Customer Reviews

Dragon Slippers

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Since she was a small child, Creelisel "Creel" Carlbrun has dreamed of fulfilling her talented mother's dream of making her way out of the small, rural city of Carlieff Town, and opening up her very own shop in the booming King's Seat, where she can display her talent for embroidery to the high and mighty who could, quite possibly, appreciate her magnificent work. But when her parents die, and she and her fourteen-year-old brother, Hagen, are forced to take up residence with their crazy aunt, and slightly whipped uncle, Creel feels as if her dreams will never come true. Scrounging for money, and interested in becoming a royal, Creel's aunt comes up with a bizarre plan to help the struggling family's financial situation. Accompanied by Hagen, and her two cousins, Creel shall travel to the local dragon's lair, and offer herself to him. Once she is in the dragon's clutches, her aunt will summon the Lord of Carlieff's son, and have him ride to the cliffs to slay the dragon, save Creel, and make her his wife. Creel realizes that this is the most ridiculous idea, and wants nothing more than to deny her aunt's request. But, wanting to please her scattered guardian, she agrees, and offers herself - pure and true - to the dragon, known as Theoradus. Theoradus appears gruff, but his vast shoe collection makes Creel unafraid of his hulking presence. And, when she makes it out of his cave alive - no thanks to the prince of Carlieff Town, of course - Creel decides that it's time for her to move on. Treading lightly on a pair of new shoes that make her toes itch like crazy, Creel sets off for the King's Seat, determined to make her mark on the world. But, when she runs into trouble, Creel manages to make nice with yet another dragon, this one named Shardas. While he's large, and breathes fire, like Theoradus, Shardas is a gentle, kind old soul, and Creel can't help but think of him as a very close friend. A lover, and collector, of stained-glass windows, Creel begins drawing inspiration from Shardas' wide array of belongings, and translates their beauty to her designs. While Shardas seems to adore Creel's company, and she his, Creel can't help but feel that, as enticing as living with Shardas for the rest of her days truly is, she wants to fulfill the dream her mother always had. And, her strange blue slippers upon her feet, Creel continues on her journey to the King's Seat. But, as she soon learns, the King's Seat isn't as wholesome a place as she hoped. The people on the street are a step up from crooks, and refuse to provide a stranger with any help. And, when Creel comes face-to-face with the soon-to-be princess, and future queen, she realizes that looks can be deceiving; and that making a fortune when you have nowhere to open shop, and no money to assist you in your quest to make a better life for yourself, is enough to dash anyone's dreams. But as she works to sell her designs, and find work, Creel is forced to succumb to the terror and war that has begun raging throughout the King's Seat, threatening to destroy the beautiful city forever as she knows it. And, without the knowledge that the shoes in her possession are tools to save the King's Seat, Creel will be unable to do anything more than stand idly by as the place she has begun to call her home is destroyed. Unless, of course, she can call upon some very unlikely allies to help her save the day.

Dragon tales make me giddy. I love the adventure, the magic, the characters. Robin McKinley and Patricia C. Wrede have both provided me with hours of entertainment and joy over the years. And now, with the release of her debut DRAGON SLIPPERS, Jessica Day George has managed to win herself a spot alongside some of fantasy's greatest; as well as in my heart. From the very first sentence until the very last, I found George's writing lyrical and enjoyable, with a twist of magic, a dash of friendship, and a sprinkle of uniqueness. Creel is an unforgettable, irresistible character, whose talent in embroidery is amazing; while her humbleness makes her likable. Her tongue - which is as sharp as a dragon's tail - however, works in her favor to illustrate what a confident, cool, collected, intelligent individual she is. Her ability to verbally make mince-meat out of anyone she comes in contact with - be it royal or peasant - is humorous; and her unlikely friendships with dragons of all shapes and sizes is quite reminiscent of Patricia C. Wrede's ENCHANTED FOREST CHRONICLES. While Creel's character alone can carry the tale from beginning to end, she is surrounded by a quirky cast of characters who each provide the reader with even more entertainment. The prissy Marta, whose curls are always perfect is an unlikely lovable character who could bring a smile to anyone's face; while the mute Tobin illustrates that a handicap doesn't stop someone from being rough and tumble. Tobin is so jovial, yet he masks it by his gruff demeanor. Still, he manages to make an appealing character, whom you can't get enough of. George introduced some unique aspects within the pages of DRAGON SLIPPERS. Her discussion of the dragons various hordes is interesting, and gives each dragon their own personality - from Shardas who collects stained-glass windows, to Theoradus who collects shoes, and even to Feniul, who collects, of all things, dogs. Their own personal likes and dislikes help the reader separate them from one another, and make it quite easy to choose favorites within the story. DRAGON SLIPPERS is an amazing debut, that leaves room for a sequel that is sure to be fabulous. A clever mix of fashion and fantasy to create the ultimate adventure!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

I grew up hooked on Patricia C. Wrede's Searching for Dragons, et al, and this book was like a wonderful return to childhood (okay, I'm only 25, so it wasn't that long ago, but still). Even as an adult, I was delighted by the clever twists the novel takes and awed by the huge tasks Creel confronts. I loved this book and plan to buy it for all my siblings (who similarly devoured Wrede's series as we grew up).

What do you get when you mix a sassy damsel, dragons who hoard everything except gold, and some fancy slippers? A page turning fun tale similar to the PRINCESS BRIDE meets DRAGON RIDER.

Creel's aunt suggests sacrificing her to the local dragon in order for the family to get financial gain. True a dragon comes but he's nothing like the village tales. First, he doesn't care to eat humans. Second, he doesn't hoard gold but other things. One of which is shoes. Creel asks for a pair and the dragon lets her have them.

Creel goes to the King's city to get employment as a seamstress. But something is going on with the slippers. Her feet itch something terrible but she ignores them. Once in the city she ends up stepping on the spoiled queen to be, Amalia's, dog. Needless to say Amalia doesn't care for Creel. But the princess doesn't like anything. Nothing that is except Creel's slippers, which she says she'll get.

Little does Creel know that she holds the secret to either peace or destruction for her kingdom.

I really got into this tale. I'm not one for dragon stories but this story kept my interest from the very first page. Creel is spunky and doesn't like it when others, including snotty Amalia, put their noses down at her because she's a common villager.

Creel meets others in her travels. Marta, another seamstress with dream of opening her own dress shop. Luka, the younger prince, who is interested in Creel. Shardas, the dragon who's friendship means alot to Creel even if this means she has to put her life in danger to protect him and the other dragons.

This is a fun tale that reminds me of PRINCESS BRIDE. Readers who love dragon tales with a twist will especially love this story. Now I can't wait for the sequel.

After glancing at the cover of this book, I immediately felt an impulse to read it. And then I opened it up, and read the first sentence:
'It was my aunt who decided to give me to the dragon.'
Ooh, I thought, EVIL aunt. But wait--the second sentence:
'Not that she was evil, or didn't care for me.'
Okay, that hooked me. And I stayed hooked for the whole book.

In Dragon Slippers, Creel Carlbrun is a poor peasant girl who wants to make her way in the world using her talents for sewing and embroidery. But when her aunt decides to give her to a dragon, and said dragon in turn gives her a pair of unusual shoes . . . things get a little complicated.

This book is pure fun. Filled with magic, friendship and a whole lot of dragons, it personifies the perfect fantasy adventure tale. One thing that's fun about this book is that it's a children's book (not YA) with a 16 year old as the protagonist. I'm 16, I love children's books, and when a character is my age it can add to my enjoyment of it. Dragon Slippers is a fabulous book - don't miss it!

Creel is a poor, orphaned, farm girl with a talent for embroidery. When her aunt decides to sacrifice her to a dragon in order to lure a knight or prince who might marry her, Creel sees it as a way to escape her boring life. She doesn't expect to meet a real dragon in the caves above her village, so she is even more surprised when the real dragon doesn't want to eat her. Creel makes a deal to keep the approaching mob away from the dragon's lair if he gives her a pair of fabulous shoes from his hoard. The shoes Creel picks turn out to be the most valuable treasure in all of her kingdom and they enable her to communicate with the dragons. As she sets off on her way to pursue her dream of working in a dress shop in the king's city, Creel is rescued from bandits by another friendly dragon. Creel and the dragon Shardas strike up a special friendship that becomes the centerpiece of the novel. Creel continues on to the king's city where she finds work, friends, and adventure. As the story goes on, Creel discovers that her special shoes have the power to save or destroy the kingdom and she must face the future with bravery. The novel's female characters are spunky, the dragon lore is well-crafted, and the story is a balance of comic and tragic elements. This is a fun first novel from George that would delight fantasy fans of Shannon Hale or Gail Carson Levine.

This book is simply charming. George creates Creel, one of the most delightful characters in a book in a long time. The young woman is at times strong, loyal, jealous, and very, very talented.

Creel's journey of self-discovery and coming of age was very captivating, and it's hard not to fall in love with her and want her as a friend, just as several characters in the book do.

I would've given this a 4.5, but couldn't quite give it a 5 (I'm very stingy with my five-ratings). Mostly this was due to the dragons themselves which I found something of an afterthought.

I highly recommend it for girls and young women. Though I hate to admit this, my son - who shares my affinity for fantasy fiction - said it too "girly."

Writers like to talk about The Gripping First Sentence, the one that snags a reader's attention and pulls her into the story. Jessica Day George got me with this intriguing opening: "It was my aunt who decided to give me to the dragon." Thus begins the tale of a brave peasant girl who determines to turn a bad situation into an opportunity to launch herself out of poverty and into a career doing fancy needlework. Turns out nothing is the way she thought it was - not life in the big city, not brave knights, and especially not dragons. I found this book in the children's section, but trust me, it's a wonderful fantasy tale sure to charm readers of all ages.

The book opens with recently orphaned Creel finding herself at the entrance to a dragon's cave. She makes a deal with the grumpy though harmless dragon and in doing so acquires a beautiful but mysterious pair of blue slippers. Determined to start her life over as a dressmaker, Creel leaves her country home behind and sets out toward the king's seat. Along the way, she befriends another dragon who decides to help her achieve her dream.

It isn't until about halfway through the book that things start to really go wrong for Creel. She unwittingly incurs the wrath and jealousy of a foreign princess, which leads to all sorts of problems for Creel and her newfound friends. As Creel struggles to avoid the princess and make a name for herself as a dressmaker, she finds herself caught up in the middle of a plot to overthrow the kingdom and bring ruin upon the land.

Jessica Day George is rapidly becoming one of my new favorite authors. Her books are like cotton candy. They're light, sweet, and happy. There are antagonists and hurdles, but you know they'll be resolved and good will prevail in the end. Sometimes things work out a little too perfectly, but this comes across in a more cozy, heartwarming, makes-this-reader-happy way than in an annoying Mary Sue manner. When you just want to take a break from life and get lost in a "nice" book that'll make you smile, Jessica Day George delivers.

Creel is a thoroughly likable character, flawed yet endearing, capable and determined without being pushy or obnoxious. I liked reading about the dresses she made. The descriptions of her embroidery were mesmerizing. Her friends at the dress shop, the dragons, and the prince were all nice characters as well. The princess and her lackey were detestable, both making appropriately loathsome villains. There were a few scenes where I wanted to reach into the book and strangle them, but luckily Creel didn't stand for their abuse and stood up for herself.

This is the first book in a series of three (so far), but it works just fine as a stand-alone story. The plot is engaging, with Creel's development as a dressmaker creating an easy going storyline that nicely compliments and frames the more dastardly political intrigue simmering beneath the surface. The mystery of the slippers is slowly unraveled and satisfyingly concluded. The romance builds at a nice and realistic pace, but isn't fully resolved in this installment. I recommend this book, especially to readers looking for cozy escapism.

Jessica Day George has dug up something good with Dragon Slippers. It is witty, funny, and adventurous. The hero is a girl, along with a sensible prince. Alchemy, dragons, and more...a very good book.

I wasn't expecting a lot from a $2.50 scholastic book fair find. What I found was a fascinating world that drew me in completely.
My wife picked it up for bed time stories, and I would read a chapter at a time. I work out of town some nights and I would miss chapters. I couldn't help myself, I went back and read all of the parts I had missed and stayed up past midnight reading the rest of the book before I read the last few chapters to my kids. As I re-read it to my children, I found myself having trouble not responding emotionally to Creel's reactions.

I think this book is what a children's book should be. And my kids clamored for more. Its not perfect. Some of the characters seemed predictable or generic archetypes, but all in all, I liked it very much and thank the Author for taking the time.