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Ra’el finds herself imprisoned by an all-powerful dragon who threatens to eat her immediately, but the young protagonist manages to stall for time through her gift of storytelling. As she relates various myths, histories, and fables from around the globe, the dragon begins to relish her company, and the two form an unlikely bond. Yet there is a secret that does not pass between them easily concerning Ra’el’s quest for holy relics and Roaring Flamebringer’s possession of at least one of them: the sword Excalibur. As the two feel out their sudden alliance, Ra’el shares the story of Mary Magdalan, spreading the Christian gospel throughout Europe after her time with Christ. Spanning multiple nations and notable figures, Mary’s journeys parallel the quest that drives Ra’el.
The lines between history and fiction as well as religion and fable blur in this work of fiction. The author’s command of language makes lines jump out with importance and elegance, adding weight to the fantasy aspect of this story. Complete with full-page maps of each of the different regions that serve as backgrounds in this story, there are many exciting adventures and ideas that blend theological history with a kind of swashbuckling adventure that is a hallmark of this genre. With such a broad, sweeping scope and a fascinating amount of true-to-life details applied liberally throughout the story, readers will be wholly enamored with the adventure and come out of it curious to do more research on their own. The Arthurian quest for the Holy Grail lives on in this story that works to answer many of the questions as to what certain vital Christian relics really are and where they might have wound up.