Dealing with Dragons

This was a really fun read. It did have some issues that I imagine would not have been issues at all at the time it was first published (in 1990) but seem pretty glaring today in 2023. Overall though, if you take it in the context of the time of publishing, this pushed the boundaries for what was considered “done” at the time.

In fact, the concept of “what is done” is pretty prominent in this book. For our protagonist, Princess Cimorene of Linderwall, she has spent literally her whole life rebelling against what is “done” for princesses. She tries to take up classes for magic, juggling, cooking, etc. but her parents the King and Queen veto-ed this, saying it wasn't “done”. Instead, she has to go for dancing, embroidery, and protocol classes to prepare herself for marriage. The last straw comes when Cimorene is almost forced into an arranged marriage with Prince Therandil, who is princely and handsome enough but Cimorene isn't looking for marriage in the first place. She runs away and comes into the service of Kazul, a dragon.

The first few chapters took a bit of adjustment because there was something “not like other girls” to Cimorene, which didn't go down well with me. She holds herself apart from her sisters and other princesses, who are depicted as empty-headed, bimbotic, and blindly compliant to the expectations of society and the lives their parents plan out for them, i.e. marrying a prince for the sake of the kingdom. This was probably a refreshing take back in 1990, but today it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb. Cimorene is crotchety and pretty much annoyed with just about everyone except the dragons - I don't really know why she finds herself so loyal so fast to the dragons.

The concept of dragons having princesses to serve them is also somewhat problematic in this time and age. Cimorene stumbles into the dragons' den and volunteers herself to be a princess for one of them to avoid getting eaten. The whole system is founded upon the fact that dragons kidnap princesses (except Cimorene, who only volunteers under duress anyway) who then have to serve them pretty much like a slave. Though Cimorene serves willingly and happily enough, it's clear that princesses aren't allowed a choice in the matter nor are they allowed to run away without consequences. The only way a princess can leave a dragon's service is either by escaping themselves, or waiting for a prince to come and save them. Perhaps this is trying to turn the trope of “dragons holding princesses hostage” on its head where we have a princess who is enjoying her time with the dragons, but it doesn't quite endear the reader to the dragons in 2023. Even Kazul, undoubtedly the dragon we get closest to in this book, does sometimes bristle at the thought of Cimorene “running away”, and also never once asks Cimorene whether she wants to stay with her or leave. Dragons keep princesses as a sort of status symbol, as described in the book, which just smacks a lot like a system of slavery even if it's heavily sugarcoated with our protagonist sidign with and eventually saving the dragons at the end of the day from the intrigues of the real antagonists, the wizards.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the writing of this book. The characters were vibrant and lively and there were some truly comedic moments in here. The setting and plot was a little absurd, almost in the vein of Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones, so fans of these authors may still enjoy this book like I did. The story does subvert a lot of classic fantasy tropes at the time, and does a good job at it. It was a short, easy read, meant for middle-grade audiences, and was also light-hearted enough that it helped me through a reading slump.

Reading it for the first time at the age of 69, I'm not the intended audience for this children's book.

Bearing that in mind, it's a congenial tale that's good enough to be readable by adults. It has a definite plot and a set of characters, and the heroine has personality. She deals with her problems with intelligence and determination.

I think it deserves three stars from me because I enjoyed it well enough and wasn't bored. Maybe I'll read it again someday. But I don't think it reaches the level of the best in children's fiction, and I don't feel an immediate urge to buy the sequels.

Fiction (yes, even fantasy fiction involving magic) should feel like something that's really happening to real people, but here I never lost the feeling that I was listening to a tale being told about made-up people. It's quite a good tale, but it doesn't feel real to me.

Cimorene isn't a normal princess. Instead of learning how to sew and dance, she would much rather be casting spells and fencing. When her parents decide it is time for her to be a proper princess and marry a prince, Cimorene runs away. She doesn't want to be a bored girl sitting in a castle all day. She would much rather live with a dragon, and she does just that. Living with the dragon Kazul, Cimorene will learn what it means to find her place in the world.

This is a light fun story for early readers. I can see this being the perfect introduction to the fantasy genre. The story touches on common fairy tales and has a main character who outsmarts even the best of her opponents. Cimorene is a strong female lead for growing girls to follow, and I think they will find it amusing that she doesn't want to be a normal princess. Cimorene dares to break the mold and does so in a way that is neither offensive or rude.

It's hard to find books that are appropriate these days for young adults. While this may be a simpler read, I can see teens enjoying it just as much as the young crowd. I first read this when I was in my teens and found it a quick funny read. Coming back to the story now that I am older, I still found it entertaining and I smiled at Cimorene's antics.

I read this in 3rd grade, it's what I considered my first “real” book and it is the book that started my reading obsession. I really had some difficulty with reading before this book. After “Dealing with Dragon” I remember it kind of clicking.
I just read it again and it has not lost it's magic for me. It was turning fairy tails upside down before it was cool. I wouldn't be surprised if the makers of Shrek had read this first. Cimorene is a princess who doesn't want to be a princess so goes to live with a dragon. At age the of 9, I was enthralled. As a child of the 90's I was already in love with “The Little Mermaid,” and “Beauty and the Beast” (my personal favorite) was just coming out. So this was a perfect anti-princess to go along with the head strong Ariel and Belle. If you have a little girl that you want to get interested in reading, this would be a great place to start.
Unfortunately this was before Amazon, so I wan't able to get my hands on the rest of the series until I was an adult. But the rest of the books are not necessary (though they are recommended as well.)

My sons loved this book, so I had
to give it a read. Very clever
story of a princess who grows weary
of embroidery and etiquette and goes
to stay with a dragon. First of
a series. Recommended.

Dealing with Dragons was fun but predictable for an adult. I think I would have given it 5 stars when I was a kid, as Cimorene was the heroine I wanted and needed in the early 90s. I was that “tomboy” who wanted to see a princess who acted like me!

I listened to the audiobook but would recommend reading it instead. I'll give that a try when I pick up the second book in the series.

What a delightfully enchanting book! Turning tropes on their heads and referencing fairytales and myths along the way, Dealing With Dragons is an adventure you'll want to take! It's smart and witty, imaginative and simply charming. Although it is its own thing, the tone and ‘feeling' of the book reminded me of Diana Wynne Jones' book Howl's Moving Castle...and that's a huge compliment, because I've rarely found a book to compare.
Main character Cimorene is a wonderfully smart and independent princess who breaks tradition to go work for a dragon and that's only the beginning of the adventure that will take her into an enchanted forest, cross paths with witches and wizards, other princesses, stone knights and a whole slew of magic. Top that off with a light mystery and you have a winner all around. Suitable for the young and the young at heart and highly recommended!

The audiobook was FANTASTIC and only about 5ish hours long. Highly recommend it as there are multiple colorful narrators that truly bring life to the characters. That being said, all the names will probably be misspelled.

This story did not go as I expected it to; it was much better!! I would say that it had a very strong beginning, somewhat slower middle, but a fast paced and exciting ending. Our main character is a princess named Cimorene. She doesn't want to be a conventional princess and marry a prince, so she runs away to be a dragon's princess. Specifically, Kazul's princess.

Kazul is a super cool dragon. She completely sounds and acts like a dragon, but she is also very witty, intelligent, and cunning. She treats Cimorene well and fairly. I adored their relationship. I wouldn't call them friends, but they were friendly to each other, and there was loyalty and a bond between them both. Their personalities were perfect for each other.

Along the way, Cimorene also meets another princess named Aleanora. They had a nice friendship. I liked how all of the princesses got to see each other despite being captured by dragons. I expected Cimorene to end up finding a prince and falling in love, but instead, she helps the other girls find princes, which was great! I totally wasn't expecting it, and I actually really like that she stayed by Kazul's side when Kazul became king of the dragons. She isn't ready to settle down yet, and that's OK. She should enjoy her freedom while she can.

Overall, I would call this a lighthearted and charming fantasy story. It's silly and cute, but not childish. It's always lovely to read a story about dragons without the “the dragons are dying out“ or “this is the last dragon alive” tropes. I would recommend it to others, and I would listen to it again in the future.