DragonKnight (DragonKeeper Chronicles, #3) by Donita K. Paul

DragonKnight (DragonKeeper Chronicles, #3) Reviews

• 
  Madisyn Carlin

  I am going to preface this with the disclaimer that Bardon has always been my favorite character. A little out of it sometimes, a good heart tucked beneath a wary and tired exterior, and slightly stuck-up at times.
  
  So I was ecstatic, very ecstatic, when I learned he received his own story.
  
  That was seven years ago. Now, I am still ecstatic. Even more so now that I own this excellent book.
  
  Plot
  
  Dragonknight doesn't begin with a bang, so to speak. Instead, it gently eases the reader into a wild quest filled with danger, excitement, and faith. Typical to Paul's writing, there is plenty of humor mixed in, as well as some valuable lessons. The book ends on a rather bittersweet note, one that made me tear up during this latest round of reading even though I've read this book at least five times. The reader is swept up in a whirlwind (or gateway? ;) ) of chaos and adventure that makes them long to actually be transported into the book's word and experience the adventure with the characters. Except the grawlig and quiss interactions. No thank you.
  
  Settings
  
  Paul is a master of helping the reader know where they "are" without infodumping.
  
  Characters
  
  Like I said earlier, Bardon is, without doubt, my favorite. I like Kale, but she doesn't hold a candle to this well-intentioned squire who is averse to people and allergic to commotion.
  
  Greer is 100%. Who wouldn't love a dragon with snark? (Don't tell him I said that...he might not appreciate it.)
  
  The myriad of other secondary characters were well-done too.
  
  Faith
  
  I always admire authors who are unafraid of incorporating their faith into their books. Paul is no exception. With a firm declaration that there is one God, Paul reminds the reader that "through Him all things were created". Paul also addresses the value of life and the importance of following and memorizing the Bible.
  
  Content Warnings
  Nothing is gratuitous, even though characters are injured. There are kidnappings, contrary gateways, fell creatures like quiss and their sickening method of destruction, and general cuts and bruises and battles. This is safe for readers 9 and up.
  
  Conclusion
  Seven years ago, a young teen wandered into the library in search of Christian fiction. Included in the scant selection was a book bearing a dragon and sword on the cover. Seven years later, that reader is no longer a teen, yet still immensely enjoys the story and the series it belongs to. Dragonknight and The Dragonkeeper Chronicles were, indeed, light amidst darkness. There is a reason why Paul was a forerunner and figurehead of and for the current Christian fantasy.
  
  Donita K. Paul is in the same category as Chuck Black, meaning her books are safe for readers of all ages. And, indeed, readers of all ages will enjoy these faith-filled tomes. If you're seeking solid Christian fantasy, look at Paul's books.
• 
  Maria

  I loved this next novel in the series!
  I'll admit that I love Kale, but it was really interesting to delve deeper into the character of Bardon in this novel. The last book (DragonQuest) ended a sort of 'journey' and I felt like this novel was the start of another!
  I loved Bardon in this novel AND all of the new people we got to meet! The surprise reveal at the end about Bardon's family was also super cool (but I won't tell you what it is, so now you have to read it for yourself!)
  As much as I loved Bardon, I really did miss Kale and her dragons, so I would've liked to see more of them (since they were only around for the last quarter of the book).
  The adventure, or should I say quest, that Bardon and his company went on was filled with fun and danger. The front half of the book was a bit slow, but the last parts made up for it!
  Now, onto book 4!!
• 
  Tereasa Boren

  I think this was my favorite book in the series. Bardon becomes the main character of this tale. He has just finished his training at the great hall and he thinks he is going on sebatical to figure out what he wants for his future. He ends up on another quest with three companions that we haven't met before. Again, the author provides a bit of humour mixed with action and drama. I also walked away from this book feeling great and having been reminded of some pretty basic Christian principles to live by.
• 
  Sarah

  Yeah, this is definitely still my favorite book in the series, even if it does focus more on Bardon than Kale. Actually, that might be why it's my favorite book — I love Kale, and if I could, I'd pull her from the books so we could be friends for real. But Bardon and I have a lot more in common than I think I realized the first time I read the series. (I'm also pretty sure we're both ISTPs, which makes me super happy.) Anyway, it's definitely still a delight to read and has some of my favorite scenes and conversations and quotes in the series.
• 
  Stargazer R. L.

  DragonKnight = AWESOME. I love this book. It was great to follow Bardon around on an adventure and be in his head. :D I thought Bardon was a very good character. I think his only flaw was not liking people and he got over that by the end. He inspired me with his goodness. Plus he's awesome. And so is the story and all the rest of the characters. So yes, this book was great!
• 
  Abby Burrus

  Weeee, another great, fun book in this Christian fantasy series!
  This book is set 3 years after the last book. Thus, the characters have matured and learned lots of new things, and that clearly shows.
  This book mostly focuses on Bardon as the main character. He's really grown up in ways that I didn't expect. His conversations with his dragon friend are so fun to read!
  Oh, and there's little Jue Seeno! How can anyone not love her? So cute (don't tell her I said that) and feisty. Regidor has also grown up, and his thirst for knowledge is exciting.
  The plot was great and weee, that twist thrown in at the end I did not expect. Plus the epic battle at the end was quite fun to read, an old fashioned showdown never gets old.
  Overall, a great read.
• 
  MC

  Donita K. Paul continues her very popular Christian fantasy series, The Dragonkeeper Chronicles, with the third book in the series, DragonKnight. This story was the most enjoyable one that I have read so far, as it has departed somewhat from the traditional format of the rest of the books. In the first two books, the entire narrative was from the point of view of protagonist Kale Allerion, wizard in training. What makes this book different, not “better” really, so much as refreshing, is that the narrative was split between Kale and fellow protagonist Bardon the Squire.
  
  When the story begins, Bardon is nearing the ending of his training under his doneel Knight and master, Sir Dar of Wittoom. He has some doubts of whether he wishes to be a knight or not, and wonders if this is truly the best way to serve Paladin, his ruler and the representative of Wulder in Amara. Dar has sent him on a sabbatical to ponder his choices before taking the final vows to become a knight in his own right.
  
  To say that Squire Bardon is looking forward to this sabbatical would be an understatement. His doubts and fears about his own abilities, as well as his discomfort in the presence of people, makes him doubt he should take up the title of “Sir Bardon”.
  
  But Bardon is not to have his respite. He arrives at the retreat to which Dar has assigned him, to find a group of women who need his help in rescuing knights that were imprisoned by a wicked spell nearly two decades earlier. He is not happy, to say the least. He reluctantly takes up the quest, in the hopes that the long-missing father of his friend, Wizard Kale Allerion, may, in fact, be one of the knights trapped under the incantation cast by the evil wizards.
  
  As I said, the story was unique in that Bardon had a large point-of-view narrative this time. This exposed the reader more to the doubts, insecurities, fears, triumphs, and so on, of another character than just Kale. It also allowed for a more “masculine”, point of view. One that isn't as hesitant to use force as Kale was. Arguably, this is a bad thing as Bardon is a tad too eager to engage in fighting, but it still was a novelty, and a nice change overall.
  
  The only problem with this was the Paul's constant moralizing became obvious as just that. In the previous book that introduced his character, Bardon had faults for certain, but they weren't as glaring. True, we see his faults more from his point of view, but the examination of his faults in light of the principles of Wulder (the Biblical God expy) seemed a tad heavy-handed. In DragonKnight, it seemed to be open season on the young squire. It appears obvious that Paul is, at times, more concerned with preaching to the reader, using the POV character as an audience surrogate, than she is with telling an actual story. And it is thoroughly annoying to read.
  
  The issue is that it isn't the moral lessons, per se, that bothered me, but how they were put forth. Just as many lessons were put forth in the other series, The Chiril Chronicles, but in a far less clumsy manner. The author learned lessons in between writing the two series that enabled her to improve her craft, and it made the latter books more enjoyable, and thus the moral lessons and asides of greater moral benefit, than these earlier written works.
  
  Yet, despite this obvious flaw, and the flaw of Bardon having a morally problematic anticipation and eagerness to fight, the story was extremely enjoyable. A fine work, if somewhat cringe-worthy at points. I would only repeat what I have said in an earlier review, not as a criticism, but as a caution, that Paul does, indeed, have a vivid imagination. This certainly shows in some very twisted and frightening enemies and scenes in this book, designed to show the reality of pure evil and sin in our world, and in all of us without Christ. Younger readers should not read it.
  
  Highly Recommended.
• 
  Morgan

  DragonKnight has been my favorite Dragon Keeper book so far. The first two took me several weeks to get through, but this one took less than a week, leaving me disappointed I didn't have a violin lesson this week and so no good reason to go by the library for the second time in a week. Perhaps it was because there was a lot more of Bardon, perhaps because it contains a little bit of romance, perhaps it's just a more interesting story...I don't know, it's just the first one that left me desperate to read the next book.
  
  Writing: 4/5
  
  The writing of DragonKnight isn't really any different from that of DragonQuest. Descriptions are still somewhat lacking, but the story itself is fairly well told.
  
  Setting: 5/5
  
  Same as before, excellent worldbuilding. Amara feels like a familiar place by now. There was again the development of yet another race, the minnekins, which are considered by most to be a myth. There was also deeper insight into the feelings of the people toward half-breeds. This is quite instrumental in Bardon's character. There aren't any contradictions in the worldbuilding, and it all works well together.
  
  Plot: 4.5/5
  
  I don't go to the full fifth point because it really wasn't much different in structure or pacing from the others, but I enjoyed it much more. Bardon's unwilling quest to find N'Rae's father was somehow more compelling than Kale's quests. I do wish Kale had been in it for more than the last quarter, but still, I loved it. As I mentioned before, there is a bit of romance in it. It was clean and sweet, and an addition to the other plot elements, which is precisely how I like it and only caused me to love the story more. The level of intensity again was pretty even throughout the whole book, but the end did seem a bit more dangerous due to the appearance of Pretender.
  
  Character Development: 5/5
  
  The characters are terrific! Toopka, like Kale, didn't come in until the last quarter, but the entrance of N'Rae made up for that. As Kale says, she's a grown up Toopka. N'Rae's beauty does attract attention and so Bardon often warns her in a big brotherly fashion of men that may be up to no good, but it was never anything that made me uncomfortable, sensitive reader that I am. There is a lot more of Bardon, as the majority of the book is from his perspective. Kale has matured as she grew up, Regidor has a decent amount of involvement in the story, and the other minor characters add personality to the group. There wasn't much of Dar, but I can get over it.
  
  DragonKnight is an excellent fantasy book, and I recommend it for anyone who likes fantasy.
• 
  Gathoni Mwangi

  Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  This book has been more than just a good read. It has given me friends and companions when I needed them the most. I really like the fact that it has been written from Bardon's perspective and not Kale's. It really helped me to understand the mysterious but kind-hearted o'rant-emerlindian. It is really amazing to see Kale and Bardon all grown up and their bond continues to strengthen☺. This book is full of amazing moments and deep insights. My favorite quote from the book "Wulder has begun a work in you, and He will not abandon you." Donita K. Paul is an amazing author and I think that she deserves to be more famous. A would definitely re-read it in a heartbeat.
• 
  Lady Slipper

  When I first started reading, one person said it was boring, "Trust me," he said. It was far from boring. Though this was more about another character than Kale (main character in the past two), it was still exciting.
• 
  Michelle

  This series just gets better. I really liked learning more about Bardon. He's the main character in this book.
• 
  Anneke Michaline

  Very enjoyable! It was interesting to watch the characters relate to one another and see how they grew. I'm excited about the next book!
• 
  Molly Evangeline

  DragonKnight, book 3 of the DragonKeeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul, is definitely the best book yet. The whole series started out a little slow for me, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how good it has become. I enjoyed every moment of DragonKnight and can say it is one of the most enjoyable fantasy books I’ve ever read.
  
  This book was quite different from the first two because the focus switched from Kale to Bardon, and that was what made me enjoy it so much. I don’t dislike Kale, but I’m completely in love with Bardon’s character. It was wonderful to get to really delve into who he is and follow his adventures, or perhaps “misadventures'” would be a better word. Halfway through the book, I came to realize that the reason I loved him so much was I could see myself in him and some of his struggles. It was both amusing and encouraging.
  
  There were so many twists and misadventures happening in this book that in any other it probably would have been too much, but they were so delightfully told that it wasn’t a bother to me at all. I loved the new character additions, and though most of the original characters didn’t show up until the last quarter of the book, it was fun to see how they changed in the three years that passed since book 2.
  
  DragonKnight was quite a bit longer than the first two, and I found myself carried away by the adventure for hours at a time. This is definitely a book I’ll add to my collection, and that doesn’t happen very often.
• 
  ~Cyanide Latte~

  I feel terrible for putting this on hold for months and not finishing it, but for some reason I needed to just step away from this and all other fantasy novels for a while. I'm glad I did, because I finally got back in the mood over the last few days to finish this book completely.
  
  As far as installments in the DragonKeeper Chronicles go, I'd forgotten a fair amount about this book, especially the fact that it feels as though it suffers from middle book syndrome. The perils in DragonKnight feel rather understated and subdued compared to those in the first two books, and the short battles that do occur are just that: short.
  
  I'm still rather fond of this one though, because I appreciate the focus on Bardon's character and the growth his character experiences throughout this book. It's just nice to be able to see another character's perspective and how he matures, subtle though it is. And despite the fact the book tends to feel understated in general compared to the last two installments, it's still a nice read that very much keeps to Paul's earmarks in her series while adding a refreshing change to the set-up we are normally given. (Now the big challenge will be to see if I can't finally get through the fourth book whenever I start it next.)
• 
  Diane

  I listened to this story as a book on CD. I had "read" the 2nd book in the series, Dragon Quest, in the same way. So I was familiar with the characters, and enjoyed my visit to this fantasy realm again. At the end, it reminded me of the books my daughter used to write in elementary school in that she would get going, setting the stage and building the story. Then, when she was close to reaching the required number of words or pages, the story would suddenly reach it's climax and end. We were all the way to the last disk before the evil Pretender made his appearance to do battle. I enjoyed the adventure, and the new charachers, such as N'Rae, her grandmother, and her minnikin protector. (Remember, I listened to this, and have no idea of how the author spelled their names and race names.) It would be a good series of fantasy stories for young folks because of the emphasis on good -vs- evil, and what is truly important in life. But the "moral of the story" at the end of this one does get a bit deep. But overall - Thumbs up.
• 
  Arlene

  I love this series.
• 
  Aviana Joy

  The first half dragged just a little, but, boy, was the second half worth it. Confession: I stayed up until 11:30 to finish this.
• 
  Peter Last

  The best book in the "DragonKeeper" series so far, "Dragonknight" tells a tale of finding your purpose in life. The plot is engaging and, unlike the first two novels, the main character has real agency. He struggles with the correct course of action, and his decisions propel the story along its unique path. This combined with the far-flung settings and locales give this story a fun, jaunty feel, as it dives into new perils, friends, enemies, combat, and even magic. Some of these aspects are rushed or even clinical in nature (i.e boring), while others, like the inclusion of a magical illusion trap, are fantastic and exciting additions. The characters are generally outstanding including the addition of several new people with unique personalities and even one stand-out who was from a completely new race. Unfortunately, Kale, the protagonist from the first two novels, is nowhere to be found until the beginning of the third act. This feels like a cop out by the author so she does not have to deal with the intricacies of Bardon and Kale’s budding relationship and can instead gloss over them with “time passed” phrases. Speaking of Kale, her introduction to the novel signals the halting of building momentum. The story slowed to a crawl for several chapters as people…sit around and read books. Fortunately, this interlude gives way to the most rousing climax of the series. A plethora of characters, familiar and new, finally faced Pretender, the lurking evil behind every danger and scheme. The scene ties up the story nicely while still leaving it open to sequels. Certainly the best book in the series so far, it is hard to put down and left me wanting more.
• 
  Millay

  In my experience, the third book in a quartet always seems trivial or extra. Simply a filler that gets one to the finale. However, this book does NOT follow that stereotype!
  
  DragonKnight was my favorite book in the whole series thus far.
  I really liked the narrative Bardon, the character it followed, set for this book. His humane attributes, sarcastic nature, and "cool" flair highly contributed to the enjoyment I received while reading this book. His character was on point, and it was so enjoyable. Other than Bardon, there were few other excellent characters. There were some good ones, but not as good as Bardon, Dar, Kale, Fenworth, Sittiponder, and Ahnek.
  
  Much like the last two, DragonKnight is a journey...a very personal one at that. Bardon is thrust into a quest he never asked for. A quest that greatly deterred him from his plan of sabbatical. The reader gets to see first-hand the struggles Bardon goes through and it is highly refreshing and relatable. As I was saying, DragonKnight was a journey with many ups-and-downs. However, unlike the last two, the climax was equal to the build-up. In fact, the climax was exceptional! All in all, the story was excellent!
  
  Triggers: Violence, a bit of horror, scary monsters and imagery, dark magic, other (good) magic, and kissing.
  
  Overall, DragonKnight is an exceptional book for all fantasy-loving ages! It is filled with humor, righteous characters, adventure, and excitement!
• 
  Lea Carter

  Bardon has grown up considerably in this book. He's even learned to tolerate people. When he has to...and preferably not during his mandatory sabbatical. But a good man goes where he's needed, and the strangers he meets definitely need his help.
  N’Rae, one of the strangers, is a beautiful and rather naive young emerlindian. Her ability to mind-speak with animals both helps and hinders their quest to locate and rescue her missing father. Another member of the quest is generous to a fault--legally!
  Through the twists and turns of the unexpected, the new and the familiar characters battle seaborne monsters, cave dragons, and grawligs, to name a few.
  In the end, all turns out well and along the way, a good deal of common sense is packed into Bardon's (never dull) meditations.
  ***
  To Bardon: "Have you ever stolen beauty?"
  Bardon: "Never."
• 
  Sandy

  This series is really best suited to younger readers. I would characterize the books as primarily fantasy. The characters are fairly engaging with development that is fairly one-dimensional in that the majority of characters are either good people (with a few imperfections) or evil people. Similarly, the plots are pretty basic "good vs. evil" with good winning out in a series of challenges. There is a strong spiritual/religious component which some people may enjoy and others may not; I found it became irritating in the way it seemed to offer simplistic solutions to the problems in which the characters found themselves embroiled (caught in a trap? Call on Wulder; he'll send Paladin to the rescue!). If you're searching for some light, easy reading and don't mind the issues I've mentioned, then these are for you.
  
• 
  Bri

  DragonKnight really expanded on the world of Amara.
  
  I didn't actually read the blurb, just went straight in after reading book 2, so I was a bit thrown off by the shift in perspective from the first two books being told from Kale's perspective to this one being almost entirely from Bardon's perspective. I suppose the title should have given me a clue. Even so, it was an excellent addition to the series.
  
  After the initial surprise, reading from Bardon's perspective was really enjoyable. You can really see the differences between his and Kale's personalities in their inner thoughts.
  
  The new characters introduced are every bit as enjoyable as the characters that we grew to love in the first books, and the new places and creatures really make the world feel vast and real.
  
  I can't wait to read the next one!
• 
  Cheryl Okimoto

  While I really enjoyed this book, it was annoying that Kale was not in it until the end. After two books of getting to know her, I wanted her to be integral to the book, not added as almost an afterthought. I was also annoyed that after three years of becoming a wizard, she can't use wizardry in an urgent situation.
  That said, I definitely like Bardon's character development, and Regidor is awesome.
  This is a good fantasy adventure, and like all of Paul's Dragon series, spirituality is woven into it. It does seem strange that all of Wulder's three tomes seem to be proverbs.
• 
  Becca

  This was my favorite in this series so far! I really enjoyed seeing things from Bardon's perspective. I don't want to spoil anything but it's a good, clean fantasy adventure that really makes you feel like you're traveling with the characters. By the end I stayed up way too late in order to finish. I kept thinking, "Oh, I'll just read one more chapter and then I'll be done and save it for tomorrow." Nope, I finished it.
• 
  Melody

  Reading past the first book in a series is unusual for me, but this series has left me pleasantly surprised so far. I've been reading them aloud to my middle-schooler, and she has loved the story, identified with the characters, and appreciated the parallels to Christianity. I enjoy the humor interspersed throughout, and the uniqueness of each character.