Although uninitiated readers should certainly start from the beginning of the complex DragonKeeper series (DragonSpell; DragonQuest; DragonKnight
), this fourth installment in the ongoing Christian fantasy will please its growing fan base. Whereas the third book focused most heavily on Bardon's adventures, this episode alternates between his story and the heroism of Kale, now Bardon's wife. Kale, charged with hatching and schooling a dragon army, enjoys help from her father but must summon strength and courage from reserves she didn't know she had. Many other fantasy series begin to wear thin after several books, but Paul continues to delight readers with new and unexpected dimensions of the world they have come to love. It's a challenge to keep up with the dizzying cast of characters, but the writing is crisp and the setting imaginative. This series will speak to all ages of Christian readers, from preadolescent on up. (July 17)
