The Sword and Laser discussion

During this chapter did anyone else suddenly hear a voice in their heads saying "and it would have worked if not for those meddling kids"?

The reveal that the footprints were being spread around just to scare them off was straight out of a Scooby-Doo cartoon and afterwards I couldn't help but picture Lady Trent as Velma.

Yes I did have a moment of that. Glad I wasn't the only one. Or a moment of Nancy Drew

Hahaha, I thought the same!

Funnily enough, I was naively convinced that the footprints were really from the demon and that Isabella really NEEDED to return the firestone! I had been thinking that for a few chapters.

Amanda wrote: "Funnily enough, I was naively convinced that the footprints were really from the demon and that Isabella really NEEDED to return the firestone! I had been thinking that for a few chapters."

Well, it IS a fantasy book; demons aren't so much more unlikely than dragons.

(view spoiler)[ To be honest, a demon would have been more believable than the actions of the boyar in this book. If you don't want people interfering with your plans, don't invite them to your hunting lodge. -- It's not like anyone on god's green earth was going prevent him from hunting dragons on his own land. (hide spoiler)]

Alan wrote: "During this chapter did anyone else suddenly hear a voice in their heads saying "and it would have worked if not for those meddling kids"?"

Haha. No, but I wish I had.

I TOTALLY thought that exact thing, that it was a big Scooby Doo adventure...and then I realized how few Dragons there actually were in a book that is titled thusly.

The book sort of teased that the 'conflict' would be with Dragons...when they are actually no more than a distraction getting in the way of the drama between humans.

(view spoiler)[Jacobs death scene was laughable. I felt no remorse at his grievous wound...at best, I felt a little betrayed that something bad happened to a major character. It was like watching the A-Team and seeing a good guy die; you have to do a double-take and wonder if what you just saw really happened. (hide spoiler)]

I got a Hardy Boys feeling from it rather than Scooby Doo but that works too. I still really enjoyed it.

I'm hoping this book was more about character set up and the next books will focus more on the dragons proper.

I totally got a scooby-doo mystery feel out it! Believing something to be fantastical when it's just a disillusioned and grumpy townsperson. Kind of a weird mix considering it's a fantasy book.