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Wilde Island Chronicles #1
Dragon's Keep
Far away on Wilde Island, Princess Rosalind is born with a dragon claw where her ring finger should be. To hide the secret, the Queen forces her to wear gloves at all times until a cure can be found, so Rosalind can fulfill the prophecy to restore the family to their rightful throne.
But Rosalind’s flaw cannot be separated from her fate. When she is carried off by the dragon, everything she thought she knew falls apart. The dragon sees beauty in her talon where her mother saw only shame, and Rosalind finally understands what her mother has truly denied her.
Carey has written a stunning portrayal of the complex relationship between a mother and daughter in a lyrical novel sure to thrill readers who love fantasy―and those who don’t.
But Rosalind’s flaw cannot be separated from her fate. When she is carried off by the dragon, everything she thought she knew falls apart. The dragon sees beauty in her talon where her mother saw only shame, and Rosalind finally understands what her mother has truly denied her.
Carey has written a stunning portrayal of the complex relationship between a mother and daughter in a lyrical novel sure to thrill readers who love fantasy―and those who don’t.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
127 people are currently reading
7314 people want to read
About the author
Janet Lee Carey
18 books545 followers~Things are never what they seem. Find the lost inside the dream ~
Janet Lee Carey is the award-winning author of nine Children's and YA novels. Her YA fantasy is critically acclaimed: "Verdict: This is quite simply fantasy at its best–original, beautiful, amazing, and deeply moving.” School Library Journal starred review. Janet links each new book with a charitable organization empowering readers to make a difference in the world. She tours in US and abroad presenting at schools, children’s book festivals, and conferences.
my website
Visit my blogs:
dreamwalks
Library Lions Roar
Book Party photos:
litartphotography
Janet Lee Carey is the award-winning author of nine Children's and YA novels. Her YA fantasy is critically acclaimed: "Verdict: This is quite simply fantasy at its best–original, beautiful, amazing, and deeply moving.” School Library Journal starred review. Janet links each new book with a charitable organization empowering readers to make a difference in the world. She tours in US and abroad presenting at schools, children’s book festivals, and conferences.
my website
Visit my blogs:
dreamwalks
Library Lions Roar
Book Party photos:
litartphotography
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 695 reviews
November 7, 2012
Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com
Rosalind's fate was written in the stars, read by Merlin, some 600 years before she was born. A direct descendant of the Pendragon line, her ancestor, Evaine, was the younger sister of King Arthur. Evaine married an outlaw and was banished to Wilde Island and erased from family history, setting Rosalind's destiny in motion. Three things are said of the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island; "She shall redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island."
Rosalind knows the prophecy well. She has been groomed for it her entire life. The way her mother sees it, England is in the midst of a civil war and Rosalind will marry Prince Henry, future king of England, thereby fulfilling all aspects of the prophecy. There are just a few problems. Having never met the Prince, what if he and Rosalind don't get along? Not that the Queen of England has officially contacted them yet, though it is assumed she is aware of the prophecy. With the recent dragon attacks on Wilde Island their military force is depleted, and may not be much help to England. Oh, and there's the little matter of Rosalind's ring finger. Instead of a finger it's a dragon's claw. So far she and her mother have hidden it behind golden gloves, but that won't work when Rosie is married. They MUST find a cure soon. A cure that is made harder to find due to the fact that the healers are never told what the exact problem is. Things are beginning to look bleak.
When an envoy from England comes to visit Wilde Island, things may be looking up a little. Especially since they've managed to slay the dragon that has been harassing the Island forever. It doesn't hurt that the one who killed the dragon is a handsome boy around Rosalind's age. At least in Rosalind's opinion, but her mother might not see it the same. Not that it's a concern for long. What should be one of the most triumphant moments in their history turns horrifying when the dragon's mate returns to punish the people, and takes a special interest in Rosalind. Before long, Rosalind's life will never be the same, and it doesn't look like the prophecy could ever possibly be fulfilled.
There is so much more to this book than I can tell you here! So many more levels and layers to the story. If I tried to fit it all in it would not only ruin the story, but end up nearly as long as the book! The relationships between the characters are so multi-leveled and very realistic. Rosalind may be a Princess with a dragon's claw in a faraway time and place, but her relationship with her mother is something you could see in anyone's life. Her desire to be normal and accepted are the same things everyone experiences as a teenager. So while the circumstances aren't something we experience every day, the people in them, and their reactions to them, are completely realistic and easy to relate to.
Part fairy tale, part mythology, part legend, all around fantastic! Read it! You'll be glad you did.
Rosalind's fate was written in the stars, read by Merlin, some 600 years before she was born. A direct descendant of the Pendragon line, her ancestor, Evaine, was the younger sister of King Arthur. Evaine married an outlaw and was banished to Wilde Island and erased from family history, setting Rosalind's destiny in motion. Three things are said of the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island; "She shall redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island."
Rosalind knows the prophecy well. She has been groomed for it her entire life. The way her mother sees it, England is in the midst of a civil war and Rosalind will marry Prince Henry, future king of England, thereby fulfilling all aspects of the prophecy. There are just a few problems. Having never met the Prince, what if he and Rosalind don't get along? Not that the Queen of England has officially contacted them yet, though it is assumed she is aware of the prophecy. With the recent dragon attacks on Wilde Island their military force is depleted, and may not be much help to England. Oh, and there's the little matter of Rosalind's ring finger. Instead of a finger it's a dragon's claw. So far she and her mother have hidden it behind golden gloves, but that won't work when Rosie is married. They MUST find a cure soon. A cure that is made harder to find due to the fact that the healers are never told what the exact problem is. Things are beginning to look bleak.
When an envoy from England comes to visit Wilde Island, things may be looking up a little. Especially since they've managed to slay the dragon that has been harassing the Island forever. It doesn't hurt that the one who killed the dragon is a handsome boy around Rosalind's age. At least in Rosalind's opinion, but her mother might not see it the same. Not that it's a concern for long. What should be one of the most triumphant moments in their history turns horrifying when the dragon's mate returns to punish the people, and takes a special interest in Rosalind. Before long, Rosalind's life will never be the same, and it doesn't look like the prophecy could ever possibly be fulfilled.
There is so much more to this book than I can tell you here! So many more levels and layers to the story. If I tried to fit it all in it would not only ruin the story, but end up nearly as long as the book! The relationships between the characters are so multi-leveled and very realistic. Rosalind may be a Princess with a dragon's claw in a faraway time and place, but her relationship with her mother is something you could see in anyone's life. Her desire to be normal and accepted are the same things everyone experiences as a teenager. So while the circumstances aren't something we experience every day, the people in them, and their reactions to them, are completely realistic and easy to relate to.
Part fairy tale, part mythology, part legend, all around fantastic! Read it! You'll be glad you did.
February 9, 2017
I did not enjoy Dragon's Keep as much as Dragonswood. The main reason being is that the romance lacks development. One minute they meet and the next she is in love with him. It's the insta-love thing. This resulted in me never finding the romance convincing.
The book is really split into three different parts. The first two we spend a good amount of time on, but the last part is sadly mostly glossed over. This is where the development of the romance could have come in, but unfortunately we are mostly just told about what happens.
As for the other parts; in the beginning we are introduced to Rosalind's world and all the people in it, and we learn about how she came to have the dragon claw. I felt this part of the book was well done. The second part with the dragons was also well done, but I did feel like this part of the book dragged on a bit too long. I enjoyed reading about how she developed the bond with the dragons.
I am glad I read Dragon's Keep and enjoyed it enough to give it 3 stars so it wasn't bad, just not what it could have been. If just as much attention would have been paid to the third part of the book as the rest I would have given it 4 stars.
The book is really split into three different parts. The first two we spend a good amount of time on, but the last part is sadly mostly glossed over. This is where the development of the romance could have come in, but unfortunately we are mostly just told about what happens.
As for the other parts; in the beginning we are introduced to Rosalind's world and all the people in it, and we learn about how she came to have the dragon claw. I felt this part of the book was well done. The second part with the dragons was also well done, but I did feel like this part of the book dragged on a bit too long. I enjoyed reading about how she developed the bond with the dragons.
I am glad I read Dragon's Keep and enjoyed it enough to give it 3 stars so it wasn't bad, just not what it could have been. If just as much attention would have been paid to the third part of the book as the rest I would have given it 4 stars.
May 29, 2012
2.5 stars
Well, I liked the dragon aspects of the book, esp. as they were not the fun, endearing, yet noble and powerful creatures of most of the series that I like. These dragons are far more the wild monsters that appear in legends and the scary, if still majestic animals that everyone is out to kill. And they are not all wrong in that inclination to eliminate such a threat. Which made our heroine's time spent with these creatures and the relationship that she builds with them all the more vital and interesting.
The romance was...stilted. It could have used some help, but in the end was enough that it was a happy-ish ending.
Anyone who loves dragons and a good read will likely enjoy.
Well, I liked the dragon aspects of the book, esp. as they were not the fun, endearing, yet noble and powerful creatures of most of the series that I like. These dragons are far more the wild monsters that appear in legends and the scary, if still majestic animals that everyone is out to kill. And they are not all wrong in that inclination to eliminate such a threat. Which made our heroine's time spent with these creatures and the relationship that she builds with them all the more vital and interesting.
The romance was...stilted. It could have used some help, but in the end was enough that it was a happy-ish ending.
Anyone who loves dragons and a good read will likely enjoy.
October 4, 2015
Prior to reading this book I read, and really enjoyed, Dragonswood. Dragonswood made me want to go back and pick up the first book in the Wilde Island series. The two books are only loosely related (this one takes place quite a while before the story in Dragonswood and focuses on different characters). This was a beautifully written story that moves very slowly.
Princess Rosalind (Rosie to her friends) is born with one finger that is a dragon claw. Her mother goes to great lengths to hide Rosie’s flaw in hopes that Rosie will someday be cured and able to marry Prince Henry. Rosie spends most of her life worrying about hiding her shameful finger. Then she is carried off by a dragon and everything changes.
The writing here is beautiful and I loved the traditional fantasy type of setting. However, the story really takes a long time to get going and moves slowly. I also didn't like how passive our heroine Rosie was throughout.
Rosie is a very damaged girl and she undergoes some fairly horrific trials. Pretty much one horrible thing after another happens to her. She is one of the heroines where reading about her just makes you tired and sad...too many bad things happen to her.
Given all of her trials I was a bit disappointed in how abruptly and neatly everything was tied up. Despite all Rosie’s efforts it ends up being the word and support of someone else who solves her problem. Then the whole story is tied up in just a few pages at the end. It was an unsatisfying ending; rushed and contrived feeling. The way the ended was done seemed to really make all of Rosie’s suffering seem a bit hollow.
Overall this is beautifully written but slow and hard to engage in. I really enjoyed Dragonswood much much more than this book. Given that I am unsure if I will read the third book in this series or not right now. I would definitely recommend Dragonswood to fantasy lovers, but I think I would skip reading Dragon’s Keep unless you really want to learn the history of what happened before Dragonswood.
Princess Rosalind (Rosie to her friends) is born with one finger that is a dragon claw. Her mother goes to great lengths to hide Rosie’s flaw in hopes that Rosie will someday be cured and able to marry Prince Henry. Rosie spends most of her life worrying about hiding her shameful finger. Then she is carried off by a dragon and everything changes.
The writing here is beautiful and I loved the traditional fantasy type of setting. However, the story really takes a long time to get going and moves slowly. I also didn't like how passive our heroine Rosie was throughout.
Rosie is a very damaged girl and she undergoes some fairly horrific trials. Pretty much one horrible thing after another happens to her. She is one of the heroines where reading about her just makes you tired and sad...too many bad things happen to her.
Given all of her trials I was a bit disappointed in how abruptly and neatly everything was tied up. Despite all Rosie’s efforts it ends up being the word and support of someone else who solves her problem. Then the whole story is tied up in just a few pages at the end. It was an unsatisfying ending; rushed and contrived feeling. The way the ended was done seemed to really make all of Rosie’s suffering seem a bit hollow.
Overall this is beautifully written but slow and hard to engage in. I really enjoyed Dragonswood much much more than this book. Given that I am unsure if I will read the third book in this series or not right now. I would definitely recommend Dragonswood to fantasy lovers, but I think I would skip reading Dragon’s Keep unless you really want to learn the history of what happened before Dragonswood.
August 8, 2015
I'm not one for high fantasy and epic tales anymore, but I found myself reading this book in a day. It's easy reading and I found the author's tale absorbing, despite the fact that I feel that the blurb is slightly misleading. The blurb states that Rosie is captured by the dragon, yadda yadda, but this event happens more than halfway into the book.
I would characterize this story as more of a coming of age story of a pampered, lonely princess fueled by her mother's ambition. It's completely told from Rosie's point of view, and I thought the author's treatment of the Queen (Rosie's mother) is singularly well done. You saw the Queen at first as a mother with a spine of iron, who nonetheless inspires devotion from her people, love from her husband the king, and loves her daughter (but does not spoil her). This is borne out by the first scene, in which they are closeted in the Queen's room for a weekly meeting to chisel Rosie's dragon claw down.
There's a mystery of sorts, as Rosie grows from 14 (as she is at the start of the book) to 16, as she sees more and more of her mother's ambition for her, which was also at the beginning her own ambition -- to defeat the usurper Stephen and wed Prince Henry. It's not surprising this was her ambition, as her mother sung songs and wove tapestries to gift Rosie about her becoming the Queen to free Wilde island and rule over England. At the beginning, she's told all sorts of things of her birth, how the finger bone of a saint allowed her to be conceived, etc. How the two women planned and devoted their lives to finding ways to charm her finger back to a normal finger. How her mother had donned gold gloves the day she was born so that she could always hide her finger, and how this trend became a symbol of chastity for highborn ladies.
But bit by bit, Rosie has to come to face the extent of her mother's mad ambition and resolve to achieve Rosie's destiny, not the least of which culminated in several calculated murders of people who learn by mistake of Rosie's claw-finger.
As for the romance, I know a number of reviewers disliked the "insta-love" of Rosie for Kye, the dragonslayer. In this case, I wouldn't quite characterize it as insta-love, (1) because Rosie doesn't rave on and on about how she loved him and how wonderful and handsome he is, (2) this girl has never had a friend in her entire life, nor is she surrounded by a bevy of handsome eligible men. As the envoy's son from Queen Mathilda, Kye is the first young man around her age to enter into her world, in a singularly dashing fashion (hailed as the brave dragonslayer) and it just so happens he has blue eyes and is quite chivalrous and friendly with her. It wouldn't take a Twilighty chick to withstand those epic charms. (Yes, Rosie has her friend, Kit, but that friend was won through hard work, and she had that friend less than two years before she had to be sent away for fear that her mother would kill Kit. So. Lonely girl with a secret deformity. Not in the realms of impossibility.)
I do agree that the ending is a bit pat, but all in all, it's a lovely book. I would recommend it for those who enjoyed Seraphina.
I would characterize this story as more of a coming of age story of a pampered, lonely princess fueled by her mother's ambition. It's completely told from Rosie's point of view, and I thought the author's treatment of the Queen (Rosie's mother) is singularly well done. You saw the Queen at first as a mother with a spine of iron, who nonetheless inspires devotion from her people, love from her husband the king, and loves her daughter (but does not spoil her). This is borne out by the first scene, in which they are closeted in the Queen's room for a weekly meeting to chisel Rosie's dragon claw down.
There's a mystery of sorts, as Rosie grows from 14 (as she is at the start of the book) to 16, as she sees more and more of her mother's ambition for her, which was also at the beginning her own ambition -- to defeat the usurper Stephen and wed Prince Henry. It's not surprising this was her ambition, as her mother sung songs and wove tapestries to gift Rosie about her becoming the Queen to free Wilde island and rule over England. At the beginning, she's told all sorts of things of her birth, how the finger bone of a saint allowed her to be conceived, etc. How the two women planned and devoted their lives to finding ways to charm her finger back to a normal finger. How her mother had donned gold gloves the day she was born so that she could always hide her finger, and how this trend became a symbol of chastity for highborn ladies.
But bit by bit, Rosie has to come to face the extent of her mother's mad ambition and resolve to achieve Rosie's destiny, not the least of which culminated in several calculated murders of people who learn by mistake of Rosie's claw-finger.
As for the romance, I know a number of reviewers disliked the "insta-love" of Rosie for Kye, the dragonslayer. In this case, I wouldn't quite characterize it as insta-love, (1) because Rosie doesn't rave on and on about how she loved him and how wonderful and handsome he is, (2) this girl has never had a friend in her entire life, nor is she surrounded by a bevy of handsome eligible men. As the envoy's son from Queen Mathilda, Kye is the first young man around her age to enter into her world, in a singularly dashing fashion (hailed as the brave dragonslayer) and it just so happens he has blue eyes and is quite chivalrous and friendly with her. It wouldn't take a Twilighty chick to withstand those epic charms. (Yes, Rosie has her friend, Kit, but that friend was won through hard work, and she had that friend less than two years before she had to be sent away for fear that her mother would kill Kit. So. Lonely girl with a secret deformity. Not in the realms of impossibility.)
I do agree that the ending is a bit pat, but all in all, it's a lovely book. I would recommend it for those who enjoyed Seraphina.
June 8, 2016
Just finished my second read. Still 5 stars. I need to spend some time on a proper review. I love all 3 of JLC's dragon books. Read it!
January 19, 2010
This was a beautifully written tale about a young princess Rosalinde who was believed to be the 21st queen on Wild Island fulfilling a prophecy by Merlin, returning the island to its former glory.
Being born with a dragon claw however means that this princess' life is filled with secrecy, and a mother hell bent on keeping the secret a secret.
Most people having seen the claw wind up dead...
Wilde Island also plagued by the dragons, people constantly being stolen away and eaten. Hordes of men going to Dragon Keep to retrieve the Pendragon Sceptre, which will undoubtedly aid the Princess reclaiming the glory of the Pendragon family, all man perish and fail.
One day a ship is sighted off the coast of Wilde Island, which happens to be a knight from England, Sir Godrick and his son Kye who have slain the dragon.
Kye and Rose exchange small conversation. The dragons mate arrives and retrieves five eggs from his slain mate and puts them on a boat and drags it out to sea. He returns with mind to burn the village and kill everyone.
The sea turns rough and one of the eggs falls overboard. Rose is quick to warn the dragon.
Rose takes a severe liking toward Kye, in fact you could even say she falls in love with him. She rides out to some cliff and watches as he and his father repair their ship daily.
One day he rides up behind her and requests that she follow him because he has something to show her. It is the dragon egg, it is broken. Kye is interested in another prophecy of Merlins, Bright fire. Dragon's fire. Broken Sword. One black talon ends the war! and asks Rose why she warned the dragon about his egg. She lies and says it was to save everyone from the dragon, Kye is disappointed by this answer.
The net day all goes terribly wrong. The royal party goes out hunting, and from pride Rose wishes to avoid certain people (Kye) and travels away from the party, her horse and her fall into a ravine, her ankle is broken and she is pursued by wolves.
Kye the heroic lad that he is dashes to her rescue and now not only is he dragonslayer, but wolfslayer too. The princess is bleeding all over the place and Kye gallantly rips of his shirt to bandage her up, in doing so he removes her gloves (which hide her talon) and sees her disgraceful appendage. He says nothing.
In the next week or so while she's in a bed somewhere healing and dreaming of Kye, her love, he's sailing off to war with all the other men and knights for the Queen of England against some usurping King Stephen.
After all her grief and yearning for Kye and all the other people she loves dying and being sent away her mother still insists she frock up for the May Day celebrations and have a good time.
During this May Day the Male Dragon returns and takes her away.
He spares her life, but she must work hard and take care of his four baby dragons Chawl-'mighty claw', Kadmi- 'great fire', Eetha- 'ruler of the air and Ore- 'precious one' all of whom refer to her talon as her beautiful part.
She spends a year or so helping and learning and loving the baby dragons, when drama unfolds. A massive storm comes on a day her lady in waiting just so happens to visit also, and having made a vow with Lord Faul (the daddy dragon) that she would never speak to another human again so long as he never ate a human again, she is unable to speak to her beloved friend.
She sends her away silently. Returning to the dragon cave, where the cave is about to be flooded off the map because of trees falling in the river and creating a dam. Lord Faul says they must all go out in the rain and dig the trees out. So they do, another mudslide occurs and Kadmi is trapped beneath, all try to dig him out with little success.
Kit (the lady in waiting) returns and rushes down to help dig out the baby dragon when a huge current sweeps Ore away down the river - alas this baby dragon cannot swim. Kit dives in after her. The rest continue digging furiously away trying to save Kadmi. Unfortunately despite their efforts he drowns.
They leave Kadmi and set out to find Kit and Ore. Further down the river they find Ore washed up against some rocks luckily still breathing, the find the the reason she is stuck against the rocks is Kit wedged beneath her securing her safety. Kit unfortunately is dead.
They bury Kadmi and Kit, then return to their cave and set to cleaning it about. Laud Faul becomes ill with rattly breathing, he eventually dies by crying, because he never thought a human would give its life for a dragon. As we are told previously in a book, Dragons must not cry because it will kill them.
So now having Lord Faul die, the three youngsters left return Rose to Wilde Island because Kit had told her Magnus (a jerk face jerk, who had gotten her mother addicted to poppy potion, i'm going to say opium and killed her mother) and taken the throne himself.
Now she is captured and trialled as a witch for surviving a year with dragons.
On the day of her hanging she manages to struggle free and is grabbed by a monk. She recognises this monks startling blue eys, it is Kye. He wishes to speak about her 'blood lines', she freaks out thinking he's going to tell everyone of her dragon blood and her talon.
He reveals, that he has travelled to Dragons Keep and found it abandoned, he has retrieved the Pendragon Sceptre and now proves her lineage he mentions nothing of her claw. He also tells the people of a 'diary' he found while sheltering the rain on Dragons Keep and he tells them of the Princesses struggles and her deal with the dragon to save them all.
Kye and Rose get married and on a midsummer's eve fair seven dragons swooped down out of the sky and encircled the festivities. Rose and Kye stepped forward, the dragons pulled off her glove and kissed her talon. Kye seeing what the dragons offered by a kiss, turned and broke his sword upon some nearby stones and laid it in front of the dragons. Someone yelled a peace gift from the dragons upon seeing her talon. She held it up for everyone to see.
Everyone rejoiced and they all lived in peace and happiness forever and ever and ever and ever.
Being born with a dragon claw however means that this princess' life is filled with secrecy, and a mother hell bent on keeping the secret a secret.
Most people having seen the claw wind up dead...
Wilde Island also plagued by the dragons, people constantly being stolen away and eaten. Hordes of men going to Dragon Keep to retrieve the Pendragon Sceptre, which will undoubtedly aid the Princess reclaiming the glory of the Pendragon family, all man perish and fail.
One day a ship is sighted off the coast of Wilde Island, which happens to be a knight from England, Sir Godrick and his son Kye who have slain the dragon.
Kye and Rose exchange small conversation. The dragons mate arrives and retrieves five eggs from his slain mate and puts them on a boat and drags it out to sea. He returns with mind to burn the village and kill everyone.
The sea turns rough and one of the eggs falls overboard. Rose is quick to warn the dragon.
Rose takes a severe liking toward Kye, in fact you could even say she falls in love with him. She rides out to some cliff and watches as he and his father repair their ship daily.
One day he rides up behind her and requests that she follow him because he has something to show her. It is the dragon egg, it is broken. Kye is interested in another prophecy of Merlins, Bright fire. Dragon's fire. Broken Sword. One black talon ends the war! and asks Rose why she warned the dragon about his egg. She lies and says it was to save everyone from the dragon, Kye is disappointed by this answer.
The net day all goes terribly wrong. The royal party goes out hunting, and from pride Rose wishes to avoid certain people (Kye) and travels away from the party, her horse and her fall into a ravine, her ankle is broken and she is pursued by wolves.
Kye the heroic lad that he is dashes to her rescue and now not only is he dragonslayer, but wolfslayer too. The princess is bleeding all over the place and Kye gallantly rips of his shirt to bandage her up, in doing so he removes her gloves (which hide her talon) and sees her disgraceful appendage. He says nothing.
In the next week or so while she's in a bed somewhere healing and dreaming of Kye, her love, he's sailing off to war with all the other men and knights for the Queen of England against some usurping King Stephen.
After all her grief and yearning for Kye and all the other people she loves dying and being sent away her mother still insists she frock up for the May Day celebrations and have a good time.
During this May Day the Male Dragon returns and takes her away.
He spares her life, but she must work hard and take care of his four baby dragons Chawl-'mighty claw', Kadmi- 'great fire', Eetha- 'ruler of the air and Ore- 'precious one' all of whom refer to her talon as her beautiful part.
She spends a year or so helping and learning and loving the baby dragons, when drama unfolds. A massive storm comes on a day her lady in waiting just so happens to visit also, and having made a vow with Lord Faul (the daddy dragon) that she would never speak to another human again so long as he never ate a human again, she is unable to speak to her beloved friend.
She sends her away silently. Returning to the dragon cave, where the cave is about to be flooded off the map because of trees falling in the river and creating a dam. Lord Faul says they must all go out in the rain and dig the trees out. So they do, another mudslide occurs and Kadmi is trapped beneath, all try to dig him out with little success.
Kit (the lady in waiting) returns and rushes down to help dig out the baby dragon when a huge current sweeps Ore away down the river - alas this baby dragon cannot swim. Kit dives in after her. The rest continue digging furiously away trying to save Kadmi. Unfortunately despite their efforts he drowns.
They leave Kadmi and set out to find Kit and Ore. Further down the river they find Ore washed up against some rocks luckily still breathing, the find the the reason she is stuck against the rocks is Kit wedged beneath her securing her safety. Kit unfortunately is dead.
They bury Kadmi and Kit, then return to their cave and set to cleaning it about. Laud Faul becomes ill with rattly breathing, he eventually dies by crying, because he never thought a human would give its life for a dragon. As we are told previously in a book, Dragons must not cry because it will kill them.
So now having Lord Faul die, the three youngsters left return Rose to Wilde Island because Kit had told her Magnus (a jerk face jerk, who had gotten her mother addicted to poppy potion, i'm going to say opium and killed her mother) and taken the throne himself.
Now she is captured and trialled as a witch for surviving a year with dragons.
On the day of her hanging she manages to struggle free and is grabbed by a monk. She recognises this monks startling blue eys, it is Kye. He wishes to speak about her 'blood lines', she freaks out thinking he's going to tell everyone of her dragon blood and her talon.
He reveals, that he has travelled to Dragons Keep and found it abandoned, he has retrieved the Pendragon Sceptre and now proves her lineage he mentions nothing of her claw. He also tells the people of a 'diary' he found while sheltering the rain on Dragons Keep and he tells them of the Princesses struggles and her deal with the dragon to save them all.
Kye and Rose get married and on a midsummer's eve fair seven dragons swooped down out of the sky and encircled the festivities. Rose and Kye stepped forward, the dragons pulled off her glove and kissed her talon. Kye seeing what the dragons offered by a kiss, turned and broke his sword upon some nearby stones and laid it in front of the dragons. Someone yelled a peace gift from the dragons upon seeing her talon. She held it up for everyone to see.
Everyone rejoiced and they all lived in peace and happiness forever and ever and ever and ever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2016
So, it seems I have a somewhat unpopular opinion when it comes to this book. It didn't take me long to develop a negative opinion of Dragon's Keep. Within the first 50 pages I was thinking about DNFing it. But I stuck with it, and I remained unimpressed.
The premise is that Princess Rosalind is the subject of a prophecy. Six hundred years before, the great Merlin predicted that the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island, a descendant of King Arthur's exiled and forgotten sister, Evaine, would stop the war and save her people. But Rosalind has been cursed - she was born with a dragon's talon as her left ring finger. Her mother is the only one who knows, and Rosie helps keep it a secret. Then, one day, a dragon swoops in and takes her away, forcing her to look at her life from a different point of view.
The characters were extremely boring. Rosie has absolutely no personality whatsoever. She's weak and cowardly and whiny. And when she's not actively being obnoxious, she's on par with a piece of cardboard.
Rosie is content to sit around and wait for someone to save her. She harps about planning to escape, but in the end she doesn't ever do a single thing. When she finally makes the move to do something, she goes in with the stupidest, most naive plan. And she's shocked when it totally backfires.
The dragons are, in this novel, monsters that are the mortal enemies of mankind. And that's all they are. There is no added depth to them whatsoever. They exist, they hate humans, and humans hate them.
Other characters are utterly useless. I didn't feel as though I got to know any of them. And the author had no qualms about killing off characters. I think that there's a fine line when it comes to killing characters. If the death is necessary, even if I might loathe it, I understand where the author is coming from. But in this book not a single death was necessary, just adding to the pointlessness of it all.
The book had absolutely no world-building and no plot. We are told at the very beginning of the novel that Rosalind is descended from Evaine, King Arthur's sister (whose absence in the King Arthur legends is explained away by the fact that everyone wanted to forget she existed.) But where Wilde Island is, I have no idea. There is the mention of France. Rosalind knows English, French, and Latin. But other than that, the book is completely devoid of geographical and cultural information.
Dragons are not explained at all. There is talk about a past war, a possible dragon uprising, and the healing abilities of a dragon egg. But none of it is explained for the reader. It's like it's mentioned, and we're just expected to take it at face value and say, "Well, that's just how the world is!" In my opinion, it's lazy to skimp out on world building.
Aside from that, the main premise of the book is that Rosie is taken from her home by a dragon. The first third of the novel is completely pointless; it serves to show that a fourteen-year-old Rosie was rather lonely and whiny and boring. The second third of the novel has Rosie at sixteen. She meets a dragonslayer named Kye and "falls in love" with him in about a week. Just after the halfway point, she is finally kidnapped by the dragon. And then the rest of the novel is just Rosie complaining as she spends the next year as a nursemaid, cook, and scullery maid to the dragon that kidnapped her.
The book is written in such a way that months pass by in mere paragraphs. To me, it feels odd. For some reason, a certain conversation is important enough to write about, or Rosie spends another few pages complaining about how she has to harvest herbs, and they move on.
Plus, one of the more unrealistic aspects is that Rosie manages to completely learn an extremely foreign language - DragonTongue. It appears to take just a few months, and she is able to converse with dragons and translate rhymes from English. It made me want to laugh; I've been trying to learn Spanish for years and the best I can do is read some of it and pick out a few words in a spoken conversation.
The romantic aspect was poorly done. I'll be honest, I laughed out loud when I realized that Dragon's Keep had a love story to it. And it wasn't because it was funny. It was because it was so poorly done that the book could've done without.
Literally, Rosie meets Kye. She shares a quiet sadness with him over a slain dragon, but they don't talk about it. When she fails to meet his expectations, they argue. Then Rosie gets herself in trouble and he comes to the rescue and rips off his shirt to wrap her broken ankle. It feels like they've known each other maybe a week, and Rosie is suddenly saying that she's just so in love with him. To the point that when he leaves without explicitly coming to say goodbye to her, she laments the fact that she'd ever been born. Like, lol seriously?
I did not like Dragon's Keep and would not recommend it. I found it to be painfully boring and poorly planned out. It lacked characterization, an engaging plot, and a good romance. I found no redeeming qualities great enough to give this book any more than one star.
The premise is that Princess Rosalind is the subject of a prophecy. Six hundred years before, the great Merlin predicted that the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island, a descendant of King Arthur's exiled and forgotten sister, Evaine, would stop the war and save her people. But Rosalind has been cursed - she was born with a dragon's talon as her left ring finger. Her mother is the only one who knows, and Rosie helps keep it a secret. Then, one day, a dragon swoops in and takes her away, forcing her to look at her life from a different point of view.
The characters were extremely boring. Rosie has absolutely no personality whatsoever. She's weak and cowardly and whiny. And when she's not actively being obnoxious, she's on par with a piece of cardboard.
The muscles in my legs twitched. I longed to run, but the beast blocked the way before me and the cliff edge was just behind. All I could do was wait, shiver, hide behind my slender sapling, and hope the dragon would not notice me.
Rosie is content to sit around and wait for someone to save her. She harps about planning to escape, but in the end she doesn't ever do a single thing. When she finally makes the move to do something, she goes in with the stupidest, most naive plan. And she's shocked when it totally backfires.
The dragons are, in this novel, monsters that are the mortal enemies of mankind. And that's all they are. There is no added depth to them whatsoever. They exist, they hate humans, and humans hate them.
Other characters are utterly useless. I didn't feel as though I got to know any of them. And the author had no qualms about killing off characters. I think that there's a fine line when it comes to killing characters. If the death is necessary, even if I might loathe it, I understand where the author is coming from. But in this book not a single death was necessary, just adding to the pointlessness of it all.
The book had absolutely no world-building and no plot. We are told at the very beginning of the novel that Rosalind is descended from Evaine, King Arthur's sister (whose absence in the King Arthur legends is explained away by the fact that everyone wanted to forget she existed.) But where Wilde Island is, I have no idea. There is the mention of France. Rosalind knows English, French, and Latin. But other than that, the book is completely devoid of geographical and cultural information.
Dragons are not explained at all. There is talk about a past war, a possible dragon uprising, and the healing abilities of a dragon egg. But none of it is explained for the reader. It's like it's mentioned, and we're just expected to take it at face value and say, "Well, that's just how the world is!" In my opinion, it's lazy to skimp out on world building.
Aside from that, the main premise of the book is that Rosie is taken from her home by a dragon. The first third of the novel is completely pointless; it serves to show that a fourteen-year-old Rosie was rather lonely and whiny and boring. The second third of the novel has Rosie at sixteen. She meets a dragonslayer named Kye and "falls in love" with him in about a week. Just after the halfway point, she is finally kidnapped by the dragon. And then the rest of the novel is just Rosie complaining as she spends the next year as a nursemaid, cook, and scullery maid to the dragon that kidnapped her.
The book is written in such a way that months pass by in mere paragraphs. To me, it feels odd. For some reason, a certain conversation is important enough to write about, or Rosie spends another few pages complaining about how she has to harvest herbs, and they move on.
Plus, one of the more unrealistic aspects is that Rosie manages to completely learn an extremely foreign language - DragonTongue. It appears to take just a few months, and she is able to converse with dragons and translate rhymes from English. It made me want to laugh; I've been trying to learn Spanish for years and the best I can do is read some of it and pick out a few words in a spoken conversation.
The romantic aspect was poorly done. I'll be honest, I laughed out loud when I realized that Dragon's Keep had a love story to it. And it wasn't because it was funny. It was because it was so poorly done that the book could've done without.
Literally, Rosie meets Kye. She shares a quiet sadness with him over a slain dragon, but they don't talk about it. When she fails to meet his expectations, they argue. Then Rosie gets herself in trouble and he comes to the rescue and rips off his shirt to wrap her broken ankle. It feels like they've known each other maybe a week, and Rosie is suddenly saying that she's just so in love with him. To the point that when he leaves without explicitly coming to say goodbye to her, she laments the fact that she'd ever been born. Like, lol seriously?
I did not like Dragon's Keep and would not recommend it. I found it to be painfully boring and poorly planned out. It lacked characterization, an engaging plot, and a good romance. I found no redeeming qualities great enough to give this book any more than one star.
June 15, 2017
It's back to the library for this book, even though I haven't finished it yet. My interest has waned a bit since I started it, but I'll try to borrow it again when/if I feel I'm in the right mood for it. It's not bad, it's just the wrong time; I actually prefer buying books to borrowing because I have a strong tendency to put books I like down for a few months, or years, before resuming where I left off.
Anyway, a few thoughts so far concerning the book.
I hated the queen! She's more obsessed with fulfilling a prophecy and living vicariously through her daughter than she is with the princess's happiness, she even .
Also, there is some insta-love going on in this book, but when you consider that the princess has just turned 15 and it's not like she has met any eligible boys before, it's hardly surprising (and thus a little more forgivable).
Anyway, a few thoughts so far concerning the book.
I hated the queen! She's more obsessed with fulfilling a prophecy and living vicariously through her daughter than she is with the princess's happiness, she even .
Also, there is some insta-love going on in this book, but when you consider that the princess has just turned 15 and it's not like she has met any eligible boys before, it's hardly surprising (and thus a little more forgivable).
June 25, 2020
Altmodischer Fantasy Roman mit Drachen und einer Prophezeiung. Eine schöne jedoch eher ernste Geschichte mit ein bisschen Romantik. An ein zwei Stellen wurde es etwas langatmig. Es gab aber auch einiges an Abwechslung.
Meine komplette Review könnt Ihr euch hier anschauen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO5dK...
Meine komplette Review könnt Ihr euch hier anschauen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO5dK...
January 8, 2008
This was a lovely YA fairytale - the version I read in Australia was actually called Talon. Princess Rosalind, of Wilde Island, was the subject of a prophecy many generations before her birth. She would restore the glory of Wilde Island, and end a war. However, the Princess was born with a dragon's claw instead of a ring finger on one of her hands, and wears gloves at all times to hide this terrible flaw. However, when a dragon carries her off, the claw is the least of her worries.
Dragon's Keep is a beautiful, lyrical story - Rosalind's agony over her claw, her mother's desparate need to cure or hide the claw at all costs, the dragon's admiration for her "beautiful part" - it is all quite lovely, and the fulfillment of the prophecy at the end is beautifully done. It is very fairytale-like though, very mythic in its style, but I enjoy that. I found Rosalind's attitude towards the dragon at the end a little hard to understand - but overall, I enjoyed it very much.
Dragon's Keep is a beautiful, lyrical story - Rosalind's agony over her claw, her mother's desparate need to cure or hide the claw at all costs, the dragon's admiration for her "beautiful part" - it is all quite lovely, and the fulfillment of the prophecy at the end is beautifully done. It is very fairytale-like though, very mythic in its style, but I enjoy that. I found Rosalind's attitude towards the dragon at the end a little hard to understand - but overall, I enjoyed it very much.
April 7, 2022
This was one of my favorites in middle school, and it definitely holds up. I think it’s profoundly beautiful, and an essential read for all fantasy lovers.
September 21, 2025
Het was zeker een leuk, vlot leesbaar boek om op een zondag te lezen.
Zeker spannend genoeg - met enkele interessante plotwendingen waar ik natuurlijk niet op ga ingaan ;)
Niet zeker of ik direct de rest van de trilogie ga kopen en lezen, maar moest ik ze in de bib tegenkomen misschien...
Zeker spannend genoeg - met enkele interessante plotwendingen waar ik natuurlijk niet op ga ingaan ;)
Niet zeker of ik direct de rest van de trilogie ga kopen en lezen, maar moest ik ze in de bib tegenkomen misschien...
October 4, 2021
I read this so long ago and just saw it recently and remembered HOW MUCH I LOVED IT. Honestly don’t really remembered what happened but you know I think it deserves 5 stars
Read
November 11, 2023Lovely writing. Fairy tale style, but in novel form it felt dated. I struggled with the portrayal of dragons as monstrous, icky, and mean (they're really cool creatures right?!) in the first person limited POV. Also, our protagonist seemed silly (no Game of Thrones strategist here) and frequently stuck in dire Cinderella straits (hard to root for her or enjoy her starvation and distress). She does not solve her own problems, control her own fate, or have any cool powers.
October 11, 2015
3.5 stars
This is one of those books where the payoff is good, but the journey is only so-so. I’m glad I read this book—I like the story very much and the author did a great job in capturing the feel of an Arthurian tragedy—but…the actual reading process was a little difficult for me.
I like fast-paced books, and this was not a fast-paced book at all. There is very little edge-of-your-seat action, with the plot instead unfurling slowly across Rosalind's life. For people who don’t mind a slower-paced book, this will probably be appealing because the writing is very nice.
For me, I enjoyed what I was reading (even though I didn’t always like Rosalind), but I was a little frustrated that things weren’t happening as quickly as I would have liked. To put things in perspective, Rosalind doesn’t get taken by the dragon until about halfway through the book. I’m always a little annoyed when you have to read a significant portion of the book just to get through the jacket blurb.
With the mention of Merlin and the fact that Rosalind is a descendant of the Pendragon line (King Arthur’s family), I had expected this to be an Arthurian tale. That really isn’t what we get here though. Outside of the prophecy’s connection to Merlin, no one else from the legend appears. I felt this was unnecessarily reaching—an original wizard could have made the prophecy just as easily as Merlin and the family connection did not need to be Pendragon. The resolution of the prophecy was also pretty obvious early on.
Then there’s the romance. I always like a little romance in my books, but I also don’t want it to be the focal point of the story. That is the case here, but, well, it’s a little too absent. I felt like it was supposed to be this deep love, but Rosalind only met with him a few times. To me, that made her come across more like a girl with a little crush than some epic love. His presence felt contrived and overly convenient. His personality also wasn’t very consistent. Romance fan that I am, I actually still would have preferred if this character had been left out completely.
I liked and loathed the dragons in the book. Janet Lee Carey made her dragons different from any other fictional dragon I’ve encountered. They are clearly a species different from humans. They’re horribly cruel, but I enjoyed reading about them nonetheless.
Dragon's Keep is a well-written story with evocative characters that, while not entirely likable, lingered in my mind long after I finished the book. Unlike the love interest, all of the other characters were clearly and strongly drawn. This book is saturated with sadness, suffering, and internally conflicted characters. They are desperate, confused, twisted, obsessive, craven, and suffer repeated losses. In this regard, Janet Lee Carey did a phenomenal job in capturing the essence and feel of an Arthurian tale. I even cried at one point.
While oftentimes predictable, the book is written beautifully and the story is strong enough to compensate for the drawbacks. Months after having read this book, I still find myself thinking about it. My lower rating mostly comes from the fact that I tend to prefer faster and less dreary books. I do recommend Dragon’s Keep, particularly to those who enjoy Arthurian tragedies or are looking for a beautifully written dragon book that is different from the norm.
Originally posted at Small Review
This is one of those books where the payoff is good, but the journey is only so-so. I’m glad I read this book—I like the story very much and the author did a great job in capturing the feel of an Arthurian tragedy—but…the actual reading process was a little difficult for me.
I like fast-paced books, and this was not a fast-paced book at all. There is very little edge-of-your-seat action, with the plot instead unfurling slowly across Rosalind's life. For people who don’t mind a slower-paced book, this will probably be appealing because the writing is very nice.
For me, I enjoyed what I was reading (even though I didn’t always like Rosalind), but I was a little frustrated that things weren’t happening as quickly as I would have liked. To put things in perspective, Rosalind doesn’t get taken by the dragon until about halfway through the book. I’m always a little annoyed when you have to read a significant portion of the book just to get through the jacket blurb.
With the mention of Merlin and the fact that Rosalind is a descendant of the Pendragon line (King Arthur’s family), I had expected this to be an Arthurian tale. That really isn’t what we get here though. Outside of the prophecy’s connection to Merlin, no one else from the legend appears. I felt this was unnecessarily reaching—an original wizard could have made the prophecy just as easily as Merlin and the family connection did not need to be Pendragon. The resolution of the prophecy was also pretty obvious early on.
Then there’s the romance. I always like a little romance in my books, but I also don’t want it to be the focal point of the story. That is the case here, but, well, it’s a little too absent. I felt like it was supposed to be this deep love, but Rosalind only met with him a few times. To me, that made her come across more like a girl with a little crush than some epic love. His presence felt contrived and overly convenient. His personality also wasn’t very consistent. Romance fan that I am, I actually still would have preferred if this character had been left out completely.
I liked and loathed the dragons in the book. Janet Lee Carey made her dragons different from any other fictional dragon I’ve encountered. They are clearly a species different from humans. They’re horribly cruel, but I enjoyed reading about them nonetheless.
Dragon's Keep is a well-written story with evocative characters that, while not entirely likable, lingered in my mind long after I finished the book. Unlike the love interest, all of the other characters were clearly and strongly drawn. This book is saturated with sadness, suffering, and internally conflicted characters. They are desperate, confused, twisted, obsessive, craven, and suffer repeated losses. In this regard, Janet Lee Carey did a phenomenal job in capturing the essence and feel of an Arthurian tale. I even cried at one point.
While oftentimes predictable, the book is written beautifully and the story is strong enough to compensate for the drawbacks. Months after having read this book, I still find myself thinking about it. My lower rating mostly comes from the fact that I tend to prefer faster and less dreary books. I do recommend Dragon’s Keep, particularly to those who enjoy Arthurian tragedies or are looking for a beautifully written dragon book that is different from the norm.
Originally posted at Small Review
July 3, 2018
|SPOILERS POSSIBLE! I DO NOT HAVE A FILTER IN THIS REGARD|
This book was such a disappointment. I had actually been really looking forward to reading this after I found out that Dragonswood was part of a series. Finally I got my hands on it and once I had gotten about three chapters in, I wondered if I would actually be able to finish it. Hooray for perseverance though, I did it. Now lets get to my observations.
Hey Rosalind? Where is your personality? I didn't see any of it, honestly. All you did was moan about your taloned finger and how Kye doesn't notice you. I mean, when did you ever have a conversation with him apart from that ONCE while you were being attacked? In fact, their whole relationship was kinda instant-lovey and overall frustrating. It felt like the author wanted romance but didn't want it to be a key factor in the book.
But that begs the question, what did you want to be the key factor of the book, Madam Carey? Dragons? This prophecy that wasn't much of anything at all? The whole political side to the problems between humans and dragons? Because it seemed to me like the main point was how baby dragons are raised. I swear that more than 60% of the book was Rosalind raising baby dragons. And nothing really got done! It wasn't until the last bit of the book where she went back home that ANYTHING happened.
Speaking of the end- there was a distinct lack of depth.
Now on to the good part, though I feel like there almost couldn't be one. All things aside, I wasn't necessarily bored through the whole thing. Carey is still a really good writer, but this book in content missed the mark for me.
This book was such a disappointment. I had actually been really looking forward to reading this after I found out that Dragonswood was part of a series. Finally I got my hands on it and once I had gotten about three chapters in, I wondered if I would actually be able to finish it. Hooray for perseverance though, I did it. Now lets get to my observations.
Hey Rosalind? Where is your personality? I didn't see any of it, honestly. All you did was moan about your taloned finger and how Kye doesn't notice you. I mean, when did you ever have a conversation with him apart from that ONCE while you were being attacked? In fact, their whole relationship was kinda instant-lovey and overall frustrating. It felt like the author wanted romance but didn't want it to be a key factor in the book.
But that begs the question, what did you want to be the key factor of the book, Madam Carey? Dragons? This prophecy that wasn't much of anything at all? The whole political side to the problems between humans and dragons? Because it seemed to me like the main point was how baby dragons are raised. I swear that more than 60% of the book was Rosalind raising baby dragons. And nothing really got done! It wasn't until the last bit of the book where she went back home that ANYTHING happened.
Speaking of the end- there was a distinct lack of depth.
Now on to the good part, though I feel like there almost couldn't be one. All things aside, I wasn't necessarily bored through the whole thing. Carey is still a really good writer, but this book in content missed the mark for me.
June 29, 2011
I had originally picked it up "Dragon's Keep" because it has to do with dragons … and I LOVE dragons.
It’s set in the old days, with kings and castles and whatnot. The time period isn’t really my bag to begin with, but I thought I would give it a chance anyway.
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Carey weaves a really interesting story. It seemed like a fairy tale. This book tells the tale of the princess Rosalind that was born with a dragon claw instead of her left ring finger. This is a concern because if people found out, she would probably be burned as a witch, no one would want to marry her, etc. So she is forced to wear gloves and be subject to a ton of outlandish cures by healers that her mom calls to the castle. Of course, she is nearing marrying age, so this little problem must be solved ASAP.
It is especially important because Merlin said this prophecy of Rosie hundreds of years ago:
Three things the stars say of this queen.
She shall redeem the name Pendragon.
End war with the wave of her hand.
And restore the glory of Wilde Island.
So there is a lot on her shoulders.
It was a very interesting read. You can kind of figure out what’s going to happen, but the story does take some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.
One of the problems that I had with the book was that the author spends like 300 pages building it up and everything and then the ending takes like 20 pages … Not that I needed it to be drawn out endlessly, but I felt a little cheated in the end.
It’s pretty interesting, I would say that overall it’s OK.
It’s set in the old days, with kings and castles and whatnot. The time period isn’t really my bag to begin with, but I thought I would give it a chance anyway.
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Carey weaves a really interesting story. It seemed like a fairy tale. This book tells the tale of the princess Rosalind that was born with a dragon claw instead of her left ring finger. This is a concern because if people found out, she would probably be burned as a witch, no one would want to marry her, etc. So she is forced to wear gloves and be subject to a ton of outlandish cures by healers that her mom calls to the castle. Of course, she is nearing marrying age, so this little problem must be solved ASAP.
It is especially important because Merlin said this prophecy of Rosie hundreds of years ago:
Three things the stars say of this queen.
She shall redeem the name Pendragon.
End war with the wave of her hand.
And restore the glory of Wilde Island.
So there is a lot on her shoulders.
It was a very interesting read. You can kind of figure out what’s going to happen, but the story does take some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.
One of the problems that I had with the book was that the author spends like 300 pages building it up and everything and then the ending takes like 20 pages … Not that I needed it to be drawn out endlessly, but I felt a little cheated in the end.
It’s pretty interesting, I would say that overall it’s OK.
January 14, 2009
I will be the first to say that I am not into the fantasy books, but this one was very enjoyable. I might even say that I will probably read a lot more fantasy because of it. Rosalind is a Pendragon Queen but there is only one problem: she has a dragon's claw where her left ring finger should be. No one but her mother the Queen knows, and incidentally anyone who sees it meets an untimely death. Rosalind is both ashamed and fascinated by her "deformity". It will impede her becoming a queen in the eyes of her mother, so she tries every which way to get rid of it (charms, healers, black magic, etc....). There are also real dragons still alive who from time to time come and feed on the residents of Wilde Island, where Rosalind lives. Wilde Island is the place where six hundred years before her ancestress was exiled to, and where 20 queens since then have ruled. There is a prophecy made by Merlin concerning the 21st queen (Rosalind) and that is a very strong part of the story. There is also love, betrayal, lore, magic, and of course dragons. The writing is very effective and the characters are drawn and presented very well. I would love to read another fantasy/princess story by Carey and I would recommend this book to teen and adult readers who enjoy a good fairy tale with adventure.
November 22, 2014
I picked this up because the premise seemed cool -- a princess "cursed" with a dragon part -- and just as I suspected, the talon was a sort of metaphor for her sexuality and feminine mystery. It was kind of reminiscent of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" in some respects.
But there I'd have to say that the coolness ends. The villain, "Sir Magnus," is a generically priestly advisor, who smacks of largely of a eunuch. He's fat, and wears gloves like a queen: once again, ambiguous gender is coupled with evilness! Way to jump right back into the stereotypes that I'd think a quasi-feminist novel like this would want to avoid.
Princess Rosalind's lover is pretty lame too. Noble AND sensitive AND handsome and perfectly perfect, aka, perfectly boring. The hag Demetra is pretty generically witchy as well. It's sad, because you can see that the author TRIED to give her a little shade of grey, as the subject of witch trials came up... But it was just not executed properly.
That being said, at least it doesn't encourage shitty self esteem, unlike SOME young adult books for girls I know of.
I'd say, good try, Ms. Carey. But there's a reason this was in the sale section at Powells.
But there I'd have to say that the coolness ends. The villain, "Sir Magnus," is a generically priestly advisor, who smacks of largely of a eunuch. He's fat, and wears gloves like a queen: once again, ambiguous gender is coupled with evilness! Way to jump right back into the stereotypes that I'd think a quasi-feminist novel like this would want to avoid.
Princess Rosalind's lover is pretty lame too. Noble AND sensitive AND handsome and perfectly perfect, aka, perfectly boring. The hag Demetra is pretty generically witchy as well. It's sad, because you can see that the author TRIED to give her a little shade of grey, as the subject of witch trials came up... But it was just not executed properly.
That being said, at least it doesn't encourage shitty self esteem, unlike SOME young adult books for girls I know of.
I'd say, good try, Ms. Carey. But there's a reason this was in the sale section at Powells.
June 8, 2016
Originally posted to A Bookworm's Confessions
When I was reading this I kept getting mixed feelings. I honestly didn't know why I kept reading it but I did and in the end I found myself really liking it. It's one of those stories that makes you think even after you've finished, wanting to continue on with the characters even though it seems like everything is resolved in the end.
I think why it has so many bad reviews is the writing. It's not well written sometimes. However, I really enjoyed the overall plot. It was a little weird at times because we have a mix of fantasy and reality. Everyone is Christian and they pray to saints and they kill those accused of witchcraft. But there are also dragon's and a prophecy. I found myself getting extremely annoyed with Rose's mother but I think that was how it was supposed to be. There were many deaths and many sad moments but it added to the story.
Overall I ended up enjoying it and I'm glad that I picked it up to read. It's probably not something that I will reread like I often do but it is one that I think will stick in my memory.
When I was reading this I kept getting mixed feelings. I honestly didn't know why I kept reading it but I did and in the end I found myself really liking it. It's one of those stories that makes you think even after you've finished, wanting to continue on with the characters even though it seems like everything is resolved in the end.
I think why it has so many bad reviews is the writing. It's not well written sometimes. However, I really enjoyed the overall plot. It was a little weird at times because we have a mix of fantasy and reality. Everyone is Christian and they pray to saints and they kill those accused of witchcraft. But there are also dragon's and a prophecy. I found myself getting extremely annoyed with Rose's mother but I think that was how it was supposed to be. There were many deaths and many sad moments but it added to the story.
Overall I ended up enjoying it and I'm glad that I picked it up to read. It's probably not something that I will reread like I often do but it is one that I think will stick in my memory.
September 11, 2015
So cheesy! I read this because it was unanimously chosen by the teens in my book group. It is about dragons and far far away places where they say things like “whilst” and “abide my time drinking mead”. The princess is cursed with a dragon claw b/c her mom is possibly crazy and a heroin addict (poppy potion!) and she has to reunite the kingdom. The main character is the dimmest girl on the planet and while sort of perky, pales in comparison to say, Coraline. I will be interested in what the group thinks of this, it would not be something I would recommend, maybe only to the most dire dragon fans.
January 5, 2015
Before her birth, a princess is prophesied to lead her nation to glory and peace. After she is born with a hideous claw in place of her ring finger, her mother refuses to let go of her daughter's supposed fate. She dedicates her life to keeping Rose's secret. Eventually, she cannot protect her any more, and Rose goes to live among the dragons, who hate and despise all humans. Rose struggles to survive, but eventually does bring peace to her nation, just as prophesied--albeit through her claw hand, rather than despite it.
I liked this better than the prologue led me to expect, but the last few chapters whiz by too quickly.
I liked this better than the prologue led me to expect, but the last few chapters whiz by too quickly.
Want to read
February 19, 202028 January 2016: $2.99 on Kindle
4 January 2015: $1.99 on Kindle
4 January 2015: $1.99 on Kindle
December 21, 2018
Personal Response: I thought Dragon’s Keep was rather enjoyable. It's storyline was intriguing and kept me interested the entire time. The characters were likable and relatable, as close as one can relate to people of King Arthur times that is.
Plot: Around six hundred years ago from when the main plot starts, there was a wizard named Merlin who predicted that the 21st princess of Wilde island would restore the Pendragon name to the throne to their rightful place and end an ages long war. Six hundred years later, the 21st princess was born and named Rosalind, but her left ring finger looked like a dragon's claw. Her mother, the current queen of that time, forced Rosalind to wear gloves her whole life until they could find a "cure" because she wanted her to be married to Prince Henry in England. The queen was determined to find a cure and hellbent on keeping her daughter's claw a secret, even committing murder to silence those who had seen it. In one attempt to cure Rosalind, the queen took her to a witch who forcefully tried to cut off the dragon skin and in the end failed. There it was learned that the queen had been barren until she had gone to the witch and was made to drink from a dragon's egg, cursing her daughter with the claw. The dragon was known to frequently siege the kingdom and eat villagers, and so the king tried countless times to send dragonslayers to kill it, sending them to Dragon's Keep, and none ever came back. One day a ship came into the harbor, carrying a bunch of men from England and a dead dragon. Rosalind met a boy named Kye, who had been the one to kill it, but both of them connect on the fact that they both felt sad about the dragon's death. There was then another dragon attack, from the dead she-dragon's mate, and he cut her open and took with him four eggs back to Dragon's Keep. Later on a hunt, Rosalind fell into a ravine and was confronted with wolves. Kye saved her but saw her dragon claw. She lied to her mother about it to protect him. After the king was killed while helping fight in the war in England, there was another dragon attack and he stole Rosalind, claiming that she was his because he knew about her claw. The dragon brought her to Dragon's keep and named her Briar, then she was forced to be the newly hatched dragon pips' nursemaid, because the mother was dead. Briar worked for the dragon, named Lord Faul, for a few years. There was a storm and one of the pips drowned in the flooding, and soon after Faul died from sorrow. When the pips were old enough, they flew Briar back to her kingdom and left to go find their own kind and find mates. Rosalind/Briar went to the castle and tried to take back her throne from the wizard, Magnus, who took the crown when the queen died. Magnus claimed that Rosalind was a witch and put her through a test to try and prove it. She was forced to run across hot coals and they would hang her if she was not healed in three days. When the time came, she failed because one foot was not fully healed, but Rosalind was saved by Kye again, who had not died in the war. He had gone to dragon's keep and found a book that she had written on dragon skin, and had found the first queen's scepter, proving that she was the rightful queen. After Rosalind was crowned, she and Kye were married, and the evil Magnus was hanged as a murderer. Later during the Mayday Feast, the full grown dragon pips returned to Wilde Island along with their mates. They thanked Briar for her service to them and they ripped off her glove and kissed her claw. The people thought it was gifted to her there, so she held it high no longer ashamed of it. The war between humans and dragons had been ended. The prophecy of the 21st queen had been fulfilled.
Characterization: Rosalind started off as a shy, obedient, little princess because she believed in what her mother told her. She feared the dragons and followed in the ways of all her people, believing that the dragons were cruel monsters who enjoyed killing and eating the people. As the story progressed, she started to lose faith in being healed, and doubted her mother. Rosalind also started to realize that the queen was not how she first thought of her, gentle and loving, but that her mother was a murderer and liar. She also learned that the war between the humans and dragons was started because humans misused the fire the dragons had gifted, and turned against them. She began to love the dragons, perhaps even more than her fellow people.
The queen in Dragon’s Keep seemed, at first, like a protective mother just trying to keep her daughter safe. She had been barren but was supposedly healed by Saint Monica’s finger bone. Later, it was discovered that she had actually drank from a dragon’s egg, cursing her daughter. Throughout the story, it gave hints that the mysterious deaths of a number of characters were because of the queen, who tried to silence those who had seen Rosalind’s claw.
Setting: The book took place around the 11th century on Wilde Island, because Rosalind was a descendant of King Arthur, who lived in the fifth and sixth centuries. Wilde Island is a place offshore from England where many criminals and outcasts were sent. This had a great impact on the storyline because it showed what castle life was like, and suggested that it was a time where dragons still existed and were a common problem, along with thieves and bandits. It was also a time where women were often burned or killed if people thought they were a witch.
Thematic Connection: One common theme was family, as both a blessing and a curse. Rosalind was very close to her father, and he was a very good teacher and comfort to her. Her mother was also her source of protection but became a liar and wanted Rosalind to live the dream she had for her.
Another theme was fulfillment. Rosalind was the 21st queen of prophecy, that would end a war. In the end of the story, Kye broke his sword and Rosalind revealed her talon, finally making peace between humans and dragons, and fulfilling the 600 year old prophecy.
Recommendation: I would recommend Dragon’s Keep to seventh graders and higher both male and female because the reading is simple enough, and the concepts are not difficult.
Plot: Around six hundred years ago from when the main plot starts, there was a wizard named Merlin who predicted that the 21st princess of Wilde island would restore the Pendragon name to the throne to their rightful place and end an ages long war. Six hundred years later, the 21st princess was born and named Rosalind, but her left ring finger looked like a dragon's claw. Her mother, the current queen of that time, forced Rosalind to wear gloves her whole life until they could find a "cure" because she wanted her to be married to Prince Henry in England. The queen was determined to find a cure and hellbent on keeping her daughter's claw a secret, even committing murder to silence those who had seen it. In one attempt to cure Rosalind, the queen took her to a witch who forcefully tried to cut off the dragon skin and in the end failed. There it was learned that the queen had been barren until she had gone to the witch and was made to drink from a dragon's egg, cursing her daughter with the claw. The dragon was known to frequently siege the kingdom and eat villagers, and so the king tried countless times to send dragonslayers to kill it, sending them to Dragon's Keep, and none ever came back. One day a ship came into the harbor, carrying a bunch of men from England and a dead dragon. Rosalind met a boy named Kye, who had been the one to kill it, but both of them connect on the fact that they both felt sad about the dragon's death. There was then another dragon attack, from the dead she-dragon's mate, and he cut her open and took with him four eggs back to Dragon's Keep. Later on a hunt, Rosalind fell into a ravine and was confronted with wolves. Kye saved her but saw her dragon claw. She lied to her mother about it to protect him. After the king was killed while helping fight in the war in England, there was another dragon attack and he stole Rosalind, claiming that she was his because he knew about her claw. The dragon brought her to Dragon's keep and named her Briar, then she was forced to be the newly hatched dragon pips' nursemaid, because the mother was dead. Briar worked for the dragon, named Lord Faul, for a few years. There was a storm and one of the pips drowned in the flooding, and soon after Faul died from sorrow. When the pips were old enough, they flew Briar back to her kingdom and left to go find their own kind and find mates. Rosalind/Briar went to the castle and tried to take back her throne from the wizard, Magnus, who took the crown when the queen died. Magnus claimed that Rosalind was a witch and put her through a test to try and prove it. She was forced to run across hot coals and they would hang her if she was not healed in three days. When the time came, she failed because one foot was not fully healed, but Rosalind was saved by Kye again, who had not died in the war. He had gone to dragon's keep and found a book that she had written on dragon skin, and had found the first queen's scepter, proving that she was the rightful queen. After Rosalind was crowned, she and Kye were married, and the evil Magnus was hanged as a murderer. Later during the Mayday Feast, the full grown dragon pips returned to Wilde Island along with their mates. They thanked Briar for her service to them and they ripped off her glove and kissed her claw. The people thought it was gifted to her there, so she held it high no longer ashamed of it. The war between humans and dragons had been ended. The prophecy of the 21st queen had been fulfilled.
Characterization: Rosalind started off as a shy, obedient, little princess because she believed in what her mother told her. She feared the dragons and followed in the ways of all her people, believing that the dragons were cruel monsters who enjoyed killing and eating the people. As the story progressed, she started to lose faith in being healed, and doubted her mother. Rosalind also started to realize that the queen was not how she first thought of her, gentle and loving, but that her mother was a murderer and liar. She also learned that the war between the humans and dragons was started because humans misused the fire the dragons had gifted, and turned against them. She began to love the dragons, perhaps even more than her fellow people.
The queen in Dragon’s Keep seemed, at first, like a protective mother just trying to keep her daughter safe. She had been barren but was supposedly healed by Saint Monica’s finger bone. Later, it was discovered that she had actually drank from a dragon’s egg, cursing her daughter. Throughout the story, it gave hints that the mysterious deaths of a number of characters were because of the queen, who tried to silence those who had seen Rosalind’s claw.
Setting: The book took place around the 11th century on Wilde Island, because Rosalind was a descendant of King Arthur, who lived in the fifth and sixth centuries. Wilde Island is a place offshore from England where many criminals and outcasts were sent. This had a great impact on the storyline because it showed what castle life was like, and suggested that it was a time where dragons still existed and were a common problem, along with thieves and bandits. It was also a time where women were often burned or killed if people thought they were a witch.
Thematic Connection: One common theme was family, as both a blessing and a curse. Rosalind was very close to her father, and he was a very good teacher and comfort to her. Her mother was also her source of protection but became a liar and wanted Rosalind to live the dream she had for her.
Another theme was fulfillment. Rosalind was the 21st queen of prophecy, that would end a war. In the end of the story, Kye broke his sword and Rosalind revealed her talon, finally making peace between humans and dragons, and fulfilling the 600 year old prophecy.
Recommendation: I would recommend Dragon’s Keep to seventh graders and higher both male and female because the reading is simple enough, and the concepts are not difficult.
Read
January 17, 2018Personal Response
I think this book was good, because at some points I could not predict what would happen. I really liked the dragon and how he saved his eggs. I was not expecting the dragon to come back and kidnap the princess. The only thing I did not like was the long introduction about just the little events in each character’s life. It took a while before the dragon actually came into the book for more than just eating people. Overall this book was pretty good.
Plot Summary
The book Dragons Keep was about a girl who lived here whole life wearing gloves. Her mother was the queen of Wilde Island. She made her wear the gloves because she did not want other people knowing about her daughter’s finger and her past mistake. Then the dragon took Rosie and her life fell apart. The dragon saw beauty in her fingers. Rosie left everyone in her past behind in order to save them from the dragon and raise the baby dragons.
Characterization
Rosalind was the princess also known as Rosie. She started off as a young single princess who always had to wear gloves to cover up her hand. She was raised by her nursemaid Marn, who had not seen Rosie’s hands. One day she saw them and was killed. Rosie saved a young girl named Kit from a witch. Rosie also ended up getting taken from her kingdom and helped raise the dragon’s babies. She did this to protect her people from the dragon.
Setting
This book took place on an island named Wilde Island in 1145 AD. The island had a castle where the loyal subjects lived. There were many farmers and villagers that lived outside of the castle. Later, Rosie was brought to another island much like where Rosie grew up. This island had no people on it. She lived with the dragon and the four dragon babies.
Recommendation
I recommended this book to both genders who like fictional books with dragons and knights. This book would be a good read for anyone 12 and older. It was a good book to read and it was easy, but a little long. I gave this book a four out of five stars, because the dragon helped make the book a lot better.
I think this book was good, because at some points I could not predict what would happen. I really liked the dragon and how he saved his eggs. I was not expecting the dragon to come back and kidnap the princess. The only thing I did not like was the long introduction about just the little events in each character’s life. It took a while before the dragon actually came into the book for more than just eating people. Overall this book was pretty good.
Plot Summary
The book Dragons Keep was about a girl who lived here whole life wearing gloves. Her mother was the queen of Wilde Island. She made her wear the gloves because she did not want other people knowing about her daughter’s finger and her past mistake. Then the dragon took Rosie and her life fell apart. The dragon saw beauty in her fingers. Rosie left everyone in her past behind in order to save them from the dragon and raise the baby dragons.
Characterization
Rosalind was the princess also known as Rosie. She started off as a young single princess who always had to wear gloves to cover up her hand. She was raised by her nursemaid Marn, who had not seen Rosie’s hands. One day she saw them and was killed. Rosie saved a young girl named Kit from a witch. Rosie also ended up getting taken from her kingdom and helped raise the dragon’s babies. She did this to protect her people from the dragon.
Setting
This book took place on an island named Wilde Island in 1145 AD. The island had a castle where the loyal subjects lived. There were many farmers and villagers that lived outside of the castle. Later, Rosie was brought to another island much like where Rosie grew up. This island had no people on it. She lived with the dragon and the four dragon babies.
Recommendation
I recommended this book to both genders who like fictional books with dragons and knights. This book would be a good read for anyone 12 and older. It was a good book to read and it was easy, but a little long. I gave this book a four out of five stars, because the dragon helped make the book a lot better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2019
The summary of this book lets you know two things: that Rosie is born with a dragon claw on her hand, and that eventually she is carried off by a dragon.
Given this, I expected her to be carried off quite soon, but in reality more than half the book passes before she is finally princess-napped. The pace of Dragon's Keep is incremental, passing through two years incident by seemingly-unrelated incident, until everything changes. This book is hardcore, not shying away from murder or torture or the awful realization that the ones you love are not good people. Sensory details are described, realistic to a point that might be uncomfortable.
The first part of the book was good, but the best part comes obviously when she lives with the dragons. I love the dragon family and the uneasy dynamic between them and Rosie, being a slave to them and yet not being able to help caring about them. The ending wasn't quite what I wished it was, but given that imperfection is a huge theme of the book, I'll accept it.
Given this, I expected her to be carried off quite soon, but in reality more than half the book passes before she is finally princess-napped. The pace of Dragon's Keep is incremental, passing through two years incident by seemingly-unrelated incident, until everything changes. This book is hardcore, not shying away from murder or torture or the awful realization that the ones you love are not good people. Sensory details are described, realistic to a point that might be uncomfortable.
The first part of the book was good, but the best part comes obviously when she lives with the dragons. I love the dragon family and the uneasy dynamic between them and Rosie, being a slave to them and yet not being able to help caring about them. The ending wasn't quite what I wished it was, but given that imperfection is a huge theme of the book, I'll accept it.
July 29, 2017
Drachenkuss ist ein wirklich schöne und interessante Fantasygeschichtenicht die unsterbliche Liebe im Vordergrund steht, sondern das Leben eines jungen, königlichen Mädchens das ein "schreckliches" Geheimnis unter ihren goldenen Handschuhen verstecken muss.
Im ersten Teil der Geschichte erfährt man viel über das Leben am Hofe und welche Risiken sowohl die Königin als auch die Prinzessin selbst bereit sind einzugehen, um das Schicksal der 21. Königin von Wilde Island und somit eine 600 Jahre alte Prophezeiung zu erfüllen. Dies bietet dem Leser eine gute Möglichkeit die einzelnen Charaktere besser kennen zu lernen und auch ihre Absichten und späteren Enscheidungen zu verstehen. Ebenso kommt es zu den ersten Begegnungen mit den Drachen, von denen eine etwas anders verläuft als erwartet und das Bild der blutdurstigen Bestien verändert.
Erst im Zweiten der drei Teile lernt Rosalind Kye kennen, der als Drachentöter und als Sohn Lord Godricks, auf die Insel kommt. Dieser überbringt die lang erwartete Einladung von Kaiserin Matilda, welche die königliche Familie sehr erfreut, aber auch unter Druck setzt. Denn nun muss das "Problem" der Prinzessin schneller als erwartet behoben werden. Rosalind beginn an ihrem Schicksal zu zweifeln und fühlt sich mehr und mehr zu Kye hingezogen, der sie als einziger zu verstehen scheint. Ich persönlich finde es sehr erfrischend wie unschuldig die Gefühle der beiden sich entwickeln. Was auch sehr gut zum zeitlichen Rahmen der Hanlung passt, da die Geschichte ca. 600 Jahre nach König Arthus spielt. Umso mehr hat mich Kyes Reaktion überrascht, als er - durch einen kurzen Moment der Unachtsamkeit - Rosalinds Geheimnis erfährt.
Der dritte und abschließende Teil des Buches hat mir besonders gut gefallen und hatte einige unvorhergesehene Momente, für die ich die Autorin küssen könnte. Man erhält tiefe Einblicke in die Kultur und das Leben der Drachen und die Protagonistin entdeckt weitere Seiten an sich und welche Möglichkeiten ihr Makel ihr bieten können.
Viel genaue möchte ich an dieser Stelle auch nicht werden, da ich niemandem den Spaß an diesem wunderbaren Buch verderben will. Auf jeden Fall empfehlenswert an alle die an einer guten, nicht standartisierten Fantasygeschichte interessiert sind, in der mal nicht nur die große Liebe eine Rolle spielt.
Im ersten Teil der Geschichte erfährt man viel über das Leben am Hofe und welche Risiken sowohl die Königin als auch die Prinzessin selbst bereit sind einzugehen, um das Schicksal der 21. Königin von Wilde Island und somit eine 600 Jahre alte Prophezeiung zu erfüllen. Dies bietet dem Leser eine gute Möglichkeit die einzelnen Charaktere besser kennen zu lernen und auch ihre Absichten und späteren Enscheidungen zu verstehen. Ebenso kommt es zu den ersten Begegnungen mit den Drachen, von denen eine etwas anders verläuft als erwartet und das Bild der blutdurstigen Bestien verändert.
Erst im Zweiten der drei Teile lernt Rosalind Kye kennen, der als Drachentöter und als Sohn Lord Godricks, auf die Insel kommt. Dieser überbringt die lang erwartete Einladung von Kaiserin Matilda, welche die königliche Familie sehr erfreut, aber auch unter Druck setzt. Denn nun muss das "Problem" der Prinzessin schneller als erwartet behoben werden. Rosalind beginn an ihrem Schicksal zu zweifeln und fühlt sich mehr und mehr zu Kye hingezogen, der sie als einziger zu verstehen scheint. Ich persönlich finde es sehr erfrischend wie unschuldig die Gefühle der beiden sich entwickeln. Was auch sehr gut zum zeitlichen Rahmen der Hanlung passt, da die Geschichte ca. 600 Jahre nach König Arthus spielt. Umso mehr hat mich Kyes Reaktion überrascht, als er - durch einen kurzen Moment der Unachtsamkeit - Rosalinds Geheimnis erfährt.
Der dritte und abschließende Teil des Buches hat mir besonders gut gefallen und hatte einige unvorhergesehene Momente, für die ich die Autorin küssen könnte. Man erhält tiefe Einblicke in die Kultur und das Leben der Drachen und die Protagonistin entdeckt weitere Seiten an sich und welche Möglichkeiten ihr Makel ihr bieten können.
Viel genaue möchte ich an dieser Stelle auch nicht werden, da ich niemandem den Spaß an diesem wunderbaren Buch verderben will. Auf jeden Fall empfehlenswert an alle die an einer guten, nicht standartisierten Fantasygeschichte interessiert sind, in der mal nicht nur die große Liebe eine Rolle spielt.
July 1, 2022
4,25 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Een vergeten eiland, een vervloekte geboorte en een monsterachtig geheim.
Rose is de eenentwintigste prinses, voorbestemd om de vrede te herstellen tussen Engeland en de bannelingen op het eiland waar ze geboren is.
Haar schoonheid heeft ze niet zomaar gekregen en is, net zoals haar verwekking, in geheimen gehuld. Zo draagt ze een verschrikkelijk teken dat haar, als het ontdekt wordt, als heks zou kunnen brandmerken.
Wanneer ze wordt meegenomen door heer Faul, een bloeddorstige draak, wordt haar geheim langzamerhand ontrafeld. Kan ze de draak de baas en kan ze lang genoeg leven om de voorspelling waar te maken?
Aantekening in notitie boek. Geen volledige recensie:
Dit boek is echt heel mooi. Het sleept je helemaal mee in het leven van de hoofdpersoon.
Het is wel een beetje zielig, maar als je hem uit hebt, was dat allemaal de moeite waard! Hij is zeker aan te raden.
Een vergeten eiland, een vervloekte geboorte en een monsterachtig geheim.
Rose is de eenentwintigste prinses, voorbestemd om de vrede te herstellen tussen Engeland en de bannelingen op het eiland waar ze geboren is.
Haar schoonheid heeft ze niet zomaar gekregen en is, net zoals haar verwekking, in geheimen gehuld. Zo draagt ze een verschrikkelijk teken dat haar, als het ontdekt wordt, als heks zou kunnen brandmerken.
Wanneer ze wordt meegenomen door heer Faul, een bloeddorstige draak, wordt haar geheim langzamerhand ontrafeld. Kan ze de draak de baas en kan ze lang genoeg leven om de voorspelling waar te maken?
Aantekening in notitie boek. Geen volledige recensie:
Dit boek is echt heel mooi. Het sleept je helemaal mee in het leven van de hoofdpersoon.
Het is wel een beetje zielig, maar als je hem uit hebt, was dat allemaal de moeite waard! Hij is zeker aan te raden.
January 1, 2019
Not my favorite book. I read it for a challenge. I found the dragon claw story to be interesting and confusing at the same time. I liked that the dragon took her away and that he recognized her beauty and accepted her for who she was. I hated all the deaths in this book, but there was a certain beauty to the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dragons and fantasy, and romance.
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