Revenge is in the air. Tia the protagonist and Dragon Child are on a quest to retrieve the stolen jewels from the High Witches. But she’s not alone. Her Dragon Brother Finn and a jackdaw are her partners. With them on her side, Tia has managed to get back three of the five jewels.
Each of them has a special power and Tia will need to use them to get past obstacles, dangers and sticky situations. While the emerald has given her the power to talk to animals, the opal has granted her the power to change shape and with the topaz, she can control the weather. Now she needs to get hold of the fourth stone Sapphire which will allow her to travel from one place to the other, in an instant.
Dangerous questBut all’s not well for Tia as she is in grave danger. Despite donning the guise of a trader, the thefts have been brought to notice and the High Witches are seething. In fact, to protect herself and Finn, she has to keep a few secrets from him — the fact that she knows which powers would deter dragons from entering their land, and that she was called a witch brat.
Her journey to Isorborg town, to the secret cellar where elves have been helping the children stay alive and guarded, and her entry to the palace are intriguing and thrilling. The risks Tia takes to gain access to the room are brave and you want to help her find the Sapphire.
Tia’s miraculous escape from geysers and volcanoes, and the battle with the trolls bring to light her strong character. There are dangers lurking in every corner. But with time, Tia realises that powerful as they might be, these precious stones could also pose a threat to the owner as they seem to subtly take over the owner. She realises that at all costs, she should be careful and avoid using them as far as possible.
Gill Vickery’s vivid descriptions lend colour to the narrative. You can almost see the menacing tall buildings, statues, birds and animals. The characters are believable and readers can easily relate to them. The illustrations are appealing adding imagery to the text, and the short chapters make for interesting reading. Tia’s foes and friends are people we see in daily life and we learn something from each one of them. Hopefully the next and final sequel in the series will be out soon for us to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Dragon Child: The Sapphire Quest, Gill Vickery, Bloomsbury, Rs.199
Excerpt:
The High Witches of Tulay stole the Dragon Queen’s jewels of power and drove the dragons away. In revenge, one of the dragons kidnapped Tia, the youngest witch’s child. Raised by the mighty creatures, Tia is now in pursuit of the stolen jewels, helped by her Dragon Brother Finn, who can blend invisibly into any background, and a jackdaw called Loki.
