Dragon Rider

Funke, Cornelia

ISBN 10: 0439456959 / ISBN 13: 9780439456951

Published by Chicken House, New York, 2004

About this Item

An AS NEW copy of the First American Edition, clean, crisp and unread first printing in blue laminated pictorial boards, gold titles, includes the SPECIAL FOLD-OUT MAP which has not yet been opened, map sticker on front panel, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR TO THE TITLE PAGE, with deep orange end papers, interior ink illustrations by the author, this book has been issued without a dust jacket. Funke is a wonderful storyteller, translated by Anthea Bell, her fanciful and compelling adventures are a great read for both children and adults. No dust jacket (as issued).

Seller Inventory # 000309

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Dragon Rider
• Publisher: Chicken House, New York
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0439456959
• ISBN 13: 9780439456951
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Printing: 1st Printing
• Condition: As New
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

Searching for the mythical Rim of Heaven, a place where dragons can be safe forever, Firedrake and Sorrel get assistance from the most unexpected source--an orphan boy named Ben--while battling against an evil dragon hunter bent on their destruction, in a collector's edition which includes an illustrated prequel, letter from the author, dragon lore, and more.

Review

It’s a fantasy, it’s long and it’s got dragons in it. It’s bound to be another hit book from Cornelia Funke! Ever since the popularity of the German author of bestselling fantasies The Thief Lord and Inkheart went global a few years ago, her legion of fans have demanded more books from her than she can reasonably hope to write each year. So, re-discovering this hefty, earlier novel from 1997 was a logical development--and her keenest readers will devour it as before.

Possibly aimed at slightly younger readers than her previous novels, despite its massive five hundred pages, Dragon Rider is about a brave young dragon called Firedrake who embarks upon a dangerous journey to the Rim of Heaven in the Himalayas--a magical place where silver dragons can rest easy, free from the threat of destruction by mankind and their only hope of sanctuary. The key to its location is a map rendered by a rat who is a master cartographer.

Firedrake is joined on his quest by Ben, an orphaned boy, and Sorrell--a wise-cracking Brownie that is an odd, but ingenious, grumpy kind of fairy. Their journey is not a straightforward one by any means. Created by an alchemist called Petrosius Henbane in 1424, Nettlebrand is their biggest threat--a malevolent creature covered in impenetrable gold plates that is intent on destroying them. He is aided by Twigleg, a homunculus who has stowed away in Ben’s bag and who is feeding reports on their progress back to his master.

Their exciting encounters are many--and the colourful fold-out map in the book’s centre is an added bonus. It is easy to forgive the narrative’s excessive length when readers are gorging on such a wonderfully inventive and readable story from an author who has her readers in the palm of her hand on every page. (Age 9 and over) --John McLay