Book 1 of The Forbidden Scroll series. A young boy growing up in a medieval world finds himself torn between the duties of his religious cast and a forbidden dragon that befriends him. The beast is nothing like the village elders have taught—acting more like friend than foe—yet to be found with it would mean expulsion from the village.
The boy discovers more questions than answers in his studies as an apprentice. His confusion deepens the more he visits the dragon that defies all his masters teach. The answers can only lie beyond the forbidden mountain that overshadows the village—Black Rock, the home of the beast itself.
The typos might kill you, but if you get through them a surprisingly brilliant story comes to life. The world itself is very interesting, uncommon for what appears to be a loose allegory, and the plot is entertaining. There are dark elements as well, sending shivers up the spine. A quality first edition.