Dragon's Fire, Wizard's Flame
Michael R. Mennenga
Paperback
(Dragon Moon Press, Aug. 21, 2007)
If you’ve ever felt like a ship without a rudder or a dog without a bone, just imagine how a dragon feels without his fire! Seventy-five-year-old Zac—who is young for a dragon—has endured taunts and pranks from the other dragons in his secluded village for years, and brought shame and disgrace to his family because he can’t seem to get the hang of breathing flames. But soon, he is going to say, "Enough!" and venture out into the dangerous and exciting human world in search of his fire. On his journey, Zac will make unforgettable friends: Abraham, a clever moose with nerves of steel and a heart of gold; Jo, a high-energy squirrel whose curiosity slightly outweighs her courage; Neft, a cantankerous old elf whose bark is worse than his bite; and Tyralus, a wise and powerful sage whom Zac has been looking for all his life. With the help of these friends, Zac will come to realize that his "firelessness" is actually a precious gift that makes him one of the most powerful dragons on Earth. A big downside to this gift, however, is that any wizard can tap into Zac’s power to achieve his own good or evil ends. Zac and his friends will do battle with Erret—a conniving monkey who had once been human with great magical powers. Thanks to Neft, Erret had been cast out of his home, the evil Valley of Enchantment, and stripped of his powers. Now, the evil monkey will stop at nothing to regain those powers and avenge himself against his foes as he strives to take over the world. Young people of all ages will be able to relate to Zac’s insecurities and his journey of self-discovery in a strange and often threatening environment. The interplay of his friends’ very different personalities provides great entertainment, and the struggle between good and evil is suspenseful and engrossing. In short, anyone with a weakness for magical, mystical adventure could not fail to embrace Zac as one of their beloved heroes!