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Enchanted Forest Chronicles #1-4
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles Dealing With Dragons, Searching For Dragons, Calling On Dragons, and Talking To Dragons
617-page Hardcover volume contains all four stories of the Enchanted Forest
. Dealing With Dragons
. Searching For Dragons
. Calling On Dragons
. Talking To Dragons
. Dealing With Dragons
. Searching For Dragons
. Calling On Dragons
. Talking To Dragons
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
485 people are currently reading
9121 people want to read
About the author
Patricia C. Wrede
67 books3,994 followersPatricia Collins Wrede was born in Chicago, Illinois and is the eldest of five children. She started writing in seventh grade. She attended Carleton College in Minnesota, where she majored in Biology and managed to avoid taking any English courses at all. She began work on her first novel, Shadow Magic, just after graduating from college in 1974. She finished it five years later and started her second book at once, having become permanently hooked on writing by this time.
Patricia received her M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1977.
She worked for several years as a financial analyst and accountant, first with the Minnesota Hospital Association, then with B. Dalton Booksellers, and finally at the Dayton Hudson Corporation headquarters.
Patricia finished her first novel in late 1978. In January, 1980, Pamela Dean, Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, Steven Brust, Nate Bucklin, and Patricia Wrede -- all, at that point, hopeful but unpublished -- formed the writer's group that later became known as "The Scribblies." Several years later, they were joined by Kara Dalkey. In April of 1980, Patricia's first novel sold to Ace Books. It came out at last in 1982, which is the year she met Lillian Stewart Carl (who introduced her to Lois McMaster Bujold by mail).
In 1985, shortly before the publication of her fifth book, she left the world of the gainfully employed to try winging it on her own.
Her interests include sewing, embroidery, desultory attempts at gardening, chocolate, not mowing the lawn, High Tea, and, of course, reading.
She is a vegetarian, and currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her cat Karma. She has no children.
Patricia received her M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1977.
She worked for several years as a financial analyst and accountant, first with the Minnesota Hospital Association, then with B. Dalton Booksellers, and finally at the Dayton Hudson Corporation headquarters.
Patricia finished her first novel in late 1978. In January, 1980, Pamela Dean, Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, Steven Brust, Nate Bucklin, and Patricia Wrede -- all, at that point, hopeful but unpublished -- formed the writer's group that later became known as "The Scribblies." Several years later, they were joined by Kara Dalkey. In April of 1980, Patricia's first novel sold to Ace Books. It came out at last in 1982, which is the year she met Lillian Stewart Carl (who introduced her to Lois McMaster Bujold by mail).
In 1985, shortly before the publication of her fifth book, she left the world of the gainfully employed to try winging it on her own.
Her interests include sewing, embroidery, desultory attempts at gardening, chocolate, not mowing the lawn, High Tea, and, of course, reading.
She is a vegetarian, and currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her cat Karma. She has no children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 471 reviews
June 17, 2009
This series is absolutely one of the fantasy genre's treasures! It's wonderfully light-hearted and humorous; the author revels in puncturing any number of fairy-tale conventions. Princess Cimorene, for instance, isn't kidnapped and enslaved by a dragon --she voluntarily becomes housekeeper for the Dragon King to escape an arranged marriage. (And the draconian king is female; dragons use that title for monarchs of either gender to keep things "simple.") But though her main characters often don't do the conventionally "proper" thing, they always try to do the genuinely right thing.
Practicing Roman Catholic Wrede [pronounced "Reedy":] writes good clean fantasy (both serious and humorous), free of bad language, unwholesome sexual content, or gratuitous violence. (Here, for instance, Cimorene and her cohorts deal with dastardly wizards simply by melting them into goo with soap and water, like the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz --but they always eventually regenerate.) Her work is informed by an equalitarian feminism, in the best sense of the word, which is not at all anti-male. IMO, she's one of the very best fantasy writers of our generation. Readers who like this series should explore her other work; I can personally recommend The Book of Enchantments and Caught in Crystal.
Practicing Roman Catholic Wrede [pronounced "Reedy":] writes good clean fantasy (both serious and humorous), free of bad language, unwholesome sexual content, or gratuitous violence. (Here, for instance, Cimorene and her cohorts deal with dastardly wizards simply by melting them into goo with soap and water, like the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz --but they always eventually regenerate.) Her work is informed by an equalitarian feminism, in the best sense of the word, which is not at all anti-male. IMO, she's one of the very best fantasy writers of our generation. Readers who like this series should explore her other work; I can personally recommend The Book of Enchantments and Caught in Crystal.
January 16, 2018
Only just recently, it has come to my attention that the final book in this series was actually written FIRST. THIS BLEW MY MIND. The final book ties everything together so very neatly...Goodness gracious my perception of the world is crumbling around my widdle ears. OK so, these books are all really good aside from the whole my not being aware of the chronology of the publication and whatnot. They're all dragony and delicious. And also, it's like one giant fairy tale of awesome. Also, there are some versions of these books that are published with hideous cartoony covers. Those are lame. I can't stand books with ugly covers. The outside should be a glorious sneak-peek of the glory within. I'm rambling.
January 17, 2008
This is some of the best young adult fantasy out there, especially if you like some humor in your fantasy. In the first book, the main character gets fed up with her life as a princess. When she tries to learn to fence, she's told it's unladylike, so she has to stop. When she tries to coook, she's told it's unladylike, so she has to stop. So, we begin the story with the main character running away to find a dragon to live with. She does find one, and she spends much of the book making cherries jubilee for said dragon and trying to explain to princes who come to rescue her that no, in fact, she does NOT want to be rescued. That's just the first book. Many other characters come into the series in the later books. All four books are delightfully funny. I really love this series.
June 4, 2019
I read and reviewed each of the books collected in here separately, so this is really just for my own records. The rating - 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 - is an average of the individual ratings. The first two books in the series, Dealing with Dragons and Searching for Dragons, both earned 3 stars. They were fun (and often funny) fantasies for kids, and their strongest point was their protagonist, Cimorene, who ran away from being a princess to be housekeeper for a dragon, making lots of desserts - particularly chocolate mousse and cherries jubilee - while learning magic and seeing off blockheaded suitors. The later volumes, however, only earned 2 stars each. In Calling on Dragons, Cimorene became a background character, replaced by Morwen. Now I like Morwen, but she was saddled, in this volume, with a transformed rabbit called Killer, who is one of the most irritating supporting characters to ever draw breath. And finally, Talking to Dragons had as its protagonist Cimorene's son Daystar, who inherited not a single scrap of his mother's personality or charm.
Basically, the series started well but soon began to suffer from repetition and an unbalanced sense of the ridiculous. Quirk became laboured silliness, and the whole thing just sort of ran out of steam and interesting plot. Cimorene deserved better.
Basically, the series started well but soon began to suffer from repetition and an unbalanced sense of the ridiculous. Quirk became laboured silliness, and the whole thing just sort of ran out of steam and interesting plot. Cimorene deserved better.
January 2, 2008
This is a series for people who like fantasy with a dash of humor and a strong female heroine who is perfectly willing to tell the slightly stupid handsome prince he can kindly throw himself off a cliff. Add some dragons, a few wicked wizard, one very forward thinking witch, a floating blue donkey with a 6-foot wing span, and an entire kindgom made of magical threads and you might begin to understand the stories. Wrede has a way of pulling in a few old fairy tale favorites while forging a story completely unlike anything else. Worth the read!
January 13, 2011
I recently finished reading these books with my ten year old daughter. I read them years ago, so I didn't remember much plot, just that they are fun fantasy. And they are--light and witty, funny, creative, and strong female characters. I didn't like the last book as well. It didn't seem as well written and I missed Cimorene as a main character. But it was needed to finish the story. It was fun to enjoy the books together. We no longer have much of an oral tradition in our society, so it's easy to forget the relish of books read aloud. (Unless, of course, you like recorded books! :)) My voice may sometimes tire, but sharing books personally with my children and husband creates special bonds which I cherish. I would rate the series a 3, but it goes up to a 4 because of the treat of reading them aloud with my daughter.
March 24, 2017
I never read Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings, or the Chronicles of Narnia, I read The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. And to this day I haven't been able to figure out why these adventure stories aren't films already. Very fun.
October 4, 2007
So I was waiting for my latest book club's choice to arrive in the mail, and knowing that it was a serious choice this month, I decided to relive some young adult books that used to be great favorites of mine. I own a very ratty hardcover copy of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, but recently purchased the newly released paperbacks in a box set. Perfect time to read them.
These vary in how much I like them. The first one I've read more than the rest, and do like a lot. It features a feisty princess named Cimorene who runs away to willingly work for a dragon. The second one is great too. It's told from the point of view of Mendanbar, the King of the Enchanted Forest, who hangs out with Cimorene to save the dragon Kazul. The third one is probably the best because it's just so darn cute. There are talking cats, a flying nearly seven-foot tall blue donkey that used to be an ordinary rabbit, and a lot of references to fairy tales and other children's stories. The fourth one is definitely my least favorite. It jumps far forward in time and the main character is Cimorene's teenage son. The writing comes across as more childish, and doesn't feature as much the characters from the three previous books. But all in all, very fast, fun reads.
These vary in how much I like them. The first one I've read more than the rest, and do like a lot. It features a feisty princess named Cimorene who runs away to willingly work for a dragon. The second one is great too. It's told from the point of view of Mendanbar, the King of the Enchanted Forest, who hangs out with Cimorene to save the dragon Kazul. The third one is probably the best because it's just so darn cute. There are talking cats, a flying nearly seven-foot tall blue donkey that used to be an ordinary rabbit, and a lot of references to fairy tales and other children's stories. The fourth one is definitely my least favorite. It jumps far forward in time and the main character is Cimorene's teenage son. The writing comes across as more childish, and doesn't feature as much the characters from the three previous books. But all in all, very fast, fun reads.
October 26, 2024
01 Dealing with Dragons 4☆
02 Searching for Dragons 5☆
03 Calling on Dragons 3☆
04 Talking to Dragons 4☆
04.5 Utensile Strength 5☆
☆ Патриция Вреде писала феминистический стеб над сказками в те седые времена, когда это еще не вошло в моду.
Первая книга Talking to Dragons вышла аж в 1985 году. Да, главным героем в ней был мальчик Дэйстар, но еще там были гномы женского пола, король драконов (тоже женского пола) и много огнедышащих ведьм.
Книга так понравилась издателям, что из кратенькой предистории про родителей Дэйстара они захотели приквел. Поэтому Патриция написала еще три книги, но в процессе слишком увлеклась и в итоге они эээ очень сильно отличаются от предыстории в Talking to Dragons.
Dealing with Dragons про мать Дэйстара принцессу Симорен. 4☆
Searching for Dragons про отца Дэйстара короля Менданбара. 5☆
А Calling on Dragons надо выкинуть нахуй, потому что она написана на отьебись. Если вам очень интересно, как от хеппиенда в Searching for Dragons мы пришли к пиздецу в Talking to Dragons - прочитайте последние 20%. Остальное не рекомендую. 3☆ с кепкой в прыжке.
Еще выходил рассказ-послесловие в сборнике Book of Enchantments. Рассказ хороший, сборник хрень полная, рецензия на гудридз.
☆ с высоты 2024 года многое в Enchanted Forest кажется нафталиновым. Но как всякий высококлассный винтаж, эта нафталиновость органична и, даже не побоюсь этого слова, стильна.
Патриция в своем стебе над традиционными ролями в треугольнике Рыцарь-Дракон-Принцесса создала оригинальный мир и вменяемых героев со своей магией, мотивацией и историей. А еще там есть драконы. Много драконов. Я говорила про драконов?
☆ Enchanted Forest выглядит, плавает и крякает как middle grade, но все персонажи там взрослые, поэтому романтика есть. И как бы я не любила пейринг боевой сьюхи и милого химбо, на четвертый раз он подзадалбывает, а на пятый феминизм делает круг и начинает токсичить. Ну такое.
☆ по серии делали радиопьесу. Я учила по ней английский - и не возненавидела ее. А значит что? Значит, пьеса отличная.
Итого: обожаю, ван лав форевер.
02 Searching for Dragons 5☆
03 Calling on Dragons 3☆
04 Talking to Dragons 4☆
04.5 Utensile Strength 5☆
☆ Патриция Вреде писала феминистический стеб над сказками в те седые времена, когда это еще не вошло в моду.
Первая книга Talking to Dragons вышла аж в 1985 году. Да, главным героем в ней был мальчик Дэйстар, но еще там были гномы женского пола, король драконов (тоже женского пола) и много огнедышащих ведьм.
Книга так понравилась издателям, что из кратенькой предистории про родителей Дэйстара они захотели приквел. Поэтому Патриция написала еще три книги, но в процессе слишком увлеклась и в итоге они эээ очень сильно отличаются от предыстории в Talking to Dragons.
Dealing with Dragons про мать Дэйстара принцессу Симорен. 4☆
Searching for Dragons про отца Дэйстара короля Менданбара. 5☆
А Calling on Dragons надо выкинуть нахуй, потому что она написана на отьебись. Если вам очень интересно, как от хеппиенда в Searching for Dragons мы пришли к пиздецу в Talking to Dragons - прочитайте последние 20%. Остальное не рекомендую. 3☆ с кепкой в прыжке.
Еще выходил рассказ-послесловие в сборнике Book of Enchantments. Рассказ хороший, сборник хрень полная, рецензия на гудридз.
☆ с высоты 2024 года многое в Enchanted Forest кажется нафталиновым. Но как всякий высококлассный винтаж, эта нафталиновость органична и, даже не побоюсь этого слова, стильна.
Патриция в своем стебе над традиционными ролями в треугольнике Рыцарь-Дракон-Принцесса создала оригинальный мир и вменяемых героев со своей магией, мотивацией и историей. А еще там есть драконы. Много драконов. Я говорила про драконов?
☆ Enchanted Forest выглядит, плавает и крякает как middle grade, но все персонажи там взрослые, поэтому романтика есть. И как бы я не любила пейринг боевой сьюхи и милого химбо, на четвертый раз он подзадалбывает, а на пятый феминизм делает круг и начинает токсичить. Ну такое.
☆ по серии делали радиопьесу. Я учила по ней английский - и не возненавидела ее. А значит что? Значит, пьеса отличная.
Итого: обожаю, ван лав форевер.
March 26, 2020
These books shaped my childhood
September 14, 2011
Okay, time for a Nostalgia Review!
Recently somewhere on the depths of the internet I came across a list of "badass women of fantasy" or something like that, and Cimorene from this series was on there. And I was like, I remember her! She was awesome! And I was possessed by a sudden desire to reread these books because I hate doing things that I need to do. So that's what I did! Each book is only about 100 - 200 pages long, and it took me around 3 hours to read each one. Unsurprising, given the target audience is like 7 - 11 year-olds, but still.
If you're not familiar with the plot, it goes like this:
Cimorene doesn't look like the typical princess. Instead of being a delicate flower with blonde hair and blues eyes, she is tall and strong with black eyes and long black hair that she likes to wear in braids. She doesn't have princess-approved interests, either: swordplay, cooking, Latin, politics, and magic, among others. When her parents decide to solve the problem by marrying her off to an air-headed prince, she decides to run away and ends up working for a dragon. The first book takes off from here, focusing on Cimorene with the dragons and their fight against some evil wizards. The following books really expand the world and focus a bit more on the nearby Enchanted Forest and its king, Mendanbar, who certainly has one of the greatest names in fantasy literature.
These books are utterly charming. They're basically fantasy/fairy-tale satire for children, which is a concept I can get behind 100 %. Looking back, I can understand quite easily how reading them (and I read each several times in my youth) influenced both my sense of humor and my opinions about fantasy. There is definitely an emphasis on practicality and doing things for yourself, which is quite nice. A funny thing about the first book is that Cimorene runs away to escape from oppressive female stereotypes, but she ends up spending all her time cooking and cleaning for a dragon. At first glance that may seem a bit backward, but does organizing the library count as anti-feminist when it includes translating Latin and dealing with murderous genies? I don't think so, and certainly the whole point is that Cimorene is capable of taking care of herself and thinking outside the paradigm of "what's proper," which for princesses does not include getting dirty or cooking. On that level, I think these books are especially great for young girls to read because Cimorene is a wonderful role model. She's smart, determined, practical, and a bit of a badass.
The second book is my favorite, and it introduces us to Mendanbar, who as I mentioned previous is fairly awesome. He's Cimorene's badass male counterpart, basically. In this book, the rules of magic are fleshed out much more, and Mendanbar in particular gets a very interesting way of doing things. Telemain, a magician, speaks almost entirely in magical technobabble, which I found moderately humorous. Most of what he says makes at least some sense if you read it, but I kind of doubt I did anything other than skim it when I was younger. Anyway, I appreciated the way magical things (more or less) made sense from kind of a psudeo-scientific standpoint.
As might be expected, the plots are not too complex. Chekov's Gun is in full force for most plot points, which is fine. The way the heroes stumble upon a critical plot device is lampshaded beautifully in the last book. The villains in particular are rather weak, being little other than cackling stereotype evil wizards who aren't given motivations for their actions other than "we're greedy and evil!" They're also mostly ineffectual and not very threatening. I wouldn't exactly call our heroes round characters either, because they're honestly not. They are, however, interesting ideas and they certainly grab your attention. In my opinion, that's one of the strengths of this series. It's the kind of story that grabs your imagination (it certainly did mine when I was little) and makes you feel like you know a lot more about the characters than is actually written down in the book. The concepts are so fun you wish there was more, that you could really get to know the characters better. The other strength, of course, is that it's quite funny in a gently whimsical manner. The self-awareness of the characters of what happens in a fairy tale is pretty much the whole point.
I definitely thought the first two books were the strongest, and the third the weakess, but I highly recommend this series, especially for young girls.
Recently somewhere on the depths of the internet I came across a list of "badass women of fantasy" or something like that, and Cimorene from this series was on there. And I was like, I remember her! She was awesome! And I was possessed by a sudden desire to reread these books because I hate doing things that I need to do. So that's what I did! Each book is only about 100 - 200 pages long, and it took me around 3 hours to read each one. Unsurprising, given the target audience is like 7 - 11 year-olds, but still.
If you're not familiar with the plot, it goes like this:
Cimorene doesn't look like the typical princess. Instead of being a delicate flower with blonde hair and blues eyes, she is tall and strong with black eyes and long black hair that she likes to wear in braids. She doesn't have princess-approved interests, either: swordplay, cooking, Latin, politics, and magic, among others. When her parents decide to solve the problem by marrying her off to an air-headed prince, she decides to run away and ends up working for a dragon. The first book takes off from here, focusing on Cimorene with the dragons and their fight against some evil wizards. The following books really expand the world and focus a bit more on the nearby Enchanted Forest and its king, Mendanbar, who certainly has one of the greatest names in fantasy literature.
These books are utterly charming. They're basically fantasy/fairy-tale satire for children, which is a concept I can get behind 100 %. Looking back, I can understand quite easily how reading them (and I read each several times in my youth) influenced both my sense of humor and my opinions about fantasy. There is definitely an emphasis on practicality and doing things for yourself, which is quite nice. A funny thing about the first book is that Cimorene runs away to escape from oppressive female stereotypes, but she ends up spending all her time cooking and cleaning for a dragon. At first glance that may seem a bit backward, but does organizing the library count as anti-feminist when it includes translating Latin and dealing with murderous genies? I don't think so, and certainly the whole point is that Cimorene is capable of taking care of herself and thinking outside the paradigm of "what's proper," which for princesses does not include getting dirty or cooking. On that level, I think these books are especially great for young girls to read because Cimorene is a wonderful role model. She's smart, determined, practical, and a bit of a badass.
The second book is my favorite, and it introduces us to Mendanbar, who as I mentioned previous is fairly awesome. He's Cimorene's badass male counterpart, basically. In this book, the rules of magic are fleshed out much more, and Mendanbar in particular gets a very interesting way of doing things. Telemain, a magician, speaks almost entirely in magical technobabble, which I found moderately humorous. Most of what he says makes at least some sense if you read it, but I kind of doubt I did anything other than skim it when I was younger. Anyway, I appreciated the way magical things (more or less) made sense from kind of a psudeo-scientific standpoint.
As might be expected, the plots are not too complex. Chekov's Gun is in full force for most plot points, which is fine. The way the heroes stumble upon a critical plot device is lampshaded beautifully in the last book. The villains in particular are rather weak, being little other than cackling stereotype evil wizards who aren't given motivations for their actions other than "we're greedy and evil!" They're also mostly ineffectual and not very threatening. I wouldn't exactly call our heroes round characters either, because they're honestly not. They are, however, interesting ideas and they certainly grab your attention. In my opinion, that's one of the strengths of this series. It's the kind of story that grabs your imagination (it certainly did mine when I was little) and makes you feel like you know a lot more about the characters than is actually written down in the book. The concepts are so fun you wish there was more, that you could really get to know the characters better. The other strength, of course, is that it's quite funny in a gently whimsical manner. The self-awareness of the characters of what happens in a fairy tale is pretty much the whole point.
I definitely thought the first two books were the strongest, and the third the weakess, but I highly recommend this series, especially for young girls.
January 14, 2018
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles consist, in chronological but not publishing order, of Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons and Talking to Dragons. Talking to Dragons was written first, Dealing with Dragons was written as a prequel, and the other two books were written in sequence to fill in the gap between the two. I'm treating them as a unit, since I purchased them as an ebook omnibus and basically read them as one.
The Chronicles take place in a fairy tale world that gently ribs at and riffs on fairy and folk tale tropes. Magic is everywhere and frequently dangerous, and people react to its presence in their lives accordingly. For example, princess lessons consist in part of learning the appropriate places to scream when carried off by a dragon. A very desirable fate, as the subsequent stream of knights and princes seeking to rescue said princess practically guarantees a good marriage.
Dealing with Dragons (1990) covers the adventures of Princess Cimorene, who is not a very proper princess, and chooses to become the dragon Kazul's princess in order to escape an unwanted marriage.
Searching for Dragons (1991) covers the trials of Mendanbar, King of the Enchanted Forest, as he encounters Cimorene and they set off together in search of a missing Kazul. Along the way, they fall in love.
Calling on Dragons (1993) covers the tribulations of Morwen, a sensible witch who is a recurring character and friend of the main cast. Morwen is part of a party who heads out on an expedition to recover an extremely important artifact stolen from the Enchanted Forest by the series' recurring villains, the Society of Wizards.
Talking to Dragons (1985) covers the coming-of-age of Daystar, Cimorene and Mendanbar's teenage son, as he's unceremoniously sent out into the Enchanted Forest with a magic sword to Seek His Destiny.
I'm afraid that it is impossible for me to be objective about these books. My memories of them are tied very tightly to the tender nostalgia of childhood, an emotion I'm generally leery of but succumbed to in this instance. With nostalgia, there is always the lurking fear that the thing Won't Hold Up in the cold eye of adulthood. That proved both true and false in my case.
The Chronicles remain, as I remember them, a gently humorous set of adventures about some very fun and interesting characters. There is adventure, swordfights, romance! I enjoy the metafictional tack the characters take to their narratively driven world, the matter-of-fact way they deal with tropes like youngest sons and christening curses. I have a fairly good memory for book plots but I was still driven to, well, devour all four all night despite knowing it was an extremely bad idea. So in that sense, they held up very well. The read was quick and entertaining.
...On the other hand, in the cold eye of adulthood, there are definitely places where the seams show. Talking to Dragons, unsurprisingly as it was written first, feels like the weakest section of the quartet. Which is a pity, since it's also the climax and ending. Cimorene remains excellent, but now there is a strong whiff of "I'm not like those other girls" to how she's portrayed in contrast to the other princesses. There's a vague sop of sympathy towards princesses other than Cimorene at some point but it leaves a rather sour taste in my mouth. The various romances also don't hold up very well. Cimorene and Mendanbar are great, but Daystar and Shiara are a struggle for me to see (they certainly don't seem lovey-dovey enough for Cimorene to peg Shiara as future Queen of the Enchanted Forest within minutes!). I like Morwen and Telemain in theory but there's not enough there for their surprise engagement to be anything other than completely out of left field. Some of the humor doesn't land as it used to (Killer, I'm looking at you).
Some of these seams are undoubtedly due to age (Talking to Dragons was first published in 1985, and the quartet concluded in 1993). I'm older, I have different sensibilities and sensitivities. The general conversation about female characters has advanced in the twenty-odd years since the Chronicles were concluded. Some of the surprises, like how quickly the books whipped by, are undoubtedly due to the fact that I'm just older and a more capable reader than I used to be.
I will close my review with this. In the end, I don't regret giving into nostalgia and purchasing the Chronicles in eBook form. Wrede's website FAQ states that she hopes to one day write a fifth book in the series, and if she ever does, I think I will gladly pick it up to complete my set. These books are quick and fun, and I recommend them to anyone else who enjoys both the ritualistic nature of fairy and folk tales and that thing being gently ribbed.
The Chronicles take place in a fairy tale world that gently ribs at and riffs on fairy and folk tale tropes. Magic is everywhere and frequently dangerous, and people react to its presence in their lives accordingly. For example, princess lessons consist in part of learning the appropriate places to scream when carried off by a dragon. A very desirable fate, as the subsequent stream of knights and princes seeking to rescue said princess practically guarantees a good marriage.
Dealing with Dragons (1990) covers the adventures of Princess Cimorene, who is not a very proper princess, and chooses to become the dragon Kazul's princess in order to escape an unwanted marriage.
Searching for Dragons (1991) covers the trials of Mendanbar, King of the Enchanted Forest, as he encounters Cimorene and they set off together in search of a missing Kazul. Along the way, they fall in love.
Calling on Dragons (1993) covers the tribulations of Morwen, a sensible witch who is a recurring character and friend of the main cast. Morwen is part of a party who heads out on an expedition to recover an extremely important artifact stolen from the Enchanted Forest by the series' recurring villains, the Society of Wizards.
Talking to Dragons (1985) covers the coming-of-age of Daystar, Cimorene and Mendanbar's teenage son, as he's unceremoniously sent out into the Enchanted Forest with a magic sword to Seek His Destiny.
I'm afraid that it is impossible for me to be objective about these books. My memories of them are tied very tightly to the tender nostalgia of childhood, an emotion I'm generally leery of but succumbed to in this instance. With nostalgia, there is always the lurking fear that the thing Won't Hold Up in the cold eye of adulthood. That proved both true and false in my case.
The Chronicles remain, as I remember them, a gently humorous set of adventures about some very fun and interesting characters. There is adventure, swordfights, romance! I enjoy the metafictional tack the characters take to their narratively driven world, the matter-of-fact way they deal with tropes like youngest sons and christening curses. I have a fairly good memory for book plots but I was still driven to, well, devour all four all night despite knowing it was an extremely bad idea. So in that sense, they held up very well. The read was quick and entertaining.
...On the other hand, in the cold eye of adulthood, there are definitely places where the seams show. Talking to Dragons, unsurprisingly as it was written first, feels like the weakest section of the quartet. Which is a pity, since it's also the climax and ending. Cimorene remains excellent, but now there is a strong whiff of "I'm not like those other girls" to how she's portrayed in contrast to the other princesses. There's a vague sop of sympathy towards princesses other than Cimorene at some point but it leaves a rather sour taste in my mouth. The various romances also don't hold up very well. Cimorene and Mendanbar are great, but Daystar and Shiara are a struggle for me to see (they certainly don't seem lovey-dovey enough for Cimorene to peg Shiara as future Queen of the Enchanted Forest within minutes!). I like Morwen and Telemain in theory but there's not enough there for their surprise engagement to be anything other than completely out of left field. Some of the humor doesn't land as it used to (Killer, I'm looking at you).
Some of these seams are undoubtedly due to age (Talking to Dragons was first published in 1985, and the quartet concluded in 1993). I'm older, I have different sensibilities and sensitivities. The general conversation about female characters has advanced in the twenty-odd years since the Chronicles were concluded. Some of the surprises, like how quickly the books whipped by, are undoubtedly due to the fact that I'm just older and a more capable reader than I used to be.
I will close my review with this. In the end, I don't regret giving into nostalgia and purchasing the Chronicles in eBook form. Wrede's website FAQ states that she hopes to one day write a fifth book in the series, and if she ever does, I think I will gladly pick it up to complete my set. These books are quick and fun, and I recommend them to anyone else who enjoys both the ritualistic nature of fairy and folk tales and that thing being gently ribbed.
September 9, 2019
As a child, I know I re-read this series several times, and really loved it! I did recently re-read them as an adult, and they were more boring than I remember. It's hard for me to decide how to rate them, because child-me absolutely adored them! So, should I rate them based on that opinion, or my opinion of them now? Child-me would give them 5 stars, and adult-me gives them a 3. So do with that what you will.
Cimorene escapes her palace to live with Dragons, so that she doesn't have to continue taking boring lessons on how to be a perfect princess. I do have to mention that during my re-read, adult-me was annoyed with her putting down the more “girly” princesses, like she was better than them. However, I will chalk that up to being a product of the time period in which it was written. I feel like feminism has evolved a lot since my childhood. I did enjoy Cimorene taking charge of her life, and fighting for her right to be happy. I also loved the mystical creatures and the charming, comical side characters throughout the series. Overall, I still think it’s an excellent series for children.
Cimorene escapes her palace to live with Dragons, so that she doesn't have to continue taking boring lessons on how to be a perfect princess. I do have to mention that during my re-read, adult-me was annoyed with her putting down the more “girly” princesses, like she was better than them. However, I will chalk that up to being a product of the time period in which it was written. I feel like feminism has evolved a lot since my childhood. I did enjoy Cimorene taking charge of her life, and fighting for her right to be happy. I also loved the mystical creatures and the charming, comical side characters throughout the series. Overall, I still think it’s an excellent series for children.
May 6, 2021
These are such a delightful chronicle of fantasy! All the stories are bursting with magic, humor, adventure and fun. The hours I spent reading these were some of my favorite moments reading as a child.
July 15, 2021
Amazing.
I can’t believe I missed out on this series as a kid. It was amazing. And deserves more than 5 stars.
I can’t believe I missed out on this series as a kid. It was amazing. And deserves more than 5 stars.
November 4, 2021
I loved these books as a kid. Re-read and still am enjoying them! The audiobooks are fantastic and read by a full cast.
June 17, 2023
I read Book 2, I believe, close to 25 years ago. I'd been trying to find that wonderful book for a long time but I couldn't remember the title! The whole series is funny, imaginative, and a great read. I can't wait until my grandson is old enough to enjoy it.
August 25, 2021
Very engaging character especially the key princess, Cimorene. she is very empowered to do things her way while looking out for others she cares about.
September 6, 2021
According to my Goodreads records, I had read all of these previously in 2012 - nearly 10 years ago, so I had largely forgotten them. I enjoyed the re-read.
They are firmly in the genre of fairy-tale retelling in which practically the whole of society apparently consists of royalty, with the odd knight, the very occasional steward or other upper servant, and maybe a farmer when the plot requires one, plus witches, wizards, sorceresses, non-human talking creatures of various kinds, and a very vaguely implied merchant class who never actually enter into the story. You needn't bother to think about the economic basis of all of this, where the food is coming from or who is paying the taxes that provide the king's income or even who makes the swords and jewellery. That's not what the story is about. It also consciously plays with tropes and characters out of fairy tales, with a bit of a spin, and also adds in a few original touches that fit into the world well enough.
The four books, while complete in themselves for the most part, do have an overall arc, and some characters recur across several books.
Cimorene, the protagonist of the first book, is exactly the kind of pragmatic, sensible, capable young woman I enjoy as a protagonist. She can't see the sense in conforming to what's expected if there's no actual good reason to do so, and so she volunteers to be a dragon's princess and then firmly sends away the knights and princes who try to rescue her. That, by itself, wouldn't be a plot, though; she discovers that the wizards are up to no good, and, by being courageous and level-headed and making good use of allies and resources, brings about a satisfactory conclusion.
The second book centres on the King of the Enchanted Forest, who joins forces with Cimorene to thwart the wizards' next gambit. Compared with Cimorene, he's not as vividly drawn, but he's courageous and determined and, importantly, open to considering Cimorene as an equal partner.
The third book's protagonist is Morwen, a witch who has nine cats (none of them black; she doesn't care for convention any more than Cimorene does). The author has given the cats distinct personalities, and conveyed them so successfully that I could remember clearly which was which and what they were like, which is something that a lot of authors can't manage with human characters. One thing I didn't particularly enjoy in this book; the magician character is given to explaining magic in somewhat complicated terms, and Cimorene, who has shown herself previously to be intelligent and well-read and capable with magic, has to keep asking Morwen for a plain-language translation. I suppose someone had to, as a reader proxy, but really the explanations aren't that complicated in their vocabulary for the most part, and it seemed out of character for Cimorene to be the one who didn't follow them.
The fourth book was actually the first to be written, as a standalone, though when you read them all together the first three books are very necessary backstory for it. Cimorene's son Daystar must go on a deliberately ill-defined quest, and he does so by meeting a series of obstacles and overcoming them largely through politeness (Cimorene has trained him to be almost comically polite) and firm perseverance, plus the help of people he meets along the way. He mostly doesn't solve difficult problems by intelligence, though he sometimes comes to correct conclusions when he needs to. I didn't feel that he had a lot of development as a character, nor was the plot as satisfying as in the other books. Daystar is too sensible to succumb to the usual temptations to leave the path that fairy-tale heroes are often faced with, and it means his quest is mostly linear.
This one-volume edition is worth having for the author's introductions, which talk about how and why she wrote the books.
Overall, recommended.
They are firmly in the genre of fairy-tale retelling in which practically the whole of society apparently consists of royalty, with the odd knight, the very occasional steward or other upper servant, and maybe a farmer when the plot requires one, plus witches, wizards, sorceresses, non-human talking creatures of various kinds, and a very vaguely implied merchant class who never actually enter into the story. You needn't bother to think about the economic basis of all of this, where the food is coming from or who is paying the taxes that provide the king's income or even who makes the swords and jewellery. That's not what the story is about. It also consciously plays with tropes and characters out of fairy tales, with a bit of a spin, and also adds in a few original touches that fit into the world well enough.
The four books, while complete in themselves for the most part, do have an overall arc, and some characters recur across several books.
Cimorene, the protagonist of the first book, is exactly the kind of pragmatic, sensible, capable young woman I enjoy as a protagonist. She can't see the sense in conforming to what's expected if there's no actual good reason to do so, and so she volunteers to be a dragon's princess and then firmly sends away the knights and princes who try to rescue her. That, by itself, wouldn't be a plot, though; she discovers that the wizards are up to no good, and, by being courageous and level-headed and making good use of allies and resources, brings about a satisfactory conclusion.
The second book centres on the King of the Enchanted Forest, who joins forces with Cimorene to thwart the wizards' next gambit. Compared with Cimorene, he's not as vividly drawn, but he's courageous and determined and, importantly, open to considering Cimorene as an equal partner.
The third book's protagonist is Morwen, a witch who has nine cats (none of them black; she doesn't care for convention any more than Cimorene does). The author has given the cats distinct personalities, and conveyed them so successfully that I could remember clearly which was which and what they were like, which is something that a lot of authors can't manage with human characters. One thing I didn't particularly enjoy in this book; the magician character is given to explaining magic in somewhat complicated terms, and Cimorene, who has shown herself previously to be intelligent and well-read and capable with magic, has to keep asking Morwen for a plain-language translation. I suppose someone had to, as a reader proxy, but really the explanations aren't that complicated in their vocabulary for the most part, and it seemed out of character for Cimorene to be the one who didn't follow them.
The fourth book was actually the first to be written, as a standalone, though when you read them all together the first three books are very necessary backstory for it. Cimorene's son Daystar must go on a deliberately ill-defined quest, and he does so by meeting a series of obstacles and overcoming them largely through politeness (Cimorene has trained him to be almost comically polite) and firm perseverance, plus the help of people he meets along the way. He mostly doesn't solve difficult problems by intelligence, though he sometimes comes to correct conclusions when he needs to. I didn't feel that he had a lot of development as a character, nor was the plot as satisfying as in the other books. Daystar is too sensible to succumb to the usual temptations to leave the path that fairy-tale heroes are often faced with, and it means his quest is mostly linear.
This one-volume edition is worth having for the author's introductions, which talk about how and why she wrote the books.
Overall, recommended.
June 22, 2011
I loved these books in grade school and I love them still. The author does a great job of making fun of what is considered a typical fairytale. Princesses take classes on how to scream correctly when a dragon carries them off & knights are constantly trying to find a damsel in distress to rescue (even if they don't wish to be).
Dealing with Dragons
Princess Cimorene of the kingdom of Linderwall decides that being a princess is too boring and confining, leaves home to work for the dragon Kazul, and discovers and subsequently dissolves a plot by the wizards to take control of the King of the Dragons.
Searching for Dragons
Cimorene meets the King of the Enchanted Forest, Mendanbar. With their new friends, they collaborate to rescue Kazul—now the King of the Dragons—from the wizards who have captured her.
Calling on Dragons
Morwen discovers that the wizards have stolen Mendanbar's sword, which keeps them from stealing the Enchanted Forest's magic, and works with Cimorene to retrieve it.
Talking to Dragons
Daystar, Cimorene and Mendanbar's son, is sent off into the forest with his father's sword and no knowledge of his heritage. Written and published first, and then revised later to better fit with the prequel books.
Dealing with Dragons
Princess Cimorene of the kingdom of Linderwall decides that being a princess is too boring and confining, leaves home to work for the dragon Kazul, and discovers and subsequently dissolves a plot by the wizards to take control of the King of the Dragons.
Searching for Dragons
Cimorene meets the King of the Enchanted Forest, Mendanbar. With their new friends, they collaborate to rescue Kazul—now the King of the Dragons—from the wizards who have captured her.
Calling on Dragons
Morwen discovers that the wizards have stolen Mendanbar's sword, which keeps them from stealing the Enchanted Forest's magic, and works with Cimorene to retrieve it.
Talking to Dragons
Daystar, Cimorene and Mendanbar's son, is sent off into the forest with his father's sword and no knowledge of his heritage. Written and published first, and then revised later to better fit with the prequel books.
April 26, 2021
I'm not quite sure why Alex grabbed this bigger book, or if he really understands what has happened from chapter to chapter. But I know that, as a family, we've read a chapter a night, cuddled up in his bed. That alone would make it a favorite.
Add to that, this is Kristina's childhood favorite, this is an excellent mix of magic and meta-fairy-tale, this has a well-lived in world and a complex set of central characters, and it's very well paced and you have everything you need for a beloved series.
I'd still argue that the first in the series (Dealing with Dragons) is the high point for what's to follow, the humor and point of view seems to jibe beautifully with Wrede's own. But the others have equally charming moments, even if they feel like a little more of a stretch to connect characters, plots, and themes. But whatever your personal opinion, I can't recommend the series enough, especially when it involves, you, your loved ones, and a quiet moment at the end of the day.
Add to that, this is Kristina's childhood favorite, this is an excellent mix of magic and meta-fairy-tale, this has a well-lived in world and a complex set of central characters, and it's very well paced and you have everything you need for a beloved series.
I'd still argue that the first in the series (Dealing with Dragons) is the high point for what's to follow, the humor and point of view seems to jibe beautifully with Wrede's own. But the others have equally charming moments, even if they feel like a little more of a stretch to connect characters, plots, and themes. But whatever your personal opinion, I can't recommend the series enough, especially when it involves, you, your loved ones, and a quiet moment at the end of the day.
November 6, 2021
Wanted to like this more as it's got some great themes and decent storytelling. A young princess, Cimorine, rejects all the tropes of fantasy kingdoms, tiresome princes and arranged marriage. She heads off to voluntarily become the princess to a dragon. The dragon quickly realizes Cimorine's value as a free thinker and a clever twist to a typical fantasy story ensues.
Written for a younger audience (and these would be great books for precocious young readers), I really enjoyed the fresh take and the themes of striking your own path,
with powerful female characters who don't need any rescuing. The "Chronicles" include 4 books and the first one (Dealing with Dragons) is clearly the best... A solid 4 out of 5. The middle two books get a bit tiresome and include a couple of the most annoying fantasy characters I've ever run across ("Killer," the rabbit-turned-flying-donkey, and the unnamed, non-gendered, young dragon). The final book, "Talking to Dragons," bounces back a bit as a fish out of water tale of Cimorine's son, Daystar, and it wraps up the series nicely.
Summaries and other reviews of this book call it "humorous," but I'd just call it clever. I don't think I ever chuckled, or even cracked a smile, while reading. Maybe I'm just too old and dead inside.
Written for a younger audience (and these would be great books for precocious young readers), I really enjoyed the fresh take and the themes of striking your own path,
with powerful female characters who don't need any rescuing. The "Chronicles" include 4 books and the first one (Dealing with Dragons) is clearly the best... A solid 4 out of 5. The middle two books get a bit tiresome and include a couple of the most annoying fantasy characters I've ever run across ("Killer," the rabbit-turned-flying-donkey, and the unnamed, non-gendered, young dragon). The final book, "Talking to Dragons," bounces back a bit as a fish out of water tale of Cimorine's son, Daystar, and it wraps up the series nicely.
Summaries and other reviews of this book call it "humorous," but I'd just call it clever. I don't think I ever chuckled, or even cracked a smile, while reading. Maybe I'm just too old and dead inside.
September 15, 2012
I rediscovered the first volume, Dealing with Dragons, which I really enjoyed when I was a kid, and after a short online search, found out it was part of a series and ordered the whole box off amazon.
After having read through the latter three books in one week now, I am ready to give my verdict.
At 23, I am probably a little too old for this, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the books and plan on reading them to my future children.
The wacky and whimsical wit paired with the believable characters, especially the strong female protagonists, added to the addicting quality of the series.
The first two volumes, narrated from Cimorene and Mendanbar's points of view respectively, are my favourites, with the third one close behind. (I would have liked the third volume better if I hadn't been so annoyed with Killer.)
The fourth book was a little disappointing. I don't usually like first-person narrators, and the prose felt a little flat same as the characters. Daystar lacked personality, and I couldn't really see what was so great about Shiara. Also, I missed Cimorene and the other characters who actually DO something, plus the above-mentioned wit.
After having read through the latter three books in one week now, I am ready to give my verdict.
At 23, I am probably a little too old for this, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the books and plan on reading them to my future children.
The wacky and whimsical wit paired with the believable characters, especially the strong female protagonists, added to the addicting quality of the series.
The first two volumes, narrated from Cimorene and Mendanbar's points of view respectively, are my favourites, with the third one close behind. (I would have liked the third volume better if I hadn't been so annoyed with Killer.)
The fourth book was a little disappointing. I don't usually like first-person narrators, and the prose felt a little flat same as the characters. Daystar lacked personality, and I couldn't really see what was so great about Shiara. Also, I missed Cimorene and the other characters who actually DO something, plus the above-mentioned wit.
June 1, 2008
i loved these books!!!!! you don't have to read the first one to understand the second or third or fourth one. they are hilarious books with a lot of magic in them. they aren't that serious, but that is what makes them fun to read!!!!!
January 4, 2022
Clever and witty with strong female characters. A favorite family read-aloud. I think we read it at least seven times. Beginning when the boys were in primary school through the winter of our eldest’s senior year when we were all home with the flu.
February 4, 2013
This series is my favorite series of all time. I read it when I was very young and I continue to read it over and over again. It is short, fun, magical and perfect for anyone who enjoys a fun fantasy book.
February 11, 2009
These are fun to read. I really like the central character in the first book. She's the princess who doesn't want to get married. LOVE that! This is a nice modern fairy tale series.
October 2, 2010
I read these books in junior high and I remember really loving them. I think they really opened me up to my love for fantasy novels.
January 10, 2012
This series is great. I've read it a few times even as an adult. :)
July 2, 2020
Check out my reviews on the main versions of each book.
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