Hints of a thousand-year-old catastrophe emerge when young Ciara discovers in an old tower both a surprisingly interactive old diary and Scorch the dragon, newly awakened from a long sleep. Reluctantly agreeing to teach the child elementary magic before flying off to find out what happened to his fellow dragons, the grumpy drake finds that his new student is a quick study but bad at following orders--and is also pursued by a ruthless Warden working the townsfolk to death in nearby mines. While setting the stage for backstory revelations and a large-scale conflict to come, this series opener features a properly tumultuous climactic rescue. The pairing of a rousingly stubborn, budding mage with a gruff but kindhearted teacher who occasionally breathes fire is undeniably entertaining, and well before ending on a cliff-hanger, the author makes it clear that none of this should be taken too seriously. After all, as he has one character declare: "Real magic isn't the friends we made along the way. It's much more about shooting giant fireballs from your fingers.
