Customer Reviews

The Dragonslayer's Apprentice

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

 

 

This is a 160-page book. When I picked it up I was not expecting a novel, unlike some of the people who have reviewed apparently did. I found this book entertaining and enjoyed filling in the blanks my self and using my imagination; something that some previous people do not apparently enjoy doing. Though this book is not quite as good as Patricia C Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, it is 160 pages not 255 like the longest in the series, and is definitely at a lower level and is wonderful for that level. I must admit when I ordered this book I did not know it was so small, but found it enjoyable for its purpose and was a delightful easy read. The time period does not need to be stated or identified, and the Characters do develop themselves a little. There is some bloodshed that I remember and someone does get seriously injured and is unable to continue, unlike a previous person said. I found I was disgusted when I read that review and felt like they hadn't even read the book. I also just recently looked at the pages of the book and they have a lot of dialogue so I have no idea what that one person was talking about. The main Character has an attitude but I would not call her conceded! This book was a pleasure to read and I would gladly recommend it and reread it myself. Mostly for ages 8-11

Dragon slaying is no work for amateurs, as they say. In fact most people wouldn't even consider the idea of doing the job. Not Jackie though. She is a 15 year old apprentice that loves adventure. she actually left her kingdom in search ofsome action. She doesn't mind the creatuers, witches, or any thing else that might come her way. The only thing she is afraid of is being sought out by her family and being bored. Join her, the Dragonslayer, and Ron on an amazing journey and adventure where you can kick some serious tail. Jackie is on her way to be the first female dragon slayer, but you have to read the book to find out the rest. This book will both thrill and suprise you. I even finished it in one day. The Dragonslayer's Apprentice will make you laugh as much as it makes you flip pages. If you like fantasy, adventure, thrills, and humor you have to read this book! ENJOY!

I agree with previous criticisms of the book -- neither characters nor world are well developed. In addition, the typographical errors are annoying.

On the positive side, the book has an interesting premise and the author an enjoyable style.

This would be a good book for a juvenile who is showing an interest in longer works but may not yet be ready for something the length of a novel.

You can get an idea about the kind of book this is by reading the back cover, especially the passage about "kicking tail." That gives some idea of the quality of this book. With mediocre settings, stereotyped characters, and a ridiculous heroine, this is barely worth the paper it's written on. Only good supporting character manages to save this novella from the trash heap.
The unnamed Dragonslayer has a new apprentice: a cocky girl called merely Jackie, the first female dragonslayer apprentice ever. Together the two of them travel through the land, dealing with dragons and vicious birds, self-proclaimed witches and idiot villagers. But the Dragonslayer has some suspicions about the background of his capable new apprentice.

There's not much plot in "Apprentice," as the characters just amble from one undistinguished town to the next on their little jobs, all of which are done with no blood, injury, death or real effort. A more complex or well-defined plot might have saved the book from the mediocre characterizations or generic medieval world. But the world is a generic one: There's no way to tell where this is,k or whether it's 1000, 1900, or any time period in between. There's a spattering of little kingdoms with little kings, and a lot of idiot villagers straight out of a Monty Python sketch. The dragons seem about as dangerous as garbage trucks.

The book's most glaring flaw is Jackie. She's essentially a rich kid with a big mouth, who ran away to be a dragonslayer because she didn't like the cliched superficial people in the king's court. A comparable situation would be a socialite running away to be a sewage worker, and so Jackie's reasons are ludicrous at best. Jackie's lack of basic manners, civility, and her know-it-all attitude won't endear her to readers in a hurry. The Dragonslayer is the saving grace of the book, smart in a quiet way, with some moments of genuine wit. If only Calder had given the poor guy a name.

The writing style is the worst example of "telling not showing" that I have ever read. Calder frequently informs readers of what the various characters are saying or discussing, but he never bothers to include those little chit-chats in the form of dialogue. The landscapes, villages and people are rarely, if ever, described with any real detail.

"Dragonslayer's Apprentice" is a good read for someone recovering from major surgery, and perhaps taking large doses of painkillers. Anyone else will be too disgusted to finish.

I agree with the criticisms that the world of DSA is generic and that the characters are also generic. However, I think Calder intended it to be more of a parody than anything else; the names are so generic (the "United Kingdoms") that it makes me think that Calder just wanted to poke a little fun at fantasy. However, if he HAD wanted to do this, he didn't develop it very far...

The plot was pretty straightforward, but it was satisfying (at the very least).

For someone twelve or under, this book would be a dream. No complicated plot to digest, no complex characters to think about, everything completelly laid out for you from the beginning, and no mystery whatsoever. For a well read teenager, however, it was quite tedious. Rather than just developing his main character, and giving me some reason to like and admire her, the author simply assumes I will no matter what, without any backround whatsoever. Rather than creating a vibrant fantasy world and atmosphere for the story to take place in, the author neglects this aspect so completelly that I felt like I was walking around with a blind fold on. Despite all this however, the story was fairly worth it, and little kids will love it.

The Dragonslayer's Apprentice is a fast and fun read. The humor is constant and the characters, who are regrettably not fully developed, are interesting caricatures. The main complaint I had with the book was that there wasn't much of an intelligent plot or world building. Still, this is a good book for starting fantasy readers. A step above it are The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede.

This pice of literture is beautifuly written! It has a intracit balence of death and hummer. As the pages turn they bring you one surprise after the next!

This is a 160-page book. When I picked it up I was not expecting a novel, unlike some of the people who have reviewed apparently did. I found this book entertaining and enjoyed filling in the blanks my self and using my imagination; something that some previous people do not apparently enjoy doing. Though this book is not quite as good as Patricia C Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, it is 160 pages not 255 like the longest in the series, and is definitely at a lower level and is wonderful for that level. I must admit when I ordered this book I did not know it was so small, but found it enjoyable for its purpose and was a delightful easy read. The time period does not need to be stated or identified, and the Characters do develop themselves a little. There is some bloodshed that I remember and someone does get seriously injured and is unable to continue, unlike a previous person said. I found I was disgusted when I read that review and felt like they hadn't even read the book. I also just recently looked at the pages of the book and they have a lot of dialogue so I have no idea what that one person was talking about. The main Character has an attitude but I would not call her conceded! This book was a pleasure to read and I would gladly recommend it and reread it myself. Mostly for ages 8-11

I am sorry I ordered this one. the concept is great--a female dragon slayer--but the execution was just awful. Very juvenile writing style, cardboard characters. If the time had been taken to flesh out the plot and characters, this could have been a great story.