The Dragon Snare by Rhiannon Williams

"In Synstar, the year of turning from twelve to thirteen was called the twilight year. It marked passing from the bight colourful day of youth to the deep, starlit night of adulthood. The Twilight Tournament was named for this age. Only those in their twilight year could complete ... "

Henry is twelve and so this will be the year he can compete. Three tournament winners become knights, but Henry is a lowly kennel boy. He has tried to practice but he has no real sword and no armour. He decides to take his few coins called pentacles and ask the Oracle. She tells him about a sword, a secret sword which has an ancient and powerful spell woven into the steel and the Oracle tells him exactly where to find this sword.

He does find it but wielding it has terrible consequences and once used the power is gone and now it is only two weeks until the tournament. Using the sword as dawn is breaking a shooting star streaks across the sky followed by a monstrous dragon. 

"A thunderous roar filled the sky and an enormous dragon with black and gold scales hit the ground."

And as she lands Henry's little dog squid leaps in to defend his master. Henry grabs the magical sword and "They were gone." The dragon is now a girl - her name is Snare and his dog Squid, is now a small boy. 

There are three plot points that propel this story forward: Henry is determined to compete and become a knight; Snare needs to regain her form as a dragon and return to Dracath land of the dragons and there is one more thread. The opening chapter of The Dragon Snare is a prequel. One month ago Henry stumbled on Nialla Princess of Synstar. Days later she was declared missing and then word arrives that she has drowned. 

At times reading this book I needed a character list - so I have made one:

• Henry Haddow - an orphan working in the royal kennels his ambition is to become a knight
• Snare - a 99 year old dragon now in the form of a human girl but with supernatural powers and a predisposition for acquiring treasure
• Squid - once a disobedient small dog and now a loyal but bewildered young boy
• Bridie - apprentice healer working for Merel
• Nialla Princess of Synstar - she has disappeared and later her body is found
• Queen Ravina- over whelmed with grief over the loss of her daughter she has great powers
• King Bardo - desperate to help his wife. He has the loyalty of his people.
• Yort - master of the hounds
• Seraphy - a healer dog (this quality is called tac). 

Blurb from author page: Ever since he was orphaned in the Dragon War, thirteen-year-old Henry Haddow has lived with the dogs in the castle's kennels – and that's where he's expected to stay. But Henry dreams of becoming a knight. His one chance is to compete for a coveted novice spot in the Twilight Tournament, and when he discovers a magical sword that will grant him a single wish, he knows he can win. That is, until he accidentally uses the magical sword in a chance encounter with a dragon named Snare, and it transforms her into a teenage girl. Henry is horrified. Snare is furious. They both live by the law that neither humans nor dragons may enter the lands of the other; it’s the only thing preventing another war. But a dragon trapped in a human body can enter Henry’s city undetected … and seek revenge. 

How amazing - thank you Hardie Grant Books - The Dragon Snare has stenciled or decorative page edges. We don't see this very often here in Australia especially on kids' books. This feature makes the book look extra appealing. 

Here are a couple of text quotes to give you a flavour of this story:

"Listen. Tonight, I'm going to the castle library to figure out how to fix this.' It was his best option for information, but he couldn't risk it during the day. He was only allowed in certain parts of the castle, and the library wasn't one of them."

"Humans and dragons were two fundamentally different species, and, according to the histories, they had almost never co-existed peacefully. The dragons kept pushing the borders, expanding their land. They did not thrive in big communities like humans did. They needed space and their demand for more and more land had led to more and more wars."

"Until Evermore, every peace attempt had failed. Dragons were vicious and heartless and ravenous for everything it was possible to be hungry for: meat, power, treasure, territory ..."

I saw this book in a library and recognised the author name Rhiannon Williams. I adored one of her previous books and even now, years later, the story has lingered with me. I do wish Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt had received more attention but it was a 2019 CBCA Notable title. The problem with the Notables (usually around 25 titles per category) is that the short list is announced so quickly after we hear about the Notables and so it can be easy to lose sight of many splendid notable titles. 

Warning - do not equate a slim book with an easy book! There is SO MUCH going on in The Dragon Snare I found myself back-tracking over and over again in order to follow all the characters and events - past and present. Oh, and another warning. This book is part one, part two is not yet published (due September 2026) AND yes, sorry to say this but you will be left hanging out for the second book. This is one of those books where I just marvel at the imagination of the author. 

You can listen to the author reading her first chapter here - begin at 2.15 (20 minute podcast). 

The Dragon Snare has everything I love in a fantasy – heroic tales of chivalry and adventure, magical creatures and powerful sorcerers, and a lovable dog (called Squid). Henry is truly a hero worth cheering on. Readings Melbourne

In the meantime I plan to go back and re-read Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt and then I will grab the other two books from this series:

Rhiannon Williams lives in Tasmania, where she writes magical books for young readers. Her debut novel, Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt, won the Ampersand Prize. Her books have also been named CBCA Notables and shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards, the Readings Children’s Book Prize, the Speech Pathology Australia Book Awards and she was shortlisted for the IBBY Australia Ena Noël Award. You can see the full shortlist from 2024 here.