Search This Blog







2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida (1)
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- England (2)
- France (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (1)


2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge



2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge









Thursday, January 06, 2011
Dragon Adventure Story Lacks the Magic
5:24 AM

If 10-year-old Ansel could speak, he'd tell people the truth: Johannes Brock, dragonslayer extraordinaire, is a fake. Although Brock looks the part with his muscular frame, dented armor, and convincing scars, he's never even seen a dragon. In fact, he reveals to Ansel, there is no such thing as dragons. It's a truth the phony hunter will only share with a mute like Ansel - if anyone else got wind of it, Brock's dragonslaying scam would be ruined. Since the boy can't rat out his master, he follows him to the little hamlet of Drachenberg. High in the mountains, say the superstitious villagers, lives a fire-breathing beast who kills their sheep and carries off unsuspecting townspeople. If Brock can kill the dragon, he'll be rewarded handsomely.
Even though he doesn't feel right about tricking people, Ansel's life with Brock is a hundred times better than the one he left behind. So, he'll lay low with his master for a few days before reappearing in town with the corkindrille skull Brock lugs along as "proof" of his kills. Only, their sojourn into the mountains doesn't turn out quite the way they planned. Turns out, there is something hiding up there. And it's up to cowardly Brock, terrified Ansel, and a feisty village girl to take care of the menace. As Ansel comes face-to-face with a beast that's not supposed to exist, he realizes that Brock's lied to him once again - not only is there such thing as dragons, but Brock's got no idea how to defeat the creatures. If the trio's going to escape with their lives, the children are going to have to think of something. And very, very quickly.
No Such Thing As Dragons, Philip Reeve's newest book for middle graders, grabbed my attention with its colorful jacket art. The cover seemed to promise a fun, magical adventure. Did it deliver? Kinda. The story's interesting (if not wholly original), the characters are rounded (especially Father Flegel), and the tale takes at least one unexpected twist (and a bloody one, at that). However, it comes to a predictable end, one that doesn't feel very satisfying for those of us who prefer to see tricksters get their comeuppance. Although it's got some dark points, the story remains fairly lighthearted. Still, it lacks the kind of whimsy that makes fairy tales so charming. Without it, No Such Thing As Dragons remains just okay. It's a quick, fun read, just nothing super special.
(Readalikes: Hm, apparently I don't read many dragon books. Ideas, anyone?)
Grade: C
If this were a movie, it would be rated: I'm going to have to go with PG-13, even though the book's geared toward a younger audience. There's some violence, one suggestive line, and a smattering of profanity, including the repeated taking of Christ's name in vain.
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of No Such Thing As Dragons from the generous folks at Scholastic. Thank you!
1 comment:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)


Reading
Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce

Listening
The Brightwood Code by Monica Hesse


Followin' with Bloglovin'

-
How to Book a Murder by Cynthia Kuhn3 hours ago
-
January 2025 Month in Review3 hours ago
-
-
-
#ThrowbackThursday. April 2012 Part 27 hours ago
-
Ten Words to Live by7 hours ago
-
-
-
Pie Book Tag 2025 Edition9 hours ago
-
A Review of I Wish, I Wish10 hours ago
-
Greenteeth By Molly O’Neill10 hours ago
-
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren16 hours ago
-
-
Review: The Favorites by Layne Fargo22 hours ago
-
-
Audiobook: Onyx Storm1 day ago
-
WIP Wrap-up for January 20251 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
Carthago Kane1 day ago
-
Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey2 days ago
-
-
The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick2 days ago
-
-
January 2025 Reading Wrap Up3 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October2 months ago
-
-
Review: The Duke and I5 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus6 months ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-

Grab my Button!


Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
Wonderful review! I can't say I've read many dragon stories myself, but I appreciate an honest opinion when they're not up to snuff.
ReplyDelete