Title: Tears of a DragonSeries: Dragons in Our Midst #4
Author: Bryan Davis
Genre: YA (10-14) Technological Fantasy
Excerpt from “Fama Regis,” Chapter 1 of Tears of a Dragon:
Bonnie leaned against the bedrail and clutched Sir Barlow’s burly hand. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
Barlow smiled, lifting his mustache. His dark eyes sparkled. “Yes, Miss. Thanks to an infusion of your blood, I am as fit as a Fiddle.” The knight’s brow furrowed under thick strands of unkempt hair. “That is the correct idiom, isn’t it?”
Bonnie tightened her grip on Barlow’s hand and laughed. “That’s the perfect idiom for a true gentleman!” Barlow’s smile broadened, revealing a chipped front tooth among a half-dozen yellowed incisors.
A new voice filled the room, strong and cheerful. “Indeed it is the correct idiom. A fine violin well played is fit for heaven itself.”
Bonnie spun toward the sound. Professor Hamilton, her teacher and friend, ambled into the hospital room, unbuttoning his black trench coat. She glanced at a clock on the wall. “Did you run into trouble somewhere?”
Two anthrozils and their friends battle Morgan Le Faye and powerful demons while searching for a missing father.
The Writing: Hooray for Tears of a Dragon! As a conclusion of a series, this novel is quite satisfying.
Does that mean that everything is wrapped up nicely? No. A beloved character dies, and many ends are left undone, enough for a new series to be started—indeed as Mr. Davis has done with the follow-up series, Oracles of Fire.
But you can finish this book and be completely satisfied, even if another book had never been written. Okay, almost completely satisfied. He leaves open one question concerning Bonnie, and I wished for a stronger hint of the outcome.
Besides that, Tears of a Dragon successfully wraps up the Dragons in Our Midst series with plenty of adventure and humor. The reader will be able to close the book with a big, happy sigh that all has been righted.
The Story: The themes of sacrifice and redemption flood the landscape of Tears of a Dragon. They pop up wherever you go in the story, being as integral to the plot as any sword-swinging or fire-breathing.
However, since redemption is a major theme and full-scale war is the plot, death and destruction are everywhere. Not that Mr. Davis does it in a way unreadable for ten-to-fourteen-year-olds, but it is something to be aware of.
Summary: Tears of a Dragon delivers everything the series has promised, closing Dragons in Our Midst with a bang. It’s not to be missed by readers of the earlier books.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Never heard of Dragons in Our Midst? Then check out my reviews for book 1, 2 and 3 as well as the follow-up series, Oracles of Fire.
Or order here.
1 comment:
After the release of hundreds of Watchers from Hades, the remaining nine dragons prepare for war against overwhelming odds. But when Billy and Bonnie enter Dragon’s Rest in search of Billy’s father, tragedy strikes. Even when the battle’s over, dragons and anthrozils face the toughest choice of their lives. Remain dragons, or become fully human? This ending made me cry. I really enjoyed the whole series and was sad to see it draw to a close. But the adventures continue with Oracles of Fire.
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