• Age: 12 to 17
• Grade: 7 to 12

When Marise Leeson gets her hands on a crystal ball, she believes her knowledge of Wicca is about to expand. The magic, however, goes horribly wrong. In short order, she’s thrown into an alternate world, attacked by a dragon, and rescued by Javeer, a young male dragon in search of a friend.

Marise is desperate to get home alive. Instead of dabbling in scrying and spells, she must now use her Wicca skills to survive in Moerden—navigating rival dragon factions, riding Javeer without falling, and dodging unknown perils of an alien landscape. Through a series of adventures and mishaps, she learns that the dragons face slow extinction from a mysterious disease. Some see Marise as part of the cause. Some hope she’s a key to a cure.

Marise grows up fast as her focus switches from escape from Moerden to saving the dragons. She draws upon her powers, intuition, and some help from home as she and Javeer begin a quest to solve the puzzle of the stagger. If they survive, and if their trust and courage are strong, they may succeed. If they do not, the dragons of Moerden will cease to exist.

Rosemary Drisdelle has written on various nonfiction science and professional topics. A fascination with parasites—where fiery serpents are not unknown—inspired her science book Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests. She’s always had a weakness for reptiles and hopes to meet a real live dragon some day; however, there don’t seem to be any in Bedford, Nova Scotia, where she currently lives.

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“A fun and deftly crafted read from beginning to end.”
—Midwest Book Review