Customer Reviews

Talking to Dragons

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a lover of good children's literature, and this certainly fits into that category. I fortunately found THIS book before I realized that it had spawned an entire series. The series consists of this book and three others that choronologically take place BEFORE it, but should be read AFTER it. You will find this book listed at book four, but read it FIRST! It was written first, and it's meant to be read first. Most people, I have found, who read them in chronological order, wind up being less than fond of this book, which I think is COMPLETELY charming and funny; while those who read them in the proper order tend to enjoy all four.

Just a helpful suggestion. :-)

Wrede is one of my favorite children's writers. Her writing is catchy, she keeps you laughing, and her characters are delightful! She mixes a lot of fairy tales, but adds her own elements.

In this particular book, Daystar is on a quest, but we aren't sure of what that quest actually IS until the end of the novel -- even HE is not sure. (Here is where reading the other books comes in -- if you've read them beforehand, there's no doubt as to his quest, and readers end up fairly bored because they know what's coming, and that's not very fun for a reader.)

This book catches you from the opening line: "Mother taught me to be polite to dragons." And it only gets better from there. Things catch you off-guard in a very pleasant way.

My favorite character would have to be Suz, the lizard, who never fails to make me laugh. He's so delightfully odd!

I even like the way Wrede titles her chapters. She's so zany and fun.

Start reading these books! You'll be hooked!

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I am SO sick of people calling this book "the end of the series," and "the final book." "Talking to Dragons" WAS NOT the final book of the series! Chronologically, yes, it takes place last. But this book was written FIRST! It was meant to be READ first! The other three books were written as prequels BECAUSE this novel was so good and so well-received. If "Talking to Dragons" hadn't been such a great book, the other three books in the series would never have gotten written in the first place. That's why, as some people have said, it works so well as a stand-alone novel --- it's because (gasp!) it originally WAS a stand-alone novel! It wasn't originally INTENDED to be part of a series! Technically speaking, I would actually call this a companion to the Enchanted Forest trilogy, not a sequel. Or rather, the trilogy was a companion to the original novel, giving us a background story to explain what happened with Daystar in this book. THIS IS NOT A SEQUEL!!!

"Talking To Dragons," a fantastic, fanciful odyssey with a company of dragons, elves, witches, felines and magicians deserves a fabulous presentation, which is exactly what it is given with this full cast of able players. It's a listener's delight.

Billed as the concluding episode in Wrede's acclaimed Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book Four opens to find King Mendanbar still imprisoned. Queen Cimorene has been living almost in seclusion at the edge of the Enchanted Forest with their son Daystar.

Now that Daystar is deemed old enough to rescue his father a multitude of challenges await him. Alone he must traverse the Enchanted Forest with a magic sword, a fire-witch, and a baby dragon. There are many who will challenge him.

It's all in the name of good excitement presented with crackling dialogue and imaginative situations. When it comes to fantasy, Wrede knows her magic spells.

- Gail Cooke

this book is sooooooooooooooo absorbing it'l have you reading this book in the middle of the night. the child of Cimorene and Mendanbar, Daystar has a quest he doesn't even know what to do. all he has is a sword that mysteriusly tingles whenever he touches it. On the way he meets a bad tempered, but realy funny and likable firewitch named Shiara,a very up-to-date lizard named Suz, a princess that is "waiting for my love to come and rescue me from this horrible beast"( a young harmless dragon that is looking for a princess to become his, well princess, he joins the party too,)" that will come and take me and eat me and ...." well you get the idea.The princess's "love" is realy a suprise and NOT what you would probably think he's like.They meet Morwen, Telemain the magician, Kazul the King of dragons,and the whole gang of wizards being melted from the 1&2&3 books. Highly recommended to anyone who can read or to anyone who can't read. A millon cheers for the enchanted forest series! YAY,YAY, YAY,YAY, YAY, YAY! BUY EM ALL AND YOU WON REGRET IT!

What? Only five stars? I need more to do this series justice! Patricia C. Wrede writes marvelous fantasy. It's like "Mixed-Up Fairy Tales" or something, but funnier, more engaging, and ripe for repeat reading (After graduating from high school, I read the entire series for the third time in a matter of days). These are timeless tales. Even her NAMES are inventive. Cimorene, Mendanbar, Kazul, Morwen, Telemain, Daystar, Shiara...and let us not forget Zemenar and Antorell. The chapter headings induce chuckles immediately, simply by their existence. She writes in a style that incorporates intelligent fantasy with enjoyable humor. The characters are some you would like to know personally. And nowhere else have I seen as unique a discussion of magic in its many forms as in these four books. I did notice a trend of centralization. Dealing was Cimorene's book. Searching was Mendanbar's. Calling was Morwen's. Talking was Daystar's. I wish the series was not concluded, because I'd love to see Telemain's book. And perhaps Kazul's book could be somewhat of a prequel. Oh, and what about a book from Antorell's perspective? That would make for an incredibly funny story. The Enchanted Forest and its surrounding is a world I want to know about. Not many authors can create an entire world that entices the reader so greatly. But Mrs. Wrede has. Unlike the Douglas Adams' Hitchiker's Guide series, which got progressively worse, each book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles compares to the original, as fresh and brilliant as ever. Needless to say, this series is one of the best ever. I have not really sampled a lot of the adult fantasy by Piers Anthony and Anne McCaffrey and such, but I doubt they can compare with the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. This is not mindboggling fantasy like the Lord of the Rings trilogy: this is fun. Oh, and remember: <points finger>..."Argelfraster."

The book starts with 16-year-old Daystar living in a house just outside the Enchanted Forest with his mother, Cimorene. Cimorene was the main character in the first three books in the series, but Daystar is the main character in this one. They have lived a perfectly normal life for 16 years, with Cimorene teaching Daystar all he needs to know. Then one day a wizard comes to their house. Cimorene melts him! Then Cimorene sends Daystar out into the Enchanted Forest with only a sword. Cimorene tells him that he has a mission, but he doesn't know what it is!

Once in the Enchanted Forest, Daystar discovers something interesting: Everything leaves him alone except for wizards. Then he finds a fire-witch stuck in a clearing surrounded by a bad-tempered hedge that won't let her out. (Fire-witches have powerful magic and are immune to spells and fire.) When Daystar is with her, the hedge lets both of them out, but it won't let her (the fire-witch) out by herself!

He gains many companions other than the fire-witch along his journey, including a dragon, a magician (magicians are good, wizards are bad), and a cat. Daystar's mission comes to a great climax at the end. All in all, it is a great book.

This is the fourth and final book in the Enchanted Forest chronicles. While it is very good and does a nice job of wrapping up loose ends, I didn't find it quite as enjoyable as the first thee books. This is largely because the action takes place sixteen years after the events in Calling On Dragons. All of the main characters return for the climax in the battle between the dragons and the Enchanted Forest kingdom against the Society of Wizards, but in most cases they seem to be less substantive to me. One of the strongest assets Wrede brings to bear in her writing is excellent characterization. Having come to know the characters very well from the previous books in the series, their appearances here seemed more like cameo roles; if I did not already know these characters, their appearances and places in the overall story would not make a great deal of sense to me. In some cases, especially in the case of Cimorene, characters didn't really act the way I expected them to, even given the passage of such a long time.

This book is different from its predecessors. For one thing, it is written in the first person. Daystar, the son of Cimorene, is suddenly witness to a wizard melting, given a mysterious sword, and instructed by his mother to enter the Enchanted Forest with virtually no instructions as to what he must do. For his own protection, he has never been told of his heritage and history. This novel is the story of his quest, his discovery of his own special fate, and his realization of his ultimate purpose in life, which is to free his father, defeat the ignominious ambitions of the Society of Wizards, and secure the magically vibrant future of the Enchanted Forest. Although we as the reader know, if we have read the previous stories, who Daystar is and what he must do, it is interesting to see him discover the truth for himself and to learn just what the magical sword he was given by Cimorene is. The companions he meets along his journey are wonderful new characters, especially the fire-witch Shiara; she, like Daystar, is trying to discover and use her own talents; unfortunately for her, being a rather impatient, somewhat hot-tempered fire-witch, she finds herself able to use her magical powers only after she has been polite to others, politeness not being one of her assets by any means. Still, she is inherently likeable and easy to relate to. The young dragon that accompanies the group is the source of many delightfully comic moments.

This book is geared more to young people than the others in the series, it would seem. In this case, all of the protagonists--human, fire-witch, and dragon--are young people learning how to act, how to respect others, and how to succeed in life. Any lessons for young adult readers, though, are subtle and take nothing away from a great story which I, as an adult, enjoyed immensely. I must point out, though, that anyone unfamiliar with the first three books in the series may well have problems understanding just who everyone is and what is going on at times. This is a wonderful series for young and old alike, and I for one hope most sincerely that a fifth Enchanted Forest novel will appear some time in the future.

I love this book! its so well written and enchanting that you forget its a book when you get lost inside the enchanted forest...I love all of Wrede's Enchanted Forest books but this one tops them all. The characters include old veterans such as Telemain, Morwen, Kazul, Cimorene, and of course Morwen's cats(i love them) the list goes on... and the new character's are equally intriguing Daystar is very a good character; he is so confused its funny he keeps doing things without meaning to or knowing how he did he's very well placed.. I LOVE Shiara.. between her temper and her dry humor she makes for a cool traveling companion... Daystar gets sent on a quest that he has no idea about.. the events and characters along the way make this a fast-paced wont-put-it-down story.. and the twists at the end will just blow you away! she has me waiting for the fifth book(which better be coming soon)this definately fits in well with the Forest chronicals.. its sooooooo soooo good! if you like fantasy and you have read the other Forest books you should definatley read this one! and even if you dont follow the Forest books, its a good read and definately not a waste of time or money! another of my favorites is Calling on Dragons, so if you havent read it then you should!

What? Only five stars?!? I need more to do this series justice! Patricia C. Wrede writes marvelous fantasy. It's like "Mixed-Up Fairy Tales" or something, but funnier, more engaging, and ripe for repeat reading (I just graduated from high school, and I just finished reading the entire series for the third time in a matter of days). These are timeless tales. Even her NAMES are inventive. Cimorene, Mendanbar, Kazul, Morwen, Telemain, Daystar, Shiara...and let us not forget Zemenar and Antorell. The chapter headings induce chuckles immediately, simply by their existence. She writes in a style that incorporates intelligent fantasy with enjoyable humor. The characters are some you would like to know personally. And nowhere else have I seen as unique a discussion of magic in its many forms as in these four books. I did notice a trend of centralization. Dealing was Cimorene's book. Searching was Mendanbar's. Calling was Morwen's. Talking was Daystar's. I wish the series was not concluded, because I'd love to see Telemain's book. And perhaps Kazul's book could be somewhat of a prequel. Oh, and what about a book from Antorell's perspective? That would make for an incredibly funny story. The Enchanted Forest and its surrounding is a world I want to know about. Not many authors can create an entire world that entices the reader so greatly. But Mrs. Wrede has. Unlike the Douglas Adams' Hitchiker's Guide series, which got progressively worse, each book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles compares to the original, as fresh and brilliant as ever. Needless to say, this series is one of the best ever. I have not really sampled a lot of the adult fantasy by Piers Anthony and Anne McCaffrey and such, but I doubt they can compare with the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. This is not mindboggling fantasy like the Lord of the Rings trilogy: this is fun. Oh, and remember: <points finger>..."Argelfraster."

With Mendanbar now trapped in his castle, Cimorene and her now 17 year old son live on the outskirts of the Enchanted Forest. The young prince knows nothing of his heritage, and thinks of the sword only as a weapon. When a wizard appears at their doorstep, Cimorene decides it is time for her son to save his father. Through sly princesses, confused dragons, and an army of wizards, the young prince makes unlikely friends, and finally . . . Read the story for the rest!