Dealing with Dragons

[marycatelli]

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

This is the second in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles.  Ignore all the listings of it as first, and read Talking to Dragons first.   That was published first, and this works better as an after-the-fact explanation.

But we have Cimorene, your typical princess nowadays, who doesn't want to do anything princessly, who runs away to be a dragon's princess instead of marrying the chosen prince -- or, for that matter, waiting to be abducted.

Her adventures wind on from there -- involving her offering a handkerchief to a dragon who reminds her of her great-uncle, cooking chocolate mousse, a prince turned to stone and yet alive, Cimorene claiming to have twisted her ankle, gathering feverfew, organizing a library with some works in Latin,  a witch with cats and cider, and much more.

Light and frothy -- not to be taken too seriously.

Comments

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

I admit that my impression is probably skewed by having, in fact, read this one first (and perhaps by inexperience/lack of jadedness -- I remember more about the things Cimorene did want to learn than about her neglecting the things she was supposed to be doing), but I always thought it made a pretty good beginning. I actually didn't find Calling on Dragons and Talking to Dragons until years later, I think. At which point the thing that impressed itself on me about Talking to Dragons as a beginning was that it felt to me... more like a first story in the sense of the author being new to the world. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure it would have grabbed me the way this one did.

(The other thing that impressed itself on me about those two is probably too much of a spoiler.)

But then, on reflection -- and rereading your review of Talking -- perhaps you're right and it benefits a lot from the reader being introduced to things alongside the main character.

[marycatelli]

Yeah, my impression is probably colored by the fact I read that one first, when it first come out.

Unfortunately, no one really can have both impressions to compare. 0:)

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, no one really can have both impressions to compare. 0:)

Very true.

I will say, though, that at least Calling on Dragons would have been less of a shock your way....

[marycatelli]

Yeah. The ending on that is not the ending. It's set-up for Talking, which means it doesn't wrap up the story.