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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
really, these books are great. they need new covers though.
Following on from the previous two books, I find this book to be a disappointment. The characters and the sense of humour are the same as before, but in this book the author must bring them from the position they are at the end of Searching for Dragons and bring them to where we find them at the start of Talking to Dragons. As this involves something of a reversal of fortunes for a group of characters whom I very much enjoy, I find this book less interesting to read so that I often skip it altogether when I read the series. Your mileage my vary.
I really enjoyed the first book even if this series is too young for me. However by this book reading (listening) to it just feels like a chore. The character of Killer was absolutely unnecessary and the constant belittling of Telemain’s explanations become wholly exasperating. Cimorene just became a shadow of herself from the first book and that was very frustrating for me.
The reason for 2 stars instead of one is I did like that this one was from the POV of Morwen. She has always been a really interesting character.
The reason for 2 stars instead of one is I did like that this one was from the POV of Morwen. She has always been a really interesting character.
A really nice addition to the series, though I didn't much like the ending.
While I loved parts of this book, I was frustrated by the way Cimorene was made out to be less smart than Morwen when it came to understanding Telemain's long speeches. She was made out to be uniquely smart and crafty in the first book but in the last two I've read she's been dumbed down. Her character seems to exist only for Mendanbar and not for herself. I'm also not a fan of her not getting to have another adventure solo. The addition of the baby was frustrating. Male leads often get to have several adventures in a row and never have children but that wasn't the case here. I'm still looking forward to the next book, but I wish this one had ended differently.
Princess Cimorene is now Queen Cimorene, and Patricia C. Wrede has populated the Enchanted Forest with some new characters. She may have written these books for a YA audience, but even adult readers will find that the characters change, grow, and mature. Calling on Dragons is narrated by the witch Morwen. We've been introduced to her in the first two books in the series, but she plays a larger role here, especially because she is the only one who can communicate with her nine cats. The Society of Wizards wants the magic that is present in the Enchanted Forest, and they've also stolen the enchanted sword that is tied to the forest's magic. Will the sword be found, recovered, and wielded by someone good or evil? This book ends on a cliffhanger, but I have no doubt that Patricia Wrede will build further on the solid foundation she has laid in the first three books and provide a satisfying resolution to the power struggle in the fourth book.
Those evil wizards are at it again and now they've managed to steal the sword that protects the Enchanted Forest. Mendanbar has to stay in the Forest for some magical reason (I can't remember exactly what right now), so Cimorene has to leave to find the sword (because only a member of the royal family of the Enchanted Forest can wield the sword, or something). She's accompanied by Morwen, a couple of Morwen's cats, Telemain, Kazul and an enchanted rabbit named Killer, who provides the majority of the comic relief, or rather what's supposed to be comic relief but just ended up being awfully annoying. We get it. He's always hungry. Next!
This one felt a bit less engaging than the last two. There was still a quest and plenty of magic, but it just felt a little flat to me. There was less interaction between Cimorene and Kazul and between Cimorene and Mendanbar. The conversations weren't as sparklingly witty. The new characters introduced (Brendal, a fire-witch, and Arona Michealear Grinogion Vamist, a magical fundamentalist in league with the wizards) weren't particularly interesting or developed beyond cardboard cut-out depth.
As others have mentioned, there's quite the cliffhanger and a definite lack of resolution at the end. Maybe I'll feel differently after reading the fourth and final book.
My oldest son disagrees with me and says this was the best one yet. I'm going to chalk that up to youthful enthusiasm for the latest story read. :)
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
This one felt a bit less engaging than the last two. There was still a quest and plenty of magic, but it just felt a little flat to me. There was less interaction between Cimorene and Kazul and between Cimorene and Mendanbar. The conversations weren't as sparklingly witty. The new characters introduced (Brendal, a fire-witch, and Arona Michealear Grinogion Vamist, a magical fundamentalist in league with the wizards) weren't particularly interesting or developed beyond cardboard cut-out depth.
As others have mentioned, there's quite the cliffhanger and a definite lack of resolution at the end. Maybe I'll feel differently after reading the fourth and final book.
My oldest son disagrees with me and says this was the best one yet. I'm going to chalk that up to youthful enthusiasm for the latest story read. :)
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
Check out my blog, One Man Book Club
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles was written in reverse!
Talking to Dragons, book 4 of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, was originally published in 1985 as a stand alone novel. Events transpired, magic happened, and suddenly the author discovered there were stories to be told about the secondary characters from Talking to Dragons. That stand-alone novel became a wonderfully endearing four book series about the family and friends of the King and Queen of the Enchanted Forest.
You can expect lots of magic, lots of making fun of traditional fairy tales, lots of swords, lots of wizards, witches, princesses, knights, kings, queens, and a whole host of various magical creatures--including, of course, lots and lots of dragons!
Patricia C. Wrede tells the story of how this magical series came to be in the introductions to each of the four books, and I found the backstory of how the Enchanted Forest Chronicles came to life as enchanting as the books themselves.
As a whole, I found Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons endearing. The story is sweet, and the way the author wove her books around traditional fairy tale lore was a lot of fun and frequently silly. The strong female characters, written in 1985, were lightyears ahead of their time. I loved that the books are the story of a family, and I especially loved seeing how everything came together knowing the last book was written before the first.
Individually--and especially early on--I found the books to be a little bit dull and basic. There was still enough to pull me through, and by the end of the series I was in the author's head and enjoying the simple stories.
Everything wraps up with a perfectly happy-ever-after bow.
All four books are content accessible to fantasy lovers of all ages.
Happy Reading!
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles was written in reverse!
Talking to Dragons, book 4 of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, was originally published in 1985 as a stand alone novel. Events transpired, magic happened, and suddenly the author discovered there were stories to be told about the secondary characters from Talking to Dragons. That stand-alone novel became a wonderfully endearing four book series about the family and friends of the King and Queen of the Enchanted Forest.
You can expect lots of magic, lots of making fun of traditional fairy tales, lots of swords, lots of wizards, witches, princesses, knights, kings, queens, and a whole host of various magical creatures--including, of course, lots and lots of dragons!
Patricia C. Wrede tells the story of how this magical series came to be in the introductions to each of the four books, and I found the backstory of how the Enchanted Forest Chronicles came to life as enchanting as the books themselves.
As a whole, I found Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons endearing. The story is sweet, and the way the author wove her books around traditional fairy tale lore was a lot of fun and frequently silly. The strong female characters, written in 1985, were lightyears ahead of their time. I loved that the books are the story of a family, and I especially loved seeing how everything came together knowing the last book was written before the first.
Individually--and especially early on--I found the books to be a little bit dull and basic. There was still enough to pull me through, and by the end of the series I was in the author's head and enjoying the simple stories.
Everything wraps up with a perfectly happy-ever-after bow.
All four books are content accessible to fantasy lovers of all ages.
Happy Reading!