Dragon Daughter

Liz Flanagan's Dragon Daughter is a sword-and-secrets dragon story for 9 year olds about Milla, a maid who hears far more than anyone realises.

What happens

She's twelve, the youngest of all the servants at the Yellow House. The second anyone spots her, there's a job for her. So she's up an orange tree, with juice running down her chin, pretending she can't hear them.

She's still up there when a stranger in a salt-stained cloak hangs a silk bag on her branch. It has four round, padded pockets. Rubies? Poison? Milla hasn't a clue (and the man in the mask who comes for it isn't saying).

The very first line tells you this is the day the dragons came back to Arcosi. Here, dragons are only carvings over doorways and faded pictures on palace walls. So who wouldn't want to find four dragon eggs hidden up a tree?

The same night Milla goes to the duke's birthday ball in a borrowed dress and shoes that pinch. The duke declares himself the Dragon Duke. Out of nowhere, an elderly woman among the guests calls him a thief and swears the dragons will never belong to him.

Milla is SUCH good company. She notices everything, she keeps her promises and she knows the hidden alleys of the city like a cat. Her friends are great too. Tarya sneaks sword lessons dressed in her twin's armour, while Isak is quiet, funny and kind.

There's plenty for your reader to think about too. Soldiers check everyone's papers in the street and a boy is hauled off for losing his. And one guest at the ball takes one look at Milla and asks if the duke's letting anyone in.

Worth knowing before you hand it over

A man is killed in the very first chapter, right below Milla's branch. There's a blade at his neck, blood on the tiles and a guard dragging the body away. Milla is left shaking and sick to her stomach.

Any child who finds violence upsetting may struggle with those first pages. If your reader likes their fantasy with real danger in it, and loves a girl who's scared stiff and carries on regardless, they'll be gripped.

What to read next

Hooked on the dragons? Try Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. Its dragons live hidden in a valley full of mist, hoping any human who wanders by sees only odd-shaped rocks.