Post by wordy on May 30, 2011 18:23:27 GMT 10
Giantkiller's Bookshelf: The Dragon's Tale
by Grifftastical
Giantkiller's Bookshelf: Short Stories
The Dragon's Tale found in The Dragon Book: Magical Tales from the Master of Modern Fantasy
The Dragon's Tale found in The Dragon Book: Magical Tales from the Master of Modern Fantasy
In The Dragon's Tale, Tamora Pierce weaves a tale about youth, strength, and the determination to excel despite the expectations of others. In a twist to the tale about humans and their bonds with creatures, Pierce changes the places of human and animal, telling the story from the perspective of a frustrated dragon named Kitten; a familiar face for her Immortals Series readers.
Kitten has been taken on a diplomatic delegation with her human parents to the country of Carthak, but due to her appearance, she has been kept close for fear of startling the locals. Bored and lonely, Kitten decides to take a late-night walk and stumbles upon a starving young woman exiled from her village. With the help of her dear friend Spot, a horse, Kitten is determined to help this mysterious young woman before it's too late. Except, as is wont with this sort of thing, things don't go according to plan.
The story is satisfying and the reappearance of beloved characters cherished, but the beginning of the story was trying. It lacked sufficient grip and I was pulled along simply because I knew the author's previous works and hoped the story would improve. The largest issue was with the voice of Kitten. It was often stilted and overly juvenile in ways that were meant to display character, but instead damaged the narration as a hole. However, Kitten's voice became more consistent and interesting as the story progressed.
I enjoyed the themes in this story: self-confidence in the face of insulting expectations, humanity as a chosen trait and not a simple extension of being human, and communication being an extension of self instead of its merit. Pierce manages to create a relatable and lovable character out of a scaled mythical creature who is still inevitably herself.
I would would suggest The Dragon's Tale as a fun read for all of the Tamora Pierce fans here who want a bit-sized bit of Tortall. The slow beginning was worth plodding through and this is a short story I plan on reading again.