The Christmas Dragon

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An elf turns into a goblin and growls loudly. Younger kids will find this scary. Add your rating See all 1 parent review. Add your rating See all 1 kid review. She's been instructed to follow where it leads until she finds the magic that will help Father Christmas revive Christmas. Fellow orphans and Father Christmas' wayward son join the crusade, fighting dragons, serpents, poachers, ogres, bounty hunters, and other perils.

It seems as if the plot of The Christmas Dragon has been patched together from the worst parts of dozens of better movies. The most formulaic moments from Tolkien , Harry Potter , and early Steven Spielberg still outclass the illogical and derivative mess the filmmakers have achieved here. No, medieval girls did not wear pants as protagonist Aydan does Joan of Arc was burned for this, as it denoted "witchery" , nor did women work as bounty hunters.

And it's hard to believe that nuns wore their bleached-blond hair streaming alluringly outside their habits, as Sister Lenora does here. Characters utter such modernisms a "welcome to the club. Poor direction, writing, and acting are accompanied by other nonchalantly-practiced filmic arts. Costumes for goblins look like they came straight from the musical Cats. The thousand-year-old Father Christmas' makeup can be seen flaking away in close-ups. Stupidity is also rife. A campfire burns brightly, deep within an unventilated cave, which ought to be filling with smoke, but the laws of physics were apparently suspended for the making of this film.

Considering the title, dragons play a fairly small role in the story. There is plenty to scare younger kids. The rest will just make anyone with a brain cringe. Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. See how we rate. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase.

Thank you for your support. Our ratings are based on child development best practices. We display the minimum age for which content is developmentally appropriate. The star rating reflects overall quality and learning potential. Learn how we rate. For Your Family Log in Sign me up. Is it OK for kids to read books outside their reading levels? Column 4 Our impact report: How Tech Is Changing Childhood. Want personalized picks that fit your family? Set preferences to see our top age-appropriate picks for your kids.

Movie review by Barbara Shulgas Dreadful holiday-fantasy mix is scary and dumb. NR minutes. Sign in or join to save for later. Based on 1 review. Get it now Searching for streaming and purchasing options Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free. Get it now on Searching for streaming and purchasing options A lot or a little? The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What parents need to know Parents need to know that The Christmas Dragon comes from a Utah production company known for its Mormon-themed films. Continue reading Show less. Stay up to date on new reviews. Get full reviews, ratings, and advice delivered weekly to your inbox. User Reviews Parents say Kids say. It's ridiculous in many ways, for example, it seems to take place in Northern Europe in the days of the solstice before Chris Did I liked it? Of course I did, read it, you won't be disappointed! In a world filled with all types of beings, Katie just wants to live a normal life.

The box looks so innocent until it jumps.

And jumps some more. To keep her neighbors from seeing it, she scoops it up and takes it inside. Opening the box, she is instantly enchanted by the tiny irridescent dragon. Her attempt at a normal life might not In a world filled with all types of beings, Katie just wants to live a normal life. Her attempt at a normal life might not have appeared to be a great success but she was happy. She has something the Hunters want and an ancient relative may be the only one to save her.

The Christmas Dragon () - Rotten Tomatoes

He despises that tag and insists on being referred to as a Fae. I wondered if he and Katie might get together. My fav is Versavious. A perfect name for the little darling. A pearl white baby dragon who threw up on Katie and nearly set her shoes and house on fire. Never dull, no fluff. Just fun and danger on every page. I received this book for my honest review. This book is fantastic. This review sounds lacking, probably because I'm still feeling too happy after finishing it to come up with details. It's been so long since I've read something that, on the first line, sucks me completely into the story, and makes it so hard to put down.

It's got a quirky protagonist that actually sounds like a real, relatable person to me, someone whom I'd honestly love to meet in real life. And it's not just Katie, but the rest of the cast too. I think the author's style's really good.

It has beautiful descriptions when needed, appropriately placed witty remarks, and references I can actually appreciate. My favourite parts of The Christmas Dragon were the first and the last parts of the book. I can't really explain why. I figured I should put this here: I got this novella from Story Cartel for free in exchange for a review. In fact, it's still up, and about to expire in two weeks.

If anybody actually sees this, go read it.

It's worth your time, that I can promise you. Katie Lin is desperate to live a normal life in a world that is full of hidden magic. She just wants to be left alone, but fate has a different plan in mind. John Grey is mischievous, a bit of an adventurer, and is just passing through. When he saves Katie, and her mysterious jumping box, he unwittingly gets himself pulled into a bigger adventure than he ever dreamed possible. I loved this little story right up until the end. This series is different than most because the books are not written in Katie Lin is desperate to live a normal life in a world that is full of hidden magic.

This series is different than most because the books are not written in a progressive time line and instead jump to different periods in the same universe. The ending is a cliffhanger, which would have been fine if the story continued in book three, but it didn't, and that left me feeling bereft.

I loved the way the story flowed and hope that someday Reid tells the ending.

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This is the type of book that leaves you wanting more. In a good way! I wanted to explore more of this exciting universe and it's people. The magic system and races that Ruthanne has created is intriguing and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. It feels very rich and expansive and I had a great sense of weight and age to the characters and plots that were woven through out.

I'm a huge fan of dragons and with it being Christmas time, I felt this was the perfect short story to pick up a This is the type of book that leaves you wanting more. I'm a huge fan of dragons and with it being Christmas time, I felt this was the perfect short story to pick up and dive into! I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy!

I loved all the characters and I'm thrilled to see them making a reappearance in the next short story too! I received a free copy of this book through Story Cartel. Oh, I do have one question though!

At the end of the story Katie is promised a Christmas gift that doesn't spit fire and I have to know what it is!? I loved this book, well, novella. Katie, a Kin, is living in New Hampshire far away from her family, and the things she chose to left behind in order to have a "normal life". And yes, that includes magic. But one day, someone left a jumping box at her door and her normal life won't be that normal from that moment on.

From the first line I was sucked into the story, I love the author's style, the pacin Disclaimer: It is a light read, that leaves you wanting to know more about this world. And if you like fantasy, you'll definitely enjoy the world and characters Ruthanne Reid introduces in this novella. I received a pre-release version of this book for review purposes.

I was not compensated. I loved this novella. If you're looking for something to introduce you to this author, I highly recommend starting here. Reid's stories are all connected, which I am just discovering. Some reviews say it ends on a cliffhanger, but i wouldn't call it that at all. One feels that there are more stories to come, but this episode feels complete and satisf I received a pre-release version of this book for review purposes. One feels that there are more stories to come, but this episode feels complete and satisfying. If you love dragons, and ever wished that one would show up on your doorstep, you'll enjoy this story.

Yet, she never seems derivative -- she has a unique voice. I can't wait to read the other stories that will connect with this one. Her search for a safe place to leave the present uncovers a world of magical beings and, in a few bold strokes, Ms Reid draws this world as clearly as if it truly existed.

This is quite simply an excellent short story.

The premise is fascinating, the plot is interesting and unusual, and the characters are endearing and intriguing. Anyone who likes fantasy will enjoy this lovely story and the world and characters it introduces.

Common Sense says

It's a great story. I'd like to read more about these characters and their world. Apr 15, Jess F. From Me to You Katie--a descendant of "Merlin"--just wants a normal life. However, the "normal" life she carved out for herself will never be the same when her "Uncle Merlin" leaves a mystical white baby dragon on her front porch.

The Christmas Dragon

After that, all bets are off I loved Katie and her quirky ways. This intense novella hooks you and keeps you asking for more!

This was a fun and easy read. Ruthanne has a great voice. Her characters are interesting and spunky. There's a nice sprinkling of geeky references sprinkled throughout, which keeps it light hearted, but protagonist Katie made sure of that with her snarky remarks. All in all it was am enjoyable read she's lightyears better at writing books than I am reviews and I can't wait to see how all her books. I received a complimentary advanced copy for review purposes but was not otherwise c This was a fun and easy read. I received a complimentary advanced copy for review purposes but was not otherwise compensated and the opinion is fully my own.

This story surely packs a LOT of enjoyable reading into just a few pages. A tiny white dragon neither red nor black named Vesuvius, a conflux, the Wild Hunt, even the Spanish Inquisition was unexpected, Myrddin in Wales, and the Crow King high in fiber , all nicely tied together in a story that jumps. I want to read more. I'm sorry that I was able to download this story for free; I'd prefer to support the author so she can write more stories like this.

I have recived a free copy in advance from Storycartel in exchange of my review. The begining of the book caught you with a simple line: And you can't stop reading until you finished and even then you want more Jul 07, S. Excellent protagonist, plot, pacing, and just enough of the world to make me want to pick up the rest of the books. Exactly what a novella prequel should be. I think I'm pretty stingy with my five-star ratings, but this was such a fantastic little story.

This was just an all around great read. This novella is an enticing glimpse into a world of magic, danger, and down-to-earth characters. You will not want the story to end with the last chapter. Fortunately, Reid has assured us that there is more to come. I will be re-reading The Christmas Dragon until that day. I enjoyed this book..

The story is believable and fun to follow. The baby dragon is adorable. I would recommend this story to everyone that enjoys fantasy. Excellent, excellent novella by indie author. Full review coming soon. Mar 26, M.

Parents say

Gripped me from the first word to the last. Original, exciting and brilliant.

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