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. ( )

The royal family of Wilde Island is descended from the Pendragons. Six hundred years before our story, Arthur's sister Evaine was banished from the English mainland. Before she left, though, Merlin prophesied that the 21st queen of Wilde Island would restore the glory of the Pendragons and end war with the wave of her hand.

Princess Rosalind is in line to be that long-prophesied queen, but the ring finger of her left hand is a dragon claw instead. All efforts to rid her of the flaw fail, and Rosalind fears she will never be able to marry or fulfill her destiny.

In a lot of ways Dragon's Keep was satisfyingly complex. Rosalind's relationship with her mother is complicated. There's a lot of love between them, but Queen Gweneth is frighteningly over-protective in some ways and pushes Rosalind to fulfill Gweneth's dreams rather than Rosalind's own. Her reaction to Rosalind's talon is both heart-breaking and understandable. I also liked the characterization of the dragons. They were clearly not human, with very different philosophy and thought patterns. They are harsh; they bear grudges, and at times they can be cruel - but watching Rosalind grow to understand them was both interesting and confusing.

In other ways, I thought the novel was too simple. The ending and the resolution of the prophecy felt like an unrealistic quick wrap-up. I really liked the beginnings of the relationship with Kit, but it never quite gelled into the closeness I wanted. There were times that could have been absolutely heart-breaking if only their friendship had been developed more - and I wanted that depth of emotion.

I liked the story, but for some reason I wasn't drawn into the story despite my interest. It's a good book, and I think one suited for middle grade up.

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