From Library Journal
Abandoned as a baby by her mother, orphaned at 23 by the cold man she thought was her father, Lanen Kaeler leaves home to find Dragon Isle of which she has long dreamt. This adventure fantasy by a gifted storyteller belongs on most fantasy collection shelves.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Every time it looks as if dragons had been done to death, along comes a yarn like this to revive them. Lanen Kaelar has always dreamed of dragons. Now she sets out on a long, perilous, winding road to find them. As she proceeds, magic seems to be pursuing her; perhaps that is because she may be the child of a father who promised his firstborn to demons. The dragons she seeks are ultimately not the ones she has dreamed of, for they are divided among themselves over whether the best way to preserve their ancient culture is to deal with humans or to shun them. With excellent narrative technique, wit, and intelligence, Kerner weaves these strands into a brisk story capped by a plausible happy ending. Her very superior debut deserves its place in most fantasy collections. Roland Green
From Kirkus Reviews
In Kolmar, tall young horse-farmer Lanen Kaelar dreams of meeting the True Dragons of the remote West. Soon, a Harvest ship, braving the terrible winter storms, will set off for Dragon Isle to seek valuable lansip leaves and fruit (they heal ills and prolong life). Though the chances of a successful return are small, Lanen will be aboard, along with Marik (he may be Lanen's father; he certainly has sold his firstborn child to demons). On Dragon Isle, Lanen meets Akor, the magnificent silver King of the Dragons, and finds that, somehow, she can speak with him telepathically; they fall utterly in love. But their love is forbidden by the Council of Dragons because of ancient strife between dragon and human. Meanwhile, Marik and his sorcerous sidekick, Caderan, are plotting all manner of wickedness. Eventually, Marik will grab Lanen (she is his daughter) and attempt to feed her to a demon; Akor, grievously wounded in defending her, is magically transformed into a man, and Marik has his brains scrambled by Akor's vengeful subjects. Other than the distracting and vexing multiple first-person narrators, a solidly detailed and impressively developed debut. Expect sequels. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
"...very superior debut." -Booklist
"...solidly detailed and impressively developed debut."-Kirkus Reviews
"With excellent narrative technique, wit, and intelligence Kerner weaves these strands into a brisk story capped by a plausible happy ending. Her very superior debut belongs in most fantasy collections." -Booklist
Book Description
American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults
VOYA Best Science Fiction & Fantasy selection
Lanen Kaelar has dreamed of dragons all her life. But not just dreaming, for Lanen believes in dragons.
Her family mocks her that dragons are just a silly myth. A legend. But Lanen knows better. And she means to prove it. One day she sets out on a dangerous voyage to the remote West to find the land of the True Dragons.
What she discovers is a land of real dragons more beautiful-and surprising-than any dream she could have imagined.
About the Author
Elizabeth Kerner, as the daughter of a Navy doctor, has always found the simple question 'where are you from?' one of the most difficult. Born in Florida in 1958, she spent much of her early life being moved around the Northeast and the South of the US, including a brief but glorious sojurn in Kodiak, Alaska in 1969. She started writing while in high school in New Orleans and no-one has managed to stop her since. She received her MA in English Language (Philology) from St. Andrews University in Scotland in 1981, being one of the first Americans to complete a full degree course at that institution, and promptly joined the unemployment line. She spent a number of years as a non-fiction editor of medical and scientific books and journals, but when she moved to Hawaii in 1988 a whole series of new possibilities arose and she was variously employed as a grunt in the woodworking industry, an office manager for the Big Island AIDS Project, a trainee in furniture restoration and an apprentice goldsmith. By this time, however, her writing was starting to go somewhere, and her first novel, Song in the Silence, was published in 1997 by Tor.
She now lives with her best-beloved husband Steven in a small town just outside of Edinburgh Scotland, and from her upstairs window can just see, if she leans out, the looming towers of the nearby power station. If anyone would care to dynamite several inconvenient homes that are in the way, she would have a sea view. Any reasonable offers considered.
Song in the Silence FROM THE PUBLISHER
Lanen Kaelar has dreamed of dragons all her life. But not just dreaming, for Lanen believes in dragons.
Her family mocks her that dragons are just a silly myth. A legend. But Lanen knows better. And she means to prove it. One day she sets out on a dangerous voyage to the remote West to find the land of the True Dragons.
What she discovers is a land of real dragons more beautiful-and surprising-than any dream she could have imagined.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Brian Gibbons
Lanen Kaelar, the main character of this science fiction novel, was abandoned by her mother as a young child. Forced to live with her neglectful, cold father, Lanen grows up sheltered from the outside world. As a young child, Lanen believes in dragons when others tell her she is foolish. After her father dies, Lanen sets out on a journey to the Land of the True Dragons. When she arrives, she finds that the Land of the True Dragons is better than she ever imagined. The ending, although happy, is a cliffhanger that will leave the reader longing for the second book in the series. The author's colloquial and witty writing style makes this an easy book to read. Throughout Lanen's journeys, she encounters giants, dragons, and other out-of-this-world beings. Underneath the fantasy adventure, a romance takes place, and, although the romance is a large part of the story, the adventure remains the focus of the novel. The action in this fantasy and the beautiful descriptions of the surroundings and characters hold the reader's interest. Because of the author's wonderful descriptions, there is no need for illustrations here. This novel is a must-read for any science fiction fan. 2003, Starscape Books, Ages 10 up.
Kirkus Reviews
In Kolmar, tall young horse-farmer Lanen Kaelar dreams of meeting the True Dragons of the remote West. Soon, a Harvest ship, braving the terrible winter storms, will set off for Dragon Isle to seek valuable lansip leaves and fruit (they heal ills and prolong life). Though the chances of a successful return are small, Lanen will be aboard, along with Marik (he may be Lanen's father; he certainly has sold his firstborn child to demons). On Dragon Isle, Lanen meets Akor, the magnificent silver King of the Dragons, and finds that, somehow, she can speak with him telepathically; they fall utterly in love. But their love is forbidden by the Council of Dragons because of ancient strife between dragon and human. Meanwhile, Marik and his sorcerous sidekick, Caderan, are plotting all manner of wickedness. Eventually, Marik will grab Lanen (she is his daughter) and attempt to feed her to a demon; Akor, grievously wounded in defending her, is magically transformed into a man, and Marik has his brains scrambled by Akor's vengeful subjects.
Other than the distracting and vexing multiple first-person narrators, a solidly detailed and impressively developed debut. Expect sequels.
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