The Last Dragon Charmer

February 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-Prince Caden was magically sent to Asheville, North Carolina from The Great Realm under mysterious circumstances. Asheville is the residence of many of the Great Realm's most evil villains and they all conspire to take over both worlds in the process. The vice principal of his school is a revered Elderdragon who both complicates Caden's life as well as watches out for him and his friends. When Caden's older brother, Jasan (the subject of a mysterious prophecy), shows up, it could spell trouble for everyone. McKay does a fine job of building both of Caden's worlds and populates them with a diverse array of sinister and heroic characters. A recap of the previous book (Villain Keeper) is given in the first chapter although those who haven't read it may still find themselves a bit lost in the first few chapters. Nonetheless, this is a fine continuation of a series that fantasy readers will enjoy. A cliffhanger ending leaves room for more adventures of Caden and his friends.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2015
Prince Caden, future Elite Paladin of the Greater Realm, continues to try and find a way home from the Land of Shadow (aka Asheville, North Carolina), where he and the young sorceress Brynne are trapped with some of their world's greatest villains. Red lightning signifies the presence of powerful magic and the arrival of another infamous villain, but when Caden and Brynne arrive at the site of the spell, all they find is the dagger used to murder one of Caden's brothers. Villains are often banished with their weapons, so in addition to worrying about the Elderdragon that acts as their principal, their evil math teacher, and the wicked lunchroom ladies, Caden and Brynne must cope with a new foe. But when the newest arrival turns out to be Jasan, Caden's oldest and angriest brother, neither knows quite what to do. Caden is a true individual and hero. Dedicated to the Paladin Code, he is honest, noble, and brave. Thankfully Brynne and the rest of his friends are willing to be flexible: sometimes it takes a little subterfuge to battle evil. As in series opener Villain Keeper (2015), McKay juxtaposes hoary fantasy tropes against 21st-century reality with verve. A sometimes-amusing, sometimes-thrilling, and always entertaining sequel that hints that math might be used for evil and the mystery lunch might pack a deadly surprise. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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January 1, 2017
When his estranged brother appears in Asheville, North Carolina, Prince Caden and his friends must investigate why he, too, has been cast out of Razzon, and protect him from the exiled villains imprisoned in their school. Caden's insistence on maintaining his Elite Paladin habits (questing, dragon-charming, truthfulness) at the expense of fitting in with modern-day kids adds comedy and occasional pathos to this action-packed sequel to Villain Keeper.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)