Dealing with Dragons

Dealing with Dragons

Patricia C. Wrede


1990 * p. 212 * YA Fantasy


Dealing with Dragons follows the Princess Cimorene of Linderwall. Her six older sisters have all married a prince and lived happily ever after. Cimorene, however, is anything but a proper and typical princess. She does not want to marry prince. She wants to study economics, make cherries jubilee, learn magic, etc. But all of those things are not proper for a princess to do. Cimorene is fed up, and when her parents tell her they have betrothed her to a handsome but brainless prince, it's the last straw. After receiving advice from a talking frog, she heads out for more advice, and finds DRAGONS.

Cimorene is frightened at first, but then offers herself as a servant princess to the dragons. The dragons are taken aback by this request. Usually they have to steal a princess, but here Cimorene is offering herself freely and willingly. One dragon just wants to eat her. But Kazul, a respected female dragon, says she will take Cimorene.

Cimorene loves being Kazul's princess. She gets to cook all she wants, sort through treasure, and catalogue old and supernatural books. But not everything is perfect. Cimorene has to deal with sneaky wizards, traitor dragons, fire-coughing dragons, persnickety servant princesses, and annoying and persitent princes come to rescue her.

One day, a knight shouts into the cave where Kazul and Cimorene live. Cimorene goes out to tell him to go away and they have this conversation:

"'What can I do for you?' Cimorene asked after several moments had gone by and the knight still hadn't said anything.

"Well, um, if you are the Princess Cimorene, I've come to rescue you from the dragon,' the knight said.

Cimorene set the point of the broadsword on the ground and leaned on it as if it were a walking cane. 'I thought that might be it,' she said. 'But I'd rather not be rescued, thank you just the same.'

'Not be rescued?' The knight's puzzled look deepened. 'But princesses always--'

'No, they don't,' Cimorene said firmly, recognizing the beginning of a familiar argument. 'And even if I wanted to be rescued, you're going at it all wrong.'

'What?' said the knight, thoroughly taken aback.

'Shouting, 'Come out and fight,' the way you did. No self-respecting dragon is going to answer to a challenge like that. It sounds like a child's dare. Dragons are very conscious of their dignity, at least all the ones I've met so far are'" (25).

The conversation continues and its hilarious. Cimorene is outspoken but kind. She is strong and an individual. She knows who she is and what will make her happy in life.

Wrede's book is very humorous. She employs a lot of the classic fairy tale elements and lightly makes fun of them for their often ridiculous perfection. Some of them included are Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc. Cimorene is delightful and fun. The whole theme of the book is being happy with who you are and not letting anything or anyone hold you back, being an individual, and that beauty does not always equal intelligence or compassion.





-Reading level: grade 7 & up


-Appropriate for all ages.


-It was a fun, easy read that girls will most likely appreciate.