The Dragon of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen
One hundred years ago, the Kragnir Queen was found murdered during a visit to the neighboring Trelian kingdom. The countries have been at war since. In an effort to end the feud, the current kings plan to wed their children, Princess Maerlie of Trelian and Prince Rylant of Kragnir.
Calen is a mage’s apprentice. Tied to the service a Lord or King, mages use magic to serve their patron. When Calen shows no great aptitude, his master, Serek, royal mage to the King of Trelian relaxes his teaching.
Meg is Maerlie’s younger sister with a special bond between herself and a dragon she stumbled upon in her youth. Lately, the secret bond between the two grows stronger. A chance meeting between Calen and Meg lead to an unlikely but mutually welcome friendship. When the two overhear a plot to murder Maerlie on her wedding night, they must pull all their cleverness, courage and strength to save Maerlie and the kingdoms.
A well-structured, intriguing plot with realistic characters and a good balance between action, politics, character development and fantasy appropriate for middle grade readers.
Nothing in the way of extraordinary regarding the magical elements. We’ve seen links between dragons and people before (Eragon), mage’s (Tamora Pierce and The Bartimaeus Trilogy), and dark creatures that inspire fear (ringwraiths and dementors).
Calen’s unique gift to see magic was rather interesting.
‘I saw the spell as she was casting — it was deep red, like the spell for killing weeds, only much stronger. Or the spell you used on that soldier, that first one who was attached, when you were trying to burn out the poison. Only this was darker, and … worse, somehow.’ Calen shuddered, remembering.
Serek had stopped and was looking at him intently. ‘You saw the spell?’ (p 291).
But the story is engaging and the writing (although I spotted a few copyrighting errors) is solid. Young fans of Fablehaven, The Shamer’s Daughter, The Hobbit and dragon lore in general will greatly enjoy this book. I’ve seen it on several mock Newbery lists but as much as I love fantasy, it’s not the strongest contender.
Read additional reviews at: Dolce Bellezza, King County Library, School Library Journal, Becky’s Book Review
Publisher: Candlewick (April 14, 2009)
The Shamer’s Daughter by Lene Kaaberbol
Shamers do exactly as their name implies, they shame people. They do this by using their eyes, or in the case of experienced Shamers, by using the power of their voice, to force people to look inward at the evil acts they committed. Being a Shamer’s daughter is not easy, especially not when you have inherited your mother’s gift. Dina finds it very difficult. People avoid her, she has no friends. Yet, Shamer’s are respected and greatly needed in identifying the guilty.
When Dina’s mother is called away but does not return, Dina must travel with a strange man who is unafraid of meeting her eyes. Before long, she is involved in a scandel that threatens her mother’s life and her own.
An interesting first book the has interested me in the rest of the series. Dina’s compassion coupled with her unique and often scary ability make for an excellent foundation. I’d recommend this to all middle-grade fantasy readers who have enjoyed Harry Potter and will build up to the likes of Graceling.
Kenny & the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi
The charm of this book lies in its simple retelling of “The Reluctant Dragon” and gorgeous illustrations. It will appeal to both boys and girls who enjoyed the Spiderwick Chronicles though it lacks the same depth (as pointed out by Teenreads). It is going on my summer reading list for third graders.
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
I was surprised by just how much of this story I had forgotten. It’s really been too long since the last installment. I picked up the thread about half-way through and that’s also when the story seemed to grab me.
I found the metaphors uneven but some of the details (Saphira’s vision enhancing blue colors, a Dragon’s Eldunari, etc.) captivating and enhancing. The revelation of Eragon’s parentage waxed soap-operatic. But it was still an enjoyable piece of fantasy. I just hope the next installment comes along before other, better works (Jonathan Stroud’s Heroes of the Valley, for example) wipes all knowledge of Alagaesia from my mind.
Monthly Reads
I need to start keeping track of all the books I read and a short summary. It’s getting to be too much to keep in my head!
Story of a Girl: Sara Zarr – When she is caught in the backseat of a car (Buick) with her older brother’s best friend – Deanna Lambert’s teenage life is changed forever. Struggling to overcome the lasting repercussions and the stifling role of “school slut,” (though she hasn’t slept with anyone since) she longs to escape a life defined by her past. She takes a job at a pizza dive where she ends up working with non other than Tommy (the best friend). She dreams of moving out of her parent’s house with her older brother, his girlfriend, and their infant daughter. *2007 National Book Award Finalist*
Touching Snow: M. Sindy Felin – Karina’s life is spiraling into misery. She and her siblings are too busy dodging their step-fathers hammering blows to build their own lives. After “the daddy” nearly kills the eldest girl, Karina, he is taken away on child-abuse charges that don’t stick. This story reveals many real-life social issues facing Haitian immigrant families. Written in retrospect, Karina reflects, “The best way to avoid being picked on by high school bullies is to kill someone.” A difficult book to read (becuase ”the Daddy” is so brutal and the children so helpless), the promise of “justice” is all that kept me from total frustration. Well written. *2007 National Book Award Finalist*
Just Listen : Sara Dessen- “Last year, Annabel was “the girl who has everything”—at least that’s the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf ’s Department Store.This year, she’s the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling.With Owen’s help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.”
I couldn’t put this book down and I’ve just checked out two more Dessen books. Her characters are realistic (esp. the sister dynamic – their interactions struck a chord with me). Sophie, Annabel’s former (fake) best friend, was also well done. She was just the right part manipulative and addictive. I’ve known girls like her!
Dragonhaven : Robin McKinley- This longwinded story follows Jake, a 14-year-old boy living in Smokehill National Park – one of the last dragon havens in this contemporary alternate reality. Beth Wright of School Library Journal writes, “Once readers get through Jake’s overdone teenage diction in the first few chapters, they will be engaged by McKinley’s well-drawn characters and want to root for the Smokehill community’s fight to save the ultimate endangered species.”
Well, I didn’t find myself rooting for Jake or his squawking dragenlet, Lois. The series seems to drag on and on (perhaps because the sentence structure is torturingly bad!). Twice the length it should be, the narrative hints of a middle-aged woman not a teen boy. I enjoy fantasy (and there were some unique aspects of this take on dragons), but if there is a sequel (and there are threats of one), I will pass.
The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney : Suzanne Harper- Sparrow is the seventh daugther or a seventh daughter. She is a psychic but it is a talent she keeps well hidden. It is her mission to fit in now she has the chance. When the school district lines are redrawn, Sparrow transfers to a new school, where no one knows her sisters are local psychics and (in her opinion anyway) oddities. But her “just fit in” task is made difficult by her three mentor spirits and the appearance of Luke, a spirit who persists on being heard.
Great cover, good story, an overabundance of quirky characters. Gladly, it does not delve into teen angst macabre but remains heart-felt. An enjoyable read… but there may be some *uproar* over the psychic element (as it is taken as absolute truth).
Dragon Academy: The New Kid at School : Kate McMullen, Bill Bisso (Illustrator) – Monty Pyhton meets Wart in this goofy take on Dragon slaying!
