- brother and sister are thrust into a dangerous world of ancient secrets to solve a mystery in their family’s past
- themes include courage, family loyalty, identity, and good vs. evil
- convo: violence; murder; fantasy elements such as altered animals, special types of weapons, and people hundreds of years old; a few darkly suspenseful scenes; some forced brainwashing; a few disparaging remarks about a woman being black
- language: mostly minor words (stupid, darn, heck, etc.) and they are infrequent, x1 “so help me G-d”
Type: fantasy novel
Ages: 13+
Author: N.D. Wilson
Nailed it. 👏🏼
That was one of my first thoughts upon finishing this book. I’ve read a fair amount of books by N.D. Wilson now, and it’s possible this one just took first place.
Siblings Cyrus and Antigone, ages 12 and 13, are suddenly exposed to the existence of a secret society their parents were connected with. Their quiet life in a crumbling motel (run by their 20-year-old brother) is completely uprooted. Big brother Daniel disappears, so it’s up to the two of them to find him…but first, they must learn how to survive.
I took a lot of notes, as is my habit, but I hesitate to share many more details to avoid spoiling delicious plot twists. The main concerns for parents should be up in the bullet points, but if you have questions, I’m just a message away. Those who like cross-references to other written works will discover mentions of (or allusions to) Gilgamesh, Treasure Island, various mythology stories, and more.
The Dragon’s Tooth completely drew me in. Readers aged 13 and up will easily engage and connect with the characters. Their personalities–flaws and all–are well-developed. Plus, the bad guys are really bad, drawing a clear line between the heroes and their evil enemies. I’m eager to continue the series and will link to those reviews when they’re written.
Hope this helps!