Here, There Be Dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica) (Paperback)

~ (Author, Illustrator)
Key Phrases: shadowed lands, master scowler, Winter King, Ordo Maas, Indigo Dragon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–Three Oxford men, brought in for questioning in a London professor's death in 1917, become companions on a voyage through the Archipelago of Dreams where they vanquish a usurper and restore the rightful king, proving themselves worthy to be Caretakers of the Imagination of the World. The three men are Jack (C. S. Lewis), John (J. R. R. Tolkien), and Charles (Williams–a lesser known writer of fantasy thrillers who belonged to the same Oxford literary discussion group, the Inklings). Their identities aren't revealed until the end, along with the premise that their journey became the wellspring for their subsequent fiction. This twist accounts for the extensive use of material from their various imaginations. Readers who have not begun with the publisher's blurb might find the bulk of the story tediously derivative, but those with extensive reading background in both fantasies and mythology may be keen to identify the allusions. The pen-and-ink illustrations, also allusive, include the playing-card royalty of Lewis Carroll and knights that might have been drawn by Howard Pyle. The story itself is unconvincing. The three strangers are quickly identified as friends, although they have shared nothing more than an after-interrogation drink and apparent abduction. Although John is Caretaker Principia and the apparent focus, only Jack's character is developed enough to change, and youth seems to be the only reason for his flirtation with the forces of evil. It is a series of lucky encounters that sets them on their quest and solves the problems that arise. Only for fans of fan fiction.–Kathleen Isaacs, Towson University, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

The unusual murder of an Oxford professor brings together three strangers in World War I London: John, a soldier and the professor's correspondence student; Jack, a young Oxford student; and Charles, an editor at the Oxford University Press. One rainy night they meet a curious man called Bert who tells them that they are the caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica, an atlas of imaginary lands. Forced to flee in Bert's ship, the group sails to the Archipelago of Dreams, where a battle over Arthur Pendragon's throne threatens to place the evil Winter King in charge. Owen brings together elements from well-known works of fantasy and legend: the lands and characters lean heavily toward Greek and Arthurian myth, while clues from the caretakers' works point to the legendary writers they will become. Although the episodic plot is overlong, and the period narration's formality occasionally slows things down, there's still plenty of action, and Owen's amazingly detailed pen-and-ink illustrations, dark and atmospheric, lend a real storybook flavor. This is the first volume in the Chronicles of Imaginarium Geographica series. Krista Hutley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (October 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416912282
• ISBN-13: 978-1416912286
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #67,922 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soars to stratospheric heights, October 2, 2006

By	T. Burger (Chicago) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Here, There Be Dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica) (Hardcover)

Here's some interesting news...this book has already been picked up by Warner Brothers, and Batman Begins screenwriter David Goyer and Harry Potter producer David Heyman will be the producers of this movie. Boy was that fast! There is good reason that Hollywood is interested in this, because it is a story filled with magic from the first to last page.

The story begins in 1917, and we are treated to delightful characterizations of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. (Jack) Lewis, and Charles Williams, who didn't know each other then but would later become friends and members of the famous Inklings group, a group of Christian writers and, I believe, Oxford professors who - for lack of a better phrase at this moment - hung out, smoked pipes, and talked about the writing they were working on.

I wish their identities weren't already widely known, for reasons that will be clear at the end of the book, but I doubt that many people reading this book would have been at all surprised. Three "Oxford men", all writers, all of whom possessed a strong imagination (according to their initial rescuer and guide, Bert)...who else could they possibly be?

About this book. I didn't just love it. I am amazed, breathless, and nearly speechless - I can't believe the author was brave enough to attempt such a daring undertaking and more so that he pulled it off so perfectly.

We are taken into the most marvelous of worlds, guided by the Imaginarium Geographica, a world where everything that has ever been imagined (and possibly things that are true...depends on your take) exist.

Owens guides us through all of these worlds like a skilled navigator, and time and again we run into situations, people, and physical structures that bear a remarkable similarity to what we have seen in The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, and I'm sure much of Charles Williams writing, although I am unfamiliar with his work.

It's such a delight to see these similarities, as they act as a time traveling machine, but I will mention only one.

The main characters and their companions are at a structure that they know to be a door, but there is no discernible handle or keyhole. There is, however, some writing in Elvish that says, "Declare allegiance, and be welcomed." For anyone remotely familiar with Tolkien's work, this is immediately recognized as a scene directly out of The Fellowship of the Ring, where the nine companions are trying to gain entrance to the Mines of Moria. In FOTR, the Elvish script read, "Speak, friend, and enter." Eventually Gandalf (although in the movie I think it's Merry) realizes that one needs only to say the Elvish word for "friend" and the doors will open. They do so, and the doors open. In the scene in Here, There Be Dragons, Jack puts forth the idea that perhaps all they need to do is speak the Elvish word for "allegiance", and the door will open. John says, "That's a stupid idea." You can't help but laugh.

Gems like the one described above are all over this book, and the spell they cast over the reader (this one at least) is bewitching. Part of the page turning tension of the book comes from the actual story itself, the other half waiting to see what new "gem" you'll find on the next page.

The author also was the illustrator for the book and they brought this remarkable world and its equally remarkable characters to even greater heights of believability than Owens' *extraordinary* writing. Owens is a very, very gifted artist - here I am also of the written word, not only of the paintbrush. One picture I'm certain was directly influenced by a painting John R. Neill did for one of Baum's original Oz books. It was delightful, to again be taken back to something I so dearly loved as a child.

Orson Scott Card makes a rather powerful statement (see above in his quote). I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, but I'll be extremely surprised if this book doesn't enjoy remarkable success. It's easy to tell by the quality of the book and the paper the book was printed on that Simon & Schuster will be surprised as well. This is certainly better than any other book I've read that had anything to do with dragons in quite some time. Years. Maybe a decade or two - whenever McCaffrey's first Pern book came out would be how far I'd have to go. Yet this really isn't about dragons. It's about the magic we come across every time we pick up a book and that book takes us to a wonderful place. The place doesn't need to be Oz, Prydain, Middle Earth, Narnia, or other distinct and fully imagined world, it can be our world too.

The book is marketed to Young Adults, but this should appeal to any adult who ever read fantasy when younger. You will remember why you read fantasy as a young adult, and wonder why you ever stopped.

10/11/06 - Why isn't this book selling by the tens of thousands? I'm genuinely puzzled, unless the references to Lewis's and Tolkien's works are too "old" for younger readers. But I can't imagine how. Young readers of fantasy have read (or seen)Tolkien, and most have read (or seen part of) Lewis. BUY THIS BOOK. It's truly extraordinary.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, September 16, 2006

By	James T. Turner "J.T. Turner" (IPSWICH, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Here, There Be Dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica) (Hardcover)

Though listed as a Young Adult book, and I am sure young adults would love it, I can tell you that this 47 year old devoured this book. A wonderful tapestry of fanatsy worlds woven together in one place, and creating an amazing background for an adventure. Worth the money for Mr. Owens rich illustrations alone , the book is a rollicking adventure tale that any fantasy lover will enjoy. I highly recommend it. But a piece of advice, take your time with it, I read it all in 2 days and can't wait for a sequel!

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I'm of two minds on this one., October 20, 2006

By	Jeffrey A. Thompson (Iowa City, IA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Here, There Be Dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica) (Hardcover)

I am a big Inkling fan. I am the only one I know personally who has read Charles Williams. I have read the LOTR, Silmarillion, and other Tolkien works. I have read most of C. S. Lewis and paged through OHEL and Allegory of Love. I have read biographies of Tolkien and Williams and several biographies of Lewis. I was excited when I read about this book and immediately bought it. I haven't read "Young Adult" fiction for a long time so I'm not sure how this book measures up. The book is well paced and it has some interesting scenes. It steals creatively from Lewis, Tolkien and other fantasy writers. It reminds me most of a Williams novel, but Williams, confusing as he is, wrote far more interesting novels than this. Though, I admit I had a hard time putting this book down.

The bad side is if you know anything about the Inklings, you'll be disappointed in the novel. Lewis, Tolkien, and Williams are ill defined. Lewis becomes a figure of decisive action and spunk. Williams becomes the practical one, who must keep both feet on the ground. Excuse me, this is the guy who wrote a play and forced all his coworkers to be in it at the Christmas party. He made his boss a king. He viewed London as a magical New Jerusalem. Williams had his head and body in the clouds.

The logic of the plot is deeply flawed at times. They lose the map and the ring of power. The villian who stole them is in a row boat. They are on a magical ship that does not need the wind to move and that seems to sense where the magic objects are. Should they chase the villian? No, they must continue onto a person who may or may not help them. One more thing. He keeps the identity of characters secret. He reveals at the end that Jack is C. S. Lewis. The author claims that Warnie started calling him that and it stuck. The real story is that Lewis chose the name for himself when he was a toddler and refused to answer to anything else (actually, it was Jacksie and it was shortened to Jack when he was older.) This is how his parents and his brother, Warnie, started calling him Jack. Another problem, Lewis, Williams and Tolkien were all Christian writers. This book has one of the characters encouraging the three amigos to pray to the stars. Lewis and Tolkien would object to that I'm sure. Williams would probably argue both sides.

I'll stop. The book is a fast read and somewhat fun one. The book has some nice scenes and an imaginative plot. I am disappointed in the poor execution of a cool plot idea and some of the sloppy writing.