AustLit

'A stolen princess and a rebellious witch. Dragons, fairies, gnomes, elves, werewolves and vampires. Daemons, harpies and even a few zombies. And an evil, though disturbingly handsome, king. A young dragon chosen to save the world. A shame he's not very good at it. Crispin Scales is the clumsiest dragon in the Realm. Unfortunate - because an ancient spell has chosen him to save the world, embedding a golden pearl in his chest to prove it. When his best friend, the Princess Marlo, is kidnapped by King Gary and his side-kick, the evil armoured dragon Lux, Crispin reluctantly teams up with the rebellious witch Chance to try and save her. Together they travel across the Realm, where Crispin makes the ultimate sacrifice as he chooses between power and friendship. All standard stuff really - except Crispin must first learn to control his magic, escape a pack of hungry bloodhounds and get past the two-headed dragon. Oh, and it would be quite helpful if he could avoid being killed. Something he's not particularly good at. Crispin Scales and the Golden Pearl is the first instalment in an exhilarating fantasy series for 9 to 12 year olds.' (Publisher's blurb)