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Dragon Rider
Unavailable
Dragon Rider
Unavailable
Dragon Rider
Audiobook11 hours

Dragon Rider

Written by Cornelia Funke

Narrated by Brendan Fraser

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Firedrake, a young dragon, receives a frightening warning one night: Humans are planning to destroy the valley in which he lives! All the dragons must flee. Their only refuge is a place above the clouds called the Rim of Heaven--which may not even exist. Firedrake boldly volunteers to go ahead first. As he embarks on his journey, he meets Ben, a runaway boy. Together, the boy and dragon make their way toward the Rim of Heaven, all the while running a step ahead of Nettlebrand, a monster who will stop at nothing to hunt down Firedrake. Their quest will truly become an adventure like no other.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 24, 2004
ISBN9781400090921
Unavailable
Dragon Rider
Author

Cornelia Funke

Cornelia Funke tells stories for all ages—as storytellers do—for book eaters and those who don’t succumb easily to printed magic. She is the bestselling author of Dragon Rider, The Thief Lord, and the Inkworld and MirrorWorld series. She lives in Malibu, California, on her avocado farm with her donkeys, ducks, and dogs. Learn more about Cornelia at her website: www.corneliafunke.com.

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Reviews for Dragon Rider

Rating: 3.9247460994459837 out of 5 stars
4/5

1,083 ratings42 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funk proved to be a wonderful escape. I loved each of the characters and their unique personalities. Sorrell had so much spunk, Ben was kindhearted and Firedrake was calm and determined. The way that they interacted with each other seemed natural and made me laugh out loud. I was lucky enough to listen to the audio version of this 500 page book, which was read completely by Brendan Fraser. I was very impressed with all the different voices he did and the personality he helps give each character. I can still hear their voices! I was sad when the story came to an end. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy elements of the supernatural. Cornelia Funk is quite the storyteller. I have read a couple of her books and look forward to reading more in the future.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When it is discovered that humans are about to destroy the last of the dragons' safe-havens, a young silver dragon named Firedrake and his constant brownie companion Sorrel, leave the secret valley in search of the "Rim of Heaven," a mythical mountain range in the Himalayas and the legendary homeland of the dragons. During their journey they meet a parentless young human, Ben, in an abandoned building in a big city while looking for the renowned cartographer Gilbert Graytail to aid them in their search. Ben joins Firedrake and Sorrel in a grand adventure as they travel the world to find the Rim of Heaven. Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones interested in finding the dragon homeland. They are pursued by the minions of Nettlebrand, who only seeks to kill all other dragons. In a race for time, Firedrake, Ben, and Sorrel find friendship and danger at every turn. Dragon Rider is a wonderful, original fantasy novel for younger readers, although older ones will appreciate it as well. Experiments in Reading
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When humans threaten to invade their isolated valley in Scotland, young dragon Firedrake listens to the oldest dragons story about the Rim of Heaven, a magical place where dragons can be safe. Firedrake, along with his cranky brownie Sorrel, are determined to find it and find a a place of safety for the dragons to live. Rosa Rat suggests that they check with her cousin Gilbert who is a famous mapmaker in the warehouse district of a human city. When Firedrake and Sorrel arrive in the city, they hide in a warehouse where Ben, a young homeless human boy, has been living. He helps them find Gilbert and joins them on their journey.The quest to find a location that may or may not be legendary would be difficult on it own. But the adventurers also have to deal with Nettlebrand who is an evil, golden-armored monster who wants to hunt down and kill all the silver dragons like Firedrake. Nettlebrand has created magical ravens to be his spies and he also has a homunculus named Twigleg who has been his armor polisher for hundreds of years.Nettlebrand sends Twigleg to spy on the adventurers but he very quickly joins them because they treat him with kindness and respect. However, Nettlebrake has a new armor polisher in Gravelbeard, a dwarf, to be his new spy.As the adventurers travel to the Rim of Heaven somewhere in the Himalayas, they encounter friends like archaeologist Barnabas Greenbloom, his daughter Guinevere, and wife Vita who help them on their journey. They also encounter more dangers including a basilisk and sandmen and a roc that captures Ben.This was a great middle grade adventure. I liked how so many of the characters were searching for a place to call home. I also liked the friendships that were developed between all the various characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Love Brendon Fraser's reading!!!!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Picked this up again when I found it on my bedside table, read a couple more chapters, then skimmed the rest. Not up to the level of some of the author's other works. Perhaps this was an earlier one? The plot meandered all over the place, the characters weren't very sympathetic, and I got to the point where I didn't really care who survived; not a good sign!

    ____________
    I left this in Oregon when I was only a little way into it, and I think I'm ok with that. I'll finish it over the holidays and don't think I'll be poorer for the wait. Fun, but simplistic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I read this book waaaay back in the 4th grade and fell in love with it! This book was actually one of the first books to get me into reading (especially fantasy) and also inspired me to write a book (which is being processed for publishing right now) and completely grew my undying love for dragons and the fact of how cool they are. Whether you're a random kid who wants to find out how great reading is in the 4th grade or if you're a teen or adult just wanting something to read, I recommend you pick this up and take a look. This book punctuates its action, magic, humor and romance. This, I hope, is at the top of your list
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Dragon Rider is a fun and exsiting book about a dragon called Firedrake who goes in search for a magical place, where all dragons can live peace away from humans, which are moving into their territory. Along with a brownie, and a young boy named Sam, Firedrake tries to find a way to get to the special place, without running into a dangerous enemy, who wants to eat and destory all exsiting dragons. I found this story to be very engrossing, as i read along with Firedrake's journey. Dragon Rider is a #1 New York Times Bestseller.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A great adventure that gives hope to mystical belivers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A delightful tale of a dragon and his brownie companion on a search for the Rim of Heaven, the legendary dragon home that may or may not exist. This is the sort of thing I think of when I think of fantasy epics: quests, dragons, genies, dwarfs, magic, legends, peril, humor, excitement, new friends, trust, betrayal, and a happy ending. It reminded me in many ways of The Neverending Story. In other words, I absolutely loved it. It's the sort of thing I would enjoy reading again and again, just to relive the adventure.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Can't really be compared to "Inkheart," but a fun read nevertheless
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was a fun read! The characters, while being rooted in traditional myth and legend, each had unique and fresh quailities. It had a nice pace, and while being somewhat predictable due to blatant foreshadowing, still was full of present surprises. Recommended for any fan of fantasy and dragon lore.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ben and his friend Firedrake and Sorrel are on a journey to find the Rim of Heaven. But on their way, the spy Twigleg is trying to get information about where the Rim of Heaven lies for his master. But Twigleg decides to betray his master. So altogether, they are trying to get to the Rim of Heaven for the dragons who are starting to lose their habitats.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a great book all about a boy, a dragon, a brownie, a homunculous, and a big bad dragon, named Nettlebrand. I LOVED this book because it had funny parts, scary parts, and just plain fun parts!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Summary: Dragons have always tried to stay out of the way of humans, so when a construction team threatens to invade their mountainous highland hideout, they must find another place to live. A young silver dragon named Firedrake volunteers to go search for the Rim of Heaven, a fabled valley far to the east - supposedly home to another group of refugee dragons, and so isolated that no humans will ever be able to find it. He's accompanied by Sorrell, a brownie with a sharp attitude and an insatiable craving for mushrooms, and it's not long into their travels before they pick up Ben, a young human orphan who helps them out of a tight spot. But that's not all they've picked up: they've also attracted the attention of Nettlebrand, a giant golden dragon whose sole purpose in life is to hunt and kill other dragons... and now they're unwittingly leading him to the one place they thought they could be safe.Review: This is one of those case where I don't think I would have enjoyed this book in book form nearly as much as I did in audiobook form. Not that it's not good: it's a fun little fantasy adventure geared towards mid-grade to pre-teen kids, and the interesting complexity of the world meant that it held my attention a lot better than many other mid-grade fantasy novels have. Although it certainly could have been tightened up a bit in places (500+ pages is a long book for this reading level), it never felt particularly draggy, and although there were elements that would have been more interesting if they were left a little bit more morally ambiguous, I can let that go as writing for a younger audience. However, what really made this book a stand-out for me was the audiobook narration. Brendan Fraser does such an incredible job with the voice-acting that it makes me sad that he hasn't narrated more audiobooks (this and Funke's Inkspell are the only two I can find). He doesn't have a "typical" reader's style or cadence, but he reads into the microphone exactly as if he were reading a bedtime story to his own kids - complete with acted-out sneezes, whispers, grumbling noises, a huge range of consistently well-done accents, even bird noises and other not-strictly-textual sounds. If you'd ask me a priori if I wanted my audiobook narrator making spitting noises and raven squawks into my ear, I would have said absolutely not - ordinarily that kind of thing comes off as over-produced and totally obnoxious. But somehow Brendan Fraser makes it work, and the effect is more charming than annoying, and if it did its job pulling me into the story, I can only imagine how well it would work on kids closer to the intended age range. 4 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: As a book, it would be good for mid-grade fantasy fans, or adults who want a light, well-told fantasy adventure. As an audiobook, it would be perfect for a long car trip with the whole family, or just for grown-ups who miss having someone read them bedtime stories.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    this is an amasing book about a dragon named firedrack that has to find a better home for the other dragons that live in the same valy away from the humans so they can live in peace. with the help of his browny friend named sroole he looks for the rim of hevan. along the way he meets a boy named ben that lived alown in a old factoury, he has no family or money. he ends up going on this fabulis jurny to the other side of the world. they stoped at a mouten where firedrack resed, later some mouten dwarfs came and looked at firedrack. one dwarf named gravelberd whent to the golden one that hunted dragons he looks like a dragon but he is not a dragon......... i wont tell you any more if you want to now the rest you have to read this amazing book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A group of dragons threatened by people invading and destroying their home. Firedrake (a young dragon) and Sorrel (a brownie) set out to find the Rim of Heaven by the direction of the eldest dragon, Slatebeard. The Rim of Heaven is suppose to be a place that dragons can live without being discovered. Along their journey they're discovered by Ben (a human boy) that helps them and joins them on their journey.I read a few chapters of this book to a fifth grade class to see if I could spark their interest in Cornelia Funke's books. I was surprised to see that I was able to keep the interest of the whole class by pausing to asks questions or have them give me a response. By the end of the hour of reading to them, several of the students were asking the teacher if this book was in their library. I also told them that one of the author's books was turned into a movie, Inkheart.For an extension, I would have the class do a compare/contrast between the book and modern day society. I would also have the students do a research project of the different kinds of dragons. I also think the students would enjoy a scavenger hunt of as many books they can find that involve dragons.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really like this book because itisvery adventourous and exciting.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I would give this 10 stars if I could. It's a really good book because it wasn't boring and I didn't want to put it down. There were some funny parts.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this book awhile ago, but i really enjoyed it. I t was a cute story
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    parents and children would enjoy this book together! I first bought the book from Audible, and bought it after one of my sons asked for it for his birthday. I am a total sook for books - if ever my kids ask for books I rush out and buy them immediately - too precious an opportunity to waste!This one is exciting for boys, and has an interesting enough plot without becoming too simplistic. There were shades of Haroun and the Sea of Stories here.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    a very good book through the eyes of a dragon, a boy, and a friend. the plot is they are trying to defeat an evel dragon who hunts down other dragons.. and they have to hurry before the dragon species becomes extinct!!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In this straightforward fantasy for young/middle grade readers, dragon Firedrake sets off with his furry friend Sorrel to find the elusive Rim of Heaven, supposedly a place where dragons can live safely without fear of human intrusion. Along the way they pick up Ben, a plucky human orphan, and Tigleg, a wee homunculus with a hidden past. They must also avoid and evade Nettlebrand, an evil dragon who wants to hunt and kill all other dragons. Fast-paced and exciting without being too scary or confusing.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Not a classic fantasy. I like that maybe you wouldn't. I could not put it down.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If you like dragons or fantasy, this is the book for you!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I highly recommend listening to the book-on-tape version!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Cute book; kept me engaged, though I believe that Inkspell is so much better than this one.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    With the exception of the Harry Potter books read by Jim Dale, the world of audio books has been mainly a disappointment to me. I am so glad this audio book read by Brendan Fraser was recommended to me. Fraser reads this story wonderfully bringing the characters of Ben, Sorrell and Firedrake to life, but my favorite characters he read had to be Twigleg the Gravelbeard the grumpy dwarf. Fraser gave everyone a personality of their own.The story of Dragon Rider itself was quite enjoyable, if a tad long. In this story, Firedrake, a silver dragon, learns that his valley is about to be flooded by humans. An old mentor tells Firedrake about The Rim of Heaven, a fairy tale place where the dragons were said to have originally come from. Firedrake along with his brownie friend, Sorrell, sets off on quest to find The Rim of Heaven. Along the way they meet a variety of characters including the human boy, Ben, talking rats, enchanged ravens, dwarfs, fairies and, of course, the horrible, terrible Golden One, Nettlebrand. This is a story sure to delight pre-teens and up with excitement, bravery and magic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Liked this much better then Inkheart, even if the ending was a bit predictable. Great characters, and wonderful characterizations by the reader! First Audio book of 2007!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a great read for kids who like adventure that isn't too dark. Children ages 9-12 who love fantasy should read this book. It is appropriate to read this novel aloud to younger children too.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have the hardcopy of the book, but we also listened to the audiobook read by Brendan Fraser, and we loved it. Fraser did a marvelous job with the voices, and his enthusiastic reading really got us involved in the story.