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Queen Cimorene turns to her friends Morwen, Telemain, and Kazul for help when troublesome wizards make their way back into the Enchanted Forest and begin to soak up its magic.Tags
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The wizards are up to no good again, and this time it starts with a seven-foot-tall rabbit named Killer who ran afoul of the residual effects of a spell. The wizards have stolen Mendanbar’s sword, and Cimorene, Morwen, Kazul, and Telemain set out on a quest to recover it — along with a couple of Morwen’s cats and Killer, who seems to have an absolute genius for getting into magical mishaps.
There’s so much to love here. The interactions between characters are fantastic, the humor is delightful, and the plot moves briskly on through various twists and turns. This is my favorite book of the series, even though it does end in a whopping big cliffhanger. Read it, but have the sequel at hand.
There’s so much to love here. The interactions between characters are fantastic, the humor is delightful, and the plot moves briskly on through various twists and turns. This is my favorite book of the series, even though it does end in a whopping big cliffhanger. Read it, but have the sequel at hand.
This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Calling on Dragons
Series: Enchanted Forest Chronicles #3
Author: Patricia Wrede
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 274
Format: Digital Edition
Synopsis:
Morwen the Witch, and her 9 cats, are trying to help out Cimorene and the King of the Enchanted Forest. Wizards have stolen his magic sword which makes the Enchanted Forest vulnerable. So Morwen, Cimorene, the magician, Kazul the King of the Dragons and an enchanted bunny that eventually show more turns into a flying, blue, ghost donkey [seriously!] all set out to recover the sword.
They are successful but upon their return to the Enchanted Forest they find that the King and his castle have been put inside a super powerful shield spell by the wizards and only the magic sword can cut through it. Unfortunately, only a direct heir to the king can wield the sword. Cimorene is pregnant, so all they have to do is wait for the kid to be born and grow up enough to use the sword.
No problemo!
My Thoughts:
This was fun. Just like the other books, it is definitely middle grade, but it is well written that even a young virile man like myself can enjoy it.
I liked this better than the previous book and I suspect that is because Wrede writes from a female main character perspective. Killer the rabbit, who through an ongoing reaction to various magics, ends up as a blue, flying, ghost donkey, alternated between an annoying prat and an extremely funny foil. I think he would have been funnier if he hadn't had so many lines.
The cats were great little snippets of personality here and there. They exuded “catness” in everything they said and did. I'm guessing Wrede owns cats.
My only grouse comes from a more adult perspetive. Those pesky wizards. Instead of just melting them, and having them reform after a couple of days, why not let the dragons eat them wholesale OR have Mendenbarr [the king of the Enchanted Forest] hunt them down with his magic sword, assassin style.
She could even have him be on the cover of another book as this dark broody guy in a hooded cape with lots of glitter. You know, the kind of cover that seems to be on most of the YA crap out there these days. Or he could be this huge buff guy with no shirt and long hair kissing some buxom lass with half her clothes gone. I would title that one: “Mendenbarr: King Of Love” with a byline, “he KNOWS how to use that sword”. Surprisingly, Wrede never even ASKED for my input in any form for these potential spinoff novels. I would have totally split the royalties with her. But hey, not everyone recognizes genius when they see it.
In closing, a good light read that I have NO regrets about re-reading.
★★★★☆ show less
Title: Calling on Dragons
Series: Enchanted Forest Chronicles #3
Author: Patricia Wrede
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 274
Format: Digital Edition
Synopsis:
Morwen the Witch, and her 9 cats, are trying to help out Cimorene and the King of the Enchanted Forest. Wizards have stolen his magic sword which makes the Enchanted Forest vulnerable. So Morwen, Cimorene, the magician, Kazul the King of the Dragons and an enchanted bunny that eventually show more turns into a flying, blue, ghost donkey [seriously!] all set out to recover the sword.
They are successful but upon their return to the Enchanted Forest they find that the King and his castle have been put inside a super powerful shield spell by the wizards and only the magic sword can cut through it. Unfortunately, only a direct heir to the king can wield the sword. Cimorene is pregnant, so all they have to do is wait for the kid to be born and grow up enough to use the sword.
No problemo!
My Thoughts:
This was fun. Just like the other books, it is definitely middle grade, but it is well written that even a young virile man like myself can enjoy it.
I liked this better than the previous book and I suspect that is because Wrede writes from a female main character perspective. Killer the rabbit, who through an ongoing reaction to various magics, ends up as a blue, flying, ghost donkey, alternated between an annoying prat and an extremely funny foil. I think he would have been funnier if he hadn't had so many lines.
The cats were great little snippets of personality here and there. They exuded “catness” in everything they said and did. I'm guessing Wrede owns cats.
My only grouse comes from a more adult perspetive. Those pesky wizards. Instead of just melting them, and having them reform after a couple of days, why not let the dragons eat them wholesale OR have Mendenbarr [the king of the Enchanted Forest] hunt them down with his magic sword, assassin style.
She could even have him be on the cover of another book as this dark broody guy in a hooded cape with lots of glitter. You know, the kind of cover that seems to be on most of the YA crap out there these days. Or he could be this huge buff guy with no shirt and long hair kissing some buxom lass with half her clothes gone. I would title that one: “Mendenbarr: King Of Love” with a byline, “he KNOWS how to use that sword”. Surprisingly, Wrede never even ASKED for my input in any form for these potential spinoff novels. I would have totally split the royalties with her. But hey, not everyone recognizes genius when they see it.
In closing, a good light read that I have NO regrets about re-reading.
★★★★☆ show less
A ha! I had been wondering whose point of view we'd be treated to next. Calling on Dragons, the third book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, is told from Morwen's point of view. The wizards are at it again, threatening the Enchanted Forest with their latest devious scheme. It's up to Morwen, Cimorene, a couple cats and Kazhul to figure out what's going on and find a way to stop them.
I like how each book is from a different point of view. Morwen and her cats are a great pick. You just knew in the first two books the cats were saying things and now we finally get to understand. It was worth the wait. The cats tend to steal the scenes they are in with their fun banter. Morwen is practical and efficient. I enjoyed her point of view and show more learning a little more about magic in this world.
Then there's Killer, the enchanted rabbit found eating in Morwen's garden at the beginning of the story. Good lord he's annoying! There was also less of the fairy tale aspect to the book, which was a shame. Even with less twisted fairy tales involved, I love Wrede's take on Rapunzel.
Between my two complaints, this entry didn't captivate me as much as the first two. It also ends unresolved. Still the story remains a nice, light read. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends. show less
I like how each book is from a different point of view. Morwen and her cats are a great pick. You just knew in the first two books the cats were saying things and now we finally get to understand. It was worth the wait. The cats tend to steal the scenes they are in with their fun banter. Morwen is practical and efficient. I enjoyed her point of view and show more learning a little more about magic in this world.
Then there's Killer, the enchanted rabbit found eating in Morwen's garden at the beginning of the story. Good lord he's annoying! There was also less of the fairy tale aspect to the book, which was a shame. Even with less twisted fairy tales involved, I love Wrede's take on Rapunzel.
Between my two complaints, this entry didn't captivate me as much as the first two. It also ends unresolved. Still the story remains a nice, light read. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends. show less
I remember being so excited when this book came out. I had forgotten it had ended on such a bloody cliffhanger! My 12 year old self must have been devastated to have to wait yet again for the next book. Thankfully, I seem to recall it came out fairly soon after.
Okay, so much love for this book. Morwen's the POV character! Blue floating donkey with wings, named Killer! Cats being cats! Firewitch! And enough sly references to childhood stories to make me grin (Farmer MacDonald redoing the economic model of his father's farm, Rachel letting down her chair).
One thing that always bothered me... whatever happened to Killer?
Okay, so much love for this book. Morwen's the POV character! Blue floating donkey with wings, named Killer! Cats being cats! Firewitch! And enough sly references to childhood stories to make me grin (Farmer MacDonald redoing the economic model of his father's farm, Rachel letting down her chair).
One thing that always bothered me... whatever happened to Killer?
This series is forever destined to be slightly incomplete on my GoodReads shelves because there's no way I can remember just how many times I reread it as a child. Of all the books in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, it is this and [book: Dealing with Dragons|150739] that I had the clearest memories of. It amuses me a bit that Brandel, the fire mage, I recalled so clearly as being my favorite character in this book apart from Morwen... he's barely in the book at all. What exactly was I thinking?
Following [book: Searching for Dragons|169875] tradition of following a character other than Cimorene, this book focuses upon the wonderful witch Morwen and her cats. The wizards are up to no good again, only this time they're far more organized. show more When the Enchanted Forest is once more beginning to be peppered with dead patches, and Mandanbar finds his sword stolen, Morwen, a pregnant Cimorene, Kazul, and an unfortunately magically changed six foot something rabbit, go to confront the wizards and find out what's up. The book is funny, fast-paced, and just about as full of laughs as the others. Only this time [author: Patricia C. Wrede|36122] seems far more self-assured, and ends the book on a somewhat maddening cliff-hanger wherein very few of the characters are truly satisfied at all.
If you get this book for your kid - make sure you have the next one ready for when they finish.
I loved this book just as much as I have the rest of the series. It's funny, clever, and Cimorene is as wonderful as she always is. Morwen is a particularly inspirational character for me, if only because of her practical nature and ability to compose herself so incredibly well at the first sign of distress. There's a lot to be said about patience while reading this book, and how much it may be tested upon reaching the ending. I can remember how quickly I devoured the final book after, as well as the much beloved [book: Book of Enchantments] after that. I'm going to be sad when I'm done rereading them, I think, but at least now I know some young girls I can buy this series for as soon as they're old enough for it! show less
Following [book: Searching for Dragons|169875] tradition of following a character other than Cimorene, this book focuses upon the wonderful witch Morwen and her cats. The wizards are up to no good again, only this time they're far more organized. show more When the Enchanted Forest is once more beginning to be peppered with dead patches, and Mandanbar finds his sword stolen, Morwen, a pregnant Cimorene, Kazul, and an unfortunately magically changed six foot something rabbit, go to confront the wizards and find out what's up. The book is funny, fast-paced, and just about as full of laughs as the others. Only this time [author: Patricia C. Wrede|36122] seems far more self-assured, and ends the book on a somewhat maddening cliff-hanger wherein very few of the characters are truly satisfied at all.
If you get this book for your kid - make sure you have the next one ready for when they finish.
I loved this book just as much as I have the rest of the series. It's funny, clever, and Cimorene is as wonderful as she always is. Morwen is a particularly inspirational character for me, if only because of her practical nature and ability to compose herself so incredibly well at the first sign of distress. There's a lot to be said about patience while reading this book, and how much it may be tested upon reaching the ending. I can remember how quickly I devoured the final book after, as well as the much beloved [book: Book of Enchantments] after that. I'm going to be sad when I'm done rereading them, I think, but at least now I know some young girls I can buy this series for as soon as they're old enough for it! show less
Calling on Dragons is the third book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, and this time King Mendenbar's magic sword has been stolen. But in order to protect the Enchanted Forest, Mendenbar must stay behind while Queen Cimorene sets out with their friends to retrieve the sword. The only thing is, she's pregnant.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the bad guys are just lame. Once more the wizards are hatching their nefariously inept plots, and once more they are melted only to reappear later. *sigh* I've seen this somewhere before — oh yes, in the first two books.
The one thing I liked about this one was how it doesn't end all happily ever after. It clearly sets up for the next book, but things don't work out so neatly this time and show more there's a price to pay. Love is costly. This one plot point rings true amidst a clangor of jokes and sarcasm.
The fun that is poked at fairy tales is amusing at times ("Mirror, mirror on the wall / I would like to make a call"), but ultimately this is another forgettable installment in a highly overrated series. show less
As other reviewers have mentioned, the bad guys are just lame. Once more the wizards are hatching their nefariously inept plots, and once more they are melted only to reappear later. *sigh* I've seen this somewhere before — oh yes, in the first two books.
The one thing I liked about this one was how it doesn't end all happily ever after. It clearly sets up for the next book, but things don't work out so neatly this time and show more there's a price to pay. Love is costly. This one plot point rings true amidst a clangor of jokes and sarcasm.
The fun that is poked at fairy tales is amusing at times ("Mirror, mirror on the wall / I would like to make a call"), but ultimately this is another forgettable installment in a highly overrated series. show less
I don't think I've ever been embarrassed by a book's cover before... Still cringing about the rabbit/donkey character, although he was not the only cringe-worthy part of this tale. To be fair, this is not really my type of smut and I should probably stick to my dark & twisty lane. I'd already decided not to continue the series THEN got teased with a time loop in the next/final installment. Damn it, but I'm a sucker for time distortion.
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Author Information
42+ Works 41,484 Members
Patricia Collins Wrede is an American fantasy writer, born 1953 in Chicago, Illinois; she is the eldest of five children. She graduated from Carleton College in 1974 with a BA in Biology. She earned an MBA from University of Minnesota in 1977. She finished her first book in 1978. She is a full-time writer. She is a vegetarian and lives in show more Minneapolis, Minnesota with her three cats. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- Calling on Dragons
- Original title
- Calling on Dragons
- Original publication date
- 1993
- People/Characters
- Cimorene; Mendanbar; Telemain; Morwen; Scorn; Chaos (show all 19); Trouble; Murgatroyd; Fiddlesticks; Miss Eliza Tudor; Jasmine ; Jasper Darlington Higgins IV; Aunt Ophelia; Killer; Kazul; Arona Michaelear Grinogion Vamist; Antorell; Zemenar; Brandel
- Dedication
- For my nieces and nephews,
with love and the hope
that they will grow up reading - First words
- Deep in the Enchanted Forest, in a neat grey house with a with a wide porch and a red roof, lived the witch Morwen and her nine cats.
- Quotations
- 2015 ebook omnibus intro:
Calling on Dragons is not merely a book I hadn't intended to write; it was the one book of the four that I actively didn't want to write. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Together they walked through the trees to find a place to hide the sword against the time when Daystar would be old enough to use it.
- Original language
- English
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- Fantasy, Fiction and Literature, Tween, Kids, Teen
- DDC/MDS
- 813.54 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PZ8 .W92 .C — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
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