Slayers

Gr 7 Up—Tori Hampton, 16, is as gorgeous as a model, athletically talented, and the daughter of a senator. She secretly fears that dragons might be real and is attending Dragon Camp for the first time to learn how to combat these creatures. The camp director, Dr. B., has firsthand knowledge that they exist and, even worse, that there are human dragon lords who can control them for their own nefarious ends. At a secret facility separate from the main camp, Dr. B. trains teens who are descended from medieval knights with special powers to fight dragons. They have superstrength and heightened combat skills as well as individual talents like flight or the ability to heal. Tori finds herself becoming attracted to the muscular and handsome Slayer team leaders, Dirk and Jesse. She is not sure that she is ready to fight dragons but must make her choice when her own special ability gives the Slayers a clue to the location of a dragon lord who is guarding some eggs. By including some familiar plot elements in this fantasy, the pseudonymous Hill may draw in "Percy Jackson" (Hyperion) and "Twilight" (Little, Brown) fans as well as readers with more general interests in fantasy or romance. However, this single-volume tale leaves much unresolved. A spy is unrevealed. Tori's romance and leadership are untested. There is a Slayer who has yet to join ranks with the others. Most importantly, the evil dragon lord is left undefeated.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI