Status
Available
Call number
Publication
WaterBrook (2004), 352 pages
Description
Once a slave, Kale is given the unexpected opportunity to become a servant to Paladin. Yet this young girl has much to learn about the difference between slavery and service. A Desperate Search Begins... A small band of Paladin's servants rescue Kale from danger but turn her from her destination: The Hall, where she was to be trained. Feeling afraid and unprepared, Kale embarks on a perilous quest to find the meech dragon egg stolen by the foul Wizard Risto. First, she and her comrades must find Wizard Fenworth. But their journey is threatened when a key member of the party is captured, leaving the remaining companions to find Fenworth, attempt an impossible rescue, and recover the egg whose true value they have not begun to suspect... Weaving together memorable characters, daring adventure, and a core of eternal truth, Dragonspell is a finely crafted and welcome addition to the corpus of fantasy fiction.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member LinkBDD123
This is a GREAT book!!!!!!!! I love this book so much that I read DragonQuest, and DragonKnight.
LibraryThing member Razorgirl
When Kale discovers a dragon egg in a stream, she is sent to Vendela, capital of Amara. But before she gets there, she is attacked by grawligs, a type of mountain troll, and she finds a whole clutch of dragon eggs. From there she is rescued by Paladin's warriors and taken to find Wizard Fenworth in
This is beautiful story from a great author. The writer wove a great tale of adventure and faith. The name for her God-figure was weird at first, but you get used to it. The ending was excellent, and Kale was easy to identify with. The characters were well drawn, though Leetu Bends and Dar were so much more perfect than I thought possible. However, I liked Leetu's love of books, and how she read them every chance she got. A great and entertaining read.
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the Southern Bogs. Once he is found, she embarks on her true guest to find a meech dragon egg, and rescue it from Risto's evil machinations. This is beautiful story from a great author. The writer wove a great tale of adventure and faith. The name for her God-figure was weird at first, but you get used to it. The ending was excellent, and Kale was easy to identify with. The characters were well drawn, though Leetu Bends and Dar were so much more perfect than I thought possible. However, I liked Leetu's love of books, and how she read them every chance she got. A great and entertaining read.
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LibraryThing member jcsoblonde
This is a great fantasy!! Clean too, and you can't find many like that. (sadly.) There are 3 more after this that are out, and book 5: Dragonlight, is in the making!
LibraryThing member cherryblossommj
This book kept me giggling and curious for more. With a full combination of Dumbledore and Gandolf, with Jesus and God the Father, as well as the Fellowship of the Ring, and flashes of the Shadow of Evil plot in mind... this book is a wonderful original that is reminiscent of many wonderful things
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that takes you to no place like you have ever been. Kale is a simple o'rant girl who does not think too highly of herself. This is a story where Paladin comes to her in ways unimagined and shows her what she is made of, whether it is more or less than what she thought you'll have to read it and see. This book is a great adventure, literally for all ages! Show Less
LibraryThing member cherryblossommj
This book kept me giggling and curious for more. With a full combination of Dumbledore and Gandolf, with Jesus and God the Father, as well as the Fellowship of the Ring, and flashes of the Shadow of Evil plot in mind... this book is a wonderful original that is reminiscent of many wonderful things
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that takes you to no place like you have ever been. Kale is a simple o'rant girl who does not think too highly of herself. This is a story where Paladin comes to her in ways unimagined and shows her what she is made of, whether it is more or less than what she thought you'll have to read it and see. This book is a great adventure, literally for all ages! Show Less
LibraryThing member kingoftheicedragons
This is the second book of Donita Paul's that I have read, and the first one of the DragonSpell series. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of the quest that Kale is sent on, and the friends that she meets along the way. Certainly there are traces of other fantasy books in this one, and this story is
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particularly a light read compared to some. The humor was great throughout the book. My one disappointment would likely be with Fernworth, the magician, but perhaps that's because he had also appeared in the book "The Vanishing Sculptor" and by then he had more depth to him. Overall, one of the best books I have read lately. Show Less
LibraryThing member PitcherBooks
Set in a feudal other world, a former village slave girl carrying a dragon egg she discovered is much looking forward to her new life as a well-fed, well-dressed, free servant in the capital city but finds her life takes a totally different turn just as the city is in her sight.
And she's not
Some people have compared this book series to Narnia. The only similarity is that both are fantasies and Christian allegories.
The "religious allegory" category is more of a turn-off than a sales point for me. In fact, that description almost stopped me from buying it as I can't stand proselytizing in any form. And I'd have missed a darn good read.
The Wulder/Paladin & God/Christ metaphor is not subtle but it's not terribly obnoxious either. The metaphor could easily be extended to other religions and though somewhat preachy "messages" do exist in this book, they are rare, short and generally upbeat and positive. I really can't complain.
I found the range of interesting and sometimes quirky characters endearing and look forward to reading the next in the series.
If anything, this book reminded me of 19th century children's novels wherein moral messages were expected. Where, in the end, good people thrived and bad people got their just desserts. Where doing the right thing, no matter how hard, made you a better person. Where character counts for more than popularity or what toys you own. Not a bad message for kids of any age or era.
And she's not
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terribly pleased to find that her visions of the cushy good life in the city are replaced with the realities of hardships and dangers in going a-questing. Dang that dragon egg-finding ability of hers :-) A thoroughly understandable position and an enjoyable and likeable heroine who does her best to cope with the hand she's dealt anyway. Some people have compared this book series to Narnia. The only similarity is that both are fantasies and Christian allegories.
The "religious allegory" category is more of a turn-off than a sales point for me. In fact, that description almost stopped me from buying it as I can't stand proselytizing in any form. And I'd have missed a darn good read.
The Wulder/Paladin & God/Christ metaphor is not subtle but it's not terribly obnoxious either. The metaphor could easily be extended to other religions and though somewhat preachy "messages" do exist in this book, they are rare, short and generally upbeat and positive. I really can't complain.
I found the range of interesting and sometimes quirky characters endearing and look forward to reading the next in the series.
If anything, this book reminded me of 19th century children's novels wherein moral messages were expected. Where, in the end, good people thrived and bad people got their just desserts. Where doing the right thing, no matter how hard, made you a better person. Where character counts for more than popularity or what toys you own. Not a bad message for kids of any age or era.
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LibraryThing member vegaheim
cute, loved it, quick read
LibraryThing member Karly_H
This series lets you be a part of both a fantasy world and the world of Christianity. Donita K. Paul does a wonderful job of alluding to Christian ideas, however, a non-believer will enjoy the series just as much! Dragon lovers will get a kick out of this humorous, yet sometimes not-so-humorous
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book. After having read several books/series in my life, this is still one of my top favorites! Show Less
LibraryThing member DenzilPugh
first picked up Donita Paul's Dragonspell from Lifeway's bargain stacks. The series centers around Kale, the perfect depiction of a fledgling soul, and her growth from slave girl to a keeper of dragons. The book screams Christian Allegory, so much more than Lewis' Narnia series. Aslan was the
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figure of Christ in the land beyond the wardrobe, and Paul does an adequate job of creating "Paladin," a human teacher with benevolent powers. The story is enjoyable and well crafted, although I miss a more subtle angle that Lewis would have taken. When an author takes it upon herself to be a creator of a world, the very role that God had in this world, everything must be created from scratch. To place such an obvious character as Paladin in a fantasy world is to disrupt the total transformation of the world from a Fantasy realm to one constructed by an author just to make a point. The world becomes secondary to a Sunday School teacher, using make-believe to illustrate a point. C.S. Lewis was a master in balancing the two ideas, which is why the books can be read as Christian Allegories or as fantasy novels to entertain readers of any age. Knowing that Donita Paul's works are Light Allegories with an obvious message and audience, it does not detract from the enjoying the books. I look forward to reading the rest of her works, as I have found the rest in the bargain stacks as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member Ignolopi
I recommend this book for kids, because it has magic, dragons, eccentric wizards, and a grumbling little girl who can be pretty cute.
Kale is a slave in some village until the day she finds a dragon egg and is sent to the big city. On her way, she gets distracted, and ends up finding 7 more eggs.
In this world, there are 7 high races, and 7 low races. The names are pretty complicated, but basically Kale is rescued by an elf and a dwarf to go on an adventure to find a wizard to locate the egg of a special type of dragon before the evil wizard can use it to cast some horrible evil spell. With the help of some dragons, faeries, and other creatures, they fight their way through slimy marsh monsters, slinky rodent monsters, mountain trolls, collapsing caves, and empty dungeons, until Kale is convinced she belongs as a servant of Paladin, and this whole `questing' business might really be her thing.
The creature names/descriptions were impossible, but the main thing that bothered me was the religious stuff. I honestly had no idea it was religious fiction (I only suspected about halfway through), and frankly I could get around that, except the blind devotion all the creatures and Kale place in this Wulder is kind of creepy, and I felt the book spent waaay to much time talking about Wulder. Her conversations with Paladin were interesting (Paladin is an actual person, kind of the next rung down from Wulder I think).
But I think it was cute, overall, and would be enjoyed by kids and some YA audiences.
(Read in Overdrive on an iPad.)
Kale is a slave in some village until the day she finds a dragon egg and is sent to the big city. On her way, she gets distracted, and ends up finding 7 more eggs.
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Very tiny ones I'm guessing, for she carries them all with no troubles, and can't you just see her surrounded by bunches of little dragons and faeries?In this world, there are 7 high races, and 7 low races. The names are pretty complicated, but basically Kale is rescued by an elf and a dwarf to go on an adventure to find a wizard to locate the egg of a special type of dragon before the evil wizard can use it to cast some horrible evil spell. With the help of some dragons, faeries, and other creatures, they fight their way through slimy marsh monsters, slinky rodent monsters, mountain trolls, collapsing caves, and empty dungeons, until Kale is convinced she belongs as a servant of Paladin, and this whole `questing' business might really be her thing.
The creature names/descriptions were impossible, but the main thing that bothered me was the religious stuff. I honestly had no idea it was religious fiction (I only suspected about halfway through), and frankly I could get around that, except the blind devotion all the creatures and Kale place in this Wulder is kind of creepy, and I felt the book spent waaay to much time talking about Wulder. Her conversations with Paladin were interesting (Paladin is an actual person, kind of the next rung down from Wulder I think).
But I think it was cute, overall, and would be enjoyed by kids and some YA audiences.
(Read in Overdrive on an iPad.)
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LibraryThing member AlaskanBookie
This would be a good story for the Young Adult - Teen readers looking for a Christian Fantasy read. Although the author uses different names for the God in this book, the religious lessons are the same as you would learn in other Christian books. Sometimes I felt that the religious lessons being
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described were more detailed than the adventure being experienced by the characters. JMHO Show Less
LibraryThing member lcarter11
Kale is not just young, she's only known one kind of life. After spending her short lifetime with a race that shows little or no affection, she finds her abrupt transition from village slave to a member of a quest ameliorated by the friends she makes along the way.
I'm a tad puzzled at the "minor"
I'm a tad puzzled at the "minor"
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dragons, wondering if they remain the same size as indicated in this book. But, I've already got the next title, so I hope to find out soon! Show Less
Awards
Colorado Blue Spruce Award (Nominee — 2008)
Christy Awards (Nominee — 2005)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2004
Physical description
1 p.; 5.1 inches
ISBN
1578568234 / 9781578568239