Book Review: "The Story of Owen"
Jan. 10th, 2014 08:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hiddencaitThe Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E. K. Johnston
Ladies and gents, I’d like you introduce you to one of the most creative takes on dragons/dragon slaying that I have read in a very long time. Warning – I am likely to be less than coherent with this review. Babble tends to happen when I discover a story I love.
The Story of Owen definitely falls into the category of “books I love.” Why, you ask?
Well, for one, Johnston managed one of the most well thought out alternate histories I’ve seen in years. The existence of dragons affect some of the major incidences in our history, the Suez Canal in particular, and you know that vast desert across North Africa? It was caused by improper dragon butchering after Rome defeated Carthage. Draconic existence also affects even the most ordinary parts of day to day life. Drive a car that still runs on fossil fuels? You definitely had to pass a class in how to avoid being attacked on the road by a carbon-eating dragon. Like the music of the Beatles? That’s probably because they paved the way for popular culture to not mention the large and scaly elephants in the room. These are the types of details that I just love, and this story has tons of them. It was like Easter egg hunting, and I was grinning with every one I noticed.
On to the characters! Owen himself was the kind of teen you’d expect a budding dragon slayer to be – awkward, popular, and really terrible at homework but really incredible with a sword. I enjoyed how normal he was, if that makes sense at all.
However, I have to admit that Siobhan, our narrator was definitely the character I connected with most. The Bardic aspects of this story, complete with the way she “heard” each person around her in various musical tapestries and instrumentation, created a wonderful full-audio effect for me. I grew up with music in school and this was a wonderful trip through band-hall nostalgia.
Added bonus: the supporting cast was just as well-rounded out as Owen and Siobhan. Owen’s aunts in particular warmed my heart in the best of ways. And of course, I’m always excited anytime an author can manage women with swords and smith craft seamlessly in a present day setting.
And finally the plot! Well… I can’t tell you much about the plot without risking River Song in my ear whispering “spoilers!” Let me just say that Johnston does a great job of connecting the small Canadian town to the global scale while still making the story about a community. People, not dragons, are at the heart of this tale. Which is as it should be.
Now I just have to wait to get my physical copy of the book when it goes live on March 1, 2014. And then wait some more for the sequel.
In the mean time though – here, have a preorder link or three!
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-story-of-owen-e-k-johnston/1116786381?ean=9781467710664
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Story-Owen-Trondheim-Fiction/dp/1467710660/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_har?ie=UTF8&qid=1389326367&sr=8-1&keywords=the+story+of+owen
Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Story-Owen-E-K-Johnston/9781467710664
Ladies and gents, I’d like you introduce you to one of the most creative takes on dragons/dragon slaying that I have read in a very long time. Warning – I am likely to be less than coherent with this review. Babble tends to happen when I discover a story I love.
The Story of Owen definitely falls into the category of “books I love.” Why, you ask?
Well, for one, Johnston managed one of the most well thought out alternate histories I’ve seen in years. The existence of dragons affect some of the major incidences in our history, the Suez Canal in particular, and you know that vast desert across North Africa? It was caused by improper dragon butchering after Rome defeated Carthage. Draconic existence also affects even the most ordinary parts of day to day life. Drive a car that still runs on fossil fuels? You definitely had to pass a class in how to avoid being attacked on the road by a carbon-eating dragon. Like the music of the Beatles? That’s probably because they paved the way for popular culture to not mention the large and scaly elephants in the room. These are the types of details that I just love, and this story has tons of them. It was like Easter egg hunting, and I was grinning with every one I noticed.
On to the characters! Owen himself was the kind of teen you’d expect a budding dragon slayer to be – awkward, popular, and really terrible at homework but really incredible with a sword. I enjoyed how normal he was, if that makes sense at all.
However, I have to admit that Siobhan, our narrator was definitely the character I connected with most. The Bardic aspects of this story, complete with the way she “heard” each person around her in various musical tapestries and instrumentation, created a wonderful full-audio effect for me. I grew up with music in school and this was a wonderful trip through band-hall nostalgia.
Added bonus: the supporting cast was just as well-rounded out as Owen and Siobhan. Owen’s aunts in particular warmed my heart in the best of ways. And of course, I’m always excited anytime an author can manage women with swords and smith craft seamlessly in a present day setting.
And finally the plot! Well… I can’t tell you much about the plot without risking River Song in my ear whispering “spoilers!” Let me just say that Johnston does a great job of connecting the small Canadian town to the global scale while still making the story about a community. People, not dragons, are at the heart of this tale. Which is as it should be.
Now I just have to wait to get my physical copy of the book when it goes live on March 1, 2014. And then wait some more for the sequel.
In the mean time though – here, have a preorder link or three!
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-story-of-owen-e-k-johnston/1116786381?ean=9781467710664
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Story-Owen-Trondheim-Fiction/dp/1467710660/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_har?ie=UTF8&qid=1389326367&sr=8-1&keywords=the+story+of+owen
Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Story-Owen-E-K-Johnston/9781467710664
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Date: 2014-01-10 02:58 pm (UTC)But what can I say... ? :P I wish that Angelo was old enough to read these kinds of books!
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Date: 2014-01-10 03:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-13 07:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-10 05:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-10 05:48 pm (UTC)