Dealing with Dragons

You can do much worse than to hand an impressionable young girl a copy of Patricia C. Wrede's Dealing with Dragons. The book's MC is just about the ideal role model. I gave this book to my 6-year-old niece, and we've whiled away many hours, just me reading chapters to her.

It's about 16-year-old Cimorene, perhaps fantasy literature's most unconventional princess. In the fair-sized kingdom of Linderwall, which is just east of the Mountains of Morning, Cimorene is the seventh and youngest daughter of a very prim and proper royal family. Atypically, Cimorene from early on has chafed under the constraints of what's expected of her. Bored with dancing and embroidery and etiquette lessons and other tedious activities, she used to bully the armsmaster into teaching her fencing, and when her regal parents found out and put a stop to that, she went on to sneak lessons in Latin and juggling and magic and economy.

It all comes to a head when the king and queen, vexed with their daughter's obstinate behavior, decide to marry her off to a handsome but dumb-as-rocks prince. Cimorene, wanting no part of that nonsense, decides to heed an enchanted frog's advice and runs away.

Maybe you think it's an extreme retort - the severest act of rebellion - for Cimorene to volunteer to be a dragon's princess. This isn't just done. Normally, the dragon spirits away a shrieking princess and holds her captive and in forced servitude. See, for a dragon, having a princess in residence is a "minor mark of high status."

Except Cimorene takes to being a dragon's princess like a duck to water or a knight to a melee. It helps that Kazul is a most reasonable female dragon, thoughtful and not given to roasting princesses in a random state of pique. In Kazul's vast series of caverns, Cimorene's duties consist of cooking meals for Kazul - her specialty is cherries jubilee; sorting and organizing her troves of treasure; and cataloguing her vast library. I think if Cimorene were to inhabit these modern times, she'd do very well as a reference librarian.

Not that our girl shuns adventure. She isn't all the time preoccupied in relentless cataloguing and brushing up on magic books and unearthing magical artifacts in Kazul's piles of treasure. Something has got the dragons concerned. Seems the Society of Wizards is playing fast and loose with their agreed-upon pact with the dragons. For the past six months, wizards have been sighted prowling into dragon territory without permission. Seems someone has made off with a dragon's book. So, when Cimorene is visited by a smiling wizard, her bullsh-- radar is on full alert.

It's a shame that Patricia Wrede hasn't written even more stories. She's up there with - or maybe even better than - John Morressy in crafting these skewed fairy tales. (By the way, don't miss out on Morressy's Kedrigern Chronicles.) I read most of Wrede's stuff years ago and I remember reveling in the whimsical beats and rhythms of her storytelling. She upends all manner of fairy tale tropes, and does it with terrific wit and charm.

But maybe her greatest contribution is the self-reliant Princess Cimorene. Observe that there is no romance in Dealing with Dragons, at least, not for Cimorene. There is a Prince Charming, but he bores the crap out of our princess. In fact, one of the most amusing recurring gags has to do with an aggravated Cimorene's having to constantly turn away scads of hero knights and princes looking to rescue her and slay the dragon. Cimorene demonstrates that a person can have courage while being practical, be kind but not get taken advantage of, and be smart without rubbing someone's nose in it. She's super-relatable and someone to be emulated, and not only by little girls. I also love that Cimorene is person of constant activity; she packs the pages with her energy. There's no lag in this book. 6 out of 5 stars for Dealing with Dragons.

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles:

Dealing with Dragons (1990)
Searching for Dragons (1991)
Calling on Dragons (1993)
Talking to Dragons (1985, revised 1995)

Note that the fourth book, Talking to Dragons - told from the perspective of Cimorene's son, Daystar - was penned and published first, but should be read last in chronological order. Dealing with Dragons received the 1991 Minnesota Book Award for Fantasy and Science Fiction, cementing the reputation of Minnesotans as a most enlightened lot. Dealing with Dragons - or, rather, portions of its chapters 1 and 2 - first saw the light of day as a short story titled "The Improper Princess," first published in 1987 in the collection, Spaceships and Spells.

This book was utterly delightful.

Dealing with Dragons is a quick read - I did it in one afternoon - but it is a worthwhile one. Cimorene and Kazul break traditional fairytale tropes in a short novel about taking control of your own destiny and finding friends in the strangest of places. Cimorene is, I believe, 16... but this book is probably better marketed to the MG crowd. That said, it is still very enjoyable as an adult.

I particularly enjoyed the way Cimorene keeps rebuffing princes and when Kazul explains that you don't need to be male to be king. The villains here were a bit bumbling and underwhelming, but the heroes make up for that with their wit and charm.

Definitely a recommended read for any age, especially if you don't mind a bit of whimsy.

Reader thoughts: These are some of my favorite books. I can read them over and over again. However, it does take a bit to get used to them. For one, the magic and events at times seem random. Once you read the series more than once you realize how planned and constructed a lot of it is, though. For another, it's hard to see progress in the first book. Cimorene wants to be a dragon's princess. Okay, what's next? She dissuades a bunch of suitors and befriends a few of the other princesses and tries to find a fireproofing spell, but not much seems to be happening.
Then Cimorene starts to uncover the wizard plot and the tricks of some of the other dragons. She meets Morwen, crosses an invisible cliff bridge, discovers a patch of dragonsbane, and finds a genie in a bottle. Now we start to see her cleverness and stalwartness.
Of all four books of the series, this is the most lighthearted least quest-like. The stakes don't really pick up until the 2nd and 3rd books, and we don't get to meet all of the best characters in this book (Mendanbar shows up in book 2). It's a very fun read for all ages (I read it to my brother when he was about 8, I think).

Writer thoughts: Quartets are fun, but authors rarely use them. For this series, 1st book introduces, 2nd book plunges characters into danger, 3rd book raises stakes and make it look like all is lost, and 4th book has good guys scrambling to win at the last minute.
Tamora Pierce uses quartets regularly, though hers were more about one character's journey (her Tortall books) or a group of character's non-sequential adventures (Emelan).
Wrede pulls together different pov characters but puts the same overall plot on the quartet. If I ever finished the Queen's Thief books, I bet Megan Whalen Turner does the same.

Review A book for everyone middle school and up! I loved this series as a child, and rereading it now has only served to emphasize how amazing and innovative it is, even at this time!

Princess Cimorene is lovely and beautiful, with jet-black, long hair who lives in the caves of the dragon Kazul near the Enchanted Forest. Princes come to rescue her every week, knights bold and brave and beautiful.

And she is having none of that nonsense.

Cimorene is happy having volunteered to be Kazul's princess, having long tired of the proper princess way of life and the restrictions placed upon royalty. In the land of the dragons, where the title King is a position completely unrelated to gender, Cimorene discovers a princess can learn magic, befriend a witch, and uncover a dark plot being brewed by wizards.

Full of fun plot twists and snappy dialogue, Dealing with Dragons is the fairytale that the girls (and boys) need where a princess can save the day, where princes can be nuisances, and where reasonableness and intelligence are more appealing than good looks. While suitable for younger audiences, this absolutely is a book older ages can and will enjoy as well and is a must-read for all the young girls who don't need a prince to be happy.

The rebellious princess has become so common, she's now a cliche. A princess doesn't like her life of privilege and wealth, so she either hangs around her home being rebellious, or she runs away.

But what if a princess ran away from home... to be housekeeper to a dragon?

That's the concept of "Dealing With Dragons," a clever little fantasy that tells its own quirky story while cleverly lampooning the tropes of high fantasy and fairy tales. A lot of the charm comes from Patricia Wrede's humorous dialogue ("Oh bother!") and the cliche-busting character of Cimorene, who just wants to be free to pursue her love of unprincessy things like cooking and magic.

Princess Cimorene is rather put out when she's told that she cannot use swords, Latin conjugation, spoons or magic... because she's a princess. When her parents decide they're going to marry her off to the son of Sathem-by-the-Mountains, she takes the advice of a magic frog and runs away... to become the housekeeper and personal princess of a dragon, Kazul.

This lifestyle suits Cimorene much better than her "proper" princess life, despite the princes and knights who keep trying to rescue her. But she soon discovers that the dragons are in danger from the wizards -- and before long, they have poisoned the King of the Dragons. And if Cimorene doesn't thwart the wizards' plot, dragon society might be turned upside down.

One of the best things about "The Enchanted Forest Chronicles" is that it is a pretty decent high fantasy story. In addition to the whole fun story about a princess trying to escape her stuffy princessy life, there's some entertaining dragon politics, magical strife, and melting wizards. None of it takes itself too seriously, but there is an actual plot here to be appreciated on its own.

But while telling its own story, it's gently poking fun at the sort of things you find in these sorts of stories and how they're typically used (Cimorene tries to avoid a marriage by declaring "he hasn't rescued me from a giant or an ogre or freed me from a magic spell"). And Wrede's writing matches this plot nicely -- quirky and clever, with a slightly British flavour, and plenty of humorous dialogue ("If they'd simply done what they were told, they wouldn't be here." "Still, turning them into slabs of stone forever seems a little extreme").

Since the Rebellious Princess is pretty standard now, it's fun to see one that doesn't whine much, even if she likes all sorts of things that aren't princessy (magic, fencing, cooking cherries jubilee). So her sensible approach to getting her own freedom is quite delightful, especially since it shows that she doesn't need a man. Which, of course, doesn't stop various men -- including her unwanted suitor Therandil -- from coming to rescue her against her will.

And her sensible, no-nonsense approach to everything is really quite charming, whether she's trying to reason with a homicidal jinn or doing Kazul's dishes. Kazul herself is a fun dragon character, being very reasonable and sensible in her own right, and Wrede presents a number of charming characters like Morwen, a witch with cats and a sign that says "NONE OF THIS NONSENSE, PLEASE."

Patricia C. Wrede brings and humour to the old princess/dragon dynamic in "Dealing With Dragons," even as she pokes fun at all the old fairy tale tropes. An enchanting start to an enchanting series.

The rebellious princess has become so common, she's now a cliche. A princess doesn't like her life of privilege and wealth, so she either hangs around her home being rebellious, or she runs away.

But what if a princess ran away from home... to be housekeeper to a dragon?

That's the concept of "Dealing With Dragons," a clever little fantasy that tells its own quirky story while cleverly lampooning the tropes of high fantasy and fairy tales. A lot of the charm comes from Patricia Wrede's humorous dialogue ("Oh bother!") and the cliche-busting character of Cimorene, who just wants to be free to pursue her love of unprincessy things like cooking and magic.

Princess Cimorene is rather put out when she's told that she cannot use swords, Latin conjugation, spoons or magic... because she's a princess. When her parents decide they're going to marry her off to the son of Sathem-by-the-Mountains, she takes the advice of a magic frog and runs away... to become the housekeeper and personal princess of a dragon, Kazul.

This lifestyle suits Cimorene much better than her "proper" princess life, despite the princes and knights who keep trying to rescue her. But she soon discovers that the dragons are in danger from the wizards -- and before long, they have poisoned the King of the Dragons. And if Cimorene doesn't thwart the wizards' plot, dragon society might be turned upside down.

One of the best things about "The Enchanted Forest Chronicles" is that it is a pretty decent high fantasy story. In addition to the whole fun story about a princess trying to escape her stuffy princessy life, there's some entertaining dragon politics, magical strife, and melting wizards. None of it takes itself too seriously, but there is an actual plot here to be appreciated on its own.

But while telling its own story, it's gently poking fun at the sort of things you find in these sorts of stories and how they're typically used (Cimorene tries to avoid a marriage by declaring "he hasn't rescued me from a giant or an ogre or freed me from a magic spell"). And Wrede's writing matches this plot nicely -- quirky and clever, with a slightly British flavour, and plenty of humorous dialogue ("If they'd simply done what they were told, they wouldn't be here." "Still, turning them into slabs of stone forever seems a little extreme").

Since the Rebellious Princess is pretty standard now, it's fun to see one that doesn't whine much, even if she likes all sorts of things that aren't princessy (magic, fencing, cooking cherries jubilee). So her sensible approach to getting her own freedom is quite delightful, especially since it shows that she doesn't need a man. Which, of course, doesn't stop various men -- including her unwanted suitor Therandil -- from coming to rescue her against her will.

And her sensible, no-nonsense approach to everything is really quite charming, whether she's trying to reason with a homicidal jinn or doing Kazul's dishes. Kazul herself is a fun dragon character, being very reasonable and sensible in her own right, and Wrede presents a number of charming characters like Morwen, a witch with cats and a sign that says "NONE OF THIS NONSENSE, PLEASE."

Patricia C. Wrede brings and humour to the old princess/dragon dynamic in "Dealing With Dragons," even as she pokes fun at all the old fairy tale tropes. An enchanting start to an enchanting series.

From my blog On Starships and Dragonwings

My friends and I were having a discussion about audiobook recommendations and one of them brought out Dealing with Dragons. She didn't have the audiobook version, but apparently it is very good. She instead had a text-copy, which I immediately started eye-balling because it was a. short (so I wouldn't feel guilty taking a break to read it) and b. had dragons in the title and the cover! (no brainer :D). She is pretty much always trying to lend me more books, and only resists because she's knows that my TBR pile is on the verge of crushing me continually as it is, so she not only lent me a copy of Dealing with Dragons, but also a bookmark to match :D. She might be a little crazy that she tries to have bookmarks to match as many of her favorite books as possible (and she has many), but I think it's cute :3.

Title: Dealing with Dragons
Author: Patricia Wrede
Length: 212 pages
Genre-ish: YA (old) fantasy
Rating: ★★★★☆- light-hearted fun, no romance

Strengths:
Dealing with Dragons has some REALLY fun characters! Between the witty dragon, headstrong princess, mischievous witch, and scheming wizards, what's not to love??
This whole book is one entertaining fairytale re-telling after the next all tied up with a bow. I should have kept a list of all the references, but I didn't want to distract myself from laughing, hehe!
There is not just one, not just two kick-butt princesses, but also a kick-butt dragon :D. So awesome!!
I just had to pull out this quote for all you cat lovers out there. This is from when Cimorene (the princess) and Kazul (the dragon) go to visit their witch friend who happens to have a lot of cats and Kazul asks one of them to get the witch for them:
"He doesn't seem very impressed," Cimorene commented in some amusement.
"Why should he be?" Kazul said.
"Well, you're a dragon," Cimorene answered, a little taken aback.
"What difference does that make to a cat?"
Hehe, cats aren't afraid of dragons either apparently!
Weaknesses:
While Dealing with Dragons is juvenile fiction, it is an older book, so don't expect it to have the same pumped up plot style that has become a trend in YA recently. This plot was much more fun and leisurely.
There is literally no romance in Dealing with Dragons, none at all, sorry :(. Some would consider this a strength, but I know many wouldn't, so I'm just warning you :).
Because Dealing with Dragons is pretty dang short, there isn't really room for any character development. There are several more books, so perhaps Cimorene grows up a bit in those, but she's still just as headstrong and rowdy at the end of Dealing with Dragons as at the beginning, hehe.
Summary:
Dealing with Dragons was the perfect distraction, light-hearted and fun plus dragons! While it isn't what we are used to with YA anymore, it is what juvenile fiction used to be, so if you are up for a break from all the angsty, romance-filled novels of today (or just want some fun, I'm not judging!) you should definitely try out Dealing with Dragons. There is just something alluring about running off to live with dragons isn't there??

Enchanting story of a princess who just didn't want to be proper and so went to find a dragon to live with - and then has her hands full not to be rescued but unfortunately that's not her only problem... I loved this fairy tale with so many quirky and sassy and absolutely loveable characters, bad and not quite-so-bad guys and a world full of wonders that shows us that princesses can do whatever they want to and dragons are awesome (I always knew that!!). I definitely will read more from that series.

By the way: I got this paperback for my birthday but it has another cover and I prefer this. The dragon looks much more grumpy and the princess very sassy on it - I would have bought it for the cover alone without reading the blurb (which is why I put it on my wishlist as paperback)

So it is fairly obvious that while this book takes place in a typical fairytale book world, Cimorene, as a nonconformist, couldn’t have a typical story. This story has no rescue, no knight, no happily-ever-after, because Cimorene actually volunteers to be a dragon’s princess. Cimorene as a heroine is strong, independent and most importantly bored with normal princess life, and she has the gumption and courage to take chances. Now the thing I really valued about her is even though she wanted to choose a different path from the norm she gives others to follow the normal one without scorn. She gives them the freedom to be who they are. Also it was nice to see that her princess upbringing did help her out in her new role. So her upbringing did have value even if she didn’t like it at the time.

Charming, whimsical and fun this book is nice light read, with interesting characters set in a familiar world that keeps turning custom on its ear. This is a book I can confidently that all ages will enjoy.

For the full review and others visit whymsylikesbooks dot blogspot dot com

This is certainly a book that is geared towards young readers, perhaps readers so young they are future-readers who still must be read to.

It's also a book that this adult just really enjoyed.

It's very funny. Not "funny"; _funny_. It's basic premise, a somewhat meta debunking of tropes and themes of traditional fairy tales, is carried off with consistent zest and ingenuity and clean, sparky prose. The heroine is a treasure.

It's a terrific book. Enjoy.

It's been almost twenty years since those afternoons when I sat on the floor with my classmates and listened, enraptured, while the teacher read us "Dealing with Dragons." I'm not usually a big fantasy fan, but this book gripped me from the start. I enjoyed every word, and after we finished reading it, I bought my own copy. Over the course of the next few years, I read it several times. This week, for the first time in fifteen years or so, I read it again.

It was every bit as good as I remembered - possibly even better. It's rare to read a novel that comes this close to doing everything right. Wrede skews fairy-tale conventions with irreverent wit and obvious affection. She uses a fairly standard fantasy setting, and yet makes it her own, bringing it alive with everything from exotic yet believable character names to colorful social customs. The heroine, Cimorene, is absolutely delightful: a smart, witty, kind-hearted, thoroughly unconventional princess who finds herself bored with the usual princess pursuits and stifled by her parents' insistence that none of the things she actually finds interesting are sufficiently "proper." When she learns of their plans to marry her off to a dull and unpleasant prince, she runs away and ends up offering herself in service to a dragon. Her new life is exciting indeed, but when she stumbles across an evil wizard's sinister plot, she finds herself faced with more excitement than she bargained for!

The novel is tightly and cleverly plotted, but the way events play out never feels at all forced or contrived. This is a fairy-tale world, after all, and meaningful coincidences, familiar devices, and flawlessly happy endings are exactly what we expect. Wrede fulfills these expectations, but in her own way. She neither blindly embraces the conventions nor rejects them outright, but embraces them and makes them her own. Readers who enjoy fairy tales and have read many of them will especially enjoy this novel's freshness and cleverness.

I'm tempted to say that the only problem I have with this novel is that it was over much too soon - but I can't even say that, because there are three more books in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I'd recommend buying the box set. Once you read "Dealing with Dragons," you won't want to stop until you've read them all.

Dealing with dragons
We got Cimorene a princess, that unlike all princesses she wants to learn things like reading, magic, politics instead of dancing, how to behave ladylike and embroidery, so when her parents take him to the next kingdom to arrange her marriage she tries to find a solution and ends in a cave full of dragons, one of the dragon decides to take her as her captive princess but soon finds Cimorene is different to other princesses, and can actually be of help, so they get to an agreement where Cimorene gets to live and learn among the dragons while she has to fend of knights and princes coming to rescue her, is when she goes out to put a sign that she meets the wizards, and get involved in the plots and power struggle of Wizards and dragons.

Very funny, and Cimorene is a great main character
5 stars

Dragons, wizards, witches, talking animals, disappearing ledges, and magic. What else could a lover of fantasy books want? Did I forget to mention a rebellious princess? The book doesn't exactly tell a new story. Princess Cimorene prefers male activities, disdains marriage, rebels against her parent's wishes, and even runs away from home. Yet Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede's is fun and contains enough new twists (including one that involves a bad wizard) to make it worth adding to your fantasy reads.

Cimorene's parents expected their princess daughter to dance, embroider, draw, and practice royal etiquette. Cimorene preferred instead to fence, practice magic, and cook. In this way, the book fails to break from the cliche tale about a bored female who prefers male activities and disdains marriage.

It did not really surprise me then that her parents forbade all her improper pursuits. In this way too, the book fails to break from the cliche tale about the royal parents who want their daughter to act like a proper albeit stuffy princess.

One day Cimorene's parents took her on a trip which she supposed to be an improvement over staying home-until she realized her parents were taking her to meet a potential suitor. Um, should I say again that this was not an unexpected twist? Nor was her decision to run away.

Sounds as if this book disappointed me, doesn't it? It may surprise you to know: It didn't. I like Wrede's style. She immediately makes me feel as if I am reading a fairy tale. I also appreciate her humor, which somewhat makes up for the cliches in the first few chapters. And, truth to be told, when not a guise for anti-male or anti-marriage propoganda, I am a sucker for a well-told tale about a rebellious princess.

As for the rest of the book, it contained enough twists and revelations to leave intrigued about the sequels. One however made no sense: Cimorene meets a talking frog while at the palace who never appears later in the book. His only role is to encourage her to run away and to direct her towards the dragons. How convenient! The rest of the scenes were suspenseful and fun: Cimorene runs away to live with dragons. They turn out to be as dangerous as you might expect fire-breathing creatures to be, requiring her to develop an anti-flammable potion. Knights come to rescue Cimorene, inspiring her to seek a spot to post a sign that warned suitors to stay away. Along the way, she encounters a not-so-pleasant wizard. He plays a critical role later in the book, but I'm not going to play spoiler here. You'll have to read the book to discover how his role and that of princes, witches, caves, and spells figure prominently in this fantasy adventure.

Despite its imperfections, the book wriggles into my imagination. Like I said, rebellious females make for intriguing characters. Futhermore, amidst visits from princesses and cooking lessons, plenty of danger and fantastical creatures abound. And, while most loose ends are tied up at the end, there is enough is left to my imagination to both satisfy me and to leave me desiring more stories about Cimorene and her dragon friends.

This book is all about character. Cimorene is a princess who is tired of being a princess. She hates learning how to be proper and ladylike, and what she really wants most is to fence, study Latin, and learn how to cook really elaborate desserts. When her favorite activities are all taken from her and a marriage to a very proper and very conventional prince is proposed, she runs away.

Where is she to go? To a dragon, of course! Instead of fighting the dragon or becoming its prisoner, though, Cimorene becomes library assistant/pastry chef/best girlfriend to a female dragon named Kazul. Along the way, she also befriends a witch, a much-bullied fellow princess, and a Stone Prince.

The one thing that is lacking in this book is a sense of well-guided suspense. The book does have a plot (wizards trying to interfere in the lives of dragons), but it's a little meandering and nowhere near as engaging as Cimorene herself is. Also, Cimorene falls into the category of those characters that are so self-assured, who always land on their feet, so you never really worry about her. This deprives the book from a measure of suspense that I think would be necessary to take it to the 5-star level.

However, this book is fun, clean, whimsical, intelligent (chock full of funny allusions to other fairy tales) and I recommend it. I also plan on reading the subsequent volumes in the series.

Princess Cimorene escapes the dull, dutiful life of a princess by running away to become a dragon’s servant. She enjoys this lifestyle and soon learns of a plot to overthrow the leadership of dragon society.

Patricia Wrede writes a light, breezy tale that does not engage the emotions very much and is never as funny as it is meant to be, although it is amusing on a fairly consistent basis. The plucky princess bridling under the shackles of tradition has become a familiar trope, but since this book was first published in the early 90’s, it is likely that it as much fresher when written.

Dealing with Dragons Book One- The Enchanted Forest Chronicles

Cimorene is bored to tears with being a princess. She hates the embroidery and the dancing lessons and the etiquette. But she is interested in all the things that are improper for a princess to learn, like fencing and magic and juggling and Latin.

"When she was fourteen, her father discovered that she was making the court magician teach her magic.

`How long has this been going on?' he asked wearily when she arrived in response to his summons.

`Since you stopped my fencing lessons,' Cimorene said. `I suppose you're going to tell me it isn't proper behavior for a princess.'

`Well yes. I mean, it isn't proper.'

`Nothing interesting seems to be proper,' Cimorene said.

She's not really your traditional princess; you know the type: golden hair, sapphire eyes, and a little foolish. That's why she decides to run away before she is forced to marry a dim-witted and extremely handsome prince.

On her runaway, Cimorene meets a cave full of large and very toothy dragons. A female dragon named Kazul takes Cimorene in as her princess, after Cimorene volunteers herself for the job, which is unheard of. Through her adventures of learning how to be a dragon's princess along with the nuisance of knights who try to rescue Princess Cimorene, (even though she does not want to be rescued) Cimorene makes a few new friends. Her friends aren't the type of friends a normal princess should make. Cimorene becomes good friends with another captive princess, a very clean and not so very evil witch, and a prince who has been turned into stone who is more like a statue that can move and talk. As Cimorene's story unravels, she and her friends discover a plot to cheat in the contest of who will become the next King of the Dragons which involves some very deceitful and sticky wizards.

Dealing with Dragons is a phenomenal story of bravery, life long friendships, and trust that will appeal to readers of all ages. I think pre-teen and teenage girls will especially enjoy this fictional novel because it presents a girl who is brave and intelligent and not afraid to put herself in danger for the sake of her friends. The minute I picked up the book, I became entranced in the world of dragons, princesses, and thrilling adventures.

To me, a really great book is one that when you finish the last sentence on the last page and close the book, part of you stays in the book ready for the next time you open it. Dealing with Dragons is not just a great book; it is a wonderful book. Getting caught up in the world of Cimorene and her friends is only part of this book that readers will treasure.

Dealing with Dragons is a totally unique book, unlike any others I have ever read. Patricia C. Wrede does a marvelous job in writing Cimorene's story. Wrede was born in 1953 in Chicago, Illinois. She sold her first book Shadow Magic in 1980. Her latest books she wrote along with Caroline Stevermer in 2004 were Sorcery and Cecilia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot and the sequel, The Grand Tour.

Princess Cimorene lives in a fairy tale universe where the beautiful princess always gets rescued from the dreaded dragon and ends up living happily ever after. She doesn't enjoy being proper and doing princess activities like needle work. She likes to fence, learn Latin, cook, and learn magic. That is until her father stopped her from doing all of the things she loved simply because it "isn't done."
When Cimorene is faced with the possibility of marrying a Prince whom she can't stand she'll do anything in her power to stop this from happening, including running away and voluntarily getting kidnaped by a dragon. Luckily for Cimorene her dragon is kind and lets Cimorene do all the things she was forbidden to do. Unfortunately Cimorene can't go on living her new life. Knights and Prince's come every day with the hope of rescuing her from the evil dragon. She sends them away but yet they continue to come. To top that off wizards have been hanging around the dragons lair and Cimorene suspects that they have sinister plots. With the help of a naieve princess, a prince made from stone, a kind witch, and a bunch of dragons, Cimorene is off to save the day.
Dealing with Dragons is the first book of Patricia C. Wrede's well renowned Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I've been meaning to read these for ages now and I'm glad I did. Cimorene is a strong female character that young girls can look up to and older ones can relate to. She doesn't fit into the picture perfect fairy tale world that she lives in and instead of trying to change herself, she makes everyone else change there rules. I love the description of the dragons. It's nice to see a novel where they aren't portrayed as large, stupid, and evil, but almost human, just a great deal older. The supporting cast is great, including Morwen the kind witch, Alianora the princess (who I've found is the easiest to relate to), and the two wizards with horrible plots.
The book ends happily but leaves the door open for the rest of the series that I will be sure to read as soon as I get my hands on them! I highly recommend this novel to anyone into kids or YA fantasy with strong female characters.

Cimorene is the youngest daughter of the king of Linderwall, very different from her six older sisters. She likes to learn magic and fencing, Latin, philosophy, and cooking. So when her parents try to force her to marry the rather dim-witted Prince Therandil, she runs away and becomes the dragon Kazul's princess. But the wizards are causing trouble with the dragons, and something's going on. It's up to Cimorene and her friends to find out.

This is one of my favorite middle-grade fantasies. Yes, it's easy, but it has a matter-of-fact and humorous way about that makes me reread it again and again. I love the character of Cimorene; she's untraditional, but really wonderful. Morwen the witch is also amusing, as is Kazul. Cimorene is a princess who doesn't hesitate to take her fate into her own hands. Dealing With the Dragons is the first of a series of four books, and while the other three are good too, it's definitely my favorite.

All of my reviews can be read at my blog novareviews.blogspot.com.

Princess Cimorene, the youngest of eight, is firmly convinced that she is the only being in Linderwall with a brain in her head. She is, well, different: tall, black-haired, and, to her royal parents' great dipleasure, as stubborn as a mule. She'd rather study sorcery and economics and cooking instead of etiquette or embroidery. Upon finding herself betrothed to the Prince of a neighboring (emphasis on boring) kingdom, she takes a frog's good advice, finds a decrepit hut in the wilderness, and enters just in time for an argument between three voices who may or may not decide to eat her. Thus begins the first story about Cimorene's adventures among the dragonkind.
Consistency is a problem for humorous fantasy on the novel scale, and this light-hearted pastiche runs into its share of slow spells. What elevates "Dealing with Dragons" above the morass of lackluster fantasy is Wrede's energy: she writes with brevity and zest. Still, the book disappoints when it goes from the sparkling fancy of:
"Speaking of dragons, where's yours?" "She's gone to the Enchanted Forest to borrow a crepe pan from a witch she knows."
to a non-story about sneaky wizards and whatnot. Besides primitive villains who are not even funny, the novel suffers from moments of extreme contrivance: small, irrelevant details are always obvious as set-ups for upcoming plot twists (hmm, why did Cimorene pick up a pebble in the Caves of Fire and Darkness?). Wrede very successfully pokes fun at the fairy-tale tradition, only to get trapped in the less appealing cliches of modern fantasy when it comes time to build a plot of her own.
Still, more than a few episodes are both clever and funny (like the knights' continual efforts to save Cimorene from "captivity"). The young princess is a cohesive, effective heroine, while her friendship with the dragon Kazul develops along realistic paths. Two and a half nights of harmless fun. The sequel is already in my reading pile.

For those readers who are tired of the stereotypical fantasy princess who sits on her hands and waits for a prince to rescue her, Cimorene is a breath of fresh air. Cimorene is not the kind of princess her parents want her to be; she is bored by sewing, dancing and etiquette and wants to learn magic, cooking and swordsmanship. The final straw comes when her parents have arranged for her to marry. Instead she runs away.
In Cimorene's world dragons often kidnap princesses, who then must be rescued by a daring prince. The dragons live in a massive network of caves in a mountain range, and their captive princesses get together to socialize and commiserate with each other, wondering when they will be rescued and by whom. Not Cimorene. She does the unthinkable: Cimorene volunteers to be a dragon's princess. Her offer is accepted by Kazul, a female dragon with an extensive library and treasure trove that need organizing. In time, Cimorene becomes a combination of cook, maid, secretary and close companion to Kazul.
In between dissuading knights from rescuing her, organizing Kazul's belongings and cooking for dinner parties, Cimorene finds herself in the middle of foiling a plot to take over the throne of the dragons. She is aided in her efforts by the captured princess Alianora and a prince who has been partly turned to stone. At the end of the novel Cimorene delights the reader by defying their expectations and...well, I'm not going to spoil it for you.
Dealing with Dragons is a pleasant surprise in that it has a somewhat feminist perspective: Cimorene wants to be who she is and do what she's interested in, never mind the fact that she's a girl. She is smart, independent and capable of handling her own problems. Not only that, the book has humor. Dealing with Dragons is a novel I have enjoyed more than any other novel I've read in quite awhile.

Cimorene isn't your everyday fairytale princess and Dealing with Dragons isn't your everyday fairytale, although you will recognize many allusions to them. Patricia Wrede tweaks the old-fashioned, well-known stories without getting embroiled in a politically correct mood-killer. The traditional characters retain their charm beginning with this first book of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. With her trademark light touch, Wrede creates a charming world with wizards and dragons and knights, giving you details to make your imagination take flight.
And the places she takes your imagination! It all begins with a talking frog and an exasperated princess of Linderwall. Ever practical, Cimorene, plans her escape and decides she will be a dragon's princess. Adopted by Kazul as her Chief Cook and Librarian, Cimorene starts a whole new life filled with cherries jubilee, Latin, fire-proofing spells, challenging would-be rescuers, and intrigues for the dragon throne.
Cimorene is joined by other delicious characters, like the cool witch Morwen, allergy-prone Roxim, fellow dragon princess Alianora, and the pretentious Society of Wizards. The action is fast-paced and exciting, but what really makes these Chronicles memorable is Wrede's witty, smooth humor. She slips in tongue-in-cheek references to conventional fairy tales everywhere, from chapter headings to bit characters without drawing unnecessary attention to it. The plot also doesn't leave things unexplained. Wrede is a tight writer, accounting for all her details in the end. Dealing with Dragons is thoroughly satisfying, completely engrossing, and totally fun, as are the sequels. A must read, at any age, especially if you like whimsical fantasy with a touch of humor and a dose of common sense!

For those readers who are tired of the stereotypical fantasy princess who sits on her hands and waits for a prince to rescue her, Cimorene is a breath of fresh air. Cimorene is not the kind of princess her parents want her to be; she is bored by sewing, dancing and etiquette and wants to learn magic, cooking and swordsmanship. The final straw comes when her parents have arranged for her to marry. Instead she runs away.
In Cimorene's world dragons often kidnap princesses, who then must be rescued by a daring prince. The dragons live in a massive network of caves in a mountain range, and their captive princesses get together to socialize and commiserate with each other, wondering when they will be rescued and by whom. Not Cimorene. She does the unthinkable: Cimorene volunteers to be a dragon's princess. Her offer is accepted by Kazul, a female dragon with an extensive library and treasure trove that need organizing. In time, Cimorene becomes a combination of cook, maid, secretary and close companion to Kazul.
In between dissuading knights from rescuing her, organizing Kazul's belongings and cooking for dinner parties, Cimorene finds herself in the middle of foiling a plot to take over the throne of the dragons. She is aided in her efforts by the captured princess Alianora and a prince who has been partly turned to stone. At the end of the novel Cimorene delights the reader by defying their expectations and...well, I'm not going to spoil it for you.
Dealing with Dragons is a pleasant surprise in that it has a somewhat feminist perspective: Cimorene wants to be who she is and do what she's interested in, never mind the fact that she's a girl. She is smart, independent and capable of handling her own problems. Not only that, the book has humor. Dealing with Dragons is a novel I have enjoyed more than any other novel I've read in quite awhile.

Cimorene isn't your everyday fairytale princess and Dealing with Dragons isn't your everyday fairytale, although you will recognize many allusions to them. Patricia Wrede tweaks the old-fashioned, well-known stories without getting embroiled in a politically correct mood-killer. The traditional characters retain their charm beginning with this first book of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. With her trademark light touch, Wrede creates a charming world with wizards and dragons and knights, giving you details to make your imagination take flight.
And the places she takes your imagination! It all begins with a talking frog and an exasperated princess of Linderwall. Ever practical, Cimorene, plans her escape and decides she will be a dragon's princess. Adopted by Kazul as her Chief Cook and Librarian, Cimorene starts a whole new life filled with cherries jubilee, Latin, fire-proofing spells, challenging would-be rescuers, and intrigues for the dragon throne.
Cimorene is joined by other delicious characters, like the cool witch Morwen, allergy-prone Roxim, fellow dragon princess Alianora, and the pretentious Society of Wizards. The action is fast-paced and exciting, but what really makes these Chronicles memorable is Wrede's witty, smooth humor. She slips in tongue-in-cheek references to conventional fairy tales everywhere, from chapter headings to bit characters without drawing unnecessary attention to it. The plot also doesn't leave things unexplained. Wrede is a tight writer, accounting for all her details in the end. Dealing with Dragons is thoroughly satisfying, completely engrossing, and totally fun, as are the sequels. A must read, at any age, especially if you like whimsical fantasy with a touch of humor and a dose of common sense!

This is my number one middle grade fantasy recommendation. You want a heroine with agency? One who stands up for herself and refuses to let others direct the course of her life? Meet Cimorene. Great for kids who've run through things like Percy Jackson, Land of Stories, Warriors, etc.

Most adults—and I think many well-read children—will notice the writing is just not good. It suffers from the kind of defects an editor can't easily fix—clumsy shifts in diction (elevated tone one moment, slang the next), unnecessary adverbs ('fervently' etc), abrupt shifts in perspective (from the mind of one character to another, or from detached to intimate within one character), and just far too many awkwardly placed words. Plot points and characters are introduced and then abandoned. Settings are vague. Many characters are introduced early (for example, 6 dragons in a room talking), are indistinguishable from each other, and then are forgotten. The characters' motivations are a total mystery—we're almost done with the book and I still have no idea how Cimorene feels about Kazul, or how Kazul feels about anything, and don't get me started on the multiple wizards. Everyone talks with clunky momentum-killing syntax. Because everyone sounds the same, you can't tell who's talking until the author signifies at the end (always at the end!), which makes reading it aloud, and getting a character's voice right, nearly impossible.

The rebellious princess has become so common, she's now a cliche. A princess doesn't like her life of privilege and wealth, so she either hangs around her home being rebellious, or she runs away.

But what if a princess ran away from home... to be housekeeper to a dragon?

That's the concept of "Dealing With Dragons," a clever little fantasy that tells its own quirky story while cleverly lampooning the tropes of high fantasy and fairy tales. A lot of the charm comes from Patricia Wrede's humorous dialogue ("Oh bother!") and the cliche-busting character of Cimorene, who just wants to be free to pursue her love of unprincessy things like cooking and magic.

Princess Cimorene is rather put out when she's told that she cannot use swords, Latin conjugation, spoons or magic... because she's a princess. When her parents decide they're going to marry her off to the son of Sathem-by-the-Mountains, she takes the advice of a magic frog and runs away... to become the housekeeper and personal princess of a dragon, Kazul.

This lifestyle suits Cimorene much better than her "proper" princess life, despite the princes and knights who keep trying to rescue her. But she soon discovers that the dragons are in danger from the wizards -- and before long, they have poisoned the King of the Dragons. And if Cimorene doesn't thwart the wizards' plot, dragon society might be turned upside down.

One of the best things about "The Enchanted Forest Chronicles" is that it is a pretty decent high fantasy story. In addition to the whole fun story about a princess trying to escape her stuffy princessy life, there's some entertaining dragon politics, magical strife, and melting wizards. None of it takes itself too seriously, but there is an actual plot here to be appreciated on its own.

But while telling its own story, it's gently poking fun at the sort of things you find in these sorts of stories and how they're typically used (Cimorene tries to avoid a marriage by declaring "he hasn't rescued me from a giant or an ogre or freed me from a magic spell"). And Wrede's writing matches this plot nicely -- quirky and clever, with a slightly British flavour, and plenty of humorous dialogue ("If they'd simply done what they were told, they wouldn't be here." "Still, turning them into slabs of stone forever seems a little extreme").

Since the Rebellious Princess is pretty standard now, it's fun to see one that doesn't whine much, even if she likes all sorts of things that aren't princessy (magic, fencing, cooking cherries jubilee). So her sensible approach to getting her own freedom is quite delightful, especially since it shows that she doesn't need a man. Which, of course, doesn't stop various men -- including her unwanted suitor Therandil -- from coming to rescue her against her will.

And her sensible, no-nonsense approach to everything is really quite charming, whether she's trying to reason with a homicidal jinn or doing Kazul's dishes. Kazul herself is a fun dragon character, being very reasonable and sensible in her own right, and Wrede presents a number of charming characters like Morwen, a witch with cats and a sign that says "NONE OF THIS NONSENSE, PLEASE."

Patricia C. Wrede brings and humour to the old princess/dragon dynamic in "Dealing With Dragons," even as she pokes fun at all the old fairy tale tropes. An enchanting start to an enchanting series.

Cimorene, the youngest daughter of the King of Linderwall, was a very reluctant princess. She wore her long jet-black hair in braids instead of curled and pinned like her sisters. She had the best tutors in dancing, embroidery, and etiquette, but Cimorene found it all very dull. She preferred to sneak away and take classes in fencing, magic, and economics. Her parents wouldn't hear of it, and put and end to that nonsense. When she was old enough to marry the prince of Sathem-by-the-Mountains, Cimorene rebelled. She did what any reluctant princess would do; she ran away and became the princess for the dragon Kazul.

Patricia C. Wrede's young adult novel, Dealing With Dragons, spoofs fairy tales as it develops a fascinating arc between the rebellious princess and Kazul, a powerful and dangerous dragon.

Readers will laugh at the connections Wrede makes to familiar fairy tales. We all know witches melt when a bucket of water is tossed on them, but in Cimorene's world water mixed with suds and lemon is what is needed to dissolve a wicked wizard.

From first page to last readers will be flipping pages to see how Cimorene survives life with her dragon friends and perhaps help them out of life threatening predicaments. Enjoy.

Wizards, dragons, magic, and a run away princess. If you like those things then you will love "Dealing With Dragons" by Patricia C. Wrede. When Cimerone runs away to a little house in the forest, that a toad told her to go to, she meets some scary dragons. But almost before the dragons ate her, another dragon came and saved her. And now she works for the dragon, Kazul. When one of the dragons killed the king, all the dragons have to have a challenge to see who well be the next king. Will Kazul become the new king or will she die trying?

I think the theme for this book is that just because some people don't like something doesn't mean you shouldn't like it. Because some people thought Cimerone was crazy that she was living with a dragon and she didn't care about what they said. I think Patricia wrote this book to tell about people that have everything they could ever have and all they want is freedom to do what they want.

"That doesn't make it proper, dear," Cimerone's mom said. Cimerone never wanted to be a princess. She liked to do fencing, magic, and cooking. But she never liked being a princess. I would recommend this book to people that love to read about fantasy's and adventures. Also if they like dragons, witches, and magic they would like this book! I hope you will read it and like it just as much as I did!

This is a delightful little book of fantasy. I think all of us like to escape from time to time to a world such as that of the Enchanted Forest and the Mountains of Morning. Although this world is inhabited by dragons and bothersome wizards, it is still an airy, light-filled world that captivates the imagination. Cimorene is a princess who has no interest in learning the things a princess is supposed to learn; she would rather learn fencing, magic, cooking, and other things forbidden by her parents. Her parents finally give up on changing her ways of thinking and decide to marry her off to the prince of a neighboring realm. Rather than submit to this unwanted fate, she takes the advice of a friendly frog and volunteers to serve as a dragon's princess. The dragon Kazul accepts her offer, and Cimorene goes to work organizing Kazul's treasure rooms, cataloguing the scrolls in her library, and making cherries jubilee and other foods for her. Several princes, including her betrothed, come calling to rescue her, and she has to continually explain to them that she does not want to be rescued. Cimorene comes to discover a plot between the Wizard Society and one turncoat dragon, and it is largely up to her and the princess Alianora, working in conjunction with Kazul, the witch Morwen, and a stone prince to sort out the plan and goals of this dastardly plot and prevent the dragons from granting kingship to the traitor. Even when things are hairy, Cimorene keeps her wits about her, foiling much of the action with her own extraordinary determination.
Apparently Wrede's Enchanted Forest chronicles are considered young adult literature. I did not know this when I began reading the story, and I certainly would urge other adults not to let this fact rob them of the opportunity to enter this wonderful realm of fantasy. The writing is witty, the plot is well-thought out, and the action moves along well with no dead spots or literary pot-holes. A few allusions to traditional fairy tales are interspersed in the story, lending a good bit of fun and charm to the book. Younger readers will find this book enjoyable, and Cimorene seems to me to be a pretty good role model for young women given her forthright nature, zest for learning, and discontent with the life others tell her she is supposed to lead. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

Princess Cimorene is the daughter to the king of Linderwall...where the knights keep their armor polished for show considering nobody's seen a dragon there in years...

Cimorene HATES it at Linderwall. And she wants to do things, not learn exactly how and when she's supposed to scream if someone decides to come and kidnap her. Cimorene takes classes behind her fathers back for extreme fun. She tries fencing...until her father makes her stop. She tries cooking...until her father stops her. She tries magic...until her father stops her. You get the pattern. If things aren't already bad enough her parents are making her marry Prince Therandil. YUCK!

"I'd rather get eaten by a dragon," Cimorene muttered.

"That can be arranged."

With the advice of a "not" enchanted frog she ends up at a dragons cave and before you know it she's the dragon Kazul's princess. And also before ya know it she's on an adventure.

What happens on that adventure? Well...

She meets a powerful witch, a stone prince, snotty princesses, a kind princess, annoying wizards, mean dragons, and a talking frog.

She finds plants that hurt dragons, a dragons magical stone, and a fire proof spell...she's found A LOT of adventure!

The first in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Dealing With Dragons follows princess Cimorene as she says "Screw this!" to her boring life as an obedient princess and decides to run away to a dragon instead of marrying a dull prince. She happens upon a den of dragons and is "adopted" by a protective female dragon. Cimorene finds that life is considerably more interesting living with dragons, spending her time chatting with the other dragons' captive princesses, fending off the droves of princes attempting to "rescue" her, learning about magic, and uncovering a dastardly plot by a corrupt group of wizards.

The book is filled with sweet lessons and numerous instances of sly humor (taking good-natured jabs at fairy tales and people in general). While I am an adult and enjoyed the book, it is probably best suited to the pre-teen age group for which is was written. A part of a series, but for those reluctant to get involved with a multi-volume fantasy story, this book stands well on its own. Recommended for all ages, but especially pre-teen girls.

DEALING with DRAGONS
By Patricia C. Wrede
Dealing with Dragons is about princess Cimorene whose parents arranged her to marry the dullest man, Prince Therandil. Her lady-in-waiting had told her so Cimorene wined that would rather be eaten by a dragon than marry Therandil. A frog told Cimorene that she could be eaten eaten by a dragon. The frog told her the way to the dragons. Cimorene was really desperate and followed the frog's advice. After endless walking she finally arrived at the dragon Kazul's cave where she meets the dragon. Together they had an adventure fighting away bad wizard, finding mysteries and many other things. The main characters of the story are Cimorene and Kazul. They are also my favorites because Cimorene is a girl and acts like a boy, and Kazul who is the nicest dragon I know so far. This story is an interesting book I have read and extremely fun to read.
Dealing with Dragons reminds me how my sisters and I were at the dinner table when my mother went out for a minute to phone somebody. We decided that this was our chance to act like pigs, to slobber our food in our mouths, to eat with our hands or with our mouths on the plates. We had so much fun; we didn't notice my mother coming in. Her mouth fell open; we were caught in act. Our mother became upset and said that it was uncivilized. In Dealing with Dragon Cimorene wanted to sword fight, cook, to do magic, but her mother caught her and told her it was improper. We don't always want to be proper we just want to have fun. Can't we fulfill our dreams even when we are not proper or civilized
Dealing with Dragons is very interesting and funny. I did not like the book - I loved it. My favorite parts were when Cimorene murmured, "I'd rather be eaten by a dragon" and when Cimorene was looking for a plant called feverfew with her friend Alianora. I also liked when Cimorene and her friend saw the wizard Antorell who was picking a purple plant called Dragons bane. Dragonsbane is deadly to the dragon. When Cimorene finds out what the wizard are up to it is very mysterious. The book doesn't have any parts I dislike, but if I could change something, it would be that the wizard's son Antorell fell in love with Cimorene. That would make the book more interesting and even funnier.
I recommend Dealing with Dragons because I really had fun reading it, and I want other people to have laugh and have fun with this book. My sister recommended Dealing with Dragons to me, and She was right. It was fun to read and extremely interesting (it even had some cliffhangers). I am also recommending Dealing with Dragons because it has fantasy a bit like The Never Ending Story. Dealing with Dragons has alot of action and many weird or Ironic fairy tales.
People who like wizardry stories, mysteries, action and fantasy will love this book, just like I do. Dealing with Dragons is a good fantasy book, a good guidebook how on to act with dragons most important a book that explains not to be eaten by a dragon.

"Dealing with Dragons" isn't your normal fairy tale. In Patricia C. Wrede's universe, most Princesses are deadly dull sorts, fit only to be rescued by the even more deadly dull heroes. And Princess Cimorene (princess by courtesy and convention, not by aptitude, as she's smart, funny, and her own person) wants none of it.
She runs off, and apprentices herself (more or less) to Kazul, an imposing female Dragon. Yet she and Kazul find they have much in common; razor-like wit, uncommon sense, and the ability to enjoy fine cooking (which Cimorene discovers she's not too bad at cooking, either).
Some wizards show up and emperil their existence; Cimorene and Kazul don't care for this too much. How they fight them is up to you to figure out; trust me, you'll want to know the ending.
Thing is, it's the wit and the style that carries this book. It's hilarious; Ms. Wrede goes out of her way to satirize convention, yet gently and with great care. The mix of gentility and satirization makes for loads of laughs and fun.
As for recommendations, I think anyone who's read a lot of fairy tales or is at least in the fifth or sixth grade (about age 10 or so) will enjoy this. Adults, however, will probably enjoy this just as much as the kids, if not more so. I did.

This whole book is fantasy! It has dragons, wizards, witches and stone pirinces! The blurb on the back cover pulled me right in, "Take one bored princess, make her the seventh daughter in a very proper royal family, have her run away, add one powerful, fascinating, dangerous dragon." After each chapter, I felt like I had to keep reading and reading. The first chapter has the main character Cimorene talking to a frog! It already is reeling you in. And it just gets better and as you keep reading.
A princess named Cimorene is so sick of her boring life. Plus she has six perfect proper sisters. While Cimorene was out in the garden, she meets a talking frog who tells her to run away and when she sees a hovel walk straight up to the door, knock three times, snap her fingers then go inside. Cimorene takes the frog's advice and runs away. She does exactly what the frog tells her to do, but when she steps inside and it is pitch black every where she turned, and the door is shut behind her, things aren't looking too good for Cimorene princess of Linderwell.
I recommend this book to anyone who is into fantasy, but I think anyone would enjoy this book. I like books that start out with excitement, and keep you reading. A great book by Patrica C. Wrede.

Princess Cimorene is tired of embroidery, etiquette, and protocol classes. She wants to take Latin, fencing, magic, and cooking lessons instead. But, that's just "not done." So to avoid a betrothal to a handsome and charming (but not particularly bright) prince, she runs away to become housekeeper for a dragon. As a dragon's princess, Cimorene gets the freedom to cook and clean and to organize libraries and treasure rooms. She also has to fend off persistent knights who come to rescue her, and investigate the actions of a couple of sneaky wizards.

Patricia C. Wrede's Dealing with Dragons is a refreshing change from some of the more recent fantasy epics aimed at teenage girls. It's light, fun, and often hilarious as it pokes fun at several fairy tales and fantasy clichés. The plot moves rapidly and the writing is clear and precise. The dialogue is particularly good.

I listened to Dealing With Dragons on audiobook. Listening Library does an excellent job recording this with a full cast of actors; I highly recommend this format. --FanLit.net

Dealing With Dragons is the type of book where you read the last sentance and you wish it had lasted longer. You wish that it didn't have to end. A book where you can't WAIT to get your hands on the sequal! I finished this book in less time than i expected it to take me to finnish. I fell in love with the story and the plot from the moment the characters were introduced through the climax to the moment where all of them were settling down again. What isn't there to like about this book? It isnt at all like the ideal fairy-tale with fragile princessses and heroic knights. Princess Cimorene isnt the average princess who spends hours learning ediqitte and manners and when to faint. She Prefers fencing and magic, all of which are "absolutely unheard of" according to her parents. But when she finally finds the life she has always wanted, its with a dragon named Kazul. Now take the princes that want to rescue her in spite of tradition and imagine how they would feel if the princess refuses to be resuced! That, my friends, is a story you dont want to miss! Each page is full of action and irony and lovable characters with realistic goals and traits. :)

Reading Dealing With Dragons was an enjoyable way to spend an hour of my time. It was not great, but it was not bad either. I appreciated that Cimorene was unlike most princesses, yet not unlikable. She was not spoiled, or disagreeable, just a normal girl that wanted to have some fun. I also appreciate that the story is more complex than simply how a girl spends time with a dragon. The wizards vs. dragons plot was entertaining, and all of the characters here are delightful. Since this is a children's book it is not overly complex, and it is not bogged down with unimportant details. A perfect balance of humor, adventure, and mystery. Short, sweet, and to the point, Dealing with Dragons would be a great book to read to children, or a nice book to sit down with and escape for a little while.

Cimorene is a character that comes around once in a blue moon! Though I believe that the second book (Searching for Dragons) is my favorite, this first book in the series, the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, gives a satisfing beginning. The other books follow in this order- Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons. Half the fun of these books are noticing the mixed-up fairy-tales! The story: Princess Cimorene of Linderwall is not your odinary princess. She doesn't like being a princess and when her parents want her to marry a boring, rather uncharateristic prince, she decides to run away. Accepting some advice for a frog, she offers to be a dragon's princess, and the dragon Kazul takes her in. She finds herself happily setting in to a life of cooking cherries jubilee, visiting witches and meeting jiins. But, when wizards turn into up in her life and the King of the Dragons is suddenly killed, Cimorene and her new-found friends decided to take matte! rs into her own hands. This book will leave you dying for more, so I guess you'll have to read the others.

I began my journey to Linderwal. I happily joined Cimorene on her adventures as the dragon Kazul's princess. I couldn't stop biting my nails because of all the excitement in the book Dealing With Dragons. It is an incredible book. It has everything a book needs, excitement,adventure, and some romance. The main character is very brave, smart, and believable. Cinorene isn't the normal princess; she is sick and tired of being proper and doesn't take anyones opinion. With such a strong mind, Cimorene runs away and becomes the dragon Kazul's princess. She turns down all the princes that try to save her. Like she needs saving. One of those dragons could take a prince down in one punch. If anyone needs saving it's the princes who try to save her. I definitly think you should read this book. And the last thing I have to say is "enjoy"!

Who is big, has green scales, and loves cherry jubilie? Why, Kuzal does. I just read and loved the book Dealing with Dragons. Patricia Wrede is one of my favorite authors and has written a number of books. In a world of magicians, dragons, and witches some of the funniest characters take place. In a small village next to the mountians of morning and the Enchanted Forest, a princess was born. Now, you might think that she was a regular princess, with curly golden hair and a clear complection, but princess Cimminerene had stright black hair and freckles! As she grew older she wanted desperately to leave her old boring life and become a dragon's princess. A rare honor to her, but a disgrace to any other princess (you see dragons got their princess by kidnapping them). So one day she gathered up her long dress skirts and hiked up the mountians of morning to where the dragons lived. There she met Kuzal, a polite and well - mannered female dragon talking with her friends. After the discussion of being her Princess Cimminerene finally pusraded Kuzal to agree to let her be Kuzal's Princess. From then on Kuzal and Cimminerene had many wonderful and daring adventures together. They melted dozens of wizards, cast spells, and even talked with a few cats. I hope that after you read my review you will want to read the book. I thought It was a great book and I hope you will like it. Happy - Reading

I discovered Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest Series one week ago. Since then,
I have read all 4 books and can't wait to read more by her.

The series starts with this book, "Dealing with Dragons", in which the Princess Cimorene
is sick to tears of the strictures of being a princess (can't study fencing or cooking, have to study
manners) and decides to escape marriage to a handsome but utterly boring prince by running
away to live with the dragons. How she becomes the dragon Kazul's princess, deals with
unwanted rescuers and meddlesome wizards is presented by Wrede with a wicked sense
of satire towards all the traditional fairy tale conventions.

Unlike many series, all three following books of the series live up to the high standards set
by the first. Wrede's writing can be enjoyed by pre-teens and post-post-teens (such as myself) -
the hardest part is putting down the books

I read "Dealing with Dragons",along with the rest of the "Enchanted Forest Chronicles", a couple of years back. I had just read "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine, which I highly reccommend reading after these, and wondered what to read next. Then my sister brought this one home from the book store-and let me say that this is a very enjoyable read for a wide variety of ages. It's fast paced, but it's original and with every page you turn the more harder it gets to put the book down. I had to make frequent stops to the book store to buy the next book that came after the previous. In fact, my mom even threatened me saying that if I didn't do the dishes that night I wouldn't get the book-and it worked! So, If you like adventurous stories with dragons, wizards, and a not so princess-like princess then these are a must read! Oh, and make sure you have plenty of batteries in your flashlight because you'll be under your covers reading all night!

In the book"Dealing with Dragons"there are lots of enjoyment you can get. For example:during the story, a princess who thinks being a pringess is dull, runs away to become a dragin's princess for a very powerful female dragon. Somehow she finds cooking and cleaning facinating. While reading this book you can find alot of adventure. Some adventures you can find are challenging a Death-Dealing Bird, a Witch, A Stone Prince,a Jinn, lots of Wizards and alot of Dragons, both good and bad. Read this book and dive into adventure with Cimerene and her new best friend Alianora on her journey to complete a very important mission to save the Dragons. The thing i liked about this book is when Kazul became a King because i think Kazul was one of the most powerful Dragons. The thing i didn't like about this book is when a dragon betrayed his own kind just to help out some evil wizards.

In the book"Dealing with Dragons"there are lots of enjoyment you can get. For example:during the story, a princess who thinks being a pringess is dull, runs away to become a dragin's princess for a very powerful female dragon. Somehow she finds cooking and cleaning facinating. While reading this book you can find alot of adventure. Some adventures you can find are challenging a Death-Dealing Bird, a Witch, A Stone Prince,a Jinn, lots of Wizards and alot of Dragons, both good and bad. Read this book and dive into adventure with Cimerene and her new best friend Alianora on her journey to complete a very important mission to save the Dragons. The thing i liked about this book is when Kazul became a King because i think Kazul was one of the most powerful Dragons. The thing i didn't like about this book is when a dragon betrayed his own kind just to help out some evil wizards.

Cimorene is the seventh daughter in the royal family of Linderwall. Everything she has to learn as a princess is terribly boring, and everything she wants to do is considered "improper." When she learns she is soon to be married off to a dim-witted (though admittedly handsome) prince, she takes the advice of a frog and runs off to a small hut in the woods. What she finds in the hut is astounding: Dragons. After getting over her initial shock, Princess Cimorene volunteers herself as a dragons' princess. One of the dragons takes her up on her offer and Cimorene's adventures begin.

This rollicking tale of a spunky princess is one of the best fantasies ever written. It's extremely humorous and Cimerone's exasperation at a "proper" life is hilarious. When a prince comes to try and rescue her, she sends him back home with his tail between his legs. This fearless and endearing princess brings the book to life and her no-nonsense attitude keeps the pages turning. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite fantasy books, and has been for the past couple of years.

This book was suggested to me by me sister, Lisa. She said it was great.When I got the book, I soon found out that she was correct; it was not just good, but the best book ever! It was so outstanding infact, that I read all 212 pages in about two days. I suggest the book to anyone, especially to people who like adventure. The book is about a girl named Cimorene. Cimorene is a princess. One day, she leaves her home. On her adventure, she aquainted with all s;orts of magical creatures, withes, wizards, and of course dragons! Some kind, and some bad. She meets a dragon, who she lives with. She meets a kind witch but ( here comes the "bad" part) also meets a wizrd who is bad. She does, many, many, exciting thngs besde that. So read this book!
Note: If you read this book, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. P.S. If you like this book, there are three more in the series.

I thought this book was FABULOUS! I really liked the way the author reverses the roles so that dragons are no longer the bad guys but the good guys and the wizards are the bad guys insteead and the knights are...well the knights are more of a nuisance then anything else.Cimorene,the main character has a mind of her own unlike her sisters who are all blond,have blue eyes and are exidingly silly(or as Cimorene says "they just act silly,they aren't really").She hates court life an her lessons where she has to learn how loud it is permitted to scream when being carried off by a giant and how to agree with ambassadors with out actually promising them anything so she takes fencing,cooking,latin and magic classes until her father finds out and stops them.When her parents decide to marry her to a tremendously stupid prince Cimorene decides that this is the last straw and runs away to be a dragons princess but I won't tell you any more you have to read the book. Enjoy!

The female dragons had three horns, one on each side and on their foreheads. This is the way Wrede describes the female dragons in the cave Cimorene finds herself in. In the beginning of this book Cimorene the princess is acting "improper" by taking cooking, juggling, fencing, and magic lessons. When ever she tries something new her father always finds out about it and stops it. Then she tries something else. Finally he decides she is going to marry a prince. Once Cimorene runs away everything starts happening with the dragons and wizards. After a while the Dragon King dies, or is he murdered? Now someone is trying to become the king by using magic. Cimorene and her friends must stop this.
I recommend this book because it was fast paced excitement. If you like some suspense and you have an imagination you should look in this book.