The Dragons of Dorcastle

Pillars of Reality, Book 1

By: Jack Campbell

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

The first book in a thrilling new epic fantasy saga by Jack Campbell, the New York Times best-selling author of The Lost Fleet series!

For centuries, the two Great Guilds have controlled the world of Dematr. The Mechanics and the Mages have been bitter rivals, agreeing only on the need to keep the world they rule from changing. But now a Storm approaches, one that could sweep away everything that humans have built. Only one person has any chance of uniting enough of the world behind her to stop the Storm, but the Great Guilds and many others will stop at nothing to defeat her.

Mari is a brilliant young Mechanic, just out of the Guild Halls, where she has spent most of her life learning how to run the steam locomotives and other devices of her Guild. Alain is the youngest Mage ever to learn how to change the world he sees with the power of his mind. Each has been taught that the works of the other's Guild are frauds. But when their caravan is destroyed, they begin to discover how much has been kept from them.

As they survive danger after danger, Alain discovers what Mari doesn’t know—that she was long ago prophesized as the only one who can save their world. When Mari reawakens emotions he had been taught to deny, Alain realizes he must sacrifice everything to save her. Mari, fighting her own feelings, discovers that only together can she and Alain hope to stay alive and overcome the Dragons of Dorcastle.

©2014 John G. Hemry (P)2014 Audible inc.

Great mix of fantasy and technology

And it was a great love story too. I loved exploring all of the conflicting emotions.

Really good, if you can get through the YA parts.

I’m now re-listening to this series many years after the first time. And I’m finding it just as enjoyable. If anything the YA stuff is less annoying the second time around…

Maybe this is because I am able to scrub through the worst/longest of those parts without having to worry that I will miss some key piece of information. And maybe it’s just because I’m going in knowing that the overall story is probably worth having to slog through the terrible inner monologues of both the MCs.

The constant handwringing, self-flagellation, and obsessive diatribes detailing their ambivalence between what they’ve been taught and what they feel may be wholly accurate for someone as old as 15 or 16, On the other hand, I don’t know that I buy that an 18-year-old (living in this imagined world) would be quite so melodramatically immature.

Regardless, even if this is an accurate portrayal of what goes on in the mind of a teen experiencing “forbidden love,” sadly I am quite a few years past that experience and would appreciate a little less realism and a fair bit more subtlety and nuance.

It wouldn’t be worth making such a big deal out of this issue if these inner debates weren’t so prevalent. As it is, the author has seen fit to include them way more often and for much longer than anyone but a young teen or a very, very immature adult would want to have to listen to.

So all I’m saying is that I really do like this series, and yet I have a very low tolerance for that cringy, YA, inner-turmoil schtick. So while I do recommend this series, I also feel it necessary to warn other listeners that they should be prepared for some seriously, low-brow, Hot-Topic, ear-tonguing.

A unique and thoroughly enjoyable story

I’ve read a lot of Jack Campbell’s books and enjoy them all. This one I’d in a class by itself. The characters are well developed and you can truly come to invest yourself in their plight. On top of that the overall story itself is fantastic.

Continuing story advancement. Depth of characters.

Interaction of characters with difffering backgrounds finding common ground for the betterment of society. Good story.

Oh dear. The narrator.

Couldn’t take the narrator. May try to read it. Love Campbell’s The Lost Fleet so this was disappointing.

Not What It Seems

Imagine you are at a BBQ. Someone offers you a bacon cheeseburger with all the fixings. Excitedly, you agree and begin to salivate. When the food is brought you end up with a tempe patty, bean sprouts and soy “cheese” sandwich. This book is like that. You anticipate an interesting, exciting blend of steampunk and fantasy but you end up with a shallow romance, shallow plot and overall boring book.
So why two stars rather than one? The bread was pretty good.