"No Shades of Gray in this Enthralling Romantic Fantasy Thriller"
I was truly delighted to return to this story which began in
DRAGON HEAT. When we last left Saba Watanabe, she had just
said goodbye to Malcolm the Black Dragon who had once marked
her as his minion. Malcolm, who had been trapped in the
human world for centuries, had finally been freed to return
to Dragonspace by Lisa, the newest incarnation of the
singularly powerful Silver Dragon. In spite of his intense
and mutual attraction to Saba, he had shed his human form
and had taken wing with elation, leaving the heartbroken
young witch with a handful of dragon's tears and the
instructions to use them to summon him if she was ever in
need of his aid. Eight months later Saba had given up on the hope that
Malcolm would ever return to her of his own free will.
Though she'd lost her heart to the dark and brooding
shifter, he obviously didn't share her feelings. She knew
she should try to forget him but instead carried the tears
with her as a reminder. When she is attacked in a subway
car with no help in sight, she is compelled to use his gift. At age four the young half-Japanese girl had summoned the
god Baku to take away a nightmare. Her father had known then
that Saba would become someone special and wise. Malcolm has
recognized her strength as well but since his departure Saba
had become an extremely powerful witch. She now had the
ability to resist a dragon's mark and when she recognizes
her assailant for one of Malcolm's brethren she does just that. This angers her attacker, a White Dragon (known as Frosts
because of their cold and cruel nature) who plans to use
Saba and her skills both as a computer programmer and a
witch to implement a sinister plan. She is no match for his
physical strength and uses the dragon's tears to call
Malcolm forth. Malcolm's attraction for Saba has not
diminished with time apart. Furious at the abuse she's
suffered at the hands of the Frost Dragon he attacks her
assailant and chases him off but only temporarily. The White Dragon, known in human form as Roland is greedy
for magical power. When he invades Malcolm's own domain, the
Dragon Archive, and steals "The Book of All Dragons" which
reveals the true names of all inhabitants of Dragonspace, he
has the means to enslave Malcolm once more. As long as
Roland possesses the book he holds the power to commit
atrocities in both worlds. It will take all the
power Saba and her friends possess to defeat Roland and save
Malcolm and both of their worlds. This story brings back many old friends including Caleb the
Golden and Lisa the Silver Dragon who found and fell in love
with each other in DRAGON HEAT and Saba's old Chinatown
friends Ming Ue and Lumi, while introducing a new one, Axel,
who is neither dragon nor human but whose nature is tied to
Saba's heritage and will become apparent as the reader gets
deeper into the novel. Ms. James; newest romantic thriller will keep readers on the
edge of their seats as Roland attempts his worst while Saba
and Malcolm's bond only becomes stronger. Though the book
revolves around the growth of their relationship we learn
once again how special Lisa the Silver Dragons legacy truly
is for only she can has to power to make Malcolm's fondest
desire for Saba come true. Look out! A new generation has
been introduced and each of the four infants has already
begun to display its special heritage. Where will the story
take us next? Stay tuned, but in the meantime take a moment
to enjoy this truly enthralling romantic fantasy.
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted January 2, 2008
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