"for we, we are not long here / our time is but a breath / so we'd better breathe it"

It's difficult to talk about Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen without the context of the big reveal of the final page, one that is clearly supposed to make everything click into place for the reader who hasn't figured it out before then. Difficult enough, I need a spoiler cut.

But first, what I can say while speaking in generalities: It's a well-plotted, well-paced adventure story that takes place in the Archipelago of Imaginary Places, a world of fictional lands adjacent to ours. The trio of protagonists are the new Caretakers of the atlas of the Archipelago, and before they can really get a handle on their new responsibilities are thrust into a war over the vacant throne of the High King and the fate of the Archipelago itself. Mythopoesis abounds, and not just by grabbing elements willy-nilly -- they're articulated together to create something new and numinous. The yarn is not entirely ripping, but the characterization is humane and the story never flags.

I suspect this an excellent story for kids who have read and enjoyed the usual classic kid's adventure books -- Narnia, Kim, Ivanhoe, Treasure Island, Lord of the Rings, A Tale of Two Cities, and the like. It very much has the same vibe, but not in an artificial way.

Note, though, that I almost wrote "boys" instead "kids," as it's a very boy-centric book. It does not pass the Bechdel test -- only once do we have more than one named female character on stage at a time, and not only do they spend all that time talking about men, it's arguable whether they are really three separate women (it's that kind of mythic story). I can't tell whether it's specifically a "boy book," but it's not for girls who want girls in their books.

( Spoilers fall off the edge of the world )

This is the first of a series, and I will be looking for the next book -- but I won't be running out to grab it.

---L.