Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
It is a rare talent, and only she can care for the Inn's herd. She feeds them, gathers their eggs, and tends to their injuries. But Mella dreams about the dragons of legend, even though hardly anyone believes they still exist. Dragons are small farm animals, not huge fire-breathing monsters. Everyone knows that.
Until one day changes everything.
A Knight of the Order of Defenders arrives at the Inn. Signs of the mythical dragons have led him there, he says. Then a simple errand takes Mella through the forest, where she stumbles across a dragon's egg—and faces the true, terrifying dragon guarding it. On the spot, Mella vows to get the egg safely to the fabled Hatching Grounds. She must leave her home for the first time, and she finds an unlikely companion in the Defender's squire, Roger.
For Mella and Roger, this one day is the beginning of an adventure. Where will it take them?
Synopsis
It is a rare talent, and only she can care for the Inn's herd. She feeds them, gathers their eggs, and tends to their injuries. But Mella dreams about the dragons of legend, even though hardly anyone believes they still exist. Dragons are small farm animals, not huge fire-breathing monsters. Everyone knows that.
Until one day changes everything.
A Knight of the Order of Defenders arrives at the Inn. Signs of the mythical dragons have led him there, he says. Then a simple errand takes Mella through the forest, where she stumbles across a dragon's egg and faces the true, terrifying dragon guarding it. On the spot, Mella vows to get the egg safely to the fabled Hatching Grounds. She must leave her home for the first time, and she finds an unlikely companion in the Defender's squire, Roger.
For Mella and Roger, this one day is the beginning of an adventure. Where will it take them?
Children's Literature
Upon the death of her adored grandmother, Mella inherits the job of tending the family's herd of small dragons. She has an innate gift of intuition with these unique creatures. Every morning and evening, Mella protects and cares for these dragons. Then, a knight named Damian Damerson steps into her family's Inn and changes her life forever. The fantasy of real fire-breathing dragon turns into reality as Mella must make a dangerous quest. With the help of a young knight-in-training named Roger, Mella treks across valleys and mountains to unite a smelting hard dragon egg to its home. The two young heroes conquer one obstacle after another in this action-packed story before Mella finds out the truth about her friend Roger and why his family could stand in the way of Mella doing her job as a dragon keeper. Will the journey into Dragontooth Mountain dissolve the blossoming friendship between Mella and Roger? Will the secret dragon lair become a hatchery or a death bed? Author Sarah Thomsom has created a fun-filled fantasy book that presents many twists and turns as two believable young heroes grow to find out what is inside their hearts and if they can stand up for what is right at any cost. What makes this book different from other dragon books is the subplot about Roger's background, the manner in which Mella innocently involves him in her quest, and how time tells all. What a superb story for any reader who is not afraid of dragons! Reviewer: Julia Beiker
Editorials
VOYA
AGERANGE: Ages 11 to 14.Thompson combines traditional fairy tale and fantasy quest themes in a fresh new novel aimed at the middle school audience. As the tale begins, Mella is an ordinary twelve-year-old country girl out gathering eggs for the inn, but her life is not as plain as it seems. The eggs are not from birds but from small domesticated dragons. Once there were large dragons bigger than the inn, but they are long gone-or so most folk say. The stranger at the inn, a knight, says they still exist. The stranger's squire, Roger, disagrees. When Mella finds a true dragon's egg and enlists the squire's help, they begin a dragon quest quite different from the knight's. Their quest is not to kill the dragons but to save the egg. This tale, with themes of honor and duty, theft and responsibility, ends happily ever after. Roger's secret and the truth of what happened to the dragons may be a bit predictable to adult eyes, but it does not detract from the fun of a tale where the hero is a young girl who maintains her youth and innocence (mostly) despite her grand adventure. It is a lovely, welcome addition to fantasy collections and a great way to segue young readers (especially girls) from fairy tales to fantasy. The book has already won the author a new fan. Reviewer: Beth Karpas
April 2008 (Vol. 31, No. 1)
Children's Literature -
Upon the death of her adored grandmother, Mella inherits the job of tending the family's herd of small dragons. She has an innate gift of intuition with these unique creatures. Every morning and evening, Mella protects and cares for these dragons. Then, a knight named Damian Damerson steps into her family's Inn and changes her life forever. The fantasy of real fire-breathing dragon turns into reality as Mella must make a dangerous quest. With the help of a young knight-in-training named Roger, Mella treks across valleys and mountains to unite a smelting hard dragon egg to its home. The two young heroes conquer one obstacle after another in this action-packed story before Mella finds out the truth about her friend Roger and why his family could stand in the way of Mella doing her job as a dragon keeper. Will the journey into Dragontooth Mountain dissolve the blossoming friendship between Mella and Roger? Will the secret dragon lair become a hatchery or a death bed? Author Sarah Thomsom has created a fun-filled fantasy book that presents many twists and turns as two believable young heroes grow to find out what is inside their hearts and if they can stand up for what is right at any cost. What makes this book different from other dragon books is the subplot about Roger's background, the manner in which Mella innocently involves him in her quest, and how time tells all. What a superb story for any reader who is not afraid of dragons! Reviewer: Julia BeikerSchool Library Journal
Gr 4-6
Twelve-year-old Mella is a dragon keeper; she has the gift of soothing and communicating with the domestic dragons that her family keeps for their eggs, which are a popular menu item at their inn. Thinking that wild dragons are things of legend, she and the other residents of her small town are surprised when a knight arrives at the inn seeking signs of just such a beast. She discovers a mysterious object in a cave, which turns out to be the egg of a true dragon (the large, fearsome, and wise kind). When the dragon is mortally wounded by the knight, she promises the creature that she will return the egg to its hatching ground in the distant Dragontooth Mountains. She and Roger, the knight's page (who has a secret of his own), embark on a dangerous quest. A dragon-hating enemy, a difficult journey through the wilderness, and of course the majestic dragons add lots of excitement to this fast-paced adventure. Mella is a likable character who gains the self-confidence and strength needed to keep her word. This book is sure to be popular with fans of Emily Rodda's "Deltora Quest" series (Scholastic) and other dragon fantasies.
—Eva MitnickCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.