Book two of the series, Searching for Dragons is the Enchanted Forest quest that Talking with Dragons (book four) doesn't quite live up to. It gives us a new protagonist/perspective, lets us get to know previously introduced characters and themes better, explores more of the Enchanted Forest itself, and does so with the snappy wit that book one (Dealing with Dragons) began and book four lacks.

The main character is the king of the Enchanted Forest, Mendanbar, a reasonable and caring young ruler who inherited the kingdom when he was just a teenager and has done his best over the last few years to rule properly but without drowning under the irksome weight of inane traditions. He discovers something wrong in the Enchanted Forest and, responsible young ruler that he is, sets out to understand and correct it. The plot involves the wizards, the king of the dragons, a sensible witch, an intellectual magician, a handful of tongue-in-cheek fairy tale insiders, and, of course, the king of the dragon's own princess (Cimorene), who has been promoted to the king of the dragon's Chief Cook and Librarian.

Like Dealing with Dragons, this is a slightly subversive and humorous tale that middle-schoolers and older readers of YA and fantasy fiction should both enjoy.