3.5, would Probably have loved this when I was younger unfortunately I have read quite a bit since then and could see where the story was going

Also I think the story couldn't decide if it wanted to be a comedy or serious and because of this a few characters seem to change their personality and then revert back again ( )

{First of 5 Forest Kingdom series; fantasy} (1992)

Prince Rupert is the second son of the king of the Forest Land and has been sent into the Tanglewood on a quest to slay a dragon. He knows that the hidden purpose of the quest is to get rid of him so he won’t become a rival to his brother, Prince Harald, but he has an unquenchable sense of duty. So not only does he survive but he finds the dragon and rescues it from a princess ... and then the story really gets going.

'Rupert, you were supposed to bring back the valuable parts of a dead dragon and at least some of his hoard. Haven't you brought back any gold?'
'No,' said Rupert. 'There wasn't any.'
'What about the dragon's hoard?'
'He collected butterflies.'
They all stared at the sleeping dragon. 'Only you, Rupert,' said the Champion quietly. 'Only you ...'
'Haven't you brought back anything of value?' asked the King.
'Just this,' said Rupert, drawing his sword. Everybody studied the gleaming blade warily.
'It has a strong magical aura,' said the Astrologer dubiously. 'What does it do?'
'It summons rainbows,' said Rupert, just a little lamely.
There was a long pause.
'Let's talk about the Darkwood,' said King John.

The Tanglewood has always buffered the Forest Land from the Darkwood where demons and other evils live. Now, with the Blue Moon on the rise, the power of the Demon Prince is increasing, the Darkwood is spreading and the long night is threatening to cover the land. Only magic can hold it back, but magic has been disappearing as humans and human logic proliferate. Rupert returns to a castle under desperate siege and a court full of treachery. It seems that the only hope to save the kingdom - and the world - is the High Warlock, who was banished to the Dark Tower years ago. Which means that Rupert will have to brave the Darkwood again to bring him back.

This was a re-read and, more than likely, a re-re-read for me. I’ve found that this year I’ve been struggling with re-reads probably because there’s less sense of anticipation than the first time through. But I do remember being on tenterhooks the previous time(s) I read this because I didn’t know which characters to trust.

This sword-and-sorcery story was one of my favourites when I first read it (fairly close to its publication date); I like my heroes to show a little bit of vulnerability. It’s full of doom and (no, not gloom) dark humour, which appealed to me. I did find it a bit portentous this time - but I may add back half a star for nostalgia. A side note: I had read some of the Hawk and Fisher books before I read this the first time and Rob Hawke makes an appearance here; the two series are set in the same world (possibly reverse engineered, I felt) and were later amalgamated.

March 2021
4.5-5 stars ( )

Oddly priced with kindle edition $$$ more than print version; downloaded sample to check it out

At first this seemed like a humorous take on the most cliché of Fantasy tropes. I liked it a lot. A Prince is sent off to slay a dragon, mostly in hopes that he will get killed and remove himself from the line of Royal succession. He rides a sarcastic and cowardly unicorn, and faces danger with wit and practicality.

Within a few chapters, the humor has become more sparse. The fighting is increasingly detailed and more gory. Things get serious. The story never stops flirting with stereotypes, though, which leaves it a bit odd. Uneven. The long section of Medieval court politicking is the slowest and least enjoyable part of the story.

The last third of the book is nearly unrelentingly serious. There are intense examinations of bitterness, betrayal, a sour unrequited love, and a few flavors of disappointment. At times there are deep ideas, but ultimately the climax of the story plays out in the most shallow and predictable way it possibly could. There's a twist which was telegraphed halfway through, and the payoff at the end just isn't very satisfying. ( )

I had never heard of this series until I had stumbled across it on Goodreads. It has been fairly amusing adventure that I enjoyed thoroughly. I thought that the princess was hysterical, and her plight was very complex. I most certainly wasn't expecting a dragon in the mix of things. The princes and king are a riot, though I doesn't seem a very traditional outlook on court intrigue.
The demon prince, who is the enemy, doesn't seem to be the worst big baddie; but I think he will play a much bigger part in future books in the series. If you've been searching for just an adventure then look no further. This was a good one. Cheers and Happy Reading! ( )