How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm: How to Train Your Dragon #7 by Cressida Cowell

Item: How to Ride a Dragon's Storm
Rating: 5
Author: Gaele

How to Train Your Dragon series is back with the seventh book from Cressida Cowell, narrated by David Tennant. Please read on for my review of

How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm

Hiccup is back with his motley crew of Hairy Hooligans, his friends and of course a series of adventurous misadventures in How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm. While ostensibly a story written for the 8 – 12 year old boys in your home, the humor, intricate plotting, adventures and the touch of lessons learned will appear to all ages, and satisfy parents as well. While the adventures (and Toothless) tend to be rather bloodthirsty, there are no graphic bloodletting scenes, and almost every negative moment / action seems to have some sort of more positive or alternate reaction. Hiccup is the most un-vikinglike Viking in the history of his family: a thoughtful, not really athletic, not bloodthirsty boy who uses luck and his wits to survive his misadventures as he seeks new ways to be a Viking without all of the loud ways.

This book opens with an endurance swimming race, the winner being the one who finishes last. Of course, the children ( Hiccup, Camicazi, Fish Legs et.al) are participating, rather reluctantly. This is a warrior’s race, so they are equipped with everything BUT trousers, wearing the requisite swimming trunks, with Fish Leg’s addition of some arm floaties as he can’t swim. Of course, this is Hiccup’s story and his path to heroics is never smooth. From near drowning as he struggles to save Fish Legs from drowning to capture and being trussed and hung upside down, Hiccup and his friends have plenty of opportunities to see new places, meet new people, and eventually find their way back to Berk.

In this book we meet Northern Wanderers, think Aboriginal Inuits, travel to the polar region, and experience an archipelago when the little trio manages to rescue 119 Wanderers held by the Hysterical crew of the American Dream II and make their own escape. Returning to the multiple adventures and mishaps of the earlier books, the several different threads needed to fully develop and sort out each adventure are all well-presented and crafted, and keep listeners engaged and involved, wondering just how it will all sort out.

Narration in this series is provided by David Tennant, and his performance is professional, competent and utterly engaging. With voices of characters you know continuing, and adding in a slight ‘Eastern European’ edge to other accents, Tennant clearly delineates each character with a distinct voice that fits both their heritage and their personality. It is truly a delightful listen, full of appropriate emotional impact, pauses and just the hint of a smile.

Stars: Overall 5 Narration 5 Story 5

How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm: How to Train Your Dragon #7 by Cressida Cowell

Title: How to Ride a Dragon's Storm
Author: Cressida Cowell
Series: How to Train Your Dragon #7
Also in this series: How to Train Your Dragon, How to Be a Pirate, How to Speak Dragonese, How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse, How to Twist a Dragon's Tail, A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons
Genre: Children's Literature
Narrator: David Tennant
Published by: Hachette Audio
ISBN: 9781478955962
Format:Audiobook
Source: Hachette Audio
Pages: 267
Audio Length: 3 Hours: 47 minutes
Rated:

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THE STORY CONTINUES in the seventh volume of Hiccup's How to Train Your Dragon memoirs ..

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was an awesome sword-fighter, a dragon-whisperer and the greatest Viking Hero who ever lived. But it wasn't always like that.

Hiccup's memoirs look back to when Hiccup was just an ordinary boy, and finding it very hard to be a Hero. Hiccup has three months, five days and six hours to discover America, get back to Berk, save his father, battle Polarserpents, AND win the annual Inter-Tribal Friendly Swimming Race.

Can he do it?

(Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock)

A copy of this title was provided via Hachette Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

About Cressida Cowell

Cressida Cowell grew up in London and on a small, uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland. She was convinced that there were dragons living on this island, and has been fascinated by dragons ever since.

She has a BA in English Literature from Oxford University, a BA in Graphic Design from St Martin's and an MA in Narrative Illustration from Brighton.

Cressida loves illustrating her own work, but also loves writing books for other people to illustrate as the end result can be so unexpected and inspiring. Cressida has written and illustrated eight books in the popular Hiccup series. The unique blend of child centred humour and sublime prose made Hiccup an instant hit.

How to Train Your Dragon is now published in over 30 languages. A DreamWorks Animation feature film is out in March 2010. Also the author of picture books, Cressida has won the Nestle Children's Book Prize 2006 and has been shortlisted for many others.

Cressida lives in Hammersmith with her husband and three children.

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