Title: Dragon's Bait
Author: Vivian Vande Velde
Published Date: 1 April 2003
Genre: Fantasy, adventure, hint-of-romance
Personal Rating: 5/5
Money's Worth: I got it at a second hand book sale, but otherwise, I would say it's only worth half of what you pay
Summary: Alys lives with her father the owner of a tin shop in the village of St.-Toby's-Over-The-Mountain. One day the wheelwright who wants her father's shop, accuses Alys of being a witch. Alys' father who is already seriously ill is unable to take the strain and dies.
Instead of a normal burning at the stake, the Inquisitioner tells the villagers that they could kill 2 birds with one stone by suggesting that they sacrifice Alys to the dragon that has been disturbing the village. Apparently a virgin sacrifice appeases dragons. The do that, and end up staking Alys out on a hillside. After watching the death of her father, Alys has no more fight in her and she basically gives up, allowing them to ti her up without resistance.
After they leave though, Alys hears wolves. She has 2 options; fast death by dragon, or slow death by wolves. As she has nothing more to live for, when she sees the shadow of the dragon in the sky, she gets it's attention. However the dragon seems to have no interest in her as food, rather, it just stares at her. Alys who was previously facing everything with a stoic comportment, can't stand the prolonged waiting to die and breaks down.
Then instead of claws, hands pull her hands away from her face. Where there used to be a dragon is now a young man that looks to be 17. He has long gold hair and purple eyes and strangely enough, he's buck naked. Alys recognizes the eyes as those of the dragon. But yet again, the dragon shows no interest in eating her. Oddly, he is intrigued by her story and says he will help her get revenge.
Along the way, Selendrile, the dragon irritates Alys to no end, but somehow seems to help her even though he is cursed. Alys on the other hand learns a lot about wanting revenge and how somethings like friendships and love are worth sacrificing everything for.
Opinions: It was really great. Vande Velde can really capture her reader's interest. Her other books are the same intensity. The ending especially is touching and wracked with emotion. Though at first the ending seemed hanging for me, I later understood her reason for doing this. She is actually giving her writers to make the story their own. I find that even now 3 years later, I still lie in bed at nights making up my own ending for the story. Though I say it seems hanging, it is oddly completed, but still leaves room for imagination.
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