Creel has never been what you might call a damsel-in-distress. After her aunt tried to foist her off on the local dragon in hopes that some prince would rescue her, Creel set off on her own to make her fortune as a dressmaker. Wearing a pair of slippers given to her by a dragon, she soon finds a job and seems about to realize her dreams. She even strikes up an unlikely friendship with Luka, prince of Feravel, as well as befriending another dragon named Shardas. When the normally peaceful and solitary dragons suddenly attack the people of Feravel, Creel is the only one who believes that they might have been forced to attack. Together, she and Luka discover that not only are Creel's slippers far from ordinary, but that the dragons are being controlled by a foreign princess who intends to conquer Feravel. It will be up to Creel to rescue her friends and point out the person who is really behind the Dragon Wars.Dragon Slippers happens to be my favorite of this trilogy. Creel is just getting started on her dressmaking business, and she still has a lot to figure out about dragons. I liked the atmosphere of Feravel, and in this book, you get to find out a lot about Creel and what she's like. In the other books, there's more focus on action and on dragons - and while I love dragons, I really liked Creel. Also, since the romance with Luka is just beginning and Creel's two friends Alli and Marta are more involved in this book, we get more interaction with people in this book.
This book definitely concentrated on dragons quite a lot, as well as the strange culture of Citatie. I enjoyed this book because this time, although alchemy was used again, the villain wasn't a person. It was another dragon, and so this was more of a dragon civil war than a war between humans. That aspect lends a voice to this book that is different from the previous one. I really liked this book, but not quite as much as I liked Dragon Slippers.
Peace between humans and dragons has been restored as Dragon Spear begins. The dragons have flown away to remote islands overseas where they no longer pose a threat to the human kingdoms, even if someone were to find a way to control them again. Creel and Luka, soon to be married, fly to these islands to visit their friends, and arrive just as Velika, Shardas' mate and the queen of the dragons, is kidnapped by rogue dragons. These dragons keep humans as slaves and believe they are the chosen followers of the true dragon queen. Though they consider Velika a pretender, their own queen has died and their eggs are poisoned by the fumes of the volcanic island where they live. Desperate, they have kidnapped the pregnant Velika and intend to raise one of her hatchlings as their new queen. Somehow Creel, Luka, and Shardas will have to find a way to rescue Velika and her eggs, and time is running short. The volcano is about to explode and when it does, no one on the island will survive - not the rogue dragons or their human slaves.As different as Dragon Slippers and Dragon Flight were from each other, Dragon Spear is even more different from each of them. I actually like that, because although I get the same characters back each time, I don't have to read a repeat of the last book. Every time I get something fresh. Dragon Spear was definitely a book about the dragons - only three humans really have any significant roles in the book: Creel, Luka, and Creel's brother Hogan. But as far as dragons are concerned, a lot of the ones from the first two books have returned once again, and some new ones are introduced. I also liked getting a little bit of the background story of the dragons - where they came from, how they governed themselves, what things had happened in their past.
This trilogy was a real gem. For those who like books about dragons but are having a hard time finding a good dragon book that they haven't already read, this is one to try out. I also want to point out that it's not just a dragon book, it's also a very good story as far as plot, setting, and characters go. Even if you're not one of those people who comb the library and bookstore for the latest books with dragons on the cover, this is a trilogy worth adding to your summer reading list.
I've reviewed another series by Jessica Day George, the Castle Glower series. Dragon Slippers is more complex and detailed than that one, aimed at a slightly higher reading level, but both of them are definitely Jessica Day George series. She always has characters who aren't just characters, they're individuals. They always have plenty of attitude and spice, which keep the story moving even if it isn't action-packed. Also, I like her romances because for one thing, they never dominate the entire story, they just provide another layer to the plot. And for another thing, the guy character in the romance isn't just there to be the other half, he's a person with as much personality as the girl character. That's something that's missing in quite a lot of books, so its one of the reasons I like her romances.
Another thing I like about Jessica Day George's books is that she adds that little extra touch to make her characters and her stories definitely different from the books they share the shelf-space at the library with. Yes, there are dragons, a country in peril, wars, and even a romance with a prince. But don't forget that Creel makes dresses for a living. That's her special skill. And actually, her talent for dressmaking and embroidery remains a constant and important feature of each of the books, so you never forget that she's more than just a friend of dragons. In other words, this is definitely a trilogy worth reading, especially for the dragon-loving readers out there.
Link to author website: http://jessicadaygeorge.blogspot.com/
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