Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read Highfire by Eoin Colfer starting on February 5, 2024.


Happy Reading!

Always in for dragons...

I may join for this one :)

Been looking forward to this since the suggestion occurred in November...

Gonna get my copy this week and then start :)

I am 5 chapters in and what am I listening to? I am not sure but I am enjoying it quite a lot so far :)

Great to hear...

Ever read Eoin Colfer before?

He wrote Artemis Fowl, a series about a boy genius/villain, that slowly turns into a hero over the course of 8 books... book 1, he stumbles onto the land of Faerie and Farting Dwarves that dig tunnels by eating dirt and shitting it out at record speed... Middle-Grade series that had alot of fun ideas... I read it long after being passed the target age group... the fart jokes weren't my favorites, but I liked the story...

Timelord Iain wrote: "Great to hear...

Ever read Eoin Colfer before?

He wrote Artemis Fowl, a series about a boy genius/villain, that slowly turns into a hero over the course of 8 books... book 1, he stumbles onto th..."

This is the first by him for me and I am enchanted so far, this is stupid in the best possible way lol

I'm closing in on halfway already, I think...

And I'm enjoying it...

It's giving me some Night Embrace vibes (just the bayou stuff)...

And Dragon Heist (but not as funny / cozy)...

And American Ultra (Jesse Eisenberg & Kristen Stewart movie about broken super soldiers in hillbilly bayou country)...

I liked how the good guy stuff played out in the 2nd half of the book...

Around 90% now, and the bad guy stuff is making my American Ultra comments feel prescient...

I keep forgetting they are in Louisiana because they give big Florida Man vibes lol I'll finish tonight but it is my turn to stay overnight at the hospital with my Mom so I am limiting my time online or reading to when she is sleeping.

Finished and this was awesome! (view spoiler)[I absolutely loved how Hooke died, the only way it could have been better is if he was on fire while being eaten by alligators lol He was cartoon level evil so he deserved a cartoon level death! (hide spoiler)]This was such a fun read, absolutely ridiculous but entertaining, stupid in the best possible way.

Up through Chapter 4 and really enjoying! South + snarky dragon definitely giving me Dragon Heist vibes... but like Iain said, not as cozy. Still pretty funny! Also, (view spoiler)[the Dragon is making me think of the crotchety old man loner trope, and I love it when that trope gets a young mentee, like in Fairy Tale... Hoping it goes that direction, instead of chasing-down direction... (hide spoiler)]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Finished and this was awesome! [spoilers removed]This was such a fun read, absolutely ridiculous but entertaining, stupid in the best possible way."

I didn't think of it last night, when I was reading, but (view spoiler)[that's exactly how Captain Hook dies in Peter Pan, too, to the alligators... (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze wrote: "Up through Chapter 4 and really enjoying! South + snarky dragon definitely giving me Dragon Heist vibes... but like Iain said, not as cozy. Still pretty funny! Also, [spoilers removed]"

I don't know why but this book just hit right for me and I loved the characters. I want a sequel like 4-5 years later, dammit!

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Finished and this was awesome! [spoilers removed]This was such a fun read, absolutely ridiculous but entertaining, stupid in the best possible way."

I didn't think of it last nig..."

I never made that connection! He was just the absolute worst!

Once I made that connection, it was perfect...

Now, I'm also reminded of Carol Baskin, from Tiger King... the one people say killed her husband and fed to her tigers at the animal sanctuary...

Finished last night--loved it! Great over-the-top with a gooey heart. Definitely agree about a sequel--(view spoiler)[I want to know if he finds some other dragons! And if he woos them with Flashdance! (hide spoiler)]

Somewhere between



and

I love how that last one manages to include the delivery duties...

Timelord Iain wrote: "Somewhere between"



As someone who cut all of her sweatshirts for an entire year I assure you this is the iconic image from Flashdance lol

LOL Spot on, Ann-Marie!

I'm not sure if this one was for me... I hated having to read Hooke's POV for practically 1/3rd of the book.. I'll try out the sequel though because some of it was really funny...

Tonari no Emily wrote: "I'm not sure if this one was for me... I hated having to read Hooke's POV for practically 1/3rd of the book.. I'll try out the sequel though because some of it was really funny..."

I agree he was awful but I wrote him off as a cartoon villain in my brain.

The sequel is theoretical... a hope and a dream... no idea what Colfer is writing now... doesn't seem to have published much since 2020...

Oooh I could have sworn this was a six book series? Where the hell did I see that lol

No idea... I talked about Artemis Fowl being an 8 book series... there's also 3 The Fowl Twins books...

I'd love if this was a 6 book series...

Timelord Iain wrote: "The sequel is theoretical... a hope and a dream... no idea what Colfer is writing now... doesn't seem to have published much since 2020..."

You mean I can't wish this into existence?

I just tried to find any mention of a sequel and everything I can see is talk of the television series adaptation that is in development.

Seems like he's been doing alot of illustrated art combo books with illustrators... kinda like Sanderson likes art in his books these days...

I've started yesterday, but still in chapter 2. I love the writing: lay back, chill, with accents...
(view spoiler)[The description from the creatures that lives in the swamp, is sometimes like a light horror movie. Highfire dating crocodiles: that must be some challenge! (hide spoiler)]

LOL that I like your description as a "light horror movie"--like one of those B-list cult-classic popcorn chuckers.

Oh, yes, I recently saw one about crocodiles!

Chapter 5, page 70: just a quick note on this one:
(view spoiler)[ 'If I die before I wake... (hide spoiler)]
After reading that part of the sentence, the song stuck with me for the rest of the day. For those who don't know the song, maybe just google it. But beware, it's an earworm.

Google forewarned. Jumping in anyway... Hm. I can't remember in the book which song it was that was referred to... there's a John Lennon song with that lyric, a Chauncey William's song with "if I die before you wake"... Sage Leonel, Notorious B.I.G., OPM.... John Lennon song is the only one I'm familiar with.

I mean... it's part of the Public Domain children's prayer thing everyone hears at some point... I know some songs have used it as an intro/etc, but:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Now_I_L...

Yeah, that was my first thought, but Saar said it was a song...

I can kind of see it as a song.. But yeah mostly a prayer thing...

I think of the prayer as well.

Oops, I've explained it wrong. It is a prayer, but my brain thought of a song instead. It's this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCSJz...

It's the 'if I die before I wake' that made my brain connect with the song. Sometimes I make weird connections, haha.

LOL that was my last guess for the song! Hey, the song is just as valid of a connection as the prayer...

I immediately went to Metallica, once a song was mentioned... Enter Sandman does the whole prayer in the middle...

Currently at chapter 6:
(view spoiler)[I love the interaction between Waxman and Vern. The name 'Waxman' was chosen very well for that character, although reading about the molting, was kind of gross? And dragons mixing with humans, well, I can believe that didn't get well. Regence Hooke is not my favorite character. It's more of the same with him. It's a good story, allthough I find that it's going slow sometimes. (hide spoiler)]

Currently at chapter 13:
(view spoiler)[That Hooke - guy, I really don't like him at all! The term 'sociopath' fits him very well. Just thinkin about himself and his business and nothing else. Rude as h*ll. He is determined to catch Squib doing something, doesn't matter what...Like a lion watching his prey and being very rude to Squib's mother. I like the relationship Squib has with her. They lean on each other and I think Elodie is feeling very guilty for the bad men she had in her life. There's a lot of pain and grief around the death of the father. Vern isn't so bad as he is showing himself. Underneath that scale and attitude lies a kind heart and maybe Squib is uncovering it bit by bit. But not smart of Squib giving Hooke his phone. I wonder how that will turn out. I would've known more about how's Waxman doing in his compost, pizza - layered grave. What is he thinking, feeling... (hide spoiler)]

Really like your analysis, Saar. (view spoiler)[Hooke is totally creepy... Squib's mom deserves better... Vern is my favorite type of curmudgeon... (hide spoiler)]

I've finished yesterday and allthough I enjoyed reading the story very much, it felt like I was missing something. I don't know what, maybe a bit more depth or something. At first, the writing felt a bit different, because of the southern style or accents in it, but after getting used to it, I enjoyed it and it added to the characters.
(view spoiler)[The death of Hooke was epic! He had way to much story line. Sometimes he was like an evil GI Joe. Squib was a sweet boy, allthough he got a bit on the dark sides with all sorts of jobs, he turned out to be really okay and I adored his mom Elodie! You've felt the worries and love for her son through the words. Vern was funny. I've never read about a vodka - drinking, Flashdance - loving dragon before, but he was so lonely being the last dragon of his kind. I hope he found another dragon at the end, because he had these walls around him and just living his lonely life somewhere in the bayou, untill he met Squib and all the action that followed. I'm glad they bonded and became dragon and familiar. The attack on the maffia hotel was like something you could visualize from a movie. As mentioned previous, Waxman deserved a bigger role in the story or at least more information about him. (hide spoiler)]

To me the only thing lacking is a sequel or 3!

Yeah, that would be welcome :)

I feel like the sequels need to adapt other disney/fairytale plotlines :D

To match Captain Hooke & the alligators for comedic effect... not sure what other options exist, tho...

That's an interesting idea or maybe a parody where Vern meets his mate: a Flashdancing dragon...