E. E. Knight

I was pleasantly surprised with this book after the drivel that was number three. I’m not sure if it was because Valentine decide to finally grow up and get a pair or circumstances in the novel made him this way (likely the latter) but it made for very good reading. There were some very important choices Valentine had to make for himself and his crew; some of them extremely difficult and the way he dealt with the aftermath was good. It was nice to finally see him being part of a team show more instead of a one man army and doing everything himself.

Again the supporting characters are what made this book going for me (still on the anti-Valentine train for now) they had their distinct personalities and they weren’t flat or meant to just be part of the plot. They each had their part to play whether small or big and it made the plot better and rounded out. I have a soft spot for Ahn-Kha and Styachowski I like them both for their strengths and although they were ‘quiet’ they played substantially in the plot. (More so Styachowski than Ahn-Kha).

The plot was good albeit it slowed down to a crawl at the end. It was getting to be too much and by that time, I was already wanting to close the book. There’s plenty of action so that does not disappoint. There were some parts where I came close to closing it because of Valentine’s idiotic behavior, but otherwise, this was much better than the third.

This one was enough to redeem itself so I will carry on and read the next. I hope it continues this way. show less

Rating: 3.5
I found the concept that dragons' instinctual drive to collect precious gems and metals is due to their need to digest and absorb into their system for their scales and that a scaleless dragon would thus not have that instinctual drive is a great plot hook. In general, I liked the main character and enjoyed most of his adventures and meetings, but there was a decided lack of drive to the plot that just couldn't keep my interest.

This book sat on my shelf for around five years. Now show more that I have read the first book to this series I can determine that I am not invested enough to keep it on my shelf and am unlikely to seek out the rest of the series - though I wouldn't be surprised if I picked up the next book as I would like to read the perspective of a female dragon in this setting at the very least. show less

A rich delight of a fantasy. Lleth and her pluckiness remind me of Tamora Pierce's heroines. She begins her adventure braving unknown lands, drenched clothing and no food or water. When she arrives at the Serpentine, desperately hoping to gain acceptance as a novice, she's turned away because she's a few hours past midnight on the one day such are accepted.
Not to be denied, she sits in a side doorway for days until she intrigues someone inside enough so she's admitted. What follows is a show more series of events, some funny, others scary to the point where they're life threatening. There's never a dull page in this book. Fantasy lovers will feast on it, as will dragon lovers and readers who love a strong teen heroine. I hope the next book in the series is up to the same standard. show less

Summary: In Dragon Champion, E.E. Knight gives us a relatively standard high fantasy adventure story, with one big twist: it's told entirely through the eyes of Auron, a dragon. Auron is a gray dragon, scaleless and without the hunger for treasure that plagues other dragons. His lack of armor makes him more vulnerable, and less immediately impressive, but also more adept at blending into his surroundings. After a fierce battle for primacy immediately post-hatching, Auron is the only male show more offspring left to his parents, the champion of their clutch. He's bright and inquisitive, but his world is mostly limited to the confines of the cave in which he was hatched.

All of that changes on the day his cave is invaded by murderous dwarves. Auron's parents are driven off or killed, and Auron must venture out into the world -- first with one of his surviving sisters, and then later alone. His first goal is survival, but a meeting with an elf maiden opens his eyes to the real problem: it's not just Auron's survival that's at risk, but the survival of his entire species. For dragon numbers have been decreasing for years, while the two-legged species -- elves, dwarves, blighters, and especially men -- have been increasing. Auron makes it his mission to find out why. Along the way, he makes some strange friends, faces some fierce and dangerous enemies, and must find a way to become the champion for which his parents named him.

Review: There's a long tradition of animal stories in fantasy (although relatively few from the point of view of a strictly fantastical animal.) Their point is to show us the world through an unfamiliar set of eyes; by making the alien familiar, we are then forced to re-evaluate all of the elements we take for granted as unobjectionable. For this to work, we have to find a connection with our animal narrator, some common ground on which to build a base of sympathy. However, when a book opens with its protagonist disemboweling and eating his newly-hatched brother in a battle to the death, and when that same protagonist matter-of-factly mentions crushing the skulls of human children he's seized for a snack… well, let's just say that I found it somewhat hard to empathize with him.

My lack of connection with the book's main character -- and thus, with the book itself -- may be a question of audiences. This book felt like it was aimed at 12-13 year olds. In and of itself, that's not necessarily a problem -- there's plenty of fantasy out there for mid-grade readers that can also be enjoyed by adults. However, Dragon Champion felt like it was specifically written for mid-grade boys, with lots of emphasis on the fighting and adventure aspects. Having never been a 12-year-old boy, I can't comment on how well they are likely to enjoy Auron's story, but I suspect many of them will love it. For me, however, it didn't quite make the jump into being a true crossover success.

That's not to say that there weren't elements I enjoyed. Knight's world-building description is excellent. Even though he's using pretty standard fantasy elements and races, the way they interact felt new, and I really enjoyed seeing each species's perspective on the origin of the world and its current state. Some of Auron's adventures were also very interesting -- I particularly got a kick out of his brief sojourn with a wolf pack. (Also fun in this part was listening to David Drummond, who was otherwise quite good, try to narrate their howling dialogue.)

The problem with single-protagonist stories like Dragon Champion is that their success is entirely dependent on how strongly the reader empathizes with the main character. When it works, it's great, and readers who empathize with Auron are likely to find Dragon Champion to be an exciting fantasy adventure story. For those of us who don't particularly care for Knight's leading dragon, however, it becomes very hard to stay involved in the story. 3 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Mid-grade and young adult fantasy fans who can't get enough dragons will likely love it; for older readers, I think reactions will vary depending on how much you like the main character. show less