Dragon Rider

by Cornelia Funke
Scott County Library, audioCDs, 11 hours, 36 minutes
read by Brendan Fraser

Nice story. Not in my top ten or anything. Firedrake the dragon and Sorrel the brownie go to seek the Rim of Heaven. They befriend orphan Ben (a human) and their dread enemy's servant Twigleg (a humunculous ?). Full of adventure and fantasy. Predictable but heart-warming ending.

Fraser is one of my favorite actors, but I prefer Jim Dale for reading. Fraser made noises for everything - swallowing, chewing, etc. It got kind of irritating. He also modulated his volume so much that I had to keep turning it up and down to hear everything.

What I liked about it most was the way Sorrel warmed up to beings that she initially distrusted or even despised.