Dinotopia: Windchaser by Scott CiencinMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
In what is thus far the only entry in the dinosaur-centric book series to appear in Kindle format, this Dinotopia novella opens on September 20, 1863, with one of the main characters, Raymond Wilks being aboard a vessel bound for an Australian penal colony, with his father Stephen, the ship surgeon, thrown overboard by rioters, his son meeting the same fate. However, a dolphin saves his life, the storm during which the prisoners rebelled clears, and both Raymond and one of the ship’s inmates, the teenage Hugh O’Donovan, find themselves in a land with exotic plants that they at first suppose is Australia.
They traverse the woods, noticing huge footprints that belong to the island, Dinotopia’s, intelligent dinosaurs, with one of them, the diminutive Bix, leading them to Waterfall City, where Raymond and Hugh noticing the humans and dinos peacefully coexisting. Sollis the Edmontosaurus becomes the boys’ teacher, and emphasizes the importance of education, Raymond taking it seriously but not so much Hugh. The novella’s eponymous winged Skybax has an injury that deems him unable to soar properly, with his backstory eventually revealed, and both Raymond and Hugh invited to Skybax Camp to fly with other members of Windchaser’s species.
When alone, Raymond heads for Windchaser’s isolated lair, finding that the Skybax laments his former master Daniel, with Bix ultimately informed about the communication between Raymond and the winged creature. On another visit, the boys find the lair deserted, with several dangers rounding out the final chapters of the book, along with a surprising revelation about the philosopher/diplomat Laegreffon, and Windchaser’s future soon settled, along with those of Raymond and Hugh. Overall, I definitely enjoyed this short and sweet Dinotopia story, aside from a lack of reminders as to the appearances of the characters, and hope others in its series ultimately arrive in Kindle format.
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