The Saint of Dragons

Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Mediocre! Stick to movies, Hightman.
Review:
I don't appreciate it that other reviewers have compared Jason Hightman, author of The Saint of Dragons, to classic fantasy writers. I also don't appreciate every new fantasy book being compared to the Harry Potter series, unless the comparison is merited - Harry Potter fans are looking for other good books to read, after all. But folks, The Saint of Dragons is *NOT* well-written kids' fantasy.

I'm not saying that it's bad kids' fantasy because I'm an adult judging the book as an adult book - I read kids' fantasy all the time and love it. Let me tell you that there's a difference between writing for kids and writing badly. Lower reading-level does not entail lower writing-quality. Hightman just writes badly.

I have a feeling that part of the reason Hightman has written a bad book is that he is trained in writing films, and this is the first (and hopefully the last!) book he is attempting. Actually, I think that this book might make a decent movie: it reads like a movie, anyway. But books aren't supposed to read like movies. No good book reads like a movie. I have read several books written from movies. They can be entertaining, but by no stretch of the imagination do they measure up to the standard of real books.

Hightman certainly requires a stretch of the imagination. I find nothing wrong with his premise, that dragons are evil, and have become people-ish to hide among people. This premise could have been made into a good book. I was really excited to read this book, as many other people have been. And I was disappointed, as many other people have been. There are too many unexplained, random, miscellaneous details: some of the details might seem cool, but the random jumble of excessive details Hightman foists on his readers is unacceptable. Fantasy is fantasy, and requires fantastic details, but the details, in some indescribable way, have to be believed. I did not feel the necessary suspension of disbelief while reading this book. Instead, I felt like a lab rat - Hightman tries out too many new and different things on his reader. One result is that the dragons really aren't scary - if anything they are merely quirky and disgusting.

I was not impressed by the characters or plot. The words "cliche" "improbable" "silly" "poorly-developed" "unrealistic" "preachy" and "yucky" have not been applied to this book without reason. I would also add "unbalanced" as an adjective desribing the plot. There is, as has been noted, a lot of senseless action. Almost every scene that doesn't involve father-son whining involves lots of movie-type action. Every scene feels like it is supposed to be the final, climactic, end-all-be-all scene. But then the book keeps going. This doesn't work. Books AND movies have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Not lots of ends strung together. There is also a bit too much "deus ex machina" - that is, too many unjustified out-of-the-blue escapes from bad situations. (Oh, look, the female lead happens, all of a sudden, to be able to read the runes on the armor, mysteriously enabling armor and wearer to fly! Out of a burning pit in a burning building! Thank goodness! Again!)

I bought this book for less than one dollar (plus shipping) and it was still a waste of money. I only finished reading it because I am the sort of person who cannot stand to leave anything unfinished (not because I gave the book some sort of last-ditch benefit-of-the-doubt). I don't blame those who started it and gave up because they thought it was a waste of time. The ending was very cheesy: "Awwww, isn't it great that not all dragons are bad? The Chinese Black Dragon is THE SAINT OF DRAGONS (hence the title). Now we can conclude that there will always be hope for the world, and we can heal our broken relationships, and grow up to become our wonderful true selves, and eventually maybe find romance, blah blah blah."

Not that I have anything against evil dragons as such, but I was shocked that parents proudly proclaimed on Amazon that their kids were spotting "dragons" in the world around them, and blaming these "dragons" for bad events, after reading Hightman's book. I'm all for imagination and pretend, but I would rather my hypothetical kid understand the real causes of problems, and not arbitrarily decide that some guy on the opposite sidewalk is to blame, because he's actually an evil lizard in disguise (even if they believed it was all pretend anyway, which a young enough kid might not). I would most likely rather read about and imagine nice dragons: then my hypothetical kid could imagine good creatures under every rock and tree, rather than bad ones.

If you want to read about dragons, read "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini (a MUCH better first-time author), or "Dealing with Dragons" and its sequels, by Patricia C. Wrede. Or the Pit-Dragon trilogy by Jane Yolen. These books have friendly dragons in them. For a hero fighting a bad dragon, read "The Hero and the Crown" by Robin McKinley.

If you just want fantasy, read: Philip Pullman's sohpisticated trilogy, "His Dark Materials"; CS Lewis's allegorical Chronicles of Narnia; Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series; Ruth Chew's out-of-print books for younger kids; Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles; the Belgariad series by David Eddings; various books by Diana Wynne Jones; or the unfinished Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. And Harry Potter, if you've put it off this long.

For older readers of fantasy/sci-fi, I recommend: Terry Pratchett's Discworld books; Douglas Adams's 5-book Hitchhiker's trilogy; Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber; Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time; books by Anne McCaffrey (many about dragons & dragonriders); and again, Philip Pullman's Dark Materials and David Eddings's Belgariad. And Harry Potter, if you've put it off this long.

If you want creepy-ish books, read Lemony Snicket's wildly popular Series of Unfortunate Events, or the Spiderwick Series by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black. Not my specialty, but both seem like quality reading material if creepy is your thing.

To sum up: The premise of this book is fine, but Hightman's book is trying to be a movie - the writing is not able to create a pleasant fantasy reading experience for anyone of any age. Don't waste your time or money.



Rating:
Summary: Brilliant New Fantasy
Review: Having taught grades 4-6 at a small elementary school for 24 years, I've read many books for children and young adults. Fantasy novels such as the tales of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander and the Narnia chronicals by C.S.Lewis are staples in my classroom. Jason Hightman's novel may well prove as enduring and popular. The pace of the plot is swift, and the subtle humor made me laugh aloud. Hightman's imagination is prodigious and his imagery frequently stunning, and I find myself haunted by many vivid scenes. This is a marvelously well-written book that I'd recommend unequivocally to adults and young people alike.

Rating:
Summary: loved it
Review: This is a great fantasy book mixing the real world with dragons and knights.It is perfect for those who like fantasy, suspence, and action.

It mainly starts off with a boy who's dad abandoned him while he was very young. His dad comes back for him to finish the family tradition of dragon hunting. They go on an adventure to kill the last dragon, soon to find that there are far more of them than they had expected.

Rating:
Summary: A series sure to be a success
Review: ... Dragons can be found in business, in politics; most are in charge of organized crime at the top levels. They can be found in every country on earth. Their men do their bidding now with knives and guns and bombs just like all criminals, but the Dragon has a special place in his heart for fire. They simply love fire, and can never get enough of it..."

Unlike the dragon in Christopher Paolini's ERAGON, the dragons in THE SAINT OF DRAGONS by Jason Hightman are very evil. They are not only bad, but they also have assumed certain human characteristics to help them blend into today's world. Therefore, trying to find them is not always an easy task. The last Knight of the Order of Dragonhunters, Aldric St. George, is determined to find the last dragon and save the world from its fearful hold. In order to do this, Aldric seeks out the son he had to abandon over 11 years ago.

Simon has no idea that he has "Dragonhunter" blood or that the poor-looking man who shows up at his boarding school, where he lives with the kindly lighthouse keeper and his wife, is really his father. As events unfold and Simon is caught up in a wild and dangerous adventure, he learns a great deal about both himself and the man he now calls "father." Simon tries to prove time and again that he is a warrior, only to place them in even more dangerous situations. In the end, however, it is Simon's trust, wits and cleverness that help save them. Simon St. George proves to be a true Dragonhunter after all.

The lovely Alaythia, who has magical abilities and is able to understand the dragon runes, shares their adventures. She also plays a major part in helping to fight the infestation of dragons, and eventually she lives with them --- continuing to study and hope for a way to communicate with the good dragons that might be left.

While all the dragons we meet in this story are truly evil, there is one dragon, the Black Dragon, who is won over by Simon's good heart. This powerful and ancient Black Dragon is the hope that somehow good dragons can once again be part of man's world. The exciting conclusion leads us to long for another grand adventure. Readers will be delighted to know that Hightman has more stories on the way. This is sure to be a successful series.

"Hope, after all, is the fire that burns forever."

--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts


Rating:
Summary: The Saint Of Dragons
Review: I have read many books in my life, but rarely do books ever reach this calibur. The author is obviously brimming with imagination. The book is filled with action and brilliant descriptions. I would highly reccomend this story for anyone in need of a book.

Rating:
Summary: This book is lame
Review: I have to confess that I didn't finish this book, because I didn't want to waste my time. The story was ridiculous - good fantasy makes you suspend your disbelief. This doesn't qualify as good fantasy, because it was impossible to do this.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully written! Invetive!
Review: I have to say, when it comes to dragon books, I am a sucker for them! But in all honesty, I love Simon St. George. He was innocent enough and tragic enough that he wasn't as overwhelming or unbelievable a character as Harry Potter can be.

Although the dragons were not as large as they used to be in Mideval times, I still think the author did a great job at making them a menacing presence in the world. I enjoyed the eccentricities of all the dragons and the little things that made them tick. Mr. Hightman did a good job at making them just as much characters throughout the story as Simon, Aldric and Alaythia.

I read this book in one day and coudln't put it down. Good job Mr. Hightman!


Rating:
Summary: Amazing fun! Ignore the hecklers
Review: I was one of those kept up til late at night polishing off The Knight of Dragons. In contrary to what other reviews have posted, I'd say the characters are nicely developed. Indeed, they are complicated, and they are viewed from Simon's point of view. Simon can not be expected to understand or like his father until much further into the narrative. And, as to the artist falling in love with the knight, well, indeed, love is anything but rational.
As to those who don't find the dragons scary enough, I'm from the school that finds the lurking danger is the worst. And a lot of the dangers are very adult in nature. The book has much to do with trust and betrayal.

If you are reading it solely to pick it apart, I'm sure you'll find a way to dismantle it. But you won't get the point of the book, that "dragons" are all around us, and we have to get past the armor we've put on because of life's disappointments to band together and defeat the vicious and amoral circumstances which surround us.

Rating:
Summary: Unscary dragons and just all around boring
Review: Most every book about dragons is at least a little frightening. This one doesn't fit into that catergory. The dragons were pretty easily defeated, and weren't all that scary to begin with.

Rating:
Summary: dragon hunter
Review: Simon St Saint George is alone in the world. He has never known his parents and has been left at boarding school for years. His life is uneventful until one day a man claiming to be his father shows up at the school and kidnaps him. His father tells him all about his past and his mother. It turns out that his father is the last remaining dragon hunter and he has come to show Simon the dragon hunter way of life. The rest of the book is all about the adventures that he and his father have while trying to kill all of the dragons in the world.


The book moved at a fast pace. It was a real page turner. Hard to put down.



I would recommend this book to children ages 10-12 who enjoy fantasy type books.