Customer Reviews
Enjoyed By the Whole Family.
Miss Pickwickian of NW Oregon, 8/7/2012
A story with many threads, gripping for all ages, but with the distinct flavor of being written by an understanding father of wild boys (and/or someone who has retained boyish delight).
N.D. Wilson combines the mundaneness of American living with fantastical keys, teeth, and hidden academies. He paints interesting characters and tells the unbelievable in such a normal, unapologetic way that it sends you knee-deep before you realizes you're only sitting in a chair reading a book.
"The Dragon's Tooth" drops a few characters, which was a little annoying, but forgivable. Overall it will make you scared, sad, and happy, but most of all, eager for the next book!
"The Dragon's Tooth" is somehow both darker and more frolicking than most stories. Which is, in some ways, just how Christian fiction should be. N.D. Wilson never lapses into homilies or Scripture verses, but can't help incorporating Biblical themes and language which form part of the backbone of the book. He's a great example of a Christian author--not an author who writes "Christian fiction".
The characters were interesting and I thought Cyrus was a wonderful lead...most of his characters use snarky wit in abundance, but have multiple other differences which make them distinguishable.
His descriptions are often both unique and artistic and his musings on death make me almost ready to forgive him for writing more kid's fiction instead of more "Notes form the Tilt-a-Whirl." :-)
I haven't been reading a lot of fantasy lately and to start a book of this size, I have to trust the author. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Daniel of OR, 8/7/2012
My wife and I read this book out loud together. I don't usually read fantasy books, but I have enjoyed ND Wilson's.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend the book for younger kids, because of some creepier parts, but it was very fun to read. The descriptions of places (like the old motel) were some of my favorite parts of the book.
It was also suspenseful and interesting. If you think about a few of the characters you might notice allusions to characters from history and the classics. The book had a good story line (not predictable), with lots of interesting details as well.
An Intelligent and Rip-Roaring Adventure
Rosanne Spears of Oregon City, OR, 3/16/2012
The Dragon’s Tooth, by N. D. Wilson was released about six months ago with much fanfare and excitement. I had enjoyed a couple of Wilson’s other children’s books, Leepike Ridge and The 100 Cupboards, but my disappointment with books 2 and 3 in the 100 Cupboards series made me reluctant to attempt The Dragon’s Tooth. When the fanfare subsided, I pretty much forgot that the book existed. Earlier this month, however, my six-year-old nephew proudly showed it off to me as the longest book he’s ever read. I decided to place it on hold at the library and give it a whirl.
Twelve-year-old Cyrus Smith lives in a dilapidated old motel with his older sister Antigone and older brother Dan. With their father dead for several years and their mother in a coma, the Smith children are forced to fend for themselves. For Cyrus, life consists of mundane things like skipping school, collecting old tires, and eating waffles. But when a strange guest named William Skelton checks in at the motel and demands to receive Room 111, life for the Smith children takes a radical change.
As the motel goes up in flames around them, Cyrus and Antigone find themselves initiates in a secret society known as the Order of Brendan with a bloodthirsty villain named Maximillien Robespierre on their trail. The children flee to Ashtown, a secret city housing the Order of Brendan, bringing with them a set of magical keys, an invisible snake named Patricia, and a shiny black shard said to be a piece of a dragon’s tooth. The adventure only gets wilder from there with venomous whip spiders, dragonfly surveillance cameras, friendly bull sharks, and immortal enemies. The book is a thrilling page-turner full of allusions to history and literature, a sort of Treasure Island of Dr. Moreau. (And no, I’m not going to explain that. You’ll have to read it see what I mean.) The only disappointment I had after finishing it is that the next book of the series hasn’t yet been published. I can wait. But not very patiently.