The Last Dragon starts much like a traditional fairy tale, with a dragon and a hero to slay it. It diverges from tradition when the hero teams up with a strong woman to defeat the dragon in a truly unconventional way. The story becomes much more compelling, with a much more believably happy ending for it. I do so like it when Yolen does YA.Rebecca Guay's art is often stunningly beautiful. Her style here puts in mind of some of Charles Vess's illustrations in feel, which makes it perfectly suited for a fairy tale. Really a perfect pairing of style between words and pictures.