Dragon's Bait [Hardcover]

Vivian Vande Velde (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1992

Unjustly condemned as a witch, Alys is staked out on a hillside as a human sacrifice to the marauding dragon, in a story about revenge, choice, and forgiveness.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Alys, falsely accused of witchcraft, her father dead from the strain of her trial, is condemned to be sacrificed to a dragon. So she is only too eager when Selendrile, a wonderfully ambiguous LeGuinian dragon able to assume a human form unexpectedly offers to help her retaliate. Together they contrive the disgrace of her inquisitor. But matters get complicated, forcing Alys to decide what she really wants after all. Vande Velde's ( User Unfriendly ) gripping adventure probes the issues associated with revenge, and Alys's response at the conclusion leaves ample room for a sequel. Some characters--in particular, an actual witch--are left disappointingly undeveloped, but Alys herself is a worthy heroine, with a capacious gift for irony. A thoughtful mainstream fantasy with a gently feminist slant. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-- In one afternoon, Alys, 15, loses everything. A motherless tinsmith's daughter, she is falsely accused of witchcraft by her greedy neighbors, convicted by Inquisitor Atherton, and staked out as bait for a marauding dragon. Upon hearing her sentence, her ailing father drops dead. No wonder she is ready to die when the dragon appears. To her surprise, the creature does not devour her. Instead, he changes into an attractive young man who offers to help her take vengeance on her enemies. As they embark on an elaborate scheme to frame Atherton and discredit the neighbors, Alys struggles to fathom the dragon's character. Is he cruel and deceitful, or worthy of her trust? Almost too late, she discovers that he has a fatal weakness, and she is willing to sacrifice her hopes of revenge, and even her own life, to save him. While the writing is smooth and the story moves quickly, the girl's emotions are not convincingly portrayed. The story's tone wobbles, sometimes keeping a comic distance from tragic events. The abrupt ending may leave readers puzzled as to the heroine's motivations. Still, libraries with an audience for entertaining, romantic fantasies may find this good book bait. --Margaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 131 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt; 1st edition (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152007261
• ISBN-13: 978-0152007263
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,173,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous little book!, September 27, 2004

By 

M. A. Bechaz "bookaholic" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dragon's Bait (Paperback)

This was a great book: a nice, easy-to-read page turner that had me hooked from start to finish.

I had no problems in believing any of the characters or settings. In fact, while I read this story, I was totally there! It was so compelling. Vivian Vande Velde is obviously an intelligent, accomplished author, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

The recommended reading age for this book--12 and up--was spot on, but I'd recommend it not just to teens, but to any adults who like a good fantasy read too. I mean, I'm 33 and I thought it was brilliant!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hook! Line! Sinker! "Bait" had me hooked!!, March 25, 2003

By 

"liaden" (Somewhere Over the Rainbow) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragon's Bait (Paperback)

Okay, so the title of this review is corny. But the book is wonderful; another of Vande Velde's recent publishings which, in my opinion, ever topple the last one in excellence.

In this book, fifteen year old Alys is learning how to fend for herself; her frail father is barely recovering from the winter's sickness while she must learn his tin-making trade to keep them both alive.

All this comes crashing down upon her ears when she is accused of witchcraft (of which she is innocent) by her scheming neighbors, plotting to take her father's land from her. The clever inquistor from a neighboring village incriminates her before her friends can step in. Soon, Alys finds herself as "Dragon's Bait," left as food for a fearsome dragon that ravages the nearby countryside.

But Alys is in for a suprise. The dragon is capable of many transformations; including that of a human. Instead of adding her to his menu, he spares her life, and inevitably becomes her aly, if not her friend.

Alys is infuriated by the dragon (who speaks with her in his human form; that of a handsome seventeen year old youth) who seems to have no use for her--except that he is willing to help her get her revenge. And as she soon learns, revenge is something that the dragon, Selendrile, is very good at.

But is revenge what Alys really wants? A witty funny novel about revenge and its cost and spoils.

WAIT! DON'T STOP NOW! There is something very important that I would like to tell you about this book. I fear that I have doomed it into being serious; THIS BOOK IS FUNNY! Well, it has dark under-tones, but it is witty, clever, and fast-paced fantasy.

Vande Velde demonstrates her skilled capacity for fantasy in this novel. Her strong heroine and handsome dragon companion make an endearing cast for her novel. THE PROBLEM! This book is like a small chocolate; you savor it for as long as you can, yet you still find yourself craving for more afterward.

So what do you think? Even if you hated everything I had to say, I would say, give it a try! Even the anti-fantasy reader will enjoy this morsel of a novel! If you like Vande Velde, I would reccomend her other books, like Heir Apparent (I wrote a review for that also--check it out!)

So...happy reading!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good, though short, story, February 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Dragon's Bait (Hardcover)

Most people doubt that it's possible to write a good book in less than 300 pages. And usually I would agree, but this book is an exception. Dragon's Bait is a well-written, fast paced, and unusual book. The characters, rather than being strictly good and bad, are shades of gray. It avoids most, if not all, of the fantasy cliches I can think of and throws some subjects for thought in as well. If that isn't good enough for you, it has a strong-minded and realistic heroine who, as far as I know, isn't blonde. The dragon is a very cool character, and you have to guess throughout the entire book just who's side he's on. So, to end the review, I will say that I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy books, dragons, or just a good read. i ,at least, wasn't disapointed.