A review by onlyongracexm
The Dragon Hammer by Tony Daniel

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This book was hard to read. I was fooled by the cute dude on the cover once again.
Simply put, I had no idea what was going on.

It’s interesting to be put in media res, but only if it’s done right. Obviously, this book didn't make it for me. As I was reading, it was only “why, why, why, what, what, what, how,” going through my head. There was quite a sprinkling of info dumping going on to make up for it, but there’s still so many questions left unanswered. Why does Wulf like Saeunn? Why does Ravenelle like Rainer? What it up with their religions? Seriously, these guys are throwing like three different faiths around like it’s nothing, but I have no idea who believes in what. Is it Norse? Is it a fictional one?

I have to give credit for the ending, however, because there was a really good buildup of suspense and dramatic irony with the help of the rotation of perspectives. It was a good ending, but it wasn’t enough to get me to read the sequel.