When apprentice mage Calen and Princess Meglynne encounter each other (both hiding from their respective responsibilities), a fast friendship is formed. Both children were lonely and isolated by their positions, and they soon find themselves sharing secrets. Meg has a big secret -- she discovered a young dragon in the woods near the castle, and she has been hiding it in a cave ever since. In fact, Meg and the dragon Jakl have formed a magical bond. They are, in fact, linked for life, whether they meant to be or not. Calen resolves to help keep Meg's secret, and he begins to research the dragon linkage in hopes of helping her manage it. Even bigger than this dragon-size problem, however, is the scheme of an evil mage who is plotting war and murder. When Calen and Meg stumble upon this plot, their lives are in danger -- and they are the only ones who can sound the alarm and stop the plot from wreaking havoc in Meg's family and her kingdom.
This is a fun fantasy read -- though I found myself enjoying it a little less as a reread than I did at first. Perhaps that's because it's not highly original, as far as the plot goes. I like the characters, and I think Meg's conflicted feelings about her link with Jakl are particularly well-done. Some of the secondary characters (Meg's parents, for instance) are a bit flat, while others (Serek, the mage Calen is apprenticed to, in particular) are intriguing. It's a good solid read, and I'd recommend it to fans of middle-grade fantasy, especially those who like the Dragon Slippers books by Jessica Day George and A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine.
(Reviewed from my personally purchased copy.)
I enjoyed this oe too, and have been meaning to get hold of Princess of Trelian ever since it came out!
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