The Wearle (The Erth Dragons Series #1)

by Chris d'Lacey

Overview

Master storyteller and NYT bestselling author Chris d'Lacey has woven a brand-new epic fantasy with the story of the first dragons sent to Erth, and how their fates became entwined with humankind's.

A Wearle of dragons set out on an expedition from their home planet and was never heard from again. Now, a new Wearle, determined to find the first, has come to the place its creatures call Erth. Gabrial, who still has the blue scales of a young dragon, is eager to prove himself, and to find his missing father. But when Gabrial causes an accident that results in a baby dragon going missing, he'll have to prove himself worthy of remaining with the Wearle at all.Across the scorch line, most Hom, or humans, live in fear of the dragons. But a boy named Ren is too fascinated to stay away, and will soon find his fate intertwined with that of the dragons. When conflict erupts between the dragons and humankind, Ren does the unimaginable, crossing into dragon territory. Will he be able to gain the dragons' trust and prevent an all-out war? NYT bestseller Chris d'Lacey sweeps readers off on an extraordinary adventure bursting with majestic creatures and one boy with the heart of a dragon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545900348
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	12/26/2017
Series:	Erth Dragons Series , #1
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	643,893
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	790L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Chris d'Lacey is the author of several highly acclaimed books, including the New York Times bestselling Last Dragon Chronicles series; the Dragons of Wayward Crescent series; the UNICORNE Files trilogy; and The Erth Dragons series, The Wearle, Dark Wyng, and The New Age. Chris lives with his wife, Jay, in Devon, England, where they are at work on his next book.

Read an Excerpt

It was forbidden, by order of Targen the Old. No man or woman of the tribe must contest the beasts or defy their will. Just to look upon the skalers, especially in flight, was enough to call down their fire on the tribe. From now on, men would settle on the flatlands.This was the law of the Kaal.Ren Whitehair, son of Ned, heard the words true. No man or woman must contest the beasts. But Targen the Old had not mentioned boys. And what kind of boy concerned himself with laws when his heart was beating to the spirit of adventure? Ever since the first group had burst through the sky and driven the Kaal tribe out of the mountains, the beasts had been despised by the men. A few brave souls had crossed the scorch line in defiance, but all had returned to the settlement in terror, many with hot blood running from their ears, clouds across their vision, or blisters on their skin. Thus far, the skalers had killed no men, but their forceful defense of the mountain territories suggested they would burn to the bones anyone foolish enough to provoke them to excess.But as much as men mourned the loss of their caves, it was all Ren could do to contain his excitement about the skalers. What would it feel like, he wondered, to run his hand along a whole row of scales? Or ride upon a beast as it soared above the mountains? Such fancies played with his dreams, but dreams were all they were destined to be, until the morning of the fateful hunt, the day he saw Utal Longarm burn.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Erth Dragons series:

"An inspirational new dragon series. . . . An exciting read for dragon lovers and fans of d'Lacey's 'The Last Dragon Chronicles' and Tui T. Sutherland's 'Wings of Fire' series." — School Library Journal

"D'Lacey presents high fantasy with dragons as main characters . . . Rich in betrayal and adventure." — Booklist

"The creative spin on the intersection of dragon history and prehistoric humans is interesting and the action engaging." — Kirkus Reviews

"Full of action and description, this book's multi-layered story commands the reader's imagination and attention." — School Library Connection

Praise for the UNICORNE Files series:

"Will hook readers from page one and won't let up until the dramatic conclusion. D'Lacey manages to make the implausible seem possible." — School Library Journal

"A lively and enjoyable read." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A quest laden with suspense and action.... Will leave readers wanting more." — Booklist

Praise for the Last Dragon Chronicles:

"Chris d'Lacey's writing is sometimes exciting and sometimes silly. But that seems in keeping with the worlds he created — one that seems almost real and one that is beyond imagination." — The Washington Post

"An entertaining adventure." — Kirkus Reviews

"D'Lacey's characters are realistic and engaging.... A page-turner." — The Horn Book

From the Publisher

12/05/2016
D’Lacey’s Last Dragon Chronicles explored a time after dragons ceased to exist on Earth; in this prehistoric fantasy, which begins the Erth Dragons series, he follows the struggles of the initial dragon colonists who traveled to this planet from Ki:mera. Gabrial, a young dragon, wants to prove himself worthy of guarding the new hatchlings, but when disaster strikes, he’s stripped of his name and responsibilities. As Gabrial attempts to redeem himself, a bold human boy named Ren discovers a dragon hatchling, which brings him into conflict with his own community. As Gabrial and Ren’s stories collide, they attempt to save their peoples from a conflict that could destroy all of them. As in the Last Dragon Chronicles, there is a preponderance of G names where dragons are concerned, as well as odd stylistic choices that include the mid-word colons of dragonspeak (“i:mage,” “De:allus”) and the human, or “Hom,” terms for animals: instead of horses, rabbits, and butterflies, there are whinneys, hoppers, and flutterflies. Newcomers may be distracted by the linguistic quirks, but this remains a rousing adventure with sweeping aerial action scenes and a tense mystery at its center. Ages 8–12. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

12/01/2016
Gr 4–6—An inspirational new dragon series from d'Lacey. The Wearle are a group of dragons who have come to Earth, seeking the remains of an old colony and laying claim to the mountains as their new domain. To keep the unwanted out, they burn a boundary into the ground and set up patrols. The dragons are referred to as "skalers" by the Kaal, the tribal group that shares the area, and an uneasy existence is established between the two cultures. The people of the Kaal hate the dragons and fear the borderlines, except for Ren. Ren is different. He's fascinated by the dragons and looks for as many chances as possible to observe their behavior. Eventually, he discovers a way to cross the boundary without being detected. Gabrial is a blue dragon who lost his father in the first colony. He is assigned to protect a young mother and her offspring but is punished when his failure proves fatal. Gabrial is now desperate to reclaim his honor. Soon, the paths of Gabrial and Ren collide in ways neither could ever imagine, as they dare to challenge the biases in both their worlds to show the commonality between man and dragon. A list of characters and a glossary are included to aid readers' navigation through this new realm. VERDICT An exciting read for dragon lovers and fans of d'Lacey's "The Last Dragon Chronicles" and Tui T. Sutherland's "Wings of Fire" series.—Sabrina Carnesi, Crittenden Middle School, Newport News, VA

School Library Journal

2016-09-19
Young dragon Gabrial and young human Ren cross paths, uncover a hidden evil, and unravel a mystery.Gabrial is excited to battle an older, more experienced dragon for the honor of helping raise Grystina’s new hatchlings, though his second heart belongs to another. During the fight, the mountain Grystina and her wearlings are sheltering in explodes—and Gabrial is unjustly blamed for Grystina’s subsequent death and the assumed death of her son. The narrative switches to Ren, a 12-year old human, who’s fascinated with the “skalers” though they’ve driven his people from their mountain home. Pale-skinned Ren dares to cross the “scorch line” into dragon territory, coming upon Grystina and her wearlings moments before she’s killed. She has just enough time to transfer a part of herself to Ren, who saves her son. What follows is a lot of shady business among dragonkind, though members of both species make rash and illogical decisions. Truths are revealed, but not everyone lives to learn them. Both protagonists can be impetuous but are still sympathetic, and a new character introduced in the final pages promises intrigue in future volumes. The creative spin on the intersection of dragon history and prehistoric humans is interesting and the action engaging. Enjoyable but not exceptional fare for d’Lacey’s fans and readers of Tui T. Sutherland’s dragon books. (list of characters, glossary) (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews