The Fire Within

Author: Chris D'Lacey
Recommended Age: 8 - 12 years old
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN-10: 0439672449
ISBN-13: 978-0439672443
Year Published: 2001
No. Pages: 340
Genre: Fantasy
Main Character Gender: Male
Read & Reviewed by: Devon



David Rain is a twenty-year old collage student who moves to the small town or Scrubbly, and into the home of Elizabeth Pennykettle (Liz). Liz is a potter who makes clay dragons and is teaching her daughter Lucy, to do the same. All David wants is a place to stay until he finishes collage, but he gets a lot more then he bargains for. He soon finds himself wrapped up writing a story for Lucy as well as trying to save an injured squirrel named Conker from there scheming neighbour Mr. Bacon. On top of all this, David suspects Liz and Lucy are hiding something from him, something to do with the dragons that litter the house. Can David find out the truth?
 
I devoured The Fire Within in about three days. The world is believable and at the beginning you can't even tell it is a fantasy novel because it is so realistic. It's written in third person, which helps you understand all the characters by showing you what they are thinking. By using detail and imagery D' Lacey really lets you make a movie behind your eyelids.

I really connected with Lucy. She is a lot like me and other eleven year olds. She is energetic and playful, but also stubborn and rebellious. She gives you someone to be with while you read the book. The dialogue is realistic and believable. Kids talk like kids and adults talk like adults. This book is slightly confusing at some parts but if you don't skim you should be fine. I rated it a nine out of ten. It is also the first book in the Last Dragon Chronicles, along with Ice fire, Fire star, The Fire Eternal, and Dark Fire. They are all fantastic books that leave you itching for more.Rest of paragraphs.