BookDragon Blog

Warning: I can’t find any promises of a volume 2 (or 3, 4, or more!) anywhere in, on, or around this book. Nothing in the publicist’s note, either! Uh-oh … how can we sleep at night not knowing what will happen to the world’s balance – not to mention if the co-Defender is an unknown Chinese cousin or Caroline who never complains about being in a wheelchair? But I’m jumping ahead, huh?

Aliera Carstairs (what a name!) carries a weapon with a ruby handle. She’s been fencing since she was 11, and is headed to the Nationals … if she can keep her concentration. But when the gorgeous, athletic, charming Avery Castle appears in 10th grade, he’s got everyone swooning, including Aliera. Paired as his lab partner – “Carstairs and Castle. We sound like a dance team,” he remarks with an irresistible grin – Avery cuts (the poor gray sacrificial frog), while Aliera records. “Protect the heart, Aliera,” she reminds herself, repeating her fencing coach’s admonitions, over and over again …

When Avery asks Aliera out on a first date (ever!), she has to skip out on part of her fencing practice, as well as miss her usual Saturday night role-playing game with cousin Caroline. “We play with much more passion than it deserves. Than either of us really understood.” But that is soon to change!

Aliera hurries to Grand Central Station to meet Avery, who finally shows up incredibly late … but by then, Aliera’s been having visions of dragons, fairies, not to mention the glowing lady with wings. What’s real? What’s not? And who really is that too-handsome Avery anyway? And if Aliera is color-blind, where did all that technicolor suddenly come from? Get ready for a wild, eye-opening ride indeed!

Readers: Middle Grade

Published: 2010