A Winter's Tale tells the story of Ingamald, a young woman destined to be a powerful witch in a pre--industrial world known as Hinterlund. A fearmonger in the person of Morton Winter has bought himself into power and works to control the largely illiterate populace. His oppression is absolute as he puts a halt to learning and outlaws any who work in the arcane arts. Ingamald and her magical friends are threatened with torture and death. She takes drastic and sometimes magical action, and through her wits and disguises plots Winter's demise.

Millions of readers adore Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle: its earnest hero, its breathtaking battles and, of course, its awe-inspiring dragon Saphira. But there's so much more to the series than meets the eye—and Secrets of the Dragon Riders, edited by today's second hottest dragon-writer James A. Owen, shows readers what they're missing. Why might Roran be the real hero of the Inheritance Cycle? What does Paolini's writing have in common with role-play games and modern action films? Are teenage writers judged more harshly than their adult counterparts? The YA authors in Secrets of the Dragon Riders—some of them no older than Paolini when he wrote Eragon—each take on a different aspect of the series to engage and entertain Paolini fans.

A White Pine Honour Book GOLD MEDAL WINNER?Moonbeam Award Young Adult Fiction, Mature Issues

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