REVIEW: Dragon Hunters by Marc Turner

Dragon Hunters by Marc Turner
Publishing information: Hardback; 496 pages
Publisher: Tor; 9 Feb 2016
ISBN: 978-0765337139
Series: Chronicles of the Exile #2
Copy: Provided by publisher
Reviewer: Tyson

Amazon

Synopsis: "Dragon Hunters, the sequel to Marc Turner's When the Heavens Fall features gritty characters, deadly magic, and meddlesome gods

Once a year on Dragon Day the fabled Dragon Gate is raised to let a sea dragon pass from the Southern Wastes into the Sabian Sea. There, it will be hunted by the Storm Lords, a fellowship of powerful water-mages who rule an empire called the Storm Isles. Alas, this year someone forgot to tell the dragon which is the hunter and which the hunted.

Emira Imerle Polivar is coming to the end of her tenure as leader of the Storm Lords. She has no intention of standing down graciously. She instructs an order of priests called the Chameleons to infiltrate a citadel housing the mechanism that controls the Dragon Gate to prevent the gate from being lowered after it has been raised on Dragon Day. Imerle hopes the dozens of dragons thus unleashed on the Sabian Sea will eliminate her rivals while she launches an attack on the Storm Lord capital, Olaire, to secure her grip on power.

But Imerle is not the only one intent on destroying the Storm Lord dynasty. As the Storm Lords assemble in Olaire in answer to a mysterious summons, they become the targets of assassins working for an unknown enemy. When Imerle initiates her coup, that enemy makes use of the chaos created to show its hand."

Not long ago I was blown away with Marc Turner's When the Heavens Fall (review here) and I was glad that the second book was readily available to read as I wanted to get back into the world he had created.

Dragon Gate takes place in another land and features new characters. It also takes place at the same time as the events in When the Heavens Fall as there are a few lines of dialogue that states that the dead aren't leaving and the god Shroud is busy. While When the Heavens Fall has more of a quest type feel. Dragon Gate is more of a political thriller, where the Storm Lords are about to have a changing in leadership and many are left wondering if it will be a peaceful transition or bloody. We have assassins from the Chameleon God working for a mysterious benefactor who has plans to ruin the annual event of bringing stopping the Dragon Gate from opening in hopes that it will disrupt the political change in the city.

Turner has shown that he can craft a book that is action packed and full of intrigue as the various political parties and religious sects have cards to play in an attempt to gain stronger footholds in the city. He also does a great job of juggling the various points of view as we have a handful of major players in the novel. Senar Sol is a Guardian, similar to Lurker but more of a spy, as he is sent to Olaire to gather intel for the emperor. Karmel Flood is an assassin and in charge of stopping the Dragon Gate from opening, she is a very capable killer and wonders about the true motivations as to why she is tasked with this assignment. Kempis is the local constable. He is on the hunt for the magical killer that is striking down the high profile citizens of the city. He also provides a little humor into the book as he questions his superiors as he investigates the murders. The two Storm Lords, Imerle Polivar is a vicious woman who sees individuals as either expendable or a stepping stone to her power. Mazana Creed is the other Storm Lord, she is a thorn in Imerle's side as she does everything in her power to block Imerle's actions and is a constant reminder that her time as Emira (city's leader) is coming to a close.

Dragon Gate starts off really slow and it may turn some readers off, as When the Heavens Fall started at a much quicker pace. However, I assure you the payoff is worth it if you hang in there. Once again Marc Turner shows off his ability as a writer and manages to pull of another amazing book. I am hoping the publisher sends me the next book in the series as I am curious to see where he takes us next. Red Tide should hit shelves in late September. Dragon Gate is highly recommended.

Overall 8/10