Secret of the Dragon's Eye: Book One [Paperback]

Derek Hart (Author)

Book Description

Secret of the Dragon's Eye recounts the adventures of Gavin Kane, Emily Scott, and Bunty Digby, twelve-year-olds who struggle with their daily lives in England during the autumn of 1940.  While relatively safe on the north Cornish coast, their world is still turned upside down by war, as the Germans bomb London and the surrounding industrial cities.  These friends must learn to cope with constant air-raid sirens, rationing, and the fear of impending invasion, while still going to school and trying to lead normal lives.
 
Secret of the Dragon's Eye is also a tale of fantasy, with legends that come alive and a high-spirited dragon named Thaddeus Osbert, who is not your typical dragon in any sense of the word.  Faced with danger and intrigue, the children band together with the dragon, to thwart a German top-secret mission, aimed at seizing the mystical and magical sword of King Arthur - Excalibur.  By combining their wits, their courage, and their imagination, the children overcome many obstacles to forge friendships as solid as time itself.  Yet there is a price to pay for their brave intervention against the forces of evil. Will they be willing to once again battle incredible odds to make amends?  What sacrifices will be required to save their mythical, fire-breathing friend from his pre-ordained fate?  Three adolescents must discover the answers to many difficult questions, all against the backdrop of World War Two. 

Editorial Reviews

Review

SECRET OF THE DRAGON'S EYE is a superb WWII fantasy that hooks the audience.

--harrietklausner.wwwi.com/review/secret_of_the_dragons_eye_hart

Gavin, Emily and Bunty are engaging characters and Thaddeus is delightful. Read this to your kids, read this yourself. 
--casfs.org/ConNotations/Book_Reviews-Volume_17/Secrets_Dragons_Eye.html

This is an extremely difficult sort of novel to pull off, balancing the two extremes of wartime realism with rather cute fantasy but it works better than many other efforts. --myshelf.com/kids/fiction/07/secretofthedragonseye.htm

From the Author

Secret of the Dragon's Eye is Derek Hart's first journey into the world of historical fantasy fiction for all ages.  The process of creating such a story was initiated by an 11-year-old boy named Ian, whose love and fascination for dragons is quite profound.  The author decided to venture into the realm of make-believe, while still maintaining his trademark for action and adventure in a historical setting.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 262 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (February 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059542967X
• ISBN-13: 978-0595429677
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,640,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Derek Hart is the prolific author of action and adventure novels, known for their historical accuracy, while still maintaining a high level of entertainment. Romance is also a vital part of Derek Hart's trademark style and his novels generally appeal to men and women alike. Recently Mr. Hart authored Secret of the Dragon's Eye, his first novel aimed at the young adult market, which met with instant success and outstanding reviews, followed by Secret of the Dragon's Breath, the second in a series of 6.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and Fun, June 3, 2007

By 

L. Moss "Avid reader" (Chicago IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secret of the Dragon's Eye: Book One (Paperback)

What happens when a writer combines three children, Excalibur and meticulous research? A page-turner.

I was totally absorbed by the information about village life for British children in WWII England before the US joined the fight. Talk about tough - bacon grease on bread for dinner. But Gavin, Emily and Bunty have more to worry about than empty stomachs. The threat of a Nazi invasion is very real. So is Thaddeus Osbert, a sugar-loving, fire-breathing dragon.

It's hard for us, who have so much, to imagine the hard times these children experienced. Hart takes us there but, instead of the heavy hand that some writers would bring to the subject, Hart keeps it light.

I had fun with this book. The history is fascinating, the children are fun and the dragon is delightful.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take That Harry Potter!, July 27, 2009

By 

Frank F. Fiore ""mainstream novelist"" (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secret of the Dragon's Eye: Book One (Paperback)

Suppose you took Harry Potter and combined him with a history lesson.

Crazy, huh? Especially if you wanted to grab the attention of the junior high school crowd that this book targets. But Derek Hart pulls it off beautifully in his fantasy novel, combined with 1940s Britain, in "Secret of the Dragon's Eye: Book One".

I'm a WWII buff and thoroughly enjoyed Hart's depiction of the war and war time England. Adding a fantasy element to history is an effective and sneaky way to educate kids about history. Parents take note. Get this for your young adults. And as an educator, one of my life's many manifestations, teachers can use this book to teach how it was like to live in war time England to reticent students.

Hart provides and entertaining and - don't let the kids know - historical educational tale that offers a dragon, Sir Thaddeus Osbert, with a sweet tooth, children growing up in war-torn Britain and Nazis who are in search of Excalibur. Your think they would have quit after Indiana Jones denied them the Lost Ark. Anyway, in the process, the three children learn the meaning of friendship and the meaning of sacrifice.

I won't spoil that part for you but the children learn an important lesson from rescuing their fire-breathing friend from his pre-ordained fate.

Oh, and by the way. See that "Book One" in the title? Thaddeus the dragon will return in the next book to wreak havoc on those nasty Nazis. The Bismarck, the terror of the seas at the time, will be located - with the help of a wily dragon.

If Harry Potter was getting a real education, this would be it.

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming and exciting adventure, November 12, 2009

By 

Wendy Gillissen "Author of 'Curse of the Tahi... (Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secret of the Dragon's Eye: Book One (Paperback)

When I discovered Secret of the Dragon's Eye 1. is set in World War II Britain and 2. features one of my favourite mythical beasts, a dragon, my curiosity was raised and I couldn't wait to read the novel.
Mr. Hart has done his research well: in the first half of the book, life in wartime Britain is described with a lot of convincing detail and a little (British?) humour thrown in for good measure.
I couldn't wait to meet the dragon, and I wasn't disappointed: Sir Thaddeus Osbert is anything a dragon should be: he has charisma, wisdom, heart, and buckets full of dragon charm. He also has a weak spot (for sugar) which, like his fondness for humans has gotten him into trouble in the past.
It doesn't take long for Thaddeus' young friend Gavin to experience the horror and futility of war and revenge first-hand, and Gavin and his friends learn important lessons about love, courage and friendship as they are caught up in the battle for the legendary sword Excalibur, coveted by both the British wartime government and the Nazis. And just as they think all battles are done, Sir Thaddeus' past catches up with him.
An exciting children's / YA historical fantasy adventure that will also appeal to adults who are young of heart!