The King�s Dragon. (Three Thieves; Bk. 4). Scott Chantler. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2014. 112 pp., hardcover, $17.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-778-5. Subject Heading: Graphic novels. Grades 4-7 / Ages 9-12. Review by Tara Stieglitz. **** /4

excerpt:

Before I rode out--for the war, you understand--I left behind a sealed letter. With Greyfalcon. His instructions were to open it only if he received word of my death.

Upon our recent return, I asked Greyfalcon to return the letter to me. He wouldn�t, claiming that he�d destroyed it up news of our victory.

The letter contains information that is�sensitive. And possibly damaging to me and the crown.

The King�s Dragon is the fourth book in Scott Chantler�s excellent �Three Thieves� series of graphic novels. This novel represents a departure from the previous books. Instead of focussing on the further adventures of Dessa and her companions, Topper and Fisk, The King�s Dragon tells the story of Captain Drake, a knight of the King�s Dragons and one of the principal people chasing Dessa and her friends. While the previous three books presented Captain Drake as a straightforward villain, this book presents him as a complex and conflicted character who struggles with the corruption within his own knighthood. The insight into Captain Drake�s character adds depth to the story and answers some of the questions raised by the previous three books while also creating a few more mysteries that still need resolving.

     The King�s Dragon maintains the quick pace and engrossing writing of the previous three novels. The structure of this instalment is made more complicated by a number of flashbacks into Captain Drake�s youth, but the flashbacks only add to the intrigue of the story. This book is also slightly darker in tone than the previous three novels though it does maintain some of the humour of the series. As with the previous books in this series, The King�s Dragon is well-written and well-illustrated, and it does an excellent job of adding depth to an already enthralling story. This book will leave readers waiting eagerly for the next instalment.

Highly Recommended.

Tara Stieglitz is a librarian at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, AB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright � the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

NEXT REVIEW | TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - May 9, 2014.

AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME