The Book of Earth

I recommmend this book to anyone who is not afraid to stop reading the book 20 pages early. The book is wonderfully written, but the reader is lead on and some people may feel strongly about the ending. While this book was a good read for me, the other three in the series are a waste of time. Take my advice and don't continue past this book, because if you end up for some reason being unsatisfied by this book's ending, the other books are structured in the exact same way in their conclusions. Thank you for reading my honest summary of the series, and trust my word on this.

After running away from her father, and loosing two of her best friend in the castle, Erde runs into a cave to stay in for the night. While in there she encounters a dragon. Dragons were only myths and folklore in her age so it was quite unbelievable. Somehow the dragon could send her colors and pictures of what it was thinking. While fleeing from her father and taking care of the dragon, she ran into Hal who tells her about her grandmother and how the dragon linked into her. How will this unveil after she encounters her father again? Read the book to find out. It is an entertaining read and I love it. I would recommend this series to everyone of all ages. I read this when I was in sixth grade so it's not a difficut read, but not only can you read it at a young age and enjoy it, I have read it at least once every year and it still never get's old.

I have not read a lot of dragon-related fantasy before, so I can't really compare Marjorie B. Kellogg with the likes of Anne McCaffrey. What I can say, however, is that The Book of Earth, the first book of The Dragon Quartet, struck me as a wonderfully rich and original novel. The dragon is not your typical dragon, nor is the protagonist of the book your typical Dragon Guide. I was actually rather surprised by the depth of emotion and tragedy that went in to the core of this novel, as young Erde truly suffers a great deal at the beginning of the story. Her relationship with the dragon and the manner in which the two of them communicate, however, was really quite beautiful. And if you're looking for action, you'll find plenty of it here, building up to a much-anticipated, thrilling conclusion that differs significantly from what I was expecting.Erde von Alte is the 14-year-old daughter of a baron living in the German principalities in the year 913. Just as she is beginning to make the transition from childhood to womanhood, though, her world falls apart around her. Her grandmother, the baroness, has just died, and Brother Guillemo of Rome has arrived to oversee the funeral. Guillemo's reputation precedes him, as he is going around speaking of great evil in the land, making great prophecies about dragons and other devilish creatures. Dragons have always been a part of the von Alte tradition, however, and Erde has long delighted in dreams of her very own dragon. She recognizes the good Brother for the dangerous individual he is, and she is devastated when he accuses her of improper behavior (you know what I mean) and witchcraft. Soon, her less than loving father is under the spell of the friar, the people she loves are dead or dying, and she is held a virtual prisoner in her room. She manages to escape and runs off into the cold forest, losing her voice as a result of the trauma she endures in the process. In the depths of a secret cave, she encounters a dragon, and this dragon immediately attaches herself to her. His name is Earth, and he really does not know what his purpose is - all dragons are supposed to have a reason to exist, so it just remains for Earth and his Dragon Guide to figure out what he is supposed to do. He doesn't even know what powers he possesses, but as the two begin their journey together he begins to remember things and eventually recognizes a summons beckoning him to some as yet unidentified place. The pair meet up with a knight of the much-beleaguered king, and the trio embark on a journey that basically brings Erde full circle before it is finished. The dragon learns, grows, and becomes more enchanting as time goes by, finally identifying the source of his summons at the very end of the book (which leads fluidly into the next book of the series).This is a wonderfully human story, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes wonderful, but always vivid and magnificent. The malevolent aims of Brother Guillemo and the

I purchased this book while I was still in high school. I adored it. Not only did the girl on the front look like me, she was my age and had the same temprament as I did also. It is not only a story about dragon lore, the character in this book, Erde, evolves as the story develops. From a slightly selfish, self doubting child into a mature, questioning adult as the story progresses. I have all three books so far. It would be a wonderful read for anyone. I loaned it to my little sister, and she almost didn't give it back. The midival setting is depicted well along with the witch suspicion that is highlighted in this first installment of the epic. I would recomend this to anyone who was just looking into fantasy, or an experienced reader in this grenre.

Marjorie Kellogg knows her stuff. She has woven a wonderous tale of fantasy which truly allows the reader to suspend his/her disbelief and enter the world on the page.The characters are perfectly believable, the writing is tight with excellent forward motion, and there is never a lag where you may be tempted to put down the book or skip forwardover a boring part. It is easy to sympathize with the heroes,and just as easy to hate the antagonists. I can't wait to read the next book in the quartet