Here, There Be Dragons — An Honest Review

Hello, controversial readers!

This is Arianna, posting as a guest author. Since I won second place in the YA Section’s short story competition, I now have the honor of bringing you a book review written by yours truly. So without further ado, let’s dive in!

An unusual murder brings together three strangers, John, Jack, and Charles, on a rainy night in London during the first World War. An eccentric little man called Bert tells them that they are now the caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica—an atlas of all the lands that have ever existed in myth and legend, fable and fairy tale. These lands, Bert claims, can be traveled to in his ship the Indigo Dragon, one of only seven vessels that is able to cross the Frontier between worlds into the Archipelago of Dreams.

Pursued by strange and terrifying creatures, the companions flee London aboard the Dragonship. Traveling to the very realm of the imagination itself, they must learn to overcome their fears and trust in one another if they are to defeat the dark forces that threaten the destiny of two worlds. And in the process, they will share a great adventure filled with clues that lead readers to the surprise revelation of the legendary storytellers these men will one day become. 

(Excerpt taken from the back cover of Here, There Be Dragons.)

The book under scrutiny today is Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen, the first in a series called Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica. I have personally only read the first three books in this series, but so far it's been a wild ride packed with dragons and British men. This tall tale will delight fans of Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, and the Inheritance Cycle with its British style, grand adventures, and mythical creatures.

A few things to consider before reading this book: No matter how wonderful this book is, it does contain a handful of swear words because the characters are British. There are a few instances of bloody h*** or d**m. Also, there are battle scenes and death. Otherwise, the book is clean.

Firstly, this book is worth it just for the style and the characters’ accents. Pure perfection! You would never guess that the writer is American, the way he writes. The tone of the book is humorous and very British. At times, I couldn't help but read aloud because of the mastery of prose and style.

The characters are hilarious yet have depth, and the chemistry is perfectly balanced. The three main characters are an unexpected trio that works perfectly together. There's the mild, war-haunted John, the spirited young Jack, and the scholarly, friendly Charles, with a bit of rivalry and secrecy tossed into the mix. The side characters are also lively and interesting, with backstories and relationships woven together like a tapestry.

The prose itself has its flaws and upsides. The writing can at times be plain, and though the imagery isn't strong and descriptions tend to be dumped rather than woven into the story, it's got strong dialogue and pacing, flows well, and isn’t dumbed down. I found myself absolutely absorbed in the story and laughed aloud several times.

Also, as an upside, there are quite a few Easter eggs to enjoy for those who are well-versed in the fantasy and sci-fi classics. I like to call HTBD “the ultimate fanfiction.” And the final plot twist is a fitting and honestly, just plain cool ending for all those nerds out there.

Ultimately, James A. Owen has woven together a mastery of style and humor, lovable characters, and a dash of adventure and intrigue. It’s certainly worth the read and I highly recommend it. 4.5 slices of pie out of 5. (Because why stars when there’s pie?)

Thank you, Controversial Book Club for the opportunity to write this guest post, and thank you, reader, for taking the time to read this. If you read HTBD, I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Have a wonderful day!

— Arianna