Bell (The Goblin Wood
) lays out the premise before her medieval tale begins: "This is the story of Prince Perryndon, who set out to slay the black dragon guided by the words of a prophecy." Chapter heads emulate stanzas from a bard's tale of a heroic quest. For five years, the 14-year-old prince has exhausted the castle's vast library hoping to discover how to slay a dragon, since one is laying waste to his father's Kingdom of Idris. Perryn finally spots what he has searched for, but the king is uninterested. Instead, the prince finds himself locked in his room. Seeking answers from the magical Mirror of Idris, Perryn learns that his own life is in danger: Cedric, his father's master of arms, is in alliance with the Norsemen, who are threatening Idris with the dragon's help. Cedric plans to kill the prince to prevent him from slaying the dragon. Suspense grows as Perryn searches for a true bard, a unicorn and the Sword of Samhain in order to defeat the dragon. (The Sword of Samhain turns out to have a sense of humor: "Hot fights and hotter women! A battle! After all these years. Let me at'em," it says. Readers will cheer for Perryn as he races to fulfill the prophecy in order to save the kingdom and prove to his father that he has what it takes to serve as a worthy successor. Ages 10-up. (Aug.)
