Ako prežiť dračí útok

How to Train Your Dragon #7

by Cressida Cowell, Otakar Kořínek (Translator)

Štikút má tri mesiace, päť dní a šesť hodín na to, aby objavil Ameriku, vrátil sa späť na Berk, zachránil svojho otca, porazil polárne hady a vyhral medzikmeňové plavecké preteky. Zvládne to?

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Fiction, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Childrens, Adventure

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2008

About the author

Cressida Cowell grew up in London and on a small, uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland. She was convinced that there were dragons living on this island, and has been fascinated by dragons ever since. She has a BA in English Literature from Oxford University, a BA in Graphic Design from St Martin's and an MA in Narrative Illustration from Brighton. Cressida loves illustrating her own work, but also loves writing books for other people to illustrate as the end result can be so unexpected and inspiring. Cressida has written and illustrated eight books in the popular Hiccup series. The unique blend of child centred humour and sublime prose made Hiccup an instant hit. How to Train Your Dragon is now published in over 30 languages. A DreamWorks Animation feature film is out in March 2010. Also the author of picture books, Cressida has won the Nestle Children's Book Prize 2006 and has been shortlisted for many others. Cressida lives in Hammersmith with her husband and three children.

Her Books:
1. How to Train Your Dragon (2003)
2. How to Be a Pirate (2004)
3. How to Speak Dragonese (2005)
4. How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse (2006)
5. How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale (2007)
6. A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons (2008)
7. How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm (2008)
8. How to Break a Dragon’s Heart (2010)
9. How to Steal a Dragon's Sword (2011)
10. How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel (2012)

Reviews

[Denae Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader thoughts: I keep thinking I can predict the ends for these books, or even the middles. I can't. Despite CC liberally planting foreshadowing and plot clues, I am surprised every time. Well, maybe surprised for 80% of what unfolds. It's still amazing.

I love that Hiccup is growing up a little. He's now about 12 1/2. I love that he learns something new in this book, that he decides what sort of chief he's going to be.

I love the Viking version of a swim race. It's perfect and so totally fits this world. The Vikings say the last swimmer to the beach is the winner. Since the sea is freezing cold and full of treacherous dragon sharks and other deadly creatures, this makes sense. Only the bravest, most daring Viking would stay in the water past a few minutes. The record is 3 months, 5 days, and 6 hours. Hiccup nearly beats that record.

I'm curious to see what happens with that "ticking thing" compass/clock/timer in the next book. It seems to be able to do a lot more than a normal clock.

My husband pointed out that Hiccup is slowly gathering more and more allies from each tribe, impressing each tribe, and becoming some sort of leader/hero to each viking tribe. I hadn't noticed that.

Writer thoughts: I don't know how Cowell keeps all her dragons straight. It seems there are 4 new ones for each book, and they're all unique. A sea serpent that can shoot stingers from its mouth? A dragon/seal thing that has a spear/tusk/horn to stab victims or stab the ice? Cool.

Does she model these dragons after real animals? Does she keep a map of the archipelago and where the dragons reside? Maybe she's just a more organized writer than I am.

[Brigid ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so it took me months and months to finish this, mostly because I've been terrible at reading lately and I keep reading like ten books at once and not finishing any of them. BUT I finally finished this––hooray! This was definitely one of the stronger books in the series so far––a lot of action and adventure, very exciting and fun. And the illustrations are very cute.

Also the epilogues of these books are always so well-written and emotional, a;dlfja;sdjf.

I believe the last book in the series is coming out this fall, so I'm hoping to catch up before then!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And at night, as they slept, their dreaming minds drew maps of America, and each map of this paradise-on-earth was drawn according to their own desires."

This is just such a fantastic idea. It was a small moment in the book, but I couldn't stop thinking about it-- if you were journeying to a strange land, one that you knew nothing about and yet expected to love, your expectations would simply be a reflection of your deepest desires. In this installment, Hiccup and his friends are kidnapped by Norbert the Nutjob, who is setting out on a voyage to discover America.

After the above quote, examples are given about what each character imagines America will hold. Gold and riches, delicious food, adventure... everyone has a different idea of what they will find.

I think this same psychology explains why certain people enjoy certain books. After all, books are foreign lands in their own way. When I open up a new book, I have only a vague idea of what I will find inside. My enjoyment of it relies on several things besides the author's writing skill. What am I looking for when I read? There are plenty of people who can't enjoy amazing books simply because they don't have romance in them. I personally can't love a book unless it has a cast of vibrant characters. Likewise, when I imagine discovering the perfect country, my focus is not on its climate or whether it's urbanized-- I think about people. To me, the perfect place is one with people I can relate to and befriend.

But back to the book. The past two books have been rather disappointing, but I gotta say: THIS ONE WAS AWESOME!!!

It was funny. It was exciting. It was insightful. It was sweet.

And an added bonus, I adore my edition's cover. That gorgeous white dragon sitting on an iceberg is amazing.

The pacing was spot-on, the ending was just as clever and putting-the-pieces-together as I had hoped, and, best of all, the series is poised to go in a seriously interesting direction. I absolutely can't WAIT for a sequel. Under spoiler tags, here is a snippet of the amazeballs lead-in for Book 8: This is all stirring stuff, but how is Hiccup going to keep the Slavemark a secret forever and ever? If Snotlout finds out about it, Hiccup will never get to be a CHIEF, let alone a KING. And why does Fishlegs appear to have no family?

COLOR ME INTRIGUED.

Lastly, because it is very important to convince the world that this book is funny, here are some of my personal favorite hilarious quotes:

(Set-up for this quote: The kids are on the evilish Norbert's boat, have been tied up and strung upside-down to the mast, and all the crew are chanting: KILL, KILL, KILL! KILL THE CHILDREN!)

"Do you think they're talking about US?" whimpered Fishlegs.

HAAAHAHAHA. No, Fishlegs, they're definitely talking about some other children.

Then, when Toothless the dragon is completely and utterly drunk (children's book?):

"Who ISH this tall gentleman?" asked Toothless, as he bashed into the mast for the second time. "He keepsh getting in my way."

This will never not be funny to me...

Anyway, thank you, How to Ride a Dragon's Storm, for restoring my faith in this series!

And I have to say this... I take such twisted pleasure in the fact that Hiccup's life is ruined by having the Slavemark. What an amazing direction THIS plot is going. I adore Hiccup, and I love to feel bad for him. Can't wait for the next book and all the drama the Slavemark will undoubtedly cause.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I'm an adult reading kids books, but I can't help it! There are so many kids books that weren't out there when I was a kid, and they are a great way to keep in touch with your inner child.

Cressida Cowell's "How to Train Your Dragon" series is one of my favorite children's series these days, and "How to Ride a Dragon's Storm" is no exception. It seemed a little longer to me than the last few books have been, and it was worth every page.

The Viking's are having a friendly swimming competition, but it turns out to be not so friendly. This is the one contest where the person who comes in last wins, ie, whoever can spend the most time out in the ocean will win. People have died, but these are Vikings, so that's not too unusual.

The only problem is that one of the Viking chieftain's is cheating. He's arraigned to make sure he's going to win, and instead of asking for the normal prize (something to embarrass the others) he plans to ask for their lives.

Hiccup and his friends just want to survive, winning isn't even on their minds, but as any reader of this series well knows, that usually doesn't work out. Instead they are kidnapped, face what is probably the biggest dragon yet, and very nearly land in America. It's a great adventure with lots of laughs! 5 Stars.

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

this installment absolutely slaps, tbh. I always forget how fabulous it is, lol. it sort of wraps up the arc of the first half of the series, letting us properly move towards the finale of books 8-12.

hiccup + fishlegs + camicazi are my best friends ever actually

[Jaiden Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Chapter 12 and everything after that point was the best part of this book. Idk, the beginning just didn't really click with me, but the ending really picked up the slack!💖😁

Language: A couple of uses of 'he' double hockey stick as in referring to down-under.

Violence: Some fight scenes, a little more intense then what we see in the other books, but still barely described gore wise.

Magic: Not really. There was a part where the slaves were trying to 'Curse' the ship, which was basically them yelling 'doomed' but the ship didn't get Cursed, so it didn't work. Still kind of gave me the creeps that they tried tho, even tho it didn't work.

Like I said above, chapter 12 was definitely my favorite part of this book, and literally the reason I rounded-up, because it was so great and hilarious, I was in tears...lol..😂 Oh, just poor Hiccup, and Fishlegs 'helping', absolutely the best!😂😂
And the ending really picked up the slack where the beginning lacked a little, don't know why this one didn't click with me until about half-way through🤷‍♀️ But I enjoyed the ending immensely! The serpent chase, the sea dragon, and the mast fight was soooooo awesome and as always with Toothless involved funny! Seriously Toothless can make me laugh during any nail-biting situation...lol...He's the best and him and Hiccup together! Pure gold!😂💖💖
I really loved the epilogue too! Very well-done, and I love what it says about building a better world, and the them of having mercy on your enemies was great too! They may have done it to you but if you do it back, aren't you the same as them? Very, true, Hiccup, very true! Good job, buddy!👍💖
Anyway, the Wanderers gave me the creeps (I'm pretty sure that was the point tho) and the beginning didn't click with me, but besides that a very well-done, enjoyable, seafaring adventure!

9+

[Tyrell ⚔️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“How can you make a fresh start in a new world when you are carrying with you on your boat all the same problems, the same frustrations and inequalities of the old world”

The Viking's are having a friendly swimming competition, but it turns out to be not so friendly. This is the one contest where the person who comes in last wins, ie, whoever can spend the most time out in the ocean will win. People have died, but these are Vikings, so that's not too unusual.
The only problem is that one of the Viking chieftain's is cheating. He's arraigned to make sure he's going to win, and instead of asking for the normal prize (something to embarrass the others) he plans to ask for their lives.

Hiccup and his friends just want to survive, winning isn't even on their minds, but as any reader of this series well knows, that usually doesn't work out. Instead they are kidnapped, face what is probably the biggest dragon yet, and very nearly land in America.

Another incredible installment in the HTTYD universe!

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

" you have the mental capacity of a jellyfish with a lobotomy"

If nothing else, you really learn how to offend ppl in creative ways while reading. XD

[King Haddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book series could be described as Beowulf mashed with A Prairie Home Companion for Vikings.

It has cheeky, entertaining, succinct descriptions such as we might expect from Garrison Keillor (take, for instance, page 13, Stoick's description: "He was built in the traditional Viking mold: six-and-a-half feet tall, belly like a battleship, eyebrows blowing in the breeze like a couple of large hamsters doing cartwheels.").

It has wild, dramatic stories carried on by entertaining ironies, tying together beginning to end in a ridiculous yet somehow cohesive manner.

But then it's also very incredibly epic.

I drew fanart of this.



This, my friends, is one epic climax.

"Never had a fight been undertaken in such difficult circumstances as these, on top of the rigging and mast of a ship that was rapidly sinking, in the middle of a thunderstorm, and under attack from below by one of the major Monsters of the Deep" (p. 191).

Cressida Cowell feeds us a wonderful combination of emotions in these delightful short novels. She hands us memorable characters with great interactional chemistry, entertaining plots, an enormous dollop of humor, and thrilling adventures, and she doesn't skimp on any of these. The dramaticness of "How to Ride a Dragon's Storm" makes this by far one of my favorites in the series.

I thought I would feel unhappy about reading about a voyage to America in a technologically advanced Viking ship while characters competed in a Friendly Swimming Race. It seemed like a strange, lackluster premise set-up, additionally so when we read about Bearcub and his grandmother before we get to Hiccup. I worried that this would destroy the flavor of a Viking-esque adventure and ruin the flavor of high stakes adventures I read in previous installments. I should not have worried, for this book was exactly the sort of entertaining, dramatic, and high-adventure that I wanted.

And with the teaser in the back of the book for installment number eight, I can only imagine that the series will continue to engage me like none other.

[Sara Saif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rinse repeat.
Ha-ha! Etcetera etceta.
P.S: Vikings are INSANE.

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Further adventures of Hiccup, Fishlegs, Camicazi and Toothless. Back on track with this one!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. This series continues to be fun, full of good lessons, wonderful characters, and thoughtful reflections on political theory, relationships, success versus failure, what it means to be you, and what it means to effect real change.

[Keturah Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

*listened to audiobook*

Love how this book came full circle ;) also lots of hints to make me curious for future books!

Love FishLegs in this book!!!!

[Emma Ann]

There were big swaths of this one I didn’t remember, but I absolutely remembered this bit, which got used in fan edits a lot back in the day:

”History, you see, is like the interlocking wheels turning in a ticking-thing. Something unexpected happens, some sort of hiccup … The wheels are jogged … and then they set off again, beating out the time in a new pattern” (p. 245).

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for 52 Book Club Challenge #18 An apostrophe in the title.

Love Hiccup - love David Tennant reading Hiccup. Keep re-listening to these audio books on Borrowbox - they never fail to cheer me up and make me chuckle.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is my favourite out of the series 🤩

[Fredrik Nael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lagi-lagi curi start, beli dan baca buku ke-7 ini lewat versi asli berhubung versi terjemahannya entah kapan nian baru ada... :D

Buku ini bisa dibilang termasuk bukunya Hiccup yang paling serius (tapi tetap bagus!).
Ceritanya lebih serius. Pesan-pesannya lebih serius.

Entah kenapa, dalam beberapa seri terakhir memoar Hiccup memang segala hal perlahan-lahan semakin lama menjadi semakin serius. Sepertinya memang gak mudah menulis kisah berbalut humor dengan tidak mengulang lelucon-lelucon yang sudah pernah dipakai.

Alkisah tengah diadakan Lomba Renang Persahabatan Antar-Suku rutin yang melibatkan warga 3 suku: Hooligan, Bog-Burglar, dan Murderous.
Madguts, sang kepala suku Murderous, ternyata punya niat jahat dalam pelaksanaan lomba tahun ini. Dilandasi dendam turun temurun, Madguts bermaksud mencelakai dua kepala suku yang lain, sekaligus menguasai seluruh kepulauan Viking.
Dia juga "menjual" Hiccup (+ Camicazi + Fishlegs) ke Norbert the Nutjob yang memang punya dendam sama Hiccup karena dulu Hiccup pernah menghancurkan kapalnya di buku petualangan ke-4.
Akhirnya, Hiccup terpaksa harus menyelamatkan ayahnya, sukunya, dan suku Bog-Burglar dari rencana busuk Madguts dalam tempo waktu 3 bulan, 5 hari, dan 6 jam.
Namun sebelum itu, Hiccup sendiri harus mengakali kawanan naga Polar-Serpent, menghadapi monster-naga laut raksasa Leviathorgan, menyelamatkan Bearcub (+ neneknya yang rajin mengutuk orang) dan rombongannya, serta pastinya, membebaskan dirinya sendiri, Camicazi, dan Fishlegs, dari penyanderaan Norbert yang tengah berlayar ke benua Amerika untuk menemukan dan membangun "The Land of the Nutjobs" di New World (eaaah! xD).

Pesan paling penting dan terbaik justru ada di bagian epilog. --> ini salah satu penyebab buku ini jadi lebih berat daripada biasanya

Rombongan Bearcub yang ditemui Hiccup di dalam kapal yang berlayar ke Amerika sebenarnya merupakan golongan budak-budak bangsa Viking. Mereka punya "tanda budak", semacam stempel yang gak bisa hilang, dan karena satu sebab, Hiccup juga mendapat cap ini.
Notabene ini jadi ironis mengingat Hiccup adalah pewaris takhta Hooligan dan akan jadi penerus kepala suku berikutnya, namun dia justru memiliki stempel budak di tubuhnya. :(

Berhubung buku ini terbit pertama kali sewaktu masa-masa Pemilu Presiden Amerika tahun 2008 dan plot-nya berkaitan dengan "penemuan benua Amerika", aku menduga memang sengaja ada pesan khusus dari penulis terkait dengan peristiwa bersejarah ini.

Bagian epilognya cukup menguatkan indikasi:

"Maybe all Kings should bear the Slavemark, to remind them that they should be slaves to their people, rather than the other way around. And to help them never to forget what it feels to be a child... to be small and weak and helpless." - hal 266

Maka dengarlah, wahai Para Pemimpin!

;)

[GuineaPigFalconer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this is the first book in the series that has seemed really good, more mature, and a beginning for deeper things to come. A lot of world development went down in this book, and I am eager to see how the whole story will begin to weave together, as Alvin the Treacherous rises from certain death once more.

[Yami · Rating 4 out of 5]

as usual LOVED it, this series is really something big disguised under the skin of tiny toothless Dragon,
as a reader who is waaaaaaay above the target age, I have to admit it is highly entertaining, it is becoming my new guilty pleasure to read this series and TRULY enjoy it. I even caught myself reacting at the Q at the end of the books, and shouting "YES,why is that??"
BUT, if I ever put my feet in a parent's shoes, I wont recommend it for age below 11, it is harsh, and have some cruel jokes and events for a very young age to comprehend.

for this particular book7, the epilogue is TOOO deep in meaning,
& this particular
quote is strong as a viking's stubborn head.
Spoiler Quote:
Maybe all kings should bear the Slavemark, to remind them that they should be slaves to their people rather than the other way around.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiccup and his friends, Fishlegs and Camaicazi, end up being trapped on a boat, heading to the mysterious, fabled land of America! They try to survive being surrounded by a people that call themselves the Hysterics and their leader, Norbert the Nutjob. While back at Berk, a deal is being struck between three tribes on whether the three Heroes will actually come back. It is an interesting story line but it is starting to get kind of repetitive on how the Heroes juuust make it back in time, or juuust survive something. My favourite part of this book (which has been my favourite part in the last couple of books) was the Epilogue right at the end. Overall, the book brought a new environment and a new landscape while adding characters that you might not see again but were interesting in the story line.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I write this every time--but I love this series. It's full of humor and adventure and fun while addressing things like friendship, bravery, and leadership. Hiccup really grows up in this one, and finally accepts the fact that he will one day be Chief of the Hooligans. We don't get the doubt from Stoick in this one, which was a welcome change--you'd think after all the times Hiccup has been successful (in his own way), Stoick would start having some faith in him. Not a lot of Toothless in this one, unfortunately...but Fishlegs finally gets to grow a bit as a character, which I loved to see. Looking forward to seeing what the next book brings!

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

By far the darkest of the seven thus far. Big-Boobied Bertha is only sparingly used for comic relief, lots of people die, and water runs red with the blood of lost vikings. Still, it's a kid's book - but this was the first in the series I could see potentially giving this favorite nephew nightmares. Definitely feel my attention for this series beginning to wane...

[3 stars for attempting to become something a little more mature, while still keeping kids at the heart of the whole adventure. Not so silly, but still... sort of fun?]

[Beatrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Harri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m still enjoying this series. This was an exciting, adventurous instalment of Hiccup’s story, made all the better by David Tennant’s fabulous narration.

[Schuyler]

I love how Cowell wrapped the usual hilarity around a thought-provoking discussion of colonialism for children.

[Maricarmen Estrada M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book as all the other from this wonderful series. Another fun story full of adventures, the funniest and evil villains.
Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Camicazi were sailing to America without their consent, and during their quest they met slaves, an ancient dragon, and were able to save their lives and their tribe.
I enjoy Cowell’s writing very much. Here’s a little bit of the heartwarming epilogue which I loved:
“Again and again I have been on Quests that I thought were for one thing and turned out to be something completely different. For it was in that Quest that I first truly discovered MYSELF, and my destiny.”
“How can you make a fresh start in a New World when you are carrying with you on your boat all the same problems, the same frustrations and inequalities of the Old World?”
“... Thor was right to give me the Slavemark. I could never rub it away, never forget the promise that I made (...) Maybe all Kings should bear the Slavemark, to remind them that they should be slaves to their people, rather than the other way around. And to help them never to forget what it feels like to be a child... to be small and weak and helpless.”

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect listen for a platelet donation! In this adventure, Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Kamikaze end up being kidnapped during a swimming competition by none other than one of the other competitors, as well as another old enemy. While their kidnapper tries to force Hiccup to lead him to The New World using the ticking thing he stole long ago from Norbert the Nutjob, he learns more about the past, as well as about his old ancestor, Grimbeard the Ghastly. Unbeknownst to Hiccup and Kamikaze, their parents are in just as much danger on their own island. Tune in for the details of how this all plays out! :)

[Caleb Block · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great continuation to the How to Train Your Dragon series! I was not disappointed. It still has hilarious illustrations, entertaining Toothless moments, new dragons, and crazy action scenes, not to mention quite a few plot twists - like the return of Norbert the Nutjob. Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Camicazi really have got into serious trouble this time - they're being taken to America when they are supposed to be winning a almost impossible swim race. I can't even imagine how I hadn't read this series a longer time ago. My nose is stuck in one of these books whenever I have a second of free time!

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the one of the best parts of these books is the epilogues, where older Hiccup reflects on his time as a young man. This book's epilogue was particularly poignant, reflecting on how change and growth doesn't have to happen when we make some drastic move or accomplishment in our lives, it can and does happen in the daily, mundane choices that we make - where we're living right now. Another great book by Cowell - funny, exciting, and meaningful. I love this boy and his dragon. <3