The Sword and the Flame
Ratings3
Average rating3.3
Sometimes the greatest evil lies within. The Dragon King who rules the land of Mensandor is none other than Quentin, whose courage and heroism have slowly transformed him from an orphaned servant into a war hero, respected leader, and a fierce man of faith. But even the powerful can fall prey to weakness. The world is turned upside-down when the dark sorcerer Nimrood-long thought dead after a battle with the previous Dragon King-returns with a fearsome plan. Shattered by the death of a dear and trusted friend, the abduction of his beloved son, and the loss of his enchanted sword, Quentin's faith is tested like never before. In The Sword and the Flame, the final volume of Stephen R. Lawhead's captivating Dragon King Trilogy, the fate of the world depends on the outcome of this climactic battle between good and evil.
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3 primary booksThe Dragon King
The Dragon King is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 1982 with contributions by Stephen R. Lawhead.
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In some ways this book is the strongest of the trilogy and in some ways it's the weakest. The technical aspects of Lawhead's writing is noticeably improved over the first book, In the Hall of the Dragon King. However, the plot felt weaker than the other two books.
The story feels like a blend of King David and Job. I found it a bit difficult to identify with the characters. In some ways the characters behaved as they ought to have rather than how I imagine real people would have. That is with exception to Quentin whose journey seemed more realistic, still I had a hard time identifying with him. The story is not complex, but then I sometimes find a straight forward story...comfortable.
Once again, I have given the book four stars. This is influenced by the fact that this is a nostalgia read for me and this trilogy was a favorite when I was an early teenager. Also, this was a trilogy that brought fantasy into Christian publishing in the 80s without copying Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. Much has improved since then, but it seems to me Lawhead was a major influence. Without this considerations, these books would have received a three star rating. I would find these books disappointing if I had only read Lawhead's more recent work.
