Book Review: Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

[juushika]

Title: Searching for Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles 2)
Author: Patricia C. Wrede
Published: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020 (1991)
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 245
Total Page Count: 532,915
Text Number: 1952
Read Because: continuing the series, ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: The king of the Enchanted Forest seeks an audience with the king of dragons—and ends up working side by side with her princess, instead. I like our protagonist just fine, but "I'm not like other girls" hits different than "I'm glad you're not like other girls," and while this is a cast of not-likes, king included, the fact that the anxiety often revolves around correct modes of femininity is ... icky. This is still charming, great world and voice and surprisingly interesting magic system; but the plot and its gimmicks are a little more silly and repetitive this time around. Dealing was better, but I'm happy to read on.

Comments

[ambyr]

It's probably worth pointing out, if you didn't already know, that book four was published first and the others were rather belated prequels. I don't dislike any of them, but book four is pretty tonally different, and there are bits of two and three that feel awkwardly shoehorned in to set up for already established events.

[juushika]

Yeah, I discovered that when noting dates for the reviews. I wish I'd realized from the start, definitely prefer to read in publication order, but that ship has sailed! I'm looking forward to the first/last, though.