Powrót Czerwonego smoka

The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica #2

by James A. Owen, Maciejka Mazan (Translator)

Już dziewięć lat minęło od wielkiej przygody Johna, Jacka i Charlesa w Archipelagu Snów i od mianowania ich Opiekunami Imaginarium Geographica. Teraz znowu spotykają się, by rozwiązać zagadkę porwań dzieci, a za jedyną wskazówkę mają tylko tajemniczą wiadomość, przyniesioną przez dziwną dziewczynkę ze sztucznymi skrzydłami: "Krucjata się rozpoczęła". Co gorsza, okazuje się, że znikły także legendarne Smocze Statki.

Jedyną szansą na uratowanie świata przed skutkami planu uknutego setki lat temu jest odszukanie ostatniego Smoczego Statku - "Czerwonego smoka" - podczas zapierającej dech w piersiach podróży, która zaprowadzi Opiekunów z Ogrodów Kensingtońskich sir Jamesa Barriego do Podziemia, siedziby mitycznych tytanów.

"Misternie skonstruowana historia fantasy... Hołd złożony wielkiej literaturze, legendom o Arturze i mitologii. Wspaniała saga z interesującymi bohaterami i wartką akcją".
Voya

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dragons, Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jacq.and.the.readstalk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This continues on from the previous adventure with the Inklings…but with PETER PAN!

And not the Peter Pan you know, he has grown old, and is a father and grandfather, (the latter being to an adorably spunky lost girl named Laura Glue). A completely original and believable retelling of the boy who wouldn’t grow up.

I can’t get enough of Owen’s masterful weaving of literature, mythology, and history! This is such a fun, exciting, and enchanting read, filled with witty dialogue, action, drama, and stunning hand-drawn illustrated plates. The characters and the plot just flow so seamlessly, it’s almost like Owen is documenting what really happened (I choose to believe so anyway). I love the layers of connecting the dots and aha moments. I love EVERY single character.

Every single guest appearance and historic events make me want to learn about them and gain more knowledge. And some of the stuff is so incredibly fascinating; Houdini and Conan Doyle were actually friends in real life!

A truly wonderful series that will be forever close to my heart. Olly Olly Oxen Free!!

IG Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_MBArvAK...

[Mith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as awesome as its prequel. I love how Owen ties multiple myths neatly in together; makes one wonder if they weren't all connected to begin with!

P.S - Charles, I know there's an age thing here but, MARRY ME!

UPDATED AFTER RE-READ: I think I figured out the event and the change this time around... If only there was some way to confirm it :(

[Orbi Alter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tko bi rekao da Petar Pan, pakao, Orfej i Jazon mogu biti dijelom iste price? Ludo :)

[Liz Friend · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Book 2 in the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica. This series is not for those who are looking for hot-and-heavy romance mixed with their fantasy, nor is it for those looking for magic mixed with graphic violence. It's PG fantasy, heavy on the literary allusions, and meant for middle-school readers (even though the main characters are adults.) It's a lot more fun to read than it sounds, but you have to pay attention!

John, Jack and Charles have been having strange dreams of children being snatched by giants. The three have just sat down for tea when an angel crash lands in the garden. It's Laura Glue--a granddaughter of Peter Pan's who, at his direction, has attached wings to her back and made the trip from the Archipelago to ask the Caretaker for help. She delivers his message: that "the Crusade has begun." She has in hand a Compass Rose, with the marks of both the High King and the Cartographer on it, as well as the runic mark for the Caretaker himself, which has led her to John, not to the author of Peter Pan as she expected--because she thinks James Barrie is still the Caretaker. Sir James Barrie readily admits that he was once a Caretaker, but that it wasn't a good job for him and so he gave it up in order to concentrate on his relationships in the real world. The Caretakers use the Compass Rose to summon Bert (aka Herbert George Wells, author of The Time Machine) who shows up in a newly-made steampunky airship version of the Indigo Dragon. But the tale he tells IS surprising: someone has stolen all the Drgonships, and worse, all the children have been disappearing from the imaginary lands, including Stephen, the son of Artus and Aven--stolen away by clockwork men. And of course, the problem can't be solved without the help of the Caretakers. Barrie provides Laura Glue with a furs-filled wardrobe in which to hide (and Jack tells her she can use it to go to imaginary places) before they leave with Bert.

They are nearly to Avalon before they realize they've left the IG in the trunk of John's car. Luckily, the Tummeler has made good on his idea to publish the IG so everyone can have a copy, so they aren't completely without information. They decide to stop at Avalon in order to get info from the Morgaine--only to find that Magwich is now serving there as the Green Knight, doing penance for being such a bad guy. This time, the Morgaine appear as beautiful young women, spinning, carding, and unpicking a giant tapestry, a history which will have to be remade because of something that happened nine years ago--but the start of which began 700 years earlier. Because John asks a series of very wise questions, they come away with information that lets them know they are looking for two brothers and the choice they made long ago. They also find out that the Dragonships are no longer in the real world OR in the Archipelago--they're now in the Underneath.

When they get to Paralon, they meet up with the Tummeler, who agrees to take the "scowlers" to the king's Archive (aka The Great Whatsit) to see Artus. (Turns out the Archive is the former great Library of Alexandria.) Artus has felt that he personally can't go on the rescue for his son, as it would look bad to abandon his responsibilities as king to do something that benefits himself, but he's happy to let the others go on the quest. His chief librarian-cum-crow, Solomon Kaw, helps them find the information that 700 years ago, the first clockwork men, brothers Hugh the Iron and William the Pig, were created by Roger Bacon. They repaid him by casting a Binding Spell on the Red Dragon, and sailing it into the face of a cliff--which split in half to admit them--and calling out "Tell Peter and Jamie I said Olly-Olly Oxen Free"..something that brings the story back to the present day. But how is it possible? In any case, the ship has never been seen again.

Fast forward to Peter Pan, trapped in a cave with a huge, padlocked wardrobe, a decapitated head, and the unmissable fact that he's now an old man. His captor is jeering him, but Peter finds a way to send his shadow out on a mission to find Laura Glue...and help.

The Caretakers all decide that the only place where Time itself could have been affected in their adventures 9 years ago would have been at the Keep of Time, so they determine to go there. On their way out, Artus asks Jack specifically to take care of Aven, whom they both care for. Turns out Aven and Artus really aren't married, (and later, that their 'son' Stephen is really Aven's child with Nemo). As they travel, Jack reveals that he's always had strange dreams, and that his nickname of Jack came to him in a dream as a child.

They reach the Chamenos Liber, only to find that the Keep of Time is gone--or rather, that the fire started by the Winter King nine years ago has burned up the lower levels. Conveniently, they are in an airship, so they can still get in to see him. He lets them know that the Underneath is, conveniently, located beneath the islands of the Chamenos Liber. As they leave the tower, they find it's continued to crumble beneath them, and a slip-up causes Aven to let go of the rope for the sake of everyone else. It's only Jack's continued cool-headedness in times of stress that allows them to plunge the Indigo Dragon below her in the air and snatch her before she hits ground. The downside is that the ship is damaged and all of a sudden, it's a water ship again because the "air" part was destroyed during the rescue. Oh well--no worries, as they need to go DOWN anyway. As they're waiting to figure out how, the story is told of how Harry Houdini invented a set of wardrobes that allowed him to travel instantly from one place to another. One of them is currently in James Barrie's upstairs room, but who knows where the other one is? (We do, if we've been paying attention.) However, it appears that without the Imaginarium Geopgrahica, they're not going to be able to figure out their way into the Underneath. And then--who should arrive at that very moment but Laura Glue? She's figured out how to use the Compass Rose and the wardrobe together to find the Caretaker--and she's arrived just in time, with the IG in hand. Laura recognizes Aven as having been a Lost Girl named Poppy at sometime in the past, but now as having become a Mother.

The IG lets them know that the only way into the Underneath is through Autunno, which they figure out is akin to Dante's 9 circles of Hell in the Inferno. They also figure out an opening spell that, combined with the Dragon's Breath (volcanic fumes) causes the Underneath to open up and suck them down--just like the Devil's Triangle, now know as the Bermuda Triangle. (See? This really is a Book of Allusions! And you really do have to pay attention!) Turns out that 'Autunno" might mean "autumn", but it also means "FALL"--and fall they do...right into a pile of other ships and planes that have been shipwrecked in this place. Instead of Dante's nine circles, in this version of the Underneath there are six districts, and on the first, the companions meet the Indians immortalized as Peter Pan's undying foes. Their leader, oddly, as a European named Sir Richard Burton, member of Walter Raleigh's lost Roanoke settlement--although they now call themselves Croatoans, after the island's name, and after the fact that they joined up with the Indians in order to stay alive.

Burton was a former apprentice Caretaker who didn't want to keep the Archipelago secret from regular humans. After bailing as a Caretaker, Burton convinced Queen Victoria to install him as a member of the "Imperial Cartological Society"--a group that thinks all people have the right to know about it the Archipelago, and to access its resources and treasures where possible (i.e., develop it for capitalism!). Interestingly, Burton and others of his society had been feeding information to the Winter King in the previous book to help him track down and eliminate the Caretakers, although that didn't work out too well. In any case, before he has them killed, Burton wants to know what they've done with all the children?

Clearly, those in the Underneath are having the same disappearing-child dilemma as people in the Archipelago. They don't believe the companions at first, because of the presence of Laura Glue, but she explains how Peter Pan kept her safe from the clockwork men by stopping up her ears with beeswax. Burton tells how their children were lured away into "living ships" by an army that they suspect of being Lost Boys--especially since they were being led by a boy named Stephen, who happens to be Aven's lost son. Burton is convinced they're lying about their reasons for being there, and he orders them to be locked up.

Deep in the night, Hairy Billy (a former Lost Boy now working for Burton) allows them to escape, and off they go. They start running across a tidal flat, and the tide rushes in just in time to separate them from their pursuers and land them in the Nether Land (aka Never Land) at the city of Haven--and although Peter Pan isn't there, the other Lost Children are, as is Daedalus, the one who created Laura Glue's wings. He is the original Daedalus, though for various reasons he tells people that he's the son of the ancient inventor. He claims he wasn't there when Peter disappeared and most of the children were taken (there are still a few dozen left), but he feels that "the Crusade" spoken of in Laura's message has to do with Jason and the Argonauts. Jason, after winning the legendary Golden Fleece, betrayed his wife Medea, and according to legend, she had retaliated by killing his sons. Instead, says Daedalus, Medea took Jason's sons into exile in the Underneath so he'd never see them again. Being left to fend for themselves, they grew bitter against their father and, discarding their Greek names, chose new names for themselves: Hugh the Iron and William the Pig. They took the Red Dragon, but since it was formerly the Argo, they were merely reclaiming what belonged to their family. They were the original Lost Boys, and the ship has never been seen since. Why are they now stealing children? It's beyond the Caretakers' comprehension to figure out what the never-aging adolescents would be thinking.

Perhaps, suggests Daedalus, if they were to look into Echo's Well, they would be able to remember. This is because anyone who looks into the well regresses backwards in time and become younger. The only one of the Caretakers willing to take the chance is Jack, and before you know it, he's ten years old again and calling out, "Olly-Olly Oxen Free!" Jack is now ready to play all day, and is less interested than you might think about combining his actual college-tutor reality with his re-emergence as a 10-year-old. Both parts are present in his personality, however. Daedalus is inspired to tell them the story of the original Pan, owner of the first set of panpipes. He was punished by the gods for bad behavior by having his pipes taken away and given to Orpheus. At that point, "the Pan" became a title, rather than a person, being the person who owned the pipes. Orpheus helped Medea hide her sons from Jason, and since they were doomed to be forever young in the Underworld, he began to seek out playmates for them, luring them away with the music from his pipes. After a time, The Pan began to be called the King of Crickets, who over the years turns into rather a bogeyman, and according to jacob Grimm's history, the children he lured away were never seen again. Peter was uncomfortable with the idea of luring children away against their wills, so he came up with the idea of putting beeswax into their ears to make them impervious to the lure of the music. He made up a game wherein he designated a safe base, the kids would put wax in their ears and begin to make their way "home" as the pipes played. The first one to reach base would holler at the top of his/her lungs: "Olly-Olly Oxen Free!" (Turns out that Peter was the one kid who couldn't follow the Pied Piper of Hamelin, because he was lame, and that Daedalus made him his first set of wings so Peter could get around as well as the other kids.) Since the panpipes disappeared with Peter, and since children have been disappearing ever since, Daedalus opines that the bad guy must be Orpheus, the original Pan.

John is posing the question as to why ALL the children weren't taken when Charles makes an odd discovery: this time, Jack isn't shadowless at all. In fact, he has not just one, but TWO shadows, and they soon realize that the second shadow is Peter's messenger, sent to them for help. Jack tells them the shadow wants him to follow it west. (Tellingly, the shadow likes everyone but Daedalus.) West of Haven is...the rest of the islands of the Underworld. Daedalus gives them instructions about how to get past the obstacles on each of the
remaining islands. In the next district, they are required by the law of the island to don red, hooded cloaks--and because they do, when they encounter giant wolves, the wolves agree to protect them from the on-coming flying monkeys. Next is Hooloomooloo, a pirate island with only one pirate (Pew, from Treasure Island). As they travel, the companions discuss various holes in Daedalus's story, such as the contradiction between the fact that the old man admitted to John that he can't leave Haven, and the fact that he claims he wasn't there when Peter was taken. They're not sure what to think at this point, but they know they have to continue onward--next, to the island of Lixus, which is occupied by automatons. But wait--these aren't the clockwork guys who have been stealing kids. These are monster-sized automatons who could crush you with their foot...if you stand still long enough to let them stomp on you. Luckily, they're slow, so the companions are able to outrun them. ...all except Jack, who gets picked up and stashed in a tower. While there, he finds about 30 of the children that have gone missing from other realms around the Archipelago.

In the meantime, the others are distraught when they find that Jack is missing. But they are also now being bombarded by pieces of the falling Keep of Time (the temporal anomalies caused by it are how the bad guys dart in and out of time to steal children), and they realize that they have to keep on moving ahead with their original plan. They find a horn and summon Charon the ferryman--who now goes by "Kilroy"--and he takes them across to Falun, a great cleft in the earth, which they skirt on their way to Aiaia, aka the Minotaur's labyrinth. In this great fortress, they meet a six-armed creature called Asterius, who agrees to take them to Jack (because he is, indeed, a prisoner here)...but he takes them first to a library full of Bibles and tells them they have to choose the right one in order to find the key to the prison. Amazingly, Laura Glue is able to choose correctly, and the door is unlocked to a chorus of "Olly-Olly Oxen Free." And guess what? All the children are indeed set free.

But the journey Underneath must still continue, now to the Wandering Isles, where the others experience a Time Storm as lost ships from the past (including Amelia Earhart's) put in appearances...including the Indigo Dragon, which had been stolen by Burton and his cronies earlier. With Burton is Hairy BIlly, who turns out NOT to have been on their side when he let them go: they were allowed to escape so the cartographers could follow them to the children. John gets signals from Jack to keep Burton talking while the kids sneak up on the stolen Indigo Dragon--so he asks the man why Pan and James Barrie were once friends but are now enemies. Turns out they'd both loved the same girl, Aven, and that she'd chosen Pan over the world of mortals. While this story is told, Jack and the kids swarm the dragonship and steal it--right at the same moment that the long-lost Red Dragon appears from the Time Storm, captained by Hugh the Iron and WIlliam the Pig. Their ears are stuffed with beeswax, so they don't hear the companions' warnings to get away. Hugh goes to shake Hairy Billy's hand and instead gets impaled on his sword; the Croatoans attack and both boys are injured before the dragonship pulls itself back into the Time Storm. This is it: the thing that set the temporal changes in motion 700 years earlier, where Roger Bacon saved the lives of the two young men by turning them into half-human, half-clockwork constructs.

Seconds later, the Red Dragon reappears with all the other dragon ships and the boys, now only part human. All of them are outfitted for battle--and this time, they're led by Stephen, missing son of Aven and Artus. Also in the army is Burton's missing daughter, Lillith, who wastes no time before decking and threatning to kill her parent. In no time, Companions and Cartographers alike are surrounded, and who should step out but the King of Crickets--mastermind of all the kidnappings and other mayhem. When the Piper plays, the children under his control begin attacking with the intent to kill...but it also becomes clear why some of them were left behind as "unsuitable": the Pan's music doesn't affect them. They have all been given a "kiss" by Peter Pan, in the form of a small silver thimble, and once it's in their possession, they can't be swayed by the music. When John realizes this, he asks the PIper to allow Aven to kiss her son one last time, and the Piper sneeringly allows it--only to have Aven slip her thimble into Stephen's hand. The boy, quick as a wink, throws his knife into the King of Crickets, whose body explodes into thousands of creepy bugs, then hovers overhead as a shadow. The children immediately begin to wake up.

However, Hugh and William don't seem to have been affected by the destruction of the King. From the Red Dragon steps one last figure--the inventor, Daedalus, who it seems has been in league with the King of Crickets. Turns out the old man just wanted to get off the island where he'd been trapped with children all those years, and the King of Crickets had made him a deal. It also turns out that Daedalus is running the clockwork giants, who show up to put an end to them.

Jack, leading the children who have stolen the Indigo Dragon, understands that they must complete the journey to the last of the islands--Dante's Ninth Circle, found in the sixth district of the Underneath. Here they find Peter Pan, trapped in the cave and guarded by hungry Lost Boys who've been deceived into thinking he's a monster. Jack has to sacrifice himself as a child, and turn back into a grownup, to get into the cave.

John realizes that the circles of the Underneath form a giant Ring of Power that Stephen can use to summon the dragons, but when they do, they get the original creators of this Ring instead: and the Titans have no problem dealing with Daedalus's clockworks. They find out also that the King of Crickets is Mordred--the Winter King, and Pan's ongoing nemesis. As the story ends, Burton & company steal the Indigo Dragon and get away, and Peter lets Jack know that long ago, he had chosen Jack as his successor "just in case", and he gives them the wardrobe from the cave, which will allow them to travel freely from real life to the Archipelago. They plant it in Artus's Great Whatsit, and use James Barrie's for the other end. Convenient for future stories, so stay tuned!

[Nivas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story starts with the touch of Peter Pan.

And then comes various Historical Figures - Sir James Barrie, Roger Bacon, Dante, Harry Houdini, Arthur Conan Doyle, Amelia Earhart, Richard Burton and several others and their adventures,

Historical Events - Children’s Crusades,

Greek Mythology - Jason and Argonauts, Daedalus,

Folk Stories - “Pied Piper of Hamelin”, “Hansel and Gretel” and “Snow White”,

Ends with the hint of The Second World War.

Adventurous- this adjective is enough to define the story.

Most interesting part is the author is able to keep the original characters refreshingly fresh and letting them into a new adventure, connecting neatly multiple myths with several real incidents without leaving any loopholes. The story is more like a mystery to unravel, where, comes several histories, myths, urban legends, folklore.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes its YA, but still a rollicking adventure and great fun for adventurers and escapists alike.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the second time reading this. I read it about 8 years ago and I don't remember being as confused the first time I read, so I was either paying more or less attention this time around. There was a lot of time travel (sort of...) and I didn't really understand if it was a closed causal loop or open loop situation and I probably spent too much mental energy on it.

Besides that... I enjoyed the twists on the Peter Pan mythology, the character of Laura Glue, and the Sir Richard Burton/Roanoke Island/Neverland Indians connection. I thought that was clever, as was using an event from the first book to jump start the events in this book (so... Open time loop then? Never mind.) It seemed a natural link. But I got lost in how many twists there were and how many different stories were being stuffed together via Time! (So... Closed loop?) Jack still seems like an annoying character and John seems lacking in some personality. Luckily the character of Aven was a lot more developed in this book and I got a few chuckles out of Charles' observations. I'm going to continue the series because it was hinted that in the NEXT book, I might find out the Cartographer's identity!!

[Gillian Brownlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m such a sucker for stories that weave together mythologies and fairy tales from all around the world. I still don’t like Jack, but I really enjoyed this book.

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This marvelous series contains everything I hold dear and everything I want to learn more about. It sticks to your soul. Looking forward to the next one.

[Nigarsan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Search for the Red Dragon by James A.Owens
This book is about three professors from London named "John, Jack and Charles" go on an adventure to an imaginary world called " the Archipelago of Dreams" to help save the world from any great evil.In this book,they come back after nearly nine years after their first visit to it to investigate the disappearance of all the children and "Dragonships" in the world. Their only hope is to fine the rare Dragonship,the "Red Dragon" in order to find all of them. Now,with the help of their companions,they try to get back all the children and ships or die trying.

I chose this book because it was the second book of the series "The Chronicles of the Imaginatium Geographica" and the first book of the series was interesting and amazing.

I read this book not only it was the second book of the series but when reading the first book, I enjoyed reading this book right until it was finished.The book was well written as I do say so.

I would recommend this book to anyone who had read the first book "Here,There Be Dragons" and would like to continue the series and if not,they should read the first book.Also,to anyone interested in fantasy,myths or adventure with some famous characters,please do read this book.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really rather pleased with the first book in the series, and even more so with the second. The author, having found his stride at the end of the first story, has managed to write a tighter novel while retaining the same clever twists and references that I found a delight in the original. Several weak characters from the first story were rounded out quite a bit in the second, and the newly introduced characters seemed more motivated (although Laura Glue reminded me so much of Suzy Blue from the _Mister Monday_ series that I'm fairly certain the author must have read it recently). I also felt that the focus on childhood/growing up was a much more perceptive theme for the YA audience, and will resonate more with younger readers than the first book.

I would strongly recommend this as a delightful romp of a story for fans of the fantasy genre looking for something outside of the typical copycat novels that seem to be everywhere lately. Even better, young fans of this book will be seeking out old classics referenced here, and rediscovering the origins of fantasy and myth.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This book is a reread. It was a good book for sure but I did not like it nearly as much as the first one. I can't quite put a finger on why that is though. The story just did not grab me as much as the first one. I love Laura Glue and Jack's character development is interesting. I am excited to see where his character arch goes. Owen's use of myth and literature is amazing and the number of jokes about the Oxford/Cambridge rivalry makes my heart happy. I can't wait to continue with this series.


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An explanation of my rating system:
- Five stars: I loved it and it will probably become a long time favorite
- Four stars: I really liked it and would probably read it again
- Three Stars: Meh, it was good but nothing distinctly stands out to me
- Two Stars: Not for me
- One Star: Actively disliked it. It was very poorly written, in poor taste, overall very poor quality

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sadly I don't remember much about the first book.One thing though that I remember strongly is the tower of time and fortunately plays a great role in this book. In this one there is a great plot which connects Peter Pan, greek mythology and of course some great literature figures. Oh and also Hudini. I loved what he did with Hudini!!The way the author connects all the dots is so great!The characters were more real in this one and we found out more about them.I think I am starting to have a favorite one...I also loved Lora Glu.She is lovely. My only problem is that the writting seems a little too childish. I know this book is suppossed to be for a younger audience but I think this contradicts with the complexity and the multiple layers of the plot.So, I am a little confused about this fact.

P.S.I always love drawings (I don't know the techical term) in books

[Dreamer · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was a friend's favorite book, and she told me I should read it, so I gave it a try, but it was dissapointing.. The plot didn't say anything to me, and some elements of the story seemed really childish. You can read it if you have nothing else to read, but I wouldn't trully suggest it.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, pretty good. I actually think that the first one was a bit better though.

[Whitaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great book shows us how everything is great and worth to die for

[Elias · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this sequel that characterized C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and fantastic fairy and mythological tales ☺️

[Giselle · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF'd 20%.

[Michelle Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much of my thoughts on this one are tied to the identities of the main characters (one in particular), which was kept a secret until the very end of book one, so if you haven’t read book one and don’t want that spoiled for you, stop reading. Though really, if you are well-read, you will likely have an easy job of figuring out who they are.

But anyway.

I admire all of the careful tying together of various fictions and mythologies that James A. Owen accomplished with the main story arc in this book. He blended the storylines of Orpheus and Peter Pan to make them feel like part of the same narrative, and I thought that was pretty skillful.

Some of the bits he tied in, though, seemed a little slapdash. He even admitted to “throwing in Amelia Earhart for good measure” in the author’s note. And indeed, a lot of the random elements in this one felt a little too random and less organized than they did in book one. And also, I saw that Monty Python’s Flying Circus reference, Mr. Owen. That was totally and completely random and threw me off for a bit.

And this is where the identity of our hero is gonna get spoiled, because I think he would have some major opinions about the chaotic nature of random story bits and mythologies flung together. Tolkien, on whom the character John is based, didn’t even like Narnia because he felt Lewis cobbled together too many different pieces from too many different mythologies. If he knew he was essentially the main hero in a series that is based in that method of storytelling, I just think it would reeeeally set his teeth on edge. I do like that he was shown so much respect for his philology and his inventiveness - what Tolkien had went far beyond the word “creative” - but I just couldn’t help but think for the entire book that he more than likely would not have enjoyed reading this story, let alone taking such a central role in it.

I also am not entirely convinced I like his portrayal of Jack. It continues to trouble me in some way.

In book one, I remember being a little underwhelmed with the narrative and the character development. That was also a theme here. The narrative in the prologue and epilogue was lovely, but in the main body of the book, it fell flat. And I’d really like to see a bit more of each of the three main characters’ lives at home to really ground them and make them have more dimension, rather than just seeing them seconds before getting launched into another adventure.

My expectations were higher for this one because it was a second in series, and I think that left me a little disappointed overall. Also, there were no dragons in this one, which was a bummer since they were kind of a huge deal in book one, and I missed them. But I admire Owen’s weaving of Peter Pan and Orpheus, and I love Laura Glue, and Owen writes really good dialogue, so I can easily see myself picking up the next book or two in the series. I mean, come on, it’s hard to walk away from Tolkien and Lewis having adventures in magical lands together. I do hope Owen grows as a writer as the series continues, though.

2.5/5

[Night Owling · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh! How do I go from a solid 4 stars for "here there be dragons" to a measly 2 stars for the sequel, you ask?

Warning: here there be disappointed book rant and multiple sighs...


Sigh! number1.Well, after the fascinating reveal of who our three main characters where on the very last page of book 1, I had some pretty big hopes for book 2. And since 10 yrs have passed since book 1 I expected the characters, two of them now fathers to have some maturity, some wisdom. Some understanding and appreciation of how magical their previous experience has been. But, that is not what I got. Not only did they not spend any time together since their adventure, but when the Archipelago comes calling for help, in the form of Laura Glue, they sit around eating sandwiches. They act like Laura Glue is a burden. They comment on who will sit next to her the car (!) They make disparraging comments about her, to her face!

Not only do they not deserve to be caretacers of magic and geographica, they do not deserve to think of themselves as adults! Or fathers!

I wanted to grab them and yell at them: You are grown men! Act like it!

Once Laura Glue saves the day, THEN they act like she is precious and they are nice to her??????

Sigh! number 2. Aven, who might be the coolest character of the lot, is delegated to the sidelines. She is important, buuuuut we barely get to see what is going on in her head, or what she has to say. She keeps walking off with Laura Glue.

Sigh! number 3. This time the story doesn't flow. It stumbles along. Things keep happening, though they not necessarily make a lot of sense. A lot of greek mythology gets thrown in, along with Peter Pan and the Pied Piper, but we do not get enought time to care about the characters that pass through. They show up, serve their purpose and disappear.

Sigh! number 4. Not enough Tummeler.

Sigh! number 5. Not enough Artos. Artos who was a fascinating character in the previous book, is now another scholar. Content to sit in the sidelines studying.

Big Spoiler alert(!)
Artos making the sacrifice to stay home instead of looking for his boy might have been an interesting development until we find out that *Steven is not his son and * he plans on dismantling the monarchy. He cares about Steven but he doesn't do much to show it. He could have put a regent in place? if he cared for the boy- if he planned on walking away from the kingdom anyway(?)

The story didnt really need another scholar. We have too many of those as it is.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you liked Here, There Be Dragons, the first book of James A. Owen’s Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica, you’ll probably like its sequel The Search for the Red Dragon, as it has many of the same highlights—and the same flaws.

Red Dragon takes place in 1926, nine years after Caretakers John, Jack, and Charles first discovered the Archipelago of Dreams, a realm where there be dragons, talking badgers, and flying ships. There are sailing ships, too, but they’ve all disappeared overnight, along with most of the children in the archipelago. It’s up to the Caretakers to find the missing children—including the crown prince, their friend Aven’s son.

This sequel is as much of a mystery novel as it is a fantasy or adventure. Initially, unraveling the clues alongside the main characters is a welcome change of pace from the hero’s-journey format. There’s a particularly satisfying reveal early on that results directly from actions taken in the first novel, without said actions ever feeling like a set-up. Charles delivers another standout performance no matter whom he’s paired with, centuries-old men made of wood or little girls with mechanical wings.

Unfortunately, this mystery eventually becomes overstuffed with mythology, both in the literal and literary sense. The allusions to Greek mythology follow the law of diminishing returns; I particularly disliked how the myth of Echo was revised to so that the removal of her voice was actually a reward. (Because what woman doesn’t love being speechless and only regurgitating what men shout at them? Sorry—Mary Beard’s Women & Power: A Manifesto is still fresh in my mind.) The bigger problem, though, is that exposition bogs down the dramatic climax, which feels more like a build-up to future adventures. All these plot-heavy developments come at the cost of characterization.

Owen does address one of the biggest problems I had with the first novel, which was the lack of diversity in a world that is not bound by early twentieth-century social conventions. A new character calls out the Caretaker organization as being overwhelmingly made up of light-skinned, male Europeans. This criticism would mean more if it weren’t coming from a light-skinned, male European who appointed himself leader of a predominantly Native American society. In making Richard Burton (no, not that Richard Burton) the mouthpiece of this observation, Owen devalues it. It’s a cheap way of forcing the readers to align with the Caretakers, who naturally oppose Burton.

Now, it would be one thing if John, Jack, and Charles held some sexist or racist views, in line with what an upper-class man in early twentieth-century Britain might believe. Instead, Owen tries to walk a middle line best demonstrated by an exchange where Jack remarks to Aven, “I’m a man. We’re made to think more quickly.” Aven, of course, is quick with a punch and a snappy comeback, cheered on by John and Charles. This kind of grandstanding ignores the subtle sexism baked into the novel, most evident in the fact that the majority of the characters (especially those in positions of power) are men who do have a tendency of thinking more quickly than the women. There’s a reason these lines sound so out of character. If Aven is a token woman, this altercation is a token as well, meant to emptily empower women while disguising the bigger issues.

None of these developments are surprising, considering the series’ influences, and now that I’ve finished the first two books, I won’t let myself by disappointed by the third in that regard. What you can expect to find in The Search for the Red Dragon is a good old adventure laced with mystery and mythology, aimed at children but enjoyable for adults. Especially those who never grow up.

[Littlebearries · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica
by James A. Owen

Story Title: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Ending: 5/5

Synopsis:
John, Jack and Charles, three young men from Oxford, find themselves called to duty to care for what is possibly the most well protected book ever, the Imaginarium Geographica.


Character Likability:
John: The Principal Caretaker of the Imaginarium Geographica, John is logical, wise and patient. He’s not only likeable, he endears himself to the reader with his compassion and at the same time, with his mistakes. He owns them, and does his best to live by a moral code he deems worthy. As the series goes on, John becomes more and more of an adult, and it’s evident in the disregard he pays to the children in the story. He is in no way unlikable, but he is no longer quite in touch with youth. It’s not that he disrespects children, not in the least, more like, he overlooks them.
Jack: Younger, brash, fighting against the powers that be, in the first novel, Jack comes close to being downright annoying. He is the second caretaker of the Imaginarium Geographica. He’s the one chosen to make the stupid mistakes, the one who has to rebel against his own youth and desire to do the right thing. As the series progresses, Jack grows, and it’s easy to see why he was chosen as a caretaker.
Charles: Possibly my favorite caretaker, due to his great affinity for the animals of the Archipelago, Charles is a bit of a third wheel once you discover who the first two caretakers are. Historically, he’s not as recognized, but in this story, he’s quite the standout character. If not him, then some alternate dimension version of him. He believes in travel through both time and space, and studies that intently. Possibly the most down to earth of them all, and certainly the one most prone to mistakes without meaning to (for Jack, it always seems to be a choice, to pick good or evil, for Charles, well… let’s just say, accidents happen).
Mordred: The big bad in practically all of the books except The Dragon’s Apprentice, Mordred (yes, the Arthurian Mordred) keeps showing up in one form or another to ruin the caretakers’ day. This may sound dull, or contrived, but let me assure you, Mordred becomes one complex character who I truly enjoyed reading about.
Merlin: Another character who pops up through the books, the story of Mordred and Merlin is captivating (and takes place largely in The Indigo King), setting up quite a bit of what occurs in both previous and future books.
Tummler: A character pulled from The Chronicles of Narnia, Tummler is a badger who is also a printer, making a mock Imaginarium for distribution, as well as guides to the histories of the world, as well as practical things, like how to get out of a binding, in a book called The Little Whatsit.
Samaranth: The greatest of the dragons we know, he’s often a source of knowledge when the characters don’t know where else to go. Unfortunately, he’s fond of not speaking clearly, so they spend a lot of time trying to figure out what he means.
Fred: The Grandson of Tummler, he is a constant companion from The Indigo King onwards, and becomes the first animal to become Caretaker to the Imaginarium Geographica. He’s another of my favorites, with his animal loyalty and ability to sniff out danger or quell it with a well placed blob of tapioca.
Bert: In it from the beginning, he is mentor and guide to the three new caretakers, Jack, John and Charles.
Aven: Daughter of Bert, future queen of the Archipelago.
Arthur: The “Arthur” character, be he the original, or a descendant (In this series, “Arthur” is the title of the kingship, not an actual name) shows up often. Their noble bloodline allows them to do things others can’t, such as summon dragons.
EVERYONE ELSE: Honestly, these books are packed tight with historical figures, be they real or mythical… everyone from Lovecraft’s Ancient Ones to Benjamin Franklin show up… and always with good reason.



Writing:
The books actually started out catering a bit more to children than I preferred. There were “big reveals” at the end of almost every chapter, and it started to wear on me as a reader. I understand that these books are, in fact, for children, but the “reveals” were starting to get out of hand… especially since the characters being revealed wouldn’t really mean anything except to adults or children who had learned about them. They weren’t often explained historically, and without the background, for kids not in the know, the reveal was meaningless. There was also one point, in particular, where a specific historical figure was eluded to… but one of the characters in the book said the equivalent of “Ah, never mind about them,” which… was actually really annoying… to introduce and then just as quickly dismiss a historical icon.
Other than those brief complaints (and the “big reveal” issue lessens as the series goes on, either that, or Owen has gotten better at making them less blatant), the writing is entertaining, the words flow and action is constant.

Ending:
I have to admit, at the end of the first book, when I reached the “BIG REVEAL”… I chucked the book across the room in disgust, and refused to pick up the next one… it took me a year to pick the next one up. I had no desire to read the series after finding out who the characters were at the end of the first book. For whatever reason it just annoyed the hell out of me. Perhaps because it seemed like such a gimmick… at the end of the first book, there seemed, at least to me, little point in having the main characters be who they are (I’m being vague on purpose, so as not to ruin the surprise), but as the series went on, it became evident that there was in fact a reason, and that the story was an interesting, well thought out one. I’m glad I picked the series back up… and the ends to the future books in it have been much more satisfying.

Plot:
The stories follow the adventures of the Caretakers as they try to keep balance between two very different worlds. I really don’t want to elaborate too much, for fear of giving away something important.

Believability of World:
The way this series ties in to real world events makes it a believable bit of story telling. It is a wonderful flight into a million “What if”s concerning bringing some of the greatest literary minds together… and you get swept up in the energy of it.


Overall Grade: A- Stick with this series. I did, and it’s become complex and twisted.

[jess (bibliophilicjester) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love these books!! They remind me of once upon a time (yes, the TV show) in that they take history and mythology and folklore and stories and they weave it all together in such interesting ways. This particular book had a lot of Peter Pan sort of lore, and I really loved it!

Compared to other books I've read and given 5 stars to, these books don't quite make it there. But so far this is a 5 star sort of series for me. It's lighthearted and fun, but there are real consequences. Characters die, are injured, and terrible things happen. But the tone is still mostly light and it just gives the overall feeling of good fun. I wish I'd had these books when I was younger - middle school maybe. I've always been a reader and I've always liked dragons and fairytale a and mythology and such. Although 33 year old me gets much more of the references than 11 year old me might've. Even though I was a weird little kid who likely knew more mythology than most.

I stumbled upon this series by searching through the dragons tag here on goodreads...and I'm honestly angry I hadn't heard of this series earlier. Did I just miss out on the height of the hype?! Because I want to shove these books forcefully at everyone I know. They're so delightful! I want more people to read them. Immediately. Haha :)

[Mary-Jean Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, though not as much as the first one (hence the 4/5 stars instead of 5/5. If I could give it any rating, it would be 4.5 stars, but I'm rounding down to 4 because I want to differentiate it from my 5/5 rating for the first book). I LOVE how lots of myths and legends come into play in the book, especially the characters, both historical and fictional, who appear, such as James Barry, Peter Pan, Circe, etc. My favourite character is definitely Charles, though Aven and John are great too. I loved how the story involved a unique form of time travel, using the rips in time caused by the destruction of the Keep of Time to travel between times, though not necessarily intentionally. I also liked the "netherworld" and how there were 9 lands corresponding to Dante's 9 circles of purgatory, but this was all taken with a different spin on things.
The reason I didn't like the book as much as the first was because there was a lot of focus on ancient legends, which I did like to a point, though I found that it detracted from the present story at times. There were a lot of things that hinged upon characters not really present or who only appeared near the end. Also Laura Glue wan't my cup of tea. She was alright, but not very interesting to follow because she was too "kiddish."
But all in all, it was a captivating book and I look forward to the rest of the series.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Owen, James A. The Search for the Red Dragon, pgs.368 Simon and Schuster, Inc. Launguage-G; Sexual Content-G; Violence-G;

It's been nine years since John, Jack, and Charles had their adventure in the Archipelago of Dreams and became Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica. Now they are going back to save the Archipelago again, this time someone has been stealing the children of the Archipelago. Their only clue is a message from a odd girl with artificial wings: "The Crusade has begun." Worse, all the dragon ships have gone as well. Now they have to save the children, find the Red Dragon, figure out who has been stealing the children, and head to the Underneath.

Sequel to Here there be Dragons. A very humorous book but read the first book first or you won't get a lot of things.

EL, MS - ESSENTIAL. Student Reviewer:RH
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...

[Wendy Prestcott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't love this book as much as the first one in the series. It didn't have the powerful lessons the other book has. Especially about the importance of education and obedience. One of the biggest misses for me is the prominence of a man and woman choosing not to marry while still having a child. My 9 year old son loves these books, but I don't want him accepting the idea that a woman is better off not marrying for selfish reasons and not providing her child with a secure family. It's revealed at the end that her son is actually the result of a previous relationship that also didn't involve marriage. We should glorify the family, not make it seem unimportant and trivial.

[Lady Kia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Druhý díl téhle série byl skvělý, stejně jako ten první. Autor mě opět překvapil, jakou zápletku si vymyslel a jak mistrně do ní začlenil další postavy a souvislosti. Líbí se mi jak propojuje v knížce přítomnost s bájemi, slavnými osobnostmi, smyšlenými postavami, pohádkami, minulostí.. zdá se, že tohle vše nelze spojit, aby vznikl smysluplný příběh, ale tahle knížka dokazuje, že to jde!
*
Moje nejoblíbenější postava zůstává i nadále Jack, protože je odvážný a pro přátele je ochoten udělat vše i když musí něco obětovat..
*
Další díl si přečtu!

[Krys · Rating 2 out of 5]

Content warning: prejudiced language and descriptions

I know... It's quite the fall from the first book.
I really enjoyed seeing the characters I liked in the first book again, however I was a little lukewarm about the storyline. I knew immediately what the story was based off of, and I realized that I really don't like the story source material Peter Pan . The pacing was also a little slow. I only give it two stars because I like the original characters from the first book a lot.

[Kersi · Rating 5 out of 5]

And again: this book was wonderful!!!
You get to know so much about (Greek) mythology and the lifes of so many great people while reading a wonderful and wholesome story about three young men.
It truly is an amazing series and I could really see former Percy Jackson readers enjoying this!

Still, I don't know if I want to continue with this series because I read the first two books in German now and the next ones haven't been translated into my language.. So, I can't decide if I want to read those adventures in English or not.. Any opinions?