The Stolen Throne is the exciting first adventure of the new Dragon Age series.
Written by David Gaider, lead writer for Bioware's
a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B001IK1BWC/myshelf">Dragon Age:
Origins video game, the novel follows the trials faced by Maric, son of the Rebel Queen
of Ferelden. When his mother is killed by traitorous allies, eighteen-year-old Maric is suddenly
thrown into a violent world where no one can be trusted.
Maric stumbles onto the camp of a small rebel band and is befriended by Loghain. As they flee
from enemy soldiers, they encounter another band of loyal rebels. Here he meets Rowan, a woman
who is as fierce a warrior as any man. She also happens to be betrothed to Maric from childhood.
Loghain, Rowan and Maric join forces to regain enough support for the young king to triumph over
the enemy forces and return him to his rightful throne.
The rest of the story plays out like levels in a video game. Each series of battles is fraught
with treachery and insurmountable obstacles, ending in ultimate victory. But for this reviewer,
who does not often play video games, I found it took a long time to ascend through the many
battles to reach the final outcome. Although characters such a Katriel, an elf whose loyalty you
are never quite sure about, add intrigue throughout the plot, the battles begin to seem repetitive
and the ending almost unreachable. For a video-gamer or a battle-enthusiast, however, this book
would be an exciting read.