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Searching for Dragons
by Patricia C. Wrede
Another wizard plot to foil!
In book two of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Princess Cimorene must work to save the draconian throne from scheming wizards. Some old faces (Morwen the spotless witch, Kazul the Dragon King, Antorell the Head Wizard’s son, and Zemenar the Head Wizard) bring the first book back to life, while the new faces add new facets to the adventure. The first book was from Cimorene’s point of view, but Searching for Dragons switches to a newcomer—King Mendanbar of the Enchanted Forest.
Mendanbar has felt the pressure of his title ever since the previous king drowned three years before. He gets so fed up that he decides to take an ambassadorial trip to the Mountains of Morning to congratulate the new King of the Dragons, and also attempt to figure out why a large section of his forest has been charred and drained of magic. Instead of finding Kazul, he discovers Cimorene and a clogged sink.
Mendanbar magically dispenses with the clog, then feels roped into questing for Kazul (who has mysteriously disappeared). Along the way, the unlikely duo meet Ballimore the Giantess and her bumbling husband Dobbilan to borrow a magic carpet. Unfortunately, the last Jack who raided the Giants wasn’t musical, so he took all the functioning carpets. The pink teddy bear carpet with a hole in the corner is the only option left. It lasts halfway to the adventurers’ destination before plummeting. A dwarf named Herman (formerly Rumplestiltzkin) points them in the right direction, to a magician named Telemain. At first, they assume he’s a wizard, but it turns out that magicians study all kinds of magic. And Telemain is interested in helping Mendanbar and Cimorene find Kazul.
Next stop is Morwen’s for a bit of cider and advice, then on to a cave system in the Enchanted Forest where Kazul is held captive. Some soapy water and ingenuity dispatch Kazul’s captors. Cimorene has revolutionized the Kazul’s system (effectively working herself out of a job), so it’s no great shock that she accepts Mendanbar’s hand. A wedding in the fire-flower meadow provides the happy-ever-after moment. It’s as brilliant as the first, and a fun read.
Title: Searching for Dragons
Author: Patricia C. Wrede
Publisher: Magic Carpet Books
ISBN: 0152045651
Review written by: Tracy Elledge
Reviewer's Rating:9.5
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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