Gr. 5-7. When Kara is taken to the king because of her special powers to call down birds, she at first can't understand why her talent should be so important. But after living in the royal palace for a while, she discovers her real mission will be to call down dragons so the king can slay them, avenge a death, and win the hand of Signy. With her gyrfalcon Skava, Kara is led to the place of the dragons and forced to call them. A dragon who had saved Kara's life when she was a small child heeds the call and is immediately slain, much to her horror. When bid by the king to call the rest, she struggles with her decision and escapes, vowing to save the dragons. In this exciting drama, readers empathize with the deftly crafted characters, always aware of the struggle between good and evil, honor and dishonor. The falconer's art meshes neatly into the plot, making this well-written fantasy a joy to read. Dragons are a mysterious and powerful subject with large audience appeal, and Fletcher pens some of the best yarns around.
Deborah Abbott
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
A prequel to Dragon's Milk (1991), explaining how there came to be dragons in a hidden valley. Since Kara can call birds, the king sends for her to call, not birds, but dragons, because he has sworn to eradicate them. After Kara summons the dragon that once nursed her, she's outraged and appalled when it's killed. Escaping to the mountains, she stumbles on the dragons' lair; and although those there fear and despise her for the death, they agree to let her lead them to a warm, isolated place known to Kara's love, Kazan, a young trader. The plan works; the dragons are saved, and Kara joins Kazan. It's all a little forced and contrived--the story never quite explains why Kara is foolish enough to call the dragon that's killed, or just how the dragons would be led to a promised land she's never seen. But then, high fantasy need not compute, and there's a satisfactorily remote, stern, and romantic air here that will please fantasy buffs. (Fiction. 10+) --
Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.