By Jessica Day George
Poor Creel. She can't believe her aunt wants to sacrifice her to the local dragon. It's a ploy to lure a heroic knight so that he will fight the dragon, marry Creel out of chivalrous obligation, and lift the entire family out of poverty. Creel isn't worried. After all, nobody has seen a dragon in centuries.
But when the beast actually appears, Creel not only bargains with him for her life, she also ends up with a rare bit of treasure from his hoard, not gold or jewels, but a pair of simple blue slippers-or so she thinks. It's not until later that Creel learns a shocking truth: She possesses not just any pair of shoes, but ones that could be used to save her kingdom, which is on the verge of war, or destroy it.
My Thoughts: Dragon Slippers was given to me years ago as a birthday gift and it took me until today to finally pick it up. I am so glad that I did because it reminded me of my fantasy phase during my teen years and reminded me that I still enjoy books with dragons in it. Though this book was aimed for a younger audience, it also appealed to an older one.
The story was very fun and engaging. I loved how Creel was brave in trying to take control of her own life by dealing with a dragon and setting out to make her dreams come true. It was entertaining to learn about the different dragons Creel encountered in her journey and I was fascinated to read how Creel created her embroidery. I also enjoyed to read about the other characters; the author did a good job in making certain characters despicable (a few had my blood boiling!). The story really picked up pace when the traitor was revealed and Creel tried to save the city. I was glued to my seat as I tried to read as much as I could in one setting.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I did have a couple of qualms about the book. I was not too keen on how the author depicted the character with the limp. I didn't see it necessary for that person to have a disability in order for the story to go the way it did. As a special education teacher, I really dislike the negative stereotypes of people with disabilities. The other thing that annoyed me was how the dragons would not tell Creel the secret about the slippers. The whole time I found myself yelling at them, "Tell us already!!!" Other than these two things, the rest of the book was excellent.
I am so glad that I finally picked up this book. It was fun and highly entertaining. I am looking forward to reading the other two books in the series. I rate this:
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