Tag: Vikings

Caramel loves all things dragon, and he has been an avid reader of Cressida Cowell’s How to Train Your Dragon book series. Most recently he reviewed for the book bunnies blog How to Betray A Dragon’s Hero (Book #11 of How to Train Your Dragon Series). Today he is talking to Sprinkles about Book 12: How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

If you would like to check out our reviews of the earlier books, here is a list: How To Train Your Dragon (book 1), How to Be A Pirate (book 2),  How To Speak Dragonese(book 3),  How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse (book 4), How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale (book 5), A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons (book 6), How To Ride A Dragon’s Storm(book 7), How to Break A Dragon’s Heart (book 8), How to Steal A Dragon’s Sword (book 9, reviewed by Marshmallow), and How to Seize A Dragon’s Heart (nook 10). Caramel also reviewed How to Train Your Viking by Toothless the Dragon by Cressida Cowell, a related book that might appeal to those who enjoyed the original books in the series.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, tell our readers a bit about this twelfth book of the series.

Caramel: Hiccup wakes up not knowing who he is, what his name is, and so on. It is kind of scary actually.

S: I can see that, forgetting who you are would be really scary.

C: But eventually he does remember, because Toothless speaks to him and helps him remember.

S: Alright, is that the main thing that happens in this book?

C: No. There is a big war between humans and dragons.

S: That’s bad!

C: Yes. And you can tell who is losing.

S: Who?

C: Humans obviously. Dragons can fly! And they have flame weapons. Some have lightning. And others can turn invisible. And then shoot lightning. So they are pretty bad to have as an enemy.

S: I can see that! So what happens?

C: They eventually make a truce. Some of the dragons go into hiding and so on, but Toothless and some of the other dragons who are friends of the friends of Hiccup stay.

S: Hmm, so it is kind of like in the movies, and the TV series, too.

C: Yes, the dragons leave in the movie as well. And I don’t like that. Because I like the dragons.

S: But some stay?

C: Yes, I guess the epilogue is nice. They all live happily ever after, kind of.

S: Hmm, our attempt to provide a review with no spoilers has failed utterly. I can see that.

C: Yup. But I think it is alright. People who read this far in this series will want to finish it anyways.

S: I agree.

S: So if you were to find three words to describe this book, what would they be?

C: Exciting, funny, and also sad, because this is the end of the series.

S: I know you are sad that it is over, but you have really enjoyed this series, haven’t you?

C: Yes. I really like Hiccup and how he can talk to dragons.

S: Would you like to be able to talk to dragons?

C: If they existed. But unfortunately they don’t exist.

S: Well, how about creatures that do exist? Would you want to be able to talk to other animals?

C: Yes! I think they could tell me that animals don’t like to be hunted, and they could tell me a lot of other interesting things about their lives, so I’d know even more than I can learn from documentaries.

S: That is correct, you’d have very reliable and inside information!

C: I could also ask a dog how they know people are scared, and why they chase us bunnies…

S: Those would be good to know, for sure! So as we are wrapping up this series, what is next for you?

C: I think I will go back to reading the Wings of Fire books. There are still many of those that I haven’t read.

S: So I can see there will be more reviews about books with dragons in them!

C: Yes! So now, can I tell our readers to stay tuned?

S: Yes, I think it is time.

C: Great! Stay tuned for more book bunnies reviews!

In 2021, Caramel reviewed most of the books of Cressida Cowell’s How to Train Your Dragon series (2001-2015). Then he got distracted by other fun reading projects. This week he returns to the series and talks to Sprinkles about the eleventh book in the series: How to Betray a Dragon’s Hero.

If you would like to check out our reviews of the earlier books, here is a list: How To Train Your Dragon (book 1), How to Be A Pirate (book 2),  How To Speak Dragonese (book 3),  How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse (book 4), How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale (book 5), A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons (book 6), How To Ride A Dragon’s Storm (book 7), How to Break A Dragon’s Heart (book 8), How to Steal A Dragon’s Sword (book 9, reviewed by Marshmallow), and How to Seize A Dragon’s Heart (nook 10). Caramel also reviewed How to Train Your Viking by Toothless the Dragon by Cressida Cowell, a related book that might appeal to those who enjoyed the original books in the series.

Sprinkles: So Caramel you have just reread How to Betray A Dragon’s Hero. Can you tell us what it is about?

Caramel: Hiccup is hiding from Alvin the Treacherous, who somehow survived being in the core of the earth, which does not make sense but somehow he did it. Hiccup is in a hideout under a tree, and Camicazi gets kidnapped by vampire spydragons.

S: Wait! That is a lot! Is there a main story?

C: Well, a lot is happening. So it is hard to tell. But the main story line is about trying to save Camicazi and Snotlout gets to be a good person though only for a short time before–

S: Wait, I think there is a spoiler coming up there…

C: Yes. Okay. I won’t tell.

S: So tell me what the title is about. Why is the book titled “How the betray a dragon’s hero”? Who betrays whom?

C: I guess Snotlout keeps betraying Hiccup. Then probably the dragon’s hero that is betrayed is Hiccup. And Hiccup keeps trusting Snotlout and wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. And in the end it pays off, and Snotlout actually helps him. Until–

S: Okay, let us not say that.

C: Okay.

S: I read that the stories are getting darker. Did you think this book was darker than the previous ones?

C: I would say yes, definitely. People we know well are in danger and some die.

S: Okay, don’t tell us who dies!

C: Okay, I won’t. But other really bad things happen, too. The book is still very funny though. Just like the other ones.

S: So would “funny” be one of your descriptive words for the book?

C: Yes, but along with “dark” and “foreshadowing”. Because Alvin the Treacherous steals The Lost Things from Hiccup and goes to the Island of Tomorrow. And probably that will come up in the next book.

S: Hmm, I see. We should review that last book soon then.

C: Yes. But I don’t want our readers to end this on a dark and unhappy mood. Can you insert a happy How to Train Your Dragon video here?

S: Okay. I thought this was funny:

C: I think it is funny! Hiccup and Astrid get married and have kids, but the kids are afraid of the dragons. And Hiccup says “and then something hit me” and something literally hits him!

S: Yes. But nothing of the sort is happening in the book so far, right?

C: Astrid does not really exist in the books. Camicazi is kind of like her, but not quite. And she does not marry Hiccup.

S: And you like both the books and the animated series, right?

C: Yep. They are different but I like them both.

S: I think this is probably a good place to wrap this review up. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunnies reviews!

Caramel has been reviewing the books in Cressida Cowell’s How to Train Your Dragon series one by one. The last one he reviewed was the eighth book (How to Break A Dragon’s Heart). Because Marshmallow had already reviewed the ninth book (How to Steal A Dragon’s Sword), Caramel decided to skip that and move on to book #10: How To Seize a Dragon’s Jewel. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, we are on book number 10. Tell me about it.

Caramel: This book is about the dragon gem. It has the power to destroy all dragons forever.

S: Wait, that sounds serious. So the title is talking about a dragon’s jewel. Is that what you are talking about too?

C: Yep.

S: So which dragon owns this dragon gem? And who is trying to seize it from them?

C: I think it belongs to all dragons, but it is hidden and there is a map that shows where it is. Hiccup and his friends are trying to find it before bad guys do.

S: Because of course the bad guys would want to hurt the dragons?

C: Of course. But there are others who just don’t want Hiccup to have it. Those are some dragons who do not like humans much.

S: Hmm, that is interesting. So there are factions among the dragons, because Toothless and many of the other dragons we met actually like humans, right?

C: Yes. Also the map has a red herring.

S: Oh, do you know what is a red herring?

C: A fake lead, so a clue that looks like it will lead somewhere but it won’t. It is a picture of a red herring, a real herring, a fish, that is winking.

S: That’s a cool way to teach children this phrase! A red herring that is a real red herring!

S: So you read all ten of the books in this series now. Did you enjoy this tenth book as much as the others?

C: Yes, but I think I liked the ones before the eighth one more, because with the eighth book things start getting a bit too serious. A bit too scary.

S: What do you mean?

C: There is a character named Excellinor. She is a witch and Alvin the Treacherous’s mom, and she is really scary.

S: Hmm, and she shows up in the eighth book, is that so?

C: Yes. And see, here is a part where I think it gets extra creepy:

The Librarian turned, and poked his way back to Prison Darkheart, slaloming crazily through the corpses, with all the eagerness of one who has waited long to settle an old score.

Everything we do, you see, has its consequences and repercussions, every kind act and every bad, every friend we make, and every enemy.

Everything is connected.

C: And the Librarian is not even as scary as Excellinor.

S: Okay, I can see why you would get a bit sad that this series, which was mostly fun and light-hearted, became a bit scarier than you had expected.

C: Yes! I really am a bit bummed by it.

S: That seems to happen a lot though, as the characters mature, for example, in the Harry Potter books, too, things start getting more and more serious and scarier and scarier.

C: I know. And that is kind of why I’m avoiding reading those books.

S: Well, I still think they are really good books and you should read them some time soon…

C: We will see. Maybe I can be convinced.

S: Maybe. I’ll see what I can do to convince you. Well, let’s get back to this tenth book of the How to Train Your Dragon series. What three words would you use to describe it?

C: It is a bit scary, so I would use that word. Then, it is also still funny, so that is my second word. And sad.

S: Oh, I did not know that. But I know you don’t like too many sad stories.

C: I hate them. The only sad story I liked was Charlotte’s Web.

S: But you liked this book too, no?

C: Well, I guess this counts too.

S: So do you still want to read the eleventh and the twelfth books? Or are you too scared now?

C: Maybe. I think I do want to read them. But I hope they won’t be so sad and they won’t be too much scarier.

S: I guess we will see, right?

C: Yep.

S: So let us wrap up this review. What do you want to tell our readers Caramel?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!