HOW TO BREAK A DRAGON'S HEART

Cressida Cowell

Dec 2013 · How to Train Your Dragon Book 8 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by David Tennant

About this audiobook

Stranded on the exceptionally dangerous, and possibly haunted, Beach of the Broken Heart, Hiccup must face UG the Uglithug and complete the impossible task -- or die trying. Along the way, he'll have to battle Berserks, dodge Scarers, and save Fishlegs from being fed to the Beast, all while being hunted down by an old enemy with a dark secret about the mysterious Lost Throne. With Toothless by his side, and time to stage his rescue running out, what's a Hero to do?

Ratings and reviews

AudioBook Review Stars Overall 5 Narration 5 Story 5 The story of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, continues on, with this story carrying more plot and background information for Hiccup than in any of the earlier stories. Yes, there is an adventure and a chance for Hiccup to use his brain and a bit of luck to save his friends, but this story has a mixed result, foreshadowing the future in ways that earlier books didn’t. Hiccup is presented with the story of the prophecy, and how he came to get his name. Sadly, the stories of the two previous Hiccups are tragic, with heartbreak and hurt feelings that rock Hiccup’s world. Similar to the earlier Hiccups: small, optimistic, intelligent and resourceful, Hiccup the third realizes that the prophecy is almost true. His mother is Valhallarama, and to him, this makes all the difference. He again must use his considerable brain to puzzle out a solution: fortunately Toothless is a bit like a magpie, and gathers all things shiny: a key to everything allows Hiccup to escape the tree-prison he is held in, to find Camicazi and rescue Fishlegs from the upcoming ceremony where he will be sacrificed to the beast. While Hiccup has many skills, perhaps the most prodigious is his memory, a near encyclopedic recall for events and facts: this allows him to recognize the best as Furious, the Maximus dragon that once was tied as a brother to Hiccup the second. Not entirely triumphant, while Hiccup does manage to save his friends and the day, mostly, there are dire warnings from the very resentful Furious, dire warnings that Hiccup prefers to believe he can overcome. All of the returning characters, Hiccup’s misjudgment of the power of a promise, the questions about his prophecy and the addition of adventures and last minute rescues into the story, moving the story into a slightly darker realm, perhaps signaling the end of our young hero’s childhood. Narration again is provided by David Tennant with his facility for voices of both returning and new characters, the performance is a treat. Tennant presents a sense of enjoyment and delight in the story, managing to add gravitas to the darker moments, but never losing the playfulness and personalities of the characters that he voices so well. The epilogue in this story gives moments for pause, as the now older Hiccup is recalling the events of his youth, with the added perspective of knowing what has happened, and unlike the epilogues of the earlier books: there really isn’t a lesson here. It feels like a hint and a touch of a warning, letting readers know that everything is changing and will be different soon: fitting as readers and our young heroes are growing up. Another wonderful installment, these are stories sure to become favorites for many. I received AudioCD copies of the title from Hachette Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

About the author

Cressida Cowell is the #1 internationally bestselling author and illustrator of The Wizards of Once and the How to Train Your Dragon series. She grew up in London and on a small, uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland, where she spent her time writing stories, fishing for things to eat, and exploring the island. She now lives in Hammersmith, England, with her husband, three children, and a dog named Pigeon.