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Dragons in Our Midst #2
The Candlestone
The first book, Raising Dragons, plunged two teenagers, Billy Bannister and Bonnie Silver, into mind-boggling mysteries, life or death pursuits, and deadly sword-to-sword battles. In The Candlestone, a mysterious book leads Billy into mortal combat with a powerful dragon slayer. Separated from his friends and finding his dragon traits useless against this enemy, he has to rely on new weapons, a sword and shield he cannot even see. A scientist lures Bonnie to his laboratory with amazing news—her mother is still alive! And he should know; he’s her father. He has learned the secret of long life—dragon blood, and he wants Bonnie to help him with his experiments. But first he must send her to retrieve her mother from the candlestone, that strange, paralyzing gem that absorbs light and with it the strength of dragons and their offspring. The candlestone is also a prison that imprisons people who have been transformed into light energy by Excalibur, King Arthur’s great sword. When Bonnie enters the stone, she learns that many disembodied souls have fallen prey to the gem’s powers, but no one has ever escaped. Her only hope is for Billy to overcome the dragon slayer and find a way into the candlestone, and, more importantly, a way out. Billy and Bonnie face their greatest fears, and they learn to use their strengths, both innate and newly found, as they battle powerful enemies, ancient fiends from times long past, and the horrors of the blackest of prisons, captivity with the walls of unearthly darkness, the crystalline tomb of the candlestone.
400 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2004
About the author
Bryan Davis
75 books837 followersBryan Davis is the author several speculative-fiction series, including Dragons in Our Midst, Oracles of Fire, Children of the Bard, The Reapers Trilogy, The Time Echoes Trilogy, Tales of Starlight, and Dragons of Starlight.
Bryan lives in western Tennessee with his wife, Susie. Bryan and Susie have homeschooled their four girls and three boys.
Bryan was born in 1958 and grew up in the eastern U.S. From the time he taught himself how to read before school age, through his seminary years and beyond, he has demonstrated a passion for the written word, reading and writing in many disciplines and genres, including fantasy, theology, fiction, devotionals, poetry, and humor.
Bryan lives in western Tennessee with his wife, Susie. Bryan and Susie have homeschooled their four girls and three boys.
Bryan was born in 1958 and grew up in the eastern U.S. From the time he taught himself how to read before school age, through his seminary years and beyond, he has demonstrated a passion for the written word, reading and writing in many disciplines and genres, including fantasy, theology, fiction, devotionals, poetry, and humor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
June 5, 2018
Book 2 only got 4 from me because it had a bit too much pseudo-science mumbo-jumbo for my taste.
December 17, 2022
After a crackling start, this series continues to bring excitement and adventure!
February 16, 2018
(This is my third or fourth read.)
I reread book 1 last month, so again it was wonderful to return to these beloved characters! Billy battles his own darkness, Bonnie faces a deep fear, Walter steps up as a comrade in battle, Professor Hamilton reveals secrets, and Ashley's eyes are opened for the first time. Their journeys really begin to intertwine in this book as a centuries-old story comes to light.
My writer nerd side also noticed how Bryan Davis's craft improved even from the first book. Still a smidgen of head hopping in a few scenes, but overall there's something tighter about this novel. :)
The candlestone itself offered itself as a canvas for several vivid analogies. I won't spoil them here for those who haven't read it (seriously, if that's you--go read Dragons in Our Midst!!!), but it nearly enough to bring tears to my eyes. And I will never forget Billy lying on the cavern floor with Excalibur in his grip. "Truth is my sword. Faith is my shield."
I know this review is all over the place, but to conclude: coming back to this series after several years, it's even more evident to me what a powerful impact it has had on my own faith. Bonnie showed me how to sing in the midst of darkness, and Billy taught me to take up my own sword. Though confined to the realm of fiction, these heroes were mentors, friends, and somehow an echo of that "great cloud of witnesses" cheering me on my way.
I reread book 1 last month, so again it was wonderful to return to these beloved characters! Billy battles his own darkness, Bonnie faces a deep fear, Walter steps up as a comrade in battle, Professor Hamilton reveals secrets, and Ashley's eyes are opened for the first time. Their journeys really begin to intertwine in this book as a centuries-old story comes to light.
My writer nerd side also noticed how Bryan Davis's craft improved even from the first book. Still a smidgen of head hopping in a few scenes, but overall there's something tighter about this novel. :)
The candlestone itself offered itself as a canvas for several vivid analogies. I won't spoil them here for those who haven't read it (seriously, if that's you--go read Dragons in Our Midst!!!), but it nearly enough to bring tears to my eyes. And I will never forget Billy lying on the cavern floor with Excalibur in his grip. "Truth is my sword. Faith is my shield."
I know this review is all over the place, but to conclude: coming back to this series after several years, it's even more evident to me what a powerful impact it has had on my own faith. Bonnie showed me how to sing in the midst of darkness, and Billy taught me to take up my own sword. Though confined to the realm of fiction, these heroes were mentors, friends, and somehow an echo of that "great cloud of witnesses" cheering me on my way.
September 2, 2022
4.5⭐️ This book was so much fun to read! Adventure, unexpected twists and turns and such a unique storyline. So unique I could not stop reading it?! The faith elements flowed naturally and added to this refreshing take on the Arthurian lore and dragons! Great time!
July 23, 2011
I loved this one just as much as the first. We return to our hero's Billy, Bonnie, and Walter and along the way we meet new characters that are just as awesome. When Bonnie's Father comes to take her home to Montana she reluctantly goes with him believing what he tells her "Your Mother is not dead." She goes with him and meets a teenaged Super genius named Ashley Stalworth as well as others who live in her Father's giant lab. Not only that, but her Father has The Candlestone! that she threw into the woods after battling Devin the Dragon Slayer. She learns that the slayer is in the Candlestone and that her Mother is also trapped in there, so she would stay alive, but is that true? or is it just a trick to get Devin out of the Candlestone? Billy, Walter, Professor Hamilton, and Marilyn fly to Montana to rescue Bonnie because they learn the truth. Come read a story of knights and maidens where love, sacrifice, truth, and faith shine for all to see. Will Billy finally be able to surrender himself and use new weapons that he cannot even see?
Will Bonnie find her Mother or is she really dead? Find out By reading Book 2 in this amazing series. It's a series you won't forget I've read this book 9 times and have listened to it on audio many times, and I learn something new each time, and it never gets boring. The Story continues with book 3 Circles of Seven. A must read adventure.
Will Bonnie find her Mother or is she really dead? Find out By reading Book 2 in this amazing series. It's a series you won't forget I've read this book 9 times and have listened to it on audio many times, and I learn something new each time, and it never gets boring. The Story continues with book 3 Circles of Seven. A must read adventure.
October 29, 2014
Bonnie was looking forward to making a new family, but her father shows up with an amazing claim: that Bonnie's mother is not dead, and she needs Bonnie's help. Although Bonnie doesn't trust her father, she won't throw away the chance that he's telling the truth, so she agrees to go. Once she's gone, Billy and the others catch on to her father's lies and charge off after her. But Devin, the dragonslayer, isn't dead yet, and he's got plans of his own for both Bonnie and Billy.
It's hard to say what I liked about the book, because I'd need to immediately qualify it with "until it got cheesy." The action scenes were nice---until they got cheesy. Bonnie's struggles were, as with the previous book, the best thing about the story. She's someone who has faith and is severely tested. Despite that, she holds to what she knows is true, and comes out stronger for it.
The problems of the last book were only magnified in this one. Forget the plot: evil father who doesn't even understand the meaning of love tricks his pure daughter into following him into his underground lab. Think every cheesy science fiction book about mad scientists, underground laboratories, and hilariously bad science. Just the thought that homemade equipment is enough to generate tachyons had me in fits of laughter. Not to mention the whole light concept, although described well, completely fail to connect to the physical principles Davis tries to use. It would've been a lot better if the doctor had simply claimed to have found a way to transmute matter into souls.
Billy's struggles were equally difficult to wade through, and not nearly as amusing. He did recognize his need for faith in this book, but the references to God are so generic I'm not quite sure if he converted to Christianity, Islam, Mormonism, etc. There was no direct mention of Christ, a serious flaw if this is going to be treated as a Christian book. His whole conversion was written as three pages from Bonnie's diary begging God for him to see the light. There was precious little internal war. The entire book he made his decisions with hardly any forethought or guilt. He spends paragraphs explaining to himself that he must not do this or that, and then in about a sentence, changes his mind and does that thing. I have no sense of connection with him, because as a character he's fatally flawed in the way he was written. He gives enough on the surface level, but I almost get the feeling Davis doesn't understand the boy underneath. Or at least, he isn't telling.
I don't even want to talk about the end. Bad poetic prophecies made the whole thing readily apparent from about chapter two. Billy claims his weapon is truth, but never says what that truth is, other than some really vague claims about light and darkness. The knights. . . I won't go there. It would probably be funny if I was about six. And Devin really should have died. Does Billy have so few enemies that the same one needs to keep getting recycled into ever more ridiculous forms? Bad enough he's supposed to have lived over a thousand years, but what he turns into at the climax had me howling with laughter.
I want to like these books. It's so hard to find decent Christian fantasy---heck, even decent urban fantasies with a Christian bent. Unfortunately, simply as a writer I can't recommend this. This is mindless fluff to use as entertainment, and by this point the Christian foundation is scrabbling to keep up with the fantastic turns of events the author is pushing. If read as fluff, however, it's amusing enough. I'm not quite ready to give the series a final no, but I reserve the right to change my mind. Neutral.
It's hard to say what I liked about the book, because I'd need to immediately qualify it with "until it got cheesy." The action scenes were nice---until they got cheesy. Bonnie's struggles were, as with the previous book, the best thing about the story. She's someone who has faith and is severely tested. Despite that, she holds to what she knows is true, and comes out stronger for it.
The problems of the last book were only magnified in this one. Forget the plot: evil father who doesn't even understand the meaning of love tricks his pure daughter into following him into his underground lab. Think every cheesy science fiction book about mad scientists, underground laboratories, and hilariously bad science. Just the thought that homemade equipment is enough to generate tachyons had me in fits of laughter. Not to mention the whole light concept, although described well, completely fail to connect to the physical principles Davis tries to use. It would've been a lot better if the doctor had simply claimed to have found a way to transmute matter into souls.
Billy's struggles were equally difficult to wade through, and not nearly as amusing. He did recognize his need for faith in this book, but the references to God are so generic I'm not quite sure if he converted to Christianity, Islam, Mormonism, etc. There was no direct mention of Christ, a serious flaw if this is going to be treated as a Christian book. His whole conversion was written as three pages from Bonnie's diary begging God for him to see the light. There was precious little internal war. The entire book he made his decisions with hardly any forethought or guilt. He spends paragraphs explaining to himself that he must not do this or that, and then in about a sentence, changes his mind and does that thing. I have no sense of connection with him, because as a character he's fatally flawed in the way he was written. He gives enough on the surface level, but I almost get the feeling Davis doesn't understand the boy underneath. Or at least, he isn't telling.
I don't even want to talk about the end. Bad poetic prophecies made the whole thing readily apparent from about chapter two. Billy claims his weapon is truth, but never says what that truth is, other than some really vague claims about light and darkness. The knights. . . I won't go there. It would probably be funny if I was about six. And Devin really should have died. Does Billy have so few enemies that the same one needs to keep getting recycled into ever more ridiculous forms? Bad enough he's supposed to have lived over a thousand years, but what he turns into at the climax had me howling with laughter.
I want to like these books. It's so hard to find decent Christian fantasy---heck, even decent urban fantasies with a Christian bent. Unfortunately, simply as a writer I can't recommend this. This is mindless fluff to use as entertainment, and by this point the Christian foundation is scrabbling to keep up with the fantastic turns of events the author is pushing. If read as fluff, however, it's amusing enough. I'm not quite ready to give the series a final no, but I reserve the right to change my mind. Neutral.
December 1, 2022
Me: I know this book is a return to the medieval and chivalry and King Arthur and swordplay and all that, but couldn't they just like. Carry a gun?
Mrs. Bannister: *patting her pocket* I gotchu girl.
***
I actually liked this book a lot more than Book 1 - maybe because it's heavy in sci-fi and I enjoy that genre more than pure fantasy. There was a greater connection with the characters, too. I feel like Clefspeare is a lot more developed in this book because in Book 1, we meet him for a solid like 50 pages before he disappears, so the most important character (sans Billy and Bonnie) is just... not there. But this time around I feel like I know him.
On another note, my one gripe with the writing style is how detailed it is - especially during fight scenes - because it slows down the reader in a scene which should otherwise move very quickly. I'm glad this book addresses some plot holes I noticed in Book 1 since now I know they were intentional.
Mrs. Bannister: *patting her pocket* I gotchu girl.
***
I actually liked this book a lot more than Book 1 - maybe because it's heavy in sci-fi and I enjoy that genre more than pure fantasy. There was a greater connection with the characters, too. I feel like Clefspeare is a lot more developed in this book because in Book 1, we meet him for a solid like 50 pages before he disappears, so the most important character (sans Billy and Bonnie) is just... not there. But this time around I feel like I know him.
On another note, my one gripe with the writing style is how detailed it is - especially during fight scenes - because it slows down the reader in a scene which should otherwise move very quickly. I'm glad this book addresses some plot holes I noticed in Book 1 since now I know they were intentional.
September 13, 2017
This book was wonderful! I loved the characters, and I was SO astonished to find that Bonnie and Billy are part dragon! I did not read the first book, as I was only able to find the 2nd in our church library, but it didn't make a difference to me!
I loved the fantasy, the teensy hints of a strong, almost-love relationship, and the characters. The whole story line was great!
Well done, and I look forward to reading your present and future books!
I loved the fantasy, the teensy hints of a strong, almost-love relationship, and the characters. The whole story line was great!
Well done, and I look forward to reading your present and future books!
March 18, 2012
No better than the last one, and quite possibly worse. I think if I read the words "manly embrace" or "robust" one more time, I may vomit.
November 28, 2022
Love Bonnie.
September 17, 2021
4.5 stars.
Okay. Give me a second to process. That was a LOT right there...
There was SO much packed into this book! I was super impressed with the author, and this book was definitely an improvement from the first in the series. I enjoyed the new characters, the expanded plot, the underground lab, how everything about the book flowed well. I loved all the little tie-ins. Davis did a masterful job of fulfilling the prophecies he wrote in ways I wasn't expecting, and I respect that. I think a lot of authors forget to make every little detail important, but Davis was not one of those authors. Every detail counted in some way or another, becoming important later on, or adding something to the plot. I thought Bonnie's character development was a masterpiece and I was right there with her the entire time. The plot twists made me laugh and cry and hyperventilate, and that is skill!
This being said, there were a couple of things I didn't like. For one thing, the character development of the other characters felt weak. Billy was inconsistent. There was very little explanation for WHY he was angry, even carrying over from the last book. There were moments where his anger felt misplaced and forced, and that annoyed me. Ashley was a great character, but it didn't seem like she had much growth. She had an arc, but it was shallow, and that also bothered me. I think she could have been stronger than she was, but it wasn't bad. It just wasn't great. Some of the other characters suffered from lack of development as well, but those didn't bother me nearly so much as Billy, considering he is the main character.
All of that character rant being said, however, there was one aspect of this book that in my opinion completely added up for the loss. This was something that most books fail at because it takes so much skill to accomplish this. However, in The Candlestone, at the end and the climax, I was sitting up late reading the book. The book went from being words on a page to being a world, a reality. For the last seven or eight chapters, I was part of the story. I was Bonnie. I was Billy. I could feel their emotions and see their world and hear the voices around them. I was completely drawn in, and I felt jarred when I jerked back to reality at 12 oclock midnight! This, I believe makes up for the lack of character development in a very special way that I was really impressed with.
I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who is fond of dragons, prophecies, and speculative fantasy. It was a wonderful sequel to the first book.
Okay. Give me a second to process. That was a LOT right there...
There was SO much packed into this book! I was super impressed with the author, and this book was definitely an improvement from the first in the series. I enjoyed the new characters, the expanded plot, the underground lab, how everything about the book flowed well. I loved all the little tie-ins. Davis did a masterful job of fulfilling the prophecies he wrote in ways I wasn't expecting, and I respect that. I think a lot of authors forget to make every little detail important, but Davis was not one of those authors. Every detail counted in some way or another, becoming important later on, or adding something to the plot. I thought Bonnie's character development was a masterpiece and I was right there with her the entire time. The plot twists made me laugh and cry and hyperventilate, and that is skill!
This being said, there were a couple of things I didn't like. For one thing, the character development of the other characters felt weak. Billy was inconsistent. There was very little explanation for WHY he was angry, even carrying over from the last book. There were moments where his anger felt misplaced and forced, and that annoyed me. Ashley was a great character, but it didn't seem like she had much growth. She had an arc, but it was shallow, and that also bothered me. I think she could have been stronger than she was, but it wasn't bad. It just wasn't great. Some of the other characters suffered from lack of development as well, but those didn't bother me nearly so much as Billy, considering he is the main character.
All of that character rant being said, however, there was one aspect of this book that in my opinion completely added up for the loss. This was something that most books fail at because it takes so much skill to accomplish this. However, in The Candlestone, at the end and the climax, I was sitting up late reading the book. The book went from being words on a page to being a world, a reality. For the last seven or eight chapters, I was part of the story. I was Bonnie. I was Billy. I could feel their emotions and see their world and hear the voices around them. I was completely drawn in, and I felt jarred when I jerked back to reality at 12 oclock midnight! This, I believe makes up for the lack of character development in a very special way that I was really impressed with.
I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who is fond of dragons, prophecies, and speculative fantasy. It was a wonderful sequel to the first book.
January 11, 2018
If I were rating this based on my enjoyment or how well I thought it was written (all the way around - from plot to characters and prose) I’d give it two stars.
Its really not a great book. Its less overwritten than Raising Dragons. But there’s precious little character development. And there’s a fusion of relationships that seems unsubstantiated. And several of the characters (mostly the adults) seem largely unrealistic (especially Billy’s mom, oh and Bonnie - she was overtly naive). One large plot point was thoroughly obvious from the outset.
Here’s where the third star came from: if I was at 10 year old boy, I’d probably love this book. It’d seem adventurous and dangerous. The characters wouldn’t feel convenient and one dimensional, which would allow them to be noble or at the least to become noble. I would enjoy Billy and Walter’s banter. I’d like that Bully’s mim is so easily accommodating (if I even noticed she’s only in the story when she needs to be and disappears as conveniently). I’d like the dragons and the way the kids fight the adults and the way everything works itself out in the end.
So, I rated this book not as I read it today. But as if I were someone this book was intended for. Even then, its nowhere near 4 or 5 stars. But it’d probably be fun, even if it isn’t great.
Its really not a great book. Its less overwritten than Raising Dragons. But there’s precious little character development. And there’s a fusion of relationships that seems unsubstantiated. And several of the characters (mostly the adults) seem largely unrealistic (especially Billy’s mom, oh and Bonnie - she was overtly naive). One large plot point was thoroughly obvious from the outset.
Here’s where the third star came from: if I was at 10 year old boy, I’d probably love this book. It’d seem adventurous and dangerous. The characters wouldn’t feel convenient and one dimensional, which would allow them to be noble or at the least to become noble. I would enjoy Billy and Walter’s banter. I’d like that Bully’s mim is so easily accommodating (if I even noticed she’s only in the story when she needs to be and disappears as conveniently). I’d like the dragons and the way the kids fight the adults and the way everything works itself out in the end.
So, I rated this book not as I read it today. But as if I were someone this book was intended for. Even then, its nowhere near 4 or 5 stars. But it’d probably be fun, even if it isn’t great.
December 1, 2020
I just finished this book and I think it was a great continuation to the series! It fit in perfectly with the last book. One of my favorite parts is when Billy read Bonnie's diary entry (My Prayer for Billy) and after Billy reads it, it sank to him and he realized he was lost..a sinner..and couldn't do this with out the Lords help before he can behold the armer of God witch in this story is excalibur. Other characters also face their own troubles like Bonnie faces a deep fear and in the midst of it all she starts to forget God is in control of it all even in the hardest and darkest times, Professor Hamilton relieves hidden secretes that he's kept hidden, Walter steps up to help his friends in battle as a soldier, Ashley's eyes are open for the first time after keeping them in the dark for a long time. I won't go into anymore details because I don't want to ruin it for the next readers but this story was great for many reasons! In certain parts I cried and I laughed. The book was so great it was hard for me to put down. I just ordered the third part to the series (Circles of Seven) and once I read it you'll definitely be hearing a review on that one! This has to be one of my favorite sets of Christian fantasy books so far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2023
I really enjoyed this book as a sequel from story line perspective it has the action and adventure and all that fun stuff, but I also really this book for it's character development if that's what you want to call it and being able to see parallels and relatability to these characters and being like oh hey that's where I'm at in my spiritual life or hey this has so much more meaning when I'm able to read between the lines type thing. This is definitely an interesting book series to be reading as an adult. This series is really impactful and I'm super excited to see that this type of media exists that can be enjoyed by a wide audience. There are a lot of different perspectives and way to view this series which is always super cool to see.
April 4, 2018
This is an interesting book I love dragons and to know that I have always wanted to become a reader this was a great series to have been a great decision for me. I’m hooked. This book would be excellent Choice series for a young child to grasp. Looking forward to dig into the authors other series. If time allowed me I could read two books a day just unable to put down.
This is an interesting book I love dragons and to know that I have always wanted to become a reader this was a great series to have been a great decision for me. I’m hooked. This book would be excellent Choice series for a young child to grasp. Looking forward to dig into the authors other series. If time allowed me I could read two books a day just unable to put down.
This is an interesting book I love dragons and to know that I have always wanted to become a reader this was a great series to have been a great decision for me. I’m hooked. This book would be excellent Choice series for a young child to grasp. Looking forward to dig into the authors other series. If time allowed me I could read two books a day just unable to put down.
August 5, 2019
I really enjoyed the first book, 'Dragons In Our Midst'. 'Candlestone' picks up a couple of months after the events in book one. The book started out well, but became slightly hard to follow after Dr. Conners starting 'transluminating' everyone. The character development was good, especially for Ashley, Billy, and Bonnie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2017
4.5 Stars.
I recommend this series to anyone. It surprises you with it's innocence and purity of the characters. I love the combination of dragons and faith, and Bonnie became for me a model in life. Love you so much !
I recommend this series to anyone. It surprises you with it's innocence and purity of the characters. I love the combination of dragons and faith, and Bonnie became for me a model in life. Love you so much !
April 16, 2018
This tale wasn't as good as I thought it would be, but with what they say there adventures are going to get real wild! And with what's going on I think Giolith, Roxil's mate from long ago thought to be dead will rise in the circles of seven. So beware to other readers, danger is near. . .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2022
Mr Davis continues to weave a compelling story in book two of this series.
My heart absolutely breaks every time I read about Bonnie's relationship with her father and what could have been if he'd made different choices.
My heart absolutely breaks every time I read about Bonnie's relationship with her father and what could have been if he'd made different choices.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2022
I remember liking this one a lot. It's weird, yeah, but this series is just weird. You get used to it and don't even blink when the characters spend most of the book as insubstantial floaty lights in a gem. It's cool.
June 6, 2017
Still pretty decent, will continue reading the series.
June 28, 2017
It was very adventurous you never know who you wanted to trust and weather they were for the bad guys or for the good guys.
August 4, 2017
A great continuation to an already fascinating series! There's so much to love about this series, especially how it ties in spiritual with fantasy. Can't wait to read the rest!
September 12, 2017
My 11 year old is still enjoying this series, but I'm not sure I will continue.
October 16, 2017
Catholic Book
February 6, 2018
I really loved it! It's amazing! The suspence kept me out of my seat 'till the very end. I'd read it again hundred times!
March 29, 2018
The second book in a series; enjoyed, same as first book in series.
July 8, 2018
Great final scene
April 29, 2019
Arguably my favorite book in the series!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews