Talking to Dragons Notes:
Why the shift in POVs compared to the previous books?
Daystar says he's shocked or confused, or whatever, but he never actually reacts.
Are we supposed to like Shiara?
Of course, once Daystar decides the water's safe to drink, it's all fine.
"I decided Shiara was right.."; these lines are so awkward.
After how cautious Daystar has been, why would he be stupid enough to pick up a wizard's staff while holding a magic sword?
Crying is not self-indulgent, you cow.
There's something... gross about men reprimanding women about their manners.
Every wizard in this series thus far has been evil, and Shiara has probably only ever seen evil wizards as well, so nobody's prejudices are "baseless".
This princess is so annoying!
Where else would someone learn dragon spells?!
Daystar incinerated a fire-witch so clearly he should realize Cimorene's "nursery rhyme" is more than that.
This moron can't think of one reason people might want the magic sword of the king of the Enchanted Forest?
Every other chapter is them explaining their entire journey thus far to some random in the Forest.
Being afraid of using "said" is something to avoid, but so is using nothing but "said". Would it kill someone to "ask" something?
I'm pretty sure the wizards trying to steal magic from the Enchanted Forest is what started the war, not the sword.
Why couldn't Telemain transport them?
Daystar had rocks fall on his legs and all that happened is "they felt kind of rubbery".
Shiara breaks her arm, but nothing happens to Daystar?
Daystar corrected that Darkmorning Elf on using "I" versus "me", but he keeps using "me" as incorrectly as the elf did, on multiple occasions no less!
I thought bowing was just being polite in this world; Daystar bowed to multiple people, including Suz the lizard, and people have bowed to him. What's changed all this with the dwarves?
Daystar said he wouldn't forget if a dragon was right behind him, and yet he just did.
It's bad enough Daystar would force Shiara to be polite, but now her magics doing it too?
That key is going to be used to unlock the door Mendanbar's behind, isn't it?
Daystar picking up the key didn't happen by chance, as this book series has been having these “accidents” since the first book.
Wouldn't Antorell have noticed the simulacrum looked exactly like his father, and pointed it out?
And how exactly did Daystar know Mendanbar was his father; saying "I didn't know until just know" is not an answer.
Continuity error; Kazul hadn't taught Cimorene dragon magic in the first book. Cimorene listened to a spell, if anything, and read books in Kazul’s library, but Kazul didn’t actually teach Cimorene any magic.
Continuity error; Kazul decided to go back on her own because she wanted to go hunt wizards and she offered to go back, but Cimorene did not send her.
Big continuity error; in the second book, Mendanbar says the Forest, not the sword, chooses the kings, and only the kings could use the Forest's magic and wield the sword.
Does Wrede even remember what she previously wrote?!
Being able to use the sword is, by Wrede's own words in previous books, a byproduct of being king of the Enchanted Forest and being able to use the Forest's magic.
And he also said, and this is a direct quote: "...for no one else could safely use the sword...".
So only kings can use the sword and use the Enchanted Forest's magic.
That means either Daystar was made king as soon as he could use the sword and Mendenbar lost his title to Daystar (which would have been interesting), or all of this book goes against the rules set up previously.
So magic suddenly affects this fire-witch, despite the reader being beaten over the head with the fact that they supposedly aren't affected by magic?
Cimorene does not know what it's like because she ran away from that life.
Plus, Shiara is physically incapable of magic unless she's polite, which is different from being a regular royal person raised to be that way.
Telemain and Morwen are another couple with no romantic chemistry.
But Shiara's fire magic didn't really work even before the sword put the spell on her!
Here is a link to my review.