The Vanishing Sculptor

OK, I'm ready for the next book in THIS series! I loved the previous Dragon series and wasn't sure I would like a 'prequel'. But "The Vanishing Sculptor" is really lovely. It is one of those books that you'd better have the time to read it all, because you won't be able to put it down. Tipper is truly a captivating heroine and I'd love to meet her mother in person! It was fun to revisit some of the people who inhabited the Dragon series. And I want a minor dragon of my own. I don't feel it is necessary to share any more of the story than you can read on the back cover; I don't appreciate reviewers who find it necessary to tell you all the good parts in their reviews! So all I will tell you is, get this book and read it for yourself. It is such a blessing to read a good fantasy story with a Christian message.

Something original. Does not happen often in the genre of fantasy fiction. However, The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul manages to take the idea of something old, something new to a whole new level. From the tip of a tumanhofer's tongue to the feet of an aged emerlindian's throne, this epic adventure of self-discovery simply challenges the reader to do what makes reading the best form of entertainment: use the imagination. Not since the days of my youth has a novel moved and inspired me in such a mysterious manner. At thirty-four, I became fifteen again, rediscovering emotions and excitement I had not felt since first reading books like Tolkien's The Hobbit, Richard A. Knaak's The Legend of Huma, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Since those early days, many books have come and gone as I chased that ever-elusive wonder of experience. Thanks to Donita K. Paul, that wonder has returned, bottled neatly in a potion tucked somewhere in a hollow within the Wizard Fenworth's robes. Truly a book for all ages, this grand design of an epic designed by Paul manages to totally captivate, encapsulating the very essence of creative story telling. With so many imitators of the classics, as well as followers of Harry Potter and Twilight, this fresh take on a tired genre invigorates. There are so few books that I feel compelled to pass onto my students. They dwell in the Rowling and Meyer universes, and nothing current seems to be able to break them from these authors' spells. That was until Paul's The Vanishing Sculptor. This breathtakingly brilliant novel will undoubtedly set the 8th grade imagination afire, and in a manner that is productive, positive, and full of purity. This will be the year of the Sculptor. The message of God's love shines through the depths of each page throughout this novel, and the manner in which Donita K. Paul entwines Scripture into fiction is nothing short of phenomenal. A must read for the believer and non-believe alike, this fertile tale will surely enliven every reader with the presence of the Holy Spirit. It reaches out to the lost, and before anyone has a chance to realize it, God's message of love and salvation will take root and blossom. Truly a masterpiece in modern fiction. With such an important edition, not just to the genre of fantasy fiction but also to the whole of fiction, this tale astonishingly leaves the reader yearning for more. I can only count the days until the release of its sequel. -Matt Byers, author and 8th grade English teacher

I really enjoyed this book. I think it is a good idea to be familiar with the Dragon Keeper series before reading this book. It works as a stand alone, but I think it flowed well for me because I was familiar with s few terms and ideas already. I definitely recommend this book and the Dragon Keeper series!

What's a girl to do when she has a scatter-brained mother and an absentee father? Tipper, an emerlindian is forced to sell some of her father's artwork in order to keep Byrdschopen, their family estate safe. Unfortunately, when her father does show up she learns she's sold some sculptures she should have kept. They were special works, made of one of Wulder's foundation stones. Now they are scattered and must be found. Her father, Brim Schope, has brought a couple of men with him, Wizard Fenworth and his librarian Librettowit. The four of them, with the help of Bealomondore, whom Tipper has deceived, set out to find the sculptures. Donita K. Paul's books are always a treat. A magical trip into a land of dragons, fantasy, brave men and women, and the struggle of good against evil. If you like adventure, don't miss this one. It's a keeper.