Tagged: dragons
Fire Star by Chris d’Lacey
(Cover picture courtesy of Great Books by Doshisha International Readers.)
There is a fire star coming, signalling a time of new beginnings. A time for dragons to rise again.
A research trip to the Arctic and a contract for a new book—life can’t get much better for David Rain. But as soon as David finds himself in the icy climes, he begins to write his legend of bears, dragons, and the mysterious fire star. Soon he realizes that his tale is beginning to mirror real life, and that an old enemy is on her way to meet him. Can David thwart her terrible plan? Or will his world be destroyed forever?
After hinting at it in the first book and explaining a little bit in the second book, Chris d’Lacey finally gives readers a full explanation about the origin of dragons—both the clay kind and the real ones. As it turns out, Liz Pennykettle was hiding quite a few things from both David, her tenant, and Lucy, her own daughter. This time, it’s going to cost her dearly as the scheming Gwilanna returns, with one thing on her mind: returning dragons to the world.
The thing I like most about Fire Star is how much depth the characters have. We see David behaving more like a college student now that he’s temporarily out of the Pennykettle house and around Zanna, the quirky goth girl he loves. Their relationship is believable, but it’s also unusual because they seem to be complete opposites. This definitely makes for weird chemistry, but it works very well.
Filled with plot twists and turns, especially at the end, Fire Star is—to use the cliché—absolutely riveting. It’s surprisingly fast-paced for a children’s novel, which makes it an enjoyable read for both children and tweens. I would definitely recommend it.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Fire Within by Chris d’Lacey
(Cover picture courtesy of National Geographic Kids.)
When David moves in with Elizabeth Pennykettle and her eleven-year-old daughter, Lucy, he discovers a collection of clay dragons that come to life. David’s own special dragon inspires him to write a story, which reveals the secrets behind a mystery. In order to solve the mystery and save his dragon, David must master the magic of the fire within—not only with his hands but also with his heart.
The Fire Within is definitely a book for ages 8-12, but I still love reading it. The whole premise behind Chris d’Lacey’s book is unique, highly creative and very intriguing. I won’t give anything away, but the clay dragons of the eccentric Pennykettles aren’t all that they seem. David will discover the truth, but will the college student believe it?
Since this is written for a much younger audience, David, the main character, is less mature than most college students. The characters are not developed as well as they could have been, but they do get better as the novel progresses. It is more of a character-driven novel than a plot-driven novel and as such, it is not what I would call a fast-paced novel. Still, it moves along at a decent pace that will keep its young readers riveted.
The writing style is simplistic, which makes it a great book to transition from shorter “chapter books” for children into more complex novels for tweens. While the story is written from a male perspective, female readers will not be turned away because they can identify with the young Lucy Pennykettle. I have only one warning about this novel (one that my mother insists I should have told her when I made her read it): the ending is a bit sad for a children’s novel. I was eleven or twelve when I first read this and I must admit that I shed a few tears, despite my best efforts at self-control.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
(Cover picture courtesy of Open Library.)
Firedrake, Ben, and their furry friend, Sorrel, are in search of the mythical places where dragons can live in peace forever. Together they embark on a journey that takes them to magical lands where they meet marvelous creatures—and ruthless villains. Along the way, they will discover allies in odd places, courage they didn’t know they had, and a hidden destiny that changes everything.
Dragons, brownies and homunculi, oh my! Cornelia Funke includes both traditional and non-traditional fantasy creatures in this exciting, thought-provoking novel. Funke is a well-known author of children’s and teen’s fantasy, but Dragon Rider has been overshadowed by her more popular Inkheart trilogy. In my opinion, Dragon Rider is just as good as Inkheart and it deserves equal recognition.
It is full of clichés, especially since the whole premise of the book is that a trio of unlikely friends (a dragon, a brownie and a human) embarks on a long and dangerous journey to find a mythical place where dragons can live in peace forever. What saves Dragon Rider from being too clichéd is Cornelia Funke’s spectacular writing style and the fact that she puts spins on many of the clichés she uses. Besides, this is a children’s and young teen’s book; most of her readers do not care about clichés.
Since friendship is the main theme of the novel, the focus is more on the characters than the plot. Funke’s characters are very well developed and meet all of the requirements to be memorable, yet she does not neglect the plot to focus on her characters. Therefore, Dragon Rider ends up being the best of both worlds: a fast-paced, character-driven novel.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
(Cover picture courtesy of Gil T.’s Pleasures.)
Darkness falls…
Swords clash…
Evil reigns.
Eragon and his dragon Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesméra, land of the elves, for further training in magic and swordsmanship, the vital skills of the Dragon Rider. It is the journey of a lifetime, filled with awe-inspiring new places and people, each day a fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn and Eragon isn’t sure whom he can trust.
Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle back home in Carvahall—one that puts Eragon in even graver danger.
Will the king’s dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life.
Oh dear, where do I begin with this book?
First, let’s start with the many clichés, shall we? The farm boy with secret powers/a special destiny is already as old as dirt, but what really annoys me is all of the races in Christopher Paolini’s world. The elves are fair, powerful and are forest-dwelling agnostics/atheists. The dwarves are shot, good stonemasons and are mountain-dwelling polytheists. What bothers me is not the religion (which is a mark of good world-building), but the fact that these elves and dwarves are exactly the same as all of the other elves and dwarves in high fantasy. They’re all based off elves and dwarves in Norse mythology, which is fine, but I’d like to see a bit more variety. Why not use races from African or Asian mythologies?
Second, the plot drags on and on, rotating between Eragon and Roran. This would be okay if either character was sufficiently developed so they could hold my attention for more than a page. But they aren’t, which makes the changes seem like head-hopping. The entire plot of Eldest is pretty much Eragon travelling to or spending time with the elves and Roran pulling a Julius Caesar. Of course, Paolini adds in a quick battle at the end with a ‘plot twist’ most Star Wars fans could see coming a mile away. Roran and all of Carvahall come in one ship and completely turn the tide of the battle, which almost—but not quite—a Deus ex Machina.
Third, Paolini still uses way too much description. I love vivid imagery, but my patience (and attention span) has a limit. If Eldest had been written by someone like Conn Iggulden or Michael Scott, who have just the right amount of description, it would have been pared down to less than 300 pages.
I give this book 1/5 stars.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
(Cover picture courtesy of My Opera.)
One boy…
One dragon…
A world of adventure.
When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the witner. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.
Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.
Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.
If you’ve been tuned into the blogosphere these past few years, there is a very good chance you’ve heard of Eragon, the debut novel of Christopher Paolini. It was written when he was fifteen and the maturity level of the novel reflects that, but it is still a worthwhile read.
Eragon follows the typical fantasy plot: a young farm boy discovers he has magical powers or is otherwise gifted and is whisked away by a mentor-figure who teaches him how to control his powers while they travel. They are usually travelling toward the rebel stronghold because the king is out to get them. On the way, they have many adventures and meet a variety of strange (usually magical) creatures/beings.
Christopher Paolini sometimes gets bogged down in his descriptions—he uses the word ‘eloquent’ very often—but long descriptions are what you expect in high fantasy. His plot and characters may be cliché, but there is one thing that is excellent: his world-building. He explains magic very well and places reasonable limitations on its use. Dragons are also explained well and have very distinct, almost cat-like, personalities. If I had to pick one reason to read Eragon, it would be because of Eragon’s dragon, Saphira.
I give this book 2.5/5 stars.