Title: How to Break a Dragon’s Heart
Author: Cressida Cowell
Type: Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 320
Rating: 4*/5
Cressida Cowell – How to Break a Dragon’s Heart
When I first picked this one up, I wasn’t sure if I was actually going to finish it. I mean, it’s a kid’s book, right? But it turns out that despite being the eighth in a series of which I’ve only read the first, it was actually quite the cracker. I really enjoyed it, and I’m glad that they’re written in such a way that you don’t have to read them in order. It means I can keep on picking them up from charity shops as and when I see them.
If you’re familiar with the movie (or the TV show) of How to Train Your Dragon then you pretty much know what to expect here. In this adventure, Hiccup finds himself saving his friend Fishlegs by accidentally proposing marriage and having to complete an impossible task to win permission from her father. Along the way, he learns a little more about his ancestor, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Second, and meeting plenty more dragons along the way.
Sure, it can be a little daft at times, but it’s pure escapism and it proved to me that you’re never too old to enjoy a good tale about dragons. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I now plan to add the rest of the series to my Goodreads wishlist, which must mean something. Cowell’s writing style is perfect for kids without being offputting to adults, and the illustrations throughout the book really helped to bring it to life. I also noticed a few differences between the books and the movie/TV shows, including the fact that in the books, Toothless is green. But he’ll always be black in my head because the animated Toothless is the spitting image of my cat, Biggie. So cute.
Cressida Cowell
