Dragon's Lair: The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme by Elizabeth Haydon

I had no idea what to expect when I started this book, having never read its prequels.  The first few pages were confusing because of this, although I soon started to understand and was drawn in.  The story is set in a fantasy-rich era in Earth's past, where races such as Nain, Lirin, and Gwadd walk beside humans.  Punctuating the mostly third-person style are sections of first person, as well as pencil drawings, which provide a view even the most descriptive writing can't show.  This gave the book some variety, and helped keep me reading the whole way through.  This is a great book with a hooking beginning, a body that keeps the reader going, and a satisfactory ending that paves the way.

--Reviewed by Kelan Smith, West Valley High School