From grumpy to golden

I had plenty of sleep, honestly I did. I got to bed not long after 11 last night, woke up briefly around 6, got up around 7. But dreaming of being shunned/ignored/despised does little for one's mood or confidence. My son didn't notice. He managed to get enough sleep that he woke up on his own at the right time. He didn't even need that much coaxing to get ready. No rushing involved.

But I was still grumpyish and with the dog eating a dead bird (gross and not good for her), I didn't feel like doing anything, not even playing on the computer. So, I laid down on the couch to rest my eyes. Hardly restful since my brain took me back into similar disturbing visions, disrupted only when my hubby got home from work.

But the fresh air (chilly) while doing the weekly garbage dump run helped clear the fog from my brain. Enough that when we got back, I pulled out another one of the library books from my reading list and started reading. (I finished Inkheart last night.)

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke was wonderful. I just finished reading it a little bit ago. Though Inkheart was good and made me curious enough that I will pick up Inkspell on my next trip to the library, Dragon Rider was even better. It grabbed me from the first chapter where IH took several chapters to pull me in.

Maybe it was the tone and type of threat. IH is more serious. After all, books and stories were in jeopardy. The villains were darker and threatened more than just a limited group; Capricorn and his subordinates were dangerous for the world even though only a small group realized it. Nettlebrand, on the other hand, was created long ago for the single purpose of killing the glorious silver dragons for an alchemist's greed.

After finishing Dragon Rider, I am feeling much cheerier and uplifted. How could I stay gloomy when I could soar with Ben and share his joy? Even with the use of prophesy and other fantasy tropes, the story relied on ingenuity and teamwork to save the day. The prophesy helped them in a few places with supplies, information, and directions, but when it came time to face up to the Nettlebrand, they had to figure out the strategy all on their own, one that had only been possible by the choices and discoveries made along the way by our brave travelers.

Dragon Rider carries some powerful joy within its pages. An uplifting tale to chase away the blues, I give it 5 stars and recommend you go soaring with Firedrake, Sorrel, Ben, and the other friends they make along the way.