Fire Star (The Last Dragon Chronicles) (U)

In the thrilling third book in Chris d'Lacey's popular series, David Rain is faced with a perilous task. ICEFIRE's evil sibyl Gwilanna is back, this time determined to resurrect the dragon Gawain on the ice cap of the Tooth of Ragnar. Can David and his friends stop her before it's too late? Chris d'Lacey is the author of several highly acclaimed books for children and young adults, including A HOLE AT THE POLE; FLY; CHEROKEE, FLY; THE FIRE WITHIN, and ICEFIRE. Chris works as a research scientist for Leicester University and lives in Leicester, England with his wife.VOYAPicking up where IceFire (Orchard, 2006/VOYA August 2006) left off, this novel continues the story of David Rain and Elizabeth and Lucy Pennykettle. Embroiled in a mystery involving an ancient dragon, the small dragons that Elizabeth creates, polar bears, witches, an Inuit tribe of the artic, an emerging star, and an alien race, the trio race between the wilds of an Artic Research Station and the United Kingdom, all while battling evil forces and the clock in order to save the world from ultimate destruction. Although the plot is fast paced, it is too convoluted. At the climax and the subsequent conclusion, the whole novel just falls apart. Long passages of pedantic instruction in physics and the novel's mythology bog down the tale further. The introduction of Elizabeth's long-lost love who has been living as a monk and an evil member of the alien race strain even further the plot's credibility. The characters are flat, mostly because the characterization comes in previous series volumes, making this installment highly dependent on the others. The settings are the one exotic, bright spot in the work, adding to this mysterious fantasy. Although readers of previous series titles will want to read this continuation, encouraging librarians to complete their set, others should pass by this poorly constructed novel.