always a little sad to come back to a book from when you were a child & find it a lot thinner than you remember, not helped by this not being a very good audiobook

In the fourth book chronologically, but first written - technically a prequel - Queen Cimorene fetches the sword of the sleeping king and kicks 16-year-old Daystar out of the house and into the Enchanted Woods after a visit from the wizard Antorell (who Cimorene melts, of course). Daystar doesn't know his true identity or who his father is or what he's supposed to do, but he has impeccable manners and a good bit of knowledge from Cimorene, including some dragon magic. He teams up with fire-witch Shiara and a young dragon, Morwen and a cat called Nightwitch; they venture through the Caves of Chance to the castle, where they battle wizards and rescue Mendenbar. While Daystar finally learns the truth about his family, Morwen and Telemain plan to marry, and Shiara becomes Kazul's newest princess. ( )

I just learned that this was actually the first book published in the series, and that the first three were prequels. Odd, that. I am absolutely amazed that the story works as well as it does with the rest of the series, and that Wrede was able to fit all the pieces together. But then, I can't imagine what someone who was reading this book without having read the first three would make of the story - which honestly needed all the backstory to make sense.

I still remember the letter I wrote to Wrede after reading this book after it was re-released. It was one gigantic list of questions - What happened to Killer? How were there wizards on the side of good? That sort of stuff. Even as a kid I was an astute reader. Wrede's response was something akin to "I don't know the answers myself!"

I'm glad that I discovered this series in my very formative years. I'm positive that they made me a life-long fantasy reader, and lover of cracked fairy-tales. ( )

This book really didn't do anything for me, except provide closure for the last book. Loved the first and second books in the series, didn't much are for 3 4 -- not sure if it's me not being in the mood, or just a lack of convincing adventure. Also, Cimorene can get away with teaching her son to be polite to dragons, but not teaching him to dissolve wizards with soapy water? Why not? ergh. ( )

WHY IS DAYSTAR SO DUMB? this book gets three stars because of the halo effect of the other three books. ALSO! The audible version is read in a way that makes Daystar seem even more dumb, just endlessly surprised by all events. ( )