| Here, There Be Dragons | |
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September 2006 |
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336 |
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Here, There Be Dragons is the first novel in The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica by James A. Owen. The novel was released in September of 2006; its sequels – The Search for the Red Dragon, The Indigo King, and The Shadow Dragons – were released in January 2008, October 2008, and October 2009, respectively.
Plot[]
Three Oxford students – John (JRR Tolkien), Jack (CS Lewis), and Charles (Charles Williams) - are united by the death of Stellan, John's mentor. The three are entrusted with a special book, The Imaginarium Geographica, which contains the geographic locations of all fabled locations. They meet Bert, who helps them flee from the minions of the Winter King, also known as Mordred. They journey on Bert's ship, the Indigo Dragon (captained by Bert's daughter Aven, who Jack is attracted to), to Avalon, and then to Paralon, the capital of the Archipelago. There was no king, as the lineage of Arthur had supposedly been ended when the Winter King killed the last king and all of his relatives. The party discovers also that the Winter King is searching for the High King's Ring of Power, which they have. Around this time, the partners realize how dangerous the Imaginarium Geographica could be in the wrong hands, and decide to destroy it. As it can only be destroyed by he who made it, the Cartographer of Lost Places, the companions journey to his refuge, the Keep of Time. They lose the book, however, before reaching the Keep, but after they leave the keep they find that their potboy, Artus, is a descendant of King Arthur. However, the ring is then stolen. The companions also discover that Mordred is using Pandora's Box to create shadow minions, and decide to meet him in a battle on the island at the end of the world, Terminus. During the battle, Charles is charged with closing Pandora's Box, which he does, eliminating Mordred's shadow minions. Jack is charged to fight on the battlefield, where he was responsible for the death of another man, Captain Nemo. John was charged with leading Artus to the bluffs of the island, where a descendant of Arthur could, with the incantation in the Geographica and the Ring of Power, summon dragons. They summon the dragons, discovering that the Ring of Power is not jewelry but a ring of standing stones remarkably like Stonehenge located on the cliffs of the island. After the dragons rout the enemy troops, the companions again encounter Mordred, who is thrown off the edge of the world by a dragon. The companions then return to their own world, where their true identities – Tolkien, Lewis, and Williams – are revealed, as is Bert's (HG Wells).
Characters[]
The Caretakers[]
- JRR "John" Tolkien
- CS "Jack" Lewis
- Charles Williams
- Bert (former)
Others[]
- Aven, Bert's daughter, the captain of the Indigo Dragon. Both Jack and Artus are attracted to her, though she appears to be more affectionate towards Artus (notably after he is revealed to be more than just a potboy), and it is implied she marries him at the end of the novel. She is a strong fighter and is good friends with Captain Nemo.
- Artus/Bug, boy (then called Bug) who stows away on the Indigo Dragon after being released from the service of three witches. He dreams of being a knight and becomes John's eager assistant. Later they learn he is a descendant of Arthur, and is thus the true heir to the Silver Throne of Archipelago, and that his real name is Artus. He is attracted to Aven, a feeling that appears to be mutual as the story goes on. It is implied they marry.
- Mordred/The Winter King, he main antagonist of the story. His goal is to rule the Archipelago and stops at nothing to reach it. He is also an heir to the throne but loses out on it to Artus.
- Magwich, Mordred's spy and assistant. He steals the Ring of Power and the Imaginarium Geographica, though these prove to be of little help to Mordred. He was formerly a apprentice Caretaker to Charles Dickens.
- Tummeler, a talking badger who assists the companions. He is given by Samaranth the dragon a shield which turns out to be the lid to Pandora's Box. He is the basis for Jack's future character Trufflehunter (from The Chronicles of Narnia). Tummeler has produced a recipe book and published five editions of the Imaginarium Geographica to the Archipelago, but his Imaginarium Geographica only contains the major lands in the Archipelago and is written mostly in English.
- Ordo Maas, wise sage who helps the Caretakers. He is considered one of the oldest human beings and is the creator of the dragon ships. Ordo Maas offers advice to the companions and is the person to reveal Artus' true identity. He sends seven of his sons to watch over the companions; those seven sons were changed permanently into cranes to help watch over the companions.
- Samaranth is the first dragon, and possibly the oldest living creature. Like Ordo Maas, he gives the companions advice and, in the end, aids them in the final battle. He is the one to give Tummeler the lid to Pandora's Box.