How to Train Your Dragon Books 3 and 4

Book 3: How to Speak Dragonese

3 ½ out of 5 covers

Book 4: How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse

 3 ½ out of 5 covers

The continuing adventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, his best friend, Fishlegs, and his dragon Toothless finds them raiding the wrong ship during pirate training in Book 3 and ending up prisoners of the Vikings’ worst enemy: the Romans.  Why do the Vikings hate Romans?  Because Romans are civilized.  This point does allow for some great juxtaposition between the idea of the Romans as civilized and their actions in plotting to steal all the dragons from Berk.  Being a prisoner also allows for the introduction of Camicazi, daughter of the Chieftaness of the Big-Boobied Burglars (and obviously potential love interest for Hiccup).   

In Book 4, Fishlegs is poisoned by the Venomous Vorpet and can only be cured by the Vegatable-That-No-One-Dares-Name.  This forces Hiccup and Camicazi to travel to the island on Hysteria and confront Norbert the Nutjob to steal the vegetable (a potato) to rescue their friend.

The author begins to develop the ongoing storylines in these volumes by introducing recurring villains and expanding the Viking world.  And there is some actual history being presented (the Romans, the idea that Vikings discovered America) albeit in deeply coded manner beneath the zaniness. 

It is that zaniness that ends up hurting the story some.  While the type of humor is entirely appropriate for the target readers, there are moments where the situation passes believability into the absurd. 

I recently came across the idea that the audience will suspend disbelief as long as the story is emotionally honest.  But it is also a balancing act in that the emotional honesty must exist within the rules of the world that have been established.  Cressinda Crowell definitely develops emotional honesty in these stories, creating empathy that has the reader rooting for Hiccup to overcome every obstacle.  But some of the action reaches a point where the laws of physics no longer appear to hold sway and credulity is bent towards the breaking point.  A greater balance will enhance the series.