The Dread Wyrm

Miles Cameron

Oct 2015 · Sold by Orbit

About this ebook

The Red Knight will fight his greatest foe yet, a warlike knight who plans to claim the throne of Alba for himself in the third book of The Traitor Son Cycle.

Some are born to power. Some seize it. And some have the wisdom never to wield it.

The Red Knight has stood against soldiers, armies and the might of an empire without flinching. He's fought on real and magical battlefields alike, and now he's facing one of the greatest challenges yet. A tournament.

A joyous spring event, the flower of the nobility will ride against each other for royal favor and acclaim. It's a political contest -- one which the Red Knight has the skill to win. But the stakes may be higher than he thinks. The court of Alba has been infiltrated by a dangerous faction of warlike knights, led by the greatest knight in the world: Jean de Vrailly -- and the prize he's fighting for isn't royal favor, but the throne of Alba itself. . .

Ratings and reviews

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's the 3rd book in a series of 5 by Miles Cameron, who spent his whole life studying material for this series. He is a master at the English language and a devoted student of Tolkien. He also engages in real life medieval fencing and jousting tournaments, so when he writes about war there is a unique authenticity to it. If you love Fantasy novels, magic, knights, Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones type stuff, then you will love this series! You will need patience at times, at least in the first two books there were some slow parts, but your patience will be rewarded time and again! Starting on Book 4 now!

This is an impressive third volume in the projected five of the Traitor Son Cycle. Cameron continues to juggle the threads effectively and opens up the scope of the world significantly in this novel while tying off a number of threads, some major, some minor, which had been developed through the first couple of books. There are now pointers to completely different levels of conflict and interaction, and some of the deep history of his world is beginning to show itself as well. As always (as befits a reenactor and an ex-military officer) Cameron's battle and armed combat scenes are convincing and realistic, and much of this book hovers on the edge of direct conflict even when it is not engaged in it, as the canvas is largely that of a developing civil war. However, his world is gritty without tipping over into being grim. The style is effective and under control, and Cameron provides for agency across a wide range of characters -- male, female, different ethnicities, human, nonhuman. All in all, an extremely worthwhile read, and I look forward to the next installment in the series.

If you are smart don't turn away from a chance of reading one of his books. My favourite author.

About the author

Miles Cameron is a full-time writer who lives in Canada with his family. He also writes historical fiction under another name. The Traitor Son Cycle series is his fantasy debut.