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Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman:
Magic and adventure abound in this second book in the Dragon Lad trilogy.
The Tale of the Talisman follows our young dragon-hatched hero as he seeks his parents, his past and his destiny in Roman-ruled Britannia. A boy without a history-at least one that he can remember-Dirk turns to his shape-shifting friends for help. They launch him on a quest involving the one clue he has to his previous existence: a magic talisman.
The wizard Beldor gives Dirk a ring that allows him to reenter the realm he thought he'd left behind. Armed with this ring and a magic map, he travels a trail leading to a raging dragon, a slippery mermaid, two grasping sorcerers and a legion of Roman soldiers. He also rediscovers a long-lost friend and powers he never imagined.
Fast-paced and funny, Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman is a modern classic that can be read alone or as a companion to the first novel in the trilogy, Dragon Lad: The Thirteenth Egg.
The Tale of the Talisman follows our young dragon-hatched hero as he seeks his parents, his past and his destiny in Roman-ruled Britannia. A boy without a history-at least one that he can remember-Dirk turns to his shape-shifting friends for help. They launch him on a quest involving the one clue he has to his previous existence: a magic talisman.
The wizard Beldor gives Dirk a ring that allows him to reenter the realm he thought he'd left behind. Armed with this ring and a magic map, he travels a trail leading to a raging dragon, a slippery mermaid, two grasping sorcerers and a legion of Roman soldiers. He also rediscovers a long-lost friend and powers he never imagined.
Fast-paced and funny, Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman is a modern classic that can be read alone or as a companion to the first novel in the trilogy, Dragon Lad: The Thirteenth Egg.
242 pages, Paperback
Published October 23, 2017
About the author
J.C. Stevens
3 books3 followersJ. C. Stevens began writing fiction, nonfiction and poetry at age five. The author's first and favorite stories were about ghosts, witches and other spooky creatures. As an adult, Stevens served as a newspaper reporter, editor and teacher.
"Dragon Lad: The Thirteenth Egg," the first book in the Dragon Lad trilogy, debuted in 2015. The second book in the trilogy, "Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman," appeared in 2017. The third and final book, "Dragon Lad: Wand of the Black Sphere," was published in 2019. Stevens lives in Southern California. To learn more, visit http://www.dragonseggbooks.com.
"Dragon Lad: The Thirteenth Egg," the first book in the Dragon Lad trilogy, debuted in 2015. The second book in the trilogy, "Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman," appeared in 2017. The third and final book, "Dragon Lad: Wand of the Black Sphere," was published in 2019. Stevens lives in Southern California. To learn more, visit http://www.dragonseggbooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 7, 2021
Stevens introduces an absorbing fantasy world of dragons, humans, witches, and wizards, taking his young protagonist on many nail-biting adventures in this impressive middle grade fantasy series, the three-part Dragon Lad trilogy.
In the debut installment, the small-bird size young dragon, Dorg discovers a shocking truth about his own identity: he may not be a dragon at all. He hatched small because of a curse. Coming to terms with this new revelation is not easy for Dorg, leaving him eager to search for his birth family, and his transformation to a human boy complicates the things further.
The second installment continues Dorg’s story, who as a boy is known as Dirk. Trying to locate his birth family in the Roman-ruled Britannia, Dirk sets on a horrendous journey.
The third installment sees Dirk surrounded by enemies, with Treacherous Ethelda determined to settle her old scores and the Roman army in search of the magical black sphere.
Steven’s dragons are fully realized characters, with emotions, aspirations, loyalty, and inner struggles. Adorable and sometimes frustrating, Dirk is an entirely believable character. It’s impossible for the reader not to root for him. Dirk’s longing for the parents and siblings he never knew are conveyed with authenticity. Beldor and Ydda are absolutely adorable. The villains are thoroughly sinister and intimidating. Stevens focuses on each character in relation to Dorg, and because of that, other characters may not appear fully realized. Yet each of them undergoes an alteration.
The history of Romans, their ways of life, and the geopolitics of the time period are smoothly woven into the adventure plot. Stevens’s world is a robustly diverse one, and he continues to develop it throughout all the three instalments, fleshing out the historical relationship between dragons and humans. Along the way, he explores serious issues of identity, self-discovery, family bond, friendship, children’s need to fit in, and what it means to be humane in a manner that is both honest and accessible.
The setting is authentic—from the springs at Aquae Sulis as a healing place and resort to ancient dragon caves—every place comes alive. The accompanied illustrations are pleasing to eyes and bring both the story and the characters to life. Filled with action and adventure, the story entertains from start to finish.
Middle graders who like their fantasy seasoned with feisty characters and nonstop action won’t want to put it down.
In the debut installment, the small-bird size young dragon, Dorg discovers a shocking truth about his own identity: he may not be a dragon at all. He hatched small because of a curse. Coming to terms with this new revelation is not easy for Dorg, leaving him eager to search for his birth family, and his transformation to a human boy complicates the things further.
The second installment continues Dorg’s story, who as a boy is known as Dirk. Trying to locate his birth family in the Roman-ruled Britannia, Dirk sets on a horrendous journey.
The third installment sees Dirk surrounded by enemies, with Treacherous Ethelda determined to settle her old scores and the Roman army in search of the magical black sphere.
Steven’s dragons are fully realized characters, with emotions, aspirations, loyalty, and inner struggles. Adorable and sometimes frustrating, Dirk is an entirely believable character. It’s impossible for the reader not to root for him. Dirk’s longing for the parents and siblings he never knew are conveyed with authenticity. Beldor and Ydda are absolutely adorable. The villains are thoroughly sinister and intimidating. Stevens focuses on each character in relation to Dorg, and because of that, other characters may not appear fully realized. Yet each of them undergoes an alteration.
The history of Romans, their ways of life, and the geopolitics of the time period are smoothly woven into the adventure plot. Stevens’s world is a robustly diverse one, and he continues to develop it throughout all the three instalments, fleshing out the historical relationship between dragons and humans. Along the way, he explores serious issues of identity, self-discovery, family bond, friendship, children’s need to fit in, and what it means to be humane in a manner that is both honest and accessible.
The setting is authentic—from the springs at Aquae Sulis as a healing place and resort to ancient dragon caves—every place comes alive. The accompanied illustrations are pleasing to eyes and bring both the story and the characters to life. Filled with action and adventure, the story entertains from start to finish.
Middle graders who like their fantasy seasoned with feisty characters and nonstop action won’t want to put it down.
April 15, 2020
Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman is the second book in J.C. Stevens’ Dragon Lad series. This book continues the story of young Dirk/Dorg, a young boy who hatched out of an egg as a dragon but transformed into a human. He’s on a quest to learn about his past and who he really is. His quest won’t be easy as he has little to no memory of who he once was before he hatched as a dragon, but thankfully he has some friends to help him along his journey as he seeks questions to his past.
Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman is the first book that I have read by J.C. Stevens. I was a bit hesitant at first to pick up this book seeing as it was the second in a series. Most books in series require that you have read the previous book, but the author assures readers that this book can be read as a stand-alone and I am happy to say that this is true. The author gives readers small glimpses into Dirk’s past and how he came to be on the path that he has found himself. Dirk’s journey is an easy one to follow as he seeks help along the way in his quest for answers. There are of course stumbles along the way, but that just adds to the enjoyment of the storyline. I like watching Dirk gain each piece of information as he goes along. He learns helpful things and then he learns less than helpful things. He learns some humorous facts about certain characters, and then learns some hard truths.
I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the illustrations sprinkled throughout the book. The drawings are well done and I like that they help add to the storyline by emphasizing certain scenes here and there. This is truly a well-written story and absolutely suitable for young readers as there is little to nothing that would make this unsuitable for a younger child to read this book. I really like that Dirk is such a well-written character. He’s kind, gentle, well-mannered, and thoughtful. He’s absolutely someone that one would want to have as a friend.
There is little to nothing that I can complain about concerning this book, so I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars. This is a good book for young children; it has a nice balance of fantasy and adventure and easily captivates readers. If you enjoy these types of stories and/or are looking for a suitable bedtime story to read then I highly recommend this book. I’m sure that you won’t be disappointed.
Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman is the first book that I have read by J.C. Stevens. I was a bit hesitant at first to pick up this book seeing as it was the second in a series. Most books in series require that you have read the previous book, but the author assures readers that this book can be read as a stand-alone and I am happy to say that this is true. The author gives readers small glimpses into Dirk’s past and how he came to be on the path that he has found himself. Dirk’s journey is an easy one to follow as he seeks help along the way in his quest for answers. There are of course stumbles along the way, but that just adds to the enjoyment of the storyline. I like watching Dirk gain each piece of information as he goes along. He learns helpful things and then he learns less than helpful things. He learns some humorous facts about certain characters, and then learns some hard truths.
I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the illustrations sprinkled throughout the book. The drawings are well done and I like that they help add to the storyline by emphasizing certain scenes here and there. This is truly a well-written story and absolutely suitable for young readers as there is little to nothing that would make this unsuitable for a younger child to read this book. I really like that Dirk is such a well-written character. He’s kind, gentle, well-mannered, and thoughtful. He’s absolutely someone that one would want to have as a friend.
There is little to nothing that I can complain about concerning this book, so I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars. This is a good book for young children; it has a nice balance of fantasy and adventure and easily captivates readers. If you enjoy these types of stories and/or are looking for a suitable bedtime story to read then I highly recommend this book. I’m sure that you won’t be disappointed.
February 3, 2021
An immersive adventure: The story was an action-packed adventure that got me hooked from the first moment. At times it reminded me of roleplaying books, but without the actual choices. Nice world building , even if the characters reactions weren't always that genuine/believable. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend for a quick read.
February 11, 2021
J. C. Stevens’ second Dragon Lad novel not only delivers a unique story that children and young adults will love, but the author does it with style and flair. Not many fantasy stories have a unique or fresh perspective. Instead, they doctor up used plots to deliver their so-called story. Not so with Stevens, as the author uses their head to tell a story full of adventure, friends, and fantasy.
January 27, 2021
A beautifully told story with an imaginative plot, and who doesn’t love dragons? The author does a great job of capturing the feelings associated with struggling to belong, in a way young people can understand and relate to, while also delivering a captivating story.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews