The Dragon King (Crimson Shadow, #3)

In volume one of this series, "The Sword of Bedwyr", young Luthien Bedwyr rebelled against the vicious rule of King Greensparrow and his cruel wizard-lords. In volume two, he made use of a magical cape that renders its wearer invisible--except for a lingering crimson silhouette. Now, the evil Greensparrow is back--and with a vengeance. Using dark, hideous magic, Greensparrow has taken the form of a massive dragon--a virtually unstoppable force that only Luthien can defeat.

in The Sword Of Bedwyr, Young Luthien Bedwyr Rebelled Against The Crushing Rule Of King Greensparrow And His Cruel Wizard-lords. To Save His Once Proud Land Of Eriador, Luthien Was Given A Magical Cape That Renders Its Wearer Invisible--but Leaves Behind An Indelible Scarlet Silhouette. In Luthien's Gamble, Luthien--the Crimson Shadow--was Successful In Bringing Greensparrow And His Forces To Heel. But Now The Vile King Is Back With A Vengeance. Using Dark And Hideous Magic, Greensparrow Has Taken The Form Of A Mammoth Dragon--and He Will Not Be Stopped!

publishers Weekly

plenty Of Sound And Fury But Precious Little Fire Rumbles In The Belly Of Salvatore's Pseudo-tolkien Conclusion To The Crimson Shadow Trilogy. Here, Avon's Foppish Evil Wizard-king, Greensparrow, And His Dragon Alter Ego Provoke Eriador's Wizard-king, Brind'amour, Into Breaking The Flimsy Truce Achieved In Luthien's Gamble (forecasts, Jan. 29). Though Badly Outnumbered By Avon's Cyclopians, Brind'amour And His Assorted Allies Assault Avon To Free Eriador Forever. With The Help Of Luthien (whose Magic Alter Ego Is The Crimson Shadow), Katerin (the Shadow's Warrior-maid Lover), Siobhan (a Revengeful Half-elf Rape Victim), Oliver (a Mouthy Half-pint Halfting) And A Flotilla Of Nouveau Vikings, The Wizard-king Slashes Through Acres Of Monsters And Sloshes Through Torrents Of Gore. Despite The Rivers Of Blood, However, Salvatore's Vocabulary And Imagination Prove Dry. Supposedly Noble Characters Smirk, Snicker And Bat Their Eyes, And No Clich Is Left Unused: Even Saddam Hussein Is Paraphrased For The Coming Grandfather Of Those Battles. Salvatore's Tired Story Depends On Gratuitous Violence And Misused Motifs From Classic Sources (tolkien's Luthien Was A Fetching Elf-princess, For Example, Not A Male Hero With A Fragile Ego). These Lumbering False Steps Make Salvatore Stumble Badly In His Attempts To Evoke Memories Of Middle Earth. (nov.)

There is no peace for King Brind'Amour's newly liberated Eriador, as Avon's evil King Greensparrow breaks the truce with border massacres and demon sorcery. War is inevitable, but would be suicidal. Even when allied with DunDarrow dwarfs, Fairborn elves, and the Riders of Eradoch, the peasant armies led by Luthien Bedwyr and his friends are hopelessly outmatched by Avon's Cyclopian legions. Meanwhile, Brind'Amour's magic must face the fiends of Avon's sorcerous dukes .. The evil Greensparrow is back with a vengeance, using dark, diabolical magic to take the form of a massive dragon, and it is up to young Luthien Bedwyr to destroy this virtually unstoppable force. A simple spell brought him unnoticed past the guards, out from the main gates of the greatest city in all of Avonsea, mighty Carlisle on Stratton.