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Gonard's Journey #1
Dragons Can Only Rust
'You are no more than a dragon, created by me.' The Master swept an arm at the many things of power that filled the cavern. 'It is impossible for you to feel anything. Dragons can't feel. Dragons can only rust.'
In a fantastic and frightening future world, a dragon of any kind would naturally feel more than a little out of place. Unsure if his existence is a blessing or a curse, Gonard flees the safety of the only home he's known to go on a search for a soul he isn't really sure he has. He is accompanied on his quest by an android-like medtech--with a hidden and perhaps deadly agenda--and the Outler, a young woman from a mining asteroid who will use any means at her disposal to be allowed to remain on Earth. Even if she must sacrifice the dragon to do so.
In a fantastic and frightening future world, a dragon of any kind would naturally feel more than a little out of place. Unsure if his existence is a blessing or a curse, Gonard flees the safety of the only home he's known to go on a search for a soul he isn't really sure he has. He is accompanied on his quest by an android-like medtech--with a hidden and perhaps deadly agenda--and the Outler, a young woman from a mining asteroid who will use any means at her disposal to be allowed to remain on Earth. Even if she must sacrifice the dragon to do so.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 1995
5 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Chrys Cymri
25Ìýbooks282ÌýfollowersPriest by day, writer at odd times of the day and night, I live with a small green parrot called Tilly because the upkeep for a dragon is beyond my current budget. Plus I’m responsible for making good any flame damage to church property. I love ‘Doctor Whoâ€�, landscape photography, single malt whisky, and my job, in no particular order. When I’m not looking after a small parish church in the Midlands (England) I like to go on far flung adventures to places like Peru, New Zealand, and North Korea.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 25, 2016
A story about a dragon? Hmmmmm. Along with vampires, werewolves, zombies, elves, dwarves, orcs, and goblins, I don’t normally do dragons. Too much like fantasy for my liking. Then I found out the dragon was a robot as well! A robot? Who’d build a robot dragon? What would be the point? By the end of the second chapter I was ready to put the book down as a DNF (that’s “did not finish� for anyone who didn’t know).
Then I started to get into the story and found that I rather liked Gonard the dragon. The reclusive scientist who’d created him was making a bit of dosh building dragons for the local hunt, but Gonard he’d kept more as sort of cross between a companion and a pet.
The relationship between master and creation was probably helped by the fact that somewhere along the line Gonard had had an “awakening� (ie. rather than just being a programmed automaton he’d become sentient). And that’s something that interests me a lot. Whether people ever manage to build robots that are similar to human bodies is debatable, but with computer power and intelligence increasing with every year that passes I would not be surprised to find that one day a machine will finally become self-aware.
In any case, Rumfus Max who built Gonard had programmed him to be like a human, so what we actually have is a being in a dragon’s body which thinks in a very human manner. And he has the kind of doubts and worries that real humans have so there are times when as a reader you can even forget that the book’s hero is a) a dragon and b) a robot.
He has some interesting companions. Itsa the escapee from a mine on an asteroid (she got to Earth using a transmatter system) is tricky and unpredictable and speaks with a pronounced accent but she’s devoted to Gonard. The unnamed robot medical technician (referred to as “the medtech�) is the story’s equivalent of Mr Spock. For some reason he also is devoted to Gonard, but it’s abundantly clear he hates Itsa, and the feeling is mutual.
What about the story? Well, the mismatched trio escape from the part of post apocalypse Earth that thinks it’s the only remnant of human civilisation still surviving and go off to have adventures (predictable), but then I started to wonder where it was all leading. I won’t go into all the details but after they reached the “Emerald City� my thoughts were along the lines of “everything’s OK right now. It’s still a long way to the end of the book. Something’s going to go wrong. What exactly?�. Eventually it did go wrong and they had to move on to the next adventure.
And that was a dull bit where they struggled to survive through the winter. In the spring they met up with a tribe of hunters that took them in because of Gonard’s ability to sing (and thereby to ward off the as yet unknown effects of the “changewinds�). Unfortunately for a Singer, Gonard had sworn a solemn vow never to sing again which eventually lead to a number of deaths because he failed to sing when it was vital he should have done. My view is that to stick a little too rigidly to a vow just for the sake of it is high in the honour stakes but low in logic. What I found later was that Gonard’s action was necessary to the story so I have to dismiss it as a “plot device�. A little further on we come to the trial where thedefence have to argue against the accused while the prosecution argue in his favour. I think an ordinary trial would have worked just as well.
Then comes the bit I’d been waiting for for many chapters. Gonard goes out to confront the changewinds and has an interesting experience which goes a long way towards explaining exactly what they are. Unfortunately, after going along at a fairly slow pace for much of the story, the book now whizzes past and denies the reader his or her well deserved denouement.
Perhaps that’s part of the greater plan. When I started the book I knew there were more books in the series but I didn’t know how closely linked they would be to this story. In fact, I was quite disappointed at the end to find that I’d just been dumped and would now have to read the next instalment before secrets were revealed.
What didn’t I like about the book? Well being a reader who likes to see believability in extensions made to the technology we have today, I felt a bit let down by the way Gonard and the medtech were completely free from the need to eat or drink. They had power packs in them which would keep them going for decades; that’s just not believable and it gave them an unfair advantage over mere humans who need a supply of nourishment. A recent TV series showed the plight of a group of humanoid robots who functioned entirely on electricity, but needed charging up on a regular basis. So when they absconded from their homes they had to take a portable generator with them so they could get their regular “fix� of power.
What would I (as a sci-fi author) have done? I’m not sure about the medtech, but I’d have made Gonard’s covering of scales into solar panels so he could have been recharged, but only if he spent a fair amount of time outdoors on a sunny day. Lack of sunlight would have resulted in him being lethargic and unable to function properly (which would have fitted in with the way he spent the winter). Perhaps I might have made him reliant on a supply of water to act as an electrolyte in his internal power supply system. Being more reliant and vulnerable he would have been more real.
How do I feel about the book overall? Well, there were times in the early chapters when I was sure I didn’t like the story, I was very much in the dark, and Ms Cymri’s writing just didn’t seem to work for me. That’s when I was thinking of giving up and moving on to something else. But then, either the writing improved or I “pulled in line� with the style and then it all just became very, what’s the word for it, comfortable. The writing flowed easily showing a level of literary skill which was either completely natural or very well practiced (and probably a bit of both).
When I came to the end of the book I went back to the beginning to re-read the first two chapters. Now they made sense and the style seemed just right. What I’d suggest is that Ms Cymri should revisit the first two chapters and give away a little more information to help a reader get into her book.
All in all I surprised myself very much, in the end the robot dragon I’d been so sceptical about gave me a great deal of pleasure.
Then I started to get into the story and found that I rather liked Gonard the dragon. The reclusive scientist who’d created him was making a bit of dosh building dragons for the local hunt, but Gonard he’d kept more as sort of cross between a companion and a pet.
The relationship between master and creation was probably helped by the fact that somewhere along the line Gonard had had an “awakening� (ie. rather than just being a programmed automaton he’d become sentient). And that’s something that interests me a lot. Whether people ever manage to build robots that are similar to human bodies is debatable, but with computer power and intelligence increasing with every year that passes I would not be surprised to find that one day a machine will finally become self-aware.
In any case, Rumfus Max who built Gonard had programmed him to be like a human, so what we actually have is a being in a dragon’s body which thinks in a very human manner. And he has the kind of doubts and worries that real humans have so there are times when as a reader you can even forget that the book’s hero is a) a dragon and b) a robot.
He has some interesting companions. Itsa the escapee from a mine on an asteroid (she got to Earth using a transmatter system) is tricky and unpredictable and speaks with a pronounced accent but she’s devoted to Gonard. The unnamed robot medical technician (referred to as “the medtech�) is the story’s equivalent of Mr Spock. For some reason he also is devoted to Gonard, but it’s abundantly clear he hates Itsa, and the feeling is mutual.
What about the story? Well, the mismatched trio escape from the part of post apocalypse Earth that thinks it’s the only remnant of human civilisation still surviving and go off to have adventures (predictable), but then I started to wonder where it was all leading. I won’t go into all the details but after they reached the “Emerald City� my thoughts were along the lines of “everything’s OK right now. It’s still a long way to the end of the book. Something’s going to go wrong. What exactly?�. Eventually it did go wrong and they had to move on to the next adventure.
And that was a dull bit where they struggled to survive through the winter. In the spring they met up with a tribe of hunters that took them in because of Gonard’s ability to sing (and thereby to ward off the as yet unknown effects of the “changewinds�). Unfortunately for a Singer, Gonard had sworn a solemn vow never to sing again which eventually lead to a number of deaths because he failed to sing when it was vital he should have done. My view is that to stick a little too rigidly to a vow just for the sake of it is high in the honour stakes but low in logic. What I found later was that Gonard’s action was necessary to the story so I have to dismiss it as a “plot device�. A little further on we come to the trial where thedefence have to argue against the accused while the prosecution argue in his favour. I think an ordinary trial would have worked just as well.
Then comes the bit I’d been waiting for for many chapters. Gonard goes out to confront the changewinds and has an interesting experience which goes a long way towards explaining exactly what they are. Unfortunately, after going along at a fairly slow pace for much of the story, the book now whizzes past and denies the reader his or her well deserved denouement.
Perhaps that’s part of the greater plan. When I started the book I knew there were more books in the series but I didn’t know how closely linked they would be to this story. In fact, I was quite disappointed at the end to find that I’d just been dumped and would now have to read the next instalment before secrets were revealed.
What didn’t I like about the book? Well being a reader who likes to see believability in extensions made to the technology we have today, I felt a bit let down by the way Gonard and the medtech were completely free from the need to eat or drink. They had power packs in them which would keep them going for decades; that’s just not believable and it gave them an unfair advantage over mere humans who need a supply of nourishment. A recent TV series showed the plight of a group of humanoid robots who functioned entirely on electricity, but needed charging up on a regular basis. So when they absconded from their homes they had to take a portable generator with them so they could get their regular “fix� of power.
What would I (as a sci-fi author) have done? I’m not sure about the medtech, but I’d have made Gonard’s covering of scales into solar panels so he could have been recharged, but only if he spent a fair amount of time outdoors on a sunny day. Lack of sunlight would have resulted in him being lethargic and unable to function properly (which would have fitted in with the way he spent the winter). Perhaps I might have made him reliant on a supply of water to act as an electrolyte in his internal power supply system. Being more reliant and vulnerable he would have been more real.
How do I feel about the book overall? Well, there were times in the early chapters when I was sure I didn’t like the story, I was very much in the dark, and Ms Cymri’s writing just didn’t seem to work for me. That’s when I was thinking of giving up and moving on to something else. But then, either the writing improved or I “pulled in line� with the style and then it all just became very, what’s the word for it, comfortable. The writing flowed easily showing a level of literary skill which was either completely natural or very well practiced (and probably a bit of both).
When I came to the end of the book I went back to the beginning to re-read the first two chapters. Now they made sense and the style seemed just right. What I’d suggest is that Ms Cymri should revisit the first two chapters and give away a little more information to help a reader get into her book.
All in all I surprised myself very much, in the end the robot dragon I’d been so sceptical about gave me a great deal of pleasure.
April 5, 2016
At the start, the premise looked to be a familiar sci-fi theme: self-aware, robotic entity puzzles at the existence of its own soul and with it, the appropriateness of its own volition. But, our robotic dragon protagonist isn’t really all that robotic or dragon-like. He stands but a couple feet taller than a normal human, gets drunk off beer, experiences lust, refuses to breathe fire, refuses to kill, never learns how to fly, and spends the entire book refusing to help or harm others because he is wracked with fear and guilt.
The narrative starts strong. Our ‘dragon� avoids being recycled for parts and unites with two intriguing characters. We will travel beyond the known realm/Domain’s barrier with Itsa, our irreverent comic relief, and Medtech, the robot doctor whose main function appears to be story exposition. A solid setup. But once beyond the barrier, the pacing slows to what I’ll generously call a contemplative speed. The background terrain varies slightly as they journey and the two communities visited are interesting, but the self-discovery 'plot� can't progress because of the ‘dragon’s� continual self-loathing and refusal to do anything. Time and again, those around him offer heroic roles, or opportunities for a valiant act, and each time he finds an excuse to stand aside and do nothing.
‘I won’t fail them!� Gonard insisted.
‘Then will you sing for them?�
Gonard took a deep breath. ‘I might not have to.�
And thus he backs away from responsibility once again. "I might not have to," seems to be the dragon's motto. Well his motto is ‘dragons can only rust’…meaning, there is nothing in the world for him to do but decay and die. He reminds us of this often. I have a hard time rooting for mopey characters and this dragon never stops moping. By the end, I was rooting for someone to put this loathsome, indecisive non-entity out of its misery.
Technically, the writing is capable, even inventive. Toward the middle, I thought I might be reading an allegory about the author’s experience with the church or his relationship with God, but by the end, I really had no idea if this was the case or not. When the story abruptly ended, I had no idea what the point of the book was or if it was bothering to make a point. A coming of age tale that never comes of age? Maybe the sequel has answers this book did not provide. If the story would've centered on Itsa, with Gonard as a sulky secondary character, I think I would have enjoyed it more. That said, I can't say I enjoyed this book. Rounding up to 3 stars for technical aptitude and world building.
The narrative starts strong. Our ‘dragon� avoids being recycled for parts and unites with two intriguing characters. We will travel beyond the known realm/Domain’s barrier with Itsa, our irreverent comic relief, and Medtech, the robot doctor whose main function appears to be story exposition. A solid setup. But once beyond the barrier, the pacing slows to what I’ll generously call a contemplative speed. The background terrain varies slightly as they journey and the two communities visited are interesting, but the self-discovery 'plot� can't progress because of the ‘dragon’s� continual self-loathing and refusal to do anything. Time and again, those around him offer heroic roles, or opportunities for a valiant act, and each time he finds an excuse to stand aside and do nothing.
‘I won’t fail them!� Gonard insisted.
‘Then will you sing for them?�
Gonard took a deep breath. ‘I might not have to.�
And thus he backs away from responsibility once again. "I might not have to," seems to be the dragon's motto. Well his motto is ‘dragons can only rust’…meaning, there is nothing in the world for him to do but decay and die. He reminds us of this often. I have a hard time rooting for mopey characters and this dragon never stops moping. By the end, I was rooting for someone to put this loathsome, indecisive non-entity out of its misery.
Technically, the writing is capable, even inventive. Toward the middle, I thought I might be reading an allegory about the author’s experience with the church or his relationship with God, but by the end, I really had no idea if this was the case or not. When the story abruptly ended, I had no idea what the point of the book was or if it was bothering to make a point. A coming of age tale that never comes of age? Maybe the sequel has answers this book did not provide. If the story would've centered on Itsa, with Gonard as a sulky secondary character, I think I would have enjoyed it more. That said, I can't say I enjoyed this book. Rounding up to 3 stars for technical aptitude and world building.
May 13, 2018
Gonard is a dragon, and he believes his only purpose is to serve his master - until the day he kills his master rather than forfeit his life for the sake of building a hunt dragon. It's then that Gonard goes on a journey of self-discovery. He travels with an Outler name Itsa, who is trying to break free from her own oppression, and the medtech, his brother robot with all the programming and none of the care that Gonard received. Together they must see if Gonard's master accomplished the impossible, and built a creature that has a soul.
I found this book difficult to rate without reading the second part (). And the struggles and journey are not a light one. The story begs the questions - what is a soul, and how do you determine who has one? It's an interesting premise, and an incredible journey as the trio braves the world outside the protected domains on an Earth once ravaged by catastrophe, leaving the people and the world forever changed.
Beautifully written and crafted, the ending (after reading the second - the first ending is a cliff-hanger) was a bit harder and sadder than I would have cared for. The tragic feeling of grief and loss carries through the story as well, and the process of self-discovery is a slowly unfolding process.
A thoughtful story for those willing to dig deep, but maybe not the best book for a casually entertaining read. Actually, the author's Penny White series (start with ) is more along that vein, while still retaining a depth of world and characters that you find in these two books.
I found this book difficult to rate without reading the second part (). And the struggles and journey are not a light one. The story begs the questions - what is a soul, and how do you determine who has one? It's an interesting premise, and an incredible journey as the trio braves the world outside the protected domains on an Earth once ravaged by catastrophe, leaving the people and the world forever changed.
Beautifully written and crafted, the ending (after reading the second - the first ending is a cliff-hanger) was a bit harder and sadder than I would have cared for. The tragic feeling of grief and loss carries through the story as well, and the process of self-discovery is a slowly unfolding process.
A thoughtful story for those willing to dig deep, but maybe not the best book for a casually entertaining read. Actually, the author's Penny White series (start with ) is more along that vein, while still retaining a depth of world and characters that you find in these two books.
April 7, 2016
I found this book really difficult to read, it seemed to take an age for me to get into it. The beginning was slow and plodding, not a real page turner for me, but I did have my favourite parts, which mainly involved a female protagonist.
There were aspects of the story that I did enjoy. Itsa was, by far, my favourite character...the ‘outler� from the mines, who had come to claim citizenry from the Citadel. She happens upon Gonard, a mechanical Dragon, who had left his home after killing his master. I think had the story been more focussed on Itsa and her quirky use of language and her mannerisms, I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more. The story tells of the journey that Gonard, Itsa and the unnecessarily added medtech undertake and the various humans they connect with alone the way. There are a few religious undertones hidden within the story, and the world building was solid, but as for the story itself, it took me longer to read than any other book that I had ever read, I just couldn't get into it.
The book ended very abruptly for me…almost mid-scene, and not on a cliffhanger as you would expect from a novel with a follow up.
If you like books that delve into the workings of mechanical beings, and have little human interaction then I recommend this book. Sorry, it just wasn't for me�.and for that I have rounded it up to 3 stars.
There were aspects of the story that I did enjoy. Itsa was, by far, my favourite character...the ‘outler� from the mines, who had come to claim citizenry from the Citadel. She happens upon Gonard, a mechanical Dragon, who had left his home after killing his master. I think had the story been more focussed on Itsa and her quirky use of language and her mannerisms, I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more. The story tells of the journey that Gonard, Itsa and the unnecessarily added medtech undertake and the various humans they connect with alone the way. There are a few religious undertones hidden within the story, and the world building was solid, but as for the story itself, it took me longer to read than any other book that I had ever read, I just couldn't get into it.
The book ended very abruptly for me…almost mid-scene, and not on a cliffhanger as you would expect from a novel with a follow up.
If you like books that delve into the workings of mechanical beings, and have little human interaction then I recommend this book. Sorry, it just wasn't for me�.and for that I have rounded it up to 3 stars.
January 19, 2022
I like this story, speaking of both books in this review, not just the first. I am giving it 3 stars out of 5, yet I feel it reflects a bit unfairly - Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ says that 3 stars means "I liked it!" and that's what it is, but in a ten point system for me this this would be much closer to 8/10.
I like the character building, the setting is intriguing and the execution is fairly good. Second book weaves in some religious themes of which I, as a die-hard atheist, cognizant that the author is a priest, was immediately apprehensive of, but the author manages to convey principles of his faith and not at all the blind preaching, which fits well within the story. I was quite impressed by that. The story as a whole is not about religion, that's just certain chapters in the second book, by the way.
Now, for the things I didn't like... First of all, the storytelling is very slow. There is virtually no action, events are progressing steadily, focusing on character building. There are no grand twists or looming dangers (which would feel like it could overcome plot armor) until the very end - that is something I personally look for in stories I read and this is not it.
Second, worldbuilding is just not great. Too many things are left unexplained, the universe is left mostly undefined, the locations the story brings the reader to and expands on in a bit more detail stand apart and do not feel sufficiently connected to the underlying universe. If author's words were a beam of light shining on his world to reveal it to the reader, then in this story the reader is left wandering in shadows of a perpetual twilight, save for the few key locations.
And finally, dragons. Those seeking books specifically about dragons, this is probably not what you are after. A minor spoiler in the next few sentences - the protagonist is presented as a dragon, but he is not. It is a sentient machine and behaves as such. The shape is incidental and doesn't really play any important role in this story. The word "dragon" could have been replaced by that of any other creature and the story would have been left largely unaffected as a whole. I will have to shelve this in a "dragons-plot-device" section of my library, but even with that I remain doubtful, as dragons do not drive the plot here in any meaningful way.
So, those are my very subjective impressions of these books. I do not regret buying and reading it, it's a good story, just not entirely to my taste.
I like the character building, the setting is intriguing and the execution is fairly good. Second book weaves in some religious themes of which I, as a die-hard atheist, cognizant that the author is a priest, was immediately apprehensive of, but the author manages to convey principles of his faith and not at all the blind preaching, which fits well within the story. I was quite impressed by that. The story as a whole is not about religion, that's just certain chapters in the second book, by the way.
Now, for the things I didn't like... First of all, the storytelling is very slow. There is virtually no action, events are progressing steadily, focusing on character building. There are no grand twists or looming dangers (which would feel like it could overcome plot armor) until the very end - that is something I personally look for in stories I read and this is not it.
Second, worldbuilding is just not great. Too many things are left unexplained, the universe is left mostly undefined, the locations the story brings the reader to and expands on in a bit more detail stand apart and do not feel sufficiently connected to the underlying universe. If author's words were a beam of light shining on his world to reveal it to the reader, then in this story the reader is left wandering in shadows of a perpetual twilight, save for the few key locations.
And finally, dragons. Those seeking books specifically about dragons, this is probably not what you are after. A minor spoiler in the next few sentences - the protagonist is presented as a dragon, but he is not. It is a sentient machine and behaves as such. The shape is incidental and doesn't really play any important role in this story. The word "dragon" could have been replaced by that of any other creature and the story would have been left largely unaffected as a whole. I will have to shelve this in a "dragons-plot-device" section of my library, but even with that I remain doubtful, as dragons do not drive the plot here in any meaningful way.
So, those are my very subjective impressions of these books. I do not regret buying and reading it, it's a good story, just not entirely to my taste.
May 1, 2025
Into mainstream YA fantasy? If you're only after a light read, look elsewhere, because the "Dragons can only Rust" books are a quirky, thoughtful, heartwrenching journey through a uniquely grim, multifaceted world.
While they may not be for everyone I can't express how much I adore the "Gonard" books. The layered characters create interesting social dilemmas relevant to modern times and technology, and the environment is as atmospherically rendered as a Gibli anime or impressionist masterpiece. Cymri's story is reminiscent of a fascinatingly bizarre Sheri S. Tepper or the original inimitable "wizard of oz" novels.
These books have impacted me more than any light casual read, and have been stuck in my head good nearly 2 decades since I first read them, so if you're looking for something just a little different from your average read, start now!
While they may not be for everyone I can't express how much I adore the "Gonard" books. The layered characters create interesting social dilemmas relevant to modern times and technology, and the environment is as atmospherically rendered as a Gibli anime or impressionist masterpiece. Cymri's story is reminiscent of a fascinatingly bizarre Sheri S. Tepper or the original inimitable "wizard of oz" novels.
These books have impacted me more than any light casual read, and have been stuck in my head good nearly 2 decades since I first read them, so if you're looking for something just a little different from your average read, start now!
July 3, 2021
An interesting idea that is interesting in its development too. It winds up bringing together the fantasy trope of "a friendly dragon among the humans" with the science fiction trope of "the lonely robot looking for its soul". The characters are engaging, though at times you want to slap them upside the head -- they could help each other so much better if they wouldn't be so stubborn in their ways and would open up to new experiences. SPOILER ALERT: This is the first book in a series, so the ending is not so much an "ending" as simply a pause in the action leading to the sequel. [I had a big problem with this book that has nothing at all to do with the writing... This edition from TSR was printed in like 6-point type, making it very difficult to read.]
December 8, 2017
some heavy thinking to create a moving story. Really enjoy Chrys Cymri's writing and stories.
November 20, 2022
Has an interesting plot, and fairly consistent plot. Some parts of the book are a little monotonous and -this as a personal opinion- would like a more concise ending.
October 6, 2024
Der Anfang ist vielversprechend. Eine interessante, düstere Zukunftsversion unserer Welt wird aufgebaut. Aber als dann die eigentliche Reise, also der Hauptteil des Romans beginnt, wird es ziemlich langweilig und langatmig, obwohl die Schauplätze im ersten Moment interessant klingen. Aber Gonards Suche nach sich selbst verliert sich irgendwie. Und die Hauptpersonen machen einen ebenso verlorenen Eindruck.
Erst am Ende nimmt die Geschichte wieder Fahrt auf. Schade, ich glaube das hätte echt Potential gehabt. Aber so ist es echt mühsam bis zum Ende durchzuhalten.
Erst am Ende nimmt die Geschichte wieder Fahrt auf. Schade, ich glaube das hätte echt Potential gehabt. Aber so ist es echt mühsam bis zum Ende durchzuhalten.
June 9, 2016
‘Dragons Can Only Rust� follows the adventures of Gonard, a robotic dragon who has become self-aware. After his creator attempts to recycle him for parts, Gonard kills him in an act self-defence and subsequently flees the cavern in which he has spent his entire life. Shortly after, he meets Itsa, a native of an asteroid belt mining settlement who has travelled to Earth in the hope of gaining citizenship. Desperate to find a new master, Gonard follows her, however the pair are soon apprehended and taken to the Citadel, where he is made to stand trial. Fortunately, a nameless robot known only as ‘the medtech� intervenes and aids their escape. The trio then embark upon an epic journey through a post-apocalyptic Earth, crossing deserts, traversing snowy mountains and finding refuge in a sentient city along the way.
This is richly imagined tale that tackles some thought-provoking themes, such as the possibility of artificial intelligence developing a soul. Gonard, a being who was built to serve but no longer has a master, is an interesting and highly unusual character. As we follow his search for a new home and a purpose to his existence, I found myself increasingly sympathetic to his plight. The other main characters are varied and distinctive, with both Itsa and the medtech’s motives for accompanying Gonard called into question, which creates an undercurrent of conflict throughout. On the downside, I found the accents of a few characters slightly overdone, especially Itsa, and I think that less would have been more with regards to dialect. My main criticism, however, and the reason this book loses a star in my rating, comes close to the end, where Gonard is faced with a moral dilemma. Without wanting to give too much away, he makes the wrong choice in my view, something which tarnished the growing sympathy I’d felt for him. Still, this is a work with plenty of literary merit. The writing is crisp, skilful, and at times quite beautiful, and although the pace is occasionally a little slow, at no point was I bored. The plot and setting are weirdly unique and, in my eyes, constitute an impressive feat of imagination. There are also some engaging SF elements, which, as a fan of the genre, I particularly enjoyed. Perhaps my favourite was the city, an intelligent crystalline organism that has spent millennia tunnelling up towards the surface of the Earth and is stimulated by the sound of human song.
This is richly imagined tale that tackles some thought-provoking themes, such as the possibility of artificial intelligence developing a soul. Gonard, a being who was built to serve but no longer has a master, is an interesting and highly unusual character. As we follow his search for a new home and a purpose to his existence, I found myself increasingly sympathetic to his plight. The other main characters are varied and distinctive, with both Itsa and the medtech’s motives for accompanying Gonard called into question, which creates an undercurrent of conflict throughout. On the downside, I found the accents of a few characters slightly overdone, especially Itsa, and I think that less would have been more with regards to dialect. My main criticism, however, and the reason this book loses a star in my rating, comes close to the end, where Gonard is faced with a moral dilemma. Without wanting to give too much away, he makes the wrong choice in my view, something which tarnished the growing sympathy I’d felt for him. Still, this is a work with plenty of literary merit. The writing is crisp, skilful, and at times quite beautiful, and although the pace is occasionally a little slow, at no point was I bored. The plot and setting are weirdly unique and, in my eyes, constitute an impressive feat of imagination. There are also some engaging SF elements, which, as a fan of the genre, I particularly enjoyed. Perhaps my favourite was the city, an intelligent crystalline organism that has spent millennia tunnelling up towards the surface of the Earth and is stimulated by the sound of human song.
April 7, 2016
Gonard is a robot dragon, an 'awakened' robot dragon which means he is sentient. In order to save his own life, he ends that of his creator, his father, then falls into a pit of self loathing, bewilderment and melancholy that he doesn't ever seem to pull out of. It doesn't make for an appealing character.
The other two main character are a human looking robot who was also made by Gonard's Master, who is more of a traditional robort, with the same complete lack of humour as Data of StarTrek fame.
The third member of this motley crew is Itsa, an asteroid miner with a very irritating accent. I applaud the author for creating such a unique voice and words such as 'clappers and flappers' which I think referred to body parts, as well as 'jive' 'jig' and 'mummers' which I wasn't too sure about on occasion.
Unfortunately, apart from the world building, which consisted of a sentient living crystal city, isolation domes and stone age hunter-gatherers, I didn't find this one a page turner.
Three stars for inventiveness.
The other two main character are a human looking robot who was also made by Gonard's Master, who is more of a traditional robort, with the same complete lack of humour as Data of StarTrek fame.
The third member of this motley crew is Itsa, an asteroid miner with a very irritating accent. I applaud the author for creating such a unique voice and words such as 'clappers and flappers' which I think referred to body parts, as well as 'jive' 'jig' and 'mummers' which I wasn't too sure about on occasion.
Unfortunately, apart from the world building, which consisted of a sentient living crystal city, isolation domes and stone age hunter-gatherers, I didn't find this one a page turner.
Three stars for inventiveness.
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