1. Compare Selendrile to dragons found in other fantasy tales. How are they alike? Is there anything that makes Selendrile special?

2. Is Alys a strong female figure or weak one? Some feminist critics have complained over the years that swordand-sorcery fantasy features strong men but weak women. Does Alys satisfy their desire to see female characters take charge of their own lives?

3. The events in Dragon's Bait seem to take place in a medieval society.

What were medieval beliefs about witches? Are these beliefs accurately portrayed in Dragon's Bait?

4. Is the medieval Christian church properly portrayed in Dragon's Bait?

Did clerics do what Atherton does?

5. What are the best parts of the novel? What makes them work?

6. Write a new chapter for the novel, continuing the adventures of Alys and Selendrile. What do they do next?

7. What does Vande Velde do...