The thing I liked so much about this book was how well it allows the reader to imagine what it might be like to live in another era. Vande Velde does a surprisingly good job of creating a complete and believable environment for her characters; and her characters are complete and interesting as well. A romantic twist on the classic dragon myths with a twist of witchcraft, Dragon's Bait is an immersing and entertaining read. ( )

Published in 1992, this book suffers from the "this book is for young adults so it must be short" mentality that existed back then. And therefore, the characters are not as well developed as I would have liked. In her review for School Library Journal, Margaret Chang observed "While the writing is smooth and the story moves quickly, the girl's emotions are not convincingly portrayed. The story's tone wobbles, sometimes keeping a comic distance from tragic events. The abrupt ending may leave readers puzzled as to the heroine's motivations." I think that if this book had been written today, the author would have been able to flesh out the characters better and given the reader much more detailed descriptions. Let's hear it for J. K. Rowling -- young adult fiction will never be the same again. ( )

Dragon's Bait is an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and is a light but not terribly fluffy book. There is a plucky heroine, a handsome and enigmatic hero, and a mean cruel world. Truth and love win out and a lesson on the perils of revenge is written.

Not bad but not quite up to Heir Apparent standards.