The Shadow Dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica) [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

James A. Owen (Author), James Langton (Reader)

Book Description

Series: Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica | Publication Date: October 27, 2009

World War II has been raging for three years, but a more terrible evil is just over the horizon. The last stones are falling from the Keep of Time, and the Imperial Cartological Society, led by Richard Burton, has collected doors and is building a new tower at the request of an old enemy: the Winter King's shadow. He has a terrible weapon -- the Spear of Destiny -- that can be used to command the shadows of anyone it touches.

The Shadow King uses the Spear of Destiny to enlist an unstoppable army of Dragon shadows. And after the Archipelago falls, the Shadow King intends to use the turmoil of World War II to take over both worlds.

All the legendary Caretakers, past and present, come together to save two worlds, and their only hope lies with a small group of companions who are on the quest for the broken sword Caliburn: the Grail Child, Rose Dyson; her clockwork companion, the owl Archie; a dead professor of ancient literature; and the mythical knight Don Quixote.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

War is coming in the fourth entry of The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica. The Winter King’s Shadow is using the Spear of Destiny to make a shadow army in the Archipelago of Dreams, while World War II looms in the real world. As the Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica meet with past legendary Caretakers, the Grail Child and her companions search for a mythic sword. The literary allusions are still clever and the story imaginative, but the pacing suffers from heavy exposition, much of it given in endless group conversations, and the conclusion is anticlimactic. This entry is purely for series fans. Grades 8-11. --Krista Hutley --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

James A. Owen is the author and illustrator of The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series; the creator of the critically acclaimed Starchild graphic novel series; and the author of the Mythworld series of novels.  He works at the Coppervale Studio in Silvertown, Arizona, where he lives with his family. Visit him at http://www.heretherebedragons.net.

 

James Langton trained as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and later as a musician at the Guildhall School in London. He has worked in radio, film and television, also appearing in theater in England and on Broadway. James was born in York, England and now lives in New York City.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio; Unabridged edition (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743583744
• ISBN-13: 978-0743583749
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,751,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James A. Owen has written and illustrated five books in the bestselling Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series: Here, There Be Dragons, The Search For The Red Dragon; The Indigo King; The Shadow Dragons; and The Dragon's Apprentice. The sixth volume, The Dragons of Winter, and the seventh, The First Dragon, are forthcoming from Simon & Schuster. The series is now being published in more than twenty languages. He is founder and executive director of Coppervale International, an art and design studio that also published the periodicals International Studio and Argosy, develops television and film projects, and is redesigning an entire town, among other ventures. James has written and illustrated two dozen Starchild comics, the Mythworld series of novels, and more. He lives in Arizona with his family.

For more information please go to www.coppervaleinternational.com www.heretherebedragons.net or http://coppervale.livejournal.com/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intrigue, Literary Masters and Legendary characters, November 12, 2009

By 

Andres Carrandi (Mexico City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Shadow Dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica) (Hardcover)

The Shadow Dragons is the fourth book in James A. Owen's Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica. It follows Here, There be Dragons, The Search for the Red Dragon and The Indigo King. The premise of the series is that all the imaginary lands exist in a place called the Archipielago of Dreams, whose Atlas, the Imaginarium Geographica -and its secrets- has been guarded by famous writers from our world for a millenium.

This time around, the present Caretekers of the Atlas, Inklings Tolkien, Lewis and Williams have to look for help in courageous inhabitants of the Archipielago such as Don Quixote, Hank Morgan and Alvin Ransom; while drawing upon all the accrued wisom of a millenium of Caretakers like Poe, Verne, Cervantes, Shakespeare and Chaucer in order to stop a villain that is about to take over the World... both the Imaginary and our own.

The Shadow Dragons has a great pace, an interesting story, and much inspiration from which to draw in order to continue reading. To me, this series has become the best way to discover many of the classics I did not know or care about.

Do try these books if you like classic literature, fantasy or a good adventure.

2.0 out of 5 stars eBook carelessness detracts from fine writing, January 29, 2012

By 

Northeaster (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Shadow Dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica (Quality)) (Kindle Edition)

Owen's outstanding writing is deeply marred by more careless eBook editing: what follows includes separate comments on the text itself, then on the eBook edition of 1/2012.

This 4th book chronicling the caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica is, to me, part of a preeminent series for adolescent (and beyond) readers: I find these stories even more compelling than Rowling's "Harry Potter" volumes. Both create rich imaginary worlds with complex plots, anchored by familiar characters which become more nuanced with time. In addition, the "Dragon" books also draw in other characters and events from throughout history. By doing this, they provide a starting point for young readers to explore other diverse works. Certainly, my 12 year old son has been rapt with attention to them and has been stimulated to pursue a variety of new subjects as a consequence. To me, "The Shadow Dragons" is on the same order of accomplishment as the previous three books.

However, direct comparison of the paperback and Kindle publications astonished me. When our paperback version met an untimely demise in a snowbank, I downloaded the Kindle eBook. I was amazed to find that the download contains no table of contents, making its reading entirely reliant on "location numbers," percentage of text, or bookmarks rather than being informed by the author's intended chapter outline. I don't think I am wrong in assuming this is an error of omission rather than intent, since the 3 earlier hard copy books in the series were published with contents. As was the subsequent volume ("The Dragon's Apprentice") in eBook form.

I find it impossible to believe that a fastidious writer would be pleased by the publication of a hardbound book completely missing a major section (and, yes, I do consider a table of contents a major part of most books) due to either careless or bad editing. If my reasoning is correct, I hope it comes to the attention of the publisher and author as quickly as possible.

5.0 out of 5 stars Dragons.....make believe, December 28, 2011

By 

sam - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Shadow Dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica) (Hardcover)

Purchased this for a grandson, who loves dragon lore. Haven't heard from him regarding it; but, I am sure he is or did enjoy it. Thank you Amazon for always having what I am looking for.