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Saturday, May 24, 2014
by Merrie Haskell
Thirteen-year-old Princess Matilda,
whose lame foot brings fear of the evil eye, has never given much thought to
dragons, attending instead to her endless duties and wishing herself free of a
princess's responsibilities.
When a greedy cousin steals Tilda's
lands, the young princess goes on the run with two would-be dragon slayers.
Before long she is facing down the Wild Hunt, befriending magical horses, and
battling flame-spouting dragons. On the adventure of a lifetime, and caught
between dreams of freedom and the people who need her, Tilda learns more about
dragons—and herself—than she ever imagined.
Merrie Haskell, author of The
Princess Curse, presents a magical tale of transformation, danger, and duty, starring
a remarkable princess as stubborn as she is brave.
Review: Handbook for Dragon Slayers is an
engaging fantasy story featuring a disabled heroine who is completely awesome. Matilda, or Tilda, a girl who only
wants to be alone with her beloved books, is constantly interrupted by her responsibilities
as manager of the estate while her mother is away. When her treacherous cousin
succeeds in deposing her and she is forced to go on the run, she views it as a
relief. She can finally escape the people who, due to her clubfoot,
view her as bad luck and unfit to be a ruler. Rather than plan a way to retake
her estate, Matilda embarks on a dragon-slaying adventure with her friends in order to get material to write a book of her own.
Tilda
is a complex heroine who is smart and brave while having some very human flaws.
Her clubfoot is painful and often forces her to rely on her companions for
assistance, and the poor way some of her superstitious subjects treat her has shaped her insecurities. However, she is a character who can
think her way out of most tricky situations and whose kindness and compassion
serve her well on her journey. Judith, her maid and best friend, is a character
who is great in her own right. Far from being the stereotypical obedient
servant, Judith is not afraid to tell Tilda harsh truths and it is
she who has the initial yearning for adventure. Rounding out the team is
Parz, the knight in training Tilda has a crush on and whom Judith relies
on for dragon-slaying instruction. Refreshingly, a love triangle between the
trio never materializes.
The story itself is a blend of fairytales elements with historical details including the role of noblewomen as
administrators, convents as stand-ins for places of learning, etc. One classic fairytale in particular is used, and I will not spoil the surprise but I did enjoy how it was handled. Through these various adventures Tilda and her friends come to realize that dragon slaying is very different from what they imagined and learn you cannot escape your responsibilities. In a way that is not at all overtly preachy or didactic, Tilda comes to reconcile her own wishes with her responsibilities and accepts her duty to her people. All in all, this is a great read for anyone who loves fairytales, historical fantasy, and dynamic characters.
4.5 Magical horses
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Saturday, May 24, 2014
Review: Handbook for Dragon Slayers
by Merrie Haskell
Thirteen-year-old Princess Matilda,
whose lame foot brings fear of the evil eye, has never given much thought to
dragons, attending instead to her endless duties and wishing herself free of a
princess's responsibilities.
When a greedy cousin steals Tilda's
lands, the young princess goes on the run with two would-be dragon slayers.
Before long she is facing down the Wild Hunt, befriending magical horses, and
battling flame-spouting dragons. On the adventure of a lifetime, and caught
between dreams of freedom and the people who need her, Tilda learns more about
dragons—and herself—than she ever imagined.
Merrie Haskell, author of The
Princess Curse, presents a magical tale of transformation, danger, and duty, starring
a remarkable princess as stubborn as she is brave.
Review: Handbook for Dragon Slayers is an
engaging fantasy story featuring a disabled heroine who is completely awesome. Matilda, or Tilda, a girl who only
wants to be alone with her beloved books, is constantly interrupted by her responsibilities
as manager of the estate while her mother is away. When her treacherous cousin
succeeds in deposing her and she is forced to go on the run, she views it as a
relief. She can finally escape the people who, due to her clubfoot,
view her as bad luck and unfit to be a ruler. Rather than plan a way to retake
her estate, Matilda embarks on a dragon-slaying adventure with her friends in order to get material to write a book of her own.
Tilda
is a complex heroine who is smart and brave while having some very human flaws.
Her clubfoot is painful and often forces her to rely on her companions for
assistance, and the poor way some of her superstitious subjects treat her has shaped her insecurities. However, she is a character who can
think her way out of most tricky situations and whose kindness and compassion
serve her well on her journey. Judith, her maid and best friend, is a character
who is great in her own right. Far from being the stereotypical obedient
servant, Judith is not afraid to tell Tilda harsh truths and it is
she who has the initial yearning for adventure. Rounding out the team is
Parz, the knight in training Tilda has a crush on and whom Judith relies
on for dragon-slaying instruction. Refreshingly, a love triangle between the
trio never materializes.
The story itself is a blend of fairytales elements with historical details including the role of noblewomen as
administrators, convents as stand-ins for places of learning, etc. One classic fairytale in particular is used, and I will not spoil the surprise but I did enjoy how it was handled. Through these various adventures Tilda and her friends come to realize that dragon slaying is very different from what they imagined and learn you cannot escape your responsibilities. In a way that is not at all overtly preachy or didactic, Tilda comes to reconcile her own wishes with her responsibilities and accepts her duty to her people. All in all, this is a great read for anyone who loves fairytales, historical fantasy, and dynamic characters.
4.5 Magical horses
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