Book Review: Dragon's Keep
I haven't done one of these in awhile... I think I still owe you all two for the last Katie McCallister installment and Eats, Leaves and Shoots. Oh well... someday, I'll catch-up. On with the show...
Yesterday I went out on a shopping spree with the girls. It was great fun. We ended the night by stopping in at Borders to bug my sister. :) I also had to pick up my copy of Brisinger and saw two dragon YA books I'd been emailed about by Amazon. So, since I had gotten a bonus this week at work, I picked them up!!
It was around 1am and I was headed to bed but decided to pick up and read the first few pages of Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey... flash forward two hours later, I can barely keep my eyes open and Sam comes in to go to bed. Needless to say, it's totally engrossing. I woke up this morning an hour before my alarm and the first thing I did was pick it back up. I carried around the house with me to read while I cooked, checked LJ, got my clothes out, ate breakfast... you get the point. I had a birthday party to attend, so I wrenched it from my hand and put it on the table lest I kill myself on the way by trying to read while I drive. But as soon as I got home, I picked it up and finished it in less than two hours.
The story: A princess is born with a 'cursed' digit. Her ring finger is covered in scales and has a dragon's claw. Her mother is able to keep this secret and women at court all wear gloves because 'no one should see your bare hands but your husband.' (I'm not telling you more. Just go get it and read it!! Though I do have to preface this with the fact that it is attached to the line of Pendragon, so some of that lore comes into play, but it does not focus on it. I don't read King Arthur books so seeing how little it was involved, I was happy. It's just attached to the history and one prophesy.)
It reads beautifully and is first person, which you don't often find in fantasy, but you don't notice. The princess isn't a perfect character but her flaws are human and she is dealing with something extraordinary so her reactions are understandable. A few plot bits are apparent, but not appaulingly so. The hints are somewhat broad but Rosalind's (the princess) reactions guide you. The only portion that felt off was the ending... not the very ending but the second to last chapter feels a bit rushed. Part of me can understand this but another part feels like there is so much time that passes that BAM! it's over. But the resolution is satisfying and makes sense. So other than that, I adored every bit of the story. Nothing feels too contrived or convenient. The princess doesn't have the life of a saint and isn't completely innocent or pure. She understands more of the world because she has grown up learning to be wary of it.
I really enjoyed the story and recommend it to everyone, especially those with young kids (there is alot of death in it... not gruesome, but stil... you would have to feel comfortable with your kids readig it, but if they've experienced Harry Potter, they can handle it.). It's a well-paced novel and I will definitely be picking up more of Ms. Carey's writing.
(I am attempting to cut this for length... it may not work.)