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Simon St George #1
The Saint of Dragons
The ancient dragons — of the time of the legendary Saint George and earlier — have never disappeared entirely. Instead, they've moved undercover — and into human society. Now one lonely schoolboy is about to learn where the dragons have gone...
Educated at boarding schools, Simon St. George has never met his parents. When a ragged-looking man shows up claiming to be his father, Simon is skeptical, and when the man kidnaps him, he's indignant to say the least.
Then the man claims to be a descendant of England's Saint George and a career dragon fighter. Why should Simon believe any of this nonsense? But what if the man is telling the truth? What if the dragons know he's out there?
Rich with the dragon lore of legend, the saint of dragons continues and enlarges on the tale of the centuries-old conflict between dragons and humans that rages even today.
Educated at boarding schools, Simon St. George has never met his parents. When a ragged-looking man shows up claiming to be his father, Simon is skeptical, and when the man kidnaps him, he's indignant to say the least.
Then the man claims to be a descendant of England's Saint George and a career dragon fighter. Why should Simon believe any of this nonsense? But what if the man is telling the truth? What if the dragons know he's out there?
Rich with the dragon lore of legend, the saint of dragons continues and enlarges on the tale of the centuries-old conflict between dragons and humans that rages even today.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2004
35 people are currently reading
1644 people want to read
About the author
Jason Hightman
4 books20 followersJason Hightman also writes as J. P. Hightman
Jason Hightman lives in California with his wife, Kim, and young daughter, Hannah, who has the magical ability to make anyone laugh even on their dreariest days. After studying dragon hunting and alchemy at the University of Southern California, Hightman has spent the last few years doing battle with the serpents in Los Angeles, who use automobiles to clog motorways impenetrably. You can often find him in his armor, prowling for good books and hunting any nasty dragons disguised as cynical critics. He prays he never runs into the latter. Hightman hopes the Saint of Dragons series combines the best elements of old-fashioned swordplay adventure, Japanese comic books, cinematic action, heroic archetypes, and unusual villains--all things he likes in the stories he reads himself.
Jason Hightman lives in California with his wife, Kim, and young daughter, Hannah, who has the magical ability to make anyone laugh even on their dreariest days. After studying dragon hunting and alchemy at the University of Southern California, Hightman has spent the last few years doing battle with the serpents in Los Angeles, who use automobiles to clog motorways impenetrably. You can often find him in his armor, prowling for good books and hunting any nasty dragons disguised as cynical critics. He prays he never runs into the latter. Hightman hopes the Saint of Dragons series combines the best elements of old-fashioned swordplay adventure, Japanese comic books, cinematic action, heroic archetypes, and unusual villains--all things he likes in the stories he reads himself.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
October 7, 2009
I got this book for my birthday from my cousin and he is one of the smartest people I know so when I got the book I was expecting it to be at least decent. It starts of introducing the main character Simon who's been orphaned and lives in a light house but soon his dragon hunting dad needs his help because his comrades died in the battle with the second last to dragon. Now Simon was not happy about this but his dad kidnapped him and set off for the dragon. Now right about here the book gets good, I can't say anything else with out spoiling anything. This book taught me that maybe humans aren't all bad, maybe something is forcing them to be.
June 22, 2011
Simon is a boy living in a boarding school, with no idea of who his parents are. He has lived at the school as long as he can remember, helping to take care of the lighthouse on the promontory, and living with the lighthouse keeper and his wife. He has few friends, and feels very much the outcast. His story begins with a trip to town during October, to choose a mask and outfit for the Halloween parade. He buys a mask representing a knight’s helmet, as well as a little tin figure of a knight on horseback, and starts back to the school. He notices without really noticing strange things happening around him, but thinks nothing of them.
Later that night, he sees a man dressed in white, and overhears him talking to the school’s president. They’re discussing him. Simon tries to chase down the man, only to get picked up – literally – by a strange man on horseback. The strange, dirty man claims to be Simon’s father, and not only that, but a Dragonhunter, the last one left in the world.
Aldric lives on the Ship with No Name, along with a fox who can cook and clean, and his horse. He is Simon’s father. Simon’s mother is dead. Aldric needs Simon’s help, as there is one final dragon left in the world, and they need to hunt it down.
It is only when they begin this hunt, they discover the dragon has made the acquaintance of a New York artist, Alaythia. The dragon intends to eat Alaythia, but Aldric and Simon manage to save her, killing the dragon. Alaythia’s apartment is destroyed, and she decides she will travel with Aldric and Simon for a time, as it appears that the dragon they just killed isn’t the last of its kind, as Aldric believed. There might be more.
Journeying to a far, spellbound coast, Aldric and Simon find that their ancestor, St. George, had divided the dragon hunters into two teams – those with the Black Book and those with the White. Aldric had been the last hunter of the Black team. The White team had died out long before. There are still far too many dragons in the world, and now they’re starting to rally, and appear to be hunting the St. Georges.
Traveling from New York to Russia to China and London, Simon slowly begins to learn what it’s like to have a quest, and how it changes you, for good and for ill.
This is a decent coming of age story, though at times, the storyline flagged. Most of it is told in Simon’s headspace, however, the reader does get to ‘hear’ dragon thoughts occasionally. The dragons are written very descriptively, and the magic of the world is fascinating in and of itself. It was hard for me to decide whether I liked any of the characters or not, so it may not be the right fit for some readers.
Later that night, he sees a man dressed in white, and overhears him talking to the school’s president. They’re discussing him. Simon tries to chase down the man, only to get picked up – literally – by a strange man on horseback. The strange, dirty man claims to be Simon’s father, and not only that, but a Dragonhunter, the last one left in the world.
Aldric lives on the Ship with No Name, along with a fox who can cook and clean, and his horse. He is Simon’s father. Simon’s mother is dead. Aldric needs Simon’s help, as there is one final dragon left in the world, and they need to hunt it down.
It is only when they begin this hunt, they discover the dragon has made the acquaintance of a New York artist, Alaythia. The dragon intends to eat Alaythia, but Aldric and Simon manage to save her, killing the dragon. Alaythia’s apartment is destroyed, and she decides she will travel with Aldric and Simon for a time, as it appears that the dragon they just killed isn’t the last of its kind, as Aldric believed. There might be more.
Journeying to a far, spellbound coast, Aldric and Simon find that their ancestor, St. George, had divided the dragon hunters into two teams – those with the Black Book and those with the White. Aldric had been the last hunter of the Black team. The White team had died out long before. There are still far too many dragons in the world, and now they’re starting to rally, and appear to be hunting the St. Georges.
Traveling from New York to Russia to China and London, Simon slowly begins to learn what it’s like to have a quest, and how it changes you, for good and for ill.
This is a decent coming of age story, though at times, the storyline flagged. Most of it is told in Simon’s headspace, however, the reader does get to ‘hear’ dragon thoughts occasionally. The dragons are written very descriptively, and the magic of the world is fascinating in and of itself. It was hard for me to decide whether I liked any of the characters or not, so it may not be the right fit for some readers.
October 29, 2012
Title: THE SAINT OF DRAGONS
Author: Jason Hightman
Pages: 364(Paperback)
Rating: 4/5
“Another dragon book,” you grumble. I nod and grin, “of course!”
Thursdays always catch me unawares so this book will again be aimed at a younger audience but I recommend it to everyone with a love of fantasy. Highly. What, you don’t believe in dragons? By the time you finish this book, trust me you will. And since I love the synopsis too much to make up my own, read on:
You’ve been taught to believe they are dead. Figments of an ancient imagination. But one lonely schoolboy at the Lighthouse School for Boys, who has never known his family, and who has never known adventure, is about to have a rude awakening.
Dragons are real. And they have … evolved.
Two descendants remain of the legendary St. George. One is just a teenager. And only they can destroy the dragons that plague the world.
I read this while on an extremely long car ride that passed far to fast for me. I finished this book and was in awe. You think that, after reading so much fantasy you know all the kinds of dragons there are. You don’t, not until you read The Saint of Dragons.
Hightman begins with an introduction which is highly unusual but it works marvelously, setting high expectations. The first chapter is a fine beginning but not yet engaging. It’s the second chapter and on that you give your full attention to the story. What happens when you become the last knight and the responsibility as a parent falls like a slap? Meet Aldric St. George, the father or young Simon.
I enjoyed the bickering and eventual relationship between father and son. It’s fun to see Simon struggle to rise to his father’s standards and make a mess of things. Not to mention accidentally use his father as a pincushion as they encounter and fight the highly individual Dragons. The Paris Dragon is my favorite. Well one of them.
You get to travel the world with the St. Georges in their triumphs and (mostly) failures. Along the way they pick up the gifted Alaythia and more or less keep the Dragons from… wait no, I’ll let you read it for yourself.
This is a fabulous adventure fantasy book but it isn’t the typical black and white scenario. Jason Hightman is smart enough to add those shades of grey often lacking in great fantasy stories. The story continues in Samurai which I have not had the pleasure to read but you can definitely just read The Saint of Dragons and come away fully satisified.
Author: Jason Hightman
Pages: 364(Paperback)
Rating: 4/5
“Another dragon book,” you grumble. I nod and grin, “of course!”
Thursdays always catch me unawares so this book will again be aimed at a younger audience but I recommend it to everyone with a love of fantasy. Highly. What, you don’t believe in dragons? By the time you finish this book, trust me you will. And since I love the synopsis too much to make up my own, read on:
You’ve been taught to believe they are dead. Figments of an ancient imagination. But one lonely schoolboy at the Lighthouse School for Boys, who has never known his family, and who has never known adventure, is about to have a rude awakening.
Dragons are real. And they have … evolved.
Two descendants remain of the legendary St. George. One is just a teenager. And only they can destroy the dragons that plague the world.
I read this while on an extremely long car ride that passed far to fast for me. I finished this book and was in awe. You think that, after reading so much fantasy you know all the kinds of dragons there are. You don’t, not until you read The Saint of Dragons.
Hightman begins with an introduction which is highly unusual but it works marvelously, setting high expectations. The first chapter is a fine beginning but not yet engaging. It’s the second chapter and on that you give your full attention to the story. What happens when you become the last knight and the responsibility as a parent falls like a slap? Meet Aldric St. George, the father or young Simon.
I enjoyed the bickering and eventual relationship between father and son. It’s fun to see Simon struggle to rise to his father’s standards and make a mess of things. Not to mention accidentally use his father as a pincushion as they encounter and fight the highly individual Dragons. The Paris Dragon is my favorite. Well one of them.
You get to travel the world with the St. Georges in their triumphs and (mostly) failures. Along the way they pick up the gifted Alaythia and more or less keep the Dragons from… wait no, I’ll let you read it for yourself.
This is a fabulous adventure fantasy book but it isn’t the typical black and white scenario. Jason Hightman is smart enough to add those shades of grey often lacking in great fantasy stories. The story continues in Samurai which I have not had the pleasure to read but you can definitely just read The Saint of Dragons and come away fully satisified.
November 24, 2022
A young man, Simon St. George, has spent his life thinking of himself as an orphan until his father comes to the private school and claims him. His father reveals he and Simon come from a long line of dragon slayers. Simon thinks his so-called father is nuts. Together they go on an adventure unlike any other.
The book opens up with Simon meeting his father for the first time so of course, the relationship is estranged. Simon's father believes he fights dragons. Although Simon believes his father is crazy because how could dragons be real? But Simon will soon realize that his father is not crazy as they deal with dragons, magic, and so much more. I enjoyed the way dragons were modernized. Regular people who couldn't see magic only saw a regular person but those that were more magically inclined saw the dragon for what he was, an evil being that wanted power.
I can't think of anything that I didn't link about the book. there was magic there was a twist it pretty much had everything. Including a love interest for the father.
It is a series I would like to continue I know there are a couple more books in the series. I'll see if I ever get to it as I have so many books to read but this was enjoyable. The writing was good and I did like the twist at the end
The book opens up with Simon meeting his father for the first time so of course, the relationship is estranged. Simon's father believes he fights dragons. Although Simon believes his father is crazy because how could dragons be real? But Simon will soon realize that his father is not crazy as they deal with dragons, magic, and so much more. I enjoyed the way dragons were modernized. Regular people who couldn't see magic only saw a regular person but those that were more magically inclined saw the dragon for what he was, an evil being that wanted power.
I can't think of anything that I didn't link about the book. there was magic there was a twist it pretty much had everything. Including a love interest for the father.
It is a series I would like to continue I know there are a couple more books in the series. I'll see if I ever get to it as I have so many books to read but this was enjoyable. The writing was good and I did like the twist at the end
August 28, 2011
Not gonna lie, I have a particular soft spot for dragons. I thought this was going to take me most of a week, but the only reason it took me two days is that I started reading it too late at night and had to go to sleep under pain of not waking up on time in the morning. Simon (the main character) is hilariously thick-brained and frustratingly short-sighted, and his fellow characters are shallow yet human. The dragons are brilliantly described - just enough to get your imagination started, and little enough that your imagination can take over. Jason clearly loves his dragons, and I like that. The plot is a little too transparent, I think as a result of being written more like a script. Definitely another book I bought when I was in middle school. (I'm reading all the easy books I had at home first, since I have about 90 books to read before 2012 to make my challenge of 100).
November 1, 2015
I hate to say it, because I don't like being negative, but really, this book is one of the most poorly-written books I've ever read. A lot of the ideas in it were really interesting, but it was so disastrously executed that all those ideas went completely to waste. To say the characters were two-dimensional wouldn't do justice to how terrible they were. They weren't even flat--it was more like they didn't even exist at all. I can barely even describe them to you, because they were so utterly un-lifelike. I don't understand how this book got published.
September 30, 2014
I really liked this book since I adore fantasy and dragons. This book is full of adventure and you can not stop reading. There is almost no point in the book where nothing is happening. There are many surprises in the book that was fascinating for me. But one surprise I found was not a good one. The surprise for the knights that was not good, lets just say the dragons had a queen that was banished into darkness a long time ago,they figured out how to revive her. Read this book to find out what happened to the knights and the dragons.
December 27, 2015
I'm always on the lookout for something different for my Chatterbooks group. I also love dragon stories. So when this was in the library book sale, I thought I'd check it out.
I won't be using it with my group. For a children's book, it is very dark and quite gruesome. Not for the faint hearted.
I normally prefer books where dragons are not the villains, but I know these are the exception rather than the rule, so I don't let my affinity for the cute ones colour my reading of the more standard tales. These dragons are most certainly villains. I won't say more for fear of spoilers.
I won't be using it with my group. For a children's book, it is very dark and quite gruesome. Not for the faint hearted.
I normally prefer books where dragons are not the villains, but I know these are the exception rather than the rule, so I don't let my affinity for the cute ones colour my reading of the more standard tales. These dragons are most certainly villains. I won't say more for fear of spoilers.
August 23, 2008
The idea that dragons have changed over the years and that people are still out there fighting them was an interesting idea. The story delivers some enjoyable twists and turns, but the writing was mediocre.
August 25, 2021
1 star for some good ideas, but the execution and writing was consistently poor. Just as an example, the book opens with a prologue of how dragons have evolved and what they're like in our 21st century world. As I read it, I was thinking, "Could this not have shown up later in the book and be more a twist for the reader?" Sure enough, the same information shows up (not once but twice!) as the actual story gets underway: one of the characters gives a short history and then a longer history of dragon evolution to the main character. There is lots of 'tell' rather than 'show,' and in general, reminds me of middle-school writing.
There's a decent amount of action, so the poor writing could be overlooked by someone hooked on the plot, but I just could not enjoy the experience.
There's a decent amount of action, so the poor writing could be overlooked by someone hooked on the plot, but I just could not enjoy the experience.
January 9, 2019
Love the idea of the dragons & the detailed explanations of each one and their 'vices', very well thought out. My issue with this book was lack of character development, Simon was annoying, Alaythia was vague, nondescript and there were glimmers of hope in an interesting character but not picked up later in the story.
The changing of how the dragons are referred to are confusing as well as switching from their names to their titles.
Overall a unique read, concept & characters.
The changing of how the dragons are referred to are confusing as well as switching from their names to their titles.
Overall a unique read, concept & characters.
October 31, 2023
A very mediocre book that is honestly kind of boring, the dragons that they fight are just generic villains and their is a spark of interest towards the very end but it takes way to long. The world itself feels generic as we barely learn anything about the order of Dragon Hunters and again there is a moment where it seems they are doing something interesting towards the end but they kind of ruin it. The characters are bit flat and it seems like a bit of a waste.
December 3, 2021
I loved reading it as a child, and I'm not sure about today. The physical copy is at my parent's house, so I'm not sure how well I would enjoy reading it today in my 20's. I'm still giving it a 5-star rating because anything that can encourage someone young to continue a hobby is always a wonderful thing.
September 26, 2025
I remember reading this more than once in my early high school days, and I thought I remembered that I really liked it, way back when. I think it's more like, I like specific ideas found in the book rather than the book itself. Future Danielle, you really don't need to read this book again. It's kind of boring and annoying.
April 15, 2020
I like dragons. This book intrigued me. Alas, these dragons are not the majestic, flying beasts of Pern or Game of Thrones. These dragons are humanoid and wield magic for evil purposes. I didn’t much like this book. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone over the age of 12.
September 27, 2022
Meh.
Very messy. Things turn up that should have been mentioned before, ‘twists’ were so obvious it was shocking. Shan’t be reading this author again. Total waste of time. No real planning went into it at all in my opinion.
Very messy. Things turn up that should have been mentioned before, ‘twists’ were so obvious it was shocking. Shan’t be reading this author again. Total waste of time. No real planning went into it at all in my opinion.
September 13, 2024
Not as good as I hoped it was going to be. Why did Simon have to be American? That made no sense. It was a bit silly in parts and slightly annoying. I did like the Black Dragon though, just a shame all the others had to be so evil!
June 14, 2017
very good book for young adults
November 5, 2017
father and son, the last two left who kill dragons, a good idea, but too plain
November 7, 2017
One of my favourite books as a kid, I'm 22 now and I'd still read it.
July 14, 2018
Did not finish.
Liked the premise but the choppy writing made following along difficult.
Liked the premise but the choppy writing made following along difficult.
January 24, 2020
I thought this was a very good read the characters developed well. This is a good book for fantasy and dragon lovers.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
August 16, 2020
An interesting world, but overall pretty poorly written.
August 8, 2024
I'm glad I finally finished this book as it has been in my collection for a long time, great premise, not great execution
March 19, 2017
The lore was interesting, as was the premise, but the prose and characters let it down.
December 13, 2009
In this book you are taken through the story of the St. George's. They are a group of undercover knights that protect the world from dragons. The main plot of this story is that over thousands of years dragons have evolved into dragon-people. They still have fire breath and magic but this book puts a whole new interesting twist to it. Dragons use their magic to disguise themselves as people. When they walk around, they wear long trench coats but to humans are only see as tall men or women. In this book you learn all about how the dragons magic leaks out causing ripples in nature, and how dragon fire has a mind of its own. You also learn how the dragons feed on people's misery. But mainly you are taken through the journey of Simon St. George. He is a boy who lives in a boarding school with the groundskeeper and his wife. He never met his real parents, until one day Aldric St. George(his father) goes on a hunt with his brother and 2 other knights. This takes a turn for the worse when the dragon causes a giant explosion that kills his brother and the two others. He finds the skull of the dragon who says to him that we know about the kid. This is when Aldric picks up Simon to train him to hunt. He explains to simon how there is only one dragon left, and he didn't want to drag his son into his lifestyle. they go to hunt the last dragon in Manhattan. This dragon was about to kill a woman named Alaythia, which is the dragon ritual for marriage. After they defeat the dragon they find out that there is another dragon out there. They have a book called the Black Book of the St. George, and this gives them the name, location, and deathspell of the dragons. So they go to hunt down this dragon with Alaythia, who made a decision to help them anyway she can. When they find its lair Alaythia gets a near death experience that makes her able to read the dragon language. She is able to read a map that leads them to discover Whit Book of St. George. In there is a list of hundreds of dragons just like the black book. They also discover a plot in which All the dragons plan to gather. They foil their plan and find a nice house near the Lighthouse school for boys to spend the rest of their life.
February 15, 2022
Good book if you like dragons you should read it!
October 29, 2014
Simon St. George has been raised by his school, but learns he is the last of a long line of St. Georges, whose mission is to wipe Dragons from the face of the earth. He's not sure what to make of his father, a man completely dedicated to exterminating the beasts, or himself and his own role in this hunt. His father is not what he had expected, nor anything he had hoped. But the world is in danger, and Simon, his father, and a woman they rescue are the only ones standing between the Dragons and the rest of humankind.
The book did an excellent job portraying the tumultuous relationship between Simon and his father. Aldric is so dedicated to his mission he's gone more than a little insane, and Simon has to wrestle with that as he tries to see past the barriers to the man underneath. Alaythia's involvement was much more predictable, but still interesting in the context of Aldric's fanaticism.
Things not handled as well are harder to pinpoint, but definitely there. The way the book kept pushing Dragons as totally evil irritated me, although the end brought up the question of whether not-so-evil Dragons could really exist. There were really big holes in some of the logistics of the fights themselves: just how did they get a horse into some of the places she goes, particularly without anyone noticing? And who were the other Knights at the beginning? Cousins?
The ending left me really puzzled. Alaythia, apparently without ever learning anything about magic, manages to re-sink the most powerful Dragon in existence. Granted, she had help in the form of the chaos everyone else had sparked, but that bit just felt way too cheesy and contrived.
Perhaps it's my own love of dragons that soured the book for me, or perhaps it was the book's heavy-handedness in denouncing every single Dragon as evil, period. They had enough free will to go a little more against the grain. Although I liked some parts of it, overall I just wasn't impressed. Neutral.
The book did an excellent job portraying the tumultuous relationship between Simon and his father. Aldric is so dedicated to his mission he's gone more than a little insane, and Simon has to wrestle with that as he tries to see past the barriers to the man underneath. Alaythia's involvement was much more predictable, but still interesting in the context of Aldric's fanaticism.
Things not handled as well are harder to pinpoint, but definitely there. The way the book kept pushing Dragons as totally evil irritated me, although the end brought up the question of whether not-so-evil Dragons could really exist. There were really big holes in some of the logistics of the fights themselves: just how did they get a horse into some of the places she goes, particularly without anyone noticing? And who were the other Knights at the beginning? Cousins?
The ending left me really puzzled. Alaythia, apparently without ever learning anything about magic, manages to re-sink the most powerful Dragon in existence. Granted, she had help in the form of the chaos everyone else had sparked, but that bit just felt way too cheesy and contrived.
Perhaps it's my own love of dragons that soured the book for me, or perhaps it was the book's heavy-handedness in denouncing every single Dragon as evil, period. They had enough free will to go a little more against the grain. Although I liked some parts of it, overall I just wasn't impressed. Neutral.
October 8, 2021
Dragons are real. They are evil. They can't be trusted.
That pretty much sums up the storyline, which proposes to be the continuance of an age-old saga, as the descendants of the legendary St George the Dragonslayer do battle with the relentless Wyrms of the air.
It was a great idea. The story syllabus introduced us to the boy Simon who has never known a family or his history, and is suddenly thrust into the maw of the dragon, so to speak. Unfortunately, the main adult character, Simon's father, is untrusting and rude, and appears to have only retrieved his son now that he needs him.
Overall, I felt the characters were shallow, the story was too rushed, and the dragons were pathetic.
However, on a reread, I find that I like the adult female character very much, although that needs to be built up a bit. In addition, there was a lot of unresolved emotional background that needs clearing.
Simon is a typical teen, his father Aldric keeps too many secrets, and Alaythia (the female) is too easily swayed by good looks. Unfortunately isn't that true for many of us?
On reread, I am torn between a 3 (original rating) and a 4 (new rating).
That pretty much sums up the storyline, which proposes to be the continuance of an age-old saga, as the descendants of the legendary St George the Dragonslayer do battle with the relentless Wyrms of the air.
It was a great idea. The story syllabus introduced us to the boy Simon who has never known a family or his history, and is suddenly thrust into the maw of the dragon, so to speak. Unfortunately, the main adult character, Simon's father, is untrusting and rude, and appears to have only retrieved his son now that he needs him.
Overall, I felt the characters were shallow, the story was too rushed, and the dragons were pathetic.
However, on a reread, I find that I like the adult female character very much, although that needs to be built up a bit. In addition, there was a lot of unresolved emotional background that needs clearing.
Simon is a typical teen, his father Aldric keeps too many secrets, and Alaythia (the female) is too easily swayed by good looks. Unfortunately isn't that true for many of us?
On reread, I am torn between a 3 (original rating) and a 4 (new rating).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews