No Such Thing as Dragons [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Phillip Reeve effortlessly spins his latest tale around disproving the above statement. The author is a master at writing stories that capture the true magic of fantasy, while at the same time rewriting all of our preconceived notions. This is a great adventure story with memorable characters, and has a rich descriptive tone rarely seen in children's literature.

Brock is a dragon hunter and Ansel is his squire. Of course, Brock really knows that there is no such thing as dragons and spends his life scamming poor villagers into parting with their money after he miraculously slays their dragons. Ansel is a mute boy sold to Brock by his father. They make for quite a pair; Ansel who is unable to speak and divulge Brock's secret, and Brock; a con artist who dreams of being a hero. Their journey up the mountain, where they encounter Else, the girl meant to be a sacrifice to the dragon, and their discovery that yes, there is such a thing as dragons make for a gripping tale filled with action.

The author includes lots of descriptions that go far in setting the mood and ratcheting up the tension. His use of language is beautiful without being overdone. Parents be forewarned that there are some gruesome scenes when a couple of the groups horses and one of the group members are eaten by the dragon. Perhaps my favorite part of the novel is near the end when Ansel is able to no longer see the dragon as an evil entity, but realizes it is just an animal. A fantastically well written novel that packs a lot of story into its mere 186 pages. This is a solid recommend for kids in grades 5-8 as long as they aren't overly squeamish.

Much as he did in his fictional debunking of the Arthurian legend, Here Lies Arthur, in No Such Thing as Dragons Reeve deals with con men and the origin of legends in the context of the realities of life in the Middle Ages. He gives us Brock, a knight in rusty armor who goes from village to village conquering dragons--or rather, the fear of dragons (as one of his more educated and cynical clients puts it). Somewhere along the way, Brock purchases a young mute boy named Ansel, who comes to believe the pseudo-knight's assurances that dragons aren't real.

Until at last they come to a little village high on the mountainside, where the sly villagers have already sacrificed a young girl to appease the dragon they claim roosts up on the icy peaks. Accompanied by another con man posing as a friar, the dragon-fighting team goes up the mountain, planning to pretend to vanquish the beast and then claim the spoils of victory.

To Brock's astonishment, there really is something up there. But here again, Reeve imagines what might be the real thing--not the sentient, romanticized creature of fairy tale fame, but a vicious and terrifying animal. The little group suffers as they confront the creature, even as they must battle the bitter wintry conditions on the highest slopes.

There's an adventure here, but Reeve seems just as interested in character, if not more so. He wants to know why Ansel is mute, and whether the boy will ever speak again. He wants to think about how a man like Brock might have good in him as well as ill. He wants to consider the fear of the villagers as well as their communal ruthlessness in response to that fear. He wants to show us unlikely feats of courage, although not precisely the ones you would expect. And that, more than the plot itself, is what makes this a very good book.

In addition, No Such Thing as Dragons offers us the joy of reading the work of a gifted wordsmith. Reeve's language is delicious. Then, as if Reeve weren't talented enough, he provides the interior illustrations for the book, too, elegant little pen-and-ink pieces that start each chapter.

I also like the way Reeve includes common tropes about dragons, but gives them his own spin, making, for example, their reputation for hoarding treasure more of a magpie characteristic than a human one.

Plus, the author does intense things with setting, using the snowstorms and glaciers, rockslides and freezing nights on the mountain to pummel his characters--and his readers. Like the dragon, the mountain is unforgiving and utterly inhuman, yet natural. The cathedral scene, with its evocation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and even King Kong, is another wildly successful use of setting.

No Such Thing as Dragons is a short book at 186 pages, but it's well worth it: a compact, well-told tale combining the best of historical fiction with a sprinkling of fantasy, besides touching on themes like freedom and even animal rights. Reeve gives us a story that feels entirely true, up to and including its (non-)title character.

Note for Worried Parents: This book is for middle grade readers, but it does have a couple of horrific descriptions of a man and a horse being devoured by a monster, also various scenes of peril, some hard-hearted villagers, and a couple of con artists. The overall message is one of kindness, courage, and hope, however, as exemplified by the main character, Ansel.

SO AWESOME!!!!!!
I WISH THERE WAS A SEQUEL.
I AM SO GOING TO BUY MORE OF PHILIP REEVE'S BOOKS
I LOVED NO SUCH THING AS DRAGON S