Helvetica the raven lays three eggs, but when she returns to her nest Viridian the dragon has moved in--so Gumluck devises a series of contests to determine who should have custody of the eggs.

This fast-paced, exciting, and emotionally rich fantasy novel for middle graders reads like a cross between The Phantom Tollboothand Harry Potter.How can 11-year-old Gabriel find his missing father, who seems to have vanished without a trace? With the help of Paladin-a young raven with whom he has a magical bond that enables them to become one creature-he flies to the foreboding land of Aviopolis, where he must face a series of difficult challenges...

"A wolf and bird must fight the starving time and find food, while a human boy learns to hunt"--Provided by publisher.