Dealing with Dragons: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book One [Paperback]

Patricia C. Wrede (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Enchanted Forest Chronicles

Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart. . . .
And bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon . . . and finds the family and excitement she's been looking for.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Cimorene, princess of Linderwall, is a classic tomboy heroine with classic tomboy strengths--all of which are perceived by those around her as defects: "As for the girl's disposition--well, when people were being polite, they said she was strong-minded. When they were angry or annoyed with her, they said she was as stubborn as a pig." Cimorene, tired of etiquette and embroidery, runs away from home and finds herself in a nest of dragons. Now, in Cimorene's world--a world cleverly built by author Patricia C. Wrede on the shifting sands of myriad fairy tales--princesses are forever being captured by dragons. The difference here is that Cimorene goes willingly. She would rather keep house for the dragon Kazul than be bored in her parents' castle. With her quick wit and her stubborn courage, Cimorene saves the mostly kind dragons from a wicked plot hatched by the local wizards, and worms her way into the hearts of young girls everywhere.

While the characters are sometimes simplistically drawn, adults and children will have fun tracing the sources of the various fairy tales Wrede plunders for her story. Dealing with Dragons is the first book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, and most young readers will want to devour the entire series. (Ages 10 and older) --Claire Dederer --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-- The independent princess has been well established in modern children's books, but there can't be a dandier example than Princess Cimorene. Rangy, curious, energetic, matter-of-fact, she rolls up her sleeves and gets the job done with a happy disregard for the traditions of her role. Although her parents want her to stifle her improper interests in fencing, Latin, and cooking, the princess is not about to be forced into marriage with the vapid prince they have chosen. She throws herself wholeheartedly into a career as a dragon's princess, a respectable role, although not one for which one usually volunteers. As she fends off nosy wizards, helps out hysterical princesses, and turns away determined rescuers, Cimorene makes a firm place for herself in the dragon world. The story is full of excitement, sly references to the staples of fantasy and fairy tales, and good humor. Cimorene is of a sisterhood that includes Menolly, the dragonsinger of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsong (Atheneum, 1976); and Avi's Morwenna of Bright Shadow (Bradbury, 1985), but Wrede's delightful voice is all her own. Her previous books have generally been played as YA or even adult fiction, but Cimorene is so much fun that once younger readers discover her here, many will want to search outthe earlier titles. One of these, Talking to Dragons (Ace, 1985) is narrated by Cimorene's son and introduces many of this book's main characters. --Sally T. Margolis, Park Ridge Public Library, IL
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 015204566X
• ISBN-13: 978-0152045661
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (320 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Royalty
  • #23 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Obsessions > Princesses
  • #43 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Royalty

More About the Author

PATRICIA C. WREDE has written many novels, including Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot and The Grand Tour coauthored with Caroline Stevermer, as well as the four books in her own series, the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. She lives near Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous! A Great Read!, April 28, 2000

By 

Alex - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles) (Mass Market Paperback)

I was looking at the interview with J.K. Rowling when I saw the sign 'What to Read After Harry Potter.' I immediately clicked on, eager to see what was recommended. And I saw this fantastic book. I began my journey into the kingdom of Linderwall last year. I gleefully followed Cimorene on her adventures as the Kazul's (a dragon's!) princess, and couldn't WAIT for more. But no matter how many book stores I looked in I couldn't find the rest of the series. So imagine my delight when I looked here. Dealing With Dragons is an incredible read. It has everything a book needs: excitement, adventure, a touch of romance, and a highly believable main character. Who can honestly say that they haven't felt the way Cimorene does: sick and tired of their life, in her case a boring life of a princess, with nothing better to do then 'lady-like activities'. So the princess sets out to stop being a princess, with a great outcome. Turning away princes who come save her? As if she needs saving! It's a wonderful twist on the fairy tales of weak princesses being captured by vicious dragons, and being saved by the big strong princes. Cimorene volunteers to be a dragon's princess; if anyone needs saving it's those princes who come to 'rescue' her. I definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. And the last thing I say is, "ENJOY!"

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful romp, July 18, 2000

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles) (Mass Market Paperback)

The start of four wonderful books, Dealing With Dragons is a light, funny fantasy classic.

Princess Cimorene is not allowed to use swords, spoons, or magic-it's simply not done by princesses! Irritated, she takes advice from a magic frog and runs away, and is quickly adopted as the personal princess and housekeeper for a dragon, Kazul. In doing so, she discovers and explores an interesting and sometimes hilarious new culture, and is enmeshed in a conspiracy.

Forget ages of foreshadowing-this book goes straight to the point, where Cimorene wants to leave. It skips along at a brisk pace with lots of funniness, such as Cimorene reasoning with a homicidal genie and trying to shrug off her various knights and suitors, who want to rescue her whether she likes it or not.

It spoofs the various damsel-in-distress stories by making the princess WANT to live with the dragons, and telling her wannabe boyfriend to go away and rescue some other princess. The tea party with the four "trapped" princesses, two proper and two ordinary, is a riot. The wizards and dragons manage to be endearing and funny without even needing much character development.

And Morwen is one of the most magical witches since... well, she's as unique as Gandalf!

You'll fall in love with this book and the three sequels, I promise!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Work of Fantasy, December 17, 2001

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a delightful little book of fantasy. I think all of us like to escape from time to time to a world such as that of the Enchanted Forest and the Mountains of Morning. Although this world is inhabited by dragons and bothersome wizards, it is still an airy, light-filled world that captivates the imagination. Cimorene is a princess who has no interest in learning the things a princess is supposed to learn; she would rather learn fencing, magic, cooking, and other things forbidden by her parents. Her parents finally give up on changing her ways of thinking and decide to marry her off to the prince of a neighboring realm. Rather than submit to this unwanted fate, she takes the advice of a friendly frog and volunteers to serve as a dragon's princess. The dragon Kazul accepts her offer, and Cimorene goes to work organizing Kazul's treasure rooms, cataloguing the scrolls in her library, and making cherries jubilee and other foods for her. Several princes, including her betrothed, come calling to rescue her, and she has to continually explain to them that she does not want to be rescued. Cimorene comes to discover a plot between the Wizard Society and one turncoat dragon, and it is largely up to her and the princess Alianora, working in conjunction with Kazul, the witch Morwen, and a stone prince to sort out the plan and goals of this dastardly plot and prevent the dragons from granting kingship to the traitor. Even when things are hairy, Cimorene keeps her wits about her, foiling much of the action with her own extraordinary determination.

Apparently Wrede's Enchanted Forest chronicles are considered young adult literature. I did not know this when I began reading the story, and I certainly would urge other adults not to let this fact rob them of the opportunity to enter this wonderful realm of fantasy. The writing is witty, the plot is well-thought out, and the action moves along well with no dead spots or literary pot-holes. A few allusions to traditional fairy tales are interspersed in the story, lending a good bit of fun and charm to the book. Younger readers will find this book enjoyable, and Cimorene seems to me to be a pretty good role model for young women given her forthright nature, zest for learning, and discontent with the life others tell her she is supposed to lead. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.