Dragon Rider

We enjoyed the audiobook version together on vacation. It was perfect as an audiobook, keeping us entertained on the road...all of us. The story flows well and captures the imagination.

The audiobook is read by Brendan Fraser and is an absolute delight. He has unique voices for everyone and even does sound effects sometimes! Serious, if you read this book I can not recommend the audiobook enough!

The book takes a bit to pick up, but it's a solid adventure with more talking about how to solve an issue instead of pure action or in the moment thinking. I really like that because it is a tale of adventure with some action, but all the characters are really clever or have something to bring to the table and its just really refreshing.

It's a longer story for a j-range read, but it was really nice to read.

I actually saw this come back into the library and it trigger my childhood memories of getting this book at a book fair. It was fun reading this again and remembering bits and pieces.

Firedrake the dragon and a furry, mushroom-loving brownie named Sorrel head out looking for the fabled Rim of Heaven, one of the last refuges on Earth for dragonkind. Early on their travels they pick up a young orphan named Ben. Trying to hunt them down is an extremely large flightless dragon named Nettlebrand. I read this aloud to the kids and it was okay but I think even they were getting tired of it near the finish. It's not a very exciting story. It's more cute and plodding with several fortunate circumstances aiding our small band of adventurers. Also, the author brings along her own brand of dragon mythology which felt pretty weak even for a chapter book. Everything wraps up nicely in the end but is also easily guessable (something my kids did.) Not great, but I've read worse.