R. D. Henham, scribe in the Great Library of Palanthas, brings us “Red Dragon Codex,” a story taken from the annals of the library and brought into the light to be shared with all who are curious about the lives of dragons. Only one of a series, in this book we learn more about the red dragon.
Mudd and his sister Hiera live in the small village of Potter’s Mill where they often visit the village seer, Shemnara. A few years ago, Shemnara was visited by a young man named Kirak who was seeking the famed Dragon’s Well. She had a vision on his behalf and asked Mudd to copy it down for her. Kirak was counseled to go in search of the pendant of the silver dragon and he would find the answers to his problems.
Now a red dragon is threatening the village, a fearsome, dangerous creature who is bent on destruction. She swoops down, setting many of the homes on fire, and kidnaps Shemnara right out of her home. Kirak, once on a quest, is now her accomplice, held in her service by hypnotism. He doesn’t like the things she’s making him do, but he’s helpless against her power.
When Mudd goes to check on Shemnara, he finds her gone, along with a note telling him that he must go in search of the silver dragon. This sounds familiar to him, and he pulls out the book of her visions. He finds the vision he recorded along with a picture of a door which will lead him to the pendant, but he doesn’t know where to find the door. It’s made of stone, so perhaps the dwarfs, long famous for their rock-cutting skills, can help him.
As he reaches the dwelling of the dwarfs, the red dragon appears again, injuring many, eating some, and burning their homes. She steals the axe that belongs to the Drakecutter family, the axe that is magic and will keep their family alive and thriving, but she mows down the father. His son, known as Greenthumb, must get the axe back to save his father’s life.
Traveling together, Mudd, Hiera, and Greenthumb, now using his father’s name, Drakecutter, head off to the Great Library of Palanthas, where they believe they’ll find the information they need to defeat the red dragon. Along the way they pick up a kender who believes himself to be a cleric, and they also run into Kirak, who has been sent to make sure they find their way to the red dragon’s lair. She needs all of them if she’s to carry out her plot.
This young adult fantasy novel is a fun read, with twists, turns and adventures. If you’ve read the “Dragonlance” series, you won’t want to miss these companion volumes.
(This book was published in 2008 by Mirrorstone.)
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