Fantasy
DragonFire
Back of the Book:
As wizards battle with fiery dragons, only a hero’s noble calling can save Amara.
Three years of strife have passed since Kale and Bardon freed Paladin’s knights. Now, fiery dragons scorch their beautiful countryside as an evil husband-and-wife wizard duo fight for supremacy. The people of Amara just want to be left alone, hoping the conflict will disappear. But Paladin is dying, and Bardon and Kale—not married—must accept fateful, separate assignments if their land is to survive. Can their efforts turn the tide against their adversaries?
Kale’s responsibility is to find, hatch, and train an army of dragons by working side-by-side with the dragon keeper father she has never known. As the Amaran countrymen seek escape, she must gain a greater understanding of her gifs to overcome her doubts. And as the end drawn near, with friends and family in serious jeopardy, both Bardon and Kale must face their greatest trials yet.
Prepare to experience breathtaking adventure and mind-blowing fantasy as never before in this stunning addition to Donita K. Paul’s popular Dragon Keepers fantasy series.
My Review:
This was definitely a “breathtaking adventure” with “mind-blowing fantasy.” The level of writing is excellent. The story was complex and well-thought out. I was drawn to the book and didn’t want to put it down for even a second. I was able to easily identify with the characters and understand what they were feeling. This is, by far, her best book of the series. I really want to start into the next book right away, but unfortunately it doesn’t come out until summer of ’08.
I had a little reservation with the idea of Paladin dying as I started this book. I had been looking at him as sort of the Jesus figure in this series. Apparently I was mistaken. He’s the ruler of Amara. He can do fantastical things to heal, pull people into visions, make things appear out of nowhere, and come out of a fire dragon’s blast unscathed. He even looks almost identical to Pretender (the devil-figure). I really thought he was the earthly God-figure in keeping with the allegory. I guess this is where the book doesn’t hold up as a true allegory if Paladin is not really part of the God-head. If the people’s faith in Wulder (God) decreases, Paladin’s health declines. If their faith increases, he is well again. I don’t quite understand it, but I guess if you think of this as merely being a fantasy you don’t have to look for strict adherence to the truths of our world. Just enjoy the book.