Ruth, Patrick, Ted, Ellen, and Laura go home, but it is not long after that Ted and Laura stumble on a series of events that bring them back to the Secret Country. When they return, things aren’t what they used to be, now that Fence and Randolph know about the cousins’ secret. Meanwhile, there are still things in the Secret Country that must be fixed: Fence must lead a group to the Heathwill Library to find answers, and Randolph must lead another to the Lords of the Dead and then the Dragon King.

I don’t have much to say about The Whim of the Dragon that doesn’t apply for my reviews of the two earlier books in this trilogy. Pamela Dean writes an intelligent, twisty young adult series with rich characterization and an ambiguity that is tantalizing as much as it can sometimes be frustrating. I do think it veers a little more towards frustrating in this book because it is the last in the series and the reader wants conclusion. It doesn’t make The Whim of the Dragon bad but it did leave me with a lot of (spoiler-filled) questions.

What were Melanie’s motives? Why did she give herself to the Lords of the Dead? Why did the children hear the voices of the royal children? Why did the Dragon King attack the Hidden Land? Since when does Randolph have feelings for Ruth? Was Andrew a spy?

In the author bio for my copy of the book, Pamela Dean says originally she had written a long story that she was later forced to trim. I think either she trimmed too much or she purposefully left questions dangling.

Even so, there’s a lot this book offers. I do like the ending and the divisions that are made between the children who stay and the children who go. It made a lot of sense to me and left a ball of tenderness lodged in my throat. ( )

This book has, as a friend warned me while I was reading it, a very Pamela Dean ending -- it sort of sneaks up on you, and isn't as satisfying as you might have wanted. On the other hand, it (and the two others in the trilogy) also has a full collection of Pamela Dean characters, whom after spending three books with I feel like I know better than some people I actually know, and is chock full of Pamela Dean turns of phrase, so I can deal with the ending. ( )

Conclusion to the Secret Country trilogy, where the children once again travel to the Hidden Country, to save it from a sorcerer bent on revenge, and from the consequences of their disappearence (previous volumes). Good story, playing with the 'parallel world' idea, with a surprising conclusion.
My general problem with the whole series is that the children - ranging in age from 11 to 16 are quoting Shakespeare and the like as easy as speaking. That makes them so unbelievable as characters, I have a hard time accepting their behavior and perceptions as even remotely likely. ( )

This is the third book in the Secret Country trilogy. It took me longer to get through than the previous two. The tone is more serious and I found all the rules about the different Outside Powers, Judge of the Dead, etc to be rather confusing at times. I even had to go back and re-read bits. Of the three in the trilogy, I vastly prefer the first, even if it lacks the depth and plot twists of the third. That being said, it's still definitely worth reading all three. The ending of this book is perfect and quite satisfying. ( )