Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

But in fact, she makes Cimorene a strong, multifaceted character who has a mixture of feminine and masculine interests. Wrede could clearly have gone in a certain direction – valorising masculine traits as superior (and indeed, the blurb that I found for this book on Goodreads implies that this will be the case, referring to Cimorene as “tomboyish”). When creating an ‘unladylike’, Princess who is tired of covention, Patricia C.

That, coupled with the practical, headstrong nature of its heroine, meant that it was guaranteed to become a new favourite!īeing ‘un-Princess-like’, feminism, and female friendshipsīy far the best thing about Dealing With Dragons is the character of Cimorene and the sheer number of female characters she’s surrounded with, from the dragon Kazul to the witch Morven, and her numerous fellow Princesses-in-Captivity.

Its use of humour and subversion of fairy tale tropes means that it has a very lighthearted and playful tone, which reminded me of Howl’s Moving Castle. Why did I want to read? I mean, the synopsis is amazing!!ĭealing With Dragons was such a fun and delightfully feminist middle grade fantasy book. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon – and finds the family and excitement she’s been looking for. Uninterested in marriage, and banned from practicising fencing and magic, she finds herself bored. Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be.

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede