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The Age of Dragons #1
Dawn of the Dragons: Here, There Be Dragons; The Search for the Red Dragon
What if all your most beloved stories were true? The stuff of legend lays the foundation for lore in this first installment of The Age of Dragons, an epic literary fantasy series that is at once both strange and familiar.
In Here, There Be Dragons, an unusual murder brings together three strangers, John, Jack, and Charles, on a rainy night in London during the first World War. An eccentric little man called Bert tells them that they are now the Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica--an atlas of the Archipelago of Dreams, which contains all the lands that have ever existed in myth and legend, fable and fairy tale. And these adventures will help shape two of these men into the greatest fantasists of their generation: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
In The Search for the Red Dragon, it has been nine years since John, Jack, and Charles had their great adventure in the Archipelago of Dreams and became the Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica. Now they have been brought together again to solve a mystery: Someone is kidnapping the children of the Archipelago. Their to save the world from a centuries-old plot is to seek out the last of the Dragonships--the Red Dragon--in a spectacular journey that takes them from Sir James Barrie's Kensington Gardens to the Underneath of the Greek Titans of myth.
In Here, There Be Dragons, an unusual murder brings together three strangers, John, Jack, and Charles, on a rainy night in London during the first World War. An eccentric little man called Bert tells them that they are now the Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica--an atlas of the Archipelago of Dreams, which contains all the lands that have ever existed in myth and legend, fable and fairy tale. And these adventures will help shape two of these men into the greatest fantasists of their generation: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
In The Search for the Red Dragon, it has been nine years since John, Jack, and Charles had their great adventure in the Archipelago of Dreams and became the Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica. Now they have been brought together again to solve a mystery: Someone is kidnapping the children of the Archipelago. Their to save the world from a centuries-old plot is to seek out the last of the Dragonships--the Red Dragon--in a spectacular journey that takes them from Sir James Barrie's Kensington Gardens to the Underneath of the Greek Titans of myth.
688 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 16, 2017
Where to begin? This is the first two books in the series, which inexplicably managed to continue being published after the travesty that is The Search for the Red Dragon. I'll break this review into two parts, since the books vary wildly in quality.
Book 1: Here, There Be Dragons
An interesting premise that quickly becomes a very tropey, typical Chosen One fantasy adventure. James A. Owen doesn't give his characters any time to develop, and often refuses to trust that the reader will understand subtext. This results in a book that A) is constantly making allusions to fantasy classics and B) immediately points out and explains said allusions. This makes for somewhat of a mishmash in terms of tone, but it's not terrible. There are talking animals like in Narnia, a dragon that is reminiscent of Smaug (from The Hobbit), and the Arthurian myth features heavily.
There are at least a dozen paragraphs that end in attempts at dramatic lines which are either telegraphed sentences beforehand or are simply not very impressive. Overall, the book is weak, but in the hands of a better writer you can see how the story would have been fun. Having the three main characters be real people (J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Charles Williams) is weird and seems to limit the options for growth. There is essentially one (1) woman in the book, which sucks. Things are constantly happening, so it's a quick read.
Book 2: The Search for the Red Dragon
After the first book, I was curious if the second would be an improvement, now that the world and main characters are set up. Instead the "novel" devolves into what can only be described as a ludicrously embarrassing series of literary references that attempts to tie J. M. Barrie and Peter Pan, the Pied Piper, the Greek myths of Daedalus, Orpheus, and Jason and the Argonauts, the Magic Mirror, explorer Sir Richard Burton, the Croatoan colony disappearance, Dante's Inferno, the fountain of youth (basically), and Plato's allegory of the cave into one cohesive narrative. There's also a cameo by AMELIA EARHART, who shows up via the Bermuda Triangle. Oh, and there's also an insane section where the characters wear red hoods so that a group of talking wolves will protect them from flying monkeys. This is never mentioned again.
Just like the first book, the climax of the story is completely unsatisfying and relies on multiple deus ex machinas. This book is so buffoonishly complicated: it involves characters traveling through time, a character pretending to be his own son who has taken his father's name (to redeem him? or something), a group of Europeans taking the place of a Native American tribe (kind of?) while still being referred to as "Indians", and the reveal that there's a secret society founded by Queen Elizabeth that is working against the main characters and has spies everywhere (this is then almost immediately forgotten by everyone, including me). There's also a part where it turns out that Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used magic cabinets to work as spies, and a different scene where the king's main workplace is revealed to be the Library of Alexandria. No, the context doesn't help much. This constant bombardment of references reminds you what classics you could be reading, and how much this pales in comparison.
There is still one (1) woman main character, though the small girl Laura Glue is added. There is a baffling romance subplot in which the C. S. Lewis character contemplates kidnapping the king's wife and missing son and bringing them back to England with him. The fact that none of these characters are developed enough to warrant any romance, let alone romantic tension, means that this thought is completely out of place. This is the second time in two books that I've been prepared for him to become a villain, and I'm starting to question how much Owen likes C. S. Lewis as a person.
I can only conclude that James A. Owen loves the things he's referencing greatly, and that he can't help himself every time he adds half a dozen more shout-outs into the book. After a certain point, however, the entire series begins to feel like the TV show Once Upon a Time, but with less cohesive characterization and a more convoluted plot. The fact that there are five (5) more books in this series lurking on this planet makes me physically ill. Passages in this book made me angry enough to contemplate tossing it in front of a PATH train so that no one else would have to read it. I'm starting to think that the person who donated it to my library did so in an attempt to pass this curse on to someone else, as if this book was the board game from Jumanji. If so, I guess they succeeded.
I cannot in good conscience recommend this "fantasy series" to anyone whose time I have a modicum of respect for.
Book 1: Here, There Be Dragons
An interesting premise that quickly becomes a very tropey, typical Chosen One fantasy adventure. James A. Owen doesn't give his characters any time to develop, and often refuses to trust that the reader will understand subtext. This results in a book that A) is constantly making allusions to fantasy classics and B) immediately points out and explains said allusions. This makes for somewhat of a mishmash in terms of tone, but it's not terrible. There are talking animals like in Narnia, a dragon that is reminiscent of Smaug (from The Hobbit), and the Arthurian myth features heavily.
There are at least a dozen paragraphs that end in attempts at dramatic lines which are either telegraphed sentences beforehand or are simply not very impressive. Overall, the book is weak, but in the hands of a better writer you can see how the story would have been fun. Having the three main characters be real people (J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Charles Williams) is weird and seems to limit the options for growth. There is essentially one (1) woman in the book, which sucks. Things are constantly happening, so it's a quick read.
Book 2: The Search for the Red Dragon
After the first book, I was curious if the second would be an improvement, now that the world and main characters are set up. Instead the "novel" devolves into what can only be described as a ludicrously embarrassing series of literary references that attempts to tie J. M. Barrie and Peter Pan, the Pied Piper, the Greek myths of Daedalus, Orpheus, and Jason and the Argonauts, the Magic Mirror, explorer Sir Richard Burton, the Croatoan colony disappearance, Dante's Inferno, the fountain of youth (basically), and Plato's allegory of the cave into one cohesive narrative. There's also a cameo by AMELIA EARHART, who shows up via the Bermuda Triangle. Oh, and there's also an insane section where the characters wear red hoods so that a group of talking wolves will protect them from flying monkeys. This is never mentioned again.
Just like the first book, the climax of the story is completely unsatisfying and relies on multiple deus ex machinas. This book is so buffoonishly complicated: it involves characters traveling through time, a character pretending to be his own son who has taken his father's name (to redeem him? or something), a group of Europeans taking the place of a Native American tribe (kind of?) while still being referred to as "Indians", and the reveal that there's a secret society founded by Queen Elizabeth that is working against the main characters and has spies everywhere (this is then almost immediately forgotten by everyone, including me). There's also a part where it turns out that Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used magic cabinets to work as spies, and a different scene where the king's main workplace is revealed to be the Library of Alexandria. No, the context doesn't help much. This constant bombardment of references reminds you what classics you could be reading, and how much this pales in comparison.
There is still one (1) woman main character, though the small girl Laura Glue is added. There is a baffling romance subplot in which the C. S. Lewis character contemplates kidnapping the king's wife and missing son and bringing them back to England with him. The fact that none of these characters are developed enough to warrant any romance, let alone romantic tension, means that this thought is completely out of place. This is the second time in two books that I've been prepared for him to become a villain, and I'm starting to question how much Owen likes C. S. Lewis as a person.
I can only conclude that James A. Owen loves the things he's referencing greatly, and that he can't help himself every time he adds half a dozen more shout-outs into the book. After a certain point, however, the entire series begins to feel like the TV show Once Upon a Time, but with less cohesive characterization and a more convoluted plot. The fact that there are five (5) more books in this series lurking on this planet makes me physically ill. Passages in this book made me angry enough to contemplate tossing it in front of a PATH train so that no one else would have to read it. I'm starting to think that the person who donated it to my library did so in an attempt to pass this curse on to someone else, as if this book was the board game from Jumanji. If so, I guess they succeeded.
I cannot in good conscience recommend this "fantasy series" to anyone whose time I have a modicum of respect for.
July 16, 2016
4.5 stars! I am thoroughly enjoying this series! The characters are loveable, and I love how it takes stories we are familiar with, and turns them on their head! You should really check out this series!
June 21, 2016
Don't bother.
The writing is painfully, simplistically, eye-rollingly expository. Characters have seemingly no inborn motivation to do what they do, and yet you know exactly what they are going to do in any given situation. Characters' language starts out stiltedly "historical" but drifts to distractingly modern by the book's end.
While the book is probably meant to be an homage to all the various other books it cribs from, or possibly a clever reimagining of where those other books/stories come from, it comes across as derivative, a pastiche. You know what the next "clever" reveal/reimagining is at least three pages before it's made explicit.
Read the books it's based off of instead: Tolkien, Lewis, Greek/Norse/Gaelic mythology, the Bible, and the Arthurian legends will get you 95% of the references, and the Wikipedia entries for Dickens, Doyle, Wells, and Barrie will get you most of the rest.
It's a shame; I really did have high hopes for this.
The writing is painfully, simplistically, eye-rollingly expository. Characters have seemingly no inborn motivation to do what they do, and yet you know exactly what they are going to do in any given situation. Characters' language starts out stiltedly "historical" but drifts to distractingly modern by the book's end.
While the book is probably meant to be an homage to all the various other books it cribs from, or possibly a clever reimagining of where those other books/stories come from, it comes across as derivative, a pastiche. You know what the next "clever" reveal/reimagining is at least three pages before it's made explicit.
Read the books it's based off of instead: Tolkien, Lewis, Greek/Norse/Gaelic mythology, the Bible, and the Arthurian legends will get you 95% of the references, and the Wikipedia entries for Dickens, Doyle, Wells, and Barrie will get you most of the rest.
It's a shame; I really did have high hopes for this.
August 4, 2016
I started this with high hopes for a long, epic fantasy to occupy my time for a while. Unfortunately, after about 250 pages, I threw in the towel. I was just never engaged by the writing or story. The writing is basically action driven but quite weak in terms of descriptive powers, atmosphere, etc. The story itself was such an old-fashioned fantasy, with a plot of things happen. Maybe it gets better, but after 250 pages I lost interest.
July 5, 2023
Taken from the Goodreads page synopsis. "In The Search for the Red Dragon, it has been nine years since John, Jack, and Charles had their great adventure in the Archipelago of Dreams and became the Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica. Now they have been brought together again to solve a mystery: Someone is kidnapping the children of the Archipelago. Their to save the world from a centuries-old plot is to seek out the last of the Dragonships--the Red Dragon--in a spectacular journey that takes them from Sir James Barrie's Kensington Gardens to the Underneath of the Greek Titans of myth."
This is a hard book to write a review for. I liked and disliked it about the same. The story line was good, but I had a hard time keeping focused. The story dragged in places, some of the dialog between the characters either was good, pulled you in or was humorous but most it left me wondering what the heck. Some of the characters lacked development and came across as a dry and dull know-it-all. 688 pages were not needed to tell this story.
I am going to read the rest of the series because I need to know the rest of the story.
This is a hard book to write a review for. I liked and disliked it about the same. The story line was good, but I had a hard time keeping focused. The story dragged in places, some of the dialog between the characters either was good, pulled you in or was humorous but most it left me wondering what the heck. Some of the characters lacked development and came across as a dry and dull know-it-all. 688 pages were not needed to tell this story.
I am going to read the rest of the series because I need to know the rest of the story.
June 25, 2018
A lovely story, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series! I love that the ebooks include the first two books in one volume, so that you can just "turn the page" to the next book.
September 9, 2016
This was an emotional end. Rarely do I cheer for the characters as the fictional climax passes only to be dashed upon the rocks of reality - unless it's about the physical finishing of a book I never wanted to end *cough, Mythago Woods, cough*.
I find myself relating heavily where war is somewhere in the setting, yet not the center of attention. Characters changed by war become my favorites and whom I feel most empathetic towards when they make bad choices - Jack only got a pass from me after he'd been to war. Before that, I may have been okay if they tossed him in the ocean - but who can say. I do not like that PTSD has become so embedded in my life that I recognize it even in disguise. I am, however, a better person - and hopefully a better writer - for it.
I liked both books in the volume equally well. Each connection made, each spiderweb between worlds found, felt like a private discovery with a nod and a wink between the author and I, something meant for only his most ardent readers. The writing is accessible and casual with characters that feel as thick and substantial as the book itself. The other two volumes are already on my desk awaiting my arrival to the Archipelago of Dreams.
I find myself relating heavily where war is somewhere in the setting, yet not the center of attention. Characters changed by war become my favorites and whom I feel most empathetic towards when they make bad choices - Jack only got a pass from me after he'd been to war. Before that, I may have been okay if they tossed him in the ocean - but who can say. I do not like that PTSD has become so embedded in my life that I recognize it even in disguise. I am, however, a better person - and hopefully a better writer - for it.
I liked both books in the volume equally well. Each connection made, each spiderweb between worlds found, felt like a private discovery with a nod and a wink between the author and I, something meant for only his most ardent readers. The writing is accessible and casual with characters that feel as thick and substantial as the book itself. The other two volumes are already on my desk awaiting my arrival to the Archipelago of Dreams.
January 29, 2016
This story felt a little static to me, in spite of all the journeying, because the author stops the action to present new characters at a rate that doesn't allow for the development of the ones already in motion. And I'm not persuaded by the linking of WWII and a fantasy world -- somehow it seems like there's a surfeit of fantastical (and fantastically evil) activity in that time already. We hardly need another world to increase the skullduggery. For all that, the ideas are creative and the alternate universe a fascinating one. I just could have wished for deeper insight into the characters.
October 11, 2016
For most of book one, I was simply intrigued by the idea of the roots of all fantasy beginning from a real place, and all the cute literary references. My perspective changed entirely on the last page of the first book. The final signature had such significance to me, I couldn't believe I didn't see it coming. That one simple fact changed the entire series, and launched it up a whole star.
Overall, it was a quick light read that would be good for a vacation.
Overall, it was a quick light read that would be good for a vacation.
January 25, 2017
Would like characters to be more in depth, but gets better as story progresses.
July 26, 2019
Dawn of Dragons, by James A. Owen, is comprised of the first two books of the Age of Dragons series, Here, There Be Dragons and The Search for the Red Dragon. The stories follow three strangers who are thrust into the responsibility of caretaking the Imaginarium Geographica and saving both our world and the world of the Imaginarium at the same time.
This book series is a young adult series and it reads that way – the prose is straight forward and the plot, at least for the first book, is also relatively straight forward. Yet the series is an entertaining mesh of fairytales and other notable literary works, both clearly and obliquely alluded to.
Character development wise, the two books focus primarily on John (the leader) and Jack (who is tempted by the dark side). Charles, at least in these two books, gets the least amount of character development outside of being the most straitlaced of the group.
However, once character the book introduces is Tummeler, the talking badger who is adorable and amazing and I thought the first book was , but thank goodness that never happened. Honestly, Tummeler might be my favorite take away from this two-book compendium.
One thing I will say that is bad about the series use of myth and fairy tales that compose the world of the the Imaginarium Geographica is that it makes some plot points kind of transparent if you know the source of the stories (it was notable for me with Bug and the Arthurian mythos). That said, I loved how myths and stories were layered upon each other and stories of different origins were in communion with each other, such as with the cauldron from Irish myth and Pandora’s box all becoming one entity, for example. I do also think that the sheer number of colliding fairy tales and stories in the second book did seem to add a level of complication that might have been unnecessary.
Overall, I enjoyed this universe of colliding stories, fairy tales and mythology that Owen created and I loved the inclusion of many historically famous authors to lead us through this journey. I’ll keep an eye out for the sequels to read.
This book series is a young adult series and it reads that way – the prose is straight forward and the plot, at least for the first book, is also relatively straight forward. Yet the series is an entertaining mesh of fairytales and other notable literary works, both clearly and obliquely alluded to.
Character development wise, the two books focus primarily on John (the leader) and Jack (who is tempted by the dark side). Charles, at least in these two books, gets the least amount of character development outside of being the most straitlaced of the group.
However, once character the book introduces is Tummeler, the talking badger who is adorable and amazing and I thought the first book was , but thank goodness that never happened. Honestly, Tummeler might be my favorite take away from this two-book compendium.
One thing I will say that is bad about the series use of myth and fairy tales that compose the world of the the Imaginarium Geographica is that it makes some plot points kind of transparent if you know the source of the stories (it was notable for me with Bug and the Arthurian mythos). That said, I loved how myths and stories were layered upon each other and stories of different origins were in communion with each other, such as with the cauldron from Irish myth and Pandora’s box all becoming one entity, for example. I do also think that the sheer number of colliding fairy tales and stories in the second book did seem to add a level of complication that might have been unnecessary.
Overall, I enjoyed this universe of colliding stories, fairy tales and mythology that Owen created and I loved the inclusion of many historically famous authors to lead us through this journey. I’ll keep an eye out for the sequels to read.
November 15, 2017
An interesting book (well, two books really: this edition is combo platter) but it's a little too impressed with its own cleverness.
The concepts are engaging enough: the Geographica Imaginarium, an amazing book that maps out all the worlds that exist, even the ones you think are just made up in someone's head into a mishmash of legend and fantasy in an alternate reflection of earth where dragons fly, magic is real and captain Nemo still plies the seas. Three new caretakers get swept into a grand adventure to try and save the world/reality/whatever.
It's...fine? it's a sandbox adventure that mixes in whatever bits of lore Owen wants to play around with, and he's always been very interested in the power of storytelling dating back to Starchild back in the 1990's. Which I admit, is an attraction for me too, but the writing is a bit rudimentary. He's much less evocative than I think he realizes, and I miss seeing his art to add to the vision.
The other issue is the identities of the the caretakers; most readers of this sort of book are going to figure out two of them rather readily and a little deductive reasoning brings the third out of the closet along with them. So there's really very suspense as to their identities at the close of the first volume, yet the book acts as if it's a grand revelation. Meh.
The plot in the second book is perhaps a bit stronger in some ways, but it doesn't seem like the caretakers really do all that much, and it seems odd that even after one retires you'd still be so involved with the job (whatever that actually is). It's pleasant enough and the mix of history and fantasy is interesting as Owen explores some lesser known myths and skillfully blends some of them together. But it's still a little lacking.
Not bad by any means, but I was hoping for more.
The concepts are engaging enough: the Geographica Imaginarium, an amazing book that maps out all the worlds that exist, even the ones you think are just made up in someone's head into a mishmash of legend and fantasy in an alternate reflection of earth where dragons fly, magic is real and captain Nemo still plies the seas. Three new caretakers get swept into a grand adventure to try and save the world/reality/whatever.
It's...fine? it's a sandbox adventure that mixes in whatever bits of lore Owen wants to play around with, and he's always been very interested in the power of storytelling dating back to Starchild back in the 1990's. Which I admit, is an attraction for me too, but the writing is a bit rudimentary. He's much less evocative than I think he realizes, and I miss seeing his art to add to the vision.
The other issue is the identities of the the caretakers; most readers of this sort of book are going to figure out two of them rather readily and a little deductive reasoning brings the third out of the closet along with them. So there's really very suspense as to their identities at the close of the first volume, yet the book acts as if it's a grand revelation. Meh.
The plot in the second book is perhaps a bit stronger in some ways, but it doesn't seem like the caretakers really do all that much, and it seems odd that even after one retires you'd still be so involved with the job (whatever that actually is). It's pleasant enough and the mix of history and fantasy is interesting as Owen explores some lesser known myths and skillfully blends some of them together. But it's still a little lacking.
Not bad by any means, but I was hoping for more.
March 25, 2018
The book’s summary was very intriguing and made me want to pick it up immediately. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the money at the time and it was relegated to the back-burner for a few years until, by chance, I saw it on a shelf at the bookstore and instantly remembered that I had wanted to read it (don’t ask how I didn’t see it for a few years. I go to the bookstore once a month).
It’s clear that the synopsis of the story was better written than the actual story. What I picked up and thought this story was going to be was nothing that was promised to me.
It starts off innocent enough. Bad things happen to good guys, good guys are thrown into new territory, good guys attempt to solve new territory issues to achieve peace. It’s simple, done frequently, but still leaves people coming back for more.
What it devolved to is, sadly, a complete mess. The plot is almost incomprehensible, with shout-outs to so many things in literature and time that you can’t even keep things straight. Revelations that seem important are thrown aside and never mentioned again. There is so much Deus ex machina that I stopped caring what was going to happen to anyone because I figured the characters would all get out of the situation they were presently in.
This was by no means written terribly. Owen is a decent writer and everything does flow well. And yes, I did hate all the shout-outs, but they did pang at my heart a little every time there was a new one.
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. If the other 2 in the series (I know there are 6, but I’m talking about the 2-in-1 packaging) are a little more edited, then sure, I can see myself picking them up. But, I’ll be honest, I have so many other books to read, and my attention wasn’t captured enough to go out and pick up the second one today.
It’s clear that the synopsis of the story was better written than the actual story. What I picked up and thought this story was going to be was nothing that was promised to me.
It starts off innocent enough. Bad things happen to good guys, good guys are thrown into new territory, good guys attempt to solve new territory issues to achieve peace. It’s simple, done frequently, but still leaves people coming back for more.
What it devolved to is, sadly, a complete mess. The plot is almost incomprehensible, with shout-outs to so many things in literature and time that you can’t even keep things straight. Revelations that seem important are thrown aside and never mentioned again. There is so much Deus ex machina that I stopped caring what was going to happen to anyone because I figured the characters would all get out of the situation they were presently in.
This was by no means written terribly. Owen is a decent writer and everything does flow well. And yes, I did hate all the shout-outs, but they did pang at my heart a little every time there was a new one.
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. If the other 2 in the series (I know there are 6, but I’m talking about the 2-in-1 packaging) are a little more edited, then sure, I can see myself picking them up. But, I’ll be honest, I have so many other books to read, and my attention wasn’t captured enough to go out and pick up the second one today.
June 20, 2021
Great story, but where are the illustrations?
I would give it five stars, but this e-book version has one major item missing: the illustrations. I know the author did the illustrations himself. I've read the real books before, all seven of them, in which every chapter had an illustration accompanying them. This e-book has no illustrations, which is rather dumb. I wish the e-book publisher had thought of adding them. If it isn't too late, perhaps they will someday. The books are well-written. I'm looking forward to purchasing the remaining two books. But I have one problem: the next one, Time of the Dragons, is over $15, but only has two books, while the last one (Fall of the Dragons) has three books of the seven-book series, and is about $7. Why is that?
Anyway, these books are great. Highly recommend them.
I would give it five stars, but this e-book version has one major item missing: the illustrations. I know the author did the illustrations himself. I've read the real books before, all seven of them, in which every chapter had an illustration accompanying them. This e-book has no illustrations, which is rather dumb. I wish the e-book publisher had thought of adding them. If it isn't too late, perhaps they will someday. The books are well-written. I'm looking forward to purchasing the remaining two books. But I have one problem: the next one, Time of the Dragons, is over $15, but only has two books, while the last one (Fall of the Dragons) has three books of the seven-book series, and is about $7. Why is that?
Anyway, these books are great. Highly recommend them.
January 10, 2019
Only read the first of the two novels included in this volume.
Learned shortly after finishing that this was a YA novel, which may explain why I found it to be rather straightforward, but not necessarily why there was nothing in the way of character development or any depth to the plot. While the idea of incorporating other tales of the fantastic was interesting, the execution wasn't...at all. The twist at the end identifying the main characters to be recognizable figures COULD have been made for great fun in foreshadowing and character development, but instead only serves to show the superior the talents bestowed on those authors, particularly as compared to Owen.
Learned shortly after finishing that this was a YA novel, which may explain why I found it to be rather straightforward, but not necessarily why there was nothing in the way of character development or any depth to the plot. While the idea of incorporating other tales of the fantastic was interesting, the execution wasn't...at all. The twist at the end identifying the main characters to be recognizable figures COULD have been made for great fun in foreshadowing and character development, but instead only serves to show the superior the talents bestowed on those authors, particularly as compared to Owen.
December 19, 2018
I really liked how James A Owen showed how three famous authors got their inspiration for their books we read, and love today. Though this book was not explicitly Christian, it is clear that Owen wrote his books from a Christian world view. I love this book, and would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy books
March 6, 2018
I honestly didn't expect to really like this book but quickly fell in a complete swoon. James Owen has cleverly woven all our beloved fairy tale lands into one great magical work, really a fun read that I definitely encourage everyone to take the plunge- you will not regret one moment of it 😄💖📚
March 6, 2019
Excellent read, but easy to get bogged down in all the references to other works. A truly masterful work that allows the reader to enjoy more than just one adventure from a single author, but myths and legends from all corners of the world and across time.
July 5, 2024
This was delightful! I'm so glad I pulled it off the TBR to read. I know it is listed as a middle grade book, but I think it's a book that older adults will enjoy more. This brought back so many memories of books read in childhood.
December 12, 2018
Picked it up on a whim and thoroughly enjoyed it.
January 11, 2019
An awesome double novel set in WWI and magical times. Very fanciful but lots of historical input on famous people and happenings written the storyline, delightful.
January 7, 2021
This was a great read for those who love to explore the reimagining of myths and past storytelling.
December 6, 2022
I loved this series.
April 21, 2016
I will preface this by saying I actually only red the first book in this, Here There Be Dragons.
This book had a lot of promise. Usually I love stories that combine our world with fantasy. I also like stories that draw from myth and lore. This book definitely had those elements, but there was something lacking. It took me a while to put my finger on it but I think my main issue was lack of character development. There were a lot of characters introduced very quickly and there was no time provided to really get to know them. Charles is a perfect example of this, even by the end the only thing you really know is he's an Oxford scholar. It took me a while to get through this, which is also a bad sign. If I like a book I will devour it, and it took a lot of effort to want to read this. I will say that the last few chapters were quite good, by this point the author had found his stride. Unfortunately it just took a while to get there. I liked the overall storyline, but it didn't grab enough to want to read the other books in the series. As a one off it was fine, not sure where the sequels would take it. To sum up, I liked the concept, but the results were sadly underwhelming.
This book had a lot of promise. Usually I love stories that combine our world with fantasy. I also like stories that draw from myth and lore. This book definitely had those elements, but there was something lacking. It took me a while to put my finger on it but I think my main issue was lack of character development. There were a lot of characters introduced very quickly and there was no time provided to really get to know them. Charles is a perfect example of this, even by the end the only thing you really know is he's an Oxford scholar. It took me a while to get through this, which is also a bad sign. If I like a book I will devour it, and it took a lot of effort to want to read this. I will say that the last few chapters were quite good, by this point the author had found his stride. Unfortunately it just took a while to get there. I liked the overall storyline, but it didn't grab enough to want to read the other books in the series. As a one off it was fine, not sure where the sequels would take it. To sum up, I liked the concept, but the results were sadly underwhelming.
October 9, 2015
I read the mandatory 100 pages before dropping it. It felt to me as if I was reading a resume of a tv series and not a novel - the action was thrown in with little to no character development or evolution of the environment.
July 3, 2018
Not what I was expecting as the whole series is a tribute to Tolkien/C.S. Lewis/fantasy classics. Enjoyable read overall and the references were fun, however sometimes too explicit. Also not enough women. Or dragons.
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