Talking to Dragons

By Patricia C. Wrede

The humorous young adult fantasy series comes to a close as a young prince begins a heroic quest—he just doesn’t know it yet.

One day, Daystar's mom, Cimorene, hands him a magic sword and kicks him out of the house. Daystar doesn't know what he is supposed to do with the magic sword, but knowing Cimorene, he's sure it must involve a dragon or two!

“Volume number four opens 16 years after Calling on Dragons…with King Menenbar still imprisoned in his castle by wizard's spells, and Queen Cimorene living quietly at the Forest edge, raising their son Daystar…until he's old enough to wield the magic sword and free his father…The characters and their effervescent dialogue continue to charm.”—Kirkus Reviews

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Sep 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9780547545585

Patricia C. Wrede

PATRICIA C. WREDE has written many novels, including Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot and The Grand Tour coauthored with Caroline Stevermer, as well as the four books in her own series, the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. She lives near Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Book preview

1

In Which Daystar Leaves Home and Encounters a Lizard

MOTHER TAUGHT ME to be polite to dragons. Particularly polite, I mean; she taught me to be ordinary polite to everyone. Well, it makes sense. With all the enchanted princesses and disguised wizards and transformed kings and so on wandering around, you never know whom you might be talking to. But dragons are a special case.

Not that I ever actually talked to one until after I left home. Even at the edge of the Enchanted Forest, dragons aren’t exactly common. The principle is what matters, though: Always be polite to a dragon. It’s harder than it sounds. Dragon etiquette is incredibly complicated, and if you make a mistake, the dragon eats you. Fortunately, I was well trained.

Dragon etiquette wasn’t the only thing Mother taught me. Reading and writing are unusual skills for a poor boy, but I learned them. Music, too, and fighting. Don’t ask me where Mother learned to use a sword. Until I was thirteen, I didn’t know we had one in the house. I even learned a little magic. Mother wasn’t exactly pleased; but growing up on the edge of the Enchanted Forest, I had to know some things.

Mother is tall—about two inches taller than I am—and slender, and very impressive when she wants to be. Her hair is black, like mine, but much longer. Most of the time she wears it in two braids wound around and around her head, but when she really wants to impress someone she lets it hang straight to her feet. A lot of the disguised princes who stopped at our cottage on their way into the Enchanted Forest thought Mother was a sorceress. You can’t really blame them. Who else would live at the edge of a place like that?

Sometimes I thought they were right. Mother always knew what directions to give them, even if they didn’t tell her what they were looking for. I never saw her do any real magic, though, until the day the wizard came.

I knew right away that he was a wizard. Not because of his brown beard or his blue-and-brown silk robes—although no one but a wizard can walk around in blue-and-brown silk robes for very long without getting really dusty. It wasn’t even his staff. I knew he was a wizard because he had the same feel of magic that the unicorns and griffins have when you catch a glimpse of them, farther on in the forest.

I was surprised to see him because we didn’t get too many wizards. Well, actually, we’d never gotten any. Mother said that most of them preferred to go into the forest through the Gates of Mist and Pearl at the top of the Crystal Falls, or through the Caves of Fire and Night if they could manage it. The few that went into the forest in other ways never stopped at our cottage.

This wizard was unusual. He turned off the road and walked right past me without saying anything, straight up to our cottage. Then he banged on the door with the head of his staff. The door splintered and fell apart.

I decided that I didn’t like him.

Mother was cooking rabbit stew in the big black pot over the chimney fire. She didn’t even look up when the door fell in. The wizard stood there for a minute, and I sneaked a little closer so I could see better. He was frowning, and I got the impression he wasn’t used to being ignored. Mother kept stirring the stew.

Well, Cimorene, I have found you, the wizard said at last.

It took you long enough, Mother said without turning. You’re getting slow.

You know why I am here.

Mother shrugged. You’re sixteen years too late. I told you, you’re getting slow.

Ha! I can take the sword now, and the boy as well. There is nothing you can do to stop me this time, the wizard said. I could tell he was trying to sound menacing, but he didn’t do a very good job.

Mother finally turned around. I took one look at her face and backed up a couple of steps. She looked at the wizard for a minute and started to smile. Nothing, Antorell? Are you sure?

The wizard laughed and raised his staff. I backed up some more. I mean, I wanted to see what was going on, but I’m not stupid. He paused a moment—for effect, I think—and Mother pointed at him.

Argelfraster, she said, and he started to melt.

"No! Not again! he screamed. He shrank pretty quickly—all but his head, which was shouting nearly the whole time. I’ll get you, Cimorene! I’ll be back! You can’t stop me! I’ll—"

Then his head collapsed and there was nothing left but a little puddle of brown goo and his staff.

I stared at the puddle. All I could think was, I never knew Mother could do that. Mother let me stand there for a while before she told me to clean it up.

Don’t touch the staff, she said. And don’t forget to wash your hands before you come to dinner.

I went to get a bucket. When I came back, the staff was gone and Mother was stirring the stew as if nothing had happened. She didn’t mention the wizard again until the next morning.

I was out by the remains of our door, trying to fix it. I didn’t think my chances were very good. I picked up the hammer, and as I looked around for nails I saw Mother walk out of the Enchanted Forest. I was so surprised I dropped the hammer and nearly smashed my foot. Mother never went into the Enchanted Forest. Never. Then I saw the sword she was carrying, and if I’d still been holding the hammer, I’d have dropped it again.

Even from a distance, I could tell it wasn’t an ordinary sword. It was about the same size and shape as the one I practiced with, but it shone too brightly and looked too sharp to be ordinary. Mother brought it over to me and set it down on top of the boards I’d been working on. Don’t touch it, she said, and went into the house.

I had a hard time following Mother’s instructions. The more I looked at the sword, the more I wanted to pick it up and try a few of the passes Mother had taught me. It was such a beautiful weapon! Just looking at it made me shiver. But Mother always had good reasons for the things she told me to do, so I waited.

I didn’t have to wait long. She came back almost immediately, carrying a sword belt and a sheath that I’d never seen before. They were old—so old that the leather had turned nearly gray—and very, very plain. I was disappointed; the sword deserved something more impressive.

Mother went straight to the sword and put it in the sheath. She relaxed a little then, as if she’d been worried about something. Mother almost never worried. I started wondering just what that weapon did. I didn’t have much time to think about it, though. As soon as she had sheathed the sword, Mother turned and gave me her You’re-not-much-but-you’ll-have-to-do look. I started to worry.

Mother picked up the sword belt. This is for you, Daystar. I reached for it, but she shook her head. No, I’ll do it this first time. Hold still.

She bent down and buckled the belt around my waist, then hung the sheathed sword on the belt. I felt a little strange letting her do all that, and my elbows kept getting in the way.

Finally she straightened up. Now, Daystar, I have a few things to tell you before you leave.

Leave? I was shocked. Mother had never mentioned leaving before. It occurred to me that she’d said you, not we. I swallowed hard. By myself?

Of course. You’re sixteen; it’s time you left, and I’m certainly not coming with you. Now pay attention. She gave me one of her sharp looks.

I paid attention.

You have a sword, and you know as much as I can safely teach you. I don’t want to see you back here again until you can explain to me why you had to leave. Do you understand?

I nodded.

Mother went on, Start with the Enchanted Forest. One way or another, things will happen more quickly there. Don’t lose your sword, and don’t draw it unless you need to use it. Oh, and watch out for Antorell. It’ll take him a couple of days to get himself back together and find out where I put his staff, but once he does he’ll try to make trouble again. All right?

But you haven’t explained anything! I blurted. Why did that wizard come here yesterday, anyway? Why should he want to make trouble for me? And if he’s so dangerous, why are you sending me—

Daystar!

I stopped in midsentence.

Mother glared at me. What happened to the manners I’ve tried to teach you?

I—I’m sorry, Mother, I said. I was upset.

Being upset is no excuse, Mother said sternly. If you’re going to be rude, do it for a reason and get something from it.

I nodded.

Mother smiled. I know it’s hard, and it’s rather short notice, but this will probably be the best chance we get. I can’t waste it just to give you time to get used to the idea of leaving home. Besides, if I tell you too much now, it could ruin everything. You’ll just have to work things out for yourself.

I was more confused than ever, but I could see Mother wasn’t going to tell me anything else. She looked at me for another moment, then bit her lip as if she wanted to say something and couldn’t. Abruptly, she turned and walked away. At the door of the cottage, she stopped and looked back. Good luck, Daystar. And stop wasting time. You don’t have much of it. Before I could say anything, she disappeared inside.

I started off toward the Enchanted Forest. Mother’s advice was always good. Besides, I was afraid she’d melt me or something if I hung around very long.

I didn’t bother to follow the road. It isn’t particularly useful, anyway—it disappears as soon as you cross into the forest. Or at least, it usually does. At any rate, I wanted to start with the section of the Enchanted Forest that I knew.

The Enchanted Forest comes in two parts, the Outer Forest and the Deep Woods. Most people don’t realize that. The Outer Forest is relatively safe if you know what you’re doing, and I’d gathered herbs there a few times. I’d never gone more than an hour’s walk from our cottage, and nothing particularly interesting had ever happened, but I’d always known that something might. The way things were going, I was pretty sure that this time something would.

I felt the little tingle on my skin that marks the border between the ordinary woods, where our cottage was, and the Enchanted Forest. Some people have trouble getting in and out of the Enchanted Forest, but I never did. I was feeling excited and adventurous, and maybe a little scared. I mean, for years I’d watched all those princes and heroes and so on go into the forest, and now it was my turn. I looked back over my shoulder to see if Mother was watching. The cottage was gone.

That shook me. You just don’t expect the place you’ve lived in for sixteen years to vanish like that. I looked around. The trees were huge—much larger than the ones by our cottage. I couldn’t reach more than a quarter of the way around the trunk of the smallest one. The ground was covered with dark green moss that ran right up to the bases of the trees and stopped short. I could see a couple of bushes, including one that had three different colors of flowers on it. Everything felt very dark and green and alive, and none of it looked familiar at all.

I shivered. This wasn’t the Outer Forest. This was the Deep Woods.

I waited for a couple of minutes, but nothing happened. Somehow, I wasn’t reassured. Being lost in the Enchanted Forest does not do much for one’s peace of mind.

After a while I started walking again. I felt much less adventurous and considerably more scared.

I walked for a long time. Eventually I quit being scared, at least mostly. Finally I started looking for a place to rest; my feet hurt and I was getting very tired. I was careful, though. I didn’t want to sit on a flower that used to be someone important. After about fifteen minutes I found a spot that looked all right, and I started to sit down. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten I was wearing the sword. It got tangled up in my legs and I sort of fell over.

Somebody giggled. I looked around and didn’t see anyone, so I decided to get untangled first. I straightened my legs out and sat up, making sure the sword belt was out of the way this time. Then I took a second look around. I still didn’t see anyone, but the same somebody giggled again.

Sir or madam or— I stopped. What was the proper honorific for something that wasn’t male or female? I was pretty sure there was one, but I couldn’t remember it.

Oh, don’t bother, said a high, squeaky voice. I’ve never cared for all that fancy stuff.

I still didn’t see anyone. Forgive my stupidity, but I can’t seem to find where you are, I said.

The giggle came again. Down here, silly.

I looked down and jumped. A little gold lizard was sitting right next to my hand. He was about twice as long as my middle finger, and half of that was tail.

Hey, watch it! said the lizard. You might hurt someone if you keep jumping around like that. Me, for instance. You big people are so careless.

I’m very sorry, I said politely.

The lizard lifted his head. You are? Yes, you are! How amazing. Who are you, anyway?

My name is Daystar, I said, bowing slightly. It was a little awkward to do from a sitting position, but I managed. Being polite to a lizard felt peculiar, but there are only two rules of behavior in the Enchanted Forest: Don’t take anything for granted, and Be polite to everyone. That’s if you don’t live there. The inhabitants have their own codes, which it’s better not to ask about.

You’re Daystar? The lizard did something very tangled very quickly and ended up balanced on his tail. So you are! Well, my goodness. I hadn’t expected to see you around here for a while yet.

You were expecting me?

Of course. The lizard looked smug. "I know everything that goes on in the Enchanted Forest. Absolutely everything! I’ve seen you in the Outer Forest. It was only a matter of time before you got this far, though I thought it would take longer. I’m Suz, by the way."

Pleased to meet you, I said.

You are? The lizard leaned forward and almost lost his balance. Yes, you really are! How positively extraordinary. Whatever are you doing in the Enchanted Forest?

I don’t know, I said.

You don’t know! The lizard did a back flip and scurried up onto a fat tree root, where he would have a better view. He balanced on his tail again and looked at me thoughtfully. If you don’t know what you’re doing, why are you here?

I thought for a moment. Do you really know everything that happens in this forest?

Of course I do. Suz looked offended. An offended lizard is an interesting sight.

I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or anything, I said hastily. I just wondered if you could tell me where this came from. I touched the sword Mother had given me.

The lizard squinted in my general direction. What? It’s on the wrong side of you, silly. Bring it over where I can see it. If it came from the Enchanted Forest, I can tell you about it.

I lifted the sword, sheath and all, and twisted it around so it was on the same side of me as Suz. The lizard promptly fell over backward.

Oh dear me my gracious goodness my oh, he squeaked. "Do you know what that is?"

I wouldn’t have asked you if I knew, I said. It’s a sword. I think it’s magic.

It’s a sword! He thinks it’s magic! Suz ran around twice in a small circle, then did the tail-balancing trick again. Where did you get it? the little lizard demanded.

My mother gave it to me. She got it out of the Enchanted Forest somewhere. I was getting a little tired of this. Are you going to answer my question?

"Your mother gave it to you. The Sword of the Sleeping King, that everyone in the world has been looking for for fifteen or twenty years, and your mother gave it to you. The lizard got so agitated he fell over again. That isn’t right. That isn’t reasonable. My dear boy, that simply isn’t done! Even in the Enchanted Forest there is a proper order for these things! Someone will have to notify them at the castle immediately. Oh, dear, what a stir this will cause!"

I’m sorry, I didn’t know. What’s the Sword of the Sleeping King? I’d never heard of it before, which rather surprised me. After Mother made me memorize all those pages of names and titles and peculiar weapons, I’d thought I knew the name of every magic sword in the world.

You don’t know? The lizard froze in the middle of getting back up on his tail. He looked like a golden pretzel. No, you don’t! Oh, my. You’d better go to the castle at once. Kazul will know what to do with you. I’d better go there myself, right away. Suz untwisted and darted off into the undergrowth.

Wait! I shouted. What castle? Who is Kazul? And why—

The lizard looked back. "I don’t have time for that! And even if I did, I couldn’t tell you. You have to find out yourself. Magic swords always work that way. Don’t you know anything?"

Do you want me to recite the names of the Four Hundred Minor Swords of Korred the Spellsmith? . . . I know lots of things. I just don’t know about this. How do I find out?

Follow the sword, silly, Suz said, and disappeared among the leaves.

2

In Which Daystar Is Polite to a Bush and Makes a Friend

I DIDN’T TRY to chase the lizard. For one thing, there wasn’t much point in it. Suz was small enough to hide practically anywhere. For another, I didn’t want to go running through the Enchanted Forest. People get killed that way, or enchanted, or other unpleasant things. Besides, I wanted to think.

I settled back against the tree and looked down at the sword, a little unhappily. Follow the sword, Suz had said. But Mother had told me not to draw it unless I meant to use it, and I didn’t think following it was the kind of use she meant. Besides, I wasn’t sure I wanted to draw a magic sword in the middle of the Enchanted Forest, especially one I didn’t know anything about. I decided to try something else.

I stood up and looked around. Over on my right there was a little gap in the trees, not enough to call a clearing, just a place where the trees were farther apart than usual. I went over to the middle of it and stood there while I tried to unfasten the sheath. That was a lot more complicated than it looked, and in the end I had to take the whole belt off. I wrapped the belt around the sheath and set it down in the middle of the open space. I backed up a couple of steps and sat down on the ground with the hilt of the sword close to me and the end of the sheath pointing away from me.

The woods had gone very, very quiet. I didn’t like that, but after all the trouble I’d had getting out of the belt, I would have felt stupid if I’d just picked up the sword again without doing anything. Besides, I’d started setting up for a spell, and leaving things like that half-finished can be awfully dangerous.

I took a deep breath and spoke as steadily as I could:

"Sword of the Sleeping King,

I conjure thee:

By stream and starlight,

By sun and shadow,

By song and storm wind,

Show me thy tale!"

It was the simplest spell I knew—almost the only one, in fact. It’s supposed to let the spell caster know more about the nature of whatever object is named in the first line of the chant. I didn’t think the spell would work quite the usual way on a magic sword, but it

Reviews for Talking to Dragons

[livingtech_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this series, and felt like this book, while it had some issues, was better than the previous one, which was (for me) the weakest of them.

I do think maybe Daystar was too rational and logical to be an actual teenage boy. I still liked him though, even if he felt a little wooden at times. The fire witch was the standout character, imo.

[jalenv_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although Talking to Dragons is the fourth book in Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest chronicles, it was published five years before Ms. Wrede started filling out the back story of our 16 year-old hero, Daystar's, remarkable parents. (I'd wondered how Ms. Wrede could do something so nasty to Cimorene and Mendanbar as to part them from each other for so long some months before Daystar's birth. The three back story books are Dealing With Dragons, Searching for Dragons, and Calling on Dragons, in that order. Daystar and Shiara are okay, but as a hero and heroine they can't begin to compare to Cimorene and Mendanbar. Daystar has been living with his mother in a cottage at the edge of the Enchanted Forest. He may assume he's only a poor boy, but his mother has been teaching him what he'll need to know when he's able to assume his proper station in life. His adventures begin when the wizard Antorell blows up their cottage door. The method Cimorene uses to deal with Antorell is not the same as the one discovered in book one, but after 16 years, we shouldn't be surprised that she found another. Cimorene retrieves a sword readers of the earlier books will recognize at once, buckles it on her confused son, and orders him not to return until he can explain to her why he had to leave. Daystar doesn't argue with her for long. He starts going through the Enchanted Forest as he was told. He meets a talking gold lizard named Suz. Suz tells him his sword is the Sword of the Sleeping King and to follow it, but not as much as Daystar wants to know. Then he meets Shiara the fire-witch.NOTES:Chapter 1: Suz the gold lizard is introduced.Chapter 2: Daystar and Shiara meet.Chapter 3: We learn Shiara's problem.Chapter 5: Morwen enters the scene. She says a helpful spell.Chapter 7: Enjoy the interaction among Daystar, Shiara, and a princess in great distress.Chapter 8: We meet a dragon and a knight.Chapter 10: There's a fully grown fire-witch in this one. Daystar recites another spell his mother taught him.Chapter 11: We have the Peter de Sève cover scene!Chapter 13: Telemain introduces himself to Daystar and Shiara after they come to his home. He says he and Morwen grew up together. He also mentions the unpleasant habits of the fire-witch from chapter 10. Ew. According to Telemain, the Sword of the Sleeping King was meant to deal with wizards.Chapter 14: Telemain advises going through the Caves of Chance to avoid the wizards. He also gives pointers about dealing with trolls and rock snakes. Also, our little group has to deal with a quarter of the wizards looking for Daystar and Shiara.Chapter 15: Daystar finds a key and meets a quozzel.Chapter 17: Daystar tells Shiara why she had so much trouble when she tried to snitch some of the Prince of the Ruby Throne's apples. He also figures out how to solve Shiara's problem.Chapter 18: Daystar, Shiara, and Nightwitch meet Kazul. They find out who the dragon too young to have a name is.

[vegaheim · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

book 4 in series (dealing w/dragons; searching for dragons; calling on dragons;

[thc_luver6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book wasn't as good as the others but it keeps you hanging until the end. Very, very good read.

[renrav · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I didn't realize till reading a few other comments that this was written first, but after reflecting, it makes more sense to me. Usually I'm a fan of reading in published order (if its debatable) but I think in this case, Talking to Dragons should be read first. I'm not sure if the rest of the books should be read in reverse order or then start at the beginning of the series.

[cmbohn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The conclusion to the series. Features Daystar, who sets off on a quest to do something or an other, meets a fire witch and a talking squirrel, fights off wizards, and finds out who he really is.

[angelab86 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I never seem to enjoy the last book of a series as much as any of the other ones. Cimorene's son, Daystar (stupid name, IMO. What kind of hero has a hippy name?), is on a quest he knows nothing about, with very little guidance to help him out. He doesn't have his mother's spunk, and it seemed to me he kind of bumbled into success, rather than really earned it.

[bostonian71 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The last and weakest book of the series, this was a pleasant enough read but was definitely not as original as the first, partly since the plot hinges on a magic sword (rather than a magic frying pan or something equally creative), but also partly because the narrator and protagonist is not terribly interesting. I know in theory why he was made to be so innocent about his destiny, but it meant that the book had a good deal of material that would hold a new reader's attention but was ho-hum for anyone who's already read some of the series. After checking Wikipedia, I now understand that Wrede wrote this book *before* the others in the series -- maybe it could've used more of a rewrite than it got.

[kalessinastarno · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's rather different than the first three, but that seems to be because it was written first and about five years before the others. This makes the next-to-last chapter a bit weird to me, but well. Maybe that was, why the first three books were written.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've done reading the whole series, so will copy these comments to 3rd and 4th book, too.

Love the humor. Love the breezy adventure and endearing characters. Each book focuses on different folks, but the sequence events counts, and I do not recommend trying to read them as stand-alones. The ending of #2 is a bit worrisome, and the ending of #3 is a cliff-hanger, and #4 does have some intensity not necessarily suitable for the youngest readers. On the whole, they're clean and fun, I'd say fine for ages 9 up but if your younger child wants to read them you should also.

Um, they're also not really memorable - they're probably best suited for people who like to reread books because there's a lot going on, but nothing heavy enough to make an impact on the reader's worldview. I know it's partly my fault because I read them so fast - but then, they were fast reads, and I couldn't help it.

[jguidry-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was not as interesting as the other three books in the series, but was still a good story. This book had the characters from the other stories included, but the main character was Daystar, Cimorene's son. This change in perspective changed the nature of the series simply because it wasn't a princess taking care of herself instead of waiting to be rescued. However, the humor was still present and the narration for the audiobook was just as entertaining as the rest of the series. I'm sorry to see the series finish. I was having a lot of fun with these characters.

[incognito_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The fourth and final book in a series of anachronistic, faintly parodic fantasy. Very fun, and I definitely enjoyed this one more than the second or third book - I'd say it's almost as good as the first. It resolved (finally!) several plot tangles started in previous books and upgraded the 'bad guys' a bit so they're back to being vaguely menacing instead of completely ridiculous (thank god). Again, I don't entirely like the way Wrede handles romance; I mean, while it's admirable that she's obviously trying to keep things from getting too mushy or bodice-rippery, to me she's taken it too far in the other direction and love seems to pop out of nowhere.

[atimco-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Talking to Dragons, fourth in Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, is narrated by Daystar, who has grown up in a peasant's hut with his unusual mother. Cimorene has never told him their story or what happened to his father. One day, after a wizard shows up, Cimorene hands her son a sword and sends him off into the Enchanted Forest with no explanation of his mission. Daystar is a true son of Mendenbar; just like his father he is a passive, inane, and altogether uninteresting character. And hearing the story in his own words doesn't make it any better. Apparently Daystar has been so thoroughly cowed by his intelligent charismatic mysterious skilled enigmatic mother [/feminism!] that he has no personality of his own. The only thing the story really has going for it is the fact that there are fewer inept wizards around to pose an unconvincing threat to our heroes. Hurrah. I really don't understand why this series is fairly popular, and it's not a matter of me being too old to really appreciate it now. I read the series as a child and didn't care for it then. And when a series muffs its second chance, it's not getting a third from me.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Daystar has lived with his mother at the edge of the Enchanted Forest, seeing princes and heroes stop by briefly in their questing. When the wizard Antorell shows up, however, things are a bit different. For one thing, his mother melts Antorell. For another, she goes in to the Forest and comes back with a sword about which she tells him little, just that he has to go in to the forest and figure out why he needs to be there. So Daystar sets out.I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Dealing with Dragons, when I read it several years ago, and finally finished reading the series with this fourth book. Though it had been awhile since I read the others, I had no trouble following this one. In fact, readers who had never read the others may enjoy this one more since, like Daystar, they have very little knowledge of what he needs to do. I had a tough time thinking of Daystar as a believable sixteen-year-old. In addition to being unfailingly polite, just like his mother taught him, he's incredibly naive. I suppose I would be too if I'd lived with my mother at the edge of the forest and didn't really make friends with anybody, but it was a tough hurdle that I never really got over as I read his narration. Shiara, the fire-witch that Daystar meets in his travels, was a fun character that I liked despite, or maybe because of, her temper and willfulness. All in all, the series was a fun one that plays with conventional fantasy tropes, and I would recommend it to upper elementary or middle school fantasy readers.

[foggidawn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

On the day when a wizard destroys the front door of their house, Daystar’s mother hands him a sword and tells him not to come home again until he can explain why she sent him away. Questing his way through the Enchanted Forest, Daystar befriends a lizard, a fire witch, and a young dragon, and encounters elves, dwarves, witches, wizards, and many others before his quest is complete and he learns the truth about his extraordinary sword.Not my favorite of the series, but still a very good book, and it does an admirable job of answering the questions left unanswered at the end of the previous book. It’s a good ending to the series, but I never want the series to end — maybe that’s why I don’t love this book best of all?

[jennybeast · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book really didn't do anything for me, except provide closure for the last book. Loved the first and second books in the series, didn't much are for 3 4 -- not sure if it's me not being in the mood, or just a lack of convincing adventure. Also, Cimorene can get away with teaching her son to be polite to dragons, but not teaching him to dissolve wizards with soapy water? Why not? ergh.

[venarain-354758 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

WHY IS DAYSTAR SO DUMB? this book gets three stars because of the halo effect of the other three books. ALSO! The audible version is read in a way that makes Daystar seem even more dumb, just endlessly surprised by all events.

[mutantpudding · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I just dont like this book as much as the others in the series. The different narrative form and what I saw as unnecessary and illogical romance were annoying.

[zjakkelien · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

And finished nr. 4. I pretty much read these books in a row, adn I'm still surprised by how much I like them. Their tone somehow conveys the feeling of reading a book meant for children, but the world is so enchanting and it has such great characters, that I love it anyway. It's whimsical, and its heroes make sense. In this book we follow Cimorene's son, and its fun to meet all the other characters again through his eyes. I admit, I could have done without the neat wrap-up that managed to get everyone nicely paired-off, but that's a minor gripe. Overall, I enjoyed it very much and I'm sorry this is the end to the series...

[narilka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Talking to Dragons is the fourth and final book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. The story goes back to its fractured fairy tale roots and is told entirely from the first person point of view of Daystar, Cimorene's son. His mother always taught him to be polite to dragons. It's particularly good advice when one day his mother hands Daystar a magic sword and sends him into the forest on a quest with no further instructions than to seek out Kazul, someone who can presumably explain everything. At least Daystar hopes so.According to a forward by the author, this story was written first in the quadrilogy several years before Wrede was persuaded to turn it into a series. I can see exactly what inspired the first chronological book and I devoured this title in 24 hours. While I still enjoy Cimorene's story best, this installment brought back all the things I loved about Dealing With Dragons and made for an enjoyable read. Daystar is such a nice, polite and fairly clueless young man. He has a strong determination to do the right thing, even if he's not quite sure what that is. Daystar is joined on his quest by Shiara, a young fire witch who doesn't know how to use her magic, and a dragon who is trying to prove itself to the clan. It was a lot of fun hanging out with these youngsters and re-discovering the magic of the forest all over again from a fresh perspective. While the plot is not overly complicated, I kept cheering for our heroes and was delighted in meeting old characters again.I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I know I'll be revisiting these books again in the future.

[dandelionroots · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The time loop was not explored, not even a little. =(

[juva_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It has been 17 years since the events of the last book and the child of Cimorene and Mendanbar has grown to young adulthood. Though he knows nothing of his heritage, his mother gives him his ancestral sword and sends him into the Enchanted Forest alone. Their only hope is for him to learn to master the sword's magic so that he can escape the wizards and free his father.The final installment in the series is a little lack luster for me. I didn't like that Mendanbar had to spend 17 years away from Cimorene and I didn't like that the book wasn't really about either of them. Daystar is fine, but he's a bit boring and I just don't have the same emotional investment in his character. He's got such a flat personality. Nothing moves or surprises or upsets him. He's abandoned in the woods by himself and ends up being entrusted with defeating a decade old enchantment. He just shrugs. He learns that his father is the king and then almost instantly meets him. Meh. Not impressed. And never mind how normal Mendanbar is after being locked in a dark room alone for 17 years. He ought to be out of his mind, but he doesn't even seem annoyed. And Cimorene seems merely pleased to be reunited with her husband after all these years of waiting. There are some really dramatic events in this book, but the author glosses over all of them. Not impressed.