I've done reading the whole series, so will copy these comments to 3rd and 4th book, too.

Love the humor. Love the breezy adventure and endearing characters. Each book focuses on different folks, but the sequence events counts, and I do not recommend trying to read them as stand-alones. The ending of #2 is a bit worrisome, and the ending of #3 is a cliff-hanger, and #4 does have some intensity not necessarily suitable for the youngest readers. On the whole, they're clean and fun, I'd say fine for ages 9 up but if your younger child wants to read them you should also.

Um, they're also not really memorable - they're probably best suited for people who like to reread books because there's a lot going on, but nothing heavy enough to make an impact on the reader's worldview. I know it's partly my fault because I read them so fast - but then, they were fast reads, and I couldn't help it. ( )

The second book in the fun series Enchanted Forest Chronicles!
This sequel features the return of the beloved characters in the first book, while introducing a new character that you are sure to warm up to rather fast. It's not so vastly different than the first book.
Read my review of the first book here, as it pertains to the series: https://www.librarything.com/work/9998/reviews/228352538 ( )

Kazul has gone missing, and Cimorene sets out to find her, teaming up with Mendanbar, King of the Enchanted Forest, along the way. (The verbose research magician Telemain joins their group as well.) Another excellent installment! ( )

Thoroughly enjoyable! Loved it! ( )

And now a story from the Prince’s perspective – only he’s a king, King Mandanbar, the King of the Enchanted Wood. And even though everyone thinks he needs to get married, since he’s overworked, he absolutely refuses to have anything to do with princesses. Luckily for him, Cimorene is not your ordinary princess, and when she needs some assistance rescuing the King of the Dragons, Mandanbar gets the chance to get to know her. Solid and entertaining fantasy, with no cloying sweetness or condescending manners. ( )

earching For Dragons delivers just as much joy and adventure as the first book in the Enchanted Forest series. It’s a quick middle grade novel with a lot of formulaic elements, but hey, if it works don’t fix it, right? This quick book was a fun listen and as with Dealing With Dragons… it made me bemoan that I somehow missed this quartet when I was younger.

While we are already familiar with Princess Cimorene from Dealing With Dragons, we now have a new principal character: King Mendenbar of the Enchanted Forest. Mendenbar is a busy man! He’s finally gotten a quick break between elf drama and yet another giant war to kick up his feet and relax for a minute. But he’s the King of the Enchanted Forest… something suspect is always bound to happen! In this case, something fishy is going on and it appears that the dragons are attacking the forest… or does it?

From their first encounter, Cimorene and Mendenbar have great chemistry. Not so much romantic chemistry as that they’re complimentary characters. Their banter works really well and helps keep the journeying aspect of the story light and flowing. The minor characters – new and old – are all interesting and put a little bit of the spin on traditional fairytale characters.

It’s important to remember that Searching For Dragons was released thirty years ago. It’s easy to look at some of the elements of this book and call them cliche or overdone… and important to recall that Wrede did them long before many others. I still think the whole thing is delightful, even if the ending was a bit cheesy. Still, I have every confidence that books three and four will bring just as much adventure and individual character shine as the first two did.

This is a great novel for middle grade readers. While it actually does stand alone (rare in a series!), I still recommend reading Dealing With Dragons first so you can get Cimorene’s backstory as well. I enjoyed this one, and would certainly keep it on my shelf or buy it for the younger readers in my life! ( )

I could have sworn I reread the first book in this series earlier this year but if I did I guess I never recorded it. Oh well.

Fun and self aware fantasy book. ( )

Cimorene and company set off to find the missing Kazul, King of the Dragons.

The Society of Wizards are stirring up trouble again in this second book of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. This time, they are trying to start a war between the King of the Enchanted Forest, (Mendanbar) and the King of the Dragons (Kazul), by burning a section of his forest, leaving dragon scales as evidence. Mendanbar decides a state visit to King Kazul is long overdue and sets out for such a visit, only to find a distraught Princess Cimorene, who is concerned that Kazul has disappeared and not sent word. Together, they set out on a quest to find and rescue Kazul. The banter between Mendanbar and Cimorene is wonderful, Morwen and Telemain were very helpful along the way, and some of their challenges were worrying, including magic carpets, meddling giants, and Jack the peddler. I liked this book much better than the first one in this series. ( )

Continuing in the same style of a fairy tale that turns fairy tale tropes on their head, Searching for Dragons is the second book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. This sequel does exactly what I was hoping for. It takes what we already know of the Enchanted Forest and builds upon it. Only this time the story is told entirely from Mendanbar's point of view.

Dead zones have started appearing in the Enchanted Forrest and Kazul, King of the Dragons, has gone missing. Mendanbar, King of the Enchanted Forest, and Cimorene are determined to figure out what's going on.

Mendanbar is a decent protagonist. He's young and feeling a tad overwhelmed with running a kingdom so jumps at the chance to start his investigation if only so he can relax a little from his other kingly duties. The journey Mendanbar and Cimorene go on is rather convoluted and they meet some interesting characters along the way. I found it funny how they pointed out common sense solutions to some typical fairy tale problems, like the giant who is fed up with "Jacks" always stealing from him on a regular schedule.

"They always do the same thing - come in, ask for a meal, hide, and then run off with a harp or a bag full of money the minute I fall asleep," Dobbilan said. "And they're always named Jack. Always. We've lived in this castle for twenty years, and every three months, regular as clockwork, one of those boys shows up, and there's never been a Tom, Dick, or Harry among 'em. Just Jacks. The English have no imagination."

Their solution to his problem is quite practical. Mendenbar and Cimorene end up working well together.

While just as charming and fun as Dealing with Dragons, I found myself missing Cimorene as the main pov character. This, of course, sets a trend. I wonder whose point of view the third book will be from. ( )

I loved this book and did not want to put it down! It is a fantastic book filled with magic and a bit of romance thrown in. This book has a bunch of really interesting and fun characters that create humor and cause this book to be a really fun and enjoyable read. ( )

see https://pcwrede.com/books/enchanted-forest/ ( )

Always re-read Wrede and pun off their name, because that's never, ever been done before.

But the re-read is a lot of fun, per usual. ( )

As with the first in the series, I just reread this as an adult, and was pleased to find it held up. My favorite thing (which is true for most every Patricia C. Wrede book that I've read) is the way that the romance in the story grows out of friendship and mutual respect. That shouldn't be uncommon in books and stories, but sadly it is. ( )

Just as good and funny as the first book. I has to reread to refresh my memory on what happen. ( )

Told from the perspective of the King of the Enchanted Forest, we follow Princess Cimorene's storyline as they complete a quest. Still cute.

Also, even in a fantasy realm, cats don't abide by the local laws of physics.

"The spell keeps itself up, we can't get in or out, and we don't have any way of getting rid of it."

"Then how did the cat get in?"

"The cat's method of moving through the barrier is, in all probability, useless to anyone else." ( )

This is a fun, quirky book. I liked the protagonists, and I liked the subversion of fairy tales. However, the plot wasn't all that interesting to me, and the romance felt like it came out of nowhere. Overall, I would recommend it to any kids interested in fantasy and fairy tales. ( )

I liked this well enough, simplistic though it was. Less witty dialogue in this one than the last, I felt. The magic was pretty interesting though. ( )

I already have and have enjoyed books one (Dealing With Dragons) and three (Calling on Dragons), so of course I wanted to check out book two, Searching For Dragons. Our heroine from the first book, Princess Cimorene [Sim-more-reen] of Lindenwall, is a secondary character in this book. Our main character this time is a hero, Mendanbar, King of the Enchanted Forest for the last three years. (Sorry, can't give you any help with his name's pronunciation. I've heard only the first book in audio.) King Mendanbar doesn't care about all that fol-de-rol with being a king, much to the distress of his steward, an elf named Willin. Willin wants all those protocol-filled parties they had during Mendanbar's stuffy father's reign. He also wants his master to get married, an opinion shared by the rude gargoyle in the king's study. Mendanbar decides the only way he's going to escape the nagging is to take a walk.

The King of the Enchanted Forest always knows where he is in his kingdom. He can also pull the threads of its magic for his use. That's why discovering a dead spot is a shock. It's not a spooky place such as the blasted heath in H. P. Lovecraft's 'The Colour Out of Space,' but it's very disquieting. Imagine finding a big sore on your body you hadn't noticed before and you can't think how you got it. Worse, the new wasteland is near one of his favorite spots, the Green Glass Pool. Still worse, there's an annoying princess at the pool. No, it's not Cimorene. Her manner of speaking is enough to deserve the 'gag me' gesture.

If you've read the first book, you already know that the Society of Wizards is full of scheming, greedy jerks. That's more than Mendanbar knows when their head wizard, Zemenar visits him. Good thing Mendanbar already met Morwen the witch and learned a few things about dragons from her because
Zemenar is trying to get the king to help the wizards get access to the Caves of Fire and Night, which the dragons aren't allowing. Wizard staves soak up magic, and Zemenar's staff is trying to do the same while he talks with the king. Mendanbar takes care of that.

Mendanbar explains he has something to settle with the dragons before he can fulfill Zemenar's request. The wizard warns him about their king, Kazul, and her princess. Zemenar blames Cimorene for their problem with the dragons. (See book one for what happened.) Mendanbar isn't looking forward to meeting the lady.

As it turns out, King Kazul isn't home. Cimorene and Mendanbar's attempts to get to her give us plenty of adventures and interesting characters to meet.

NOTES:

Chapter 1:

a. Mendanbar's father drowned in the Lake of Weeping Dreamers three years ago.

b. The Enchanted Forest chooses its own kings through a sword that can be safely used only by members of Mendanbar's family. The king's son isn't always chosen.

Chapter 2: The outside of Morwen's cottage is described.

Chapter 3:

a. We meet Morwen and her eight cats. The inside of her cottage is described.

b. Mendanbar's castle has a door that leads to whatever place you wish to go. It's in the attic, which is up seven flights of stairs.

Chapter 4: The Key to the Castle not only opens any lock in the castle, so long as it is in there, it will come to anyone who calls it.

Chapter 5:

a. Mendanbar has been the King of the Enchanted forest for over three years and this is the first time he's left it since then.

b. Mendanbar meets Cimorene.

Chapter 6:

a. Kazul left last Monday to visit her grandchildren.

b. Woraug's story was told in Dealing With Dragons. Cimorene states what she believes happened to him after that.

c. We learn why dragons Roxim and Marchak can't accompany Cimorene to get Kazul.

d. Antorell shows up.

Chapter 7:

a. The friend who discovered the method of melting wizards by accident is .

b. We meet Dobbilan and Ballimore, a giant and his giantess wife.

Chapter 8: Dobbilan complains about the Jacks who've visited in the past 20 years.

Chapter 9: Mendanbar and Cimorene meet Herman the dwarf who is apparently he's the great-grandson of Rumpelstiltskin. His house used to belong to a magician.

Chapter 11: We have the Peter de Sève cover scene! We also meet Telemain the magician.

Chapter 12: 'Gypsy' Jack's house on wheels is described.

Chapter 14: Crown Prince Jorillam of Meriambee and his guardian uncle, Prince Rupert are introduced. Well, well, Telemain and Morwen are old friends.

Chapter 16: Oh good -- Morwen says something so we know which cat is Jasper and which is Chaos (not sure where I put my copy of book one).

Chapter 17: There's a list of how many family members Cimorene has. There's also mention of four humans who are very happy to be disenchanted.

Searching For Dragons is one of those sequels that are every bit as good as the original book. The humor made me chuckle and I gladly reread portions of the book, especially the last two chapters. The wizards are jerks, as usual (sorry, Harry Dresden and Harry Potter). As the villains of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, they can be expected to be up to no good in books three and four.

Dragon lovers: Sadly, the dragons aren't in this book as much as the first one.

Cat lovers: Two of Morwen's cats, Chaos and Jasper, come along for the climax. I thoroughly enjoyed their antics. ( )

I did like this better than book one, probably 3 1/2 stars in reality. I think it's my usual thing where I get more attached to the characters as the story goes on.

It's clever and funny in parts. If you've got a kid in the 8-10 range you should get these books. I can feel it getting better and better. ( )

Mendanbar, King of the Enchanted Forest, has a problem: someone appears to have burned a large chunk of his domain, and he thinks it might have been the dragons. At the advice of a witch, he goes to see Kazul, the King of the Dragons. Kazul is missing, and Mendanbar and Cimorene set out to find her.

This is a delightful quest that expands on the world established in the previous book. Readers get to learn more about the Enchanted Forest and its magic, as well as meeting some of the colorful residents of the surrounding area. New characters Mendanbar and the magician Telemain are just as much fun as returning favorites. Readers who enjoyed the first book should pick this one up as soon as possible. ( )

Another fun installment of this middle reader fantasy series. I like how the books are constantly poking fun of fairy tale tropes. ( )

King Mendanbar of the Enchanted Forest finds a section of his forest has been burned away, possibly by dragons. A witch suggests that all is not what it seems. He goes on a quest to find out the truth. Upon meeting Princess Cimorene, he learns that the King of the Dragons, Kazul, is missing, so they set out together to look for her.
The book is funny and great for kids. I enjoyed it as a 36-year-old, but I would have absolutely loved it as an 8- or 9-year-old. It has the classic tropes of a fantasy setting , but turns a lot of those tropes on their heads in ways that had me giggling and smiling all through the book.
The magician Telemain gets a bit technical in his explanations of magical processes, which means one of the characters has to be the dumb one so that the author has a reason to translate it for her young readers. Unfortunately, the dumb one always seems to be Cimorene, which is a great disservice to her. She’s skilled with magic herself, for one thing, and she the Dragon King’s personal Librarian (and Cook) for another. Aside from this, I really enjoyed the book.
This is the second book in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Wrede. I confess I have not read the first book in the series, but that certainly didn’t leave me lost when reading this book. The book was perfect for what I wanted: a novel that was short and fun that could help me pass the time on a boring day. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys fantasy. And Hey! Maybe start off with Dealing with Dragons. ( )

The second book in The Enchanted Forest Chroniclesis, in my opinion, a worthy follow up to the first. While it focuses on Mendanbar, the King of the Enchanted Forest, rather than Cimorene the plot is still extremely engaging and as humorous as the first. Indeed, Morwen and Kazul are both present as well, and plenty of time is taken up expanding the Enchanted Forest and adding to its unlikely - and charming - lore.

King Mendanbar discovers that the Enchanted Forest is losing some of its land, as well as the magic therein. When nothing but burnt ground and discarded dragon scales offer up an explanation, he's resigned to bring such evidence to Kazul, the new King of the Dragons. Only Kazul is missing. What follows is an adventure with Mendanbar and Cimorene, complete with bumbling giants, a faulty magic carpet, and conniving wizards. Can they rescue Kazul in time and unravel the mystery?

I praised the previous book for just how positive a role model Cimorene is, and that carries through strongly in this book. Mendanbar is proof enough that men tend to like more independent women, and even as they both dismiss most princes and princesses as silly they acknowledge there isn't really anything wrong with the fact. You'd be silly, too, if you lacked the proper opportunities to grow yourself. The book is full of clever characters, humor, cats, and delicious cider. It's a quick read and one I plan on getting for some of the younger girls in my life once they're old enough to love it as I did. ( )

fun story. funny too. ( )