WOW Review: Volume XVII, Issue 3 • Page 10 of 12 • Worlds of Words

Three Tasks for a Dragon
Written by Eoin Colfer
Illustrated by P. J. Lynch
Candlewick Press, 2023, 108 pp
ISBN: 978-1536229998

This fictional tale weaves together Irish culture, fantasy, and elements of mythology to deliver a story with themes of love, family, betrayal, loyalty, friendship, and forgiveness. The story unfolds as Queen Nimh is deciding on the next Wolfhound King for the throne of Lagin. Prince Lir is next in line but he presents as an unsightly and unacceptable heir who can’t ride a horse or fight with a sword. Prince Lir is humble, more interested in science and curious about how things come to be. He is a philosopher at heart, and content to allow his stepbrother Delbayne become king. The queen uses Lir’s weakness, his inability to summon the ancient WolfHounds, against him in making the case that he should be banished from the Kingdom of Lagin entirely.

The story takes an unexpected twist when Prince Lir’s stepbrother, Delbayne, falsely professes his endearment and pleads for Prince Lir to remain in the Kingdom. Delbayne proposes a sinister plot to have Prince Lir journey on a quest to avoid banishment by challenging the evil dragon Lasvarg, and saving a young maiden, Cethlenn, who is a captive in servitude in the dragon’s quarters. Delbayne secretly uses dark magic and the dragon’s love for red cherry wine to keep him in a stupor so he obeys Delbayne’s diabolical command to ultimately kill Prince Lir during the quest. However, during the quest Prince Lir builds a friendship with the maiden and ultimately with the dragon. Instead of engaging in battle, the prince agrees to three formidable tasks outlined by the dragon to earn Cethlenn’s release. As Lir and Cethlenn work together to accomplish the tasks, they eventually learn of the betrayal stemming from his stepbrother’s sorcery. The three bond together to defeat the dark magic and restore the Kingdom of Lagin to the rightful heir.

The author addresses stereotypes by creating a female character who is strong, capable and in control of her own decisions rather than a typical damsel in distress. The story also addresses the stereotype of Irish culture linked with strong drink. The dragon loves cherry wine but ultimately learns it is the wine that keeps him from thinking clearly to make decisions. The author also challenges expectations of the typical protagonist in a story. The prince, Cethlenn, and the dragon build a lasting friendship that culminates when the Wolfhounds and the dragon change their allegiance and save humans from death and despair. The dragon comes to depend on the Prince and an unlikely friendship forms between the three that involves kindness, wit, and a thirst for knowledge.

The detailed realistic illustrations, drawn in pencil and digitally colored, convey the emotions and allegiances of the characters brilliantly. P. J. Lynch captures the evil of dark magic in the eyes of the characters. The dark tone of the characters and their trials are reflected in the grim colors of gray, slate blue, burnt orange, and amber. The characters all present as white.

There are many themes in the book that suggest possible book pairs. One theme is the relationship between humans and magical animals set in medieval times. The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz and Hatem Aly (2016) explores the partnership of three magical children and their loyal greyhound as they go on a quest to save precious and holy texts from being burned. In a fantasy classic, Aslan the lion partners with talking beasts and four children fetched from WWII England to save Narnia from a wicked witch (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, 1950). Finally, the healing bond of friendship between humans and animals is explored in Jairo Buitrago and Rafael Yockteng’s (2021) Wounded Falcons.

Eoin Colfer is an Irish author born in Wexford Ireland in 1965. Colfer developed an interest in writing in elementary school while writing tales of Vikings and incorporating the history he was learning in his school setting at the time. Colfer’s early career was as an elementary school teacher, following in the path of his educator parents. Colfer ultimately left teaching to pursue writing full time. The Artemis Fowl series is Colfer’s most popular series, selling over twenty five million copies worldwide and translated into forty different languages. More information can be found on his website.

Patrick James Lynch (P.J. Lynch) is an Irish artist and illustrator. Lynch was born in Belfast Ireland in 1962. Lynch has worked as a children’s book illustrator since leaving Brighton College of Art in England in 1984. He has won many awards including the Mother Goose Award, the Christopher Medal three times, and the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal twice for The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (Susan Wojciechowski, 1995) and When Jessie Came Across the Sea (Amy Hest, 1997). He was named the fourth Laureate na nÓg in 2016.

Willeena Booker, Hatboro-Horsham School District, Pennsylvania

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