Get ready for fearsome battles, fantastical creatures, and fearless characters in Eliza and The Paladin. When the earth suffers from irreparable pollution, a group of humans heads to a researched, habitable planet. Instead, they land on an unknown, seemingly deserted planet. Their explorations reveal that the previous planet dwellers left after a terrible accident. But what caused the accident? And will it happen again? Will this planet be the haven these travelers have been searching for? Follow Eliza as she discovers the secrets of the planet and bonds with the hidden creatures in this space-travel, fantasy novel that incorporates elements of daily struggle, love, war, and family bonds. Lisa Gayle adds Christian elements that spiritual fantasy readers will love.

I love the way the characters' stories are intricately intertwined in the beginning. They are set up in little snapshots. The careful crafting leaves the characters fully fleshed out and brings them all together beautifully. The character building is excellent. Lisa Gayle has created a wonderful world that is beautifully described with fresh ideas. The creatures are creatively constructed and add mystical elements. I love how beautiful they are. The dragons are sleek and majestic. The descriptions in the novel are vivid, and colorful and add a scenic touch to the already picturesque book. Eliza and The Paladin is an exciting adventure and I loved seeing what would happen next. Eliza’s journey is intense, full of emotion and struggle. Seeing her develop and try to make sense of her journey is interesting.

Eliza and the Paladin by Lisa Gayle is an imaginative story that is part science fiction and part fantasy with a page-turning sense of adventure. The story opens with the backstory of each of the main characters, humans and dragons alike, and sets the reader up to understand the significance of coming events. From there, surprise after surprise surfaces as families prepare to leave Earth and inhabit another planet. They get waylaid on their journey and must make do on a planet that is very different from the one they originally intended to land on. Surprising connections form between the dragons and the humans and, toward the end, the even more surprising appearance of humanoid aliens takes the story to its climactic battle before the author wraps up the loose ends with a compelling ending.

Eliza and the Paladin by Lisa Gayle is an enjoyable read with elements of mystery, suspense, and action throughout the tale. I enjoyed the setup of each character and the multi-generational impact each decision had on the outcome of the story. The idea of a dragon putting his essence into a human to rebirth himself through the human was fascinating and added depth to the plot. The author creates a believable world on a very different planet and spends the right amount of time explaining how things look, smell, and feel. I loved the main character’s evolution from a little girl to a woman. I enjoyed seeing her step into her leadership role and learn how to deal with bullying because she is different from everyone else, and, eventually, how she comes to accept looking different from other humans. This was a fun read and I hope there will be a sequel.