Barnes & NobleDragon Rider Dragon Rider Series 1 by Cornelia Funke

Fun Quest Across the World

A funny story about this book is when I opened it and started reading I recognized the characters and plot, though I was sure I’d never read this book before. As it turns out, I unknowingly watched the movie based on this book from Netflix (with a different name) a few years ago. I couldn’t quite remember everything about the movie, but I definitely liked the book better. This book is told in third-person limited POV, though at times I found some head-jumping, in which the POV focus shifts to a completely different character in the middle of a scene for a sentence or two. It was a bit distracting, but luckily didn’t happen often. The cast of characters is diverse, and I liked the dynamic that one character in the group was always the peacekeeper for the other two. At first, it was Firedrake for Sorrel and Ben, then it was Ben for Sorrel and Twigleg. Sorrel was a fun character because she’s so argumentative—with everyone. They meet many allies along the way, and since it’s a Children’s book, most of the time things go well, with the single, obviously evil villain chasing after them. The plot was simplistic in that regard, as were the relationships which, for the most part, were surface-level but still interesting. Overall, the story was okay. It was a quest that took our heroes halfway across the world as they faced the dangers of getting lost and being attacked, but there were many coincidences that solved problems for them. In writing, I prefer coincidences to get characters <em>in</em> to trouble rather than out of it, and the resolutions seemed too easy—if a bit disappointing. Still, the climax of the book was clever and well-earned. The pacing, as well, was pretty good. Despite the fact that they were on a journey, each encounter felt fresh. Oftentimes, things that prevent the characters from moving forward can feel repetitive or boring, but they didn’t in this book. Their journey also kept bringing them closer to their goals, and some of their accidental diversions provided vital information they otherwise wouldn’t have gotten. This book is good for kids who like dragons and magic, so I’d recommend giving it a try, but it was nothing mind-blowing. Just a fun little tale. I also just found out it’s the first of a trilogy, though I am unsure if I’ll continue to the next two books.