Dragon Slippers

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

This book is about a girl named Creel, whose family is a bit batty (bit being an understatement) and sends her off to a dragon in hopes that a knight in shining armor will come and marry her so they can become rich again and able to pay off their debts. Creel goes willingly, and soon realizes that the dragon that has captured her is not willing to fight a knight... he is too tired and old!! So instead, he offers that if she leaves, she can have any pair of slippers from his hoard that she desires. She agrees to the deal and goes about her way with a pair of blue slippers. On her way to find work, she meets yet another dragon named Shardas who saves her life. Finding work as a seamstress was easy, but now she has problems with her slippers. Why do they call dragons to her in times of need? What secrets do they hold? If that isn't bad enough, she's in love with Prince Luka, which turns out to be a deadly mistake for her kingdom.

The Real Summary:

Many stories tell of damsels in distress, who are rescued from the clutches of fire-breathing dragons by knights in shining armor, and swept off to live happily ever after.

Unfortunately, this is not one of those stories. 

True, when Creel's aunt suggests sacrificing her to the local dragon, it is with the hope that the knight will marry Creel and that everyone (aunt and family included) will benefit handsomely. Yet it's Creel who talks her way out of the dragon's clutches. And it's Creel who walks for days on end to seek her fortune in the king's city with only a bit of embroidery thread and a strange pair of slippers in her possession.

But even Creel could not have guessed the outcome of this tale. For in a country on the verge of war, Creel unknowingly possesses not just any pair of shoes, but a tool that could be used to save her kingdom…or destroy it.