Good Christian read that has some violence and vague sexual content.
Plot
Jason's two older brothers believe the illegal story that a hundred years ago, dragons came to the planet Major Four and kidnapped some humans to serve as slaves. When the brothers disappear in search of the dragon planet, Jason is implicated for murder and has to run for his life. Could it be that the dragons do exist? With his friend Elyssa, Jason finds himself an integral part of the fight for life and freedom.
Koren has always been a slave to the dragons, along with all the other humans on Starlight, none of whom believe in another planet. She doesn't mind so much, though, as her master is kind and she uses her story telling skills to stay out of trouble. But when her friend becomes worried about being "promoted", because every "promoted" slave has disappeared, Koren will do anything to find out what that means and protect her friend from harm.
Morality
Very good. The characters have a strong moral standard that they always try to live up to, though they sometimes make wrong choices. The characters occasionally try to deceive the bad guys for a higher good. It is unclear whether one primary character is good or bad.
Spiritual Content
Most of the main characters follow "the Code" and believe that God is in control. Koren prays and learns to trust more in God. One character is a Starlighter and able to make things appear that aren't really there. Another character is a Diviner, able to sense things beyond vision and hearing.
Violence
A man is asassinated with a knife. A boy is shot in the back with an arrow (but not killed). A man is eaten by a dragon after being stung by a hundred bees. A dragon has his eyes stabbed out. There are many minor injuries. None of it is graphically described.
Drug and Alcohol Content
It is stated that the dragons would sometimes drug the humans to make them unaware of their surroundings. The effect of a Starlighter's power is said to be like a drug to dragons, so that they can't think clearly.
Sexual Content
Boys and girls travel together, sleeping close to one another, although purely. A boy and girl hug each other in order to stay warm. There are a few mentions of the dragons breeding humans (such as that a woman was forced to have babies after being separated from her husband).
Crude or Profane Language or Content
None.
Conclusion
Like Davis' previous books, this story is strikingly original, with an unpredictable plot, and very enjoyable to read. There appear to be gaps in the story, but these will be fixed in the following books. I didn't relate to all the characters, but they are realistic, with strengths and weaknesses, so I could understand their decisions. It was easy to really like most of the supporting cast.
As this is only the first in a series of four, its ending brings no conclusion. If this series follows the pattern of Davis' others, I expect the violence and sexual content to slowly escalate with each book (though keeping a Christian perspective), so keep that in mind if you start this one. To get the fullest experience of this story and these worlds, one needs to read Tales of Starlight, which is adult with adult content.
This review is brought to you by Corin, Edmund's Friend.
