Dragon Rider
Fantasy
By Cornelia Funke
Reviewed by Allison Riegel
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
Dragons living in a valley hear about the humans’ plans to flood it. The young dragon Firedrake sets off on a quest to find the Rim of Heaven, the ancient home of dragons hidden deep in the Himalayas, with his friend Sorrel the brownie. They travel to London and buy a map from a rat, meeting young Ben, who persuades Firedrake to bring him along on the adventure. Stopping for the day near an old castle, they unknowingly gain a terrible enemy who longs to hunt and kill all dragons- Nettlebrand, the Golden One, the invincible. When they stop a few days later they are discovered by a human, Professor Greenbloom, who saves Firedrake from a balisk and helps them on their journey. He even takes them to find the person who gives them the secret to fly without moonlight, the dragons’ source of energy. Following landmarks seen in a djinn’s two hundred and fifty-fifth eye, they continue towards the Rim of Heaven, but they encounter many setbacks. When they realize they are being followed by Nettlebrand, they must decide whether to continue and likely lead their enemy to destroy most of the last dragons on earth, or fail and look for a new home where their group can live in peace for a few more years.
This book was set in a confusing, corny world of magical beings and overly personified animals. The plot, instead of sharp, surprising twists, follows a winding up-and-down path, with so many short conflicts that they blend together like waves in the ocean. The characters were flat, with only Sorrel having a well-defined personality. It wasn’t terrible, but when compared to other dragon fantasies, was not nearly as good as many. An example of a much better choice would be Eragon. This book could be good for slower readers who only read a chapter or so per day.
