Slayers

November 14, 2011
Imagine Buffy the Vampire Slayer attending summer camp (substituting dragons for bloodsuckers), and you have this exciting "fantasy debutâ from Hill (a pseudonym for YA author Janette Rallison). When pampered 16-year-old senator's daughter Tori Hampton arrives at Dragon Camp, she figures it's a good way to indulge her lifelong obsession with the creatures. She quickly learns that she's descended from medieval dragon slayers, has inherited superhuman abilities, and is expected to help save the world from the nigh-unstoppable menaces, which are believably conveyed as malevolent killers that must be destroyed. Out of her element and forced to train with a diverse group of fellow Slayers, Tori chafes at her unwanted destiny, until a crisis forces her to accept her role. Part urban fantasy, part superhero tale, this adventure is full of action, drama, and humor, with just a touch of romance. It's a strong beginning with a memorable, realistic heroine who is competent without being unstoppable, fashion-conscious without being shallow, and thoroughly capable of rising to the occasion. Ages 12âup.

October 1, 2011
A rich socialite discovers her dragon-slaying heritage in an urban fantasy written under a pseudonym. Sixteen-year-old Tori Hampton is a pampered politician's daughter. Although she's grown up surrounded by important people and attending the right schools, she's always had one odd fascination: dragons. This obsession makes her shun luxurious summer trips for St. George and the Dragon Camp, a summer camp with an ironclad theme. After embarrassing herself in front of her two potential romantic interest with a classist faux pas, Tori discovers that she's not just attending Dragon Camp, she's been assigned to the super-secret Advanced Camp. They test her athletic ability, archery, marksmanship and horsemanship, all things that Tori is generally wonderful at--yet, somehow, the other advanced campers aren't impressed. After all, they've been coming to camp to train for years, and they all have superpowers. Through painfully clumsy bouts of exposition, the resident wise-man archetype, camp director and medieval-studies professor Dr. B, reveals that Tori is also genetically gifted via an alchemy-created liquid gold that, when drunk, alters DNA to give dragon-fighting powers. The fish-out-of-water rich-girl device is surprisingly effective once the characters start developing and campers take on the threat of the Overdrake family, which controls dragons as weapons. The ending screams sequel. Frustratingly ridiculous and sometimes sloppy, but also enjoyably campy--redeemingly so. (Fantasy. 12-17)

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February 1, 2012

Gr 7 Up-Tori Hampton, 16, is as gorgeous as a model, athletically talented, and the daughter of a senator. She secretly fears that dragons might be real and is attending Dragon Camp for the first time to learn how to combat these creatures. The camp director, Dr. B., has firsthand knowledge that they exist and, even worse, that there are human dragon lords who can control them for their own nefarious ends. At a secret facility separate from the main camp, Dr. B. trains teens who are descended from medieval knights with special powers to fight dragons. They have superstrength and heightened combat skills as well as individual talents like flight or the ability to heal. Tori finds herself becoming attracted to the muscular and handsome Slayer team leaders, Dirk and Jesse. She is not sure that she is ready to fight dragons but must make her choice when her own special ability gives the Slayers a clue to the location of a dragon lord who is guarding some eggs. By including some familiar plot elements in this fantasy, the pseudonymous Hill may draw in "Percy Jackson" (Hyperion) and "Twilight" (Little, Brown) fans as well as readers with more general interests in fantasy or romance. However, this single-volume tale leaves much unresolved. A spy is unrevealed. Tori's romance and leadership are untested. There is a Slayer who has yet to join ranks with the others. Most importantly, the evil dragon lord is left undefeated.-Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2011
Grades 7-10 The politics of humans having power over dragons forms the base for this high-tension story. When 16-year-old Tori finally gets to feed her inner geek at a special camp, she finds that she is one of a small company of dragon slayers. Realizing new talents and a better understanding of lifelong strengths might be compelling enough, but Tori's third day at camp comes replete with a real dragon hunt, real bad guys with heavy weaponry (besides the dragon), and an awareness that one of her fellow Slayers is an informant working with the dragon lord who intends to wreak world havoc. The dragon mythos has a good dollop of modern science, and Hill offers cunning peeks into the minds of characters on all sides of the power struggle. This promising new series may feature dragons and a reeducation camp for contemporary youths who have mythological roots, but the character development, plotting, and ethical quandaries make this more than a worthy equal of the works of Rick Riordan or Christopher Paolini.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)