SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY
When Humans threaten the existence of the dragons, Firedrake goes off to find the hiding place of the dragons: "the Rim of Heaven". Along with him comes the brownie Sorrel, and the human boy, Ben. They gain new friends and allies, but have to contend with Nettlebrand, the golden one whose one desire is to kill all dragons.
OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS
Firedrake is the youngest of his clan of dragons. He alone decides to go off and find the rim of heaven. He seems less biased against humans than the other dragons, as he quickly goes to Ben's aide. He is rather brave and stubborn.
Ben is a young boy who lives on the streets. He is rather guarded about this aspect of his life. He is adventurous, eagerly wanting to go alone with Firedrake and Sorrel. He quickly wants to help his new friends, distracting some workers from where the dragon is hidden.
Sorrel is the brownie that comes along with Firedrake. She is grumbly and sarcastic, always complaining but willing to do anything to help, none the less. Often times her sarcastic lines provide humor in the story.
Twigleg is the homunculus who is sent to spy on Ben and his friends. Having been constantly abused by his master, Twigleg is unused to being treated so kindly by Ben. He quickly develops a softness for Ben, even though he tries not to.
Nettlebrand is the villain of the story. He is not an actual dragon, but instead a golden machine. He was created with the intent purpose of tracking down and killing the dragons. He is foreshadowed at the “golden one”. He can travel and communicate throw bodies of water.
Professor Bloomberg has an interest and knowledge of mystical creatures and because of that he is not taken seriously by his peers. He is willing to put himself in danger for his new friends and eager to learn about the dragons.
PACING
The pacing is decent. From the first two chapters, we learn of the threat and Firedrake goes off to the city and by chapter four we have met Ben. And by seven, Ben is leaving with them and they have acquired a map, really getting the adventure started.
EVERYONE HAS A ROLE- SPOILERS
An aspect I liked was how most every characters had a key role in the story. Right off the bat, Ben saves Firedrake, distracting some men so Sorrel can go warn him. It also turns out that only a human can ask a djinn a question, which means Ben is the only option.
Twigleg manages to free a caged Sorrel by picking her lock and sends Nettlebrand on a wild goose chase.
Greenbloom saves Firedrake from a basilisk with his knowledge and using a mirror.
Lola the rat uses her plane to reveal if Nettlebrand is in hiding, waiting for them.
You would think being a dragon, Firedrake would be overpowering, but even he has to be saved a time or two.
Even a seemingly unimportant dwarf plays a crucial part.
A WONDERFUL WORLD
One of my favorite aspects of the book is the variety of magical beings we get to meet. From elves and basilisks to sandmen and dwarves. We even see a Roc. And all of them have unique attributes, like the dwarves being helpless if you steal their hats and the elves running off if you insult them...alphabetically. This kind of originality sets Funke apart from many other writers.
DRAGONS AND THE MOON
It's set up in the story that dragon's get their strength from the moon. This later plays an important role in the story. Not only does this help us end the story and fix the problem, but it also reveals the folly of the missing dragons.
ROTTEN HUMANS
It is presented in the first chapter that humans are a threat to magical creatures and are despised. This could have easily been sprinkled throughout the whole book and preached. I have read quite a few books where the reader is lectured about how evil humans are and that they destroy the planet. It get's obnoxious, especially since the magical races can often live in ways humans cannot or have technology we have not yet attained. But luckily, it isn't overblown. So we get the idea, and move on. Although it would have been nice for Ben to stand up for humanity, and maybe have them admit that they might have been wrong about some of the humans.
FIREDRAKE
One thing I wasn't sure about, was Firedrake's personality. He is the youngest of his pack, but he doesn't seem naive or ignorant. He isn't biased against Ben, but never explains why nor points out to Sorrel why she is wrong about humans. Basically all of the dragons despise them. So why such a large shift from Firedrake? He didn't seem to disagree with his family at the beginning of the book. I wish he had been skeptical of Ben, and then surprised at his behavior. But there isn't much of an expression of doubt or shock. I felt like throughout most of the book, his personality was expressed by the affection of him nuzzling Sorrel and Ben. It's all over the book.
And we never discuss why he alone must go on this quest. There is no anger or argument in the beginning, it just seems the Firedrake doesn't put much thought into this quest. Only Sorrel comprehends the danger, which is fine. But the motivation is never really clear. Has he thought of this before? Is he restless? Does he get along with his pack? I just felt he was lacking.
BEN'S PAST
One critique I have is Ben's past...it's never expanded on. Multiple times in the book, by different characters, he is asked about his family. He says he never had one. So was he an orphan? What happened to his parents? Did he have a foster family or live in an orphanage. How did he end up on the streets? How long had he been there? I just wanted a shred of a story. But I never got it. I felt I could have felt closer to his character if I learned more about him.
PROPHECY OF THE DRAGON RIDER
It turns out there is an old prophecy of a dragon rider who once lived, and will come back as a boy. It turns out that boy might be Ben. I thought the history was kind of interesting, but another part of me feels like the whole “chosen one” and “prophecy” has been done to death. But it doesn't take up a huge part of the story and Ben does not dwell on it too much.
A NEW FAMILY - SPOILERS
Professor Greenbloom eventually asks Ben if he want's to be apart of the family, with his daughter Guinevere, and his wife, Vita. I thought this was sweet, as Ben couldn't live with the dragons. But I felt I would have understood Ben's desire for a family more if I had known more of his hardships of living in the streets and how long he had been doing so.
CLIMAX
The end of the story is not a knock-down, drag out fight. Instead it involves information we gained early, combined with new information. We learn about Nettlebrand's weakness and scheme to exploit it. I liked this because felt that everything came together decently in the end.
CONCLUSION
Funke creates an original world with magical creatures that have unique attributes found nowhere else. The large variety of creatures met really makes the story stand out. Sorrel and Twigleg have strong personalities, but Ben and Firedrake are lacking slightly. Ben because of his lack of a history, and Firedrake because of a lack of personality and motivation. I give “Dragon Rider” three and a half stars.
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