Why I Enjoyed "Dragon Rider"

     I enjoyed the book Dragon Rider very much for several reasons. First, I enjoy reading fantasy novels, and this was simply a wonderful book. Second, I appreciated this book because of all the mystical creature lore it contains. I like to gather different stories about creatures such as dragons and contrast them. For example, in this book, a dragon is a kind and wonderful creature, whereas, in say, Harry Potter, a dragon is considered wonderful, but also dangerous and perhaps evil.
     I also enjoyed this book for a third reason: the relationships were complex and interesting. All those who seem evil do not always turn out to be evil, and those who are good are not always heroes. Twigleg and Ben have a very complex relationship, as do Sorrel and Firedrake. The personalities of the characters are interesting and very real. Even with all these characteristics, the book was not too complicated or hard to follow.
     This book was originally written in German by Cornelia Funke. It was translated into English by Anthea Bell, and this version was published in 2004. The original text was published in 2000. Since then, there have been several other English translations.