The dragon of Trelian

Review by Booklist Review

Magician's apprentice Calen and young princess Meglynne meet accidentally when both choose the same hiding place from which to watch the enemy kingdom's procession, in which the prince of Kragnir comes to Trelian to marry Meg's sister. Calen, lonely with only his strict master for company, and Meg, burdened with a terrible secret, quickly grow to trust each other. Calen helps Meg with the baby dragon she has been secretly tending, and he teaches her how to manage the psychic link she's formed with it. When they discover a plot to assassinate Meg's sister on the eve of her wedding, thus rekindling the war, they must find a way to stop the traitor with just their wits, Calen's apprentice-level magic, and Meg's half-grown dragon. Calen and Meg's easygoing, entirely believable friendship is the core of this adventurous first novel. Meg is gutsy and impulsive, while Calen is thoughtful and steadfast; and they make an appealing duo. Though not breaking new ground, this is a solid addition to the fantasy genre.--Hutley, Krista Copyright 2009 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-7-Calen, a young mage-in-training, is vaguely dissatisfied with his life. Learning magic isn't as exciting as he thought, he's alone much of the time and always in trouble with his master for something. Then he meets Princess Meglynne and an unlikely friendship begins. Meg has secretly a dragon baby she found and is discovering all sorts of complications with keeping it secret. Calen helps her learn more about dragons and through his studies finds out more about magic and his own unique talents. When they discover that treachery is afoot, they must find a way to save the kingdom with only their wits and their talents. This is an exciting fantasy that draws in readers from the start. Knudsen does a fantastic job of creating sympathetic and realistic characters that really drive the story. The tale is adventurous and exciting with many twists and turns along the way. The ending is satisfying yet leaves room for sequels, which readers will be clamoring for. A page-turner.-Saleena L. Davidson, South Brunswick Public Library, Monmouth Junction, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Horn Book Review

(Intermediate) After a chance encounter, Calen, the mage's apprentice, is befriended by Princess Meglynne ("King Tormon's third and least patient royal daughter"). Neither one realizes that within weeks the fate of two kingdoms will rest in their hands. Meg's older sister is pledged to marry the prince of the neighboring rival country, a union that should end years of bitter hatred, strife, and warfare. As the castle prepares for the momentous occasion, Meg herself becomes quite smitten by Wilem, a courtier from the rival kingdom, but her deepest secret-that she has found a dragon and has bonded with it-she shares with Calen alone. As the two work together to learn more about the dragon, they uncover Wilem's betrayal, a plot to kill Meg's sister that threatens to plunge the kingdoms back into war. Using their combined resources-his knowledge of magic and her mindlink with the dragon-they race to avert the impending disaster. The length of the story dilutes the pacing, but otherwise this strong debut novel should find a welcoming audience among Gail Carson Levine and Shannon Hale fans. Moreover, the villain's ultimate escape opens the door for further adventures featuring this endearing duo. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Appealing characterization elevates a standard fantasy adventure. Princess Meg's independent streak saddles her with an awkward secret: Just as a nuptial delegation from an enemy kingdom arrives to cement peace terms, she accidentally "links" herself to a baby dragon. Fortunately, she bumps into Calen, a young mage-in-training, whose boredom with the dry didacticism of his mentor has left him eager to explore more practical applications of magic. When the pair stumbles upon a scheme to reignite political hostilities, their subterfuge becomes a desperate struggle to thwart a murderous traitor. There's nothing in this story line that the genre-savvy reader won't deduce by the second chapter, nor is there much innovation in the stereotypes of feisty princess and insecure apprentice. But this familiarity is transcended by the freshness of their voices, as well as the charmingly honest portrayals of family life, the dizzying heartbreak of first romance, the insecurities of loneliness and the rewards of scholarship. While the secondary characters (especially the dragon) remain woefully underdeveloped, the narrative moves at a brisk clip to a satisfying conclusion, with a broad hint of sequels. A promising start. (Fantasy. 9-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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CHAPTER ONE CALEN TRIED NOT TO LOOK DOWN. This was the best vantage point in the east wing of the castle - a thick window ledge that looked out over both the main gate and a good bit of the Queen's Road leading up to it - but the method by which the window achieved this singularly spectacular view was by being very, very far from the ground. It was by no means the highest point in the castle, but it was still a good deal higher than Calen normally preferred to go, and if he managed to fall, he suspected he would have a disturbingly long time to scream in terror and watch the shaped hedges rush up at him from below before he died a horrible and painful death. He'd had to come, though. He wanted to catch that first glimpse of the procession as it approached, to witness the very beginning. It was like something from a story - a delegation from an enemy kingdom, bringing the prince of Kragnir to marry one of the princesses of Trelian and end a war that had been going on longer than most people today had been alive. Certainly it was the most exciting thing to happen in Calen's life in a long time. Maybe the most exciting thing to happen in his life ever, at least once he'd figured out that becoming a mage's apprentice was not going to be the whirlwind of glory and adventure he'd briefly imagined. And he was going to be here to see it, the arrival of the enemy prince and his family and whomever else princes generally traveled with, the first moments of an event that would be recorded in history books for future generations! His heart was beating a little faster just thinking about it. Obviously it was the excitement, and not the glance he'd accidentally taken at the ground just now that was causing his insides to jump around that way. Calen took a deep breath, settled his back firmly against the edge of the window opening, and struggled to keep his eyes on the distant hills and his mind on anything other than the vast empty space to his immediate right. There was plenty he could think about, but most of it was not espe cially pleasant. The procession was supposed to have arrived hours ago, and Calen was getting later by the second but he wasn't leaving until he got to see something. He was bound to be in trouble - more trouble, he amended - once Serek discovered that he hadn't come straight back from the royal gardens with the silverweed. Calen had picked the silverweed first, of course - he wasn't that much of a fool - but he knew Serek had expected him to return at once, and that he hadn't done. Instead, he had circled around through the kitchen entrance, run down the Long Hall, then climbed the many, many stairs to the guest suites on the eighth floor. Heavy rust-colored curtains concealed the large window, and once he slipped behind them, he was invisible to anyone who might pass by. Undoubtedly one of the soon- to- be- arriving guests would be stationed here, and servants might stop in to check that the room was ready. If anyone did see him, he'd be caught - no one would believe he was up here on the mage's business, and he'd be forced to go back and face his punishment and miss everything. Technically, he hadn't exactly disobeyed. Serek had only implied that Calen should return directly; he hadn't actually said it. Not that this distinction would hold much weight with Serek, but it was enough to soothe Calen's conscience. Besides, it wasn't like there was anything to rush back for. Calen thought back to the argument they'd had earlier. Well, argument wasn't really the right word. Mostly it had just been Serek making pointed comments him about how lazy he was and glaring at him whenever he opened his mouth to defend himself. But he wasn't lazy. He just . . . didn't care. He didn't see the point in learning things if you were never going to do anything with them. A flash of light caught his attention, and Calen leaned forward a tiny bit, squinting. Had that been the sun reflecting o Excerpted from The Dragon of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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