Book 1), DragonSpell (Dragon Keepers Chronicles

This whole series is great! It is an engaging and fresh coming of age story. I actually teach some jr. high girls that love the series. I am perfectly comfortable talking to them about it too, because the characters and general direction of the plot are extremely virtuous and honorable. (Here comes a spoiler!) In the 4th and 5th books for the series, the heroine is married; so there are a very few situations that arise which are unique to married couples. For example, at one point in time there is an instance where it is obvious that the heroine and her husband are planning to make love. But the book does not go into detail; basically skipping over it, but leaving you with a sense of wellbeing in their relationship. So, if you are a parent, you might want to time it so your child is mature by the time they get to the 4th and 5th books. Overall, it is an enthralling, encouraging, and morally instructive series.

After a lifetime of slavery, fourteen-year-old Kale is set free. She travels to The Hall in Vendela where she will receive her training as a servant. Before she can reach her destination, ogres attack her. She escapes into a cave where she finds seven small dragon eggs. When she comes back outside, she is rescued by Paladin servants. They inform her that Paladin has given her a gift, the ability to find dragon eggs, and persuade her to leave her journey to The Hall for another quest: find a missing meech dragon egg and fulfill her destiny as a dragonkeeper.

Donita K. Paul crafts a wonderful adventure into an amazing fantasy world. It's no wonder why this book won a Christy award. I found the characters marvelous, my favorites being Gymn and Metta, two dragons so tiny they often ride on Kale's shoulders. I highly recommend his novel for boys and girls of all ages. Looking forward to book two.

DragonSpell by Donita K. Paul is a fantasy story about a girl who used to be a slave and is now on a magical quest of great importance. Kale's life was once about following orders and doing as she was told, but then at the age of 14, her life drastically changed. She suddenly had a purpose and was thrust into a quest that would change her life forever.
I really enjoyed this book. In recent years I have been getting really into different fantasy books and I was really impressed with how Paul was able to write a fantasy book and have all the values that I are important to me.
One reason I really liked this book was that the magic in it paralleled Christianity. There was a God figure and a Jesus figure that were essential to the book. It was a classic good against evil book in which good triumphs over evil and you feel uplifted after you read it. It was about one girl's journey to understanding that she was important and she had a purpose and that God loves everyone no matter who they are and He has a plan for their life.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Dragonspell was unique. Not completely in plot, though it was unique in that way as well. But rather the book's feel.
The characters, the setting, the plot, everything just seemed unique and had an air of happiness with foreboding gloom to it. I thought the races-as they were a large part of this book-were quite imaginative and original while still feeling human in nature and spirit.
The setting at points seemed small which was one of my only problems with the book. The journey in the book goes all over the map and landscape of the book yet seemed to stay in the same place. It bothered me while I was reading it.
My only other problem with the book was the villain. He just didn't seem, villainish. He was quite unintimidating at times and I had trouble taking him seriously on occasion.
Besides these two things I adored the book and can't wait to read the next in the series.

I started reading this book with some doubt. I almost didn't like how much I was enjoying the book at first. The more I read the more it captured me. I couldn't put the book down, and I bought the second book (Dragon Quest) before I was done reading this book. I can easily see myself reading this series to my kids when I have them and they're old enough, because I know I'll love to read it to them and I know they'll enjoy it.

The story is wonderful (5 stars for the story!), but my only criticism is that the author explains the obvious in too much detail at times. I found myself skimming a few paragraphs here or there because I didn't need her to explain herself that much. Her writing style is good, but not at all my favorite (which is why I gave it 4 stars.)

My daughters and I spent enjoyable evenings reading this fantasy novel throughout the summer. They loved Kale and her quest. We laughed at some of the characters' antics, wished for cute little dragons as pets, and raced through the confrontations with natural and unnatural foes.

The story starts with Kale as a young slave girl. Slowly she discovers she is more than a slave girl; she is a woman destined for great things. As she searches for the fabled meech egg, she accepts the role that is hers and she makes many new friends along the way. "Dragonspell" implies more contact with dragons, and indeed dragons are an important part of the background, as well as a driving factor in Kale's quest. But my daughters and I all hoped for a little more of the dragon scenes. We especially had a soft spot for Celisse. I'm sure dragons will be explored more in the sequel.

Paul's writing is full of imagery and world-building. The allegorical aspects are clear, but never heavyhanded. Christian themes ring true. Most of this fantasy land will seem somewhat familiar to avid readers, yet it still pulses with a life and imagination all its own. The names are fun and evocative. The characters are many, but memorable.

This is one family who will be waiting anxiously for the next in Donita Paul's series.

There is typically one issue I have with books which have a "Jesus character". The problem is that whatever that character says in the book, it never seems to sound like something that would come out of God's mouth. Even on earth Jesus was a very mysterious man: his teachings shrouded in parables, you never quite knew at any given moment what was going to happen next. "Jesus characters" in past books I have read have always given lengthy explanations for why the world works as it does, but the Jesus that is in the Bible, the God of the universe, seems to be able to altar the world, and a life, with just one word. The funny thing about Jesus is after He speaks one word of truth, you no longer seem to want the 100 page answer to your question you were expecting in the first place, though you could probably write 100 pages on that one word.

With all that said, I like this book, because the character, Paladin, who was to portray Jesus, was in a sense mysterious, while personal. He didn't give lengthy explanations for all the questions Kale, the main character, had. Rather he bid her to trust Him by showing Kale His love. It showed beautifully that once you taste and see that God is good, you don't need to have God figured out. It is enough that He is good.

This book would be a good bedtime read for children and adults. It sweeps you into a fantastical world in search for the oh-so-important Meech Egg. It teaches that wisdom comes by trials and trust in the sovereign Lord.

It is also helpful that in the back of the book, in case you get lost in all the unfamiliar but imaginative terms, there is a glossary that defines all the intricacies of Amara.

I also happened to stumble upon the authors website, which has recipes for some of the foods mentioned in the book! Check it out. (Including Chukkajoop Soup! A famous one in the book)

"I received a free copy of this book from Multnomah Water brook publishers for this review."

DRAGONSPELL weaves together unforgettable characters, daring adventure, and a core of eternal truth. I was kind of afraid to begin reading this book, fantasy is not my favorite genre, and I generally don't understand it. But once I picked up DRAGONSPELL I was quickly engrossed in the story and couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Kale is an adorable heroine. It was fascinating watching her grow from a ignorant slave girl to one who is famous. Even though she remains uncertain on the quest, and easily surprised by discovering the unknown power she possesses, Kale quickly rises to whatever comes her way-be it evil fire-breathing dragons, stinky swamp creatures, dark dungeons full of rat-like creatures, or the power of evil itself.

I can't say enough good about DRAGONSPELL. While this book might not appeal to everyone, I found it simply enchanting and I hope to read more by this talented author. Give DRAGONSPELL a try today!

My review will also include references to book number 2. I like the themes of growing up amidst a world filled with belief in God. Though my husband and I are admittably a little remiss in our regular attendance of mass, the books wove the elements of Christianity with a bit of preaching that I didn't find distracting, but rather a nice addition not typically found in fantasy fiction.

Kale is a delightful character who truly comes of age during her realization of how special she is - and important. I like that - because it may make younger readers see themselves in her and realize that they too can be special and important.

The quirky characters that accompany her are a joy, including the little dragons, Dar, the wizard Fenworth and his librarian. Book two brings even more to add to it, including the intriguing Bardon (around which the third book in the series was oriented around). I do have to add that I agree with one of the other reviewers - Leetu is dull, preachy and so good that she was annoying. Fault and struggle is what makes people (and characters) interesting and authentic. This character felt entirely too contrived. It was a relief to not see her in the subsequent books.

The book is a little dense for younger kids - definitely more for ~fifth grade+ (though reading comprehension is very variable by child).

I love books about dragons, and this one was really great. It wasn't confusing, even though the author made up many races for the land of Amara. They were slowly introduced, as were the concepts of life in Amara. Kale is a character you can relate to. She is eager to serve, but not sure of her own talents.
As an allegorical book, there were characters representing God (Wulder) and Jesus (Paladin), but the connections were not forced and the messages were not at all "preachy."
I will definitely want to read and review the rest of the series.

The only problem I had was with the cover. The illustration is beautiful, but misleading. Although the book is about dragons, there is no scene in the story where someone sneaks up on a sleeping dragon, as the cover suggests.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. (Thank you!)

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Dragonspell is the first book in the DragonKeeper Chronicles series. There are 5 total, and I was disappointed when they ended. This is my favorite dragon series - no contest. Kale is a wonderful character, one you will fall in love with immediately. Her dragons are adorable. There are large dragons in this series, but Kale's are the size of kittens, and they each have magical properties and personalities.

These books have an amazing storyline with a powerful overall message. But even better than that, THEY ARE AWESOME! Fun, playful, totally addictive! If you love fantasy and dragons, this is a don't-miss series.

DragonSpell is the first novel in a 5 book series by Donita K. Paul called the "Dragonkeeper Chronicles". It is a Christian allegorical fantasy in the tradition of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien and introduces you to a world rich with characters that will soon feel like old-friends. In a timeless tale of good vs. evil, adventure, self-discovery and eternal truths DragonSpell is destined to be a classic read and beloved by the whole family.

DragonSpell is the story of Kale, a young o'rant slave girl, who orphaned at an early age has lived among a village of marione's where the only things expected of her are obedience and hard work. Her life is changed drastically when she is drawn by forces beyond her control to a dragon egg. Kale is sent to deliver the egg to The Hall in Vendela and there she is also to be trained for service to Paladin.

"Are ye sure ye won't ride all the way into the city?"

That one question is the pivot point upon which Kale's new life in Vendela is diverted into a quest to rescue a precious meech dragon egg from the evil Wizard Risto. Afraid and with feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness Kale embarks on a journey to self-discovery, faith, and acceptance. A journey filled with untold danger, fainting dragons, teasing doneels, and an absentminded old wizard, Kale discovers she is not just a slave and that being in service to Paladin is more than being a servant.

I was surprised and delighted by DragonSpell. The story is rich in detail, full of subtle humor, adversity to overcome, lessons to learn and characters I didn't want to leave behind when the book was finished. I will definitely be putting DragonSpell on my "to keep" list and will be adding the rest of the series to my library as soon as I can.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group does not require a positive review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book is indeed targeted for younger readers but I have thoroughly enjoyed it and passed it onto my daughter as soon as I was done. She has finished it by now too, and from what she has told me, she loved it just as much as I enjoyed it and she even asked me to buy the sequel for her! This is a pretty popular young adult book but I figured I could try it too and see if it could pull even me in, and it surpassed my expectations! The story of Kale and her quest was enthralling while the details really let my imagination run wild. Great read, for a variety of ages!

Disclosure: This book was provided to me by WaterBrook Multnomah for review.

Dragonspell, written by Donita K. Paul, is a Christian fantasy story about a girl who finds herself on an unbelievable quest. Kale, a former slave, is sent by her people to deliver a dragon egg. She ends up meeting two new friends, who turn her away from her original destination and help her realize her true skills and talents and the importance of serving Paladin (who resembles Jesus). Through this journey, Kale learns that she is a dragon-keeper and has the ability to find dragon eggs. She also has the ability to communicate through "mindspeak" or telepathy. Kale and her friends are placed in extreme danger and must battle dark forces.

Dragonspell is a clever fantasy fiction. Donita K. Paul certainly has a wonderful imagination. I love stories and movies about dragons and the premise of the story really sucked me in. I was jealous of the fact that Kale can mindspeak, or in other words, use telepathy. I would be using that skill all the time if I could! I was glued to the book for the first half. I then began to feel as though the story was dragging a tad bit, but then I felt it picked up again and I was glued to the end. I think that Donita K. Paul adds a large amount of detail, which reminded me so much of when I read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This was a very different book for me to read - I have never read a Christian fantasy book. Overall, I thought it was a great way to encourage faith and certainly promotes discussion with young readers.

Dragonspell by Donita K. Paul is a fantasy about Kale, a slave girl who finds a dragon's egg. The elders in her village free her from slavery since, after all, she now owns a dragon's egg, and send her far away to The Hall to learn.
Kale may indeed now have a dragon's egg, but other than that, she feels the same as always. She expects to be a servant in The Hall now, much like a slave, which is the only thing she knows, so that's okay. On her journey she finds seven more dragon eggs.
Every move she makes leads her away from her destination, despite her determination to get to The Hall. She is dragged along on a journey with a band, who keep telling her she's meant to use her special gifts.
Kale has no gifts except obeying. Her companions tell her she has the gift of finding dragon eggs.
The entire book is full of fun and adventure. Timid Kale turns into a plucky adventurer by necessity not choice. Despite her desire to obey her village elders and go to The Hall, she's having fun - fun interrupted by terror as the evil Wizard Rizzo tries to turn Kale to his side, so he can use her to find dragon eggs.
In fantasy writing the challenge is `world creating'. In the best tradition of Lord of the Rings, Donita K. Paul creates a world with creatures good and evil. She conjures plants and animals with her vivid words. Paul creates an adventure so fast paced and death defying that it doesn't matter what the world around Kale looks like, but you can still see it.
Dragonspell is for adults as well as children. It's funny and inspiring. The good guys are intrepid. Kale, the reluctant heroine, rises brilliantly to the challenge set before her. The evil Wizard meets his match with the all powerful Wulder and his fellow warrior Paladin.
Dragonspell was an uplifting change of pace for me. An interesting respite from the romance and danger of most novels I read.

This book is indeed targeted for younger readers but I have thoroughly enjoyed it and passed it onto my daughter as soon as I was done. She has finished it by now too, and from what she has told me, she loved it just as much as I enjoyed it and she even asked me to buy the sequel for her! This is a pretty popular young adult book but I figured I could try it too and see if it could pull even me in, and it surpassed my expectations! The story of Kale and her quest was enthralling while the details really let my imagination run wild. Great read, for a variety of ages!

Disclosure: This book was provided to me by WaterBrook Multnomah for review.

Dragonspell, written by Donita K. Paul, is a Christian fantasy story about a girl who finds herself on an unbelievable quest. Kale, a former slave, is sent by her people to deliver a dragon egg. She ends up meeting two new friends, who turn her away from her original destination and help her realize her true skills and talents and the importance of serving Paladin (who resembles Jesus). Through this journey, Kale learns that she is a dragon-keeper and has the ability to find dragon eggs. She also has the ability to communicate through "mindspeak" or telepathy. Kale and her friends are placed in extreme danger and must battle dark forces.

Dragonspell is a clever fantasy fiction. Donita K. Paul certainly has a wonderful imagination. I love stories and movies about dragons and the premise of the story really sucked me in. I was jealous of the fact that Kale can mindspeak, or in other words, use telepathy. I would be using that skill all the time if I could! I was glued to the book for the first half. I then began to feel as though the story was dragging a tad bit, but then I felt it picked up again and I was glued to the end. I think that Donita K. Paul adds a large amount of detail, which reminded me so much of when I read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This was a very different book for me to read - I have never read a Christian fantasy book. Overall, I thought it was a great way to encourage faith and certainly promotes discussion with young readers.

Dragonspell by Donita K. Paul is a fantasy about Kale, a slave girl who finds a dragon's egg. The elders in her village free her from slavery since, after all, she now owns a dragon's egg, and send her far away to The Hall to learn.
Kale may indeed now have a dragon's egg, but other than that, she feels the same as always. She expects to be a servant in The Hall now, much like a slave, which is the only thing she knows, so that's okay. On her journey she finds seven more dragon eggs.
Every move she makes leads her away from her destination, despite her determination to get to The Hall. She is dragged along on a journey with a band, who keep telling her she's meant to use her special gifts.
Kale has no gifts except obeying. Her companions tell her she has the gift of finding dragon eggs.
The entire book is full of fun and adventure. Timid Kale turns into a plucky adventurer by necessity not choice. Despite her desire to obey her village elders and go to The Hall, she's having fun - fun interrupted by terror as the evil Wizard Rizzo tries to turn Kale to his side, so he can use her to find dragon eggs.
In fantasy writing the challenge is `world creating'. In the best tradition of Lord of the Rings, Donita K. Paul creates a world with creatures good and evil. She conjures plants and animals with her vivid words. Paul creates an adventure so fast paced and death defying that it doesn't matter what the world around Kale looks like, but you can still see it.
Dragonspell is for adults as well as children. It's funny and inspiring. The good guys are intrepid. Kale, the reluctant heroine, rises brilliantly to the challenge set before her. The evil Wizard meets his match with the all powerful Wulder and his fellow warrior Paladin.
Dragonspell was an uplifting change of pace for me. An interesting respite from the romance and danger of most novels I read.

Finally!! Some good Christian fantasy on the shelves. I was beginning to worry. :) In "Dragonspell," Donita K. Paul combines her own creative world with real life truths that are touching and extremely relevant. It has a little more substance than a parable, but goes well along those lines. It took me a while to get into the book and start to see the parallel, but I soon caught on.

I do hope there is a sequel. The pictures of baby dragons that pop into my head are adorable! And of Paul's own inventions, I think the kimen's were my favorite, especially Seezle. And Wizard Fenworth is very amusing. A must read!

One of my friends at school suggested this book to me back in the fourth grade and though I did not enjoy reading, I decided to give it a try. The book had a slow start, but began to pick up pace after the first chapter. I got into it and it was the first book I ever really wanted to read. I love the the adventure of traveling to a mystic world filled with riveting adventure, fire breathing dragons, and the deep foreshadowing as revealed later in the series. I have read it numerous times (even once upside-down). Though the elements of magic and "wizardry" are deeply incorporated into the book, it is all enabled through characters symbolizing Christ and God and I have found nothing that contradicts my Christian beliefs, though if you plan on reading it to your children, I would suggest that you explain to the that it is an allegory and real wizardry is wrong. Overall I think it is a great fantasy novel for all ages and a wonderful example of Christian literature.

P.S. If you have any questions or contradictory opinions just comment to this review and I will try to geet to it as soon as I can.

RECEIVED FROM: Blogging For Books For Review

***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***

When Kale, an o'rant slave discovers a dragon egg in the stream by her home she is sent to serve in Palladins hall and take the dragon egg to him. However on her way she is intercepted by Grawligs, ogre like creatures who take her captive, only to be rescued by some of Palladins soldiers and enlisted for a quest to save a dragon meech egg from Risto, an enemy of Wulder and Palladin. But will Kale find the strength to embrace her new powers and the teachings of Wulder and Palladin? Will she be enough to save the egg from the powerful evil wizard?

Before I really begin I'll mention I might not be the best audience to review this book. I'll give you that it was well written and an interesting story, but it was less a fantasy novel and more a retelling of Christian values using characters like Palladin and Wulder to represent Jesus and God. As I'm agnostic, meaning I haven't decided what I believe and probably won't until I've researched religions enough to find one that meets with my own ideals of what is right and wrong, many of the messages portrayed in this book fell flat for me. Some of them were things I outright disagreed with.

For example at one point Kale discovers a dragon named Celise being held captive. The soldiers who hold her captive shoot her daily with poison to stop her from regaining her strength. They killed her entire family basically before her eyes. Once she's freed she kills them and for the most part her new companions condemn her for it. I'm sorry but if someone killed my family I'd tear them to pieces as soon as I was able to as well. Basically the idea was the Celise should have forgiven them and left Wulder to mete punishment to the soldiers. My issue with that is one the soldiers deserved what they got and two it goes along with the ideal I often see abused in real life. The one where "devoutly religious" people mistreat everyone else regularly and because they go to confession or pray for forgiveness it's somehow okay that they behave a poor excuses for human beings because their god forgives them for that. I'm not saying that every religious person does that, obviously that's not the case. But there are way too many to count that do, people that seriously believe they can behave abominably and if they pray for forgiveness then that behavior is okay. It's my main problem with religion, praying for forgiveness never makes abominable behavior okay in my personal opinion. Especially if it's repeated behavior, like telling nasty rumors about young girls, asking for forgiveness one night and doing it all over again the next day. That doesn't make it okay, it makes you a horrible person. It's one thing to use your religion to appease guilt from the rare instance of saying or doing things you shouldn't it's another to do those thing repeatedly and believe you are absolved from guilt because of your religion. I think pushing this part of religious teachings through fiction or religious texts is wrong because in my opinion all it does is reinforce the ideals behind those who abuse their religions.

Another thing that bothered me is that Kale is often treated like she's an idiot because she doesn't know the religion inside and out. And it's like she can't do anything right. They chastise her for not knowing better, for not being able to make the right decisions on her own and then they chastise her again for not asking for permission from her superiors to make a decision the few times that she does make a decision on her own. So what exactly is it they want from this character? As a reader I found myself feeling like an idiot right alongside her because I didn't see how she was doing anything wrong. At times I had to walk away from the book just because I was getting so frustrated that it never seemed this character could get it right when to me it seemed like she did willingly everything they asked of her.

Back to the religious front at one point Kale is chastised for believing she is the center of the quest. I mean she's the one everyone is there to protect, she's the one who's supposed to find the meech egg and care for the baby dragon and she's the only one with the ability to find dragon eggs. OF COURSE she's not the center of the quest right? Nope, Wulder is the center of the quest even though he's more a religious figure than a character; he is the center of everything. And, like mentioned before, even though everything points to Kale being the center of the quest, she's treated like an idiot for not understanding that Wulder is the center of the quest.

Because the point in the novel is more to teach Christian ideals than to tell a fantasy story most of the action scenes aren't very riveting, or at least what you feel should be action scenes aren't very action like. The main villain the wizard Risto who seeks to use the meech egg to create a new race of slave beings doesn't even appear until toward the final chapters. In later scenes he mind speaks with Kale which scares her but he physically doesn't appear until the final chapters. And instead of some big physical battle it's all mentally trying to push her to willingly follow him. It's an attempt to get her to turn away from her religion and following of Palladin to serve Risto instead. There isn't a battle, there isn't torture or imprisonment. After all the characters in the quest say no it's like he just leaves them alone because followers of Wulder and Palladin are apparently untouchable? The main strength of these characters is the ability to say the phrase "I stand under Wulder's authority" and therefore gain protection from pretty much everything. The few fight scenes included are basically breezed through or not really shown since the main character Kale is pretty much supposed to run away and repeat her Wulder phrases when anything happens.

So what have we learned? If someone wrongs you, it's wrong to get even and if faced with battle repeat religious phrases and you will then be protected- a little unrealistic to my state of mind. It's one thing to show religious ideals within a story, it's another to use religion as the action instead of giving the character real strengths and protection of their own. You could still portray the religious ideals in that if you follow the teachings of Christianity all of your strengths and talents are a gift from God and should you prosper it's because he wanted you to. Therefore it seems realistic that you could fight back and not just repeat prayers during a battle and you'd still being getting Wulder's help since he's the one that gave you the ability to do something other than pray.

The story was well written and Paul does create some interesting characters. Another issue I had with her work those was that many of the descriptions were confusing to me. I couldn't really picture the beings that I wasn't already familiar with and normally I have a pretty good imagination. I found myself rereading some descriptions three or four times trying to understand what she's trying to describe to me before just giving up and moving on. The idea of the plot was somewhat original though it does bear some similarities to both Eragon and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I'd say the story was kind of a combination of these two tales, but with a religious bent to it. If the action scenes had been played out instead of skipped over I think this could have been a tale to rival those well known stories, but with the falling back to religion anywhere she could really show conflict I didn't think it quite measured up. In some ways the plot went in a logical order, but many of the times when she threw the religion back into the mix it was more of a huh? For example when Kale thinks she's lost the dragons and the eggs but no one seems to be downhearted because she did it to save the rest of her companions' lives. Okay yes she made the right decision and they should be thankful for that but Kale seems to be the only one bothered by the idea that they might have gone through all of that for nothing. Even if I was thankful to be alive I think I'd be feeling some frustration that my quest might have been for no good reason. Don't get me wrong this story was extremely interesting; I just felt it relied too much on religion to tell the story and not enough on action and logical reactions to things that occurred within the story.

The story was moderately paced, not really fast but not really slow either, but I do feel this pacing worked well for the story. Paul has an original voice and beautifully portrays a close third person point of view. Meaning while we saw everything through Kale's eyes it still allowed for detailed descriptions of surrounding and people including Kale herself. Not all of those descriptions were confusing although as mentioned above a few were. The ones they weren't however were extremely well done and presented a nice clear picture of the scene. There really wasn't an in between with descriptions in this book either they were crystal clear or they made no sense. There wasn't anything in the middle where it was kind of vague but you got the idea, only one extreme or the other.

While all of the characters for the most part are memorable and likeable, my favorites being the dragon hatchlings Gymn and Meta , the only character I felt was really well developed was Kale herself. I would have liked to see a little more character development in the secondary characters. Most of the other characters can be described in short phrases which shouldn't the case if a character is well developed. For example The Wizard Fenworth is powerful, but forgetful and he turns into a tree if he stays still for too long. That's basically the entire character description of what could have been a truly interesting secondary character. All of these characters had so much potential but really needed a good fleshing out. For the most part this is only really going to find a home with Christian lovers of fantasy. Most regular fantasy fans will be disappointed with the way action is handled throughout the book. However the book is well written enough that I think Christians who enjoy fantasy themed stories will actually adore this tale because it will mix a love of dragons and fantasy creatures with religious teachings in a way that I think will truly appeal to the devoutly religious. Unfortunately I'm not one of the devoutly religious so I thought the book was okay, worth reading, but nothing I'd read more than once.

I love DragonSpell and all of the Dragon Keepers Chronicles by Donita K. Paul. This is one of my favorite books. Mrs. Paul has a great way with building real, flawed characters. As a Christian writer, Mrs. Paul keeps this book (and others of hers that I have read) clean and safe for the whole family. Check it out!

The majority of all classics are Christian related. When I say classics, I don't mean the bible-thick, old-english-speaking, books that somehow got awarded into greatness and are now forced upon our youth in school today and do nothing more than nurture a contempt for reading. I mean the classics that everyone is drawn to. Everyone loved the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, The Lord of the Rings was a hit, and The Seven Sleepers were a wonderful series. They were all good, wholesome, enjoyable books that entertained everyone, no matter what the age. And since 83% of Americans are Christian, many want uplifting reading that will not only provide good stories, but broaden the expanse of knowledge of their beliefs. As it is with Donita K. Paul. Her Dragon Spell should be more acclaimed than the esteemed Inheritance Trilogy out right now.

Dragon Spell follows a girl named Kale who has a special power that draws her toward hidden dragon eggs. She is swept into an epic quest against the evil lord Risto (Satan...duh)with the help of the good, mysterious, powerful Paladin (Chirst). Kale was an excellent main star, and I highly praise Donita Paul for creating her. Kale wasn't the typical tom-boyish girl you see in EVERY story who runs off on an quest to "save the world" (honestly, how many times can THAT be done?...)This girl was timid at first, as a lot of us can relate to when starting anything new, and she wanted nothing to do with adventure because she thinks she couldn't be brave enough. She also doubts herself because she thinks she has no special talents (she was raised a slave girl). But like many do in real life, after finding "Paladin" she becomes more confident, and more outgoing without going to the Tom Boy extreme.

I'm also relieved to see a threatening villian. She made the evil wizard Risto very threatening and convincing. Unlike T. A. Barron's Merlin series where the villian was not entriguing in the slightest, she made Risto a sinister wizard that haunts and taunts. If you've ever watched Teen Titans Go and seen Slade, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Paladin was also nicely done. He was humble enough to laugh and joke around sometimes, but never lost his God-like air that makes you respect him. Very similiar to Aslan in Chronicles of Narnia.

The story was good. It was a little simplistic, but so was Star Wars IV. It leaves more room for bigger additions in the second and third novels.

The characters where enjoyable, and there were none of those annoynig sidekicks that you want killed in one of the many skirmishes they encounter. They also didn't have any lovey dovey material. Chronicles of Narnia, and Lord of the Rings were both love-less and managed to drag in the multitudes. It makes the adventure all the more thrilling when you don't have to slow down for a romance. As Aslan loved the Pevensie children, so Paladin loved Kale in this book. And the love of friends is also brought up with Kale and her comrades. Those are the only love relationships in this book.

Morally, there's nothing wrong with it. It's Christian Literature for heaven's sake!

All in all, this book was very well written, and kept my attention throught the whole thing. It's definitely worth the money to buy this.

donita k pauls dragon spell is such a wonderfull book, she covers the smallest detials from hatching eggs to sceanic flights on dragon backs ,one moment you are leaping for joy the next you are scared half to death the book really lets you form a great picture in your mind ,personly i think the best parts are when the dragon eggs hatch its sutch a calming moment when the dragon emerges into kales hand i would defintly recomend this book for ages 9 and up

I picked this up while skimming for Harry Potter-esque light fiction in the young adult section of my local library. I'll admit, agnostic/athiest nose in air, that had I realized it was classified as a "Christian" series I would likely have put it down and never picked it back up. However, much like the wonderful book "On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness" by Andrew Peterson, this is a book that, while Christian, doesn't shove it down your throat (Some of the later books get more preachy, even a little offensive to my feminist morals, but I'm speaking strictly about the first book here). Paul doesn't preach per se, and Wulder (God) fits within the context of the story. And this is a WONDERFUL story, no rehashing here of Lord of the Rings. The world, the people, the minor dragons, all beautifully fresh. I loved the creation and revealing of the different races, both high and low. I especially enjoyed the seamless teaching of racial equality- for instance, how fantastic was the concept of emerlindians gaining pigment with wisdom, the wisest people around are the darkest skinned?
And of course, to mirror everyone else, you cannot finish this book without desperately wanting a minor dragon to call your own. Later books reveal more colors, more talents, and an ever growing brood of little dragons following Kale into adventure. But do start here, and enjoy. It's truly a joy to read and be transported into Amara. Thank you, Ms. Paul.

Kale Allerion begins her journey to the Hall never realizing she has already been chosen for a journey of a different sort. During her quest, Kale must contend with a batch of unhatched dragon eggs, a mysterious leader who is as kind as he is elusive, a good wizard who is always sheltering numerous creatures in his unruly beard and tends to jabber incoherently at the most inopportune moments, and a wicked wizard bent on using Kale to pursue his own selfish motives. Children will be captivated by the vivid word pictures Mrs. Paul paints and the cast of quirky, colorful characters who cross Kale's path during her adventure.

This book is fantastic and you won't regret buying it. I believe, if you love dragons or wizards you won't reget buying it. I've read the entire series and I have not been disappointed. I do hope this author will continue to create such wonderful stories. If you liked this series, but, maybe, thought it was a little immature, I recommend the Inheritance Cycle.

Being a science fiction fantasy fan and a Christian (and having read and enjoyed he first two books in this series some time ago) I figured I'd give them another go. I was not disappointed. It is refreshing to read books of this genre without having to put up with a lot of the garbage contained in books by non-Christian writers. I definitely recommend this to others with similar tastes.

I absolutely love this book and the whole series.
It is lively and you easily get lost within the pages. When you forget where you are and live within the world Donita K. Paul created.
The words flow together and everything has a fantastical part. There are no elves, dwarves, or humans. Instead Donita created all new types that come off as refreshing and creative.

You follow the adventures of a young O'rant girl. This used to be slave is caught up into a whirlwind of adventures that she feels she is unprepared for. Along the way she learns a little of Wulder and a lot about herself.

I bought this one day on a whim. I didn't know at the time that it was a Christian book. The Christian part is not at all in your face. I didn't realize it was truly Christian until I was nearly finished with it.

So even if you're unsure about the Christian part you can still fully enjoy this lovely book.

A friend brought this one to my attention immediately after she read it, so I had to grab a copy and read it. About halfway through the book, I could see why she loved it.

Donita K. Paul has great characters, an exciting story line, and truth that applies to our lives today. I finished DragonSpell in record time and put it on my wish list. The rest of the series is just as good or better!

Really an awesome book. I love the whole universe, and would love to see more in it. I have written a layout for a much larger quadtriology, by that I mean 3 set of 4 books. I really love to expand the universe, and see where it takes me, just finding the time to write, and to find a good ghost writer is just not easy. Maybe one day I can expand it, and make a whole new Harry Potter/LOTR/Star Wars style fantasy book.

I recently finished reading Dragonspell and really enjoyed it. Mrs. Paul has created an enchanting world with unique creatures and describes it well. The book follows the journey of former slave, Kale Allerion. Unbeknownst to her, she possesses many magcal abilities that qualify her to be the Dragon Keeper. Being the Dragon Keeper though, requires her to travel with various comrades to an evil wizard's castle and find a special dragon egg that could be used to destroy entire races. But after being attacked by countless times by several different monsters, causing problems by her lack of experience, traveling through dark tunnels and swamps, rescuing her friends, meeting an evil wizard and jumping from a cliff onto the back of a dragon, Kale decides that she hates questing. But her journey will not be over until she and her friends find and rescue the dragon egg from Risto.

I actually picked up Dragonspell from my church library because of its beautiful cover and interesting description. However, at page four, I found a passage that was highly discouraging:

"Kale imagined a similar procession crossing one of the great bridges. Bantam doneels, giant urohms, the elegant emerlindians, fighting mariones, tumanhofers, swift kimens, and o'rants."

Here I found a huge list of "species" that I could not understand, let alone pronounce! I decided to try to figure it out with a visit to the glossary. When I discovered that all of the definitions sounded as if they were from an ancient history book, I was about ready to quit. Instead, I decided to persevere and started to read the entire glossary to family members who were trapped in the car with me. After only five or so words, they were groaning and asking me to stop, especially as I struggled in the pronounciation of countless made-up words. Also imagine my distress when I realized that there were seven high races AND seven low races. Fourteen new species to memorize! And instant memorization is what is expected. The book doesn't let you get a feel for one species ata time--no, the different races come faster and faster, as well as frequent references to the long and tedious glossary.

Just to help you understand my pain... The first three words in the glossary are as follows:

AMARA--continent surrounded by ocean on three sides
ARMAGOT--national tree, purple blue leaves in the fall
ARMAGOTNUT--nut from the Armagot tree

The entire glossary continues in a likewise fashion. And why do I need to know the national tree and its national nut???

I'm done with this book, but I hope someone with iron determination and good skill with made-up words will be able to accomplish what I have not--and finish it!

I am a christian, so I don't have any problem with Wulder representing God, except couldn't the author think of a better name? I think I understand why those who don't believe in Jesus Christ would be upset if this book was not in a christian section. But I rated this book on its writing, not its christian message, and I thought it was a little dull.

The author has created an interesting new world full of different races with varied characteristics. And of course, there are the dragons. It will be fun to see how the story progresses in the next book.

I bought Dragonspell when it first came out and couldnt wait to start reading. I was about 12 then and instantly fell love with the book. I am almost 17 now and STILL read these books! If you have a kid that loves to read please introduce these books to them!
One of my favorite aspects about this book is the allegory of what it means to have a relationship with God. It doesnt overpower the story though. Not that it would be bad but for me, at the age of 12, it made it much easier to understand the idea of having a relationshop with God. It is truly an amazing book. And extremely well written! :)

I found "Dragonspell" in an interesting way. My mom and I were in the bookstore, and she found it in the Christian Fiction section. Now, I'm no expert, but usually one doesn't find a book with both the words "Dragon" and "Spell" in the Christian section. So I bought it, out of interest.

There really is too much to say about this book, good and bad. So I'll start with the good.

First, Kale was a good -- if a little uninteresting -- character, at least in the fact that she didn't preach as much as some other characters did. Paladin was excellent, and while I have a feeling the author felt that in order for Dragonspell to be Christian fiction she HAD to have an allegory for God and Jesus, I do think she did Paladin well. I DON'T feel the same for Wulder (the God-allegory) probably because of His name. Wulder is just a strange name for God. Ms. Paul should have stuck with one of God's real names or a variant of it (if Wulder really IS one of God's names that I don't know about, I'll swallow my words, prickly as they may be). Patrick Carman, despite the fact that I feel his trilogy spirals downhill with each book, did this very well with the God-allegory of Elyon, which comes from El Elyon, another name of God.

Anyhow. My favorite character was Wizard Fenworth, who was bar-none the best of all. His random quirkiness was a breath of fresh air with all the other stuffy characters, and the fact that Donita K. Paul dared to have a good wizard in her Christian fantasy book marks her up in my esteem, since most self-righteous critics have usually forgotten that Lewis and Tolkien did the same.

Now for the bad. First, the plot itself: at times it was good, but mostly it moved around oddly and I would forget what I'd read because none of it made sense. Never was this so apparent than in the "climax", which consists of the Fellowship of the Ring-esque party of questers standing still while Wizard Risto invades their minds and all they have to do is think "I stand under Wulder's authority" over...and over...and over. There is no fighting. The heinous Risto would never actually think of KILLING one of Paladin's servants while they called upon His authority. Perhaps that's how it works in real life and perhaps not, but that is NOT how it works in fantasy, and that's certain.

Now for the characters. Ms. Paul needs to learn something very important about writing: whether or not your characters are Christians (or, in this case, servants of Paladin) THEY ARE NEVER PERFECT. It doesn't work and it annoys readers. When Leetu was kidnapped, I swear all I could think of was, "Hooray!" I hated that girl. She was so arrogant and stuffy and preachy, and looked down on Kale so much, and yet called herself a servant of Paladin and was considered as such! I wouldn't mind if this was meant to represent the legalistic Christians of the world, but Kale and everyone else actually look up to Leetu!

And Dar. Dar, while in the beginning a good character, was just too preachy. His constant reminders of how servants of Paladin were to act were just ANNOYING. Every one of the "good" characters in Dragonspell were not only good, they were perfect, and this drives me crazy. The only one who needed instruction was Kale, and this was because she was new. I desperately hope that there will be some moral dilemma in a future book, something that makes Kale think and actually QUESTION what is right when it's ambiguous. Probably not, though. Moral ambiguity is too scary for most authors to attempt, particularly Christian authors, who seem to feel that if their characters do wrong or have doubts about what's right, they are encouraging their readers to do wrong and have doubts. But this is what real life is like, and if you don't believe that, you're just lying to yourself.

I'll be reading Dragonquest, but unless it's significantly better I doubt I'll bother with the third book.

2 1/2 stars.

Rating: Average

I just finished reading Dragonspell aloud to my four children, ages 7 - 13. I don't know who loved it more, them or me! This wonderful adventure reminded me of the same sense of wonder and excitement I felt when I first read C.S. Lewis' Narnia. Imaginative and creative, Dragonspell captured my children's interest. The character development and inner journey of Kale, the heroine, won my heart. This is one of the best reading experiences I've ever had. Even my son, a sometimes reluctant listener, begged for just one more chapter.

Dragonspell is masterfully done and left my soul delightfully full.

this is a great book series

I keep giving away this first book in the series to those I think would enjoy it

middle school up enjoy the story line

I like the depth of thinking that went into the story

I am personally challenged to follow more after God each time I read it

Dragonspell is a delightful read for all ages. If you enjoy C.S. Lewis' 'Chronicles of Narnia' or John White's 'Archives of Anthropos', you will enjoy 'Dragonspell', as well. It follows young Kale Allerion and her companions on a quest, both corporeal and spiritual, to wrest a stolen dragon egg from the evil Wizard Risto, taking them through forest and marsh, under mountains, and even soaring through the air on a dragon's back, fighting bisonbecks and mordakleeps, while Kale struggles to understand the world around her. I highly recommend Kale's first adventure and look forward to her next. . . !

What a delight to curl up with Dragonspell and enjoy Kale and her adventures--even when she's grumpy. Vividly drawn scenes of Fenworth the Wizard, Dar, awful Grawligs, captivating hatchling dragons, with quiet lessons threaded into the action, all reminded me of why I loved reading as a child. Pure enchantment!

I loved this book. This story will captivate readers from ages 8 to 108.

The character of Kale is enchanting. A former slave girl, she embarks on a fantastic adventure. The more I read about her, the more I look forward to learning more about her in DragonQuest.

This book offers suspense with some laughs along the way. Vivid imagery by the author makes you feel like you are traveling alongside with Kale.

Donita Paul has made a dragon fan out of me. I look forward to re-reading this book and then picking up a copy of DragonQuest, the second book in the Dragonspell trilogy.

If you like a quick paced story, filled with interesting characters and events, then DragonSpell by Donita K. Paul is for you. The cute antics of young dragons: how to care for an unhatched egg, and then to nuture the hatchling. You will anxiously wait for the next appearance of the Wizard, to see what sort of creature appears in his beard or clothing, and what magic he conjures up. And the other creatures that appear in this land of make-believe. Think about the fascinating concept of mindspeak, and the happy and carefree times of life in a place without our daily struggles and concerns.

Get a copy, find a place to relax, and let your mind roam free with a time of just good reading.

Christian fantasy authors are just now poking their heads tentatively out of the covers by the renewal of interest in such Christian pillars of fantasy like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and many times, the result for modern authors is breathtaking. Unfortunately, this book is not one of those times. Paul's imagination for creating a fantasy world is indeed extensive, but the characters leave something to be desired. As a reader I neither identified or really cared about any of the main characters and thought that the plot they were forced into felt just that, forced and underdeveloped. Long-time readers of fantasy/sci-fi will be disappointed in the all-too-obvious Christian allegory in some parts, but newcomers to the genre might find something to enjoy.

Dragonspell is a wonderful read for both adults and children alike. It is great to see a fantasy that does not contain any inappropriate themes or language. Dragonspell is great to read even to younger children. I really appreciate Donita K. Paul's sensitivity to writing for all ages.

There are some great lessons to be learned in the pages of Dragonspell, but never does it seem to be preached in any way. I will keep this one on my shelf for quite a long time, I'm sure. I highly recommend Dragonspell to all fans of fantasy.

(...)

An amazing new world and a daring adventure. A wonderfully crafted plot that draws you in on the first page and takes you on a ride! Dragonspell is sure to become a classic. I have not read anything this good in a long time!

This is a great book with lots of adventure, mystery, and love. Join a thirteen year old on a quest for a race that is near death, known as Dragons. Laugh, sigh, exclaim, enjoy, and Love all the characters. Donita K. Paul has created a fantastic story for children and adults.

this was an AMAZING book full of adventures. by the end of the book i just instantly started to search if there is a series and i found it. i didnt buy the book but i checked it out from thelibrary. i have to hope that my library has the rest of the series:]

i "discovered" this book on a shelf at a christian bookstore and decided i needed something fantastical to entertain me so i bought it. i LOVED it! right now, we are reading this as a family and our son (age 7) really has enjoyed the story and characters. he's always asking for "one more chapter...please!" :-) good character development and enjoyable read.

This book captures the reader in the first pages and you are sad to see it end! We are anxiously awaiting the next book to see what happens to Kale and her friends. Mrs. Paul has written a book that spans the generations!!!!

Donita K. Paul takes readers on a fun trip through her unique fantasy world filled with characters, that while seeming familiar, are truly made her own.

We follow Kale as she learns to leave her past as a village slave behind her and accept the destiny for which she has been chosen. And with the help of the rambunctious Dar and serious Leetu, she discovers that there is more to her and her world than she ever dreamed.

A truly good fantasy that imparts sound principles for all ages.