Tigerpetal Press : Book Review: The Fire Within

The Last Dragon Chronicles Book 1: The Fire Within by Chris D’Lacey

I liked it; it was good

I started this series all the way back in elementary school with my mom, but we never finished reading them all, so I wanted to reread them now and see what I missed.

Read: November 6 – November 10, 2023

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Audience: Children
Book contains: out-of-control lawnmower

Purchase a copy from Amazon.ca

An Excellent Choice for Reading to Kids

Twenty-year-old David is a tenant in the home of potter Elizabeth Pennykettle and her daughter, Lucy, who is obsessed with saving the injured squirrel in their backyard. With the help of his new clay dragon companion, David writes the story of Conker as Lucy ropes him into an adventure to save the young squirrel. All the while, David discovers new and interesting secrets about the Pennykettle dragons.

This book is the perfect combination of a down-to-earth tale of the rescue of an injured squirrel and the fantastical world of living clay dragons. I love the uniqueness of the concept and how the story hints at magic (though it’s not the main focus of this story). Book 1 really allows for the reader to get to know the characters, setting, and setup of the series without losing the intrigue of the mysterious dragon connection.

I started to listen along to a channel on YouTube for this book, but it wasn’t very good (and it only got to page 70 or something), so I decided to just read it normally. It’s short enough that I could read it quickly in the short snippets of time I allow myself each day.

This book (and likely the whole series) is written in third person. It mainly follows the main character, David, as he and Lucy move through the story.

David is a twenty-year-old college student, though he never really seems to go to college. Lucy is the ten-year-old daughter of his landlady, and they’re unlikely friends—when Lucy isn’t pestering the living daylights out of him. David is quite sweet around Lucy, and even dedicates himself to writing her a story about squirrels for her birthday. His landlady, Liz, is remarkable as well, stern and motherly; she reminds me a bit of Molly Weasley from Harry Potter. She treats David more like her own son than just a tenant renting a room, and even encourages him when Sophie, a young woman from the wildlife rescue, walks into the story as well.

I touched a bit on the friendships in the story above, but I’d like to reiterate my appreciation for the simple nature of this book. David has fit into the Pennykettle family well, being treated as a son by Liz and a sort-of older brother by Lucy. His and Sophie’s romance is a slow and subtle one, not really a part of the story, but present enough to be cute and sweet. David’s relationship with his dragon is interesting as well, and it gets kind of rocky as the layers of David’s beliefs shift, but I’m glad it turns out well in the end. The neighbour, Mr. Bacon, is amusing in his overdramatic hatred of squirrels—a great comic relief at the beginning, as he’s a perfect fit for the villain of the narrative.

As a children’s story, the writing is simple. There’s nothing overly complex in the word choice, sentence structure, or themes. It’s great for teaching children to let go of animals when they pass, and teaching them the cycle of life and nature, that sometimes things don’t work out. At the same time, I think a lot of kids can relate to Lucy’s enthusiasm, as she’s very much an example of a ten/eleven-year-old girl with a love of wildlife.

This book is an amazing option for parents to read with their kids. It’s an easy and engaging story, though there are a few words that most kids may not know, which provides a wonderful opportunity for parents to teach these new words. Highly recommended for kids with an interest in wildlife—especially squirrels.

The Last Dragon Chronicles Book 1: The Fire Within by Chris D’Lacey

An Excellent Choice for Reading to Kids

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