AUTHOR: EOIN COLFER | FORMAT: HARDCOVER | PUBLISHER: JO FLETCHER BOOKS | RELEASE DATE: JAN 28TH
Eoin Colfer is best known for his Artemis Fowl series, which can easily be described as action-movie inspired cheeky fantasy aimed squarely at young adult audiences. Highfire is a return to more adult themes, and yet Colfer has retained all the charm, action, and fun that can be found in his Artemis Fowl books.
Set in a world that looks a lot like our own, Highfire is the story of Vern, someone who has chosen to spend their twilight years in the seclusion of the Louisana Bayou, drinking vodka, watching Netflix and reminiscing about the good old days, avoiding human contact as much as possible, steadily sinking into isolation and darkness. Also, Vern is a dragon, of the sort that sets fire to things and occasionally thinks about mating with the local Alligators and getting his own reality TV-show.
Enter the luckless Everett ‘Squib’ Moreau, a young chap who keeps ending up on the wrong side of the law due to his own foolishness and lack of opportunity. Squib’s only talent is his ability to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a run-in with the local (and incredibly corrupt) constabulary means that the little idiot ends up literally under Vern’s wing.
The result is one heck of an ‘odd-couple’ story. The formula is one we’ve seen many times before; an old and wise figure, tired of life but filled with experience, ends up getting a new lease of life thanks to a younger friend. And the young person gets the benefit of wisdom, guidance, and adventure. And Highfire is only partially that story. The other element is that of the fantastic; the story takes some things to utterly ridiculous extremes, and this, coupled with a steady pace and a warm sense of humour, makes it very engaging. It’s messy, it’s weird, it’s funny.
Colfer has a good handle on both youthful idiocy and age-less grumpiness, and the banter between the two is priceless. The actual plot (which mostly centres around crime, conspiracy, and family) is almost irrelevant here; this is a heavily character-driven story in which the drama is only there to provide further reasons for the two protagonists to swear, yell, and bond. The humour is pretty coarse, and that’s sort of the point – even dragons have to eat.
Highfire is the sort of fantasy novel that looks at magical realism and decides that it’s better to go full-on with the fantastic elements, but still retain all the grubbiness of the real world. It doesn’t shy away from nastiness, but it also laughs at the world in a light sort of way. It’s fun, well-paced and an accessible read, especially if you like a bit of crime drama in your urban fantasy.
