Published: Aug. 27, 2010
Words: 233297 (approximate)
Language: English

Ebook short description

If you took every major epic fantasy that has ever been written and twisted them all into one fantastic tale of magic, sword play, and just plain old fantasy fun, you might get the first half of this monster of a read. The last half is a climax so thrilling that words can't even describe it. A new Master of Fantasy has arrived and he is delivering what fantasy fans have long been waiting for.

Extended description

Read the reviews on this one, Jordan, Martin, and Hobbs, be wary. A new Fantasy Master has finally released his long written wares....

Deemed one of the top 10 indie Fantasy releases of 2010 by Fantasy Book Critic, and listed in the first ever Publishers Weekly Indie Select issue, this 235k word epic title was originally written in longhand in a Texas prison cell by M. R. Mathias.

The Sword and the Dragon... (Read more) Read the reviews on this one, Jordan, Martin, and Hobbs, be wary. A new Fantasy Master has finally released his long written wares....

Deemed one of the top 10 indie Fantasy releases of 2010 by Fantasy Book Critic, and listed in the first ever Publishers Weekly Indie Select issue, this 235k word epic title was originally written in longhand in a Texas prison cell by M. R. Mathias.

The Sword and the Dragon
When the Royal Wizard of Westland poisons the king so that his puppet prince can take the throne and start a continental war, a young squire is forced to run for his life carrying the powerful sword that his dying monarch burdened him with from the death bed.

Two brothers find a magic ring and start on paths to becoming the most powerful sort of enemies, while an evil young sorceress unwillingly falls in love with one of them when he agrees to help her steal a dragon's egg for her father. Her father just happens to be the Royal Wizard, and despite his daughter's feelings, he would love nothing more than to sacrifice the boy!

All of these characters, along with the Wolf King of Wildermont, the Lion Lord of Westland, and a magical hawk named Talon, are on a collision course toward Willa the Witch Queen's palace in the distant kingdom of Highwander. There the very bedrock is formed of the powerful magical substance called Wardstone.

Who are the heroes? And will they get there before the Royal Wizard and his evil hordes do?

Whatever happens, the journey will be spectacular, and the confrontation will be cataclysmic.
(Less)

Tags

murder, fantasy, tolkien, magic, epic, witch, elf, wolf, dragon, king, best, wizard, spells, giant, sword, sorceress, masterpiece, jordan, mr mathias

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Reviews

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Review by: Bookblogger on Feb. 06, 2012 :
The Sword and the Dragon by M.R. Mathias is the first book in The Wardstone Trilogy. The story centers around the brothers Gerard and Hyden two young men of the Skyler clan. The clan is famous for being the only people who know the location to harvest the eggs of a certain hawkling that they sell for very high prices during trade fairs. This year with Hyden being the clans greatest hope for a win over the elves in the annual archery competition he is forbidden to undertake the dangerous climb to earn his honor by getting a good harvest of eggs. Gerard offers to do the climb twice once for himself and once for his brother in order to ensure his brother has eggs for himself at the trade fair. Climbing the massive peak to reach the eggs is a dangerous and grueling affair and no one has done it two days in a row before. While Gerard is on his second trip to the top he notices an item shining from one of the nests and discovers a ring.

He keeps the ring for himself, but lives up to his agreement and gives the second harvest of eggs to his brother. In that batch of eggs packed in a special moss to protect them and prevent them from hatching an unthinkable thing occurs. One of the eggs hatches beginning the events of a prophecy of the Skyler clan. After the trade gathering the brothers go in separate directions and the story follows their journeys.

M.R. Mathias has a talent for world building. This story takes place on a truly epic scale with wonderful locations, cultures, and characters. There is one specific location where a character encounter a very unique version of local wildlife and I was impressed with the ingenuity of it.

There is a lot of stuff going on in this book so it's not a casual read. It is definitely worth the time and effort though. This is an author to keep an eye out on, I already have the second book in this series as well as several others he has written.

Review copy provided by the author.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Jennifer Place on Jan. 23, 2012 :
Yeowza! This is not a light read and it's not for anyone suffering short term memory loss. The Sword and the Dragon is a very busy (and long) book, thanks to a slew of compelling characters and ongoing activity. 'Action packed' is an understatement. It's imperative to stay on top of who's who from the beginning. If you can manage that and you're able to keep up with Mathias' imagination, this book will take you into another world entirely.

I'm most most impressed with Mathias' tenacity as a writer. The man is overflowing with imagination and creativity. He pours himself into his books, and from the looks of things, he's nowhere near packing it up and moving on to a different career. His fans must be crazy about him.

Spelling and grammar mistakes did get my attention. The high number lead me to believe that Mathias is overly eager to release his work before it's ready. As a self-published author I know it's impossible to edit my own work. I know how tired writers get having to rework the same piece again and again, but just because we're done with the book doesn't mean the book is done with us and ready for the world. An editor, if Mathias doesn't have one, would be a wise investment.

While this isn't a fast read, it's perfect for anyone ready to dig in and settle into a mammoth fantasy.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Al W Moe on Jan. 04, 2012 :
The Sword and the Dragon is high fantasy, a 600-page behemoth sporting a background teeming with characters and enough strange forest creatures to spook any readers’ dreams. The reading is easy (sometimes too direct) and moves from scene to scene with record energy and fun, but can shift with little warning.

Readers need to keep the score in mind and I occasionally had trouble picking up the flow after putting the book down for the evening. A map of the Mainland Kingdoms is available online via a link at the book’s start.

As with any long novel, the reader must invest time and effort to understand the course of the story, the bond Gerard and his brother share, and why only Gerard should use the magic ring. The writing is descriptive and direct if not occasionally stilted and clunky.

During a death-defying climb on a treacherous rock escarpment our hero wipes his hands of dirt, grime and hawk droppings. The quest is explained directly and loses tension as the words are forced out staccato-like: he did, it was, etc. The reader is cheated of a chance to learn the story through nuances like heat, light, and smell. The hawk dropping could have been a pungent and acrid smell experienced by Gerard instead of just a single word thrust at the reader.

If you like Fantasy and are ready for a character (and battle) driven story that takes you to a world of dragons, wizards, giants and dwarfs, this book will keep you reading for hours. Overall this is a nicely written story with some interesting twists, plenty of straightforward battles, and it allows the reader a chance to be immersed in a fantasy land created by a fertile mind that sports heroes you’ll enjoy cheering for.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Infinity Dreamt on June 04, 2011 :
The Sword and the Dragon is an epic fantasy with a fun and very fast pace.

But if you are the type to lag behind while flipping through your bestiary, there is every fantasy monster imaginable in here to deal with you. And it's a non-stop gauntlet of them.

What I was most impressed by was the multiple viewpoints from a strong set characters. Each with their own story that is brought together by the time you reach the end. Most of them are brave enough to reach for unfathomable heights, which tends to drop them into a heap of trouble. But that's okay, because chances are that they just fell right-on your most-awesome list of people as well. Then you will want to hear their history.

Mikahl is the hero who takes a true hero’s stance. He doesn't run from anything (unless it's the people of the entire country who want him dead, but this is understandable). He gets the job done, without sulking for too long over the price of saving his kingdom.

The indie excitement over this book is justified. I will be reading on to, Kings, Queens, Heroes, and Fools, to hold onto my own even longer. The Sword and the Dragon will bring you right back to the magic, monsters, dwarves, elves and demons you thought you escaped by growing out of, only to realize you never wanted to. Bring a sword.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Kara Malinczak on April 03, 2011 :
I'm conflicted. Part of me is glad I'm done reading because it's so long, but on the other hand, I feel like the characters have become a part of me and I'm sad to see them go. Really sad.

There were so many vivid scenes that are memorable in my mind. It's hard to explain, but when you are reading and you can picture a scene that's happening down to the most extreme detail in your own mind, then I believe you have an excellent piece of fiction in your hands(or on your computer).

The battle scenes are extremely well-written. Appropriate amount of action, gore, and detail. Somehow the book manages to cover every aspect of fantasy without being cheesy in any way. The climactic battle scene is just wow. It captures all the tension and I almost feel as if I'm standing there right next to the fighters.

This is a artfully done character driven novel with extremely deep and dimensional characters either likable or unlikable, but really detailed either way. A lot of the characters I like have died already. This makes me sad.

I read an interview the author did where he said Pael was evil. but likable. I didn't find him to be likable at all. He is grotesquely creepy. Just my observation. This is not a bad thing.

I am in love with Claret. I want a dragon of my very own. And the sword Ironspike feels like it has its very own personality. Strange(I wrote this paragraph while I was still reading).

I have heard criticisms on other boards about the lack of editing and grammar mistakes. I didn't find that to be a problem at all. There were a few, yes, but that is to be expected from a self-published novel. I have seen MUCH worse editing than this and I'm glad to say that it didn't detract from the magic of the story at all.

Also, I would like to add a personal thought to this review. I read something the author posted somewhere about the fact that a publisher turned him down because they didn't believe him to be stable enough to make an investment in. I thing this is a shame, because his writing is amazing and I believe it would sell like crazy. It appears as though he's making more money publishing on his own though so good for him. And it's definitely their loss. They missed out.

Such a great epic fantasy, I mean it was magical, emotional, and really drew me in, but when you decide to read it you are making a Stephen King type commitment. This is a long book. But it is so worth the read. There are self-published gems out there.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Richard Adin on March 26, 2011 :
This is a book in desperate need of professional editing. The story rambles, the characters are lifeless, and there are numerous spelling and grammar errors. I purchased this book when the price was much higher than the current price, but it is not a bargain even at the current price. I found I gave up on the book after the first 100 or so pages.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: abscout on Feb. 27, 2011 : (no rating)
Great read. Hard to put down. Can't wait for more.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: farqy on Feb. 11, 2011 :
in your face fantasy, no padding, straight to the action. Had a ball reading this and looked for more. Hurry up the next book. If your into long saga type this is not for you, this is kickass fantasy, more more more..
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Arthur Levine on Feb. 05, 2011 :
The Sword and the Dragon


This epic fantasy is wonderfully written with exquisite detail that makes you believe the characters are real. From Hyden the archer and his brother Gerard to the elves to the Dying King Balton’s faithful squire Mikahl, set on a journey to deliver the magical sword Ironspike to a giant, all the actions of these characters jump off the pages of a plot with so many sub plots that the reader is kept enthralled and on the edge of his or her seat wondering what will happen next.

Gerard with his magic ring and the beautiful young sorceress Shaella who possessed magical powers fall in love while in pursuit of a dragon’s egg for her father the royal Wizard. They and Hyden with his magical hawk, Talon are on a collision course to the kingdom of Highwander where the potent magical substance called Wardstone is formed.

Whether our hero brothers or the evil Royal Wizard get to the Wardstone first is complimented by a veritable feast of tasty subjects that leave our heads spinning with magical ideas as the fantasy draws us closer and closer into a mythic web of awe inspiring proportions. This one deserves five stars.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: AKK on Jan. 31, 2011 :
The Sword and the Dragon was actually the first "indie ebook" I've purchased so far, mostly because of Liviu Suciu's review on fantasy book critic. After going through the extensive preview, I just had to know how the story continues, even though I had very little daytime on my hands to actually do so.
The Sword and the Dragon is high, epic fantasy with a full set of characters and locations. The plot is complex and truly addictive - in fact, I found myself hooked after going through the first third of the free preview - and certainly doesn't pull its punches when it comes to events. Plot and details are easily remembered, making it a perfect read when you are forced to take longer breaks from the text. Nevertheless, tension and pace are well held over its full length, despite its impressive word count, and the text itself is very easy to read.
However, there are occasional spelling and grammar mistakes and some of the scenes would have benefit a lot from a slightly more complex (or advanced) wording, but I'm known to "love big words", so don't let that turn you away from this book. I'm certainly going to read the next installment of this series.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: frostschutz on Oct. 20, 2010 :
This book is solid fantasy with a rich set of distinctive characters and an interesting plot. I really like how the author jumps from character to character, giving the reader a peek at each characters thoughts, whenever necessary. The locations also change around a lot (because characters are in different places and things are happening simultaneously), without ever giving you the feeling to be losing track of things. All in all this seems to be a story that wasn't simply written from start till end, but a lot of thought seems to have gone into it. One of the best reads I've come across so far on this site. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good medieval fantasy.

My only qualms with this book is the sheer amount of spelling errors. There is one on every other page. Not something I'm used to in the $10 price range. It could also use a cover and description.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Tracey Alley on Oct. 01, 2010 :
This book is a monster and not just in size. M. R. Mathias has managed to do something extremely difficult in the fantasy genre - create something new and unique. Well written and compelling it literally turns the pages itself. I would compare this to Lord of the Rings except that LOTR couldn't hold my interest like this book. Mathias' characters are rich and well developed, the story flows easily and the reader is lost in the incredible world that's been created.

I will confess that I really wasn't expecting this novel to be as engaging as it was, a lot of hype can sometimes just be a lot of hype. In this case it is well deserved.
Congratulations M.R. Mathias.

If you like fantasy then you will absolutely love this book. I cannot wait for the sequel.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Liviu Suciu on Oct. 01, 2010 :
The Sword and the Dragon is true epic fantasy with all the tropes associated - dragons, elves, wizards, giants, dwarves, fairies, trolls, lizard people, zombies, quests, destined heroes, dastardly villains, powerful demons that are ready to escape their containment and bring evil to the world, magical animals, people that can talk with animals, kings, lords, warriors, you name it, it is probably there - that manages to be absolutely fresh and zany with some great twists. I want to emphasize again that while there will be a sequel soon, The Sword and the Dragon ends its main arc so it is a standalone part of a greater tapestry. In essence The Sword and the Dragon is set to be the replay in the present of the novel of events of long ago, when escaped demons brought darkness to the world until a king with a magic sword made by dwarves, giants and elves working together - races that tend to dislike each other and humanity to boot - and a sorcerer that could talk with animals, united all the living things to defeat evil and imprison the nasty demons with a powerful dragon guarding the Seal. But the dragon was smart enough not to want to be trapped for ever in guarding the portal to the underworld, so she put in an escape clause that will trigger when humans start doing some bad things; enter evil wizard Pael who is set to use dark magic, nasty tricks and the wiles of his daughter Shaella to put in motion events that will lead to the breaking of the seal... Well, so it goes but what if Shaella actually falls in love with the "sacrifice boy" that Pael needs at a crucial moment, or what if the story as retold is not quite complete missing some ingredients, or what if a key magic artifact goes to the wrong brother and the magic sword loses its magic and goes to the wrong heir? Read the novel and you will find out some answers... Hoping that the above will give you an inkling why I found The Sword and the Dragon so much fun, I want to talk a bit about the actual execution of the storyline above. The first thing I noticed about The Sword and the Dragon is that it's a true work of love from the author. The world of the novel is described in quite a lot of detail, while the characters have a lot of pages that allow us to get to know them. However the book mixes well descriptions with action, so I never felt the narrative flow stalling. The Sword and the Dragon starts with essentially two threads, one following the life of two of the secretive Skyler clan youngsters: brothers Gerard and Hyden and one following the squire Mikahl trying to fulfill the last wishes of his protector plus some "behind the scenes" action from Pael that sets the scene so to speak, but at some point it manages to skilfully switch the threads into the more familiar ones - quest to stop the bad guys - though not without introducing some twists in the narrative. The Sword and the Dragon manages to keep the balance between the threads and when as expected things start converging, the tension ratchets up and the book becomes impossible to put down till the end. While a traditional fantasy in many respects, The Sword and the Dragon does not shy from explicit language when appropriate and characters, even ones readers may get to like may die or be transformed in unexpected ways. Overall The Sword and the Dragon (A+) is an is an impressive debut
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Ted Ellis on Sep. 04, 2010 :
I bought and read this wonderful story a few days ago and I finished it last night. It has so much action and interaction in it and it never lost my interest. This story will go far and I am really looking forward to the next book in the trilogy. You my friend will go far if all of your works are as well written as this one. I plan to buy more titles soon.

Theodore Ellis
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Cliff Ball on Aug. 28, 2010 :
When I started reading this novel, and saw it was 700 pages, I was thinking it would suffer from burn out somewhere in the middle. Boy, was I wrong! The novel has a steady flow throughout, and the descriptions of various scenes throughout the novel are imaginative. The story is told from the points of view of quite a few different characters, from the good guys to the bad guys, and a couple of their animal friends. It has elements from every fantasy novel out there, including the classic tragic hero journey. It kept me interested. I would recommend this to anyone who has read such novels as Lord of the Rings or the Eragon series of books.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

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