Review: A Knight to Remember by Anne Barwell

Reviewed by Fehu
A Knight to Remember by Anne Barwell
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 204pgs
3.75 Pants Off

Blurb:
"The last of your line will be in the embrace of a dragon."

Aric, Crown Prince of Astria, has been brought up to believe that all dragons are evil. But when he speaks with one, he finds himself questioning those beliefs. The dragon tells him to find a sword in Sherwin Forest to save not only his kingdom but also his sister, Georgia, who must otherwise wed the prince of a neighboring kingdom.

At the start of his quest, Aric dons a disguise and meets Denys, an archer and herbalist who lives alone at the edge of the forest. Denys agrees to guide Aric into the forest, but then Georgia appears, revealing Aric’s true identity.

However, Aric learns he is not the only one keeping secrets. Denys has a few of his own that could change both of their lives forever.

Review:
Aric is the crown prince of a country, where magic is forbidden and the dragons were mostly killed by his family. There is a prophecy, the last male of his line and that would be Aric, would be embraced by the dragon. His great-grandfather thought that was threat enough to start a war with their dragon allies, now Aric isn't sure if that was the right decision, after meeting a dragon on his way home from visiting his aunt. The dragon seemed nice enough and wanted to help him and it's not like he has a lot of people, who would help him, even against his father’s wishes.

His sister has been promised in a marriage to a king who wants to overrun their kingdom with the help of wizards and of course no one believes Aric beside his sister. Their father is dead set on the marriage as a union of two kingdoms, he doesn’t that there is a plot and traitors in his own court who would like to see his son and him dead. After another fight Aric flees the castle in the hope to find a weapon against magic, like the dragon promised. Little does he know that he will awaken a dragon and find his own soul mate in the process.

Denys lived in the woods of a small village, not far from a magical forest that is said to be the home to the last dragons. When he meets a traveling stranger, he is lonely enough to offer help, since the villager think him to be a witch and usually avoid him. Aric intrigues him and so he offers his help as a guide to the dragons’ lands, to find the sword of legends that is said to be able to withstand magic.

A Knight to Remember is a nice fantasy adventure story, but it is a beginning of a story and I though the relationship between Aric and Denys could have happen more gradually. They are a bit quick to profess their love for each other. Otherwise it's an engaging story, with likable characters and room for development. The story flows nicely, but is somewhat fast paced and I hope some of the details to history will be revealed in the next book. I'd love to find out more about the dragons or the upcoming conflict and the kings reaction to his son's mate.

Should You Read It? It's easy to escape into the fantasy world of this story; the writing is good and the characters interesting. If you don't mind the fast pace and like fantasy with princes and dragons, then it's a good book for you.