Searching for Dragons

Paperback

272 pages

Published November 1st 2002 by Magic Carpet Books (first published 1991)

ISBN: 0152045651 (ISBN13: 9780152045654)

Primary Language: English

Source: Borrowed from a friend

The Blurb (www.goodreads.com)

Cimorene, the princess who refuses to be proper, meets her match in the not-quite-kingly Mendanbar. With the aid of a broken-down magic carpet and a leaky magical sword, the two tackle a series of dragon-nappings.

The story opens with Mendanbar, the King of the Enchanted Forrest becoming more and more disenchanted with being told to be more kingly. In an effort to get away from all the pressing formality of kingliness, he goes for a walk with his magic sword, the symbol of his office. While out and about he discovers a portion of his forest has become a scorched wasteland. Following a mysterious visit from the Head Wizard, he decides to ask Kazul, the King of the Dragons for assistance.

With Kazul’s promotion to King of the Dragons, Cimorene has been promoted from “captive princess” to “Head Cook and Librarian”. While this has helped cut down on the number of knights and princes determined to rescue her (but only a little), it hasn’t really changed her life all that much. She still spends her days cleaning organizing, and of course, cooking large quantities of cherries jubilee.

Unfortunately, when Mendanbar comes knocking on her door, Kazul is missing. Together, they decide to go in search of Kazul. Along the way, they make some new friends, discover new things, and manage to melt a few wizards along the way.

I enjoyed the second volume just as much as the first. I loved Telemain, the magician researcher with trouble translating his technobabble for the rest of the world, mostly because I feel his pain. When you spend all your time engrossed in a subject over most peoples heads, it’s sometimes hard to remember the rest of the world doesn’t speak the same language. And of course, watching the King of the Enchanted Forest find a princess that wasn’t as silly as every other princess he’d ever met was a lot fun, too.