“Knight mixes bits of military SF, survivalist fiction, the alien-invasion story, and other elements including more than a mild dose of horror. . . . I’m entertained following [Valentine’s] adventures, and it’s nice to have some evil vampires, even if they do come from another planet.”

—Don D’Ammassa

“Knight manages something that is not always a given in an extended series: He’s kept it fresh and engaging, not only by providing a new story line for each episode, but by changing locales and supporting cast. . . . Knight maintains a high level of interest. He’s a good, strong writer with a definite gift for building character and milieu without beating you over the head with it, and he never lets it get in the way of the story. Yes, this one is certainly worth the time—and it looks like all the preceding books are, as well.”

—The Green Man Review

 

 

“Compelling pulp adventure. . . . The sympathetic hero, fast-paced action, and an intricately detailed milieu set in various well-imagined regions of twenty-first-century North America make for an entertaining read.”

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“
Valentine’s Exile
isn’t an average vampire novel. . . . The vampires and their soul-sucking Lovecraftian masters are like Dr. Moreau on steroids. This is nicely drawn horror: not gross, not psychologically terrifying, but very creepy. . . . E. E. Knight is a master of his craft. His prose is controlled but interesting, and his characters are fully formed and come to life. The point of view is tight and rigidly maintained, and the transitions are beautifully handled from scene to scene. The novel maintains a sense of place, with touches of sound and taste keeping each setting vivid and acute. Consistent tone and voice and excellent pacing keep the reader glued to the action and adventure. Even the futuristic touches are drawn with just the right tweaks of reality: never overdone, no R2-D2 types, no Trek guys. E. E. Knight’s work is creative and the voice is his own.”

—Science Fiction Weekly

“Knight gives us a thrill ride through a world ruled by the vampiric Kurians and filled with engaging characters and grand schemes, and promises more to come.”

—
Booklist

“The Valentine series is still going strong. Each book reveals new secrets concerning the world which expose new levels of complexity. . . . I’m looking forward to more.”

—SFRevu

“The latest addition to Knight’s popular alternate earth series maintains the high quality of its predecessors, combining fast-paced action/adventure with the ever-popular vampiric threat.”

—
Library Journal

 

 

ROC

Published by New American Library, a division of

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First published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, December

Copyright © Eric Frisch, 2009

All rights reserved

Map by Thomas Manning and Eric Frisch

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Knight, E. E.

Dragon rule/E. E. Knight. p. cm.—(The age of fire ; bk. 5)

eISBN : 978-1-101-15568-4

1. Dragons—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3611.N564D’.6—dc22 2009025261

 

Set in Granjon

 

 

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