Reviews

Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E.K. Johnston

lizshayne's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

You can definitely tell that this is one of Johnston's earlier books and the seeds of what I really like about her characters is already there. She has a gift for drawing worlds with deft strokes and an eye for writing teenagers in a way that gives them agency without making them or other people around them look absurd.
It was just good fun even if I didn't love it quite as much as some of her more recent work.

abaugher's review against another edition

5.0

quick, enjoyable, witty. Interested in reading the sequel!

roseleaf24's review against another edition

5.0

I waffled between a 4 and a 5 in this one, but I really did love it. It was a bit slow at times, but I loved the idea of the bard and the dragon-slaying, and the Jasper Fforde style alternate reality.

thebrainlair's review against another edition

4.0

Probably one of the few time I wish there was a little romance between the main characters! This was fun and entertaining. Love the way the author wove in real history and places with dragon lore added in to create a new history.

alboyer6's review against another edition

4.0

I wonder if I wasn't a Michigander how I would see this book. I haven't read many books that take place directly across from Lake Huron quite like this and the way the author incorporates an alternate history of the industrial revolution and automotive automation (Henry Ford/Michigan) really makes for a fun read. A very realistic reading alternate history.

imabbyjay's review against another edition

3.0

3 stars. So this book is about dragon slayers in modern day Canada. Yep, you read that right! I was immediately intrigued after reading the first sentence and seeing that the narrative was very sarcastic.

While the plot of this book sounded very interesting to me, the book was pretty slow at times. The characters weren't completely but almost flat; there was no character development. That made it hard to connect with and care for the characters! The way it was written was very different too, but it didn't work for me. The story felt almost choppy at times. Overall this was a quick, quirky read, but I don't think I'll be picking up the next book! The main reason I read this is for the booktubeathon challenge: read a book by an author with the same first letter of your last name. Success!

trid_for_kicks's review against another edition

5.0

I enjoyed this book, but I especially loved the world-building of this story. It felt so natural and normal, like I'd grown up in a world where dragons were real (and a real threat).

iskanderjonesiv's review against another edition

"Listen! For I sing of Owen Thorskard: valiant of heart, hopeless at algebra, last in a long line of legendary dragon slayers. Though he had few years and was not built for football, he stood between the town of Trondheim and creatures that threatened its survival.

There have always been dragons. As far back as history is told, men and women have fought them, loyally defending their villages. Dragon slaying was a proud tradition.

But dragons and humans have one thing in common: an insatiable appetite for fossil fuels. From the moment Henry Ford hired his first dragon slayer, no small town was safe. Dragon slayers flocked to cities, leaving more remote areas unprotected.

Such was Trondheim's fate until Owen Thorskard arrived. At sixteen, with dragons advancing and his grades plummeting, Owen faced impossible odds—armed only with a sword, his legacy, and the classmate who agreed to be his bard.

Listen! I am Siobhan McQuaid. I alone know the story of Owen, the story that changes everything. Listen!"

**

aoosterwyk's review against another edition

4.0

History has been rewritten to include dragons (and dragonslayers) in a fairly believable way. The narrator, Sadie, is a musician and becomes Owen's bard and spin doctor when he moves to town and starts at her school.
The dragons are destroying cities and forcing people to move farther and farther north, attacking industry, mines, and even cars and people in their carbon hunting fury.
The characters in this story are really interesting and self-reliant, not angsty at all and there's none of that clingy relationship stuff found in so much YA. These characters have a sense of humor and a solid work ethic.
Definitely a new take on dragons.

smalltownbookmom's review against another edition

5.0

much better than I was expecting for the first book of a YA author. Really loved the alternate world of present day Huron County but with dragons and dragon slayers. "Saltrock" aka Goderich was brilliantly done. Can't wait to read the next one! :)