Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com

Rosalind's fate was written in the stars, read by Merlin, some 600 years before she was born. A direct descendant of the Pendragon line, her ancestor, Evaine, was the younger sister of King Arthur. Evaine married an outlaw and was banished to Wilde Island and erased from family history, setting Rosalind's destiny in motion. Three things are said of the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island; "She shall redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island."

Rosalind knows the prophecy well. She has been groomed for it her entire life. The way her mother sees it, England is in the midst of a civil war and Rosalind will marry Prince Henry, future king of England, thereby fulfilling all aspects of the prophecy. There are just a few problems. Having never met the Prince, what if he and Rosalind don't get along? Not that the Queen of England has officially contacted them yet, though it is assumed she is aware of the prophecy. With the recent dragon attacks on Wilde Island their military force is depleted, and may not be much help to England. Oh, and there's the little matter of Rosalind's ring finger. Instead of a finger it's a dragon's claw. So far she and her mother have hidden it behind golden gloves, but that won't work when Rosie is married. They MUST find a cure soon. A cure that is made harder to find due to the fact that the healers are never told what the exact problem is. Things are beginning to look bleak.

When an envoy from England comes to visit Wilde Island, things may be looking up a little. Especially since they've managed to slay the dragon that has been harassing the Island forever. It doesn't hurt that the one who killed the dragon is a handsome boy around Rosalind's age. At least in Rosalind's opinion, but her mother might not see it the same. Not that it's a concern for long. What should be one of the most triumphant moments in their history turns horrifying when the dragon's mate returns to punish the people, and takes a special interest in Rosalind. Before long, Rosalind's life will never be the same, and it doesn't look like the prophecy could ever possibly be fulfilled.

There is so much more to this book than I can tell you here! So many more levels and layers to the story. If I tried to fit it all in it would not only ruin the story, but end up nearly as long as the book! The relationships between the characters are so multi-leveled and very realistic. Rosalind may be a Princess with a dragon's claw in a faraway time and place, but her relationship with her mother is something you could see in anyone's life. Her desire to be normal and accepted are the same things everyone experiences as a teenager. So while the circumstances aren't something we experience every day, the people in them, and their reactions to them, are completely realistic and easy to relate to.

Part fairy tale, part mythology, part legend, all around fantastic! Read it! You'll be glad you did. ( )

Merlin prophesied that the twenty first queen would redeem the Pendragon name, end war with the wave of her hand, and restore glory to Wilde Island. Rosalind happens to be the twenty first queen. But Rosalind holds the devils mark, her ring finger is the claw of a dragon with a prominent black talon at its end.Rosalind is forced to wear gloves to hide her mark and anyone that bears witness to it, doesn’t live long after. Although many healers have been sought to heal the mark, it remains. Rosalind fears she will remain tainted forever, and will never marry or find love.Rosalind is captured by the dragon Lord Faul and is forced to care for his young after his mate is killed. It is here at her life with the dragons that Rosalind finds herself.I expected a lot from this book, and I hate to say it but I was disappointed. It seemed like Rosalind couldn’t figure out what kind of person she was, one second she was vulnerable the next she's invincible. The story was interesting, but it seemed to drag. I had to fight myself to keep interest, I only continued to read because there were so many unanswered questions. To add to my disappointment was the melodramatic climax. At least there was a happy ending. This book was okay, it was good, just not great. I wanted to love it, but I don't know if I even really liked it. ( )

I liked the plot but the way she wrote the story was sort of weak. There were a few peices missing to the story; key peices. I thought she had a nice idea going in the beginning but the ending was too fast and without much support. In summary: a good idea, a good book, but it could have been written better. ( )

School Library Journal
( April 01, 2007 ; 0-15-205926-1 )

Nonstop action may keep readers glued to this page-turner, but strong writing and character development are what will make it linger in their memories long after they've finished it. Princess Rosalind Pendragon is meant to fulfill a 600-year-old prophecy from Merlin that she will restore her family's good name and end a war. Rosalind was born with one dragon talon, which is a fearful secret known only to the teen and her mother. It is kept hidden by the golden gloves that Rosalind is never without, and over the years, the queen tries desperately to find a cure for the curse. When Rosalind reveals her claw to Lord Faul, a dragon that has been terrorizing the island, her destiny is set in motion. Taken by him to be nursemaid to his motherless children, she learns of her dragon blood and of her mother's treachery. Rosalind and the dragons are bound together in a complex relationship that, in the end, helps her fulfill the prophecy. Her heroic journey comes full circle, and she finds internal peace as well as peace for her people. While the story has roots in traditional fairy tales and legends, the author has crafted something new and magical, and unexpected plot twists will surprise readers throughout. Lord Faul and Rosalind, whose personality is a fantastic combination of Joan of Arc, Briar Rose, and Patricia Wrede's Princess Cimarron, develop so well as characters that readers will be touched by them. Devotees of fantasy adventure stories will certainly find treasure here.-Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

I absolutely loved this book. It's a great tale about a girl who was born with a dragon's talon and how she overcomes the idea of being misformed and unites a nation. ( )