Hatching Magic AND The Dragon of Never-was by Ann Downer

I actually read this series back to front. I picked up our school copy of The Dragon who never was because I simply can’t resist a good looking hard cover book. Book two, the one I was reading, begins with a prologue but like the one in Rangers Apprentice I was prepared to let the story take its course safe in the knowledge that Ann Downer would give me a context, for the mysterious events that befall Ellic Lailoken, later in the book. It was not until I was well into Chapter one that I realized The Dragon who never was must be a sequel, however, I was intrigued enough to keep reading.

The first book in this series is Hatching Magic. I think I enjoyed book two more than book one except for the idea that a baby Dragon or wyvern could become addicted to chocolate via his mother’s milk. While waiting for her egg to hatch in modern day Boston, Wycca the mother wyvern discovers a Confectionery company.

“The deafening clatter of the equipment frightened her, and she snapped her beak at a couple of dangling hoses, causing them to hiss and spit steam at her. Arching her back like a terrified cat, Wycca hissed back, then lunged and bit a fat bundle of multicolored cables in two. With flashing lights and a chorus of alarms, the state-of-the art robotized confectionery equipment which had been installed only the year before, ground to a halt. … a trap door opened … and all the chocolates exiting the molding room dropped into a temporary holding bin. Which was where Wycca happened to be … that was how the wyvern discovered that she adored – nay worshipped – the heavenly substance know to us as chocolate.”

Meanwhile in book two we discover more about the destiny of our heroine Theodora Oglethorpe (I love this name) and her special friends.

These books are would make terrific reading for dragon and wizard fans but be warned you will need to keep your wits about you as the action switches between characters and scenes within each chapter. While you wait for this book you can read the first chapter this might be a good way to see if it is a book you will enjoy!

You can read more about the second book here. If you are a Carole Wilkinson fan and enjoyed Dragonkeeper and the sequels you will certainly enjoy these books. When you finish these two you should look for a little book in our library called Falcon's egg by Luli Gray - Falcon is a girl not a bird in this special little book.

I was interested to see we have over 120 books on the topic of Dragons in our school library!