Review

Summary: Kale is just a village slave - or so she has alwys thought. When adventure (and dragons) come her way, what will she do?

Notes: Awesome. Epic. Amazing. Seriously, this book is great! It’s got everything. Elves, dwarves, giant, pixies, hobbit-ish people, humans...though none of them are called that. I especially like the way Donita K. Paul writes the wizards. They aren’t like sorcerers or anything like that. They are people with a special gift. They use things that already exist to make new things...with their minds. Imagine making a cake. You have all the ingredients in front of you, but you measure, mix, bake, and frost with your mind. When you are done, there is the cake! Now for the dragons. There are little kitten-sized ones all the way up to ones that a giant can ride. In behavior, they are somewhat between a cat and a horse. Very smart, very loyal, very much filled with personality. I would compare this book to “Wings of Fire” but this book would leave it so far behind.

P.S. Paladin’s role is somewhat like the judges in ancient Israel.

Age of main character: twelve-ish in the first book, fifteen-ish in the second, eighteen-ish in the third, twenty-ish in the fourth and fifth.

Violence: We’re talking dragons and wizards. What do you think? There’s plenty! Actually, it’s not super descriptive, but there are quite a few battles and injuries. And some death scenes. And burns.

Romance: None in book one, beginning in book two, certainly in book three (it's clean, don't worry), and they’re married in book four and five.

Scary themes: Evil wizard, impetuous apprentices that get themselves into trouble, dragons, evil fortresses, death of some characters, battles, more battles, a wizard’s duel, a mad scientist/wizard.

Genre: High Fantasy