Customer Reviews

The Indigo King (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have not read the first two books of the "Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica." But even though I was not familiar with what has been going on in the Chronicles, I found the third volume, "The Indigo King," fascinating.

One September night, John and Jack, Oxford scholars, and their friend Hugo encounter a mysterious door bearing the image of the Holy Grail. When Hugo crosses the door and vanishes, the world as the three friends knew it changes--for the worse. England becomes Albion, a desolate and mythical land ruled by their foe, Mordred. And to make matters worse, Mordred has also destroyed the Archipelago of Dreams, the world John and Jack were responsible of as Caretakers of its atlas, the Imaginarium Geographica. The Archipelago was the place where fables and legends were real. John and Jack realize that Hugo's crossing has disrupted timelines and history itself and to repair the damage, they must travel through time to find Hugo and to discover Mordred's real name in order to prevent him from coming into power.

In "The Indigo King," James Owen has woven a captivating adventure that cleverly blends historical and mythological figures and events. A number of historical personalities make their appearances in this book but as the story develops, I easily forgot that John was J.R.R. Tolkien, Jack was C.S. Lewis, and Bert, H.G. Wells. The only times I was aware of John as being Tolkien and Jack as being Lewis were during their conversations about Christianity and faith. As to the legends and myths incorporated in the plot, I think if you're familiar with the Odyssey, the Iliad, and the Arthurian legends, you will enjoy this book a lot more and understand it a bit better. What with time loops and name changes, I had to write myself notes, so that I could keep the who was who straight.

The publishers targeted this book to young adults, but if I don't see "The Indigo King" flying off the shelves is because, I think, it may be hard for a teen to identify himself or herself with tea-sipping, fortyish Oxford professors (actually, in 1931, Tolkien was 39 years old; Lewis, 33; Charles Williams, 45 and Hugo Dyson, 35). However, I don't have any doubts that this fantasy book will find its way into the hands and heart of anybody who loves the magic of fables, legends, and myths.

I've waited a while to review this, as I was hoping that eventually I'd finish it! That never happened. The first book in the series, "Here, There Be Dragons," was brilliant, and easily one of my favorite reads of the decade. After ordering this book from Vine I immediately bought the third book in anticipation. Now both are sitting on a shelf, both unread.

The art is still mesmerizing. James Owens is a gifted artist. The story, however, never grabbed hold. That was disappointing. I very badly wanted to be swept away as I was in the first book, but would have settled for 'engaged-enough-to-want-finish.'

Writing this, and remembering how much I loved "Here, There Be Dragons,"
makes me want to go back and give the book another try. If I do, and my opinion is any different, I'll be sure to make note of it here.

This book is really fun for not only young adults but for those of us "young at heart" but older in body. If you like Fantasy Fiction this is for you.

I started reading The Indigo King last night after putting my kids to bed, expecting to read a little bit and then go to sleep. Suffice to say, I was still reading past 1AM.

I have not read the other two books in the series, and there are parts where it may have been helpful, but I don't believe that they are necessary. I fully intend to purchase the first two books though - not only because it may clarify a few things mentioned during this story, but also because I just really enjoyed the book!

The premise behind the series is fascinating - basically, take some of the most well-known authors in the world (Jules Verne, Sam Clemens, etc.), make them into Caretakers of mythical lands that truly exist, throw in a few greedy individuals, a couple of bad guys, and some amazing creatures, and you have the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica (being the book that holds the maps of all these mythical lands).

In this one, there is a fascinating take on the King Aurthur legends. The twin sons of Odysseus are the primary characters, and the Caretakers are tracking the twins' movements in order to find out which one is the Winter King responsible for so much damage and destruction. Along the way, they chat with Circe, meet the Cartographer in person, and bring King Aurthur...well, that's for me to know and you to read!

If you're a fan of fantasy, love dragons, and hate giants - then you'll will probably very much enjoy The Indigo King!

The Indigo King has high aspirations that it sets up in terms of character and a large plot canvas, but doesn't really meet, though it is a solid work of fantasy. Its major flaws are in its construction: a picaresque pastiche. The pastiche part is a myriad of legendary and mythological sources. On the surface, one might expect such a all-encompassing field of sources ranging from Arthurian legends to Greek mythology to Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and Mark Twain (to name only some) would offer up a rich tapestry of fiction. But the opposite is true--we tend to land on these like a rock skipping across water and so we never really feel present in the mythology; they're never around long enough to awe us. The picaresque structure of the book, set up via a multi-faceted quest that has the heroes popping a set number of times through a magical screen into various times and places in order to fulfill a quest, only adds to this feeling. Just as we're never fully immersed in any particular mythology or legend, we're never present long enough in any single time or place to get an emotional attachment to it. It's the difference between spending two weeks in Ireland or taking a two-week tour of all of Europe with a night in Ireland, one in England, one in France, etc., watching the countries go by through a bus window rather than really experiencing them. One wishes the author had chosen half the source material and a quarter of the plot movement (at the most).
The plot itself has some problems of logic and arbitrariness, and once we're out of the Winter Kingdom (the strongest setting in the book and one we're in and out of far too quickly), there's little sense of suspense or danger due to some weak description, the aforementioned popping in and out, and some odd author decisions (many exciting scenes happen offstage and some scenes involving giants, ripe for tension and danger, are bled dry of either due to how they are handled).
It's an easy, effortless read, with a bit of mystery and enough winning moments to keep the reader going forward, and there is one particularly emotional scene toward the end, but in general, by the end, one is pleased at finishing the book but I'm not sure one will remember much about it. It isn't a bad book by any means, but it doesn't enthrall, awe, or inspire. Which is too bad because it seems it could have. The problem is, there's so much good fantasy out there that it's hard to recommend a book that is just solid. Therefore, I'd say save Indigo for when you've exhausted some better choices.

More than most novels of the imagination, The Indigo King makes the creative act the centerpiece of the plot. From its beautifully designed and executed cover art to the author's splendid ink illustrations that festoon the book, the novel's presentation celebrates the artistry involved in its own creation as well as others like it. With a plot that involves such masters of the imagination as J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams and H. G. Wells, and an imaginary atlas called the Imaginarium Geographica - an atlas of imaginary places - that the famous writers are asked to guard, all aspects of creativity are exalted in this superlative fantasy novel.

James A. Owen is doubly gifted: he writes well and draws beautifully. His lovely illustrations, resembling classic 19th century wood-block drawings that one might see in a masterful Folio Society rendition of a book of fairy tales, raises the bar in new imaginative fiction. I found myself quickly drawn into his world, the beauty of the book acting as a portal through which my own imagination acted as the guide. This is the third book of a series but it can stand alone without loss of continuity. Ostensibly written for young adults, adults who enjoy works that break the boundaries between what is real and what exists in imaginative worlds lying just beyond our reach will appreciate the many beauties contained between its covers. A lovely book that is strongly recommended.

Mike Birman

Even in fantasy and science fiction, the plot must have a certain logic. Much of what happens in this book makes no sense on any level, although there's a lot to like anyway. My favorite part of the book is probably the talking animals. And there's lots more fun, too. But James Owen needs to find a better editor. He's trying to stitch together too many unrelated literary references--and the result is a big, disorganized pastiche.

When I first found out about these books I went crazy after reading the first book.
At that time there were three books, I went back to the store after three days and got them.
I didn't find this book confusing at all, it just felt flat to me once I read it but I did enjoy it. I love the interactions with the characters and how the author tires to justify them at the same time.Koodoos to James and thanks for the great read.

Third in a great series, I am using this as a read aloud for my dyslexic teenage sons. It is a fantastic series for all three of us, and I recommended it to the middle school librarian. I have loved this series and this is a terrific addition to it, including even more references to fantasy series we three have read. To keep up, we keep firing up computer searches to learn more about historical or mythological characters. Awesome!

I got my family hooked on this book series and they insisted I buy this one. It may not be what you're used to because of the dramatic twist of events that occur throughout the book that will keep you guessing but it is still an excellent book to add to your collection
It is amazing how James Owen interweaves so many mythological, historical, and legendary stories together into one frame of reading with each of his books. I would recommend this to anyone; especially for those who have read "Here, there be Dragons" and "The Search for the Red Dragon" books.

This time the book revolves around the Holy Grail, Camelot, Odysseus, and events past. It continues the tale surrounding John, Jack, and Charles but this time puts a dark twist on the events that they themselves cast into the frame and that they will have to unravel through time; or more like through the unraveling of time. They will have to travel to the past to fix the present which is not looking to be a very nice place to visit let alone be stuck in.

The Winter King returns and this time you get a chance of understanding who he is and how he became the Winter King. Also, the answer to the identity of the Cartographer of Lost Places is finally revealed.
There are also new characters to join the fray of things including: Hugo Dyson, Uncas son of Tummeler, Fred grandson of Tummeler, Hank Morgan, Chaz, and quite a few more.

From inside of the cover - On a September evening in 1931, John and Jack, two of the Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica discover a cryptic warning on a medieval manuscript--which is not only addressed to them but seems to have been written by their friend, Hugo Dyson! But before they can discover the origin of the strange book, Hugo walks through a door in time and vanishes into the past.
And in that moment, the world begins to change.
The Frontier, which separates our world from the Archipelago of Dreams, has fallen. Dark and terrible beasts roam throughout England. No one can be summoned from the Archipelago. And both worlds have fallen into darkness under the reign of a cruel and terrible king.
The only hope to restore the proper order of things lies on a forgotten island at the edge of the Archipelago, where a time travel device left by Jules Verne must be used to race through history itself--from the Bronze Age to ancient Alexandria and the founding of the Silver Throne--in one night. And in that single night, John and Jack will find that the only way to save their friend and stop the chaos destroying the world is to solve a 2,000-year-old mystery: Who is the Cartographer?