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Dealing With Dragons
by Patricia C. Wrede
The number five is fashionable?
Linderwall was a perfectly normal kingdom. Although the dragon attacks had become less frequent, the ogres were consistently on schedule. The King and Queen of Linderwall are your typical rulers, with lots of daughters; each more beautiful than the last. Except for the youngest, Cimorene.
She is beautiful in her own right, with raven hair and a headstrong temperament (instead of weak and vacuous, like most other princesses). It is apparent by the time she is 12 that she isn’t going to be satisfied by the life which so contents her sisters. To remedy the boredom, she bullies the arms master into giving her fencing lessons, but has to quit when her father finds out. The same cycle happens with cooking lessons, magic lessons and Latin lessons.
At 16, when her parents decide to marry her off and her fairy godmother isn’t any help, a frog tells her to run away. She follows his directions, and winds up in a dragon’s cave. Kazul stands up to the other dragons (one of whom wants to eat Cimorene) because she loves cherries jubilee, needs Latin scrolls sorted and wouldn’t mind having a princess who could defend herself.
Considering the typical reward for the knight who rescues a dragon’s princess is half a kingdom and the hand of the princess, Cimorene’s wit comes in handy when sending away overzealous suitors (a few of whom she threatens to fight). Her brain also proves helpful when fending off wizards, discovering a field of dragonsbane, putting up with other “captives,” rebottling a genie, casting a fireproofing spell and foiling a coup for control of the King of the Dragons. Whew.
Cimorene is a “fairytale” princess modern girls can look to as a role model. She doesn’t simper and cower—she acts. Wrede’s take on witches, enchanted forests, dragons and magic is refreshing. Young adults and adults alike will delight in this folktale redux. Although “happily-ever-after” is a mundane, traditional ending, Dealing with Dragons’ version of restoring the draconian throne, and creating the position of “Chief Cook & Librarian” give it new life.
Title: Dealing With Dragons
Author: Patricia C. Wrede
Publisher: Magic Carpet Books
ISBN: 015204566X
Review written by: Tracy Elledge
Reviewer's Rating:9.5
Reader's Rating: 10.00
Reader's Votes: 1
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