The Dragon and the Thief

Born with his eyes wide open--a sure sign of the gods' displeasure--Prahotepstet has been plagued with bad luck and has failed to find success in any trade. When the 17-year-old stumbles across Hathor, the last dragon in Egypt, he finds his metier and fulfills his destiny. When Hathor requests his assistance in her escape to Nubia in search of fellow dragons, the usually unlucky boy suddenly finds the gods and a little fortune on his side. Bradshaw maintains a breakneck pace throughout the eventful, dangerous journey, on which the pair are pursued by an evil magician. Battles between wit and magic, brain and brawn abound, yet for all the clever plot twists a certain depth is missing. Hathor lacks the majesty and mystery that the wealth of dragon lore suggests while Egypt, with all its colorful possibilities, remains an undefined, distant country. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)