Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 6-10. In the third book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, following Dealing with Dragons (1990) and Searching for Dragons [BKL O 1 91], the Society of Wizards steals King Mendanbar's magic sword, which helps maintain the spell that protects the Enchanted Forest from sneaky wizardly incursions. Since Mendanbar must remain in the forest to keep the spell working, it is up to his queen, Cimorene, to retrieve the sword, for only a member of the royal family can wield it. Accompanying Cimorene on the quest are the witch Morwen and two of her nine feline companions (each of which has a distinct personality and expresses definite opinions on just about everything), Telemain the magician, Kazul the dragon king (whose princess Cimorene once was), and an enchanted rabbit, now a blue, winged donkey. Time is of the essence, because out of the forest, the sword leaks its magic; hence, the kingdom may be doomed. What ensues is another fantasy in which the bold crew encounters assorted adventures and misadventures before they confront the villains, take possession of the sword, and return to the Enchanted Forest, where they find that all is not well. As in the earlier episodes in the series, the emphasis is on the zany and the humorous, some of it quite madcap. Combining suspense, playfulness, and witty repartee, the story is just good fun. And the epilogue hints at things to come. ~--Sally Estes
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-9-- Another installment in Wrede's appealing fantasy series, this title will be best appreciated by those already familiar with her cast of characters and their previous adventures. However, those who first encounter Queen Cimorene, King Mendenbar, Morwen (an untypical witch), and Telemain (a very verbose magician), along with their various animal friends and familiars in this book will certainly be inspired to seek out Dealing with Dragons (1990) and Searching for Dragons (1991, both Harcourt). Once again the problem is wizards: they're draining the Enchanted Forest of its magic and, worse, they've invaded the castle and stolen Mendenbar's magical sword. The quest to retrieve it and restore the Enchanted Forest is filled with adventure, peril, and humor, despite the fact that the bulk of the story takes place in only a few days. Wrede's strengths are numerous: sparkling dialogue, amusingly fractured fairy-tale conventions, solid characterization, plenty of action, and truly terrific chapter headings. Both her vocabulary and her sense of humor are pleasingly sophisticated, making this a fun and challenging read. The end result is a captivating and convincing fantasy that sets the stage (and whets the appetite) for future adventures. --Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
When Morwen the witch discovers that wizards have been sapping magic from the Enchanted Forest and that King Mendanbar's magic sword has been stolen, she sets off to put things right, accompanied by pregnant Princess Cimorene; Telemain the magician; a rabbit named Killer, who has been transformed into a blue donkey; Kazul, the King of the Dragons; and two of Morwen's nine sentient cats. The lighthearted fantasy will delight those familiar with the previous books in the series and enchant new followers. From HORN BOOK 1993, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The third ``Enchanted Forest Chronicle'' has the most perfunctory of plots, but fans of Dealing with Dragons and its 1991 sequel will be pleased nonetheless to revisit their favorite characters negotiating Wrede's effervescently logical magic. The evil wizards have stolen King Mendenbar's sword; its loss imperils the forest, and a doughty crew of seven sets out to rescue it: Morwen the witch and two of her talking cats; sensible Cimorene, now queen, and pregnant; magician Telemain, whose parodic technospeak is so relentlessly clever that it's a relief when he falls into a trance; Kazul the dragon; and a blue donkey, a former rabbit, hapless attractor for magic gone awry. There are other amusing new characters here--notably the confirmed traditionalist who helped steal the sword--but mostly the focus is on the comical repartee and the magic itself; a recalcitrant mirror's plaints when it's used as a telephone are laugh-aloud funny. Like return visits to Oz, this doesn't have the original punch but it's still good fun; a cliffhanger close promises another sequel. (Fiction. 11+)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
