Review by Jill Williamson
Calen, a mage’s assistant, just wants to see the royal procession as it approaches, and he’s not the only one. Princess Meglynne had the same idea. The two become friends, and Meg asks Calen to meet her again. She wants to share a secret with him. When they meet again, Meg shows Calen her dragon and begs him to help her learn more about the rare creatures. What calen discovers horrifies him: Meg and the dragon are linked. Should one be killed, the other will die.
That is not the worst of Calen and Meg’s troubles, however. They stumble onto a traitorous plot that threatens the peace of the kingdom and their lives. They must work together to prove what the traitor is plotting before it’s too late for everyone.
I found this book a lot of fun. It took a while to get going, but once it did, I couldn’t put it own. I rather enjoyed Calen and Meg’s characters. Michelle Knudsen did a wonderful job with them. Calen is smart and cautious, and Meg is passionate and headstrong. I also enjoyed the way Knudsen showed magic in her book. It was creative and fresh. I will give a caution to those who do not like to read books about mage magic, as this book was full of it, including a lesson about reading cards. What I found interesting was that there was a cost for the magic. It wasn’t just endless wand waving, the characters used a great deal of physical power to cast spells, and then they were tired and useless. There are some nice themes in this book: friendship and mercy. There is no faith element, but this is still an enjoyable story.
Age Range: 9-14
Genre: Fantasy
Part of a Series: no
Pages: 416
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Released: 2009
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i found it took a while for it to get going too!
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Jill, this book reminded me of your By Darkness Hid. There were some similar elements and relationships, so all along I was thinking about Darkness as much as I was about Dragon!
Becky