Dragon Rider

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke, 2004

If you are a fan of Inkheart and The Thief Lord, you will enjoy Funke's new novel. Dragons and dragon stories are always favorites with fantasy readers. This is a pleasant interlude while you wait for the sequel to Eragon.

Firedrake the dragon and Sorrel the brownie are on a quest to find the Rim of Heaven, a legendary safe haven for dragons. They meet Ben, a young boy without a home or family who helps and accompanies them on their trip. Unknown to the trio, they are being stalked by Nettlebrand, a blood thirsty golden dragon. The story is full of fantastic creatures including Twigleg, a homunculus and Gravelbeard, a mountain dwarf, fairies and a djinni. This is an adventure with well drawn characters.

I listened to the story on tape. It is read by Brendan Fraser. It took me a while to settle in to the flow of Fraser's reading. It was a little difficult to separate "him" (George of the Jungle and The Mummy) from the story but after a while I warmed to his fine voicings and interpretation. He obviously put his heart into the production and his distinct accents and characterizations are well done. This is an entertaining tale and an enjoyable "listening" experience. Hearing a novel is a different experience than reading it. I think I would hear Fraser's Twigleg and Sorrel if I were to read it now. This would be a great"travel" tape to listen to while you are on the road.