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hayleybeale's review
3.0
Cybil middle grade fantasy and science fiction finalist - review to follow.
brandypainter's review
4.0
Originally posted at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
The two words in the title were all the encouragement I needed to read Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac. Where there are dragons and castles I shall go. I was taken by surprise by how greatly entertained I was in reading this. It was the perfect mix of light and dark, peril and humor.
Rashko is a bit arrogant and pompous, but no more than most kids are at the age of 15. He makes up for these flaws by being delightfully snarky at the same time. He is convinced that all other members of his family are severely lacking in intelligence. Intelligence he, of course, possesses in abundance.
Why, I sometimes wonder; am I the only one in our family who ever seems to entertain a thought as anything other than a transient visitor? Why is it that when our lord and creator Boh was handing out brains, my parents and my brother apparently got in line behind the hummingbirds? If it were not for my taking charge, nothing would ever get properly done around here.
As the story progresses Rashko begins to see his family members in new and surprising ways and learns to appreciate that their strengths are greater than he realized. As are his weaknesses. This is what I enjoyed most about the book. It isn't just a hero/quest story with dragons and castles and a Dark Lord, it is a story about family and brotherhood.
Rashko's story is intertwined with the legend of his several greats grandfather Pavol. The more the reader and Rashko learn about Pavol the more interesting Rashko's present circumstances get. The fantasy elements are well done and perfect for the reader who enjoys the lighter side of a story. There are moments of peril, battles to be fought, evil to be overcome, but there is just enough hint of the sightly absurd to keep it from being too serious. The dragon is ferocious and vastly entertaining simultaneously. It takes a writer with skills to do that.
Dragon's Castle is a perfect read for anyone looking for a fun adventure story.
The two words in the title were all the encouragement I needed to read Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac. Where there are dragons and castles I shall go. I was taken by surprise by how greatly entertained I was in reading this. It was the perfect mix of light and dark, peril and humor.
Rashko is a bit arrogant and pompous, but no more than most kids are at the age of 15. He makes up for these flaws by being delightfully snarky at the same time. He is convinced that all other members of his family are severely lacking in intelligence. Intelligence he, of course, possesses in abundance.
Why, I sometimes wonder; am I the only one in our family who ever seems to entertain a thought as anything other than a transient visitor? Why is it that when our lord and creator Boh was handing out brains, my parents and my brother apparently got in line behind the hummingbirds? If it were not for my taking charge, nothing would ever get properly done around here.
As the story progresses Rashko begins to see his family members in new and surprising ways and learns to appreciate that their strengths are greater than he realized. As are his weaknesses. This is what I enjoyed most about the book. It isn't just a hero/quest story with dragons and castles and a Dark Lord, it is a story about family and brotherhood.
Rashko's story is intertwined with the legend of his several greats grandfather Pavol. The more the reader and Rashko learn about Pavol the more interesting Rashko's present circumstances get. The fantasy elements are well done and perfect for the reader who enjoys the lighter side of a story. There are moments of peril, battles to be fought, evil to be overcome, but there is just enough hint of the sightly absurd to keep it from being too serious. The dragon is ferocious and vastly entertaining simultaneously. It takes a writer with skills to do that.
Dragon's Castle is a perfect read for anyone looking for a fun adventure story.
librariandest's review
3.0
I didn't finish this. Not because it was bad, but because I have a ton of other books I'd rather be reading. I didn't even make it to the dragon part!
bookworm_with_a_dragon's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
brittanybwrites's review
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I truly enjoyed this one. I thought for a minute that I wouldn’t enjoy it, but as I kept on reading, it turns out that this doesn’t feel like a YA novel-this feels like a novel about a young man wanting to save his home from an evil baron and his daughter, even though it was just him and his brother. His parents were hanging out with the fae under a false invitation, and they came home the moment they heard the younger son’s voice.
This book was a really good fantasy, along with a side of learning Slovak words that I would never care about. It also has a inbetween story about the legend of Pavol the Good, and I had a fear that this tale would take over the novel, but in reality it didn’t. It just enhanced the story as the main character, Rashko, figures out how to fight the evil Baron Temny and his daughter, Poteshenie and her demon cat, Laska. I also liked how the Slovak words were slipped in there, along with the English translation of it, which I was very happy about, because I’ve never read a book like this before.
And the way this book is set up, you wouldn’t believe that Rashko was the only smart boy throughout the series. But as you keep on reading, you realize that he is, but at the same time he loves his family so much that he would do anything to protect them. I liked how in Pavol’s story, he has a pouch on his side and picks up certain things so when it’s time, he uses them to kill the dragons, but only keeps one alive to help protect the castle. And seeing the dragon from the legend was shocking, because I thought he was dead this whole time-not sleeping. But I really enjoyed this book, would highly recommend.
auntiekatie21's review
4.0
This was a good read. It’s full of adventures, war, a castle, and a dragon. My 11 y/o nephew brought it from the library for me. He was so excited for me to read it. So I started reading it, but I kept reading it because I really enjoyed it
nfrazzetta's review
4.0
This was definitely a more adventurous children's book. The idea is similar to others I have read (Tuesdays at the Castle), but there was a lot more action and mystery, and an epic fight scene towards the end! Considering it is a lengthy book, it's a quick read because it was hard to put down!