dragons

“The real dragon haunted my head and heart.”

What makes Dragon's Keep work for me is its approach: a medieval fantasy written more like historical fantasy than high fantasy.  Yet it has that sliver of magic and magical creatures (dragons, of course) to spice up the lyrical story.   In other words, the author avoids over-doing the chosen one approach, and instead creates very believable characters in a believable world.

I wasn't sure I would like this 12th century-esque story, but I was pleasantly surprised.  I would recommend this woman-of-steel protagonist for teen readers who aren't sure

"Well I'm not a proper princess then!" Cimorene snapped. "I make cherries jubilee and I volunteer for dragons, and I conjugate Latin verbs-- or at least I would if anyone would let me. So there!”

I have slowly been making my way through a long list of fantasy fiction books I have wanted to read or reread.  Dealing with Dragons is one of those re-read upbeat books; possibly it was “the” book that honestly got me hooked on reading. 

I cannot sing enough praises about this fast-paced book, in particular for its excellently written main character.  This is one of the best “fractured fairy tales”

In this enjoyable remake of Disney's classic Pete's Dragon, Pete is on a trip with his mom and dad when a deer leaps into the road causing a fatal crash. Five year old Pete is the only survivor. Thanks to Elliot, a precious-looking dragon with hair like a soft grassy meadow, Peter survivors for six years in the wilderness.

When the townspeople find out the dragon is not just town lore or a figment of a lost boy's imagination, chaos ensues and thus beings an exciting and suspenseful adventure. Pete's Dragon has excellent animation and the actors interact quite successfully.  

The wild, unpredictable shapeshifter Nimona has just appointed herself sidekick to archvillain Lord Ballister Blackheart, promising to aid him in his quest to prove to the kingdom that the Institute of Law Enforcement and Heroics is up to no good.  But NImona doesn't play by the normal rules, and she quickly has everyone in an uproar wondering just who she is and where her mysterious powers come from.

What starts as a whimsical, frivolous parody of traditional heroic notions of good and evil quietly and unexpectedly becomes a meaningful investigation into the concepts, couched in deep

Such great world building. Such excellent character development. Such a detailed, compelling story. Such a refreshing pleasure every moment I spent with it.

While the first Seraphina book largely focused on Seraphina's efforts to keep her half-dragon identity hidden, Shadow Scale is all about finding and revealing her world's half-dragons. Seraphina and those close to her believe the half-dragons share a mental/psychic bond that may be a useful military defense in the war that is headed their way--and she longs for the kinship she hopes to feel upon meeting them after a lifetime of isolation

Step into a world where princesses fight witches and knights battle dragons and prepare to become enchanted with the wonderful Pennyroyal Academy. 

M.A. Larson creates a truly imaginative world of cadets in training to become princesses and knights who will ultimately rid the world of evil. If you think princesses are just beautiful girls living in castles, then think again. The cadets have to battle each other in obstacle courses and training exercises, jump from towers onto the horsebacks of their heroes, and learn to find confidence and compassion within themselves when faced with evil

In a world ruled by Barrons, magically gifted fighters, and their soulbound Healers, Kaya grew up in a small unskilled village. The daughter of two Barrons-in-hiding, as Barrons are not meant to marry each other, Kaya knows nothing of the hierarchy of Barrons and Healers that keep the countryside safe from Graplars (large dragonlike creatures) until one attacks at the village fair, killing her best friend. By killing the beast, her father draws attention to the family and Kaya is forced to attend Shadow Academy to become a healer. But what Kaya is really determined to do is learn how to fight

Seraphina is an unusual woman in an unusual world. Humans and dragons coexist in a mostly peaceful, if a bit strained, manner. That they can inhabit the same city at all is due to the dragons’ ability to assume a human shape.

Considering how many, many books have been written about dragons, it was refreshing to come upon a different take on the subject. What would a dragon be like if its body became human? Would it still be a dragon on the inside? Have dragonish thoughts, feelings, and attitudes? If it’s the huge dragon body with its sharp claws and teeth that frightens people, would a dragon