I really like how the characters have been set up as who and what they are in the first chapters of
Dealing with Dragons.
Then, when I am ready to settle into a book with a princess and dragons and folks who want to kill and/or eat her, here come some new people! Well, of course. There are other dragons with captives so this is the next step!
The first thing I laughed at was
"If you don't like being a dragon's princess, why don't you escape?" Cimorene asked, remembering that Kazul had said that three princesses in a row had run away from the yellow-green dragon, Moranz.
So practical, so sensible! The person she asks (Hallanna) is shocked " ... Oh, I couldn't!" and another (Keredwel) responds with "It isn't done" with a following accusation "And I notice that you haven't tried it." But Alianora is curious! She asks "Then you really did volunteer to be Kazul's princess?"
So now Cimorene is
of influence amongst the others princesses -- but to what end? More adventures are had, but intermixed with lovely comments about tea and ingredients for spells and BOOKS. I would love to read some of the books which are mentioned ... This is so great.
Another part I found very amusing ...
Finally, towards the end of this section, Kazul and Cimorene go to visit someone who Cimorene has already met (Morwen). Kazul asks, of one the cats perched on the porch, to tell Morwen that they are there and would like to talk with her. The cat, a large gray tom, blinked its yellow eyes at Kazul. Then he jumped down from the porch and sauntered into the house, his tail held high as if to say "I'm doing this as a particular favor, mind, and don't you forget it."
"He doesn't seem very impressed," Cimorene commented in some amusement.
"Why should he be?" Kazul said.
"Well, you're a dragon," Cimorene answered, a little taken aback.
"What difference does that make to a cat?"