Dragonology Chronicles Bk. 1:
The Dragon's Eye
by Dugald A. Steer
The Dragon's Eye
by Dugald A. Steer
THE DRAGON'S EYE by Dugald A. Steer
Category: Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 11/14/06
Publisher: Candlewick
Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan
Rating: 4 Stars
As I read THE DRAGON'S EYE, I kept getting a feeling of deja vu. It took a while to figure out why, but then it came to
me. THE DRAGON'S EYE reminded me a little of the SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS books. There was that
familiar emphasis on conducting research, and recording findings in little notebooks, and solving problems. Only instead of
three orphans dodging Count Olaf, THE DRAGON'S EYE focuses on a brother and sister trying to escape the evil designs
of the inferior dragonologist, Ignatius Crook. Unfortunately, this one didn't have the same humor in it that I enjoyed so much
in the SOUE books.
Overall, I have mixed feelings about THE DRAGON'S EYE. In the plus column, the novel was heavy on dragons of various
types. They all have names and unique personalities. Also, it had an element of boy versus girl competition that seemed to
resolve itself reasonably well.
On the other hand, the frequent references to dragon diaries and research methods disrupted the action. Doubtless that was
the point -- to identify the importance of learning about a subject before jumping into it and conducting a poor study. But still,
the execution was a little heavy-handed for my taste.
For young dragon lovers, this would probably be a popular title. I emphasize the word "young." THE DRAGON'S EYE
seems geared to a younger audience than many of the books reviewed here at TeensReadToo. My 14-year-old son read it,
too, and he was disappointed because it definitely felt "too young" for him. But for budding fantasy lovers who can't get
enough dragons, this one has the potential to be a winner.
Category: Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 11/14/06
Publisher: Candlewick
Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan
Rating: 4 Stars
As I read THE DRAGON'S EYE, I kept getting a feeling of deja vu. It took a while to figure out why, but then it came to
me. THE DRAGON'S EYE reminded me a little of the SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS books. There was that
familiar emphasis on conducting research, and recording findings in little notebooks, and solving problems. Only instead of
three orphans dodging Count Olaf, THE DRAGON'S EYE focuses on a brother and sister trying to escape the evil designs
of the inferior dragonologist, Ignatius Crook. Unfortunately, this one didn't have the same humor in it that I enjoyed so much
in the SOUE books.
Overall, I have mixed feelings about THE DRAGON'S EYE. In the plus column, the novel was heavy on dragons of various
types. They all have names and unique personalities. Also, it had an element of boy versus girl competition that seemed to
resolve itself reasonably well.
On the other hand, the frequent references to dragon diaries and research methods disrupted the action. Doubtless that was
the point -- to identify the importance of learning about a subject before jumping into it and conducting a poor study. But still,
the execution was a little heavy-handed for my taste.
For young dragon lovers, this would probably be a popular title. I emphasize the word "young." THE DRAGON'S EYE
seems geared to a younger audience than many of the books reviewed here at TeensReadToo. My 14-year-old son read it,
too, and he was disappointed because it definitely felt "too young" for him. But for budding fantasy lovers who can't get
enough dragons, this one has the potential to be a winner.