Dragon Slippers is the first book in the Dragon Slippers series by Jessica Day George.

Creel’s family are poor farmers who are struggling to make ends meet, so Creel’s aunt comes up with an idea to lift them out of poverty.  Her idea? To sacrifice Creel to the local dragon, figuring that some valiant knight will come fight the dragon, rescue and marry Creel, and solve the family’s monetary difficulties.  Creel thinks that the dragon in the cave is just a myth, but she takes action when she discovers that there really is a dragon. Instead of waiting around to be rescued, she makes her own bargain with the dragon.  Creel not only manages to win her freedom, but also a pair of blue slippers from the dragon’s hoard.  Making her way to Feravel’s largest city, King’s Seat, Creel discovers that there may be more to her slippers than she first realized… These slippers may be able to stop, or start, a war!

I found that Dragon Slippers started a bit slowly, but it was quite enjoyable once I got to know Creel a bit more, and the plot became much more interesting as the story progressed.  Creel a great heroine because she’s brave, determined and loyal, but the author also gives each dragon Creel meets a very distinct personality which is amusing to read. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys either dragons or fairy tales. It’s not a fairy tale, but it has a similar feel to one.  If you enjoyed this book I would also recommend Rapunzel: The One with All the Hair, from the Twice Upon a Time series by Wendy Mass, which is a well-written, amusing twist on the original tale of Rapunzel.  Similarly, if you enjoy dragons I would recommend Dragonsong, from the Harper Hall of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey.