The Dragon Hunter’s Handbook

Is a ferocious, fire-breathing, thirty-foot tall dragon with a twenty-foot tail attacking your city and taking hostages? Stand back! A dragon’s flaming breath can spew jets of fire that reach up to fifty feet!

To learn how to safety engage the dragon, pick up your copy of the pocket-sized Dragon Hunter’s Handbook,the essential field guide for all Dragon Hunters. From finding dragons, bribing dragons and, of course, fighting dragons, this guide has it all, plus details on dragon physiology, psychology and natural history. Did you know that many dragon hunters believe the Loch Ness Monster is a type of aquatic dragon?

Warning: Do not read this guide while actively being attacked. Seek help and/or run.

Why is this on our bookshelf?

With the exception of unicorns, there aren’t many geekier mythological beasts out there. Skyrim, D&D, Harry Potter, Middle Earth and Mario all have their dragons. With the multitude of dragons in the world, it only makes sense to have a good field guide.

Rating (4 stars)

As a field guide, this Dragon Hunter’s Handbook is exceptional. It is lightweight, pocket-sized and pretty sturdily-bound. It gives practical advice on dragon encounters, including wishing tips if you meet a wish-granting dragon, what to do if a friendly dragon gets too attached to you, and methods for rescuing hostages (damsels-in-distress) from an unfriendly dragon.

However, some information seems sparse or misleading. I highly doubt that a skateboard is a decent form of transportation for a dragon hunter and the explanation of flaming breath was sketchy. I understand that they exhale the highly combustible gas oxygen, but the description of a “spark” in the back of their throat is really not detailed enough. Some of the content seems to be targeting younger dragon hunters.

Any shortcomings in the content are made up in the useful illustrations, photos and diagrams, making the Dragon Hunter’s guide an entertaining and useful guide for all those wishing to study the beasts.