• Age: 10 to 14
• Grade: 5 to 8

Enslaved since early childhood, Madoca is astonished to be chosen as dragon seer, one who will care for the dragons of Orkney. But people now question the age-old traditions that placed the dragons at the very heart of her society, and one of the older dragon seers has made enemies among the chieftains. When the Vikings arrive with a malevolent seer who has vowed to destroy all dragons, new alliances form and the people’s way of life is threatened. As Madoca’s powers emerge, strong but uncontrolled, she faces the fight of her life. How can she save her beloved dragons?

Janet McNaughton was fifteen when she began to write her first book - a historical novel for young readers. She did not finish it, but did learn she loved finding out how people lived and thought in the past. This led her to study folklore in university and eventually brought her to Newfoundland. After completing a Ph.D in Folklore, she returned to her first love, writing for young readers.
Ms. McGrath is the winner of the Violet Downey National Chapter of the IODE Book Award (best Canadian English Language Children's Book), Ann Conner Brimer Award for Children's Literature in Atlantic Canada, and the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People. She has also been short-listed for the Mr. Christie Book Award, the Blue Heron Book Award and the CLA Young Adult Book Award. Most recently she has been nominated for the 1998 Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature, 1998 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction and the 1998 Red Maple Reading Award.
Janet also reviews books for Quill & Quire and Atlantic Books Today. She has also contributed to Canadian Bookseller, Books in Canada, and Canadian Author. Janet writes essays for adult literacy education and sometimes does radio commentary. She currently resides in St. John's with her husband and daughter.

Janet McNaughton's profile page

Dragon Seer

Madoca, a slave, expects that her cruel mistress will be chosen as the new dragon seer. Then the unthinkable happens: Madoca herself is chosen instead and her life is changed forever.

Instantly, Madoca is whisked away to begin her training with Eenna and Nechtan, her predecessors. She savours all her lessons, but the ones that Eenna teachers her are the most challenging, and most important of all. Yet while she struggles to grow and learn, Madoca also fears for her beloved dragons. They are too few in number for breeding, a problem that urgently needs to be addressed. Of equal concern are her frightening visions, and when these visions prove all too real, the survival of the dragons is threatened. It falls to Madoca to find the way to save these noble creatures who mean so much to her and her people.

The ancient, mystical land of the Orkney Isles is exquisitely rendered in this compelling tale of magic and Viking menace. Janet McNaughton has beautifully imagined and brought to life an entire culture and way of life, a people whose traditions are deeply rooted in their ties to the dragons. The dragon lore is finely woven into the tale and the society that she creates is fully realized and highly believable. Madoca’s struggles to learn to master and focus her feelings, to communicate with the dragons and to deepen her connection to them, and to live up to the high standards that Eenna and Nechtan have set, make her a very sympathetic character and readers will identify with her feelings of uncertainty, vulnerability and desperation to do what’s right for those she loves.

Dragon Seer is a lyrical and lovely tale that has a strong spirit of place and a cast of highly memorable characters… not least of whom are the dragons!

Dragon Seer

Madoca, a slave girl, is chosen to be the next dragon seer, the person who cares for the dragons of Orkney and learns their magic lore. As her people question the ancient traditions that placed the dragons at the very core of her society, Madoca faces the fight of her life against Vikings. Will she be able to rescue her beloved dragons?