Dragon Avenger

October 2, 2006
Knight chronicles the gritty coming-of-age story of the dragon Wistala (sister to Auron, from 2005's Dragon Champion
) in the second Age of Fire novel. When her young family is betrayed and decimated by a clan of dwarfs while father AuRel is away, Wistala must carry the awful news north to him. But she finds AuRel badly wounded after running afoul of the very same dwarfs, and before she can nurse him back to health, a hunter called the Dragonblade kills him. Once again, Wistala must run for her life, vowing vengeance, even though she knows a year must pass before she's grown enough to carry out her revenge plan. Befriended by the elf Rainfall of Hypatia, she matures and gains the wisdom to temper her plans. Coming-of-age themes such as personal responsibility and family give the novel a strong YA slant, but Knight makes the story complex enough to entertain readers of all ages.

E.E. Knight continues his tale of dragon siblings with the epic adventures of Wistala, a green dragon hatched just after her brother, Auron. When their cave is attacked by humans, Wistala escapes and tries to save her father. After being rescued by an elf, Tala learns to speak the language of men, becomes a Citizen landowner, and realizes that her family still lives. Narrator David Drummond shifts adroitly from the lyrical prose of the dragon family to the rough Scottish brogue of the dwarves and the light, musical voices of the elves. Drummond makes Tala's confusion while trying to break free of her egg, her rage over the apparent destruction of her family, and her growing affection for Rainfall the elf believable and engaging. R.A. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine