Customer Reviews

Freak City (Dragon City Trilogy)

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This is the sequel to Snapdragon Alley, taking place about 18 years after the events of the first book. Freak City is a much darker story than the first, and the characters have less charm. I thought that Argus-as-a-child (from the 1st book) had great potential, but it would seem that he did not live up to it - though there are hints at the very end that things may change.

The storyline was good, and the puzzle that Argus set out to solve was intriguing, but I also get the feeling that the author may have lost his grip on the story somewhat. I won't provide spoilers, but there was one comment made at the beginning of the story that was never mentioned again - and to me, it seemed that that was the crux of the whole story. I kept waiting for Argus to put two and two together and remember that comment, but it never happened. Instead the characters danced around that issue without it ever coming to the fore (where I think it belonged). This is supposed to be Book 2 of a trilogy, so perhaps the author intended it to 'lead up to' the finale in the 3rd book.

All in all, a good little book (very short, probably novella length) with an interesting cast of characters. It's definitely Number Two in a series, so readers should start with Snapdragon Alley in order to pick up the background.

Note on Kindle formatting: Perfect, or nearly so. I did not note any issues that impacted readability.

Argus is in a dead-end job, with a crappy living situation and an uneventful life. He is largely absent from the world, choosing not to interact with his many roommates, and having little experience with quality human interaction. That is, this is Argus' life until now. A mysterious encounter with a stranger leaves Argus with a strange box filled with seemingly unrelated artifacts. He doesn't know what it all means, and, with an absent family and no real friends, he doesn't have anyone to ask. When one of his roommates reaches out to him in kindness one night and notices the odd collection, the roommates set out on an adventure to discover the meaning behind the mystery.

Tom Lichtenberg has written a short novel that is both appealing and spellbinding as you discover clues right along with Argus. The desire to figure out the meaning behind the box of items keeps you reading until the end. That ending, however, felt somewhat abrupt and rushed, and was a bit of a disappointment after the path of discoveries. It is hinted that this experience has left Argus changed, and I would have liked a little more information about that change and what impact it might have. I wanted to know more about what happened to the other characters at the end as well. I wanted a little more, and I would be interested in further stories in this same vein.

The writing style is unique, but well-suited to this type of unconventional story. The character of Argus is fairly well-developed. He is a very insular man who has very few authentic interactions with others, preferring to spend endless hours alone with his own thoughts. There is just enough information given to make you wonder more about Argus' family, as well as his experiences with others growing up. Some of this backstory may well be included in "Snapdragon Alley," a prequel of sorts to this book, where Argus' older brother holds center stage. I also want to know much more about the character of Fulsom. How did he end up needing to be "in charge" of the situation presented at the end?

MotherLode blog

This series was not what I expected. I read them all but kept thinking there had to be more to the plot. I felt cheated

This is darker than the first book and as unsatisfying too. We still don't know for sure what Snapdragon Alley is or where. Argus seems to be drifting through his life and it seems like Alex has abandoned him. I sure hope the third book finishes the story.

I'm going to start reading it tomorrow.

This is the second book in the Dragon Town Trilogy. The first book is Snapdragon Alley and the last is Dragon Town. In this book, Argus, the 3-year-old from the first book, is a 22 year old man with a quiet life. He is quiet and depressed, estranged from his family, an lives with a group of roommates that he doesn't really interact with. He doesn't remember the experiences of the summer that took place in the first book. One day, he is handed a mysterious package. Those around him are intrigued, and everyone joins together to try to solve the clues.

The tone of the book is fairly dark, and you keep hoping for a better 'Happily ever After' for the characters from the first book than is portrayed here. But this is only the second book in the series - perhaps there is more to come.

In writing about a book series that Argus is reading, this author writes "They were genuine mystery novels, where the mystery often remains mysterious, unlike most books of that type, which should really be called 'solution' novels because there is rarely any mystery left at the end." That description is certainly true of the first two books in this series. I'm definitely left mystified and wondering. And yet, I'm not disappointed. I don't feel that the plot was left hanging. And somehow, I don't think I will be disappointed even if the last book in the series leaves me with the same sense of wonder - plotting and turning around all of my different theories in my mind.