Dragon Slippers

I've slowly been chipping away at a long list of books that were recommended by a librarian friend of mine. Next on my list was this fun and charming fantasy romp that makes me eager to pick up the sequels.In a medieval land where dragons and sorcery are a normality, Creel is an ordinary peasant girl who is skilled at sewing, and dreams of someday opening her own dress shop. Unfortunately, her family is also living in poverty. Desperate to change the family's fortune, Creel's aunt comes up with a plan---get Creel kidnapped by a dragon, so that a knight can rescue her, and thus, she can marry him and inherit his money. But both Creel, and the dragon tricked into this situation, are less than enthusiastic about this plan, so they strike a deal---if he lets her have part of his hoard and lets her go, she'll convince the knights to not attack and leave him alone. Only after agreeing to the deal does Creel realize that not all dragons hoard treasure....and in this dragon's case, he hoards shoes. Still, a deal's a deal, so she picks out a pair of shoes and leaves. Little does she know that the slippers she selected carry a powerful magic, and as she tries to build a new life for herself in the big city, she soon turn the lives of the townspeople, the royal family, and herself upside down....and all because of a mysterious pair of shoes.While I normally prefer science fiction over 'sword and sorcery' fantasy, it's books like these that make me more enthusiastic about checking out other stories in the genre. This book is the perfect middle ground for readers who don't want something too childish or simplistic, but also feel that huge epics like "Harry Potter" or "Lord of the Rings" are too daunting a task. It strikes the perfect balance of having a plot filled with suspense, world building, and a touch of political intrigue, but doesn't make things so complicated that younger readers won't get what's going on. This world feels real and lived in, with a rich history that we learn in bits and pieces as Creel befriends various dragons, learns the ups and downs of professional dressmaking, and catches the eye of the prince.But where the plot shines the most is it's wide array of memorable characters. The various dragons throughout are all an intriguing bunch, and the various things they decide to hoard say a lot about them in just a few short scenes---collections ranging from shoes, to stained glass windows, to rare books, to even dogs. And though magic exists in this world, it's surprisingly largely downplayed until the last third of the story. The charming Prince Luka has now become one of my favorite princes in fiction, with a caring heart, a clear love of his city and his people, and a humble personality to the point that some of the townsfolk are on an informal, first-name basis with him. And the ladies that Creel finds herself working with at a dress shop are a varied bunch, and the ones who turn out to be her most faithful allies can come as a surprise if one judges only by appearance.And that brings us to Creel herself. Even in this medieval setting, her struggle to turn her life around is an underdog story that many readers can relate to. From having to adjust to the culture shock of moving from the country to the city, to finding out the hard way that achieving her dream is tougher than it looks, to no one taking her seriously at first because of her upbringing. But through it all, she never gives up, and sticks to her humble, moral values taught by her mother. The budding romance between her and the prince is almost an afterthought, and though she's extremely courageous, she's never belittled for wanting to pursue traditional "womanly" things. THIS is the mark of a well written "strong female character"---the girl who shows that you CAN sew and make dresses....and tame dragons and save the kingdom at the same time. Even better is when your "girly" talent plays a key factor in your country's salvation.With enjoyable characters and a plot filled with twists and turns, this has become one of my favorite stories in the fantasy genre, and I can't wait to read the continuation of Creel's adventures.

The prologues talk about the order the series was written in, so no need to go into that. I read them book 1 through 4 in order. I'll just chat about the books. I normally don't like series where the point of view shifts, but they mostly worked well in this case. The book three was just a bit muddled from the multiple character POV shifts.Given that the 4th book was written first, there's just a great tie in of all the plot elements. I suspect that if I had read the fourth book first, I'd have been annoyed at the quick wrap up at the end of the book, but since I read the first three, the wrap up was more of a review, and thus not unwelcome.For all that small complaints I seem to be hung up on, the writing, the friendships, the characters, the interaction, really carried these books from 3 to 4 stars because they were just so very charmingly readable.

The book opens with recently orphaned Creel finding herself at the entrance to a dragon's cave. She makes a deal with the grumpy though harmless dragon and in doing so acquires a beautiful but mysterious pair of blue slippers. Determined to start her life over as a dressmaker, Creel leaves her country home behind and sets out toward the king's seat. Along the way, she befriends another dragon who decides to help her achieve her dream.It isn't until about halfway through the book that things start to really go wrong for Creel. She unwittingly incurs the wrath and jealousy of a foreign princess, which leads to all sorts of problems for Creel and her newfound friends. As Creel struggles to avoid the princess and make a name for herself as a dressmaker, she finds herself caught up in the middle of a plot to overthrow the kingdom and bring ruin upon the land.Jessica Day George is rapidly becoming one of my new favorite authors. Her books are like cotton candy. They're light, sweet, and happy. There are antagonists and hurdles, but you know they'll be resolved and good will prevail in the end. Sometimes things work out a little too perfectly, but this comes across in a more cozy, heartwarming, makes-this-reader-happy way than in an annoying Mary Sue manner. When you just want to take a break from life and get lost in a "nice" book that'll make you smile, Jessica Day George delivers.Creel is a thoroughly likable character, flawed yet endearing, capable and determined without being pushy or obnoxious. I liked reading about the dresses she made. The descriptions of her embroidery were mesmerizing. Her friends at the dress shop, the dragons, and the prince were all nice characters as well. The princess and her lackey were detestable, both making appropriately loathsome villains. There were a few scenes where I wanted to reach into the book and strangle them, but luckily Creel didn't stand for their abuse and stood up for herself.This is the first book in a series of three (so far), but it works just fine as a stand-alone story. The plot is engaging, with Creel's development as a dressmaker creating an easy going storyline that nicely compliments and frames the more dastardly political intrigue simmering beneath the surface. The mystery of the slippers is slowly unraveled and satisfyingly concluded. The romance builds at a nice and realistic pace, but isn't fully resolved in this installment. I recommend this book, especially to readers looking for cozy escapism.

It's for my granddaughter the parts I've read I know she will love. I will read myself. Full of magic.

My grandson was delighted with this book and he enjoyed reading it.His friends also enjoyed reading it happy and exciting.

It took some convincing from me to get my8 year old son to read this as it has a girl on the front. But once read it is his favourite book and he reads loads of different authors.

This book is so much fun to read. I love princesses and dragons and sewing and I really like how this peasant girl rises from destitution to royalty because of her strength of character. The dragons were a bit like old men and not very fierce (although they could be), and it was funny to see the kinds of treasures they collected. The book was very funny throughout.

I picked this one up after starting another book by Jessica Day George, Tuesdays in the castle. It did not disappoint. She has a light poetic writing style. It is simple yet funny and not choppy or condescending. I often find when authors write for children, they dumb it down; however, Jessica Day George uses a varied vocabulary without sounding wordy or pretentious. As a result my kids and I learn new words while enjoying the story.I fell in love with the main character Creelisel Carlbrun instantly. She is exactly the kind of girl I love to read about. She is brave, kind, graceful and never does what you expect. The book is full of politics, intrigue, romance at a younger level so kids can understand. All of the main characters are well developed and loveable. I am very excited to read this to my two girls. Right now we are reading Tuesday at the castle, but this will be next in line.