Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I think Ms. Wrede really found her stride with this book. I liked it even better than its predecessor in the series, Dealing with Dragons.

The world building is convincing, though a little light on detail. With a setting as rich as the enchanted forest I would have liked to see a little bit more.

One detail that I did love was how much care Wrede put into the magic system. Specifically the way Mendanbar accesses magic, which seems to be unique. I loved the descriptions of how Mendanbar used the threads of magic that filled the enchanted forest to cast his spells, and the way those threads got twisted and tangled around the wizards' staffs. His locator spell was particularly fun. :)

The characters were definitely the stars in this book. While Princess Cimorene, the MC from the first book, is present as a key character, the narrative voice belongs to Mendanbar, king of the enchanted forest. Mendanbar is laid back and practical with a strong sense of duty, but he also brings humor, kindness, and a clever mind into the mix. He's a great match for Cimorene as they quest together in order to save both Cimorene's dragon friend, Kazul, and Mendanbar's kingdom from the machinations of the Society of Wizards.

Another carry-over character from book one is the no-nonsense witch Morwen, who joins the party along with a couple of her cats. There's also a magician, not to be confused with a wizard, named Telemain who has an almost obsessive curiosity about how magic works. Each character in the story is distinct and brings something fun to the group, and even those with the smallest roles tie into the larger plot in a satisfying way.

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