Dragon's Keep
by Janet Lee Carey
DRAGON'S KEEP by Janet Lee Carey
Category: Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 4/1/07
Publisher: Harcourt
Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman
Rating: 5 Stars
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.
