Dragon Rider

FUNKE, Cornelia

ISBN 10: 1903434904 / ISBN 13: 9781903434901

Published by Chicken House, Frome, 2004

About this Item

Signed by author on title page; no.141 of a limited edition of 500 copies; binding tight; almost as-new; dust jacket not price-clipped. Used - Very Good. SIGNED copy VG hardback in VG dust jacket in VG slipcase Used - Very Good. SIGNED copy VG hardback in VG dust jacket in VG slipcase.

Seller Inventory # BOOKS111488I

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Dragon Rider
• Publisher: Chicken House, Frome
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1903434904
• ISBN 13: 9781903434901
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st ed.

About this title

Synopsis

A boy. A dragon. A quest. Firedrake, Ben, and their furry friend, Sorrel, are in search of the mythical place where dragons can live in peace forever. Together they embark on a journey that takes them to magical lans where they meet marvelous creatures - and one ruthless villain. Along the way, they will discover allies in odd places, courage they didn't know they had, and a hidden destiny that changes everything. From the bestselling author of The Thief Lord, and Inkheart comes an enchanting story about adventure, faith, and the true meaning of home/

Review

It's a fantasy, it's long, and it's got dragons in it. Dragon Rider is bound to be another hit book from Cornelia Funke! Ever since the popularity of bestselling fantasies The Thief Lord and Inkheart went global a few years ago, legions of fans have demanded more books from the German author than she can reasonably hope to write each year. So, re-discovering this hefty, earlier novel from 1997 was a logical development--and her keenest readers will devour it as before.

Aimed at slightly younger readers than her previous novels, despite its massive five hundred pages, Dragon Rider is about a brave young dragon called Firedrake who embarks upon a dangerous journey to the Rim of Heaven in the Himalayas--a magical place where silver dragons can rest easy, free from the threat of destruction by mankind and their only hope of sanctuary. The key to its location is a map rendered by a rat who is a master cartographer.

Firedrake is joined on his quest by Ben, an orphaned boy, and Sorrell--a wise-cracking Brownie that is an odd, but ingenious, grumpy kind of fairy. Their journey is not a straightforward one by any means. Created by an alchemist called Petrosius Henbane in 1424, Nettlebrand (a malevolent creature covered in impenetrable gold plates) is their biggest threat--he is intent on destroying them. Nettlebrand is aided by Twigleg, a homunculus who has stowed away in Ben's bag and who is feeding reports on their progress back to his master.

Their exciting encounters are many... It is easy to forgive the narrative's excessive length when readers are gorging on such a wonderfully inventive and readable story from an author who has her readers in the palm of her hand on every page. (Age 9 and over) --John McLay