The Knights of Draconem Book I: Taonga Island
Book 1 of 3. Middle Grade Fiction
American eleven-year-old twins, Finn and Fiona Griffin, are completely different to one another. Finn is organized and gifted, but bullied relentlessly at school. Fiona is a disorganized, disgruntled loner. She believes she is painfully average and fails to recognize her gifts. Their differences put them at odds and have done so for years. Finn and Fiona are siblings by blood, but never friends. Yet, they are about to be plucked from their routine at Wild Wood Elementary and taken on an adventure that will challenge their character and force them to re-evaluate their relationships.
A mysterious visitor named Victor Chevalier arrives at midnight seeking Finn and Fiona’s parents, the Drs. Griffin. Victor delivers news of an unusual fossil discovery to Dr. Simon Griffin, an accomplished paleontologist, and his wife, Dr. Emma Seymour Griffin, a world-renowned geologist. Finn and Fiona’s parents are intrigued by the thought of uncovering a new species. They leave immediately for the site located on a small rugged island in the Marlborough Sounds of New Zealand. Fiona is intrigued as well, but by Victor, who carries a simple pocketwatch that has more to it than meets the eye.
The Griffins are greeted on Taonga Island by a Maori family known as The Keepers. The mystery of the island grows deeper upon their arrival, but only for the twins. Fiona discovers Victor’s strange pocketwatch and a poem revealing four quests in her suitcase. The adventure begins in the middle of their first night on the island when an ancient reptile, a tuatara, lures them into the dark woods.
Finn and Fiona must learn to put aside years of sibling rivalry to work together to solve the quests. The magical qualities of Taonga Island unfold with only a pocketwatch, a poem, and a tuatara as their guide. They must master courage, self-discipline, wisdom, and finally, love. With each quest they discover curious and colorful eggs which contain a creature, but what kind? Slowly Finn and Fiona unravel who or what Taonga was and what their duty to her is. Their ancient calling is tied to the Maori, and two other mysterious families. Finn and Fiona are the last of the Griffins born to protect a legend, the last of the dragons. They are the Knights of Draconem.