The Dragon Whisperer - Lucinda Hare

Summary from Amazon:

Imagine you could talk to dragons...

Quenelda has always had a magical bond with dragons, and her greatest wish is to fly one and fight alongside her father in the war against the hobgoblins.

Root, on the other hand, wishes only to avoid the fearsome creatures, so the role of Quenelda’s esquire is the last thing he needs.

But an unexpected friendship is forged, and when Dragons Dome is besieged by a deadly plot, this unlikely duo must find a way to defeat the dark forces.

Epic battles, whispered legends and soaring magic combine in this breathtaking debut fantasy, with black and white illustrations by David Wyatt.

~~~ 

I'm not sure whether I'll be able to convey with words what I felt reading The Dragon Whisperer and Flight To Dragon Isle. The books were so irresistibly wonderful that I've read them back to back one after the other in a couple of days. I felt like I was ten again and that the universe was just a big adventure waiting to be discovered. This series is an absolutely fantastic story and it brilliantly fills the void left by the end of Harry Potter.

Quenelda is the daughter of the Earl Rufus DeWinter, Commander of the Stealth Dragon Service (SDS), the force composed of humans and dragons fighting in a place where hobglobins threatened the very existence of both species. Quenelda's mother is unknown and her step-brother is arrogant and proud. Unlike other ladies of the Court, Quenelda doesn't care much about etiquette or pretty dresses, she only has eyes for dragons. Quenelda meets Root, a young gnome, who is afraid of dragons but is brave, courageous and a fabulous compagnion who will stay by Quenelda's side. Theirs is a story of true friendship. They are different but are brought together by circumstances and a strong will. When a horrendous plan is put together to overthrow Quenelda's father and hurt the peace created by the SDS, Quenelda doesn't hesitate to act even though she is a girl and still a child.

I absolutely adored the dragons, their names (Two Gulps And You're Gone is the funniest dragon name!) and the way they interacted with Quenelda in particular. Lucinda Hare has created a fantastic world revolving around those fabulous creatures and you can see the passion she has for animals bursting through every page. I really wish this place existed so that I could live there!

It is a beautiful story but there is so much more to it. The story is about being different, about courage, loss, compassion and so many things which makes this series deep without trying to be serious (hence my comparison with Harry Potter). Quenelda and Root, being a girl and a gnome, fight all preconceived notions and prejudice from the entire society to get to what they want.
Quenelda has some spunk and will not let society and tradition dictate her life. Root is a sweetheart and gains confidence in himself by staying with Quenelda. With Quenelda's knowledge, we learn together with Root how to differentiate, love and take care of dragons. You cannot but love the sudden fascination he has for a dragon, Dancing With The Stars!
There is also a mystery surrounding Quenelda's mother and her strange talent with dragons and we keep wanting to know more!

This book is compelling, unputdownable and utterly irresistible. Children of all ages will love the personalities of the characters and the dragons. There are also adorable illustrations in the book so it is a great book for younger readers (and older readers) (much older). It is also a great book for either boys or girls.
They will relate to the characters' story and be shown that you might be small and laughed at by everyone but you still can save the day by pursuing what you feel is right. It is really a fantastic adventure with a lot of action and laughs!

And if you want to discover the first 45 pages of the book, click on the widget below:

 

And if you want to read Lucinda Hare talking about dragons, head over to her guest post here.

 

The Dragon Whisperer by Lucinda Hare | 2009 | Random House Children's Books | Sent to me by the publisher!