The 12 Dragons of Albion
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ISBN: 9781999821227
Description
Our hero is ready to claim his reward. Conrad Clarke has saved the girl and stayed alive – surely he can rest on his laurels? Just a bit? No. Conrad has to pass a new test. A magickal test, and Conrad doesn’t do magick very well. Not only that, there’s a missing Dragon’s egg to investigate, and Conrad has to turn over his ammunition.
Reviewed on 22nd February 2025
The second King’s Watch novel, which I came across randomly in a charity shop, picks up pretty immediately after the first, as Conrad is more formally accepted into the Watch.
We revisit some of the elements from the first novel, which provides a nice reminder of where we are and how we got here. Then it’s on to a new mission as an unusual Roman facility is discovered below London.
It’s a good adventure, although there’s perhaps a bit too much going on, and a lot feels like setup for books to come. I did notice however there’s a creeping sexism feeling like it’s entered the narrative, with quite noticeably different descriptions of the male and female characters that Conrad meets, which felt uncomfortable.
The other uncomfortable aspect of this book is its size. It’s a very large paperback, and yet doesn’t feel like it wants to open fully, so is a bit of a handful.
I’m ambivalent over whether to continue this series. I suspect it might depend on whether the third book presents itself to me!