Patricia C. WredeRecensioni

Delightful!

F/SF

F/SF

Light but also not, a 14 year old girl is brought through a portal with her adoptive mother and brother. As the title declares she is the daughter of the last major Dark Lord. She is also his heir, and supposed to immediately take up the roll of Dark Lady, tacky outfits, murderous rampages and all. But Kayla is a good kid, though remembering my 14 year old self that is the least realistic portion of this fantasy. It is hilarious having the Dark Lady's mother ground her for leaving their rooms at night. I'm not quite the target for this mix.½

3.5 stars; rounding to 4 for nostalgia.

I didn't realize until I read the back of this edition that it's technically a Regency romance. It is, but the romance takes a backseat to the more interesting stuff, like magic and mystery.

Many thoughts about Kim's easy acceptance that there's nothing to be done about systematic poverty. And then there's the argument that magic is often deployed in fantasy in classist ways---the first book definitely has this when Kim's ticket out of poverty is her inborn talent, but does the second one manage to subvert it? I would have been interested to know more about how the poorer wizards operated, their teachers and their social sphere.

I'm a sucker for anything that mentions Jews, especially historically, and I like the idea that Mairelon sketches. Unfortunately, I don't think it's accurate to say that they would have spoken Hebrew fluently, especially not classical Hebrew---it didn't begin to be revived as a spoken language until towards the end of the 19th century. That raises some questions about whether Ladino, Yiddish, and the local approximation of Hebrew are close enough to the written form, and whether Greek wizards have the same problem or if classical and modern Greek are also different enough.

Also, I did not understand when I was 13 how weird it is that Kim keeps calling him Mairelon even after she knows better.

I loved this one almost as much as the previous book in the series. I didn't find the lack of Native Americans insulting as I've some--since Wrede added diversity in the book. As a black woman who reads Fantasy, I find that the general lack of diversity in the genre is sad.

The absence of Native Americans (so far) fits with the story and worldbuilding.

I need to re-read this at some point. I remember it as enjoyable even though the ending was a little rushed.

Reread August 2022: yup, quite enjoyable, with slightly strange pacing at times.

"Dealing With Dragons" is such a fun combination of strong characters, goofs, magic, and action. I read this so many times as a young reader, and it is a keystone book on my shelves. I'm happy to say it has held up for me over the years and all the rereads! :)

Ten short stories, some funny, some more serious, but all featuring Wrede's clever and engaging writing. I reread this to see which books would work best for reading to a group of 3rd-5th graders, and found two that did ("The Princess, the Cat, and the Unicorn" and "The Sixty-Two Curses of Caliph Arenschadd"). But, you know, I had to read the whole collection, just to be sure...½

I didnt like this book as much as the first but I still really enjoyed it.

I loved this conclusion to the trilogy. This alternate version of the U.S. 'west' with its magical wildlife is fantastic. The books are a bit slow in parts but never boring. Overall great books, especially the first one and this one.

SPOILER ALERT: While I love that Eff and William ended up together I wish it hadn't happened so suddenly. It felt a bit rushed and I didn't get to relish that satisfying feeling of the main characters finding each other. While I know this wasn't a romance novel and it wasn't a large part of the plot all I could think when I finished the book was "they didnt even kiss!"

This book is absolute delightful. It's light, funny, and original. It consists of letters between the two protagonists, an idea that is very well carried out.

I didn't like this book as much as number 1. There are no letters, instead there's a deposition by Cecy and a diary by Kate. Kate writes annoying reminders in her diary, such as to remember to hem a dress. These remarks are distracting. It was still difficult to know which one of the two was talking, particulalry with their changed names. But also because Kate and Cecy sound the same. The main difference is that Kate gets down and tired from hardships, Cecy is more awake and actually does things (like magic).
The story itself was fun enough, but towards the end I was getting bored. It seemed like I was watching a chess game and was just waiting for the players to array their pieces to an inevitable win. Overall, it was enjoyable enough, but not as much fun as book nr 1.

I really wish reading a different edition would mark others as read because i dunno if I need to seek out the paperback version I clicked "to read" on earlier, right? anyway.

The Grand Tour takes Cecelia and Kate and their new husbands off to the Continent for a honeymoon tour, where they shortly become involved in tracking the disappearance of various coronation regalia and coming across an unpleasant person from their last adventure. Having read [a:Mackenzi Lee|7327341|Mackenzi Lee|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1512266703p2/7327341.jpg]'s Montague siblings books earlier this year, I remembered what a bear-leader was when they come across a young man also on a tour- both series pair nicely if you want to do fantasy!Regency reads (throwing in [a:Mary Robinette Kowal|2868678|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1365253716p2/2868678.jpg]'s Glamourist Histories too).

If I had reread [b:Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot|64207|Sorcery & Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Cecelia and Kate, #1)|Patricia C. Wrede|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388180354l/64207._SY75_.jpg|505], I probably would've been able to remember various relatives of theirs better. As it is, the people they meet on their journey kind of blended together for me (aside from Theodore), so when the grand architect of the scheme is revealed I had to flip back to when they were introduced because they weren't really on my radar (which was the point I guess?)

The fact that we end on Kate musing about how they'll all be better at letter writing/other things in 10 years and the next book's title being [b:The Mislaid Magician: or Ten Years After|169872|The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After (Cecelia and Kate, #3)|Patricia C. Wrede|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1435786675l/169872._SY75_.jpg|164037] feels intentional/on the nose, but the plots have been remarkably coherent for coming out of a letter writing game between authors.

This was a cute read and i realy loved seeing the world and meeting the characters. It was a fun fairytle like story, It also gave me massive land of stories vibes as well!!

This was a cute read and i realy loved seeing the world and meeting the characters. It was a fun fairytle like story, It also gave me massive land of stories vibes as well!!

Delightful. It's like reading Georgette Heyer but with magic.

Great story of a princess not being a princess! My daughter (8) loved it, and begged for 'just one more chapter', which is always a good sign. We will be jumping right into the next one!

I read this for an online book club. Fantasy is not a genre I usually read but I loved this. A feisty heroine, a female dragon, wicked wizards and a few lacklustre princes. Fantasy, adventure and humour. While reading this I wished I had a dragon and wondered if I knew any young girls I could give a copy of this book to. Intend to read the next 3 books in the series.

I'm enjoying the story, but it's a slow read for me and since it is due back at the library I won't be able to finish it. All of the story elements sound like this should be a quick read for me, but something about it is making it just the opposite. Part of it is that while I think it's great fun having Kayla's family get dragged along instead of it being just her (as with most Chosen One stories), her mom is really grating on my nerves. She's behaving as paranoid as I would expect from a mother in her situation, but I'm bored with the attitude. The constant "don't touch that" / "we need to go home" stuff got really old for me really fast, and as a result I read many fewer pages per sitting than I would have otherwise... and ended up needing to return the book to the library unfinished.

14-year-old Kayla has always known she was adopted, but it's still a bit of a shock when a cloaked man approaches her at the state fair, claiming to have been sent by her deceased biological father to bring her back to claim her inheritance. It's even more of a shock when Kayla, her mom, and her brother Del are whisked away to a place very different from St. Paul, Minnesota. At the castle of the Dark Lord of Zaradwin, things are in disarray. It's been ten years since the Dark Lord died, and only a handful of minions and retainers remain. Kayla discovers that she has family at the castle, but their motives are questionable and their histories secretive. Kayla's intrigued about learning magic, especially since it's probably the only way she can get her family back to their reality, but she doesn't want to be a Dark Lady if it involves torturing and executing people. She's caught between two worlds. Will she have to choose? Or are she and her family stuck in this world for good?

Wrede's juvenile fantasy is always fun and lighthearted without being insubstantial, and this is no exception. She's taken a different direction with this book, and I am enjoying seeing where she goes with it. (Though this book stands alone, there's definitely space for a sequel or two.) I really enjoyed the computer that turned into a familiar, and the snarky dragon's head door guard. I also loved that Wrede didn't take the typical route and leave the parent behind, but that Kayla's mom traveled with them to Zaradwin and was an integral part of the story. If you enjoy fantasy for kids, put this one on your reading list!½

As a kid I really enjoyed the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, and was very excited for a new book by Patricia C. Wrede. This new novel contains a lot of the fantasy-based humor and adventure of those excellent books, while being something completely different. A hilarious, middle-grade mash up of Machiavelli and Cold Comfort Farm (probably most hilarious for those familiar with Machiavelli and/or Cold Comfort Farm), somewhat reminiscent of a Terry Pratchett/Discworld novel. I found it delightful!

Dealing with Dragons is the first book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. I first read this series as a child and it stuck with me; not the details so much, but the feeling of the story. I'm now so excited to be reading it again with my daughter. :)

This book focuses on a character named Cimorene. She is a princess from a very traditional kingdom who is bored out of her mind with the role she's been born to. As a result, she decides to run away. This is a pretty standard trope of the rebel princess who seeks adventure and personal fulfillment over politics and power. Along the way she befriends a dragon named Kazul who agrees to "capture" her, another princess whose practicality outweighs her primness, and a very down-to-earth witch named Morwen.

The highlight of this story is the charming way in which it's written. Each situation is approached in such an absurd way, yet with such a "straight face" as it were, that you can't help but laugh. My only complaint is that Cimorene's attitude can come off a bit blase at times, making even the most climactic situations seem a bit trivial. Still, if you like dry wit, poking fun at classic fantasy tropes, and lighthearted adventure fit for kids and adults alike, this is a fun, fast read.

Fourteen-year-old Kayla Jones has always known she was adopted. But she is surprised to learn that she is the daughter of the Dark Lord of Zaradwin. She learns this when a man who has been searching for her for more than ten years finds her at the Minnesota State Fair with her mother and younger brother and takes them to the alternate universe so that she can become the newest Dark Lady.

Kayla has dealt with a lot in her young life including watching her adoptive father die of cancer when she was ten. But dealing with a new world and unwanted expectations might be too much for her without the support of her mother and younger brother.

This story had excellent worldbuilding. I especially liked how her computer turned into her familiar when she switched worlds. I also liked Kayla who was a mature and responsible young woman who wasn't going to let anyone push her around no matter how often she was told that something was Tradition.

Kayla is determined to be a new kind of Dark Lady and to make her new world better than it is when she arrives in it. This was an engaging story with well-rounded and interesting characters including a ten-year=old brother who wants to do magic so that he can make things explode.

I discovered this book when I was a teenager and it remains a delightful comfort read for me. The epistolary style is fun, especially with two different authors. It can sort of muddy up the story a bit in places, but it won't stop me from coming back to this book again when I just need to curl up with some tea and a fun and charming book.