All About Middle Grade Review: Searching for Dragons

Searching for Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, 2) by Patricia C. Wrede; Illustrated by Peter de Sève, November 1, 2002 (originally published 1991). 242 pages. Published by HMH Books for Young Readers. Source: Gift/Own

Kidnap a dragon? How daring!How stupid
Cimorene, the princess who refuses to be proper, is back--but where is Kazul the dragon? That's what Cimorene is determined to find out.

Luckily--or perhaps not-so-luckily--she's got help: Mendenbar, the not-very-kingly King of the Enchanted Forest, has joined her in her quest. So with the aid of a broken-down magic carpet, a leaky magical sword, and a few buckets of soapy lemon water, they set off across the Enchanted Forest to tackle the dragon-napping and save the King of the Dragons.

First Sentence:

The king of the Enchanted Forest was twenty years old and lived in a rambling, scrambling, mixed-up castle somewhere near the center of his domain.

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this from my wonderful Secret Sister through the OTSP Secret Sister program during the first round I participated in. Sadly, I failed to read it till last month...but I enjoyed reading it so much and it was just what I needed!!

• Searching for Dragons was better than I could have hoped for. It was exactly what a sequel should be as the story progressed a pace, the characters showed great depth, and to top it off, it was hilarious as can be! I snickered my way through this book as Mendenbar was was hopelessly funny and Cimorene was just as blunt as I remembered. In short, they made a wonderful combination as they tramped through the Enchanted Forest and outlying lands in search of the King of the Dragons. 

• Cimorene and Mendenbar! They were such an interesting combination; it was both hilarious and enjoyable to see how reluctant, for different reasons, they were to team up with each other and yet they worked so well together. In a vague way, they reminded me of Howl and Sophie, so that, and just them, is what them so much fun to read about.

• In the first book, I admit that I was curious to know more about the Enchanted Forest and who all lived there. So I was excited to see more of the story take place there. Also, a little random but Morwen and her cats! They were awesome!! Patricia C. Wrede's writing did not disappoint in the least! She just has this knack for writing such fascinating worlds and characters! 

Final Verdict: Searching for Dragons- If what you're looking for is a wonderfully imaginative world filled with interesting characters and sprinkled with humor, then look no further. I'm all a-flail over not having book three at my disposal. 

Searching for Dragons earns

A copy of this book was received as a gift (not for review). All thoughts are my own.