Tuesday, April 2, 2019

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede -- Tired of life as a princess, with all of its rules and traditions, Cimorene runs away to be a dragon's princess, and finds herself much more suited to that life. While in the caves of the dragon Kazul, Cimorene uncovers a plot by the Society of Wizards, and befriends a witch, a fellow captive princess, and a prince who has been partially turned to stone.

This is an old favorite of mine, one I turn to when I need a light read that I am sure to enjoy. It always does the trick. If you're a fan of humorous, fairy-tale-inspired fantasy, I recommend this book.

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede — Mendanbar, King of the Enchanted Forest, has a problem: someone appears to have burned a large chunk of his domain, and he thinks it might have been the dragons. At the advice of a witch, he goes to see Kazul, the King of the Dragons. Kazul is missing, and Mendanbar and Cimorene set out to find her.

This is a delightful quest that expands on the world established in the previous book. Readers get to learn more about the Enchanted Forest and its magic, as well as meeting some of the colorful residents of the surrounding area. New characters Mendanbar and the magician Telemain are just as much fun as returning favorites. Readers who enjoyed the first book should pick this one up as soon as possible.

Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede — The wizards are up to no good again, and this time it starts with a seven-foot-tall rabbit named Killer who ran afoul of the residual effects of a spell. The wizards have stolen Mendanbar’s sword, and Cimorene, Morwen, Kazul, and Telemain set out on a quest to recover it — along with a couple of Morwen’s cats and Killer, who seems to have an absolute genius for getting into magical mishaps.

There’s so much to love here. The interactions between characters are fantastic, the humor is delightful, and the plot moves briskly on through various twists and turns. This is my favorite book of the series, even though it does end in a whopping big cliffhanger. Read it, but have the sequel at hand.
 
Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede — On the day when a wizard destroys the front door of their house, Daystar’s mother hands him a sword and tells him not to come home again until he can explain why she sent him away. Questing his way through the Enchanted Forest, Daystar befriends a lizard, a fire witch, and a young dragon, and encounters elves, dwarves, witches, wizards, and many others before his quest is complete and he learns the truth about his extraordinary sword.

Not my favorite of the series, but still a very good book, and it does an admirable job of answering the questions left unanswered at the end of the previous book. It’s a good ending to the series, but I never want the series to end — maybe that’s why I don’t love this book best of all?

(Reviewed from my personally purchased copies.)


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