The Shadow Dragons

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The Shadow Dragons
The Shadow Dragons, James A. Owen - cover.jpg
Author James A. Owen
Cover artist James A. Owen (illustrator)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica (Book 4)
Genre Fantasy novel
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Publication date
October 2009
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages432 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4169-5879-6
OCLC 288932783
LC Class PZ7.O97124 Shc 2009
Preceded by The Indigo King  
Followed by The Dragon's Apprentice  

The Shadow Dragons, released on October 27, 2009, is the fourth novel of The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica , a book series begun by Here, There Be Dragons . It was preceded by The Indigo King and followed by The Dragon's Apprentice .

Contents

Synopsis

In 1942, protagonists John (J.R.R. Tolkien), Jack (C.S. Lewis), and Charles (Charles Williams) return to the Archipelago of Dreams as the last stones of the Keep of Time fall, endangering the Cartographer (Merlin)'s study and the inaccessible "future" door. As the second World War rages, the Imperial Cartological Society - led by writer/explorer Sir Richard Burton - rebuilds the Keep at the request of the animated shadow, called the 'Shadow King', of antagonist Mordred; whereupon the three protagonist Caretakers unite with past Caretakers (the Caretakers Emeritis) at Tamerlane House, built by Edgar Allan Poe in the Nameless Isles of the Archipelago. Rose Dyson, the Grail Child; Don Quixote; Archimedes the owl; and Stellan Sigurdsson retrieve and repair Caliburn. The Caretakers are betrayed by Rudyard Kipling and Daniel Defoe but supported when Burton, Doyle, and Houdini defect from the Imperial Cartological Society. Charles and the badger Fred pursue Defoe and burn down the Shadow King's Keep.

When Rose, Archimedes, and Quixote return, the Nameless Isles are under siege by children governed by the Shadow King since 1926, under the sub-antagonist Chancellor Murdoch, who, through the Lance of Longinus, can command the shadows of all Dragons except of the Dragon Samaranth. The children are driven back by the Tin Man (Roger Bacon), and the shadows of the Dragons are prevented from the Nameless Isles.

The Shadow King kills Artus, the King of the Archipelago and descendant of Arthur Pendragon; whereafter Kipling reveals himself as an agent of the Caretakers'; Rose Dyson incapacitates the Chancellor; and Stephen, Queen Aven's son, kills him with Caliburn. Finally, Rose frees each of the dragons, leaving Samaranth the last dragon alive. Stephen becomes the new King of the Archipelago, and the Dragonships, now soulless, are no longer allowed past the Frontier between worlds. John, Jack, and Charles are returned to Oxford and to their own time, and forge a full alliance, to be implemented in seven years, with Burton and the Imperial Cartological Society.

Characters

The Caretakers

Current

John/J.R.R. Tolkien is the series' protagonist and second-eldest Caretaker, aged near fifty. Since the first novel (set roughly 1916), 'Caretaker Principa' of the Imaginarium Geographica. Under the tutelage of a former Caretaker, Prof. Stellan Sigurdsson, until Stellan's murder.

Jack/C.S. Lewis is the youngest Caretaker, aged around forty-four; now teaching at Oxford, but the most easy-going of the trio. He is particularly affected by the Winter King's weapon, the Spear of Destiny. The reincarnation of Captain Nemo disconcerts Jack initially, until he teaches Nemo to become the eponymous hero.

Charles/Charles Williams is the eldest Caretaker, aged around fifty-six years old. In this novel, Charles himself is prominent, especially as it dealt with time and space travel, of which Charles is quite knowledgeable; but learns he is to die soon after the adventures of The Shadow Dragons, and quickly chooses to train the badger Fred (the grandson of the badger Tummeler, and son of Uncas) as his apprentice.

Past (Emeritis)

Tamerlane House (based on Edgar Allan Poe's poem Tamerlane), on a secret island in the Archipelago, houses the portraits of previous Caretakers, re-animated against the Winter King:

Other characters

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References