"Entertainingly and totally enthralling coming of age fantasy"
Ailia lived on Mera for seventeen years, never realizing
that her mother took her from her home planet Arainia to
escape enemies that would kill her before she fulfilled
her destiny. Before she left for her home planet, she
thwarted Mandrake the shapeshifting dragon and took the
Star Stone with her. Most of the Arainia populace sees her
as the Tryna Lia, who is fated to rid the worlds of the
Celestial Empire of evil. Her tutors teach Ailia how to
use her untapped powers although she is content to be an
ordinary woman, not a near deity that people revere and
fear. On her birthday, Khalazar, a minion of Mandrake though he
is unaware of that, sends Ailia a message that he is
coming to destroy her. The Tryna Lia is sent into hiding
but one of her inner circle is a traitor in league with
Mandrake. She is taken to the dragon's home world where
she finds a way to travel to Nemorah in the hopes that she
can stop Mandrake and end his plans for war. In the beginning of this book Ailia is an unsure, timid
maiden afraid of her destiny; by the end, she becomes a
warrior, her power fully developed and a champion who is
not afraid to fight Mandrake as an equal. Her adventures
on her home world, the Dragon's world and Nemorah cause
her to grow up fast and take charge of her life.
Ironically, readers feel sorry for Mandrake who finds that
his dark ways cause the people who truly cared about him
to turn their backs on him. Alison Baird's latest work is
an enjoyable, entertainingly and totally enthralling
coming of age fantasy. Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted November 15, 2004
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted January 19, 2007
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