Dragon Slippers [Paperback]

Since she was a small child, Creelisel "Creel" Carlbrun has dreamed of fulfilling her talented mother's dream of making her way out of the small, rural city of Carlieff Town, and opening up her very own shop in the booming King's Seat, where she can display her talent for embroidery to the high and mighty who could, quite possibly, appreciate her magnificent work. But when her parents die, and she and her fourteen-year-old brother, Hagen, are forced to take up residence with their crazy aunt, and slightly whipped uncle, Creel feels as if her dreams will never come true. Scrounging for money, and interested in becoming a royal, Creel's aunt comes up with a bizarre plan to help the struggling family's financial situation. Accompanied by Hagen, and her two cousins, Creel shall travel to the local dragon's lair, and offer herself to him. Once she is in the dragon's clutches, her aunt will summon the Lord of Carlieff's son, and have him ride to the cliffs to slay the dragon, save Creel, and make her his wife. Creel realizes that this is the most ridiculous idea, and wants nothing more than to deny her aunt's request. But, wanting to please her scattered guardian, she agrees, and offers herself - pure and true - to the dragon, known as Theoradus. Theoradus appears gruff, but his vast shoe collection makes Creel unafraid of his hulking presence. And, when she makes it out of his cave alive - no thanks to the prince of Carlieff Town, of course - Creel decides that it's time for her to move on. Treading lightly on a pair of new shoes that make her toes itch like crazy, Creel sets off for the King's Seat, determined to make her mark on the world. But, when she runs into trouble, Creel manages to make nice with yet another dragon, this one named Shardas. While he's large, and breathes fire, like Theoradus, Shardas is a gentle, kind old soul, and Creel can't help but think of him as a very close friend. A lover, and collector, of stained-glass windows, Creel begins drawing inspiration from Shardas' wide array of belongings, and translates their beauty to her designs. While Shardas seems to adore Creel's company, and she his, Creel can't help but feel that, as enticing as living with Shardas for the rest of her days truly is, she wants to fulfill the dream her mother always had. And, her strange blue slippers upon her feet, Creel continues on her journey to the King's Seat. But, as she soon learns, the King's Seat isn't as wholesome a place as she hoped. The people on the street are a step up from crooks, and refuse to provide a stranger with any help. And, when Creel comes face-to-face with the soon-to-be princess, and future queen, she realizes that looks can be deceiving; and that making a fortune when you have nowhere to open shop, and no money to assist you in your quest to make a better life for yourself, is enough to dash anyone's dreams. But as she works to sell her designs, and find work, Creel is forced to succumb to the terror and war that has begun raging throughout the King's Seat, threatening to destroy the beautiful city forever as she knows it. And, without the knowledge that the shoes in her possession are tools to save the King's Seat, Creel will be unable to do anything more than stand idly by as the place she has begun to call her home is destroyed. Unless, of course, she can call upon some very unlikely allies to help her save the day.

Dragon tales make me giddy. I love the adventure, the magic, the characters. Robin McKinley and Patricia C. Wrede have both provided me with hours of entertainment and joy over the years. And now, with the release of her debut DRAGON SLIPPERS, Jessica Day George has managed to win herself a spot alongside some of fantasy's greatest; as well as in my heart. From the very first sentence until the very last, I found George's writing lyrical and enjoyable, with a twist of magic, a dash of friendship, and a sprinkle of uniqueness. Creel is an unforgettable, irresistible character, whose talent in embroidery is amazing; while her humbleness makes her likable. Her tongue - which is as sharp as a dragon's tail - however, works in her favor to illustrate what a confident, cool, collected, intelligent individual she is. Her ability to verbally make mince-meat out of anyone she comes in contact with - be it royal or peasant - is humorous; and her unlikely friendships with dragons of all shapes and sizes is quite reminiscent of Patricia C. Wrede's ENCHANTED FOREST CHRONICLES. While Creel's character alone can carry the tale from beginning to end, she is surrounded by a quirky cast of characters who each provide the reader with even more entertainment. The prissy Marta, whose curls are always perfect is an unlikely lovable character who could bring a smile to anyone's face; while the mute Tobin illustrates that a handicap doesn't stop someone from being rough and tumble. Tobin is so jovial, yet he masks it by his gruff demeanor. Still, he manages to make an appealing character, whom you can't get enough of. George introduced some unique aspects within the pages of DRAGON SLIPPERS. Her discussion of the dragons various hordes is interesting, and gives each dragon their own personality - from Shardas who collects stained-glass windows, to Theoradus who collects shoes, and even to Feniul, who collects, of all things, dogs. Their own personal likes and dislikes help the reader separate them from one another, and make it quite easy to choose favorites within the story. DRAGON SLIPPERS is an amazing debut, that leaves room for a sequel that is sure to be fabulous. A clever mix of fashion and fantasy to create the ultimate adventure!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

What do you get when you mix a sassy damsel, dragons who hoard everything except gold, and some fancy slippers? A page turning fun tale similar to the PRINCESS BRIDE meets DRAGON RIDER.

Creel's aunt suggests sacrificing her to the local dragon in order for the family to get financial gain. True a dragon comes but he's nothing like the village tales. First, he doesn't care to eat humans. Second, he doesn't hoard gold but other things. One of which is shoes. Creel asks for a pair and the dragon lets her have them.

Creel goes to the King's city to get employment as a seamstress. But something is going on with the slippers. Her feet itch something terrible but she ignores them. Once in the city she ends up stepping on the spoiled queen to be, Amalia's, dog. Needless to say Amalia doesn't care for Creel. But the princess doesn't like anything. Nothing that is except Creel's slippers, which she says she'll get.

Little does Creel know that she holds the secret to either peace or destruction for her kingdom.

I really got into this tale. I'm not one for dragon stories but this story kept my interest from the very first page. Creel is spunky and doesn't like it when others, including snotty Amalia, put their noses down at her because she's a common villager.

Creel meets others in her travels. Marta, another seamstress with dream of opening her own dress shop. Luka, the younger prince, who is interested in Creel. Shardas, the dragon who's friendship means alot to Creel even if this means she has to put her life in danger to protect him and the other dragons.

This is a fun tale that reminds me of PRINCESS BRIDE. Readers who love dragon tales with a twist will especially love this story. Now I can't wait for the sequel.

I grew up hooked on Patricia C. Wrede's Searching for Dragons, et al, and this book was like a wonderful return to childhood (okay, I'm only 25, so it wasn't that long ago, but still). Even as an adult, I was delighted by the clever twists the novel takes and awed by the huge tasks Creel confronts. I loved this book and plan to buy it for all my siblings (who similarly devoured Wrede's series as we grew up).

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