The Dinosaur Lords
⭐️
The Dinosaur Lords (The Dinosaur Lords, Book 1) by Victor Milán
I remember when this book was coming out. I was pretty highly anticipated. It promised a heady mix of medieval warfare, political intrigue, and best of all, armored knights riding dinosaurs ⚔️🦖. The title alone conjured visions of epic battles atop thunderous beasts, and the stunning cover art only fueled the hype. I expected a wildly imaginative adventure with prehistoric creatures at the forefront of both plot and action.
But I also remember that hype dying almost immediately after it was released 📉. While the premise remains undeniably cool, the execution will leave you completely disillusioned. For all the flaunting of dinosaurs, they play a surprisingly minor role in the actual narrative 🚫. Instead of being central to the plot or consistently integrated into the worldbuilding, the dinosaurs often come across as window dressing—present just enough to justify a flashy cover, but never explored in any meaningful way.
Probably its biggest flaw is that it lacks the exposition needed for a fully realized world. It seems to be more of a collage of ideas and concepts that don't make sence when trying to combine them—like building a puzzle with pieces from different sets. As a result, it comes off as a generic medieval setting that just happened to have dinosaurs, while also using modern economics and mathematics. You're expected to take a lot on faith without receiving the foundational exposition needed to understand or appreciate the how or why.
Characterization is similarly flawed. Despite a sizable cast, nobody really leaves a lasting impression. Everyone is flat, unremarkable, boring, and lack depth or individuality. Who were these people? Who did I like most? No idea. I don't remember any of them.
The Dinosaur Lords is a classic case of concept over delivery and was clearly just trying to be Game of Thrones with dinosaurs—which becomes even more obvious with George R.R. Martin's seal of approval on the cover. So, as someone who's not a fan of the Game of Thrones books, I should've known I wasn't going to enjoy this one, but the flashy cover worked its magic and reeled me in anyway ✨.
