The mythsterhood loves exploring all forms of mythology: literature, art, games, even song. What brought us together was the love of a good myth. So in addition to our own dragon content, we wanted to pass on some modern myths to our listeners. In our Dragon Tails blog series, you’ll find reviews of stories collected from a variety of media.
Today we’re diving into a twist on the classic European dragon vs. knight tale with Soul Cleaver Clarence, available on Cast of Wonders. Cast of Wonders is a great young adult podcast (although I enjoy the stories as an adult, and my six year old enjoys some of them, so a lot of the stories are for all ages), and I was excited when this dragon story came around.
The Dragons
There are two dragons in this story: Soul Cleaver Clarence and his father, Rangdor the Terrible. Neither of the dragons get a lot of description, but it’s clear they are most likely the standard European style dragon, Clarence being the size of a large cow with scales on his back, while his father is larger.
The Mythology
This story plays on the classic roles of knight, dragon, and princess. It features three young characters who do not fall into the expectations of their roles. The dragon would rather make flower sculptures than kill humans, the knight prefers diplomacy to fighting, and the princess, being captured several times, has learned to take care of herself.
Despite none of these characters wanting to fulfill their destined rolls, their parents continue to push them to do so. It is only through friendship and by declaring their passions that each of them can become who they want to be.
What’s to Love
While this story is somewhat overly sweet for my taste, there is a lot to like in it. My favorite part is when Clarence makes a flower sculpture. It is a new way to look at dragons’ fire breathing abilities and their sharp claws. Dragons could be made for art just as much as they are made for killing.
I also loved when the princess showed her true colors, because I love strong women who can defend themselves.
Overall, it’s a quick listen, and I recommend it if you are in the mood for something lighthearted and fun.
Koji A. Dae
Koji is a dreamer, a mother, and a writer in that order. The first short story she clearly remembers writing involved fairies losing their wings, and ever since then mythology has found different ways to creep into her storytelling.
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