The Fires of Merlin, by T. A. Barron

Still going strong in the series, this book talks about Merlin's confrontation with an old enemy: a mighty dragon who was put to sleep by his grandfather, the great wizard Thuatha. Merlin get's tricked by a dwarf wizard into facing the dragon before Fincayra gets burned to a crisp. In this installment, a new major characted is introduced, Hallia, one of the deer-people, who develops a deep relationship with Merlin. Just as the first two episodes in this long running story, the book is peppered with all the right messages for young adults. Themes such as self-confidence, honor, duty and friendship are continually rivisited conveying a positive and encouraging outlook to the reader. Also, this is another page turner.