Here, There Be Dragons: Volume 1 (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica, #1)

by James A. Owen

James a Owen (Illustrator)

The year is 1917. Following the sudden death of his Professor, a young man and his two companions are approached by a strange man who gives them a book to safeguard. This book, the Imaginarium Geographica, is the reason the Professor was killed, and now, they too are in mortal danger. Chased by the ferocious Wendigo, half-man half-werewolf creatures, the three companions seek refuge on a ship - a ship that leads them to the extraordinary lands of myth and legend mapped in the precious book they carry. As their adventure unfolds we learn that the friends are in fact C.S Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien and Charles Williams - and as they discover that events in the known world mirror those in the imaginary realm, they come to realise the importance of the Imaginarium Geographica , and if not protected, there will be no peace from the war that rages in our world.

• ISBN10: 1416912274
• ISBN13: 9781416912279
• Publish Date: 1 October 2006
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 5 July 2010
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

This is a wonderful books that draws on many of the known myths and histories laid out in our most treasured fantasy and science fictions stories. Not only is the storyline gripping, but the artwork at the start of each chapter is stunning!

(The review below was originally posted at SecondRunReviews.com)

A few years ago I discovered the novel Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen. This is the first book in the 7 books series known as the “The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica” which follows the lives of Jack, John and Charles as they battle the forces of evil in an effort to save the World. Quite a tall order for three unknown gentlemen from Oxford.

This is a wonderful series of books that draws on many of the known myths and histories laid out in our most treasured stories. The books mix elements of time travel and fantasy to produce a rich and dense forest of interconnected story lines–both real and fictional–that keep you moving forward to discover the Grand Reveal at the end of book seven, The First Dragon. The artwork at the start of each chapter is also stunning! That’s right, each chapter in every single novel of this series is illuminated. Each image is hand drawn by the author himself.

By the third book in the series, The Indigo King, the plot gets a bit complicated and becomes one of those time travel books/series that will keep your mind spinning and trying to work it all out. The shear number of the characters with their similar names and the overlapping, intertwining timelines also cause the mind to spin a bit. However, I stuck it out after a confusing third book and thoroughly enjoyed book 4, The Shadow Dragons, and book 5, The Dragon’s Apprentice, which set the series up for the what I hoped would be a fantastic finish. Book 6, The Dragons of Winter was once again just a s complicated as book 3 and once again confusion set in. However, all was made clear with book 7, The First Dragon. The conclusion was satisfying even if it felt a little rushed with some of the true historical background about the three main Caretakers not being fully fleshed out and shared with the readers.

Overall, I liked “The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica” by James A. Owen. The world he creates is partially known and brand new. The illustrations provided in each book at the start of every chapter are amazingly detailed. “The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica” series by James A. Owen gets a thumbs up.

[sstaley]

This was a fast read for me and the ending was terrific with a big surprise!
To understand a little about the book I will refer you to his author's notes...

"History is comprised less of certainty than of supposition. Go back far enough, and fact begins to merge with fiction-or at least with traditional tales, which bear a truth all their own. To me, the most interesting stories are those that have one foot planted in fantasy, and the other in the real world; and the best way to create a marriage of the two is to find those gaps in history where there is no certainty, and create a supposition.

Suppose the worlds of make-believe had a basis in reality. Suppose that we could, in the right circumstances, visit them.And suppose that the proof of their substance was strewn throughout both history and fiction, if only we knew where to look..."...(James A. Owen)