| Title | : | The Vanishing Sculptor (Valley of the Dragons, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1400073391 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781400073399 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 398 |
| Publication | : | First published August 2, 2009 |
The Vanishing Sculptor (Valley of the Dragons, #1) Reviews
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Too much for me...
Tipper is the daughter of a sculptor who disappeared some years ago. She has been left to deal with the estate of her family in his absence and has been forced to sell some of his works of art. But when her father returns she finds out that she's done something terrible and needs to undo it. She enlists the help of a few friends to go on a magical quest to undo what was done.
I could not get into the story at all. I feel like the reader was simply dropped into this fantasy world that Paul has created (in another series apparently). However being a stand-alone book this should have indeed stood alone and not been a continuation of the series proceeding it.
I also had a very big problem with the characters. Tipper is just about one of the most annoying characters I've ever read. She is consistently the victim although it does get better throughout the book. Not to mention the great wizard Fenworth who is a huge snob.
I usually can do a good fantasy but this one was just too deep in for me and like I said having been a stand-alone book this should have reeled me in a little bit better but it failed to do so.
Can't say I would really recommend this book. Perhaps I would recommend this as a part of the series but not standing alone. -
The Dragons of Chiril is a sweet, fun story filled with Paul's trademark humor, faith, and action.
THE CHARACTERS:
Tipper has the propensity to be a bit irritating at times; her ability to whine can grate on the nerves. However, she is also a great character as far as three dimensional and her overall arc. I particularly liked how she gradually warmed to the truth; it wasn't easy for her to accept Wulder's existence, and her reactions to the imparted knowledge were well in her character.
Beccaroon was an intriguing character. Rarely are we granted the chance to read from a bird's perspective, much less a grand parrot's, and one who has a serious sense of protection, (too much) dignity, and a good dose of pride. I wish we would have seen his choice between believing in Wulder or still considering Him a myth. In that way his character arc wasn't wrapped up, but he was an endearing character.
Verin and Peg Schope were the sweetest couple. Peg needs a hug and Verin needs a comfy place to rest. It was fun to see how Tipper had adopted some of their attributes.
Bealomodore definitely has potential. This arrogant, self-important artist who just wants his love of art to be accepted quickly endeared himself to me. It probably helps that I know how his story continues in the next book.
Jairus, though I knew where his arc would lead, was too arrogant at first. But that did serve well for how he matured (really matured) through the story. His first profession is one I wouldn't mind being: a dragon keeper. Imagine the ability to speak with all those adorable dragons.
Wizard Fenworth and Librettowit are, undoubtedly, my favorite characters. Fen's seemingly nonsensical conversations and conclusions and Wit's frustration and adamant "you're going to kill us with these incorrect spells and backward whirls" are hilarious. Fen also needs a hug and Wit needs some tylenol for the headaches Fen's antics give him.
The antagonists: Paul definitely has the gift of creating nasty characters. I'll leave it at that. (Although I might steal Queen Venmarie's candlestick and whop a few nasties over the head. Just saying.)
THE SETTING:
As usual, the settings are superb. A perfect amount of description so the reader can envision themself with the characters.
The PLOT:
The book's plot is, overall, perfect. The end is where it gets a little confusing. We're left with no conclusions on some of the issues (like if Verin Shope ever fully recovers; if Bec comes to believe in Wulder, Paladin's job, etc.), and it's a little jarring when the book ends. However, it's still a grand story, and a certain character receives more time in the spotlight in the next book.
OVERALL:
The Dragons of Chiril is a delightful tale of adventure, faith, trust, and discovering that God has a purpose for everyone. -
Not nearly as good as Dragonspell or DragonQuest. I had to drag myself through the beginning chapters. The prose was awkward and didn't flow well, so much so that I was continually pulled away from the story. I'm glad I stuck with the book though, as it improved dramatically towards the end. And I will confess that I squealed like a seven year old when I first heard Fenworth say "Tut tut, oh dear". :) The twist with Jayrus was suprising, but acceptable.
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Initial Response
Wow, that was an INTENSE last few chapters. O_O
High Lights
- There are adorable mini dragons. And awesome ginormous dragons. What more is there to say? XD
- Tipper and Jayrus are SO STINKING ADORABLE. *heart eyes* I also love how Beccaroon and Fenworth aren't so sure about them being together, like concerned parents. XD
- Verrin Schope is such a cool character. He reminds me a lot of one of my own characters, so I might be biased, but he's so wise and
- The world-building was so good! I could really tell that a lot of thought had been put into it. All of the different species were all so well described and I loved all the descriptions of the settings.
- All of the dialogue was sparkling and I love how proper all of the dialect was. So fun to read.
- Those last few chapters MY HEART WAS LITERALLY RACING. Makes me so curious about what happens next...
- Jayrus is awesome. That is all.
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Low Lights
- At the beginning, Tipper really rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't like her attitude or personality. She felt very immature and childish, which I understand was partly intended, because we get to see her grow and become more mature, but it still really annoyed me.
- I kind of wish the magic aspect of the book had been explained a bit more.
- I wish there had been a bit more action. I still really enjoyed following the travelers on their quest as they made there way to the mountains and all. But there just wasn't quite enough action for me. If the whole book could have been like those last few chapters...
- I want to understand Wulder's Tomes. Like. I just don't understand.
Conclusion
This was my second time reading and I'm pleased to say I loved just as much, if not more the second time round. If you're looking for a pleasant amble in the fantasy genre, this book is a great choice!
4/5. -
Tipper, a young emerlindian woman, has been scrounging to take care of her family estate since her father went missing. Since he father was a renowned sculptor, Tipper had no choice but to sell off his work to pay the bills. But her father returns suddenly, then vanishes again. Then he reappears, then vanishes, then reappears. It seems that Tipper’s father is being affected by a portal between two sides of the world. Long ago, he had crafted three sculptures out of a special chunk of stone that happened to be the portal that held their world together. Now he must put the sculptures back to restore balance to the land and his own body. The only problem is that Tipper sold all three pieces. Tipper and her father set off with an unlikely group of friends to find the missing sculptures and restore balance.
This story inhabits the same world as Donita’s DragonKeeper Chronicles and includes a few characters from the original series that we’ve all come to love. Donita K. Paul writes beautifully. I love her storyworld and the personalities she creates. She is truly gifted. I thought this story had an interesting premise. It was a fun read with a long quest (which I always love) and interesting obstacles that crop up to waylay our heroes. I didn’t get as hooked into the tale as I’d hoped. I think that was because there were a lot of characters to follow. They were interesting, wonderful characters, but they often took the spotlight away from Tipper. Fans of Donita’s work will love to see some old characters take part in the story. I’m not sure if this is meant to be the first book in a series or not. A few doors were left open to a sequel, so I’m interested to see what might happen in a second book. Recommended. -
I was obsessed with "DragonSpell" in middle school, fascinated with the dragons, the magic, the allegory. I picked up the first in this trilogy... and proceeded to let it sit on my TBR shelves for many years. In some ways, it's been too long. This kind of book isn't where I gravitate anymore, though I always enjoy a good fantasy. But in some ways, I read this at exactly the right time.
No, this book isn't perfect. The writing isn't great, the characters are a bit flat, the ending somewhat anti-climactic. The magic system is never explained. There are situations the characters get themselves into (and then get themselves out of) where I actually muttered to myself, "well that was easy." But I also didn't want the story to end; something about it was just wonderful.
No, I don't come to Donita K. Paul books to find my new favorite thing. I can say, though, that she just writes a lovely story. Her world is one that's perfect to escape into and dream about dragons and quests and magic for awhile.
So objectively, 3 stars. But for the nostalgia and my enjoyment and how much I laughed over Fenworth and Librettowit's banter, 4 stars from me!
"Problems are not problems before they occur. After a problem has sprouted, it is indeed proper and prudent to address the problem. But to attend to a problem before it has manifested as a problem is foolhardy. Kindly refrain from attempting to present problems that are, at the moment, nonexistent." -
I read and greatly loved the Dragonkeeper Chronicles but this book seems overly childish even though the main character, Tipper is 20 years old. I felt the writing was simplistic and the constant nonsensical chatter didn't add to the story at all. This has some of the same characters as the previous series but they all seem to have had a lobotomy as they do not act like the same characters. All in all a disappointment and I will not be continuing the series.
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Great book for intermediate to middle schoolers. “Don’t wallow in regret. I learned while I was in Amara that it is impossible to always choose right without the friendship and guidance of Wulder. And even with his backing, handling life in an upright manner is still a struggle. “
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This was my first adventure reading Donita K Paul with her Christian Fantasy Book
The Dragons of Chiril: A Novel and I doubt it will be my last. This book was chock full of great characters, interesting storylines and adventurous settings to keep the imagination of the reader stirred for sure. I think readers of all ages would really enjoy this fantasy tale.
Our main character Tipper is a girl whose father has disappeared unexplained many years ago. Her mother Lady Peg Schope is seemingly mentally incompetent claiming to always be talking to her absent husband. This leaves Tipper to have to fend for their household to keep things running. As a result, Tipper has sold many pieces of her Father’s artwork in order to make ends meet as her father; Verrin Schope was a well known artist. Unfortunately, three of Verrin Schope’s sculptures (all sold) hold the key to his disappearance in the form of a portal and with their separation a necessary journey to reunite these sculptures becomes most necessary to help save Tipper’s father as well as the world.
Every great fantasy novel always has a noble quest to save the world and this one is no different. My favorite part of this novel is truly the characters, the rag-tag band of travelers that unite to conquer this problem. Assembled in this group are Tipper of course, her always disappearing father Verrin Schope (you’ll have to read the book to see why), Beccarroon, grand parrot and guardian left to watch over Tipper, Beaulomondore, a local artist, Wizard Fenworth (who appears fairly bumbling, but is smarter than meets the eye) and sidekick librarian Librettowit (well named as he is very witty), and of course a handsome prince- love those guys. Together they are in a race against time to save Verrin Schope as well as repair the portal which is starting to crumble things around the countryside- not good. Of course there are dragons in this book which help the travelers out in many ways- transportation for one, as well as the minor dragons have special gifts and talents such as healing, and mood lifting, etc.
I like the way this story moved along, yes there were the good guys and the bad guys and the epic struggle that always takes place with that, but I loved other aspects to the storyline as well, such as the family dynamics that come into play at the end of the novel- which I don’t want to spoil, but I really appreciated that nuance to the story, sometimes the biggest battles that need to be overcome are with our own family. Also important to note is the character of “Wulder” which is the great creator. Much of his wisdom is woven into the story as a guiding force. This is not done in a hit you over the head with it overly preachy kind of way, but naturally done in the fabric of the story.
This book did have a “prequel” feeling to it for me as a first time reader and I can’t help but feel that I will gain more and get a broader feel for these characters if I continue on in this series and read the next book. (Ah, but I’m sure that’s the whole point.) It’s always fun for me to read a “new-author-to me” and I’ll put Donita K. Paul in as a great new fantasy writer.
Disclosure- A free review copy was graciously provided to me through the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Dragons of Chiril: A Novel -
Sometimes Fenworth definitely gets it right, despite his contrariness and odd ways. ;)
“Young man, you have listened to Librettowit for too long. Problems are not problems before they occur. After a problem has sprouted, it is indeed proper and prudent to address the problem. But to attend to a problem before it has manifested as a problem is foolhardy. Kindly refrain from attempting to present problems that are, at the moment, nonexistent.”
Ever stop and think about why you're worrying about something? Why you're stressing out over something that hasn't even happened, and may never happen?
That's one of the things I like about the DragonKeeper Chronicles and the others like them. They aren't just fantasy, but Christian fantasy - like The Chronicles of Narnia. There's the general story, but also something that makes you stop and think and ponder your faith and how you live your life.
True, some of Donita K. Paul's stories can be a bit too much on the romantic side ('Dragons of the Watch' would probably have some guys gagging - like my BiL), but other ones, like 'DragonKnight' or 'DragonLight'? I feel like there should be more of these type stories on the children's shelves.
Certainly not Twilight. :P Seriously, the Young Adult section of the library is depressing.
Yuckity-yuck-yuck.
But back to our regularly scheduled program.......
I am currently going through 'The Dragons of Chiril' for the first time (I have to admit, I read the second book first and the third book second), and while some of the writing is not as smoothly done as I would like, I am enjoying the story. Donita K. Paul does a good job on her world-building, and her characters are loveable. Reepicheep-the-Mouse loveable.
Plus, I love dragons. ;) Don't get me started on the Eragon books. ;D
Donita K. Paul is a good writer, and she doesn't just write Children's Fantasy. Go check out her 'Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball' book. It's good. :D
Just sayin'.... -
Tipper is a young emerlindian who’s responsible for the upkeep of her family’s estate during her sculptor father’s absence. Tipper soon discovers that her actions have unbalanced the whole foundation of her world, and she must act quickly to undo the calamitous threat. But how can she save her father and her world on her own?
The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions--including the nearly five-foot tall parrot Beccaroon--and eventually witnesses the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder. Through Tipper’s breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God.
I am not a big fantasy fan. I generally try to avoid giving reviews for these types of books, but I have been kicking myself now for avoiding them! Author Donita K. Paul has converted me. I loved this book and I can see why young people are enthralled with anything written by Ms. Paul. I am so taken with The Vanishing Sculptor that I am now going to go back and read the books that have made her famous - The Dragon Keeper Chronicles.
I was delighted with the characters. From wizards, to tumanhofers, to Grand Talking Parrots the journey into the world of Chiril kept me enthralled from the first page! Why I have denied myself fantasy novels boggles the mind!
The subtle message of our need for a Saviour was not lost on me and I'm sure will not be lost on anyone who reads this book. Ms. Paul has done a marvellous job of using fantasy to show her readers, both young and old how precious the love of God is toward His children. -
The witty banter just tickles me. I mean I can vividly picture these conversations going on.
You still have to have your own imagination going on with the dragons flying over head and the wizards about, but really this is a fun and enjoyable book for all. You feel like you know the characters intimately and you’ll be looking forward to reading the next book!
Paul offers something that I haven’t found in a lot of fantasy books. She captures the genre with a fresh and delightful take. I literally could picture the tiny dragon Tipper’s father brought home. I could not just picture the wizards, but could see them vividly in my mind.
I think most people will enjoy this book, even if you’re not into “sci-fi”. I think it is imaginative and creative and couldn’t help but enjoy it. -
Donita K. Paul is one of my very favorite authors. The Vanishing Sculptor takes us back into the world we first discovered in the Dragonkeeper series. I loved being back. This book wasn't particularly fast paced until the end, but I really enjoyed it. I read it slowly because I didn't want it to be over. I really hope this is the start of a new series.
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I loved this book. Period. While it was way different than the Dragon Keeper Chronicles, Donita K. Paul's first fantasy series, I found it easy to relate to the characters and slip back into the new yet familiar world that she recreated in this book. If you are a fantasy fan, I'd definitely recommend this for you.
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I found the pace of the plot a bit slow. While the world was okay, there are a lot of made up words that only distracted me from the story.
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What really bothered me about this book were the characters. Each one is self-righteous, except Tipper, who just comes of as the bullied/stupid character.
Tipper
In the beginning of the book, we're introduced to Tipper and her half-mad mother, Lady Peg, and we see how horrible their life is because of her father disappearing. Tipper cries about it often, but when her father actually does come back, she welcomes him like it was no big deal that he disappeared leaving her and her mother to fend for themselves. It is revealed later that he disappeared because of something he couldn't control, but Tipper didn't know that when she first saw him again. She's not angry at all. Any normal person would blame their father if he disappeared out of the blue like that.
She's always being ridiculed for being 'excitable' by Wizard Fenworth when she's acting how any normal person would. When Tipper's father gets kidnapped, of course she is going to be worried but they just call her stupid for not keeping a level head. Why didn't they try to calm her down before figuring out their rescue mission? Later on in the books, Paul tries to backtrack Fenworth's rude treatment of Tipper by Fenworth suddenly starting to say that she's tender-hearted.
And throughout the whole book, Tipper actually doesn't do anything. She's just the pair eyes the reader looks through. She could be taken out of the book and nothing really would change. Fenworth solves all of the problems.
Prince Jayrus
When we are first introduced to him, he's showing off his riding skills on his dragons, which is the perfect intro to him considering that he's very arrogant. A few times when he is talking to Tipper about how he'll ride one of the dragons to help with the rescue mission, he uses his hands to demonstrate the simple concept like she can't understand otherwise. And later, when the tumanhofers and Beccaroon are leaving, they bow to Tipper but Jayrus automatically assumes that they are bowing to him. It's only a few days later that he becomes the Paladin and is told by other characters that he is not as arrogant anymore, but we aren't shown that.
I also hated that towards the end, Paul started calling him Paladin instead of Jayrus. He was first introduced as Jayrus, he should stay that way. And if you've read the original series, it can very confusing because then I started imagining the Paladin from that series as Jayrus.
Tipper's and Jayrus's relationship is horrible. He acts very condescending to her, like everyone else. Tipper goes from being infatuated with him one second to not liking him the next. If your love interest makes you feel confused and then infatuated within the span of five seconds, then you should probably give up on him.
Wizard Fenworth
Fenworth, Fenworth, Fenworth, how I do not like you. I don't remember you being this condescending in the original series, but I think that was because I wasn't really paying attention. You are the most self-righteous one of them all.
He hardly explains complicated concepts and ridicules people who don't immediately get them or haven't heard of such things at all. Immediately when he gets to Chiril, he calls them all heathens and insults their way of life just because it's different than Amara's. And this is the person that's suppose to find the Paladin and help spread Wulder's laws. He's very rude; he falls asleep while people are talking to him, insults others, and struts around like he's the best thing since sliced bread. Maybe you should work on your people skills, Fenworth, instead of insulting Tipper on hers.
Here's a really frustrating example of why you should not like him either : When their party is being charged at by large sheep, he pulls Tipper out of the way but leaves Bealomondore to hold onto one of the sheep unless he wants to get trampled. Tipper yells at Fenworth to help Bealomondore but he refuses though it is completely in his power to save him. And he has the audacity to call Tipper excitable and stupid for her behavior! Bealomondore was in trouble and she was genuinely worried for him, as she should be.
Beccaroon
He is a very smart parrot, though the mystery of where these talking parrots come from is never explained. But he does seem to be pompous when instructing Tipper on proper etiquette when her social skills seem to be fine. And once, he is very rude, skipping the proper etiquette, and Tipper calls him out on it.
Beccaroon is humbled a bit from loosing his tail. He asks Jayrus to let him ride with him on his dragon for some of the time but doesn't want the others know.
Bealomondore
He's really not bad. In the first part of the book he comes off a bit arrogant and tries to exaggerate his finery. Tipper does wrong him, and he has the right to be mad at her later on. As the plot continues, he acts normal.
Verrin Schope
The proclaimed genius of this world. He's the only one that gains praise from Fenworth. I don't have any real problems with him that I can remember off the top of my head.
Other Points I Didn't Like About This Book
Runan and Mushand, when they have the party held prisoner, treat them too nicely. They only need Lady Peg, why not kill everyone else? Mushand is only in on their scheme so he can have the most wonderful art in the world. What in the world!? I know that there are some serious art fanatics out there, but I just can't understand that.
Evil and good are always black and white in this book, but in the real world it's not that simple. Of course God/Wulder knows what is right and what is wrong but we as humans don't always know for sure.
The climax didn't help the book at all. It was the normal battle of wizards that Paul likes to include at the end of her books where the protagonist is merely there to watch it. Being the eyes of the third party isn't that fun or suspenseful.
I did not get the thing at the end about the doll, Lady Peg, and her mother. None of that really made sense to me. And why Lady Peg was banished from the castle was never explained, which it should have been because it proved to be a very important part of the story.
It is also interesting to note that Tipper is the only female in her company and she is the worst treated. Paul may not have meant for that, but it's there. The men are always trying to convince to stay behind because she's not experienced enough; neither is Bealomondore, but he can go. And all of the women seem to be somehow stupid or inferior. Orphelia was overpowered by her husband, Lady Peg was half-mad, Madam Markezze is described as contrite, and so on. There's not many female characters anyway.
This book is very similar and just as bad as the DragonKeeper Chronicles. -
The story was quite slow, and I didn't feel like the world was sufficiently fleshed out. It was mainly a few made up animals and foods that was supposed to illustrate the fact that this story is set in a different world. It is possible that if I read all the books the author wrote in this world, I 'get it' more, but ideally you are 'in' after only one book.
I don't feel like I am being entirely fair, as I read this not long after reading The Lord of the Rings, and that comparison is hardly fair at all.
I enjoyed reading it but it's not the kind of book I will be reading again. Once you've read it you got everything there is to get, and I don't feel like there are hidden treasures or additional value to be gotten from reading it again. The story line is a bit too boring to want to read it for the story's sake alone. -
Tipper is at her wit’s end. She’s been struggling to manage her family’s estate since her father, the famous sculptor Verrin Schope, disappeared several years ago. To make ends meet, she’s had to discharge most of the workers and sell off her celebrated father’s most cherished works. Her dotty mother’s extravagant spending habits don’t help, and the wise old Grand Parrot Beccaroon, despite providing invaluable moral support, isn’t much of a manager, either.
And things are getting worse. Tipper begins having ghostly visions of her father. Is he dead, or has Tipper fallen into her mother’s bizarre fantasy that Verrin Shope makes nightly visits home? She learns from a pair of strange visitors that her father is trapped in a hole between dimensions, and it’s slowly dissolving him. The problem extends to the fabric of reality itself, which is beginning to unravel and threatens the entire world. It seems a matched set of Verrin’s sculptures formed the anchor of one end of a dimensional portal, and when Tipper sold the three pieces to different buyers, the portal was disrupted, starting all the mischief.
To save her father and her world, Tipper must recover the missing sculptures, and there’s no time to lose. Is this sheltered country girl up to the challenge? She’s going to need a lot of help. Fortunately, there are friends closer at hand than Tipper realizes, and something wonderful is astir that will change Tipper’s world forever.
Donita K. Paul’s The Vanishing Sculptor is a charming fantasy tale of adventure and discovery that promises to appeal to all ages. It’s a prequel of sorts to her DragonKeeper Chronicles, but familiarity with those stories isn’t a prerequisite to enjoyment of this one.
At first glance, The Vanishing Sculptor is a straightforward adventure-quest story. with a lot of familiar elements. There’s a lost treasure to recover, a journey to undertake, villains to vanquish, and a world-shattering threat hanging over the whole enterprise that must be neutralized. The heroine, Tipper, is a winsome young lady with a lot to learn about the world and herself. She has an assortment of friends to help with her quest–a wizard, a warrior, an artist, a scholar, and a wise advisor. There are also dragons, which are much more than the sluggish housepets they initially appear to be.
That last point is one element of a major theme that characterized the story for me: Appearances Are Deceiving. Just about everybody and everything in this story has some hidden depths or talents that nobody suspects, and sometimes even the individual in question isn’t aware of the full extent of their abilities. Little sculptures hold the fabric of the world together. The absent-minded wizard isn’t quite as random as he appears. The young dragonkeeper is much more than the custodian of an isolated castle. Tipper’s seemingly senile mother has method to her madness, and even Tipper herself has a power she never imagined.
In the course of learning to not take anything at face value, Tipper and her friends, and, incidentally, the reader, begin to see that there are real, powerful, unseen forces that shape their world. Tipper’s people have a kind of agnostic acknowledgment of a supreme being, but it quickly becomes clear that this quest has been orchestrated by a very real Deity, Wulder, who wants to reveal a revolutionary, liberating truth to the entire world. It’s a huge paradigm shift for Tipper and her skeptical adviser, Beccaroon, and they don’t fully embrace it at the end of the book, but the path ahead is clear.
There were a couple of things about the story that didn’t quite connect with me. Ms. Paul has an affinity for long names, and I acknowledge that there’s a lot of preexisting worldbuilding for this universe, and things need to be consistent, but every time I confronted a tongue-twisting name, even one I’d seen before, it interrupted the flow of the story. I felt a bit like Charlie Brown, who, when asked how he handled the Russian names in The Brothers Karamazov, replied that he simply “beeped” over them.
The other thing that tripped me up a little was how characters began stressing how important honesty was to Wulder, even going out of their way to reveal information about their quest to potential enemies because it would be wrong to deceive them, yet when grilled by a town sheriff about a fight in an enemy’s house that resulted in the death of said enemy, they spun a story that sidestepped what actually happened, placing implied blame for the incident on the enemy’s thugs. This yielded a “wink, wink, nudge, nudge” resolution in which the sheriff tacitly acknowledged they’d done him a favor by taking out the bad guy.
Ethically speaking, I’ve got a lot more difficulty with lying to an officer of the law than withholding information from someone who intends to do me harm and may pose a threat to the entire world. Not a huge point, perhaps, but I think it’s important to be consistent about these things.
The WaterBrook Press paperback I purchased has beautiful cover art and nice black and white sketches of the three pivotal sculptures inside. Ms. Paul includes a helpful glossary of important people, places, and things, as well as a map of the land of Chiril, where the story is set. A subtitle on the cover declares it “A Fantastic Journey of Discovery for All Ages,” and I think that’s truth in advertising. I enjoyed this story and expect it will appeal to just about anyone who likes fantasy. -
Dragons of Chiril* is the first book in the second *Dragon* series by Donita K. Paul. It takes place before the popular *The Dragonkeeper Chronicles*. This was an exciting read for me, because it was the book previous to *Dragons of the Valley*, which I greatly enjoyed. It was fun, to be sure, getting to read the background of that novel.
The story begins with a young woman named Tipper. She is managing her household in the absence of her father, Verrin Schope, who disappeared many years before. She must deal with many problems, including her mother, Lady Peg's, apparent insanity. At least, she thinks her mother is insane. Her mother is eccentric and naive, to be sure, but Lady Peg is neither stupid or insane, as Tipper soon finds out.
Tipper is certain that her mother has cracked under stress when Lady Peg insists that she talks to Verrin Schope at times. Then, after Tipper has a young artist paint a portrait in the vein of the vanished artist's style, her mother points out how it isn't her husband's, but the young man's work. Tipper is puzzled over how her mother figured it out, until her father appears to her.
Tipper learns that Verrin Schope disappeared due to a strange series of happenings involving a wizard and his librarian on another continent. Verrin and the strangers are preaching a strange faith (to her) about a Deity named Wulder. Wulder is much more caring and loving, and more authentic-feeling, than Chiril's (Tipper's country's) god, Boscamon, who is a trickster in whom most people do not believe.
With the help of Wulder, Tipper, Verrin, wizard Fenworth, the librarian Libbretowit, the young artist Bealomondore, Dragon keeper Prince Jayrus, and the grand parrot (and Tipper's advisor and caretaker) Sir. Beccaroon; launch onto a quest to save her father and the world. Tipper, in her father's absence, needed to sell much of her father's artwork, including three statues (whose significance she did not know of) her father made by mistake from special stones. Now, the three statues must be found and reunited, or else both Verrin and the world itself will be destroyed.
The theology of Wulder (who is unapologetically based on the God of the Bible) is not as systematic and ironed out in this novel as it was in *Dragons of the Valley*, but I still found myself better understanding and appreciating the philosophy here. Quite simply, the two books build upon each other, and understanding the background of the characters, places, events, and philosophy helped me to better understand the overall picture.
I can't really say much critical, except that the book seemed to rush a bit without proper explanation, and I found myself kind of clueless as to where two important events came from in the last hundred pages or so. It all seemed to come out of left-field, and that was annoying, to say the least. I prefer a methodical build up, instead of having plot points suddenly thrown into the mix. I think that most of the plot points made sense and are less inexplicable if one has read the previous series which takes place later in the timeline. This series is sort of a prequel of sorts, though on a different continent than the events of the other series. That said, I doubt that I am the only one who read this series first, and a bit more exposition might have helped somewhat.
That said, the novel was incredibly well-written. The characters were compelling, except for Prince Jayrus, but he was better fleshed out in the second book, as was Bealomondore. In fact, the character arcs in the two books are compelling, and show a wonderful development of faith on the parts of the various characters.
The greatest plus to the book is how well Paul explored the Christianity-based religion of the fictional world's Wulder. Many authors seem to try to push an overtly Christian fictional setting and faith. To say that they are unsuccessful, would be an understatement. They fail *miserably*.
The fact that Paul succeeded where most authors fail, is an incredible achievement for her, which only makes the book all the more enjoyable and invigorating a read. I can't praise it enough. If you want to find a great fantasy modern (other than *The Chronicles of Narnia* or *The Lord of the Rings*, which are two of the other very few works to be great truly Christian fantasy) novel that expounds a Christian worldview, please read this book and *Dragons of the Valley*.
Wonderful characters and settings, a detailed and well-written Christian worldview, and a plain fun story, *The Dragons of Chiril* has all of it. Highly Recommended.
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I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers. I am obligated to read it and give a review on my blog and on a commercial web site such as Amazon.com. Waterbrook Multnomah emphasizes their desire for honest reviews, whether positive or negative, in order to help them create a better product. The opinions above are my honest viewpoint. I want to thank Waterbrook Multnomah for allowing me to review this book, and thank you all for reading this. -
Ms Paul always writes a captivating book and this is no exception.
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The Dragon spell series is better, but this is good
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Different than the other novels but in a good way!
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*The Dragons of Chiril* is the first book in the second *Dragon* series by Donita K. Paul. It takes place before the popular *The Dragonkeeper Chronicles*. This was an exciting read for me, because it was the book previous to *Dragons of the Valley*, which I greatly enjoyed. It was fun, to be sure, getting to read the background of that novel.
The story begins with a young woman named Tipper. She is managing her household in the absence of her father, Verrin Schope, who disappeared many years before. She must deal with many problems, including her mother, Lady Peg's, apparent insanity. At least, she thinks her mother is insane. Her mother is eccentric and naive, to be sure, but Lady Peg is neither stupid or insane, as Tipper soon finds out.
Tipper is certain that her mother has cracked under stress when Lady Peg insists that she talks to Verrin Schope at times. Then, after Tipper has a young artist paint a portrait in the vein of the vanished artist's style, her mother points out how it isn't her husband's, but the young man's work. Tipper is puzzled over how her mother figured it out, until her father appears to her.
Tipper learns that Verrin Schope disappeared due to a strange series of happenings involving a wizard and his librarian on another continent. Verrin and the strangers are preaching a strange faith (to her) about a Deity named Wulder. Wulder is much more caring and loving, and more authentic-feeling, than Chiril's (Tipper's country's) god, Boscamon, who is a trickster in whom most people do not believe.
With the help of Wulder, Tipper, Verrin, wizard Fenworth, the librarian Libbretowit, the young artist Bealomondore, Dragon keeper Prince Jayrus, and the grand parrot (and Tipper's advisor and caretaker) Sir. Beccaroon; launch onto a quest to save her father and the world. Tipper, in her father's absence, needed to sell much of her father's artwork, including three statues (whose significance she did not know of) her father made by mistake from special stones. Now, the three statues must be found and reunited, or else both Verrin and the world itself will be destroyed.
The theology of Wulder (who is unapologetically based on the God of the Bible) is not as systematic and ironed out in this novel as it was in *Dragons of the Valley*, but I still found myself better understanding and appreciating the philosophy here. Quite simply, the two books build upon each other, and understanding the background of the characters, places, events, and philosophy helped me to better understand the overall picture.
I can't really say much critical, except that the book seemed to rush a bit without proper explanation, and I found myself kind of clueless as to where two important events came from in the last hundred pages or so. It all seemed to come out of left-field, and that was annoying, to say the least. I prefer a methodical build up, instead of having plot points suddenly thrown into the mix. I think that most of the plot points made sense and are less inexplicable if one has read the previous series which takes place later in the timeline. This series is sort of a prequel of sorts, though on a different continent than the events of the other series. That said, I doubt that I am the only one who read this series first, and a bit more exposition might have helped somewhat.
That said, the novel was incredibly well-written. The characters were compelling, except for Prince Jayrus, but he was better fleshed out in the second book, as was Bealomondore. In fact, the character arcs in the two books are compelling, and show a wonderful development of faith on the parts of the various characters.
The greatest plus to the book is how well Paul explored the Christianity-based religion of the fictional world's Wulder. Many authors seem to try to push an overtly Christian fictional setting and faith. To say that they are unsuccessful, would be an understatement. They fail *miserably*.
The fact that Paul succeeded where most authors fail, is an incredible achievement for her, which only makes the book all the more enjoyable and invigorating a read. I can't praise it enough. If you want to find a great fantasy modern (other than *The Chronicles of Narnia* or *The Lord of the Rings*, which are two of the other very few works to be great truly Christian fantasy) novel that expounds a Christian worldview, please read this book and *Dragons of the Valley*.
Wonderful characters and settings, a detailed and well-written Christian worldview, and a plain fun story, *The Dragons of Chiril* has all of it. Highly Recommended.
-----
I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers. I am obligated to read it and give a review on my blog and on a commercial web site such as Amazon.com. Waterbrook Multnomah emphasizes their desire for honest reviews, whether positive or negative, in order to help them create a better product. The opinions above are my honest viewpoint. I want to thank Waterbrook Multnomah for allowing me to review this book, and thank you all for reading this. -
Donita K. Paul's Dragon stories are some of my favorites. I am enthralled with her ability to make the fantasy world of dragons and their keepers come alive to those of us who are no longer young enough to believe in such things.
The Dragons of Chiril is no exception to this.
The Dragons of Chiril, previously released as The Vanishing Sculptor, is the story of a young girl, Tipper, who is the daughter of a prominent sculptor and an "eccentric" mother. Her father has disappeared from her life inexplicably several years prior to the opening of the book and Tipper is forced to grow up and take care of not only herself but her mother, who seems to have detached from reality and believes that her husband (Tipper's father) is merely shut up in his studio. Tipper knows that her father would be upset with her for selling his work, but she slowly begins selling them off in order to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. With the help of a wonderful cast of characters, including an over-sized talking parrot named Beccaroon who is seemingly guardian of young Tipper, this is a story of self-discovery and adventure full of interesting settings and even more interesting beings.
When an aspiring artisan named Bealomondore arrives on her doorstep demanding to meet Tipper's father, the famous sculptor Verrin Schope and hoping for an apprenticeship with him, things start to unravel in Tipper's "normal" world. She soon discovers that her mother is indeed partially correct in the belief Verrin Schope is shut up in his studio when he appears to Tipper in what she assumes is a dream. Soon, however, her father begins to appear in more corporeal form and Tipper finds that her world is forever changed. On a journey to reunite three of the sculptures of her father's that she had previously sold, Tipper is joined by characters from several different walks of life and in fact several different planes of existence. In a world full of dragons and their keepers, magicians and giants, Tipper must find her way not only to rescue the sculptures and save the world but more importantly to find herself.
One of the things I like best about
Donita K. Paul's dragon stories is her inclusion of the "character" of Wulder, a reference to God and His workings in not only this fantasy world but also our own world as well. Where most science fiction/fantasy genre books lead the reader to non-religious thoughts and themes, Ms. Paul's books bring them full circle, back to the Creator. While not overly religious in tone, this adds a wonderful undercurrent to her work in the same vein as CS Lewis's Narnia books. Not as complex in theme as Lewis, her books are a delightful and relatively quick read for young adults-adults and perhaps a slightly more challenging read to younger audiences.
The Dragons of Chiril is a book you can feel comfortable letting children and young adults read knowing that the themes, settings and language are wholesome overall and do not delve into the seedier side of the sci-fi/fantasy genre as many do. This book is a terrific stand-alone book but can also serve as a great introduction to Ms. Paul's other dragon stories such as
DragonSpell
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. -
I have not read the Dragon Keeper books nor was I aware of Paul’s writing before reading Vanishing Sculptor. For some reason it didn’t register that this book is set in the same world but in a different country and time. Although, this is a stand alone book I have a feeling reading the earlier series would provide a lot of helpful background and ease the reader into the universe Paul has created.
I am not sure if it was a result of this misunderstanding or background but I found Vanishing hard to get into. Paul just drops you into this world with no real background or introduction. You meet Sir Beccaroon the parrot guardian and Tipper the “emerlindian” and the story slowly unfolds. But the fictional universe is never really explained or flushed out. You just have to try and figure it out as you go along. There is an appendix with a cast of characters and a glossary, but this doesn’t help to “set the scene”.
My suspicion is that if you are familiar with the larger DKP universe than getting your bearings in this latest book is a lot easier. The story is a classic quest adventure. Tipper, her father – the vanishing sculptor of the title – and a collection of interesting characters are seeking to reunite three sculptures that have caused upheaval in the structure of her country. Their adventure involves small dragons with healing powers as well as more traditional riding dragons; magical wizards; the help of a the Paladin; and some evil henchmen determined to stop them. In the end, the quest will involve no only healing the rift that is causing Tipper’s father to disappear but also the family rift that has kept her family banished from the royal court.
The ingredients for this adventure make for an interesting story and the world of Chiril is an intriguing setting. Paul introduces some good characters as well. The wizard Fenworth and his librarian assistant are mysterious, comical, and philosophical; which make for an entertaining blend. And the concept of the dragon keeper as paladin ads a sense of mystery.
But to me the story seemed a bit thin at times. The last third is by far the strongest section as the action comes to a head. But for the first two thirds the quest lacks the kind of rising action or suspense that pulls the reader forward. It alternates between travel, action, and character development but never really builds on the various parts but instead meanders.
I also found both Beccaroon and Tipper to be fairly irritating characters; Bec haughty and easily offended while Tipper seems prone to pout and whine. Perhaps this is shallow on my part, but I tend to struggle with characters like this even as I understand that it might be an accurate portrayal of a girl her age and in her circumstances.
Lastly – finally, I hear you saying – the book didn’t really have the impact implied by the publishers blurb: “Through Tipper’s breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God.”
Although there is subtle notion of this in the Wulder thread, I am not sure the theme comes through as clearly as that. Again, I can’t help but wonder if knowing the Dragon Keeper series would make this element more clear. But if you picked this book up looking for a sort of Christian allegory or fable I think you would be disappointed.
So. What to make of all this? My recommendation would be to read the Dragon Keepers Chronicles first. If you enjoy the world and style they offer then you can move on to The Vanishing Sculptor. While I found it intriguing, and entertaining in parts, this book felt too disconnected and thin without a larger context in which to put it. I am assuming that context is The Dragon Chronicles. -
“‘It’s not the pomposity of the building that’s bothering me,’ she said. “It’s the bombastic attitude of the man I must humble myself to.”
‘Don’t,’ said Liberettowit, stopping before the elaborate wooden door of the inn and staring seriously into her eyes, ‘Don’t ever end your sentences with prepositions.’
Beccaroon clicked his tongue. ‘Before. I believe the preposition she should not have ended that sentence with would be before instead of to. One humbles oneself before another person, not to.’
Tipper glared at her friend. ‘Have you gone mad?’” – Pg. 84-85
This novel is absolutely delightful. It’s an adventure for every age from child to adult. The dialogue is laced with humor. A real pleasure to sit down in my favorite chair and disappear into a world alive with believable and wonderful characters. “The Dragons of Chiril” by Donita K. Paul also has wisdom in some of the words.
“Mushand’s desire for works of art warped his perception of the world. He thought what he deemed as treasure was also desired by every one else. In his mind, the more treasure he had, the more envy he generated in all those around him. It never occurred to him that his servant would rather have a piece of cake than own a picture. He assigned his values to others.” – Pg. 386-387
Tipper, is the granddaughter of the King and Queen of Chiril, but her mother and father had been banished from the kingdom for a mere slight. Then, her father appears to abandon them in their need and she is raised without her father. Her father left Beccaroon, a giant parrot, to act as guardian over Tipper. Tipper is beautiful. Then, one day her father returns, but he’s not himself. In fact, he seems to fall a part like too much paint over paint that eventually cracks and flakes. He disappears and reappears and this stems from a portal connecting the dimensions. A kind of worm-hole in science fiction speak. Thus, begins the adventure of Tipper, her father, his two friends, and an eccentric artist. Tipper meets Jayrus, a prince and Dragon Keeper. This book is the story before Paul’s epic dragon keeper series.
The novel introduces the Dragon Keeper series, and now I want to read every one of those books. The book left me wondering about Jayrus and Tipper. There’s just a light-hearted aspect of romance, but nothing heavy. It effectively describes first love and yet not so heavy that a young boy couldn’t read this and not make a face at the romance. This book leaves me warm and satisfied, and yearning to read more about Jayrus, Tipper, and the whole lot of them who bumble through the book with snakes and worms coming out of the old wizard’s beard and minor dragons that heal and sing. It has earned a place on my book shelf for pleasurable re-reading and I have rated it five stars for perfection.
*Book given by Waterbrook-Multinomah to review. -
There's a lovely mix of witty and hilarious dialogue and banter. An enjoyable read, a great revisit to some favorite characters, but a little stale in parts. I love Paul, but I wish they had a better cover designer. These books are excellent but sadly overlooked.
