This is the third installment in Merlin's early adventures--he's fourteen years old in this one, and his wizarding skills are sorely challenged and threatened in this adventure. The long sleeping dragon has been awakened and threatens Fincayra, and a magic-anihilating cult has reappeared--their goal to wipe out magic wherever it appears on the island. The stage is set for another epic struggle of good versus evil, and it's frequently tough to distinguish which is which.This is a fun fantasy read that speeds by too quickly.