The Dragon of Trelian

Young Calen is a mage-in-training in the kingdom of Trelian, newly apprenticed to the stern master magician, Serek. Meglynne is a middle princess with a reputation for impulsive, un-princessy behavior; her older sister has always been her best friend, but soon her sister will be gone, married to a prince from the neighboring kingdom, thus ending a long-standing war. These two lonely children meet when they both sneak away from their duties to spy on the prince's procession, and they quickly strike up a friendship based on mutual need. Calen needs someone to believe in his ability and dedication to magic in a way that his disapproving master doesn't seem to, and Meg needs someone she can trust with a dangerous secret -- she's found a show more baby dragon, a rare species in Trelian, and has been hiding it in a nearby cave outside of the palace grounds. Meg relies on Calen to research dragons and advise her, especially after they realize she and the dragon have formed a mental bond that allows them to share thoughts and power. During one of their meetings, Meg and Calen overhear a powerful ambassador from Kragnir plotting the death of Meg's sister in order to rekindle the war, but before they can warn anyone, they are caught and sent far from the kingdom with a powerful spell. Now, Meg and Calen must find their way back to Trelian in time to save Meg's sister, and they have only Calen's fledging powers and Meg's link with the dragon Jackl to rely on.

This is a solid middle-grade fantasy, and one that I very much enjoyed reading. The way magic works in the world, and especially the way it is regulated (magicians have tattoos that represent their abilities; these tattoos change and grow as their powers do, and it is illegal to practice magic without the tattoos; basically, it is illegal to hide the fact that you have power) is interesting and well thought out. Dragons have been done to death, but Knudson does a credible job using this mythic creature as a way to explore Meg's issues of identity and trust, as she is afraid her true self will be swept away in the tide of the dragon's power. As the dragon doesn't have human feelings and is quite threatening, she naturally worries about what kind of person she will become and how others will see her. Also, despite the book's title, the dragon here is not the focus of the whole story. The focus is on Calen's and Meg's friendship, and what a great friendship it is! Despite their status differences, Meg and Calen treat each other as equals, and both have strengths that the other trusts: Meg trusts Calen's calm thoughtfulness and magical knowledge, and Calen admires Meg's people skills and her sheer willful determination not to fail. Even better, they do not appear to be heading in a romantic relationship -- Meg has a crush on another boy during part of the book. I also like that Knudson did not make all of the adults in the book into clueless morons who blunder in and ruin everything; Calen's master Serek proves to be a strong force on their side. He listens to them, and then he acts on the knowledge in appropriately adult ways, not by confining them to their rooms or telling them they're imagining things, but by doing his own quiet research and protecting and supporting them when needed. While Calen's and Meg's actions ultimately foil the plot (for now, mwahahaha; there is definitely a sequel), Serek is the strong adult figure they needed. Overall I was really surprised by how much I liked this book (sometimes I get cynical about middle-grade fantasy, especially involving dragons), and I hope the next one continues the strong writing, plotting, and character development. show less

What a gem of a story and one of my top faves this year. I love the note it ended on because it left the door wide open for a series and this is too good a story to end here. Michelle Knudsen's style of writing is like trying on an unbelievably comfortable pair of slippers - so easy to sink into that I found myself going "just one more chapter" even as my eyes were closing. What I pictured was an adventure story about a dragon, but added to the mix is mystery, suspense and even romance, which came as a very unexpected and welcome surprise, especially since what I thought at first was leading to a predictable conclusion ended up being anything but.

The story revolves around the separate lives of Calen, an apprentice mage, and Princess show more Meg, whose paths cross unexpectedly, resulting in a bond of friendship. Meg's sister, Maerlie, is about to be married to Prince Ryant, the union of which would bring peace between Trelian and Kragnir, which have been at war for some time. Shortly after Meg introduces Calen to her dragon, Jakl, Calen discovers he has unforeseen powers as a mage, which are put to the test in an assassination plot against Meg's sister, Maerlie, which could result in a war. It is up to Calen and Meg, together with Jakl, to find a way to prevent the traitors from achieving their goal.

What I loved the most was the relationships, especially that of Calen and Meg, which appeared more developed than Meg's and Jakl's, although this is mainly due to Meg's shielding of Jakl for so long. Each draws strength from the other, especially in times of need, which balances out their relationship so perfectly that they almost seem as one.

My only regret is that the story ended. I cannot wait for the next one. Have been raving about it to everyone so with all the extra sales Ms. Knudsen should get, I hope it is not too long before book two is on the shelves. In the meantime, I give this one five stars. show less

Review is based on an ARC.

About halfway through the book, I had to stop reading to do laundry. Walking to the laundry room, I caught myself thinking, "How is it so good?" Then my boss called and I was interrupted from my chore for a while. Upon returning to the laundry, I realized that all I could think about was what was happening in the story and what would happen next.

I'd like to congratulate Michelle Knudson on writing an engaging, fast-paced fantasy that is neither overly simplistic nor overly weighed down with unnecessary fantasy lore (which few authors have successfully implemented). I recently found myself straying away from dragon novels because they are too often poorly done. Knudson, however, appears a master at crafting a show more fantastical creature that readers will want to relate to, without making the dragon too human itself.

The story follows a young "feisty" princess and a mage's apprentice as they attempt to save loved ones, kingdoms, and their world. We are accompanied by a mysterious mage (magician), sisters of all personalities, a completely understandable crush, and evil in numerous forms.

The only criticism I have is a failure to announce the characters' age. While I correctly guessed 14, I felt that putting the characters at the correct age (even approximate age) would have helped the characterization move just a little bit faster (it was finally confirmed on page 125).

All in all, a wonderful, quick read for readers craving a little more fantasy in their lives. show less

The Dragon of Trelian focuses on a mage's apprentice named Calen and a princess named Meg. The dragon is less central to the story than I would have liked, but that will probably shift as the series continues. In this novel, Knudsen has created an incredible, complex fantasy world that people of all ages will love to delve into. I had my doubts at the beginning, but the characters are so easy to relate to and I was immediately sucked into their world.

The plot had some issues for me, but I really loved the characters and their relationship with each other. Both Meg and Calen are fantastically well-rounded, and I could see both boys and girls loving this story because of the dual points of view. Once the action and adventure got started show more (it did take a very long time for it to start), the pace really picked up and I was hooked. The black winged creatures (shown on cover) are described in horrific detail, which I loved -- a good fantasy isn't complete without at least one frightening creature.

What I didn't like, and what seems to be a problem for a lot of middle grade works, is that a lot of conflicts are resolved within a few pages of being introduced. There are some problems that take longer, but for the most part, a seemingly huge obstacle is thrown in the characters' way, and then it magically disappears within moments. This makes it really frustrating when they can't figure out an obvious solution to a problem that takes them chapters to solve. Yes, it's middle grade and should be less complex, but I like it when the characters are pushed and have to work for a happy ending.

Despite that, however, I found this to be a charming fantasy with incredibly lovable characters. I can't wait to see what the next books have in store, and I've already added the sequel to my to-read list.

*I was given a free copy of this book from the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.* show less

Far and away the best book I've received through the Early Reviewer program. I truly couldn't put it down. Initially, I was interested in the book simply because it involved a dragon. I have read many dragon books and am always looking for a new good one. This is a new good one.

I loved the characters, each of which was incredibly lifelike. Knudsen took the effort to give her characters -- even the minor ones -- such individual personalities that they were each identifiable by their traits, not just their names.

Calen and Meg were a wonderful pair. They offset each other perfectly right from chapter one and I loved reading their adventures as they grew to be closer friends. The differences in their positions was brilliant. I enjoyed show more being exposed to the world of a mage's apprentice, watching Calen come into his powers, and then entering Meg's world of royalty, particularly reveling in her growing connection with Jakl.

The story is beautifully told with adventure, suspense, love, revenge, and forgiveness combined into an outstanding fantasy that has earned a spot on my "favorites" shelf. I am already hoping for a sequel! show less

BRAVO!
Ok, first let me say that I devoured this book in a weekend, and that is only due to the fact that I couldn't put it down. It had that draw that kept me wanting more. I still want more!

This book has everything a YA (or older) fantasy lover could ask for. Magic- good and evil, a young wizard, a princess, likeable AND believable characters, dragons!! and a plot!

For a fictional debut, I'd say that Michelle Knudsen kinda nailed it. I am just hoping that there is more to come for Calen and Meg.

When apprentice mage Calen and Princess Meglynne encounter each other (both hiding from their respective responsibilities), a fast friendship is formed. Both children were lonely and isolated by their positions, and they soon find themselves sharing secrets. Meg has a big secret -- she discovered a young dragon in the woods near the castle, and she has been hiding it in a cave ever since. In fact, Meg and the dragon Jakl have formed a magical bond. They are, in fact, linked for life, whether they meant to be or not. Calen resolves to help keep Meg's secret, and he begins to research the dragon linkage in hopes of helping her manage it. Even bigger than this dragon-size problem, however, is the plot of an evil mage who is plotting war show more and murder. When Calen and Meg stumble upon this plot, their lives are in danger -- and they are the only ones who can sound the alarm and stop the plot from wreaking havoc in Meg's family and her kingdom.

This is a fun fantasy read -- though I found myself enjoying it a little less as a reread than I did at first. Perhaps that's because it's not highly original, as far as the plot goes. I like the characters, and I think Meg's conflicted feelings about her link with Jakl are particularly well-done. Some of the secondary characters (Meg's parents, for instance) are a bit flat, while others (Serek, the mage Calen is apprenticed to, in particular) are intriguing. It's a good solid read, and I'd recommend it to fans of middle-grade fantasy, especially those who like the Dragon Slippers books by Jessica Day George and A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine. show less