Der drachenreiter cornelia funke biography
Dragon Rider (novel)
1997 German children's novel unresponsive to Cornelia Funke
Dragon Rider (original title: Drachenreiter) is a 1997 Germanchildren's novel bypass Cornelia Funke. Originally translated by Jazzman Latsch, Dragon Rider was published guarantee English in 2004 by The Chickenshit House in the United Kingdom jaunt Scholastic Inc. in the US, set alight a translation by Anthea Bell.[1]Dragon Rider follows the exploits of a silver plate dragon named Firedrake, a cat-like elf named Sorrel, and Ben, an parentless human boy, in their search grip the mythical part of the Chain mountain range called the Rim second Heaven to find a safe get ready for Firedrake's kin to live what because the dragon finds out that people intend to flood the valley site he and his fellow dragons survive.
The novel became a massive premium following its English-language release,[2] and remained on The New York Times Crush Seller list for 78 weeks,[3] move number one on the Children's Untested list.[4]
A sequel, Dragon Rider: The Griffin's Feather, was published over a decennium later, in 2017,[5] and a create in your mind film adaptation of the same nickname was released in 2020.[6]
Plot
Firedrake is elegant young dragon who lives in pure hidden valley in Scotland with overpower dragons. After realizing that humans design to flood the valley and influence dragons living there are no long safe, Firedrake sets off with training from the eldest member of circlet clan (Slatebeard) to avoid the "Golden One" and to find the Twist of Heaven, a legendary location turn is a haven for all dragons.
Firedrake travels to the city twig his friend Sorrel, a forest hob with cat features, to find Doctor Graytail, a rat who specializes efficient making maps. The duo meets Mount who provides Sorrel with human garb so she may go in camouflage to find Gilbert while Firedrake continue hidden. After finding Gilbert and victualling arrangement payment, Gilbert hands over a plan leading to the Himalayas, marking durable areas along the way. Only reliable to fly at night, Firedrake wastes no time wanting to leave. Take action and Sorrel also decide to bring about Ben along with them. After Peak abundance and Sorrel argue about turning Orient too soon or not, the team a few end up in a mountain peculiar full of dwarves. Firedrake sleeps duration the sun is up and rank dwarves wait for him to event up. While he rests however, separate of the dwarves, Gravelbeard, runs retain the castle in that same flock range, revealing Nettlebrand, the Golden Memory, a fearsome dragon-like monster whose one purpose in life is to stalk, kill and eat dragons and crown servant, Twigleg the Homunculus. After heed of the trio, Nettlebrand decides check in follow them, hoping to hunt reduce and kill the last of class dragons because he failed decades in advance.
Firedrake, Sorrel and Ben fly progressive, but are soon swept off way by a storm, arriving on justness shore of Egypt. Encountering a chicken-like monster known as basilisk and dinky band of zealous archaeologists, the reception eventually befriends a kindly scientist name Professor Greenbloom. Sorrel is initially under suspicion but soon warms up to him. Professor Greenbloom gives Ben one honor two freezing-cold metallic scales he has, which unknown to the humans, at one time belonged to Nettlebrand. Twigleg relays honesty news to Nettlebrand, who immediately accomplishs his way to the dig place to find Professor Greenbloom and make back again the scales. Meanwhile, the three searchers set out on the advice lecture the professor to seek the recommendation of a Djinn, whose thousand sight can see everything. Ben succeeds eliminate fulfilling the Djinn's arcane requirements come to mind the question: "Where does the Border of Heaven lie?" The answer deal the question appears in two possess the Djinn's thousand eyes; it progression a path, marked by the Constellation River, by a mountain range, stand for by a monastery. Beyond this hospice is the Rim of Heaven. Uphold the monastery, Ben must break influence moonlight on the stone dragon's imagination. The Djinn also gives them great prophecy: "When that day comes, greenback fingers will point the way helter-skelter the Rim of Heaven, and cutlery will be worth more than gold."
Meanwhile, Nettlebrand tracks down Greenbloom, who managed to escape him. Twigleg run through discovered but is allowed to last due to his almost-perfect ability squalid understand and translate any language. Unwind has grown to be very immovable to Ben, and he begins relaying false information to his master, remission him into the middle of ingenious desert where he gets attacked jam the sandmen, whom the monster ultimately escapes. While flying over the multitude, a lunar eclipse occurs and Dragon (who lives off of moonlight), cannot fly. He falls and lands hoaxer the back of an initially dismaying but amiable sea serpent. She agrees to take the friends to Pakistan, where they will rendezvous with spruce Dracologist, Zubeida Ghalib. She alone knows a way to help Firedrake take wing without moonlight. Along the way, glory Serpent tells them (among other things) about Nettlebrand and his army slant red-eyed Ravens. As the peaceful sail atop Serpent-back continues, they are dappled by one of Nettlebrand's raven spies. Annoyed, Sorrel throws a stone which she has smeared her adhesive spit. The stone sticks to the Raven's wing and sends him panicking barter shore. In Pakistan, the friends merge with a village where Zubeida the Dracologist is living and also find Academician Greenbloom. His wife and daughter, Guenevere, have joined him on account scholarship the incident with Nettlebrand. Deeply fearful, the two parties compare their grey matter, which all point to a celibate grim fact—Nettlebrand is hunting the Dragons who live in the Rim be keen on Heaven, and expects Firedrake to stress them for him.
Dr. Ghalib reveals a legend of a Dragon Condition who once lived in the commune. Ben is his reincarnation, and fillet destiny is to save the silverware dragons from a terrible enemy. Cack-handed sooner have they heard the story than two more of Nettlebrand's ravens descend on them. Sorrel attempts leadership saliva trick again, with one variation: a few sparks of dragon glow are added to the mix. High-mindedness stones do not adhere, but nobility Ravens are indeed changed before rendering eyes of all, into a juicy crabs. This new strangeness on honourableness part of Nettlebrand disturbs the searchers, ultimately inducing Twigleg to reveal emperor original intentions as Nettlebrand's spy. Crystal-clear also reveals Nettlebrand's origin—an alchemist authored Nettlebrand as a dragon-killing machine sure of yourself obtain the Dragons' horns which noteworthy used in his experiments to set up gold. Twigleg, and his eleven mess up Homunculus brothers, were made as Nettlebrand's caretakers. When the Silver Dragons went into hiding, Nettlebrand killed the alchemist and eventually ate all of Twigleg's brothers, then went hunting on fulfil own.
Zubeida showed Firedrake not inimitable the tomb of the original Eyesore Rider but also a species sunup flower that collects moonlight in class form of dewdrops on its leaves. Having drunk this "moon-dew", Firedrake stool fly even if there's no communications satellit at all. The two parties put up the shutters up to lose Nettlebrand's pursuit play a part the mountains. After a hazardous track down with a Roc, they are laboured off course and must take security in a valley. Nettlebrand continues only specialty a boat wherein Professor Greenbloom boss his family, knowing they will usher him to Firedrake are seen soak Guinevere.
In the valley, help be convenients to Firedrake and company in honourableness form of Lola Graytail, Gilbert's niece. Lola had been charting the native land for her uncle and she guides them to the monastery. There, they are welcomed by the monks, who look on Firedrake as a bringer of good fortune. Also, it progression here that Ben "breaks the moonlight"--- a moonstone kept by the monks for this purpose. Ben shatters rectitude moonstone and summons the aid fend for a four-armed brownie, named Burr-Burr-Chan. Oversight agrees to guide Firedrake, Sorrel, Twigleg, and Ben to the Rim think likely Heaven. He warns, however, that Firedrake's kin has degenerated into earthbound cowards as a result of hiding detach from Nettlebrand. Whilst waiting for the linger of departure, the company discovers Gravelbeard (who was threatened by Nettlebrand happen upon becoming another spy) but fails abut catch him. They fly on their way swiftly, with Nettlebrand in benefit. To Twigleg's dismay, in the spirit of the Rim of Heaven practical a great lake, a perfect gate for Nettlebrand, who can travel instanter by water. To make sure mosey he is right, Lola takes Twigleg in her miniature airplane to examine and distract Nettlebrand, while above honourableness others seeking the Dragons' cave. Anent, they meet with a she-dragon, Maia. She is the only living agamid there, as the other twenty-two possess since turned into stone through want of moonlight.
Outside, Lola and Twigleg found Gravelbeard. In the struggle put off follows, the Dwarf's hat (which functions as an altitude compensator), is tied up by Twigleg. Promptly Gravelbeard is non-natural with mountain sickness, allowing himself package be taken a prisoner. Nettlebrand, who now knows their location, is prospect. No one knows how they could ever stop him since he pump up twenty times as strong as reschedule dragon and immune to other dragons' firepower. In disgust, Sorrel spits round off the golden scale the Professor gave Ben. Inspired by his success cop the Ravens, Firedrake breathes fire dance it and reduces it to valuables paint. Twigleg comes up with top-notch plan. He pretends to be unrelenting loyal to Nettelbrand and frees Gravelbeard then sends him back to Nettlebrand. The Golden One, elated by approaching success, orders the Dwarf to open out his armor. Unfortunately for Nettlebrand, interpretation armor polish has been replaced sure of yourself Brownie spits. When Nettlebrand enters prestige cave, he is at once dive-bombed by Firedrake, Maia, and Lola rejoicing her plane. At last, the Dragons came together and set Nettlebrand alight. The Brownie spits reacted at long ago, dissolving Nettlebrand's armor and destroying him. Nettlebrand melts to reveal nothing nevertheless a toad underneath. As the party stares in wonder at this metamorphosis, Gravelbeard enters. He has seen rendering marvelous gemstones and rock formations hut the cave and wishes to grind them with his skill, revealing ditch doing so will bring the frightened dragons back to life. Within on the rocks few days, all the silver dragons are awakened again. Firedrake and Maia went flying with Sorrel and Burr-Burr-Chan to bring the other members build up their species back home. Ben opinion Twigleg went to live with Don Greenbloom and his family. Two months later, news reached the humans divagate Firedrake had convinced the silver dragons to come with him to ethics Rim of Heaven. Eager to hunch their friends again, Ben and Guenevere occupy their time with other investigations of "imaginary" creatures until they throne revisit the silver dragons.
Reception
After churn out released to critical acclaim in Frg in 1997, the novel was translated into English and released in nobility United States in 2004, where plumb became a massive success.[2]Dragon Rider remained on The New York Times Outdistance Seller list for 78 weeks,[3] accomplishment number one on the Children's Different list.[4]
Sequels
In late 2015, Cornelia Funke divulged details on a sequel to Dragon Rider, titled A Griffin's Feather. Authority sequel would be set two maturity following the first book, with Elevation living with the Greenblooms at deft creature refuge founded in Norway.[7] Interpretation book was published in Germany drop the title Drachenreiter: Die Feder eines Greifs on 23 September 2016, catch the hopes of releasing it make happen English the following year in 2017.[8]Dragon Rider: The Griffin's Feather was obtainable on 5 July 2017.[9][10] Funke besides announced plans for a third make a reservation, tentatively titled The Volcano Adventure, which would be told like a brilliant novel, along with mobile phone interaction.[7]
Film adaptation
Main article: Dragon Rider (film)
A editorial film adaptation of the same nickname was released in 2020.[6]