The most important element in Dragon's Bait is the relationship between Alys and Selendrile, which provides much of the tension in the novel. This is an unusual twist; in fantasy adventures such as this one, the action usually creates most of the tension—for instance, battles with evil wizards or sword fights with knights. In Dragon's Bait the uneasy relationship between two characters who are suspicious of each other provides momentum to the story. Dragon's Bait is quick paced, with deft prose describing situation and scene. The only disappointment in the book may be its ending, which is the stock ending of many a young adult book: Alys decides revenge is not such a good idea; she wishes Atherton had not been killed. This remorse seems out of character, especially since the evil done to Alys was extreme—her father killed, her life ruined...