The Dragon's Lair

The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme #3

by Elizabeth Haydon

Barely one day after fulfilling his second mission for King Vandemere as Royal Reporter of the land of Serendair, young Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme—known as Ven—is off on another adventure. To keep them safe from the wrath of the Thief Queen, whose rage at their escape from the Gated City knows no bounds, the king sends Ven and his friends on an important mission. Their journey takes them across a wondrous land filled with marvels—and danger. For the mission the king entrusts to Ven is a delicate to discover the cause of a dispute between two warring kingdoms—and the answer leads Ven straight into the lair of a very angry dragon…. Fans of The Floating Island and The Thief Queen’s Daughter —both chosen as Book Sense Children’s Picks—will love this third enchanting adventure in The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme series by bestselling author Elizabeth Haydon.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dragons, Adventure, Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens

352 pages, Hardcover

First published July 8, 2008

About the author

Elizabeth Haydon (* 1965 in Michigan) is a fantasy author, whose 1999 debut, Rhapsody: Child of Blood, garnered comparisons with Goodkind, Jordan, and even Tolkien. She has written two fantasy series set within the same universe, The fantasy/romance/whodunit fusion called The Symphony of Ages and the young adult series The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme.

An herbalist, harpist, and madrigal singer, Elizabeth Haydon also enjoys anthropology and folklore. She lives on the East Coast of the United States.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabet...

Reviews

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out my Booktube channel at: The Obsessive Bookseller

[2.5/5 stars] This is a fun middle grade adventure, but I can’t help but wonder if the author could’ve taken things a bit further.

For example, the majority of the first half of the book dealt with the characters gearing up for an adventure, whereas I think the page count might have been better spent experiencing things on the adventure itself. It seemed like a lot of buildup for a relatively short payoff. I did like the discoveries made along the way and the new places we got to visit, but finished the book wishing we’d spent more time exploring.

That seems to be the resounding theme of the series for me so far – much less adventure (and fewer dragons) than I was hoping for. The concept of the series promises visiting lands far and wide, and while I feel the first book delivered, these second two paled a bit by comparison. The next one promises and underwater adventure, so I’ll definitely finish out the series to see if as a whole the juice is worth the squeeze.

The characters in this book were quite rude to one another, in a manner that felt a little forced and inconsistent. It bugged me, and I can’t tell if it was more the rudeness itself or the inconsistency, but either way this is the first time I’ve found anything critical to say about the characterizations in this series.

Overall, my favorite thing about it is still the concept – the author is presenting herself as an archeologist in this land who found remnants of Ven Polypheme’s journals and sketches from his adventures and is attempting to piece them back together and fill in the gaps. It’s quite clever, and I support the initiative if not always the specific execution.

Recommendations: Symphony of Ages fans might delight in tales from the same world of Serendair (I know I am). Whereas middle grade readers might appreciate the adventurous main character, fun drawings, and interesting races and creatures found within the pages. At this point in the series I’m glad I’m reading it but it’s not standing out as a favorite.

Thank you to my Patrons: Filipe, Dave, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, and Katrin! <3

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com

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[Alyssa Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no time wasted between this book and the previous one, The Thief Queen’s Daughter; it starts directly after the group returns to the inn, which means they have to leave it again to hide from the Thief Queen.

I really like that with each book, we get more of the mythology for this world Haydon has created. We learn more about elves and dwarves in this book, which is really nice. It was interesting to see prejudices that have been somewhat present but not fully explored in previous books. I liked that a lot of these were based on nonsense, as prejudices often are, and the feud between the dwarves and elves was about something that they completely misunderstood, which was typical, but also perfect.

The best part is that Ven’s mermaid friend finally follows him on one of his adventures. I loved her reactions to normal land-dweller things, and it was fun to see the world from her eyes. I’m glad we got to see more of her character since she was so strongly featured in the first book.

I do think this book isn’t quite as interesting as the others. It was still a very good book, but it didn’t quite have the fun and spark that the others had. There’s not as much action and the conflict is more between the characters rather than what is actually happening in the book. Though the stakes are high and there are plenty of encounters and such, it just wasn’t as intricately plotted as the other novels were. There were also some plot points that had so much time spent on them and ultimately went nowhere, so hopefully that pans out in future books. With that said, though, it’s still quite enjoyable and I liked that we got to see the characters’ friendships tested.

Overall, this series is still going strong. I’m looking forward to reading the next book!

Also posted on Purple People Readers.

[Genesis Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book three of the Lost Journals series was extremely sad. It tested the loyalty of Ven's friends and their trust. Ven brings his merrow friend along on a journey and none of his friends know what she is. They are unmistakably rude to her which upsets Ven greatly causing a huge rift in all of their relationships. After meeting a dragon, saving a town, finding a king and confessing who Ven's friend is, the relationships are finally mended. It ends with Char and Ven going into the sea with Amariel, I can't wait for the next, and last, book. The Tree of Water.

[Jennifer Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the story line in this one is the best paced out of the 3 books so far. We learn more about the Gwuad (sp) which I like because I think they are the most interesting of the races depicted. The author throws in a little soapboxery (yup totally made up word) in the middle of the story and at first I was not sure if I liked it or not but in the end I can't fault her for adding this little tidbit. I don't want to go into more explanation for fear of adding spoilers but it's not a main plot point more of a side note. The ending leaves the story open for the 4th book which I am excited to read but cannot find any information on the 4th book coming out anytime soon so I guess we might have to wait for a while for that one.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy these books just stop. Like they jumped in and then....So now I can't wait for the fourth novel in this series because I really don't want these adventures to end...

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice world building as I love the new characters and the ideas. I also liked that the events of the previous book have some negative consequences and it does help develop the main story that seems to be surrounding Ven. The only thing I do not like is that Amariel the merrow is in most of the book and I really do not like this character especially with her baseless hatred for humans. Also I wish the dragon has a bigger role in the story and is in more of the story. But still with some great ideas and some really cool re imagining of dragons is pretty good.

[Ainsley Dennison-Farris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, fairly good. I enjoyed it, and I really liked one of the characters, who is introduced quite a ways into the book. I also am fairly excited for the sequel. Despite me preferring the first book in the series, I am still quite satisfied, and ready for what is to come.

[Bonnie Jolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good engaging book.

[Hannah Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not paced as well as the others. Once they got to the Lirin I was really into it but getting there felt like pulling teeth. I loved the dragon and the story Ven got out of his adventure.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme, allegedly discovered in an archeological dig and reconstructed by an expert scholar, relate the experiences of a young explorer in a long-ago world full of magical races, objects, and stories. In this third book, following The Floating Island and The Thief Queen's Daughter, Ven and his friends flee from the frying pan to the fire. By "frying pan" I mean the Inner Market, walled up inside the Gated City, walled up inside the seaport of Kingston, where the Thief Queen has just been cheated of her prey. By "fire" I mean, well, fire. A dragon's fire.

Tipped off that Felonia is out for revenge, and threatened by an unkindness of ravens (such an apt word), Ven collects his human friends Clem and Char, pickpocket extraordinaire Ida No, his merrow friend Amariel, and the quiet little Gwadd girl Saeli, in the back of a produce cart driven by a Lirin forester named Tuck. Together this diverse group will answer a riddle put by the River King, investigate the disappearance of Saeli's people, intervene in a war brewing between the Lirin and Ven's Nain folk, and—if they survive that far—ask a dragon named Scarnag why he has made himself the scourge of the countryside. And they'd better hurry, because Amariel has one turn of the moon to get back to the sea, or she will be stuck with legs instead of tailfins.

Ven's relationship with his friends hits a rough spot in this installment. He had hoped his friends from Mrs. Snodgrass's wayside inn would get along with the merrow girl who once saved him from drowning. But the suspicion between the merrow and the others is heightened by clashes between such strong personalities as Ida and Amariel. By trying to protect the secret of Amariel's true nature, Ven just makes things worse. When his party finds itself pinned between the arrows of the elvish Lirin and the crossbow bolts of the dwarvish Nain, the situation is about as bad as it can get. Yet Ven moves forward with courage, determination, and above all, curiosity. He obtains treasures no one would have believed he could get, and the greatest of these treasures is a magical story of betrayed loyalty, bitterness, and sorrow. And he both learns and teaches a lesson about the power of forgiveness.

Elizabeth Haydon, whose C.V. lists "advanced degrees in Nain Studies from Arcana College and in Lirin History from the University of Rigamarole," informs us that the manuscript suddenly ends at the conclusion of this tale—just when Ven and his friends are about to start a new adventure. Fortunately, it seems her team of archaeologists dug up another journal, because a fourth book, The Tree of Water, arrives in bookstores in October 2014. I've received an Advance Reader Copy of it, which is why I've been in such a rush to catch up with the series, squeezing the latest two books into a week when I'm packing to move houses. I absolutely have to return this book to the library, post haste. But I'm not in such a hurry that I would skip over the two "Endnotes from the Documentarian" and the Acknowledgements, all of which are entertaining and full of clues. For more fantasy novels set in Ven's universe, check out her Symphony of Ages series, whose seventh book came out in June 2014.

[Robbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this review and more at http://rowijo.void-star.net!

The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme: The Dragon’s Lair (#3)

by Elizabeth Haydo

* Reading level: Ages 9-12
* Hardcover: 352 pages
* Publisher: Starscape ( July 8, 2008 )
* ISBN-13: 978-0765308696

In this sequel to The Floating Island and The Thief Queen’s Daughter, Haydon begins to explore her world in earnest, having established the world and its people as well as a recurring villain.

After escaping from the Gated City in that last book, Ven and his friends are in danger from the evil Felonia, The Thief Queen of the Raven’s Guild. In order to escape her scouts, King Vandemere sends Ven North to look into why an evil dragon named Scarnag is attacking the Nain and possibly mend the hostility between the Nain nation and the Lirindarc nation. Along with Char, Ida, Saeli, and Clemency, Ven is joined by the King’s forester, a Lirinved named Tuck, and Amariel, who entrusts Ven with her merrow’s cap to grow legs.

A large portion of the book is taken up with getting to the goal of the journey, but this is in the great tradition of L. Frank Baum, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkein; the journey is the true test, not what waits at the end. Tension between the characters is nicely complemented by tension between other forces, such as The Gwadd and Humans; the dragon and the Nain; and the Nain and the Lirindarc. There is an emphasis on miunderstandings and trust, both between individuals and groups of people.

The characters are the same as the previous books. The new characters are crafted with the same fantasy generalizations, and the old ones remain roughly the same as before. I think that individual character development is hampered by the large number of characters in the adventuring party; at one point there are seven. This is addressed at the closing of the book, when only three characters depart on the next journey. While individual growth was sacrificed, however, there was a great deal of work on the group dynamics and how one person’s actions affected the whole group.

The plot is mainly episodic, once again to be expected, but it unfolds nicely with several twists and some foreshadowing for the observant reader. The climactic meeting with the dragon Scarnag was particularly well done, as was the ending portion of the book.

The tone is slightly darker than the first book of the series, but remains consistent with Thief Queen, but there is no concern for younger readers. Only one large plot thread is opened and closed, similar to the preceding book.

Overall, The Dragon’s Lair is an excellent addition to The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme, although it should be noted that it does not go above and beyond what has already been written. The series is well worth reading for fans of “old-school” fantasy in the realm of L. Frank Baum and E. Nesbit. The series should also work to transition young adults to adult fiction, as the series is set in the same world (albeit different time period) as Haydon’s best-selling adult books.

4Q, 3P

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The continuing adventures of Ven Polypheme and his varied assortment of friends. This book starts directly after the previous book (The Thief Queen's Daughter) and is still dealing with the fall out from that escapade, while also having a storyline of it's own. Ven and crew need to lay low for a bit, so King Vandemere decides to send them on a multi-phase quest dealing with a rampaging dragon, a longstanding feud between the Nain and the Lirin peoples and a bargain for a treasure. Add to that some riddle solving and the Gwald people disappearing and Ven and Co. have their work cut out for them!

I actually really liked this quest, it was nice to get to wander around more of Ms. Haydon's world and meet some other peoples. What almost ruined this book for me were the character dynamics. Ven fears for Amariel (mermaid or merrow who saved his life in book 1), so convinces her to come along and right from the get go, his other friends (all of whom are orphans/outcasts/otherwise disconnected from a normal life and should know how to behave to new people) are rude and quite mean to her. Granted, she isn't the easiest person to get along with, but when the situation finally boils over, they all blame Ven saying he's been way too nice to her so all of them hated her because she was getting all his attention. (Eye roll!) That's the kind of jealousy/anger that develops over time and should not have been "instant" and was allowed to take up waaaaay too much space in this otherwise fun book (and the others were just as much to blame if not more so then Ven, so he shouldn't have taken all the blame for this one) and knocked a star off my rating. Disappointing, as the crew's varied personalities and skills are usually a highlight of these books!

Content notes: No language issues. No sensuality issues, multiple people discuss marriage, but that is all. Some bumps and bruises, some birds attack people and almost carry one off, one arrow wound and a lot of possible violence, but no gory nastiness.

[Giovanni Pierre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a boy named Ven , a royal reporter for the king, King Vandemere, who sets out on a quest to discover the cause of dispute between two kingdoms and this quest leads him and his friends straight into the lair of a dragon *hence* the name of this book.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. At first I wasn’t too fond about it but then as the story continued I began to feel as if was wrapped up in the plot as if I were in the story. This adventure is filled with suspense, mystery, and has a very intriguing twist toward the middle/end. My favorite part of the book is when he actually meets the dragon when he becomes face to face with the dragon. The reason why I like that part so much is because of the imagery it gave me a sense of what the dragons lair smelled like, to how it felt to actually be inside such a mystical, majestic place, how it felt to be face to face with this mythical, powerful being. I would recommend others read this because this book really make the story “come alive” (so to speak) and it really is enjoyable, if you love adventure, suspense, mystery novels such as I, this is the book for you. I don’t want to give away too much about this book because I want you to read it yourself and understand why I enjoyed this book.
The funny part is though, I didn’t realize that this was the third book of a series and even though I found out afterward I’m going to be honest I don’t intend on reading the others, I might but I don’t really see the point of reading them out of order. Although I’m moving on to a new book which I already have and it’s called Unstoppable by Tim Green, and when I’m finished with it ill lets you guys know how it was.

[Aelvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ven's escaped the Thief Queen for the moment, but without drastic measures he won't stay out of her hands much longer. Sent away by the king to investigate reports of a rampaging dragon that's burning down Nain settlements, Ven takes along a few friends---including one very special friend. And that decision completely changes the entire journey.

It's easy to see where Ven goes wrong in anticipating his friend's reactions, and equally clear he's completely clueless. That whole relationship drama between the group lends extra tension to the various troubles they stumble across. It's also nice to see a side of Ven that's much less than reasonable, perceptive, and sensitive---he's a kid acting like a kid.

Ven also has his first real run-in with racial prejudice. Unlike The Floating Island, he's got to face it head-on this time, because backing down means someone is going to die. There's more than race inflaming this conflict. The resolution is clever, though perhaps a bit too neat.

For all the conflict within the group, for the most part anyone not Ven, Amariel, or Saeli lost a lot of attention. Ida hardly does anything, and after the starring role she had in the previous book I was hoping to see more from her than sulking in the background making the occasional catty comment.

Overall this is a good read, with the relationship troubles balanced by a lot of action and wonderful places to visit. Illustrations pepper the text; not as many or as detailed as I would hope, but a nice touch nonetheless. I rate this book Recommended.

[J.L. Burger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unless you're really into this series, I would not give this book a thumbs-up. A bit too slow. But some very good moments.

Continuing the saga of Ven Polypheme, there are many things to like about this book. My favorite thing about all the Ven Polypheme books is that they are able to give a sense of wonder and adventure with a real minimum of violence.

On the other hand, I hate to say it, but I thought Haydon lost steam in this book, compared with the previous two. It was too long and slow. I think she made some bad decisions about how to move the characters forward. And it took forever to get to the promised dragon's lair.

There were some excellent scenes, especially with the dragon and the scene where Amariel has to interpret a message from a Selkie to the King of the River is absolutely perfect. But there were just too many slow scenes. My kids really lost interest many times as I was reading.

Does anyone know if Haydon ever wrote a fourth book? I can't find anything about it anywhere on the web, except the title. I'm wondering if she didn't give up on the series, which would be a shame...

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ven is visited by the King at the beginning of the book, and warned that he, and the friends he took with him into the gated city, should leave the area until the Thief Queen has forgotten about them. The King also asks Ven if he can try to solve some troubles in the country, involving an angry dragon, and 2 races at war with each other.
Ven decides to take his mermaid friend Amariel with him, since she is in danger as well, so he takes her cap, which makes her grow legs. The only danger is that if the cap is touched by anyone other than Ven, Amariel will be stuck the way she is forever, unable to become a mermaid again.
The group's journey is full of adventure and lots of danger, but nothing they can't handle...until Amariel's cap goes missing.

I love this series. I really truly do. The mix of fantasy and adventure leaves me unable to put it down once I start reading! This one had the most moving ending (poor Scarnag!), and it finally had a dragon in it, so no more false advertising with the covers (yay!).

[E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third installment of The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme. Ven, a Nain, is unusual because he likes to explore the upworld but his adventures have caused the Thief Queen's emnity. King Vandemere himself sneaks out to warn Ven and sends his own chief forester to accompany him on a mission. Ven's friends accompany him, including the merrow Amariel who agrees to shed her fins and explore life on land. The mission takes them through the lands of Gwadd, Lirin and brings Ven face to face with a dragon who may have the solution to the conflicts between the lands. A delightful imaginative tale.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ven has made some bad decisions in the past; taking a mermaid onto dry land may be one of them. While I relished the journey he was taking with his mermaid friend, I was a trifle baffled by the response of Ven’s friends to her. They didn’t seem to like her because Ven was keeping a secret about her (one of them indicated they thought her a stuck-up creature) but they have no problem with Ida Know, who remains as vitriolic as ever.

The adventure with the dragon was a surprise though, one too good to spoil here, and definitely makes the book worth a look.

[May · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to admit, I was a little disappointed.

It started out very predictable, and continued to be very predictable until about the last quarter of the book, where things sped up and finally pulled me in. There were a few places I did chuckle out loud, but all the same, I may not be picking up the next book.

[Clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far my favorite book of this series!

This series is for young readers but still very much kept my interest through all three.

And waiting with great anticipation for the 4th installment.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in a series; you need to read the other two first. It is a fantastic book, and the fantasy is not one of those overly predictable ones. (In fact, I predicted wrong at least once!) I enjoyed it, and will definitely read the 4th when it comes out!

[Reita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book "Journal" of Ven Polypheme, a Nain (sort of like a dwarf). He likes to travel and explore and has a few interesting friends. Things happen to Ven. I've liked all 3. If you like fantasy, read it.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

was able to read , but not much character development. it is the 3rd in the series--but i did not feel any friendships that were assumed. interesting book idea. i think i will try out the first in this series

[Brinlie Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really good, i wish I could get gills and explore the sea. I ought to read the other books and it might make a little more sense, I'm wondering what he did to the Theif Queen from what I understood he saved her daughter from a marriage she didn't want.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok- so the series that has dragons on the front finally gets a few dragons in it. I'm wondering if this is a marketing tool or a plot device... maybe more are to come? I really enjoyed this third installment and looking forward the 4th.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's so much fun travelling with Ven Polypheme, seeing marvels and meeting all sorts of people (and non-people). I hope there's a fourth book so we can read about his adventures under the sea with Amariel.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

*shakes head* I don't know what it is about this series, but it really draws me in. The character's personalities are so real. I don't really know how to describe it, but it kinda makes me jealous. Jealous of Ven, of Amerial, even of Ida. *rolls eyes* What a book, right? Making me jealous!

[Kenzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were turns where you had no idea what would happen. You had no idea where they were going, and if they would live. I love this book. This is the kind of book I like. The one that leaves you hanging and not wanting to stop reading.

[Amy Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book!!! It took me forever to find in my local libraries, but I finally got to read it! I really want the fourth book to come out!!! Please finish writing it soon Elizabeth Haydon!!! :)

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intriguing and inetresting so far