SUMMARY
'The humans are coming to the valley of the dragons' is the news that Rat brings one rainy, misty day. A council of emergency gathers, and it is agreed that the dragons need a new home. Slatebeard, the eldest dragon, remembers the sanctuary of his youth: The Rim of Heaven. The only dilemma is that the location of the Rim of Heaven is unknown. One dragon must go on ahead, find this place, and return for the others. Young, brave Firedrake volunteers, along with his fiery-tempered brownie companion Sorrel. A stop at a map-making rat's shop is only the first of many crazy events on their unbelievable journey. Firedrake, Sorrel, and an orphaned boy named Ben will encounter countless fantastic creatures, a Pegasus-seeking professor and his family, a djinn, and a homunculus. Unbeknownst to them, however, evil Nettlebrand, the golden, seemingly-indestructible dragon who hunts silver dragons like Firedrake, is following their every move. And, among the companions of Firedrake, Sorrel, and Ben, there is a traitor lurking.
REVIEW
I found Dragon Rider to be an exciting, enjoyable book. In its descriptions, it was lovely and in its plot, it was compelling. There were many delightful and humorous moments of banter between Sorrel the brownie girl and Twigleg, a small humanoid called a homunculus. The majority of the characters are strong and well-made. Nettlebrand, for example, is a deliciously evil villain with a reason to want to be evil, and one cannot help but hope for his demise. However, Firedrake, one of the main characters, has a weak personality. Even though he is a young dragon, he seems infinitely wise and unable to have any flaws. Even though it is Firedrake's story, Dragon Rider slowly evolves into the orphan Ben's story. There are strong themes of belonging and family in this story, along with friendship, loyalty, and courage. There is also a small plot about the prophecy of the first dragon rider, and how Ben may or may not be this rider reincarnated. The theme of reincarnation continues into a seemingly Buddhist monastery. All in all, Dragon Rider is a delightful book, with, like several of Funke's books, has an open ending, allowing the reader to continue the story in his or her imagination.
Negative: Theme of reincarnation, one weak character
Positive: Strong themes of friendship, family, and home, creative plot, interesting use of mythology
7 out of 10 stars
'The humans are coming to the valley of the dragons' is the news that Rat brings one rainy, misty day. A council of emergency gathers, and it is agreed that the dragons need a new home. Slatebeard, the eldest dragon, remembers the sanctuary of his youth: The Rim of Heaven. The only dilemma is that the location of the Rim of Heaven is unknown. One dragon must go on ahead, find this place, and return for the others. Young, brave Firedrake volunteers, along with his fiery-tempered brownie companion Sorrel. A stop at a map-making rat's shop is only the first of many crazy events on their unbelievable journey. Firedrake, Sorrel, and an orphaned boy named Ben will encounter countless fantastic creatures, a Pegasus-seeking professor and his family, a djinn, and a homunculus. Unbeknownst to them, however, evil Nettlebrand, the golden, seemingly-indestructible dragon who hunts silver dragons like Firedrake, is following their every move. And, among the companions of Firedrake, Sorrel, and Ben, there is a traitor lurking.
REVIEW
I found Dragon Rider to be an exciting, enjoyable book. In its descriptions, it was lovely and in its plot, it was compelling. There were many delightful and humorous moments of banter between Sorrel the brownie girl and Twigleg, a small humanoid called a homunculus. The majority of the characters are strong and well-made. Nettlebrand, for example, is a deliciously evil villain with a reason to want to be evil, and one cannot help but hope for his demise. However, Firedrake, one of the main characters, has a weak personality. Even though he is a young dragon, he seems infinitely wise and unable to have any flaws. Even though it is Firedrake's story, Dragon Rider slowly evolves into the orphan Ben's story. There are strong themes of belonging and family in this story, along with friendship, loyalty, and courage. There is also a small plot about the prophecy of the first dragon rider, and how Ben may or may not be this rider reincarnated. The theme of reincarnation continues into a seemingly Buddhist monastery. All in all, Dragon Rider is a delightful book, with, like several of Funke's books, has an open ending, allowing the reader to continue the story in his or her imagination.
Negative: Theme of reincarnation, one weak character
Positive: Strong themes of friendship, family, and home, creative plot, interesting use of mythology
7 out of 10 stars