Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
373 pages

    The dragon has finally left the Southlands, but the people are growing suspicious of Lionheart's maid, Rose Red. Afraid, Lionheart banishes his best friend. Rose Red is trapped in the Faerie world of Arpiar, where the evil goblin king keeps her.
    Lionheart, regreting what he has done, goes off in search of Rose Red, but the path to Arpiar is only open to those who are invited by one dwelling inside the realm. Rose Red, trapped inside, refuses to call for the one who betrayed her. With the night of Moonblood drawing closer, time is running out, and the dragons will soon awake. Can Lionheart find Rose Red and free her from the goblin king before it is too late?

**Book 3 in Tales of Goldstone Wood**
Previous book: Veiled Rose

Next book: Starflower



Look for book 5, Dragonwitch, coming soon!

Dragonspell by Donita K. Paul --- Review

Title: Dragonspell
Author: Donita K. Paul
Series: Dragon Keeper Chrinicles-Book 1
Pages: 334
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
Genre: Fantasy/Allegory
My Rating: ***** (Five Stars)

Summary: Kale was a slave in Amara, but she is now free. Her masters have sent her to The Hall to be in Paladin's service. She is excited for he new role in society, but completely underestimates her own potential.
Before she even gets to The Hall, she encounters seven dragon eggs and two companions on a quest for a special dragon egg held captive by an evil wizard. When Kale and her new friends, Dar and Leetu, are attacked and Leetu is taken captive, Kale is plunged into a quest that she didn't ask for. Can Kale be brave enough to face her own destiny and rescue her friend? Will they find the egg before the wizard uses it for evil?

My thoughts: 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.

One of my favourite parts:   "Paladin grew somber. 'Mordakleeps are the embodiment of nothing. Within their grasp, [Leetu] was surrounded by nothing. No sounds, no sights, no smells, no taste, not the touch of something against her skin, not even the feel of her skin. Why, even her sense of up or down was hidden from her. Inside a mordakleep, there is no sign of life. In that oblivion, her mind writhed in anguish and shut down against the pain of loneliness and isolation. . . . Wulder has a place like that. It's used for punishment of those who defy Him with every breath until the very last time they exhale on our world. . . .' "   (pg. 201)  My friends and I have talked about what Hell will be like, and one friends suggested that even if there is no fire and burning sulfur, it will still be the worst place because we will be eternally separated from our creator. That is punishment beyond imagination.

**Book 1 in The Dragon Keepers Chronicles**
Next book: Dragon Quest

To learn more . . .

• Donita's Web Site
• More Info
• Read Chapter One
• Author Bio

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

Please rank my review on the publisher's site by clicking here.

The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson

The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson
311 pages

    Aidan Thomas is miserable. He just moved to another state away from his best friend because his parents wanted to help his grandfather. Looking for adventure, Aidan comes across three scrolls in the basement of his grandfather's house. They contain a beautiful story of love and betrayal from a fantasy world. His parents tell him that is is The Story, a common book that can be bought at any bookstore. But could the story be true?
    Aidan's grandfather tells him that the story is true and if he trusts and believes, he can 'enter through the door within.' Aidan finds this to be true and ends up in The Realm. There, the traitor, Paragor, is trying to take over the kingdom and defeat the true king. Can Aidan and his new friends find allies and win the battle?

**Book 1 in The Door Within Trilogy**
Next book: Rise of the Wyrm Lord

Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

375 pages

Price: Paperback-$14.99 U.S.

    Leo is staying at his cousin's house for the summer. Maybe it would not be so bad if the two boys got along. Leo's cousin reads books all day, but Leo wants adventure. When he hears tales of a monster in the woods, Leo sets off to find it. On his "monster hunt," Leo meets Rose Red.
    Rose Red lives alone with her nanny goat and he old father. She covers herself in rags so no one can see her face. When she and Leo become good friends, everyone is shocked.Rose Red learns that Leo is hunting the monster and he learns that the real monster is Rose Red, no one sees her for who she is inside.
    But Rose Red is trapped by the real monster, an evil dragon who wants to rule the world. He seizes Leo's kingdom and holds everyone captive. Can Leo and Rose Red defeat to evil that has been brought upon the land?

Previous Book: Heartless

Next Book: MoonBlood

Would you read this book? Why or why not? If you have read it, what did you think of it? Please share you opinion.

The Way Home: A Princess Story by Max Lucado

The Way Home: A Princess Story by Max Lucado
     Princess Anna is not happy just being a princess. She has heard stories of the Lowlanders and how much fun they have. Each day, she day dreams about living like them. Her father, the king, is very worried about his daughter. He knows the Lowlanders are really evil and only want to harm people. But no matter what he says to Anna, she will not listen. Then one day, the Princess runs away to live with the Lowlanders. Will her father be able to rescue her in time?

Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
About 363 pages
     Princess Una is at the age to get married, but when her first suitor comes, she refuses his proposal. She wants a more handsome prince. Una continues to wait, but the evil dragon king has found her and wants her for himself. He takes over the castle and forces the royal family into captivity. Prince Aethelbald, her first suitor, tries to rescue her, but she still does not trust him. Things begin to go terribly wrong and it seems as if there is no hope for the kingdom. Who will be brave enough to fight the Dragon King?