The Dragons of Chiril: A Fun Fantasy Read

In The Dragons of Chiril, a renowned sculptor named Verrin Schope has gone missing. When he does not return home, his daughter, Tipper takes charge of the household.  He has been gone for years, so to make ends meet, Tipper begins to sell her fathers statues to rich collectors.

Tipper soon learns that the reason for her fathers disappearance is that he stepped through a "gateway" (a portal to another place, in this case, another continent) that was falling apart.  To fix this gateway, and free Tipper's father, one must unite three of Verrin's statues that were cut from a special stone.  The problem is that those three sculptures have been sold by Tipper and could possibly be in the hands of evil.

Tipper, her friend Beccaroon, a wizard, a librarian, a young artist, a couple of dragons, and a prince make their way through the kingdom to try to find the statues and return Verrin Schope to the land of Chiril in one piece.  Along their way, they run into many adventures and Tipper learns to trust in Wulder (the God figure of this Christian fantasy novel).

The Dragons of Chiril by Donita K. Paul, author of the bestselling Dragonkeeper Chronicles, is a fun, fast paced story with a cast of wonderfully crafted characters.  Throughout my reading, the dialogue of Paul's quirky characters elicited many a snort, chuckle, and guffaw from me, especially the unusual manner and speech of Wizard Fenworth.  Many of the characters, including Fenworth, were so loveable, I wished I could meet them in real life.

This book teaches a valuable lesson about trusting in God's will and knowing that even the most difficult circumstances can work out to bring good. Since it is largely allegorical, it is a great read for older kids and teens, and even adults would enjoy it and the meaning behind it.  I personally enjoyed every minute of The Dragons of Chiril and am eagerly awaiting being able to read the sequel, Dragons of the Valley. 

 I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for an honest review.

(The Dragons of Chiril was released previously under the title The Vanishing Sculptor.)