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.
Dragons, Scottish brownies, dwarves, and other fantastic creatures team up with the requisite orphan boy in this first of Funke's novels for children. Pitched to a younger audience than either THE THIEF LORD or INKHEART, this is the tale of silver dragon Firedrake and his search for a safe haven for dragonkind at the Rim of Heaven. The one-dimensional nature of the characters challenges the narrator, and Brendan Fraser brings a whimsical interpretation to this overlong, mean-dering story. His playful reading makes for some hilarious moments but is sometimes just too silly. Also, his blus-tery voicing of Nettlebrand increases a major problem with the book--the villain never seems malevolent, just nasty and annoying. Though not Funke's best, this light fantasy will nonetheless engage young listeners, who will surely enjoy the many magical creatures and the variety of voices employed by Fraser to give them life. S.G. 2005 ALA Notable Recording 2005 Audie Award Finalist (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
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