The Land of Gold    by Gillian Bradshaw Order:  USA  Can Greenwillow, 1992 (1992) Hardcover     Reviewed by Wesley Williamson This is the second of only two books that Gillian Bradshaw has written for younger readers. The first, The Dragon and the Thief introduced Hathor, a dragon who may be the last of her kind, and the Egyptian Prahotep, a fisherman turned thief by dire necessity. They travelled together on a long and hazardous journey, while pursued by an evil magician. This sequel, The Land of Gold, tells an enchantingly simple tale of Kandaki, a young Nubian princess, whose parents have been murdered by the captain of their guard. The captain sets himself up as the new king, imprisoning all of the loyal nobles. He sends Kandaki off to be sacrificed to the god of the marshes. She is chained to a column in the middle of a lake, but is saved from the monster by Prahotep who, with his friend Baki and Hathor is searching for other dragons. Kandaki is a fearless and spunky heroine; Prahotep is admittedly a coward but a very clever coward; and Hathor is a most unusual dragon. There is lots of action and adventure, with a little magic to thicken the plot, and a very happy ending for all concerned (except the villains, of course). Unlike Bradshaw's other novels this one does not pretend to historical accuracy, but I doubt that any of her young readers will care - or any of her adult readers for that matter. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews