The Captive Dragon

About the Book

The Captive Dragon is a fantasy novel that tells the story of a band of small and powerless individuals who, lead by a young princess, combat the evil forces that threaten to destroy their country.

The story is set in the Kingdom of Allendril and its neighboring kingdoms of Illondra and Sholgoth.  Allendril and Illondra are in a tense alliance against the stronger, war-mongering nation of Sholgoth.

There are two main characters in the book, the princess Amandra, and the aging wizard Azrahed.

Amandra is still a child, but is rapidly becoming a young woman.  She embodies goodness, innocence, nobility, kindness, joy, and  -- at times - the foolishness and impetuosity of youth. Amandra is open to learning, and changes a great deal as she confronts and struggles with the problems that are engulfing her world.  One of the things she learns is that no one will act for her; if she hopes to prevent evil from happening, she has to take action against it herself, which she does.  Amandra has inherited magical powers from her deceased mother, powers which are just beginning to make themselves felt as the novel opens.  She has to learn how to control these powers and to use them for good purposes, and to resist the impulse to use them rashly.  She is guided in this by the wise and kindly dragon, Abbey.

Princess Amandra strives to free Abbey -- who is held captive in the dungeon of her father´s castle - from the clutches of the corrupt Captain Mordreer and his evil magician, Grovalde, who are using Abbey as a weapon in their bid to overthrow the government of Allendril.  At the same time, Amandra is doing all she can to prevent a terrible war from breaking out between her Kingdom of Allendril and its ally, Illondra.

On her twelfth birthday, Amandra receives from her father, King Feldrick, a magical ring that had once belonged to her mother.  She soon discovers that when she wears the ring in the presence of the dragon Abbey, she has magical powers that enable her to communicate and form a bond of friendship with Abbey.  She is surprised to find that Abbey is more intelligent, moral, and civilized than most of the people she knows.  Abbey, in her wisdom, senses that Amandra has rare qualities that promise to make her a fine leader of her people, someday, if she cultivates them.  With guidance from Abbey and also from the princess´s loyal tutor, the dwarf Glim, Amandra learns to use her powers to combat the stronger magical forces wielded by the evil magician, Grovalde, while resisting the temptation to use them to destroy the mage.

Amandra is aided in her struggles by the dwarf Glim; Denn, the baker´s son who is naïve but fearless; Kell, a timid servant girl who was abandoned by her family; the sisters Frydda, Martela and Genevra, who are Grovalde’s slaves; Prene and Priss, a pair of small, psychic faun-like creatures known as Geblings; and the Vizzies, a friendly race of elves.

The point I was seeking to make in the telling of this tale is that at times it is possible for the weakest and least powerful of individuals to resist vastly larger and more powerful evil entities, and that what makes this possible are the powers of goodness of heart, trueness of spirit, and nobility of purpose, as well as courage and faith.  Amandra learns this truth from both Abbey and Glim, and applies it in her fight against Grovalde and Mordreer.

About the Author

David Barker is a widely published poet and short story writer. He earned his M.A. degree in English from California State University at Long Beach, where he was involved in the small press poetry scene of the 1970s. His 1982 memoir of that period, Charles Bukowski Spit in My Face, has gained a small international cult following over the years. David Barker began writing tales of horror and fantasy in the mid-1980s, many of which have appeared in small press magazines and anthologies. He was the founding editor of the Lovecraftian fictionzine, Midnight Shambler. The Captive Dragon is his first published novel. David Barker lives with his family in Oregon.