The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: Dealing With Dragons

Series: Enchanted Forest Chronicles #1

Author: Patricia C. Wrede

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Retelling

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Cimorene is everything thing a princess isn’t supposed to be. She is tomboyish, smart, opinionated- and bored. She is so bored she runs away to live with dragons. Here she finds the family and adventure she is looking for.

I have a love-hate relationship with cozy books, as many know. This book is definitely a cozy book. However, I liked this book.

I have been super busy recently, so this book has been a nice retreat for me.

Wrede did a wonderful job changing the traditional fairytale story. I am almost positive that I suffer from chronic boredom, so I really love that this whole book hinges on Cimorene’s boredom.

I really liked Cimorene. Here is a princess who will not be held down by what is deemed proper and is going to do what she wants. And she wants to cook and clean for a dragon! Automatically I love it!

I especially loved how she argued with all the people who try to rescue her and just baffle the other princesses. I found it very entertaining.

I also really enjoyed how this world was set up. The dragon politics, among themselves and the wizards, was super interesting. I think it is a really strong start to this series.

Okay, I should admit something: I am currently on book four. I know- I am horrifically behind. But book four is written in first person and this book is not. On one hand, it feels very reminiscent of old tales. On the other hand, there is a little bit of a distance between us and Cimorene. Not a huge thing, but something I definitely noticed.

I also really enjoyed the side characters, especially Kazul. She is a super interesting dragon and she seems like a wise old lady (my favorite types of characters!) I also really loved Morwen and I am super excited to see more of her in the future.

One quick side note: I found this book in the teen section of my library. I think this is completely fine for younger readers; I’m actually hoping my eleven year old sister will read it soon. The main character is sixteen, but it is a perfect middle school read.

Dealing With Dragons is a fun, cozy read that twists common fairytale tropes in hilarious ways, with a strong main character.