Highfire

A Novel

By: Eoin Colfer

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

From the New York Times best-selling author of the Artemis Fowl series comes a hilarious and high-octane adult novel about a vodka-drinking, Flashdance-loving dragon who lives an isolated life in the bayous of Louisiana - and the raucous adventures that ensue when he crosses paths with a 15-year-old troublemaker on the run from a crooked sheriff.

In the days of yore, he flew the skies and scorched angry mobs - now he hides from swamp tour boats and rises only with the greatest reluctance from his La-Z-Boy recliner. Lying low in the bayou, this once-magnificent fire breather has been reduced to lighting Marlboros with nose sparks, swilling Absolut in a Flashdance T-shirt, and binging Netflix in a fishing shack. For centuries, he struck fear in hearts far and wide as Wyvern, Lord Highfire of the Highfire Eyrie - now he goes by Vern. However...he has survived, unlike the rest. He is the last of his kind, the last dragon. Still, no amount of vodka can drown the loneliness in his molten core. Vern’s glory days are long gone. Or are they?

A canny Cajun swamp rat, young Everett “Squib” Moreau does what he can to survive, trying not to break the heart of his saintly single mother. He’s finally decided to work for a shady smuggler - but on his first night, he witnesses his boss murdered by a crooked constable. 

Regence Hooke is not just a dirty cop, he’s a despicable human being - who happens to want Squib’s momma in the worst way. When Hooke goes after his hidden witness with a grenade launcher, Squib finds himself airlifted from certain death by...a dragon?

The swamp can make strange bedfellows, and rather than be fried alive so the dragon can keep his secret, Squib strikes a deal with the scaly apex predator. He can act as his go-between (a.k.a. familiar) - fetch his vodka, keep him company, etc. - in exchange for protection from Hooke. Soon the three of them are careening headlong toward a combustible confrontation. There’s about to be a fiery reckoning, in which either dragons finally go extinct - or Vern’s glory days are back.

A triumphant return to the genre-bending fantasy that Eoin Colfer is so well known for, Highfire is an effortlessly clever and relentlessly funny tour de force of comedy and action.

©2020 Eoin Colfer (P)2020 HarperAudio

Fun

Highfire, IMHO, is an excellent romp. The characters and settings are vivid, the dialog lively and the story is very entertaining. Kudos to Eoin Colfer for his writing skills, effortlessly transporting me into swamp life on the Pearl River. And to top all that off the narration is superb. Johnny Heller's distinct voices and comedic timing makes for many, _many_ laugh out loud moments.

I hadn't read any stories by Eoin Colfer before Highfire, but scanning the listing and reviews of his other books I was expecting a YA oriented story. And while the protagonist is a teen, Highfire is absolutely, positively NOT targeted at a YA audience. So, as reflected by a number of negative reviews, the people who assumed this story would also be groomed along those lines, are not happy.

But if you're okay with a tongue in cheek portrayal of stereotypical Southern rednecks, swearing, drinking, drugs, sex, murder, corruption and numerous other adult themes throughout the book, definitely get Highfire. You're in for a rollicking good time.

The language was awful.

Had I known about the incessant swearing, I would never have bought this book. It was a great premise, and I'm severely disappointed that I won't know what happened to Squib and his mother and the dragon.

A Unique take on Fantasy

When you think dragons you normally think something a long the lines of Game of Thrones of the Lord of the Rings. Last thing you think of is the bayou and bottles of vodka. This was a fun and intriguing new take on well used topic that I heartily enjoyed from start to finish. Anyone looking for something outside of the usually fantasy dragon porn, this is a pretty good pick.

Eoin Colfer and Johnny Heller are a great team.

A vodka-drinking dragon living in the bayou meets up with a wily Cajun teenager. It’s more than a boy and his winged dog story. Way more. For openers, it’s a winged dog and his boy story.

Sometimes a little raunchy but not salacious, it’s a laugh-out-loud every ten minutes tale of how these two rescue each other from the real and metaphorical swamp they live in. I can’t verify the authenticity of the narrator’s accent but to say that my long-ago hillbilly accent surfaced and I started talking like him in the most inappropriate circumstances. My favorite line is Heller's reading of the application of the word "perfect" to the town of New Orleans.

Need a laugh? This book’s for you.

Change title to a Dragon in Amurica

Guns - yeah
Whiskey - aw yeah
Making gators do what you want cuz you a big dragon - f*ck yeah
Exchanging the book but can't get those 45 minutes back of reading about how Fox News & Nascar had a baby and built the nursery in the swamp of the deep south.
Thank you Audible for the flex policy of trying things you may like (or hate) and not know it until you try.

The book is trash. Made it a few hours in.

why do authors feel the need to bulk out a story with political pap. the south are rednecks, confederate flag waiving coke snorting, gun running racists.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

This author has completely nailed yet another location and protagonist. The book was interesting and hilarious, just like everything else he writes. Need a break from pandemic gloom? I highly recommend this book.

Good story, great narration, but not funny

I enjoyed this story. Reviews said it was hilarious, or made people laugh. I was looking for a book that would make me laugh, but this wasn't it. Still, the story was good, the ideas were good, and the plot was twisty - so I didn't return the book but kept going.

There were situations that were humorous - but there is a special talent for people who can do comedy - it's all in the delivery - even when it's written and not from a comedian doing standup. It's very hard to write "funny" to make people laugh out loud. So, when various things happened that could have made me laugh out loud, if written differently, I only noticed that the potential joke missed it's mark. (Like when someone missed the window, for example)

I wish authors would read and study how Patrick F McManus did it. I can still be made to laugh out loud even with his short stories I've read before. It's in the delivery of the descriptions. The timing, the pauses, the expectations set up, then come a few choice words that make me burst out laughing. If a book promises to be hilarious or have lots of laughs, that sets up an expectation. I didn't find this to be a humorous book that made me laugh. But the good writing and interesting plot kept me going.

The book was just a tad slow and over described in some spots. The one lady with the Chinese or Korean sounding name who was supposed to have "Samurai ancestors" was a bit off-putting for me. If you are going to do a stereotype, at least don't mix up different cultures. Still, I had no problem with the Southern stereotypes, so guess I'm not too picky with stereotyping.

There was a slight element of horror in the story that I fast forwarded through.

The narrator did a good job of differentiating the characters' voices and voice-acting the story and not just reading it.

The ideas used in the story were creative - and that's what made this book an interesting listen. While the book appeared to have wrapped up the story line, I'd buy a follow-up book.

Action, humor, and interesting characters

This book really does try to be more than the average humorous modern fantasy action romp. The characters are not one dimensional, even the bad guy. The scenery is beautiful, and you really feel the swamp. The accents were wonderful, and not overplayed. (I live in the South, so ignore those reviews that take offense. These people are out there. Makes me wonder about the dragon.)

horrible

I m not sure how this book got such high marks and positive reviews! I returned it after two excruciating chapters!