Bookish Thoughts

This was easily my least favorite of the series. I wonder how much of that is because this one was written first, when the author didn't have quite as clear an idea about the world. But a good chunk of it was the first person, which really bothered me in the beginning. I eventually got used to it, but it felt like such a weird departure, and I don't know that it helped with the story. It was also weird to know so much more than the main character, who is deliberately and infuriatingly being kept in the dark. There are magical mumbo-jumbo reasons for this. But it was weird to watch him stumble through this adventure knowing everything that would happen and why. But the characters remained endearing (except for Suz who quickly got on my nerves). The fire witch was fantastic, and I loved how much she and Daystar grew to rely on and trust each other. Overall, this series was short and sweet. The first and third books will remain my favorite (not coincidentally, Cimorene and M...

I'd been hoping that this book, the third in the series, would be narrated by Morwen, and I was so excited when that turned out to be the case. That alone might be enough to solidify this one as my favorite of The Enchanted Forest Chronicles . Morwen is as practical as Cimorene, but with more hands on experience. And tons of cats. These books are the tiniest bit forumlaic in that each plot basically hinges on the wizards finding a new way to steal magic and the heroes finding new ways to thwart them. But both the books and the series are so short that I wasn't really bothered by that. It was fun to see more of the Enchanted Forest, to meet some new characters and learn about new magic. I really liked that one of the main villains in this book was obsessed with tradition. It's not the the main characters are against all tradition. But they're practical, forward thinking people. Tradition for the sake of it isn't so great. And I was even more pleased when the book...

In the second book of The Enchanted Forest Chronicles , Kazul, king of the dragons, has been kidnapped by the evil wizards who have a new scheme to steal magic. It's up to Cimorene, Morwen, and a few new friends to rescue her and thwart the wizards' latest plan. For some reason I was expecting this whole series to about Cimorene, but this one's told from the point of view of Mendenbar, who she eventually marries. In the beginning I was a little sad about this perspective switch. But it doesn't take long for Mendenbar to seek out Morwen who sends him to Cimorene. This is a fairly short children's book, after all. There isn't that much time to waste. Mandenbar and Cimorene become fast friends. They're both practical and curious, and I was glad that the book made a note of all the long, wandering conversations they had on their quest. Especially because it was obvious pretty early on that these two were going to fall in love and get married. And if that fal...

Dealing with Dragons  is the first book in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles , though not the first book written. Patricia Wrede wrote the last book first, then came back to write a prequel, and eventually it turned into a series of four books. I never encountered it as a child, though now I wish I had. Cimorene is a princess who'd rather not be. She's the seventh daughter, and she'd much rather do practical things like cooking and fencing than learn about etiquette and dancing. When her parents arrange her engagement to an arrogant and boring prince, she runs away from home. Cimorene lives in a world that is very aware of fairy tale tropes. People expect stories and know how to spot the sign posts. It's not unheard of for a dragon to kidnap a princess and a prince or knight to then rescue her, winning her hand in marriage along the way. Indeed, Cimorene meets three other princesses living in the dragon caves with her. But she's the first to volunteer for this lif...