Dragon's Keep

by Janet Lee Carey

Book Overview

Far away on Wilde Island, Princess Rosalind is born with a dragon claw where her ring finger should be. To hide this secret, the queen forces her to wear gloves at all times until a cure can be found,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152059261
• ISBN13: 9780152059262
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Fantastic read for young adult

In this young adult fantasy, Rosalind's fate was written in the stars, read by Merlin, some 600 years before she was born. Rosalind's ancestor, Evaine, was the younger sister of King Arthur. Evaine married an outlaw, was banished to Wilde Island, and erased from family history. Three things are said of the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island; "She shall redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island." The way her mother sees it, with England in the midst of civil war Rosalind will marry Prince Henry, future king of England, thereby fulfilling all aspects of the prophecy. But what if Rosalind and Henry don't get along? Not that they've even heard from the Queen of England, though they assume she is aware of the prophecy. Then there's Rosalind's ring finger. It's a dragon's claw. So far she and her mother have hidden it behind golden gloves, but that won't work forever. They MUST find a cure soon--a cure that is hard to find when potential healers aren't told what the exact problem is. When an envoy from England comes to Wilde Island, things start looking up a little, especially after they slay the dragon that has been harassing the Island forever. What should be one of the most triumphant moments in their history turns horrifying when the dragon's mate returns to punish the people, and takes a special interest in Rosalind. Before long, Rosalind's life will never be the same, and it doesn't look like the prophecy could ever be fulfilled. There is so much more to this book! So many more levels and layers to the story! Rosalind may be a Princess with a dragon's claw in a faraway time and place, but her relationship with her mother is something you could see in anyone's life. Her desire to be normal and accepted are the same things every teenager experiences. So while the circumstances aren't something we experience everyday, the people in them, and their reactions to them, are completely realistic and relatable. Armchair Interviews says: Part fairy tale, part mythology, part legend, all around fantastic!

Dragons keep

This story is about a princess named Rosalind. Rosalind has a terrible secret that only her mother knows about. She was born with a dragons claw. her mother has even gone to extremes to keep the claw hidden. She is forced to wear golves and see coutless healers who have to guess what her problem is. Rosalind is also the key to a 600 year old prophecy that is to get their banished family back on the throne. Rosalind longs for a man to love her but fears her claw will prevent that from happening. One day a dragon sees her claw and thinks it beautiful where her mother only sees shame. The Dragon steals her away and soon it seems she is forgoten. she longs for the truth... is she of dragon kin? or human?..... this was a really good book I read too fast... i was hooked and could not put it down..lol.. it had a good ending and interesting charaters.

Terrific cover -- Terrific story!

Rosalind's mother believes Merlin's prophecy from centuries earlier that stated her daughter would "... redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island." She goes to great lengths to have a child and will protect her daughter's future, no matter what it takes. As the future twenty-first queen of Wilde Island, Rosalind is prepared to marry an English prince when the time comes and re-integrate her family line with the English court. Her branch of the royal family tree was outlawed by King Arthur hundreds of years earlier. There is just one little problem. Instead of a ring finger on her left hand, she has a dragon claw. Only her mother and Rosalind know about her hand and her mother devises a fashion of wearing gloves to hide the "disfigurement" because even a princess might be taken for a witch if the secret got out. This is a story of obsession in many ways. In her efforts to protect her daughter and see that she gains the throne, Rosalind's mother will do anything. It put me in mind of the the headline-making "cheerleader mom." Rosalind's obsession with what she perceives as a physical flaw is exacerbated by her mother who desperately seeks "cures" for her daugher from physicians, who are not allowed to know her specific ailment. This focus on physical appearance echoes news stories today about the growing number of young adults seeking cosmetic surgery. Dragon attacks and the Rosalind's growing suspicion that all is not right in the castle are just some of the layers in this complex and riveting story. Carey's characters are real and compelling. First rate!

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Rosalind's fate was written in the stars, read by Merlin, some 600 years before she was born. A direct descendant of the Pendragon line, her ancestor, Evaine, was the younger sister of King Arthur. Evaine married an outlaw and was banished to Wilde Island and erased from family history, setting Rosalind's destiny in motion. Three things are said of the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island; "She shall redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island." Rosalind knows the prophecy well. She has been groomed for it her entire life. The way her mother sees it, England is at war with Spain, and Rosalind will marry the Prince of England, thereby fulfilling all aspects of the prophecy. There are just a few problems. Having never met the Prince, what if he and Rosalind don't get along? Not that the Queen of England has officially contacted them yet, though it is assumed she is aware of the prophecy. With the recent dragon attacks on Wilde Island their military force is depleted, and may not be much help to England. Oh, and there's the little matter of Rosalind's ring finger. Instead of a finger it's a dragon's claw. So far she and her mother have hidden it behind golden gloves, but that won't work when Rosie is married. They MUST find a cure soon. A cure that is made harder to find due to the fact that the healers are never told what the exact problem is. Things are beginning to look bleak. When an envoy from England comes to visit Wilde Island, things may be looking up a little. Especially since they've managed to slay the dragon that has been harassing the Island forever. It doesn't hurt that the one who killed the dragon is a handsome boy around Rosalind's age. At least in Rosalind's opinion, but her mother might not see it the same. Not that it's a concern for long. What should be one of the most triumphant moments in their history turns horrifying when the dragon's mate returns to punish the people, and takes a special interest in Rosalind. Before long, Rosalind's life will never be the same, and it doesn't look like the prophecy could ever possibly be fulfilled. There is so much more to this book than I can tell you here! So many more levels and layers to the story. If I tried to fit it all in it would not only ruin the story, but end up nearly as long as the book! The relationships between the characters are so multi-leveled and very realistic. Rosalind may be a Princess with a dragon's claw in a faraway time and place, but her relationship with her mother is something you could see in anyone's life. Her desire to be normal and accepted are the same things everyone experiences as a teenager. So while the circumstances aren't something we experience every day, the people in them, and their reactions to them, are completely realistic and easy to relate to. Part fairy tale, part mythology, part legend, all around fantastic! Read it! You'll be glad you did. Reviewed by

EXCELLENT

A prophecy was spoken by Merlin 600 years ago, and now the time has come for its fulfillment. The 21st princess foretold in the prophecy, Rosalind, has been born . . . and the only problem is, on one of her hands is a dragon's claw instead of a finger. Afraid that she'll be branded as a witch, Rosalind's mother is determined to protect her daughter and find a cure for her ailment. Set in the middle ages, Dragon's Keep is an excellently told tale, full of intrigue and suspense. The author gives the book the feel of a historical fiction while weaving in the fantastical elements. A good, satisfying fantasy perfect for teens with an interest in Medieval times.