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frogggirl2's review
3.0
None of the things that worked best in Fool's Gold are in the first 300 pages: fast pace, humor, loot grab romp vibe. It also feels overly familiar since character arcs are too similar to the first book.
Pacing wise - in the first book the group formed immediately and was together throughout the story. It's over 200 pages before they get back together and the adventure doesn't really start until over the 300-page mark.
Not very funny - probably because there's less Balur. The humor also gets better around the p. 300 mark.
Will is back to being kind of a reticent sad sack, unfortunately. All the character evolution from the last book is rolled back. Feels like re-doing book 1 since the Lette romance, her conflicts, Quirk fire issues, etc are all the same.
The main character motivation is about dragons (again) but instead of being about robbing them it's just about normal dragon slaying which is less fun/unique. And was already done in book one.
Okay, but then, the last 300 pages are fun. Maybe just start this book halfway through.
Pacing wise - in the first book the group formed immediately and was together throughout the story. It's over 200 pages before they get back together and the adventure doesn't really start until over the 300-page mark.
Not very funny - probably because there's less Balur. The humor also gets better around the p. 300 mark.
Will is back to being kind of a reticent sad sack, unfortunately. All the character evolution from the last book is rolled back. Feels like re-doing book 1 since the Lette romance, her conflicts, Quirk fire issues, etc are all the same.
The main character motivation is about dragons (again) but instead of being about robbing them it's just about normal dragon slaying which is less fun/unique. And was already done in book one.
Okay, but then, the last 300 pages are fun. Maybe just start this book halfway through.
alexis_baldwin92's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
vidholf's review
5.0
Even better than the first book. I can't wait for the next one - and look forward to the series continuing beyond that, if possible. Hollins combines wry humor with unapologetic realism - a sort of bastard child between grimdark and laugh-out-loud satire. The overall effect is rich characterization with emotionally compelling action.
lindzy's review
5.0
Original Review Here
I don’t think I’ve added a book to my basket as quickly as when I saw The Dragon Lords: False Idols on The Works’ website. I adored the first book and knew I had to read the second.
I’m pleased to say this one didn’t disappoint. I found it just as humorous as the first and even had the awkward moment of laughing out loud on the train – I wasn’t quick enough to swallow my giggles this time.
Will has tried to live a quiet life as a farmer with his new-found riches. But when Lette takes off and Balur comes searching for her, Will has no choice but to hit the road again. They don’t get very far before they find both Lette and trouble – and trouble one again comes in the form of dragons.
The trio are determined to put a stop to the dragons’ rule, but it’s not that simple. They are up against soldiers, fanatics and fanatical soldiers. No one wants to hear that the dragons are dangerous but Will is desperate – and when Will loses his temper, drastic plans come to light.
Quirke has her own problems. Being driven from her home and accidentally becoming the leader of a resistance movement, for starters. Her internal battle over whether to burn the world or save it being another problem.
When the gang join forces and stumble upon Firkin, they might just have a chance to defeat the dragons. After all, this team did it before, and they can do it again.
Lette is determined to become a better person; Quirke tries not to give into her magic; Balur wants to kill things; Will just wants to be a farmer and Firkin may or may not be possessed. The team are well and truly back together and I love the characterisations and relationships that develop as the book goes on.
Technically, the plot is about stopping tyranny and preventing the dragons from becoming gods by manipulating everyone’s beliefs. But that makes it sound so serious: what I love about Jon Hollins is how funny his books are. There are impossible odds, tension, blood, guts and gore… and the way the narration unfolds, especially with how the characters react to situations, just leaves you giggling.
The dialogue adds the humour to the book. Balur’s style of speech makes his statements entertaining and the characters’ reactions to their situations are so real that it makes it funny: what comes out of their mouths would be exactly what would go through your head if you were suddenly confronted with those sorts of situations. They don’t set out to be the heroes – everyone else decides that is who they are and no matter what they do, they end up having to save the day.
I find Hollins’ writing so refreshing. The content, dialogue and situations are aimed at adults, but there are very few fantasy books for an adult audience that make me laugh throughout.
Pure entertainment from beginning to end.
I don’t think I’ve added a book to my basket as quickly as when I saw The Dragon Lords: False Idols on The Works’ website. I adored the first book and knew I had to read the second.
I’m pleased to say this one didn’t disappoint. I found it just as humorous as the first and even had the awkward moment of laughing out loud on the train – I wasn’t quick enough to swallow my giggles this time.
Will has tried to live a quiet life as a farmer with his new-found riches. But when Lette takes off and Balur comes searching for her, Will has no choice but to hit the road again. They don’t get very far before they find both Lette and trouble – and trouble one again comes in the form of dragons.
The trio are determined to put a stop to the dragons’ rule, but it’s not that simple. They are up against soldiers, fanatics and fanatical soldiers. No one wants to hear that the dragons are dangerous but Will is desperate – and when Will loses his temper, drastic plans come to light.
Quirke has her own problems. Being driven from her home and accidentally becoming the leader of a resistance movement, for starters. Her internal battle over whether to burn the world or save it being another problem.
When the gang join forces and stumble upon Firkin, they might just have a chance to defeat the dragons. After all, this team did it before, and they can do it again.
Lette is determined to become a better person; Quirke tries not to give into her magic; Balur wants to kill things; Will just wants to be a farmer and Firkin may or may not be possessed. The team are well and truly back together and I love the characterisations and relationships that develop as the book goes on.
Technically, the plot is about stopping tyranny and preventing the dragons from becoming gods by manipulating everyone’s beliefs. But that makes it sound so serious: what I love about Jon Hollins is how funny his books are. There are impossible odds, tension, blood, guts and gore… and the way the narration unfolds, especially with how the characters react to situations, just leaves you giggling.
The dialogue adds the humour to the book. Balur’s style of speech makes his statements entertaining and the characters’ reactions to their situations are so real that it makes it funny: what comes out of their mouths would be exactly what would go through your head if you were suddenly confronted with those sorts of situations. They don’t set out to be the heroes – everyone else decides that is who they are and no matter what they do, they end up having to save the day.
I find Hollins’ writing so refreshing. The content, dialogue and situations are aimed at adults, but there are very few fantasy books for an adult audience that make me laugh throughout.
Pure entertainment from beginning to end.
hayleewhalee's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
granillo1979's review against another edition
5.0
I honestly can say I have never had so much fun reading a book. I constantly found myself laughing out loud while reading this book; to the point where my wife kept asking me what the heck was I laughing at. This is a absolutely fun read and a gem among books and I can't wait to get my claws deeper into the third.
kartiknarayanan's review
4.0
Whew! What an ending.
Sorry. Let's back up a bit.
Fool's Gold, the first one in the series, was an excellent book with great humour which somehow made standard fantasy tropes interesting again. Let me reiterate - humour. But, False Idols does not rely on humour to carry it. It instead focuses on character development, a far better story and world building. So, False Idols is literally three steps forward and one step back.
Does it work? Yes, it does. The main characters - all of them - have moments where they are challenged, question their world view and then move forward. The story has twists and turn and, though a mite predictable, is still fresh. We see a lot more of the world. In fact, barring a single chapter, nothing happens in Kondorra. We see more Dragons. We see Gods (did I mention I am a sucker for any book that involves Gods or Mythology?). And the action is great. Especially the climax. Which brings me to the beginning of the review. The ending is going to blow your mind (at least a little).
So, in conclusion, while I am bit sad that the balls-crazy humour is no longer so strong in False Idols, it is still one of the best and 'funnest' books around.
Sorry. Let's back up a bit.
Fool's Gold, the first one in the series, was an excellent book with great humour which somehow made standard fantasy tropes interesting again. Let me reiterate - humour. But, False Idols does not rely on humour to carry it. It instead focuses on character development, a far better story and world building. So, False Idols is literally three steps forward and one step back.
Does it work? Yes, it does. The main characters - all of them - have moments where they are challenged, question their world view and then move forward. The story has twists and turn and, though a mite predictable, is still fresh. We see a lot more of the world. In fact, barring a single chapter, nothing happens in Kondorra. We see more Dragons. We see Gods (did I mention I am a sucker for any book that involves Gods or Mythology?). And the action is great. Especially the climax. Which brings me to the beginning of the review. The ending is going to blow your mind (at least a little).
So, in conclusion, while I am bit sad that the balls-crazy humour is no longer so strong in False Idols, it is still one of the best and 'funnest' books around.
vinayakmalik's review
5.0
Hijinks and hilarity ensues. A pretty good followup. Will be tough to beat in the sequel
kittyg's review
5.0
I'm not going to lie, when I read the second book in a series I am always skeptical and I am always worried it just won't be as good, or it will feel like it's a filler-story. This is not that at all, in fact, I would say this is better than the first book in the series because not only are the stakes massively higher and the world far more expansive, we also already have our first book knowledge of the characters and we can settle into a story with them quite quickly.
This book begins about 12months after the ending of book #1 so we open the story by catching up with each of the characters from book #1 who we already know and love. Balor, Lettie, Will, Quirk and Ferkin (please excuse spelling, I audiobook-ed this - which was brilliant and I would highly recommend!) are all returning characters, each with their own lives and distinctly different ones. Howeve, soon there is a looming threat of yet more dragons, and they all have to reunite in order to once again rid the world of a dragon...or rather this time quite a lot of dragons...
What I love about this series is that it's so much fun right from the start. I love the banter, the hilarity, the light-hearted classic band of misfits who are on an adventure to save the world yet freely admit they have no damn idea what to do. It's all just great. Throughout this there were plenty of times where I found myself laughing at the phrases the characters used, the bickering, the insults and the wit. It's all just so good.
When it comes to story this book actually held a fair few surprises for me and made some turns I didn't see coming. Although it does rely on some fantasy staples, it still manages to feel original and fresh and vibrant through out and in the latter half of the book in particular the stakes of the story and threat to the characters is just so exciting! I really loved the ending and the way everything went a bit (totally) mad. I have a feeling there will be more books to come, but I'm also fascinated by how this author twists things and just makes you keep on guessing.
I really loved this and I would highly recommend the series as a whole so far. I do hope there's more to come, and I gave this a 5*s in the end... bring on the rest...
This book begins about 12months after the ending of book #1 so we open the story by catching up with each of the characters from book #1 who we already know and love. Balor, Lettie, Will, Quirk and Ferkin (please excuse spelling, I audiobook-ed this - which was brilliant and I would highly recommend!) are all returning characters, each with their own lives and distinctly different ones. Howeve, soon there is a looming threat of yet more dragons, and they all have to reunite in order to once again rid the world of a dragon...or rather this time quite a lot of dragons...
What I love about this series is that it's so much fun right from the start. I love the banter, the hilarity, the light-hearted classic band of misfits who are on an adventure to save the world yet freely admit they have no damn idea what to do. It's all just great. Throughout this there were plenty of times where I found myself laughing at the phrases the characters used, the bickering, the insults and the wit. It's all just so good.
When it comes to story this book actually held a fair few surprises for me and made some turns I didn't see coming. Although it does rely on some fantasy staples, it still manages to feel original and fresh and vibrant through out and in the latter half of the book in particular the stakes of the story and threat to the characters is just so exciting! I really loved the ending and the way everything went a bit (totally) mad. I have a feeling there will be more books to come, but I'm also fascinated by how this author twists things and just makes you keep on guessing.
I really loved this and I would highly recommend the series as a whole so far. I do hope there's more to come, and I gave this a 5*s in the end... bring on the rest...
vinayvasan's review
4.0
A messy, chaotic, bursting at the seams book that somehow makes to work all the humor, and silliness work amidst a mad cap plot that gets darker towards the end
My review of this book will be quite similar to that of the last one - its fun, silly, crass and a total hoot. However, it does tend of get exhausting after a while which quite wasnt how book 1 turned out to be. But it still is oodles of fun - just tempered with the fact that we kind of have a middle book syndrome
Like Guardians of the Galaxy 2, the 2nd part isnt quite as nimble and there are stretches that deal with relationship issues and daddy issues. Plus now there be dragons in bigger numbers with greater ambitions. And then there are Gods. Gosh, your head starts aching when you try to put them in a plot - and best to do is to continue to read and just go with the flow (Yes, I am typing this review like Balur who is quite like Drax in a lot of things)
There is never a dull moment which is a credit to the book but its sheer length and the pressure to keep the wisecracks going does make it exhausting. The end twist in some ways was coming but does leave the book and our characters in an interesting situation for the next one. Also, hidden within is an examination of the god phenomenon - did man create god or viceversa
My review of this book will be quite similar to that of the last one - its fun, silly, crass and a total hoot. However, it does tend of get exhausting after a while which quite wasnt how book 1 turned out to be. But it still is oodles of fun - just tempered with the fact that we kind of have a middle book syndrome
Like Guardians of the Galaxy 2, the 2nd part isnt quite as nimble and there are stretches that deal with relationship issues and daddy issues. Plus now there be dragons in bigger numbers with greater ambitions. And then there are Gods. Gosh, your head starts aching when you try to put them in a plot - and best to do is to continue to read and just go with the flow (Yes, I am typing this review like Balur who is quite like Drax in a lot of things)
There is never a dull moment which is a credit to the book but its sheer length and the pressure to keep the wisecracks going does make it exhausting. The end twist in some ways was coming but does leave the book and our characters in an interesting situation for the next one. Also, hidden within is an examination of the god phenomenon - did man create god or viceversa