Here,+There+be+Dragons,+Book+I+-+Courtesy+of+Autumn

Here, There be Dragons, book I
[|James A. Owen] Fantasy ISBN: 9781416912286 Pages: 322 [|About the book] [|Read an Excerpt]

If you're the type of person that loves a fantastical story with a little historical element, then this is most certainly the series for you. The first installment is a tale of intrigue for sure. It has a writing style that allows the ideas to be grasped by younger children, but also some finer nuances that allow adults to enjoy it as well.

My reason for giving this book a four out of five is the writing style itself. For me, the style is a bit airy, as though the author is trying to be impressive by showing us that he knows his way well around a thesaurus. Sometimes, things are worded as though the book itself was written in the period that the story takes place rather than modern day. And then, for the most part, the dialogue ends up falling a little flat. I won't fault Owen entirely for that; some authors are better at writing description than they are dialogue. My advice to him would be to stop trying to impress us with his descriptions and just describe.

On the plus side, the story as a whole is quite fantastic. It allows the reader to be sucked into their own imagination, and the period during which the story is set is perfect. It adds an air of nostalgia that I think is quite necessary for a story like this. Many of the characters are very enjoyable, especially Nemo and Tummeler. The plot rarely drags, which keeps the reader interested the whole way through. The references to events and characters both mythical and historical, including the true identities of Jack, John and Charles, is refreshing and clever.

Overall, this is a book for you to sit back and enjoy, not puzzle your mind over. I advise you to do just that.