The final, fourth book of the Dragonstone series for young adults, Destiny of the Lizardstone Scepter, concludes a fast-paced fantasy with a definitive, resounding bang as Mandy Mandez and her extended family confront the truth about their abilities and impact.
The series has built up to this final book of revelation, so while Destiny of the Lizardstone Scepter may be considered as a standalone fantasy, it’s best absorbed by prior fans of Mandy and her world, where the crescendo of these final events will be more fully appreciated.
A prologue covers village orphan boy Matty’s involvement with talking lizard Paction. They save each other and Matty (now Phef) moves into adulthood slightly changed from this unexpected encounter. The two find themselves (and each other) much changed as they meet again in adulthood, where Phef is transformed and his life’s destiny is cemented.
Fast forward to the first chapter, set in a future where thirteen-year-old Mandy is on a space mission. She’s both an astronaut and a magician in this scenario, which shifts from the Moon mission back to Earth, where she moves from an extraordinary assignment to the life of an ordinary girl looking forward to her grandmother’s stew.
Newcomers receive a succinct recap of Mandy’s past adventures in this chapter, setting the stage for her latest experience.
As in the other books in the series, Mark Even deftly juxtaposes Mandy’s abilities with expanding scenarios. Here, they involve a magical lizard and the juxtaposition of extraordinary and ordinary life:
Mandy willed a lightweight force field to materialize around them with a soft snap, its surface mimicking the surrounding terrain. Invisible. Safe. For now. Dinner was practical—water conjured from thin air, apricot-flavored energy bars that tasted like compressed determination. The GPS revealed their progress: a meager tenth of the continent covered. The sigh that escaped Mandy carried the weight of mounting frustration.
Bigger-picture thinking injected into the plot gives young readers thought-provoking moments to balance action and reaction with reflective opportunities:
In that moment, suspended between survival and destruction, Mandy felt a presence. Not Green Hand. Not her family. Something watchful. Something that had been waiting, observing, calculating the precise moment of intervention. A shadow began to eclipse the harsh Sahara sunlight. Something else was coming. Something massive…
Even creates just the right mix of powerful personalities, forces, abilities, and growth opportunities for a thoroughly immersive YA fantasy that keeps young readers on their toes with unexpected revelations and developments.
As Destiny of the Lizardstone Scepter builds its special brand of intrigue and higher-level thinking, a wide age range will appreciate the forces at play which keep Mandy on her toes and adapting to not just new situations, but her own evolving abilities and many truths she hasn’t faced before.
Libraries already in possession of the prior Mandy stories will want to consider Destiny of the Lizardstone Scepter an essential collection addition, neatly summing up and concluding her riveting wizardly adventures and discoveries.
YA reader that have followed Mandy’s growth and learning curve will be delighted by her ultimate spiritual and empowerment lessons in Destiny of the Lizardstone Scepter.