Scan barcode
oofsharkz73's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The Fire Within by Chris D'Lacey is a book - actually, a series - that I read in elementary school. Don't let that deter you, though. D'Lacey's writing style - engaging and accessible - makes it a charming read for any age. Of course, it's another one of the books I am reading to my unborn son, and will continue to read the series to him as he grows (he's due June 26th, so I'll probably begin reading the next one to him after he makes his debut). This book is just as endearing as it was when I was younger, one of my favorite series I ever read, and I hope it will be one of my son's as well. I recall wishing my mother - who is also good at clay making - would craft me my own little dragons. I don't think I've outgrown that wish, either. My biggest desire was for my mom to be able to recreate the magical and imaginative elements that D'Lacey implements into these novels...I guess her being able to afford a kiln and switch her career path to a potter was too big of a fantasy, though...I'm sure her grandson will beg her all the same as I did one day, to have a Gadzooks or Gwendolyn of his own. This is the perfect series to get into on your own if you're a younger age, or just prefer simpler, easier reads - but it's also an extraordinary series to read with your child!
danilindgren4720's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
An adorable little magical story about Dragons, Squirrels and a lodger who finds his new family. I grew up reading this series and now I'm getting to read it to my children. Forever one of my favourite books of all time.
sereia8's review
3.0
Micaela wanted me to read this book because she LOVED it--and so did London and Katarina from her sixth grade class. She said it had everything she loves in a book: mystery, fantasy, romance. Well, I can't say that it captured me the way it did her, but it is an original story told in an interesting way, and she's talked me into reading the sequel. She says I have to read it so she can talk to me about it.
calbowen's review
1.0
What is going on here - I mean, I understand Young Adult Fantasy is to reach out to have younger generations get into reading, but a book that is supposed to be about dragons in a modern day setting, and it does have dragons - kind of - but it is mainly about squirrels - I am sure that there is a point, but it was not made by the half way point, and I could not continue on - this is a one star because you cannot give a book nothing and rate it to - I tried, and I wanted to, but this book did absolutely nothing for me except frustrate me and waste an evening.
jgurniak's review
1.0
Okay, what really annoyed me about this book was that it wasn't even about dragons! Sure, there are dragons in it but the whole book focused on squirrels!
Now let's talk about Lucy. Lucy is 11 but I thought she seemed younger. I couldn't stand her at all, I thought she was very annoying and even though it was cute that she cared about the squirrels, the book would have earned one more star if she hadn't been in it.
Now let's talk about Lucy. Lucy is 11 but I thought she seemed younger. I couldn't stand her at all, I thought she was very annoying and even though it was cute that she cared about the squirrels, the book would have earned one more star if she hadn't been in it.
bearfamous's review
4.0
One of my favorite childhood book series. I never finished them but I want to go back and reread/finish them eventually. Starts very whimsical and fun and get kinda wild towards the end lol
peterflynn's review
5.0
So glad I reread this, it was one of my favorite books in middle school. I’ve got the next six and my wife and I are reading through them together. It’s very fun.
kathydavie's review
3.0
First in The Last Dragon Chronicles paranormal fantasy series for young young adult readers and revolving around clay dragons who aren’t quite so still.
NOTE: The Last Dragon Chronicles are a sequel series to The Dragons of Wayward Crescent. I haven’t read the prequel series, and I suspect doing so would make more sense of The Fire Within.
My Take
This is a weird blend of writing with a bent toward the mythic with d’Lacey’s references to the King Arthur tales. His primary protagonist appears to be David who is in college, i.e., he is of college age which normally indicates a New Adult target audience. However, it is possible that Lucy is meant to be the primary, even if the story is really more about David. Then again, the series is about dragons, so perhaps the humans are peripheral. I can only believe that d'Lacey intends this book for the middle-grade reader or a young young adult reader. Definite points off for the confusion.
D’Lacey does get points for originality. I love his premise about Elizabeth and the dragons. He teases us as we read, and never does conFIRM what we know. And it makes me want to read on to the next in the series, Icefire, but not as much as my wanting to go back and read that prequel series!
I love that humorous hook at the start with David replying to the ad Elizabeth placed. The whole idea of those clay dragons is lovely, and I want one. Lucy, however, is not so lovely. She’s such a demanding thing. Yes, I suspect she’ll grow up to be a fascinating adult, but right now she bugs me.
As for point-of-view, I think it’s a simple third-person subjective, as we only have access to David’s thoughts, including that epiphany he has towards the end. As for d’Lacey’s "sly" hints about the dragons, yep, flashing arrows, every one of ‘em.
It’s a tale of fantasy that sets David’s world on end while Gadzooks’ influence will change it.
The Story
When David moves in with Liz and Lucy, his notions about the world are tilted as he learns more and more about dragons. Especially about his very own story-writing dragon, Gadzooks.
Twenty-year-old David Rain, about to start a geography course at Scrubbley College, needs a place to stay. Winston is his teddy bear. Gadzooks is the dragon David receives. Snigger and the Nutbeast is the story David writes.
Elizabeth Pennykettle, a potter, lives with her about-to-be-eleven years old daughter, Lucy, on Wayward Crescent. Pennykettle Pots and Crafts is her business. The Dragons’ Den is the room forbidden to all. Bonnington is the cat. Lucy has two of her mom’s dragons: Gawain, the last real dragon in the world, and Gwendolen. Gruffen, a guard dragon, is always in the wrong place. Guinevere is Liz’s special queen dragon.
Conker is the one-eyed squirrel Lucy is worried about. The other squirrels who left when the tree came down include Ringtail, Cherrylea, Shooter, and the battling Birchwood. Gadzooks will name Snigger, the squirrel in David’s story.
The Wildlife Hospital is…
…on a farm (it includes a riding center and sells organic produce) outside of Scrubbley where Sophie Prentice is a wildlife volunteer. Her dragon will be Grace. Major is Sophie’s favorite horse. Mrs. Wenham runs the hospital. Mr. Deans is the vet.
The cranky, ill-tempered Henry Bacon is their neighbor and works at the Scrubbley Library. George "Greenfingers" Digwell is the cranky library gardener. Caractacus is the vicious crow.
Brian Donnelly of Donnelly’s Pest Control Services is the father of one of David’s friends. Friends at Lucy’s party include Christopher Jefferson, Beverly Sherbon, and Samantha Healy. Gwilanna is the old outcast crone.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a subdued yet bright green in that close close-up of Gadzooks’ sculpted features, specifically a CLOSE view of his upper lip, eye, and eyebrow ridge. The metallic gold touches in the crescent sliver in his soft yellow eye and the highlights on his brow and the scales beneath his eye add to the fantastical. The author’s name is way at the top in a shadowed gold while the title is less visible at the bottom in a ragged font gleaming in metallic gold.
The title is what gives the dragons life, The Fire Within.
NOTE: The Last Dragon Chronicles are a sequel series to The Dragons of Wayward Crescent. I haven’t read the prequel series, and I suspect doing so would make more sense of The Fire Within.
My Take
This is a weird blend of writing with a bent toward the mythic with d’Lacey’s references to the King Arthur tales. His primary protagonist appears to be David who is in college, i.e., he is of college age which normally indicates a New Adult target audience. However, it is possible that Lucy is meant to be the primary, even if the story is really more about David. Then again, the series is about dragons, so perhaps the humans are peripheral. I can only believe that d'Lacey intends this book for the middle-grade reader or a young young adult reader. Definite points off for the confusion.
D’Lacey does get points for originality. I love his premise about Elizabeth and the dragons. He teases us as we read, and never does conFIRM what we know. And it makes me want to read on to the next in the series, Icefire, but not as much as my wanting to go back and read that prequel series!
I love that humorous hook at the start with David replying to the ad Elizabeth placed. The whole idea of those clay dragons is lovely, and I want one. Lucy, however, is not so lovely. She’s such a demanding thing. Yes, I suspect she’ll grow up to be a fascinating adult, but right now she bugs me.
As for point-of-view, I think it’s a simple third-person subjective, as we only have access to David’s thoughts, including that epiphany he has towards the end. As for d’Lacey’s "sly" hints about the dragons, yep, flashing arrows, every one of ‘em.
It’s a tale of fantasy that sets David’s world on end while Gadzooks’ influence will change it.
The Story
When David moves in with Liz and Lucy, his notions about the world are tilted as he learns more and more about dragons. Especially about his very own story-writing dragon, Gadzooks.
Don't ever make your dragon cry, it can put out his fire. If it isn't quickly rekindled, he will die.The Characters
Twenty-year-old David Rain, about to start a geography course at Scrubbley College, needs a place to stay. Winston is his teddy bear. Gadzooks is the dragon David receives. Snigger and the Nutbeast is the story David writes.
Elizabeth Pennykettle, a potter, lives with her about-to-be-eleven years old daughter, Lucy, on Wayward Crescent. Pennykettle Pots and Crafts is her business. The Dragons’ Den is the room forbidden to all. Bonnington is the cat. Lucy has two of her mom’s dragons: Gawain, the last real dragon in the world, and Gwendolen. Gruffen, a guard dragon, is always in the wrong place. Guinevere is Liz’s special queen dragon.
Conker is the one-eyed squirrel Lucy is worried about. The other squirrels who left when the tree came down include Ringtail, Cherrylea, Shooter, and the battling Birchwood. Gadzooks will name Snigger, the squirrel in David’s story.
The Wildlife Hospital is…
…on a farm (it includes a riding center and sells organic produce) outside of Scrubbley where Sophie Prentice is a wildlife volunteer. Her dragon will be Grace. Major is Sophie’s favorite horse. Mrs. Wenham runs the hospital. Mr. Deans is the vet.
The cranky, ill-tempered Henry Bacon is their neighbor and works at the Scrubbley Library. George "Greenfingers" Digwell is the cranky library gardener. Caractacus is the vicious crow.
Brian Donnelly of Donnelly’s Pest Control Services is the father of one of David’s friends. Friends at Lucy’s party include Christopher Jefferson, Beverly Sherbon, and Samantha Healy. Gwilanna is the old outcast crone.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a subdued yet bright green in that close close-up of Gadzooks’ sculpted features, specifically a CLOSE view of his upper lip, eye, and eyebrow ridge. The metallic gold touches in the crescent sliver in his soft yellow eye and the highlights on his brow and the scales beneath his eye add to the fantastical. The author’s name is way at the top in a shadowed gold while the title is less visible at the bottom in a ragged font gleaming in metallic gold.
The title is what gives the dragons life, The Fire Within.
jackpep's review
5.0
The best thing D'Lacey does in this book is create an isolated, cozy world in which the story takes place. He does this so well that it doesn't matter where the house is or even when it takes place. By taking away these things that ground stories in reality: time and place, he takes away most of the adult-rationality that gets in the way of a whimsical fantasy book. By doing this, one can truly enjoy the quaintness of story despite its far-fetched concept.
tobbled's review
2.0
I’m in my hater era so perhaps this book doesn’t deserve this low of a rating but.. I don’t care, my reviews are more of a diary entry than anything truly critical.
The Fire Within has an interesting concept which, when I started, I was excited to read about. And for the first half of it I sat and read and hoped and dreamed that at some point we would finally get to the dragons. I was a fool for dreaming.
Instead of focusing on the dragons, this book feels like more of an ‘Animal Ark’ book with dragons thrown in as a selling point. The squirrel plot line was boring, truly, but it would’ve been acceptable if it was the main intention of the book. In some ways, this book would’ve been better if it was the squirrel plot line + just some random, wholesome magic from Mrs Pennykettle instead of the dragons. Think motherly, English witch in a cottage. The dragon plot line just also didn’t make sense like that is a genuine criticism and not a personal thing.
As well as my issues with the plot, the characters did not help. Lucy’s melodrama over everything was somewhat acceptable (still annoying) due to her being a literal child. However David, especially near the end of the book, was apparently incapable of acting like an adult. As a character he really should’ve been younger so that his actions weren’t so out of his maturity. In fact, the way he interacts with the family is odd considering he’s only been there for maybe a few weeks. IMO, David should’ve been a younger (15-17ish) distant cousin on a visit instead of a random 20 year old lodger.
Also the fight scene with the crow annoyed me. Maybe I don’t care about animals enough but it is literally just a squirrel why are we saying ‘take cover’ and screaming.
Anyway, I do think that this book would be perfect for a child who loves animals. Maybe they could get past the intensely boring scenes about David being angry with the world and Lucy crying because she ‘hates‘ him.
The Fire Within has an interesting concept which, when I started, I was excited to read about. And for the first half of it I sat and read and hoped and dreamed that at some point we would finally get to the dragons. I was a fool for dreaming.
Instead of focusing on the dragons, this book feels like more of an ‘Animal Ark’ book with dragons thrown in as a selling point. The squirrel plot line was boring, truly, but it would’ve been acceptable if it was the main intention of the book. In some ways, this book would’ve been better if it was the squirrel plot line + just some random, wholesome magic from Mrs Pennykettle instead of the dragons. Think motherly, English witch in a cottage. The dragon plot line just also didn’t make sense like that is a genuine criticism and not a personal thing.
As well as my issues with the plot, the characters did not help. Lucy’s melodrama over everything was somewhat acceptable (still annoying) due to her being a literal child. However David, especially near the end of the book, was apparently incapable of acting like an adult. As a character he really should’ve been younger so that his actions weren’t so out of his maturity. In fact, the way he interacts with the family is odd considering he’s only been there for maybe a few weeks. IMO, David should’ve been a younger (15-17ish) distant cousin on a visit instead of a random 20 year old lodger.
Also the fight scene with the crow annoyed me. Maybe I don’t care about animals enough but it is literally just a squirrel why are we saying ‘take cover’ and screaming.
Anyway, I do think that this book would be perfect for a child who loves animals. Maybe they could get past the intensely boring scenes about David being angry with the world and Lucy crying because she ‘hates‘ him.