The Girl, the Dragon, and the Wild Magic

Rhianna #1

by Dave Luckett

Rhianna is in trouble at school again. She just can't get her magic spells to work, and when they go wrong, they go very wrong indeed. But it's not only Rhianna who is having problems. Magic is failing everywhere, and the Land itself is at risk.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Magic, Middle Grade, Childrens, Adventure, High Fantasy

119 pages, Paperback

First published March 18, 2000

Reviews

[Cheryl]

I just discovered these perfect stories for 7-10, independent readers or families together, and good for boys too. 3.5 rounded up because they're a quick & satisfying joy to read.

The themes of finding your own path and of being courageous, honorable, and responsible are not subtly hinted at, but rather obvious, as Rhianna does have a lot to learn about her special powers and she thinks about these things. But neither are they didactic books, rather, they are full of life and adventure, and even a little mayhem, and even some humor.

Dave Luckett is a talented craftsman, to engage so many great ideas into such small, and relatively easy, books. I would have adored them when I was a child.

The only thing about the first one is that the dragon appears so briefly. Still, it's more than just an icon but rather is a complex character... I wouldn't be surprised if Luckett had developed enough of a backstory for it that we could have a whole 'nother book focused just on dragons in this world.

[Emily]

Wow... I haven't seen hide nor tail of this book since I was eight! Cool to have stumbled upon it. Now, since I haven't read it since then this review will be very short as it will be based on a memory from a LONG time ago. I remember that, as an eight year old, I liked the story very much. I was going through a "girl who is friends with dragons" phase at the time( I had just started reading E. D. Baker's Frog Princess series). I will re-read it soon to give a better review.

[Noninuna]

Rhianna was wondering what's wrong with her. When everyone else, including the annoying Rory, can do those in-class assignments, she was left with a lot of questions. Why the incantations have to be like it is, why the hand flip is like that and not the other way around etc. Most importantly, why she can't do it. On the day an assignment gone terribly wrong, she was visited by a powerful magician.. or should we call him Magister? Seeing what she capable of doing, he told her what she really is and that's the start of her learning the correct way to do magic.

It's a quick read. I love the simple magic system based on the elemental power. For a 100+ pages, you can't expect much of action happening. The most enjoyable thing thru out the books is in those scene where Rhianna learned to do magic, her failures (some messes are really funny to imagine) & seeing her progress on.

[Andrea Wright]

This was adorable and I can’t wait to see what she does with her wild magic next! Such a small book so full of feelings. Relatable yet magical 🥰

[Sunyoung]

Hello. I believe that this is my second review ever on this site. I read this book awhile ago, well, maybe 6-7 years ago when I was still in elementary school. I don't clearly remember what happened so I decided to read it right now. I just sent in my UC app yesterday and I'm trying to enjoy the rest of my Thanksgiving break and trying to forget the USC app which is due next Wednesday if I'm applying for scholarship. I think this book will be a quick read so here it goes! If I feel like it, I shall write a real review of the book, but if I don't, I'll just rate it.

11/28 12:44 PM
Hello! So I just finished this book about an hour or so ago. It wasn't THAT bad, but I didn't like it THAT much either. So I guess I'll give it 3 stars. It was quite short actually. I thought the story would be longer, but it as a very easy read and the concept was simple as well. Northstar... I feel like the name as appeard somewhere else, in another book about magic that I read recently.

So Rhianna is a girl who is just living her life until several things go VERY BADLY and she doesn't know why. She feels like she's all alone in the world (she has Rose and her parents though) because everybody else seems to get it and she doesn't. Also, the fact that she likes things to be EXACT, unlike magic which is unpredictable. So life goes on until one day, she copies her teacher's actions a little TOO carefully and that's when things get out of control and when she begins to learn who/what she is and so on. Kind of predictable I guess. I forgot that this is supposed to be the first in a series. I don't think I will continue reading the series. I liked the book when I was younger, but now I'm almost 18, and I'd rather read other fantasy books than this chapter book. haha. Six years ago, I would have loved to read the series. Anyways, here's what I think about the book. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who's still in elementary and likes to read about magic and whatnot. Hmm. I wonder how popular the Twilight series is with elementary schoolers. That's quite a scary thought. I'll end now [:

[Leah]

This book is the first in a trilogy. Rhianna lives in a world where everyone is taught how to use magic, and spells are a part of normal day life. However, Rhianna questions why magic is always unspecific and cannot understand how the others are ok with that. Her own magic appears to be lacking until one day she accidentally overconcentrates on a fire ward and summons a water elemental. With the help of the kingdom's head wizard, she realizes that she is one of the few wild talents in history. Exactness is necessary for her which is why all the unspecific spells that she's been learning in school never worked well for her. She becomes the wizard's apprentice, and everything that follows is her trying to learn control over her magic. When a dragon arrives, drawn by cursed gold, it is she who saves the town and earns the respect of everyone, the dragon included. With her future looking bright once more, Rhianna's journey is ready to continue in book two.
I loved this book am looking forward to reading its sequels. Girls age 7 and older would probably really enjoy this book.

[Calista]

This is a quite an adorable, simple little early grade story that I’ve reread here and there over the years. It’s short and to the point, but builds up enough charm in the setting and story to keep you engaged.
The characters, particularly the main ones like Rhianna and Magister Northstar are fleshed out as much as they can be in such a short story. You learn the bits of their personality that are relevant to the story and get you to care about them and the roles they play.
There is a bit of a theme about education as well and that children cannot all learn or be taught the same way. The book showed this and how it affected Rhianna’s self-esteem because she couldn’t learn the same way as everyone else.
I like the way that the story is self-contained and follows through to its logical conclusions. You could continue to read on, or just enjoy this little tale for what it is: an enjoyable, charming tale with heart, magic, and a dragon.

[Jen]

Really cute, quick read. I have the second, but not the third book, so I have to wait to order it and for it to come in. I dislike waiting, as this was written well and it seemed to be matriarchal in society set up. A queen, married men took the wife’s surname, etc. I want to dig a bit deeper into the world. I think it would appeal to younger readers who like magic, but also like rules and science. Lovely world, great characters and I like the plot. 4, yes it has dragons in it, stars!

[Rose]

usually i don't put a date read on really short children's books so they don't count for the year and don't put them in my feed, but i love this one and want to count it and talk about it. not that i DON'T love other children's books, but this one is special...

i first read it as an actual child and loved it then. thought about it as an adult and couldn't remember the title or author for years but eventually i found it again! i wasn't sure it would hold up to my memories but wow, it absolutely did. i'm not sure i would recommend it to a random adult if you don't have nostalgic memories of it, but my mother first read it as an adult (when i was a child reading it :)) and also really liked it. so maybe i am recommending it! like, it is still a children's book, it does have a pretty simple plot and world. but it has lovely atmospheric magic and a cute story

the main thing i love about it is the wild magic/imagery. i love the way things are described; that scene in the meadow where she's studying the grasses! gorgeous. there are a lot of great moments like that. i love the Cute Little Fantasy Village vibes, i love the simple but evocative writing, i love the feeling it leaves you with - that the world is full of fascinating and wonderful color & detail

[Rebecca]

Rhianna can't do magic to save her life. The spell-casting she and the other village kids study in school just doesn't make sense to her. Why do certain words work, why is no measurement exact, why is no one else interested in WHY things work?? Then, the top magician in the land stops by in response to complaints from the villagers that their magics are failing. He discovers that Rhianna is a once-in-a-millenium rare wild magician; her magic works differently than anyone else's, is far more powerful than anyone else's, and pulls more magic from the land than anyone else's. Which is kind of a problem, but the magician comes up with a stopgap measure until Rhianna has more control. Will that stop the villagers from trying to run Rhianna and her family out of the village on a rail? Yeah, probably not. But a dragon might do it.

This was a quick, fun read. The characters other than Rhianna have about as much depth as a teaspoon, but it hardly matters. The world is deftly and economically built, there's lots of magic talk for those who love magic, and the plot moves swiftly. If some characters behave entirely predictably, well, many kids like that kind of predictability. This should satisfy young (say 3rd-5th grade) fantasy fans.

[Krissy]

This is a 3-/it was fine. It's mostly unfulfilled potential sprinkled with some unintentionally creepy implications.

I assume it's because the author is male that he thought nothing of having a random very important old man (who is the Most Powerful Person and definitely uses that power inappropriately, but it's played for laughs every time) show up from The Big City and to tell a small girl’s parents that he must, no options available, magically bind himself to her. For her own good. The book does not consider this gross or creepy at all and I had to keep reminding myself to just ignore it, move on, it's supposed to be ~wholesome~ don't you know?

Also it was very disappointed that the dragon does not show up until page 101 of 118, so set your expectations accordingly.

[Wren]

Very creative fantasy world with a lot of good ideas. A good book for young readers who enjoy fantasy. I did, however, find it difficult to connect with the characters. I think that the book was too short, and because the world-building is so complex, it left the emotional depth of the characters falling a bit flat. I think that there was more potential that could have been explored, creating richer characters, if the book was longer. I do still recommend reading this if you enjoy children's fantasy.

[Holly Stone]

This is a cute quick book fun for children of all ages. Rhianna is in trouble at school again she just can't get her magic spells to work and when they go wrong they go wrong in a BIG way. Can anyone help her find a way to use her magic safely? She sure hopes so otherwise she and her Mother and Father will be forced to leave town...

[Karen Patrick]

The only reason stopping me from a 5 star rating is simply because I cannot clog up my shelf with too many five star books. Other than that, I enjoyed this so much as a child. Really set me up for a path towards magical type books with witches and wizards years after.

[Aubrey]

Love this book. Got it from a book fair when I was in elementary school, and still read it from time to time. And old favorite.

[Pat Raab]

A touching story of control, understanding, honesty and compassion.

[Beth]

Nice quick read.

[Rune]

I think I read this book in like 5th grade which was in 2006, it was a short sweet story about a girl discovering herself and her magic

[Miriam]

i liked it but it was not what i expected

[Chuy]

Short, but entertaining.

[Addi]

grades 3-5
*advanced 3

[Lori]

Rhianna can never do magic right. She fails the exams, her spells never work as she plans. It seems the town around her is failing as well, for magic is refusing to work the way it should. A wizard arrives, intending to set the magic right in the town. He discovers that Rhianna is a Wild Talent. She MUST learn to control her magic, or there will be dire consequences. Small things all around town continue to go wrong, and then a dragon arrives, intent on finding treasure. Will Rhianna be able to save the day, or will her Wild Talent destroy everything?

A quick fun read for an adult. It left me longing for other books in the series.

[Ashley kreger]

i loved this little book it was so different than what i am use to it was refreshing to me it was so cute. it was about this girl who was different and treated poorly for being so but when they find out why she is different its a good thing and it ends up saving the town i love, love, loved it, i want to go and buy it so i can reread it whenever i feel like it. and i love the cover art its so just cute to me. i would recommend this book to anyone who thinks they are to different in the world, you might become a savior. :)

[Ubalstecha]

Nice story about a girl who can't do magic the way her peers can. Things are always breaking and going wrong around her. That changes one day when a magician shows up at the school and tells Rhianna that she is actually one of the few magicians who can manipulate Wild Magic. Initially, the other citizens of her island are impressed, but when magic starts to go wrong, they are quick to blame Rhianna. When a dragon arrives on her small island, can Rhianna defeat the magical lizard and save her family and the rest of the island citizens.

Sweet read.

[Susan]

This was a cute and fun book for a quick read. I loved the way the magic worked in this world, and the way Rhianna, the narrator, seemed truly childlike and innocent. I was also pleased with her ability to take control and master her own power by the end of the book, and the setup for a sequel (or a series!) generates interest instead of coming across as frustrating. All in all, I greatly enjoyed this and would recommend it for kids--or adults who just want a break from longer fantasy works!

[Jill]

This is a very simple read and yet I enjoyed it a great deal. I read it aloud to my young children and they couldn't wait to get in bed to read another chapter. That might have to do with why I liked it so well. It isn't amazing writing by any means but the story is simple and fun. My boy liked it so well he named his lego wizard after one of the characters. This a great for a young audience.

[Anne]

I read this book when I was in third grade, and it was one of those that I would hide under my desk and read when I finished work ahead of the class. Very good, well-written book with sequels if your child loves it. It is probably written at a fourth or fifth grade level, but it's good for reading out loud to children younger than that. I highly recommend.

[Dawnetta]

My children loved these books. They have an exciting plot line that keep all the readers engaged. Some of the scary parts were a bit too scary for the younger reader. If your child has problems with nightmares, I'd have them wait til they were 7 or 8 before reading them.

[Julie]

This was a fun, quick read with an interesting twist about magic. It emphasized how a different type of talent was not valued at school but how it could be controlled and bless the whole community. Greed was present and caught up to. I enjoyed it.

[Camila]

I read this in 4th grade for a book report and I remember really liking it. The plot was really good and it made me want to sit down and read the book all the way through.