I'm not sure what I thought this was going to be but it wasn't good. The characters were bland, the plot was mindless and the romance was a vague blur in the distance.

I could've like Alys but she was all over the place - she wanted revenge, she didn't want revenge - there was no burning need for vegeance or payback - she just kind of plodded along with whatever the dragon said. As for the dragon, who knows what the hell he wants - it's never explained why he does anything nor are we given any background or explanations about his magic or dragonness. Why can he change into a human when other dragons can't? Why can't he be out during the day? What kind of dragon is willing to give up his hoard? Etc, etc, etc. It was all just kind of a nothing story.

1.5 stars. Because the concept was good if nothing else. ( )

Wanted a quick read and choose this book. I read it in highschool and remember liking it ok, but dont think I enjoyed it as much on this read through. The set up for the story is interesting but not particularly well executed and I didnt really like the main character. While I have enjoyed how this author often does the unexpected in her genre stories the moral lessons from this book were no surprise.

If this book had been a little longer and better paced it might have worked for me, but as is I just wasnt feeling it. I also got really frustrated with what I saw as obviously solutions to problems that the characters just couldnt figure out (at one point yelling at the book "just cut off his thumb!"). A fun book to read, but more of a snack than a meal. ( )

A lot of the books I read when I was younger hold up to adult scrutiny, but I'm sad to say that this one doesn't quite make the grade. Velde weaves an intriguing story of green and betrayal, leading to subterfuge and revenge, but her characters are decidedly juvenile and the story lacks true depth. She has an interesting premise here, since the themes around women being falsely accused of witchcraft and their means of coping have infinite possibilities, but Velde limits her audience to teenage girls who are looking for fantasy-tinged tomance and fails to fully explore the possibilities. What does remain a positive in this story are her introduction to dragon lore; there are plenty of books about dragons and their interactions with humans, but Velde has barely begun to explore Selendrile's character in the larger scope before the story reaches its conclusion. More than anything I believe that readers will be intrigued by his back story (or lackthereof), his magical abilities, and his slightly inhuman behaviour that makes for such good plot points. Obviously the story was mean to conclude with Alice chooise her way in the world, but I would have liked to see what another 100 pages would have done to the story - either fleshing out the action and intrigue that are already there or to expand the story in a lengthier direction. ( )

Kind of...pointless? Girl has reason to want revenge; she dreams about it, but if it weren't for the dragon she'd never do anything about it. He abets her dreams while apparently scorning her. Then things go entirely wrong, he takes his own revenge (far less considered), and...everything works out, in odd ways. And apparently he loves her, or at least wants her around...I'd never have guessed from their interactions. It reads like a moral tale (revenge is less sweet than it appears), and like most moral tales, misses out on...oh, characterization, any point beyond the moral, interest... Not a winner. ( )

Really liked this but wished it were longer? Velde has a tendency to stop writing just when the two characters get together and I want to find out what happens next. Dragon’s Bait better than Companions for this. She’s forced out of town as being a witch because her neighbors want Dad’s land (he dies). She’s staked on a mountain for the Dragon to eat but he prefers to become acquainted. He agrees to help her get revenge and she of course learns that revenge isn’t all its cracked up to be. He can do pretty much anything and shape shift into any form as long as he returns to dragon form at least once every night. Bad wizard shackles him with iron which prevents Dragon from changing . . . can she save him? Does she want to? ( )

From the beginning of this very predictable and convenience-packed book, it was too obvious that the dragon, Selendrile, was never going to eat Alys and she was never in any real danger. This meant any mistrust or conflict the author tried so hard to create in Alys with regard to Selendrile came off as contrived and forced.

This contrived feeling was then exacerbated by the fact that the author overexplained everything, giving no credit to the reader for figuring things out on their own. I get that this is a young adult book, but I'd like to think that even as a 12-year-old I could have figured these things out without a tiresome paragraph after every event (or, at times, every thought Alys ever has!) in which Alys then explained why she thought what she did or why such-and-such could be assumed or why he might mistrust or she him or how she might show him her mistrust and ughgggghgh. Annoying!

Then, there is the "lesson" that Selendrile is so obviously teaching Alys about revenge... which he does by patronizing and manipulating her.

More unexplained-yet-convenient items include:
- What Selendrile actually is (A shape-shifter? A dragon? A fairy? An elf? A wizard? All of a sudden dragons aren't actually dragons but have always been shape-shifters?? I don't get it.)
- Why Selendrile even cares about Alys or wants to help her (aside from the fact that she's different because she threw a rock at him)
- The random witch (good thing she was clumsily introduced earlier in the story or she couldn't have come back later to cause a problem!)

The only thing that wasn't predictable or convenient about this book was that it had the most abrupt ending to a book that I've ever experienced. ( )

While I enjoyed this book,I felt it lacked a complex plot and the character developement was shallow. I picked up the book at a library sale and enjoyed the premise of the story about a girl set out for dragon bait for her alleged witchcraft (not true), only to make a tenuous agreement with the shape-shifting fae to get revenge on those who condemned her as a witch. It wasn't until the end of the book that she seems to learn her lesson that Revenge has a way of backfiring. My other issue was that I didn't think the Dragon character was developed enough and the relationship between the two main characters doesn't ever seem to get going except at the end. Still, I enjoyed the book, simple though it was, and could easily recommend it a young adult, say 12+ .
Jack Murphy ( )

Alys is a young girl in a medieval village like any other--until she's abruptly accused of being a witch and staked out on a hillside to appease a dragon. Furious at the betrayal, she makes a deadly deal with the dragon--she'll help him and he'll kill the villagers. Their travels together bring them to a better understanding of each other's prickly natures, but the final reckoning looms... ( )

I quite like Vivian Vande Velde. She writes such great characters - never perfect, never effortlessly intelligent or clever, but so strong even after mistakes.

I've read Dragon's Bait before but couldn't quite recall the details - so when this slim book passed my way, I just had to reread it!

It's not a stereotypical book about damsels in distress and dragons. It's a beautiful book on revenge and mistakes and surprising friendships.

I love Alys as a character. Unfortunately, Velde never really does tell us what goes behind those purple dragon eyes, so I can't say the same for Selendrile.

I do wish it were longer and more fleshed out. Like, we never really know why Selendrile feels like helping Alys out with revenge. Or what he thinks about flirting. Or much about the witch or the priest - that sort of thing. But still, a great book.

Three and a half stars. Very good.
If you like Dealing with Dragons or children books and fantasy, you'll probably like this too. ( )

Fun and short read. As always with Vivian Vande Velde, I was left wanting more - more of the characters, more of an ending, more of the romance, just more! ( )

Where is the ending? Because that can't have been it... ( )

When fifteen-year-old Alys is accused of witchcraft by a jealous neighbor determined to force her father to sell his land, the villagers of Saint Toby stake her to the mountainside as a sacrifice to the local dragon. Selendrile, a dragon who can assume human form, has no interest in eating maidens, but he does offer to join Alys in a quest for revenge against the villagers, and Atherton, the false priest who condemned her. So begins a partnership that deepens into friendship, as Alys learns that vengeance is not as satisfying as she had hoped...

Located squarely within the now well-established sub-genre of alternative dragon fantasy, this fairly light novel touches on themes such as vengeance, difference, tolerance, and the nature of the human soul, with delicacy, while offering the reader adventure and romance as well. Recommended for adolescent readers who enjoy the work of Robin McKinley and/or Patricia Wrede. ( )

Alys, accused of being a witch, is set out on a stake as an offering to the dragon. But instead of eating her, the dragon offers to help her get her revenge.

This is one of my favorite books ever, with great and funny characters like Alys and Selendrile, and a plot full of revenge. The situations the pair create work perfectly, and the ending is as good as an ending gets. ( )

I read this book in one night. It was wonderful! This book is a great read for reluctant readers and fans of fantasy alike. It features a female protagonist and a nice twisted plot line. I enjoy Ms. Vande Velde’s writing, and this book was no exception—cute, funny, and above all entertaining without pandering!

The book begins with Alys (the main character) being accussed (falsely of course) of witch-craft. Her betrayer, Gower the wheelwright is a fairly important character. Her father dies of a heart attack during her inquisition: leaving her all alone. The inquisitor, Atherton, is a bully and clearly a greedy, rotten guy. They take Alys to a hillside and tie her to a stake to offer her up to the dragon (who we later find out is PLOT SPOILER…Selendrile). She awaits her death at the dragon stake…don’t worry the book has lots of pages left so she doesn’t die here! PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!

Once she is left alone, the brave Alys begins to sob, and finally resolves to seek revenge. The dragon arrives and they decide to work together rather than give the dragon indigestion. Alys is distrustful of the dragon, and they hold many things back from one another. Eventually Alys relates her life story. Selendrile’s cool attitude and sly movements unnerve Alys, but she has no choice but to work with the dragon (or die I suppose).

They begin their revenge with the inquisitor, Atherton. They frame him for robbery, and are quickly off to get Gower. Meanwhile Gower has wasted no time and has already expanded into Alys’ father’s tin shop. Once again, disguised as brothers, Alys and Selendrile begin to enact a plan. Selendrile’s dashing good looks seem to help out this time. However, once Atherton slaps the iron chains on him he can’t shape-shift anymore. During the scuffle Alys nocks Atherton away just long enough so Selendrile can escape one of the two shackles, and he promptly chokes Atherton to death before Alys’ horrified eyes.

Selendrile almost dies, because if he needs to return to his true form by the end of the day. However, Alys agrees to admit to everything, including the framed revenge, if Gower will help free her friend. They free Selendrile just in time, and he leaves. Later on Alys confesses to the village. She convinces everyone and receives all the blame for almost everything that has gone wrong over the past 15 years. They are about to burn her at the stake when Alys comes to a beautiful realization: no can sell their soul, they can lose it through evil and dark deeds, and she realizes how close she came to losing hers. Then Selendrile comes and rescues her, and they decide to stay together.

The ironic revenge they inflict on others is wonderful. The burning of the father’s old shop in the end is one of the sweetest. Selendrile is forced to finally say a definitive “yes,” and admit he cares, and we as readers are left satisfied with the ending. A great read, and I highly recommend it! Wonderful! ( )

Published in 1992, this book suffers from the "this book is for young adults so it must be short" mentality that existed back then. And therefore, the characters are not as well developed as I would have liked. In her review for School Library Journal, Margaret Chang observed "While the writing is smooth and the story moves quickly, the girl's emotions are not convincingly portrayed. The story's tone wobbles, sometimes keeping a comic distance from tragic events. The abrupt ending may leave readers puzzled as to the heroine's motivations." I think that if this book had been written today, the author would have been able to flesh out the characters better and given the reader much more detailed descriptions. Let's hear it for J. K. Rowling -- young adult fiction will never be the same again. ( )

Dragon's Bait is an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and is a light but not terribly fluffy book. There is a plucky heroine, a handsome and enigmatic hero, and a mean cruel world. Truth and love win out and a lesson on the perils of revenge is written.

Not bad but not quite up to Heir Apparent standards.