Once a slave, Kale is given the unexpected opportunity to become a servant to the great Paladin. Yet this young girl has a lot to learn about the difference between slavery and service. A small band of Paladin's servants rescue Kale from danger, but turn her away from her destination: the Hall, where she was to be trained. Along with her rescuers, Kale embarks on a mission to find the meech dragon egg stolen by the evil Wizard Risto. But their journey is threatened when a key member of the party is captured, leaving the rest to attempt an impossible rescue, find aid, and recover the meech egg whose true value they have not begun to suspect.
Morality
Kale eavesdrops accidentally. Wizard Risto lies and uses deception to gain his purposes. One character (named Dar) teases Kale over and over (for example, they are eating soup and Dar tells Kale that the soup is flatworm soup; upon taking a spoonful, Kale discovers it is actually onion.).
Spiritual Content
Wulder is the name of the God of Amara, where the story takes place, and he represents the true Christian God. Paladin is a figure that lives among the people of Amara and he is regarded as the figure of Christ, although he and Wulder do not have the father/son relationship that Christ and God have in our world. However, this wasn't an attempt of the author to try to make readers believe that God and Christ don't have a father/son relationship.
Paladin knows Wulder very well because he is associated with him, though this is a mystery to the people of Amara. Because Paladin is associated with Wulder, the people that are the followers of Wulder submit themselves to Paladin as his servants (servants in this story represent Christians) and go on quests that Paladin sends them on. Some people in Amara have special talents allowing them to mindspeak to each other. They can also mindspeak with Paladin (a form of prayer).
Although God, Christ, and Christians have an allegorical representative in this story, there is not a representation of the Holy Spirit. Wulder is worshipped with songs of praise and thanksgiving while Paladin is highly respected and honored. The author of this book, I believe, was taking an approach similar to that of The Chronicles of Narnia series in representing God and Christ. The figures in DragonSpell that represent God and Christ are not trying to change reader's view of God and Christ, but showing them in different circumstances that could help the reader in their struggles.
The good wizard performs spells, such as a fire spell, as a defense and not as a way of evil attacking.
Violence
Swords. Daggers. Evil grawligs attacking. Attacks from evil creatures. Bow and arrows. Nothing is graphic - no descriptions of the causes of a sword or dagger. The grawligs and other evil creatures are not particularly described in detail.
Drug and Alcohol Content
None.
Sexual Content
None.
Crude or Profane Language or Content
None.
Conclusion
I really enjoyed reading this book. Great for fantasy lovers and without the bad wizardry and evil spells that are in secular fantasy books. DragonSpell teaches the importance of trusting God throughout all your struggles.
