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The Age of Dragons #2

Time of the Dragons: The Indigo King; The Shadow Dragons

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James A. Owen continues to take readers on a journey through the fantastical world of beloved fantasy, where dragons are real, and dreams—and nightmares—come true.

John and Jack, two of the Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica, have discovered a plea for help on an ancient medieval parchment—it is not only addressed to them, but seems to have been written by their friend, Hugo Dyson. Yet before they can discover the origin of the strange book, Hugo walks through a door in time—and vanishes into the past. And, just like that, the world begins to change.

The only hope to restore the proper order of things lies in a forgotten island at the edge of the Archipelago, where a time travel device left by Jules Verne must be used to race through history itself—from the Bronze Age to ancient Alexandria and the founding of the Silver Throne. But even if all of the legendary Caretakers from past and present are able to answer the oldest mystery in the world and save Hugo, darker forces may still be gathering against them, and a greater crisis may be at hand. Together with a new enemy, the Imperial Cartological Society, the Shadow King may be unstoppable. The only hope may in the Grail Child, Rose Dyson, and her companions’ desperate quest to find the only weapon capable of defeating their enemies and the the broken sword Caliburn.

With page-turning action and a great twist, this story is a classic among classics—a volume to be treasured and gifted to those we love.

816 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2015

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About the author

James A. Owen

100 books691 followers

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for Sifa  Blackmon.
45 reviews1 follower
December 1, 2018
I've been following the adventures of John, Jack and Charles from the beginning and have yet to be disappointed! The author never fails to capture the imagination and take the reader on an epic adventure. The Archipelago is a world unlike any other and is always filled with mystery, wonder, danger and of course incredible characters. I love how the despite having so many equally fascinating characters, they are all well developed and continuously growing. It's really lovely to see that the main trio, who are older men, are learning new lessons just as much as Rose Dyson (even if she is technically thousands of years older haha). It's shows that life and the world always has a lesson to teach, no matter how old you are. If you haven't picked up this series you are seriously missing out!
Profile Image for Geof Baum.
3 reviews1 follower
December 12, 2018
Started reading this after I finished the first book that is the first two books, and while I enjoyed the books that were in this group something felt lacking. However I'm not sure if it's just me readjusting to my normal reading habits which have sparse.
Profile Image for Christine.
45 reviews9 followers
September 16, 2016
This is such a satisfying series. The author has a skilled and measured handle on pacing and the building of tension without giving his readers an ulcer. The Indigo King was the darkest of the series so far, but The Shadow Dragons seemed the most complex. The world James Owen has built is spectacularly detailed without the information dumps that so often accompany extensively built environments.

It's apparent that while writing this series, from the beginning he's been thoughtful with set up. Nothing is coincidence. The major themes I picked up from these two books were choosing wisely and allowing redemption in those who've failed you. The characters have not only grown since the first page of the first book, but they have flourished and settled in to exactly who they are without being predictable.

The element of time travel in these stories is not a trite device used to place characters in a new and interesting situation, or a miracle to be used when an author paints himself into a corner, but an ability the characters are warned to be very careful using. It causes ripples and changes of which they need to be mindful, good or bad. Bad being devastating in The Indigo King.

These books are so tied into our own history, the world James Owen created is easy to slip into with no wish to leave. I have enjoyed the list of remarkable names marching their way through these pages and the extensive research in developing each in a way the reader believes they are that historic person is evident. The author spares no one their destiny, from killing characters we love or letting characters we hate survive, he writes realistically in a fantasy world. He gifts redeeming qualities to all but the most potent of antagonists and he allows his heroes to make mistakes.

I dread coming to the final book, though I still have three in the last omnibus edition, but most of the characters have things to do that the world would be diminished without.

Happy reading.
70 reviews1 follower
November 9, 2016
Enjoyable. It is difficult to remember sometimes that there are fictional versions of real people, and I can't allow my feelings about the fictional version shape my feelings of the historical person.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

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