Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com

Rosalind's fate was written in the stars, read by Merlin, some 600 years before she was born. A direct descendant of the Pendragon line, her ancestor, Evaine, was the younger sister of King Arthur. Evaine married an outlaw and was banished to Wilde Island and erased from family history, setting Rosalind's destiny in motion. Three things are said of the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island; "She shall redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island."

Rosalind knows the prophecy well. She has been groomed for it her entire life. The way her mother sees it, England is in the midst of a civil war and Rosalind will marry Prince Henry, future king of England, thereby fulfilling all aspects of the prophecy. There are just a few problems. Having never met the Prince, what if he and Rosalind don't get along? Not that the Queen of England has officially contacted them yet, though it is assumed she is aware of the prophecy. With the recent dragon attacks on Wilde Island their military force is depleted, and may not be much help to England. Oh, and there's the little matter of Rosalind's ring finger. Instead of a finger it's a dragon's claw. So far she and her mother have hidden it behind golden gloves, but that won't work when Rosie is married. They MUST find a cure soon. A cure that is made harder to find due to the fact that the healers are never told what the exact problem is. Things are beginning to look bleak.

When an envoy from England comes to visit Wilde Island, things may be looking up a little. Especially since they've managed to slay the dragon that has been harassing the Island forever. It doesn't hurt that the one who killed the dragon is a handsome boy around Rosalind's age. At least in Rosalind's opinion, but her mother might not see it the same. Not that it's a concern for long. What should be one of the most triumphant moments in their history turns horrifying when the dragon's mate returns to punish the people, and takes a special interest in Rosalind. Before long, Rosalind's life will never be the same, and it doesn't look like the prophecy could ever possibly be fulfilled.

There is so much more to this book than I can tell you here! So many more levels and layers to the story. If I tried to fit it all in it would not only ruin the story, but end up nearly as long as the book! The relationships between the characters are so multi-leveled and very realistic. Rosalind may be a Princess with a dragon's claw in a faraway time and place, but her relationship with her mother is something you could see in anyone's life. Her desire to be normal and accepted are the same things everyone experiences as a teenager. So while the circumstances aren't something we experience every day, the people in them, and their reactions to them, are completely realistic and easy to relate to.

Part fairy tale, part mythology, part legend, all around fantastic! Read it! You'll be glad you did. ( )

Merlin prophesied that the twenty first queen would redeem the Pendragon name, end war with the wave of her hand, and restore glory to Wilde Island. Rosalind happens to be the twenty first queen. But Rosalind holds the devils mark, her ring finger is the claw of a dragon with a prominent black talon at its end.Rosalind is forced to wear gloves to hide her mark and anyone that bears witness to it, doesn’t live long after. Although many healers have been sought to heal the mark, it remains. Rosalind fears she will remain tainted forever, and will never marry or find love.Rosalind is captured by the dragon Lord Faul and is forced to care for his young after his mate is killed. It is here at her life with the dragons that Rosalind finds herself.I expected a lot from this book, and I hate to say it but I was disappointed. It seemed like Rosalind couldn’t figure out what kind of person she was, one second she was vulnerable the next she's invincible. The story was interesting, but it seemed to drag. I had to fight myself to keep interest, I only continued to read because there were so many unanswered questions. To add to my disappointment was the melodramatic climax. At least there was a happy ending. This book was okay, it was good, just not great. I wanted to love it, but I don't know if I even really liked it. ( )

I liked the plot but the way she wrote the story was sort of weak. There were a few peices missing to the story; key peices. I thought she had a nice idea going in the beginning but the ending was too fast and without much support. In summary: a good idea, a good book, but it could have been written better. ( )

School Library Journal
( April 01, 2007 ; 0-15-205926-1 )

Nonstop action may keep readers glued to this page-turner, but strong writing and character development are what will make it linger in their memories long after they've finished it. Princess Rosalind Pendragon is meant to fulfill a 600-year-old prophecy from Merlin that she will restore her family's good name and end a war. Rosalind was born with one dragon talon, which is a fearful secret known only to the teen and her mother. It is kept hidden by the golden gloves that Rosalind is never without, and over the years, the queen tries desperately to find a cure for the curse. When Rosalind reveals her claw to Lord Faul, a dragon that has been terrorizing the island, her destiny is set in motion. Taken by him to be nursemaid to his motherless children, she learns of her dragon blood and of her mother's treachery. Rosalind and the dragons are bound together in a complex relationship that, in the end, helps her fulfill the prophecy. Her heroic journey comes full circle, and she finds internal peace as well as peace for her people. While the story has roots in traditional fairy tales and legends, the author has crafted something new and magical, and unexpected plot twists will surprise readers throughout. Lord Faul and Rosalind, whose personality is a fantastic combination of Joan of Arc, Briar Rose, and Patricia Wrede's Princess Cimarron, develop so well as characters that readers will be touched by them. Devotees of fantasy adventure stories will certainly find treasure here.-Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

I absolutely loved this book. It's a great tale about a girl who was born with a dragon's talon and how she overcomes the idea of being misformed and unites a nation. ( )

The royal family of Wilde Island is descended from the Pendragons. Six hundred years before our story, Arthur's sister Evaine was banished from the English mainland. Before she left, though, Merlin prophesied that the 21st queen of Wilde Island would restore the glory of the Pendragons and end war with the wave of her hand.

Princess Rosalind is in line to be that long-prophesied queen, but the ring finger of her left hand is a dragon claw instead. All efforts to rid her of the flaw fail, and Rosalind fears she will never be able to marry or fulfill her destiny.

In a lot of ways Dragon's Keep was satisfyingly complex. Rosalind's relationship with her mother is complicated. There's a lot of love between them, but Queen Gweneth is frighteningly over-protective in some ways and pushes Rosalind to fulfill Gweneth's dreams rather than Rosalind's own. Her reaction to Rosalind's talon is both heart-breaking and understandable. I also liked the characterization of the dragons. They were clearly not human, with very different philosophy and thought patterns. They are harsh; they bear grudges, and at times they can be cruel - but watching Rosalind grow to understand them was both interesting and confusing.

In other ways, I thought the novel was too simple. The ending and the resolution of the prophecy felt like an unrealistic quick wrap-up. I really liked the beginnings of the relationship with Kit, but it never quite gelled into the closeness I wanted. There were times that could have been absolutely heart-breaking if only their friendship had been developed more - and I wanted that depth of emotion.

I liked the story, but for some reason I wasn't drawn into the story despite my interest. It's a good book, and I think one suited for middle grade up.

Also posted at my blog ( )

Not bad: princess tale

with dragons, romance, and curse.

(Wicked mother, too!)

A perfect read for the young fantasy lover. Combines both historical fact with mythological fiction, blending the two into a creative story about dragons, prophesy, magic, princesses, knights, war, and love.

Princess Rosalind Evaine Pendragon is the 21st princess born to the banished and all-but-forgotten branch of the Pendragon line of kings and queens, born to Wilde Island where Arthur's youngest sister, Evaine, was sent as punishment by her father, Uther Pendragon, in AD 520. The magician and prophet, Merlin, foretold of a prophecy about the twenty-first queen, and 600 years later it is Rosalind (Rose or Rosie to those closest to her) who must shape her life around that prophecy. But in a land where dragons are feared above all else, the princess has a dark secret that only she and her mother, Queen Gweneth, know of - on her left hand, Rosie has a dragon's claw where a finger should have been. The queen will go to any length to protect her daughter, for she clings to the hope that Merlin's prophecy gives her, but Rosie begins to question her mother's motives and the prophecy when tales begin to unravel and long-kept secrets become unhidden.

When Rosie is taken by the dragon, Lord Faul, after her love, Kye, slays the dragon's mate, she begins her life on Dragon's Keep as nursemaid to Lord Faul's pips - dragon offspring. Her vow of silence and of servitude earns her village respite from the dragon attacks, and while she is at first lonely and despised by the dragons, she grows used to her life away from civilization and even begins to love the fearsome Lord Faul and his four children. When tragedy strikes on Dragon's Keep and back home, Rosie must leave her wild life and return to claim the throne she was born to inherit. In the end, the prophecy is fulfilled, but not at all like anyone thought it would be. ( )

Dragon attacks are a fact of life on Wilde Island. Warning bells ring, sounding alarm when one swoops down to scorch and gobble up those too slow to reach cover, and more than a few good knights and peasants have lost their lives trying to slay the dragon. A six-hundred year old prophecy foretells that the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island shall bring peace, redeem the Pendragon name, and restore the island's lost glory. For Queen Gweneth, the twentieth queen, the prophecy means her daughter is destined to wed England's Prince Henry. She will accept no other possibility, and is willing to go to any lengths to see her ambition come true. For Princess Rosalind, born with a dragon's claw on one hand, the prophecy seems more of a curse. No healer's potion or witch's brew, bleeding, leeching or other effort has had the slightest effect on the talon she bears.

When a dragon slayer comes to the island and the dragon is roused, only Rosie's flaw and a desperate bargain will save her and Wilde Island from the dragon's wrath.

Not at all what I expected. Very readable, and although I figured out who the "villain" was early on, and the ending was a bit abrupt and slightly lacking in depth, a very good fantasy. Creative and definitely worth reading. ( )

Banished to Wilde Island, a disgraced splinter of the English royal family rules in constant fear of bandits and man-eating dragons. Merlin foretold the prophecy that the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island would restore glory to the family name and Wilde Island, as well as end a war. Therefore, the twentieth queen is desperately ruthless in making her daughter Rosalind, the future twenty-first queen, as perfect as she can be.

But there is one major problem. Rosie had been born with a dragon’s claw instead of a normal finger on her left hand. Horrified from her daughter’s birth, the queen makes Rosie wear golden gloves all the time, so no one finds out about her shameful secret, a secret so terrible that, if known by anyone else but the two of them, would surely mean the end of Rosie’s social acceptance. The queen will do anything in order to ensure that Rosie’s secret remains that way…even murder.

However, Rosie’s dragon claw has a lot more to do with the prophecy than anyone thinks. It becomes a sort of empathic connection between her and the last few remaining dragons in the world. It also saves her life when she is taken by the dragon Lord Faul to Dragon’s Keep in order to play nursemaid to his children. There, Rosie is subjected to the most disgusting of chores, and she grows to be almost as wild as the dragons, and learns a few startling things about herself as well. Maybe Merlin’s prophecy is not exactly as everyone has interpreted it for six centuries. Maybe her dual dragon and human blood can help her save herself and her people.

DRAGON’S KEEP is a fairly satisfying light fantasy read. I would have liked more about Rosie’s relationships between other people, such as her best friend, Kit, or her love, Kye. But overall DRAGON’S KEEP is a good choice for middle school fantasy lovers. ( )

A though provoking book with an interesting view on dragons and people's idea of the. A great fantasy book. ( )

Princess Rosalind is born to restore the Pendragon dynasty, but a secret birth defect is a clue to the forces responsible for her birth, and those shaping her true destiny. Loved it. ( )

In 1145 A.D., as foretold by Merlin, fourteen-year-old Rosalind, who will be the twenty-first Pendragon Queen of Wilde Island, has much to accomplish to fulfill her destiny, while hiding from her people the dragon's claw she was born with that reflects only one of her mother's dark secrets.

A big romantic adventure that doesn't play too well on audio. While the narrator does a fine job with characters (portraying a growly and terrifying dragon among other creatures), and reads with real emotions, her narrative style seemed repetitive and unvarying during most of the storytelling. Still the plot, the setting, the extremely delightful heroine all make for a fine story. ( )

a young girl named rosie was born with a curse, a curse of a dragons claw.will her hand ever get better?but thats the least of her worries,a dragon captures her and forces her to take care of his pips. if she goes back she could be acussed of witch craft from her mark or will her true love save her from the mage that has taken the kingdom away from her?

Rosalind, princess, Merlin's prophecy, dragons help, courageous lives with and raises young dragons, saved from being hung as witch, evil Sir Magnus, Kye-dragonslayer and her love, missing scepter, proves royal Pendragon

This book should be right up my alley. but I just could not get into the characters at all. The book is just too slow paced for me. I figured everything out early and then just kind of had to wait the story out. Overall, a good concept that just did not make it in the end. ( )

A well written YA book. It was not dumbed down like some YA books are, the writing was smooth and kept the reader interested in the lead character.
The book tells a story of a princess, the 21st decendent of Queen Evaine, King Arthur's younger sister. The family was banished to the island when the Queen married a men that her father did not approve. The legend was that the 21st Queen will bring peace and honour back to the name of Pendragon.

Our heroine is the princess and only she and her mother know of her terrible secret. The poor girl has a Dragon's claw for her ring finger. Her mother keeps it hidden at all times under golden gloves, and goes to great lengths that the secret is never discovered. When the princess meets the female dragon, and later the dragon is killed, she is kidnapped by the dragon's mate to care for the pips (baby Dragons)
The dragon's see beauty where her mother only saw shame, and it is at the end of the story that the dragons give her the gift of Peace between Human and Dragon.
The adventures are exciting and the book should be recomended to any young Dragon Lover.

A medieval fantasy fairy-tale, Talon is a story of secrets, betrayals, love and dragons.

Rose is a princess, prophesied by Merlin himself to bring peace to her people. Stopping her though, is what her mother sees as a hideous disfigurement that must be hidden from all, else she will be burned at the stake as a witch. Only her mother knows of the one dragon’s claw that replaces Rose’s ring finger, and the obsessive necessity of the glove Rose must ever wear to hide it.

There’s courtly intrigue and murder, sorcery and dragon attacks, betrayal and love for a courageous young knight. When Rose is kidnapped by the dragon, only the claw on her hand saves her from being eaten. Rose must work to find a way to reconcile her destiny, her identity and her cursed shame.

And underneath it all lies Rose’s complex relationship with her mother, a relationship richly explored and slowly revealed. An interesting read. ( )

This book was not what I expected, it was a book that was hard to put down and had lots of little twists and changes that kept you interested right to the end. And the pace was kept through the entire book so that it didn't lag or race ahead too much. It will be good to read other books by this author. ( )

Merlin’s prophecy said that the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island would end war. But when the Princess Rosalind is born, she has a dragon’s talon in the place of one finger. If the people knew she’d be branded as a witch and killed, so her mother hides the horrible flaw under golden gloves and hopes to find a way to heal her. No healing works, however, and the princess’ fate seems tied to dragons. The story is rooted in traditional tales and legends, but it is a completely new and absorbing fantasy. ( )

A princess is born with a dragon's claw. Only her mother knows her secret. The secret must be kept at all costs, or how will Princess Rosalind fulfill Merlin's prophecy? ( )

My expectations when I brought home this book were far from the reality of it. I thought it was going to be an exciting adventure-type story with magic and dragons. Yes, there is some adventure...and lots of dragons. Yet it was more soft spoken than I expected, people were passive when I'm used to action. This is not to say it was bad. It was actually quite good. I'm not into historical fiction, but this is written in the manner of most historical novels, so the characters' actions did not feel false to me.

Really this is just a long winded way to say that my expectations were trampled, but pleasantly. ( )

Princess Rosiland and her mother hide that fact that she was born with one dragon talon. They are ashamed of this deformity and try every kind of healer to fix it before she is old enough to marry. She is forced to always wear gloves and her mom will do anything to keep this secret. Princess Rosiland is meant to fulfill a prophesy Merlin declared long ago. Her life turns out much different than what her and her mother planned after she is stolen by a dragon, and in the process she learns a lot about herself and her destiny.
A great book overall, an exciting story and beautiful descriptions. This story helps teenagers realize they do not need to be ashamed of their differences. Rosiland grew up with a heavy prophesy weighing on her, which blinded her at times, but I think she comes into her own and becomes a strong woman. Of course, by the end of the book she has to. I defiantly recommend. ( )

Princess Rosalind has a secret she's been forced to keep all her life. She was born with a dragon's talon in place of her left ring finger. Her mother has taken her to healer after healer, but no one's been able to help. Rosalind fears she'll never find a husband. And life is made all the more complicated by the dragons that keep attacking the town. Also, there is a prophecy that Rosalind will be the queen who will stop the wars... but all that seems impossible.

Rosalind wasn't the spunky heroine I wanted her to be. I think my own expectations lead to me not liking the book as well as I might have. Rosalind was much more of a damsel in distress than I feel the story called for. It all worked out in the end and there were a couple of twists I didn't see coming, but it would have been a much different book if Rosalind was more proactive and less of a wuss. ( )