Dragon Keeper's Chronicles #5: Dragonlight by Donita K. Paul

My name is Kale, and I'm constantly worried about Bardon's health. I can't believe a children's disease can lead to such chronic pain in an adult. Our latest quest finds us accompanying Regidor and Gilda, as they search for a lost meech dragon colony. Gilda doesn't want her egg anywhere near the lower races! The female meech drives me crazy, but she's Regidor's wife. A bigger concern is a new group called the Followers. They claim to quote the words of Paladin, but their ideas conflict with Wulder's view of the world. However, they're very persuasive, and their numbers are growing daily. What are they hiding? I'll need all my strength to face these challenges, but I seem to be more tired and crankier every day. What's happening to me?

This book concludes the series. You should at least start reading at book three if you don't want to read the whole series. There's a big jump in time between the second and third books, and this fifth book finds Kale and Bardon very different from when the series began. The series is based in religion, and the new cult claiming to worship Wulder is an antagonist. They're similar to fringe religions in today's world that seem to promote God but may have hidden messages not readily accepted by the masses. The underlying conflict between Gilda and Kale adds a bit of tension to the plot, as Gilda is against anything that isn't meech. Kale frequently needs to bite her tongue, but she's also jealous that Gilda is going to have a child. Kale's minor dragons are entertaining as usual, as they flit around causing mischief. However, they serve specific purposes, like healing, direction, and knowledge, that come in very handy. A new protector dragon creates some confusion. Some readers are turned off by the religious focus of the series, so you'll need to be tolerant of that. It's very much spotlighted in this book. Overall, this has been an entertaining series, and I recommend you give it a shot.