Dragon's Bait

by Vivian Vande Velde

Book Overview

Fifteen-year-old Alys is not a witch. But that doesn't matter--the villagers think she is and have staked her out on a hillside as a sacrifice to the local dragon. It's late, it's cold, and it's raining, and Alys can think of only one thing--revenge. But first she's got to escape, and even if she does, how can one girl possibly take on an entire town alone? Then the dragon arrives--a dragon that could quite possibly be the perfect ally. . . .

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152166637
• ISBN13: 9780152166632
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful Quick Read!

A wonderful, quick read. Great characters and the plot moved quick. I definitely plan to read other books by this author.

A fabulous little book!

This was a great book: a nice, easy-to-read page turner that had me hooked from start to finish. I had no problems in believing any of the characters or settings. In fact, while I read this story, I was totally there! It was so compelling. Vivian Vande Velde is obviously an intelligent, accomplished author, and I look forward to reading more of her books. The recommended reading age for this book--12 and up--was spot on, but I'd recommend it not just to teens, but to any adults who like a good fantasy read too. I mean, I'm 33 and I thought it was brilliant!

Hook! Line! Sinker! "Bait" had me hooked!!

Okay, so the title of this review is corny. But the book is wonderful; another of Vande Velde's recent publishings which, in my opinion, ever topple the last one in excellence. In this book, fifteen year old Alys is learning how to fend for herself; her frail father is barely recovering from the winter's sickness while she must learn his tin-making trade to keep them both alive. All this comes crashing down upon her ears when she is accused of witchcraft (of which she is innocent) by her scheming neighbors, plotting to take her father's land from her. The clever inquistor from a neighboring village incriminates her before her friends can step in. Soon, Alys finds herself as "Dragon's Bait," left as food for a fearsome dragon that ravages the nearby countryside. But Alys is in for a suprise. The dragon is capable of many transformations; including that of a human. Instead of adding her to his menu, he spares her life, and inevitably becomes her aly, if not her friend. Alys is infuriated by the dragon (who speaks with her in his human form; that of a handsome seventeen year old youth) who seems to have no use for her--except that he is willing to help her get her revenge. And as she soon learns, revenge is something that the dragon, Selendrile, is very good at. But is revenge what Alys really wants? A witty funny novel about revenge and its cost and spoils.WAIT! DON'T STOP NOW! There is something very important that I would like to tell you about this book. I fear that I have doomed it into being serious; THIS BOOK IS FUNNY! Well, it has dark under-tones, but it is witty, clever, and fast-paced fantasy. Vande Velde demonstrates her skilled capacity for fantasy in this novel. Her strong heroine and handsome dragon companion make an endearing cast for her novel. THE PROBLEM! This book is like a small chocolate; you savor it for as long as you can, yet you still find yourself craving for more afterward. So what do you think? Even if you hated everything I had to say, I would say, give it a try! Even the anti-fantasy reader will enjoy this morsel of a novel! If you like Vande Velde, I would reccomend her other books, like Heir Apparent (I wrote a review for that also--check it out!) So...happy reading!

How did she do it in less than 140 pages?

Wow. I never would've thought. I took this book out of the library as an afterthought, one of those "might as well" kind of descisions. I am glad I did. What made me so reluctant at first to read the book was the fact that it was so thin. I thought it would be another one of those underdeveloped, waste-of-my-time (though is doesn't take that long to read them) I-can't- stand-the-cardboardness-of-the-characters kind of book. I'm glad I was wrong. Nothing is rushed. Nothing is crammed in too much. It has the perfect pace. It won't bore you with too many wordy descriptions and the main characters are so cool! I mean Alys is definately not another one of those "Cinderella" characters who can only wait to be rescued by some handsome prince, but then again she also not another of those completely rebellious bratty types that so many authors are trying out, wanting to be different but ending up instead just going with the latest fad. Senlendrile is calm, cool, and definately sardonic and sarcastic (like one of the main characters in another book i love, court duel). You NEVER know what he's thinking but are happy to watch Alys try to figure him out, but then practically rip her hair out when she can't. When they're together, it leads to witty conversation that, I think, is the best part of the book, because when the plot get's boring after numerous readings (it will take you awhile, I assure you) you still have the dialogue to look over and over again. Try it out. Even if you don't like it (i find it impossible) it's short enough that it won't leave you with the dread that you spent too much time reading something you shouldn't have.

A good, though short, story

Most people doubt that it's possible to write a good book in less than 300 pages. And usually I would agree, but this book is an exception. Dragon's Bait is a well-written, fast paced, and unusual book. The characters, rather than being strictly good and bad, are shades of gray. It avoids most, if not all, of the fantasy cliches I can think of and throws some subjects for thought in as well. If that isn't good enough for you, it has a strong-minded and realistic heroine who, as far as I know, isn't blonde. The dragon is a very cool character, and you have to guess throughout the entire book just who's side he's on. So, to end the review, I will say that I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy books, dragons, or just a good read. i ,at least, wasn't disapointed.

A unique, breathtaking book.

When I finished Dragon's Bait, I was loathe to put it down, hoping more writing would appear. Vivian Vande Velde has a frank, no-nonsense way of writing that catches your attention and holds it. She doesn't launch into long, wordy descriptions, nor does she explain everything about her characters, instead letting you get to know them on your own. That, to me, is a refreshing style I wish I saw more often. Plus, the plot is clear, and the story itself original. Both main characters, even cold Selendrile, are people I came to love, and the villains were not unbelievably villainous, like many Evil Incarnate, crazed bad guys. This is a good book for almost any avid reader.