A world ruled by the Fellowship, where poor harvests and starvation are no excuse for failing to pay your annual tribute. A world of hungry dragons and greedy men, and of ancient legends that warn thirteen-year-old Gaia and her people never to leave their mountain home. And in the midst of it all, the mystery: a small piece of soft white stone. From all these Tracey Mathias weaves a magical story of adventure and destiny, of peril, slavery and friendship. She skilfully introduces us to her cast of fascinating characters, some good, some evil, and leads us on a thrilling quest where even courage and determination may not be enough to win the day. This is a superb story – and best of all, it's a trilogy so we have two more books to look forward to. Don't miss it!

This is a great read! Although it is a fantasy there are no magic wands to help our young protagonists out of their quite real world problems. There is an underlying edge to the story which should make it enjoyable for 13-14 year olds while the sweetness of the relationship between the children makes it throughly enjoyable for younger children. The story pulls you along; the writing is lively and the world they live in beautifully realised; while the unanswered questions add mystery. One of its great strengths is its characterisations. The two main protagonists are well rounded and interesting characters but what impressed me was how well written and interesting the minor characters were especially the adult characters which, in children's or young adult fiction, can often seem like ciphers. Impatiently looking forward to the next instalment!