Dragon's Keep (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "MOTHER PULLED OUT HER KNIFE..." (more)
Key Phrases: honeyed poppy, poppy potion, dragon skin, Lord Faul, Sir Magnus, Wilde Island (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 6–10—Nonstop action may keep readers glued to this page-turner, but strong writing and character development are what will make it linger in their memories long after they've finished it. Princess Rosalind Pendragon is meant to fulfill a 600-year-old prophecy from Merlin that she will restore her family's good name and end a war. Rosalind was born with one dragon talon, which is a fearful secret known only to the teen and her mother. It is kept hidden by the golden gloves that Rosalind is never without, and over the years, the queen tries desperately to find a cure for the curse. When Rosalind reveals her claw to Lord Faul, a dragon that has been terrorizing the island, her destiny is set in motion. Taken by him to be nursemaid to his motherless children, she learns of her dragon blood and of her mother's treachery. Rosalind and the dragons are bound together in a complex relationship that, in the end, helps her fulfill the prophecy. Her heroic journey comes full circle, and she finds internal peace as well as peace for her people. While the story has roots in traditional fairy tales and legends, the author has crafted something new and magical, and unexpected plot twists will surprise readers throughout. Lord Faul and Rosalind, whose personality is a fantastic combination of Joan of Arc, Briar Rose, and Patricia Wrede's Princess Cimarron, develop so well as characters that readers will be touched by them. Devotees of fantasy adventure stories will certainly find treasure here.—Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* In stunning, lyrical prose, Carey tells the story of Rosalind, a twelfth-century princess destined for greatness by a prophecy from Merlin: the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island, which is plagued by dragons, will do three great things. Rosalind is to be that queen, but because she was born with a finger that looks exactly like a dragon's claw, she always wears gloves of gold. If exposed, her deformity will mark her as a witch and spell her doom, so anyone who finds out about it has died. Her life takes a strange turn during the summer Rosalind is 16; she is plucked from the ground by a dragon and flown to its keep high in the mountains on another island to serve as nursemaid to its four motherless pips. Carey smoothly blends many traditional fantasy tropes here, but her telling is fresh as well as thoroughly compelling. Fantasy fans wanting a slightly different take on dragons might enjoy books by N. M. Brown and Jason Hightman. Diana Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152059261
• ISBN-13: 978-0152059262
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #519,667 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific cover -- Terrific story!, May 15, 2007

By	Camille "at the BookMoot!" (Katy, TX) - See all my reviews

Rosalind's mother believes Merlin's prophecy from centuries earlier that stated her daughter would "... redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island." She goes to great lengths to have a child and will protect her daughter's future, no matter what it takes.

As the future twenty-first queen of Wilde Island, Rosalind is prepared to marry an English prince when the time comes and re-integrate her family line with the English court. Her branch of the royal family tree was outlawed by King Arthur hundreds of years earlier. There is just one little problem. Instead of a ring finger on her left hand, she has a dragon claw. Only her mother and Rosalind know about her hand and her mother devises a fashion of wearing gloves to hide the "disfigurement" because even a princess might be taken for a witch if the secret got out.

This is a story of obsession in many ways. In her efforts to protect her daughter and see that she gains the throne, Rosalind's mother will do anything. It put me in mind of the the headline-making "cheerleader mom."

Rosalind's obsession with what she perceives as a physical flaw is exacerbated by her mother who desperately seeks "cures" for her daugher from physicians, who are not allowed to know her specific ailment. This focus on physical appearance echoes news stories today about the growing number of young adults seeking cosmetic surgery.

Dragon attacks and the Rosalind's growing suspicion that all is not right in the castle are just some of the layers in this complex and riveting story. Carey's characters are real and compelling.

First rate!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, April 25, 2007

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

Rosalind's fate was written in the stars, read by Merlin, some 600 years before she was born. A direct descendant of the Pendragon line, her ancestor, Evaine, was the younger sister of King Arthur. Evaine married an outlaw and was banished to Wilde Island and erased from family history, setting Rosalind's destiny in motion. Three things are said of the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island; "She shall redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island."

Rosalind knows the prophecy well. She has been groomed for it her entire life. The way her mother sees it, England is at war with Spain, and Rosalind will marry the Prince of England, thereby fulfilling all aspects of the prophecy. There are just a few problems. Having never met the Prince, what if he and Rosalind don't get along? Not that the Queen of England has officially contacted them yet, though it is assumed she is aware of the prophecy. With the recent dragon attacks on Wilde Island their military force is depleted, and may not be much help to England. Oh, and there's the little matter of Rosalind's ring finger. Instead of a finger it's a dragon's claw. So far she and her mother have hidden it behind golden gloves, but that won't work when Rosie is married. They MUST find a cure soon. A cure that is made harder to find due to the fact that the healers are never told what the exact problem is. Things are beginning to look bleak.

When an envoy from England comes to visit Wilde Island, things may be looking up a little. Especially since they've managed to slay the dragon that has been harassing the Island forever. It doesn't hurt that the one who killed the dragon is a handsome boy around Rosalind's age. At least in Rosalind's opinion, but her mother might not see it the same. Not that it's a concern for long. What should be one of the most triumphant moments in their history turns horrifying when the dragon's mate returns to punish the people, and takes a special interest in Rosalind. Before long, Rosalind's life will never be the same, and it doesn't look like the prophecy could ever possibly be fulfilled.

There is so much more to this book than I can tell you here! So many more levels and layers to the story. If I tried to fit it all in it would not only ruin the story, but end up nearly as long as the book! The relationships between the characters are so multi-leveled and very realistic. Rosalind may be a Princess with a dragon's claw in a faraway time and place, but her relationship with her mother is something you could see in anyone's life. Her desire to be normal and accepted are the same things everyone experiences as a teenager. So while the circumstances aren't something we experience every day, the people in them, and their reactions to them, are completely realistic and easy to relate to.

Part fairy tale, part mythology, part legend, all around fantastic! Read it! You'll be glad you did.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Prophecy, June 17, 2008

By	Jessie Potts "Book Taster" (Terre d'Ange) - See all my reviews

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

Dragons Keep was a great young adult novel. The character Rosalind tugs at the reader's heart as she is trapped by a 600-year-old prophecy, her over protective mother, and dragons.

Both Rosalind and her mother constantly obsess and fret over her flawed finger and constantly worry over someone seeing it. Her mother subjects her to healers, witches and claw trimming every Sunday, all in an attempt to banish Rosalind's `shame.'

During a festival; a dragon, which has been terrorizing the island for centuries, kidnaps Rosalind and forces her to take care of four baby dragons. It is this time on Dragon's Keep where Rosalind, re-named Briar, truly comes into her own.

Her perceived shame is one of beauty to the dragons, and she learns more about the war between dragons and humans; mainly the dragons' side of it. The beginnings of a new age unfolds when the dragons fly off to meet for a war council and Briar returns to her kingdom to reclaim her throne.

The book was all around great; however, the ending I felt was very rushed. It seemed as if the entire book centered around conflict with the main character struggling to find answers as well as find herself. Everything was resolved in the last 15 pages and left me feeling a little confused and wondering how the dust had settled so quickly.