Jessica Day George has written sixteen fantasy
novels for children and young adults, including the Dragon(skin) Slippers trilogy, the Princesses of Westfalin trilogy, and the Tuesdays at the Castle series. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Published By: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Year: 2008
ISBN-13: 978-1-59990-110-7
ISBN-10: 1-59990-110-2
Reading Level: Grades 8 and up
Reader’s Annotation:
When an army of dragons threatens to destroy the kingdom of
Feravel, Creel and her own dragon friends must try to stop them… and to solve
the mystery behind the unprovoked attack.
Plot Summary:
A year after the Dragon War, sixteen-year-old Creelisel
Carlburn is busy running her dress shop. She downplays her “heroine” status as
much as she can, and tries not to pine for Prince Luka, who can’t possibly
marry a commoner. She also steals occasional visits to the dragon king Shardas
and his queen Velika, whom no other human knows survived the War. But one day,
an urgent message from Luka shatters her life’s routine. The realm of Citatie
has declared war on their homeland of Feravel and its army is mounted on
dragons.
The threat is both deadly and baffling;
dragons are sapient, rational beings who normally never take part in human
wars. That is, unless a person controls their minds with alchemy, as the evil
Princess Amalia did a year ago. Therefore, Creel and her friends – human and
dragon alike – set off for Citatie to try to solve the mystery and prevent
the war. Has the king found a way to force the dragons to do his bidding? Or is
there another, more sinister power behind the looming catastrophe?
Critical Evaluation:
This sequel to Dragon(skin)
Slippers is a worthy follow-up to the first book. Less of a fractured
fairy tale than its predecessor and more of a straightforward action-adventure
story, this installment sees Creel, Shardas and friends face a threat more
frightening than any they’ve known before, leading them on an exciting, suspenseful
journey to save the kingdom of Feravel. Along this journey, we learn more about
dragon society, culture and history, as well as more
about the personal lives of Shardas and Velika as they confront the shadows of
their past. Meanwhile, Creel finds her courage and practical skills put to new
tests, and her relationships – friendships with humans and dragons alike, and the
romantic feelings she shares with Prince Luka – grow and deepen.
Through all the action, mystery,
character growth and intriguing fantasy, author George continues her good feminist
work from Dragon(skin) Slippers and gives
us strong, endearing heroines who defy stereotypes. Creel herself is still as
feisty, practical and witty as ever, yet her chief skill is still the classic
“feminine” art of sewing, which she uses in unique, amazing ways that
go far beyond “making clothes.” Meanwhile, her girly-girl friend Marta, who
starts the story fussing over her upcoming wedding and who in other books would be
mere moral support or comic relief, proves to be an incredibly brave, competent
heroine in her own right. These heroic girls work together with equally heroic
boys and dragons to protect all they hold dear, in an adventure that combines
humor, excitement, terrors, triumph, poignancy and heart, just as any
fantastical action-adventure novel should do.
Curriculum Ties:
*Fantasy worlds
*Feminism
Challenge Issues:
*Violence
*Disturbing imagery
*Forced dragon breeding
Why This Book?
With its intriguing action, engaging characters, and fresh, unique portrayals
both of dragons and of girl-power heroines, Dragon Flight is a worthy sequel to Dragon(skin) Slippers and an excellent book in its own right too.
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