Here, There Be Dragons

By: James A. Owen

Narrated by: James Langton

Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's Summary

The Imaginarium Geographica.
"What is it?" John asked. The little man blinked and arched an eyebrow.
"It is the world, my boy," he said. "All the World, in ink and blood, vellum and parchment, leather and hide. It is the World, and it is yours to save or lose."

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 listeners to the surprise revelation of the legendary storytellers these men will one day become.

An extraordinary journey of myth, magic, and mystery, Here, There Be Dragons introduces James A. Owen as a formidable new talent.

©2006 James A. Owen (P)2008 Simon and Schuster, Inc.

Rich Imaginative Fantastic World

An excellent book. I enjoy reading in general and this book was no exception- until I got to the end. The last few pages moved it from an enjoyable read to an instant favorite, and made the second time through even more enjoyable than the first.

James A. Owen brings to life a world where our myths and legends and many classic stories are real. The more you know mythology and the more widely read you are, the more pieces you will recognize from stories you already love.

"Here, There be Dragons" is excellent as a stand alone story, but also begins a series that gives so much more depth to the world we are introduced to in the "Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica."

15 of 15 people found this review helpful

Great fun, and wonderful Easter Eggs

I liked this book a great deal, and the ending made me love it. There are some wonderful allusions to other great works of fiction spread throughout, but the ending was absolutely brilliant!

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

Good fantasy

I heard a short review of this book on a podcast and immediately picked it up. It's everything that the review led me to believe--an well-told story. The author keeps the story moving and coherent throughout the book. I didn't stumble in any plot holes, and the book followed a logical progression. The narrator also did a good job bringing the book to life. I'm looking forward to the next volume and hope that Audible picks up the others.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

great fun

Kids loved this story we heard it in the car and it was fun. Nice literary references. Kids say 5 * I say 3* a little predictable but fun.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Fun Entertainment

Here, There Be Dragons is just a fun, sit-back-and-entertain-me book. The story is easy to follow, has interesting twists and most important, the characters are easy to like and care about. James Langton did an excellent job narrating. Bought this book on sale, just because.... Now that we've finished it, we're thinking we want to know what happens in the next book.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Fun listen for a long commute.

Where does Here, There Be Dragons rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This ranks in my four star collection. James Langton does a great job with the characters and the story is imaginative and enjoyable.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I like Charles. He has attitude and I thought he was funny.

Have you listened to any of James Langton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to James Langton before but I will in the future. I truly enjoyed his performance.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved the end when you found out who the charcters really are... You have to listen and see for yourself!

Any additional comments?

I love the references to other books, writers and historical characters. For me, that made the story truly sing. If you are an avid reader you will like this book.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Disappointing

I wanted so badly to like this book. It came highly recommended by my sister and nephews. I will always be a sucker for anything connected to Tolkien. Every problem/conflict was wrapped up far too quickly. We went from meeting the characters to the battle of the end of the world in a few chapters. The characters seemed shallow. That could come from the narrator's voice inflections since I haven't read the text myself.

The author drew on many fantasy stories written by Tolkien, Lewis, and others. If the book was going to draw from so many other fantasy stories, it needed to be more "tongue-in-cheek." I found myself wondering many times throughout the book, "When is this going to end?" I never could suspend disbelief enough to believe that stealing a person's shadow was so horrible.

I like many fantasy books, and I like many children's books as an adult reader. This just wasn't one of them.

22 of 32 people found this review helpful

Cute

Just a nice fun listen. Nothing too deep. Nice little twist with John at the end.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

This is a kid's book

While I've liked a lot of YA novels, this one just bored me senseless. I got 1.5 hours in and gave it up. Maybe if all of the references or fantasy fiction was new to you it might be worth the time, but it just felt cliched to me. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen but kept getting hit with yet another fictional reference. It seemed to be the entire point of the book.

If you're looking for something to share with your kids, go for it. If you're an adult who likes fantasy, keep looking.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

In the style of the greats of classic fantasy

Would you consider the audio edition of Here, There Be Dragons to be better than the print version?

The audio provides a delightful take on the dialogue of unique characters, like a talking badger that chucks blueberry muffins at opponents and a wise, tea-drinking dragon with wispy white whiskers.

What did you like best about this story?

It draws heavily on Tolkien, Lewis, Wells, and other classic science fiction and fantasy authors while putting a new spin on the protagonists' journey.

Which scene was your favorite?

Meeting the Cartographer

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Very nearly, yes.

Any additional comments?

Great read for anyone that's enjoyed the classics, can handle a chapter book (10 or above?) or just wants a fun fantasy read!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful