The Dragon and the Stone
by Kathryn Butler · The Dream Keeper Saga #1 · 2022
Even though she’s only 12 years old, Lily McKinley already feels the weight of the world’s brokenness. She’s seen it in her mother’s exhaustion, her grandmother’s illness, and the cruelty of Adam, the bully at her school. But most tragically, she experienced it two months ago when her father died in a terrible accident. As an artistic daydreamer, Lily has a brilliant imagination to help her cope, but that imagination often gets her into trouble. One day, it transports her to a fantasy world called the Somnium Realm, where her father’s secret history embroils her in an epic quest. With the help of a dragon guide named Cedric, Lily battles evil shrouds, harpies, and other creatures to find her way through grief, rescue the world from evil, and discover the power of redemption.
Rating: 4.50/5 from 3 ratings · Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Middle Grade
Reviews
Kaytlin Phillips — 5/5
Wow! I loved the whole concept of this book and I'm so regretting not getting the rest of the series when I was at the used bookstore! A realm of dreams? Say what? Like...amazing and I just adored this adventure so fantastical! Characters: Lily was such a endearing character. She was realistic and so selfless when it came to helping her friends! So brave when it came to facing danger for them, she moved past some major terror and didn't even know what she was doing half the time except that she had to save her friends! *hugs* I don't often like female MCs but Lily made it onto my I really like this gal list. Adam was fun! I can't wait to learn more of his story...he was a bit of turd, at first, but he came around and his realist responses to be transported to some other world was AMAZING! I'm right there with you, dude. Take me home. XD Cedric! What can I say about this lovable dragon! Eeek, he was soo much fun and I loved him! Like, seriously, he was amazing and I can't wait for my sister to read this book so we can talk about Cedric together! There were so many other humorous, awesome, cool, scary, amazing, and terrifying characters! And I enjoyed each one! Themes: There seems to be a theme that dreams matter, that stories and art matter, that we are never alone! I love how often this theme is popping up for me in fiction. XD Romance: N/A Language: N/A Magic: There are stones that if you think about needing help and believe it will come create help for you in the same of some creature or person. It's really cool...most can just call on already created dreams, such as book characters but some are artisans and able to make their own characters (so to speak) from scratch. Violence/Gore: There is some injuries, but everything is handled with a middle-grade audience in mind and was done very well. Overall: This was such a fun adventure and ends nicely! Still, I want the rest of the series! So I'm hopeful the bookstore will have them when I go in a couple weeks! This was such a fun and imaginative book! Recommended age 7+ Would also be a fun read aloud!
Morgan — 4.5/5
My 15-year-old nephew and I decided to read The Dream Keeper Saga together, and The Dragon and the Stone was the perfect introduction. Kathryn Butler creates a world that immediately draws you in with adventure, mystery, and characters you quickly begin to care about. What impressed me most was how naturally biblical truths are woven into the story without ever feeling forced. It has all the excitement of a great fantasy novel while encouraging readers to think about courage, faith, and hope. If I had one criticism, it’s that the opening chapters take a little time to establish the world and characters. Once the adventure truly begins, though, the pace picks up quickly and rarely slows down. My nephew was hooked from the beginning, and even during the slower setup, he kept wanting to know what would happen next. Before long, we were both looking forward to our next reading session. Recommendation: A fantastic start to the series. Great for families to read together, and especially for teens who enjoy fantasy adventures with meaningful themes.
Cat Thompson — 4/5
I know a lot of people compare The Dreamkeeper Saga to The Chronicles of Narnia, and I definitely see why - especially with Pax, the magical prince unicorn (which sounds ridiculous at first, but somehow totally works). He clearly carries that Christ-like, Aslan-type symbolism, and I actually really appreciated that layer to the story. What stood out to me the most, though, was the concept. The idea that there are people in our world chosen to be stewards of dreams: protecting them, guarding them, and interacting with this whole hidden dream world, was just so creative. It reminded me of that quote from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows where Harry asks if what he’s experiencing is all in his head, and Dumbledore says, “Of course it is happening inside your head… but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” That’s exactly the kind of feeling this book captures. I also loved the themes woven throughout the story - friendship, forgiveness, sacrifice, and bravery were all portrayed in a really meaningful way without feeling heavy-handed. Cedric was such a fun character (I loved him 🥹), and the way the story portrayed evil/Satan was actually really powerful. It showed how evil can appear beautiful and enticing at first, but ultimately becomes something dark and destructive when embraced. That felt like a strong and intentional parallel to spiritual truth. The world-building with dreams, nightmares, and forgotten dreams all existing in this space being guarded by chosen stewards was fascinating. As someone who’s always been intrigued by dreams, I loved that angle; it even made me reflect on how dreams are created by God and are a gift. My only real critique is that the ending felt a little rushed compared to how much time was spent building everything else. I would have loved just a bit more space there. Overall, this was such a fun, meaningful read with a lot of heart, and I’m really excited to continue the series.