Robin Ambrozic of Englewood wears several hats these days: author of a new series of young adult fantasy books, graduate student, substitute teacher in Littleton and Douglas County Schools and South Suburban Parks and Recreation golf course maintenance worker.

He has also published short stories, including some that formed the basis for his book and poetry.

“Piccolo, the Gray Robe,” the first in his projected five-book series, is about a feisty girl, Piccolo, who has unusual natural talents and wants to become an elite dragon mage. There is a problem. Girls are not admitted to the Dragon School, Cor’inthor, but instead are sent to become priestesses, an unacceptable alternative for this magical young person.

The reader first meets her in a smoky tavern, where the sympathetic owner Random coaches her. “Remember, dragon mages use the power within to harness magic. Your will gives it substance… Dragon magic is only as strong as the wielder-the stronger the wielder’s will, the stronger the magic…” Interesting mix of tavern owner and magical man.

Piccolo focuses on her glowing hand and a tiny golden dragon appears— what an enchanting image for an imaginative reader! An image that is smashed by the waitress, traditionalist Dorlee, who disapproves of girls using magic.

Random encourages the gifted girl and she leaves her grandfather’s home, riding on her whimsical white wolf, Snow, to enter the school, a challenging world of difficult classes, games, tests and fights, described in almost excessive detail so the reader can really be there with her. She finds friends, but also has enemies from the start, such as the evil-eyed Simian.

Her mentor, Theramar, helps her to see that she must retain control of herself and not let hatred of Simian get to her— it’s her problem if she’s angry at him.

Trials and battles follow as Piccolo makes her way through school, is assigned to deliver a letter from Lady Viridiana to Lady Cooperatoria, who lives in a cottage on the outskirts of Silver Sands. On the way, with Snow and companions Ishmael and Vadell, she fights against characters such as the Man in the Black Cape, who attacks dragons and elemental Earth beings.

The author brings Piccolo’s journey to a good ending as she seeks the light at the end of a tunnel, and the reader will wonder what adventures await her in the next book, which Ambrozic hopes to publish soon.

The author’s choice to write the story in present tense is a bit distracting, but he is an accomplished storyteller who has obviously spent many hours in a world of magic and dragons.