Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Adriana M.

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.