Three Tasks for a Dragon by Eoin Colfer and P.J. Lynch

 What worked:

This book reads like a fairy tale as it even begins with “Once there was a prince…” It’s possible to read it in one sitting. Prince Lir lives with his stepmother, the queen, but his stepbrother Prince Delbayne has evil plans to become king. Rulers of the kingdom have traditionally displayed control over hellhounds and Lir hasn’t displayed anything close to that ability. Delbayne masters blood magic and has bewitched his mother to send Lir, rightful heir to the throne, away from the kingdom forever. Lir’s only hope of returning is to complete a quest to rescue a maiden from the dragon Lasvarg. Will Lir live happily ever after?

The beautiful illustrations creatively blend with the narrative to depict Lir’s quest in pictures. I’m not an expert when it comes to art. However, the use of mostly pastel colors elicits a mysterious, magical tone that matches the events in the story. The illustrator catches the mannerisms and expressions of the characters, including Lasvarg, which enhances their descriptions. There’s a balance between realism and abstract so the images are easily understood without being too detailed. The illustrations come in a variety of sizes ranging from small corner spots to full, two-page layouts. They wonderfully enhance the story for young readers to make reading the book a magical experience.

The highlight of the book is LIr’s character and his relationship with Lavarg. Despite being a prince, Lir has no desire to rule the kingdom and would rather learn and study science. He has a creative, logical mind as exhibited while completing tasks before the formerly terrifying dragon. He decides it’s a terrible idea to attempt dangerous, life-threatening tasks and chooses to find ways to actually help Lasvarg. He’s able to utilize resources in new ways to create practical inventions. Lir’s new attitude toward defeating the dragon keeps Lasvarg from eating him right away and the pair develop a unique connection as a result.

What didn’t work as well:

The book’s ending almost feels like an epilogue, although it’s not, but the resolution is left to readers’ imaginations. The author might have left the story with a more predictable future to help readers with closure. As it is, the plot could easily lead into a sequel although I don’t know if that’s in the plans.

The final verdict:

The fairytale-like format makes the plot easy to follow as young readers have an idea of what to expect. The author includes his own twists to keep the story fresh and entertaining and I recommend you give it a shot.