In THE BROTHERS DRAGON by JF Baker, two young brothers travel from World War Two ravaged London to a dangerous world of dragons, pirates, and family secrets. Reviewed by Warren Maxwell. The post Book Review: The Brothers Dragon (Beyond...
The Brothers Dragon
by J.F. Baker
Genre: Middle Grade / Fantasy
ISBN: 9798218258436
Print Length: 226 pages
Publisher: Foxburg & Stern Books
Reviewed by Warren Maxwell
In this coming of age fantasy, two young brothers travel from World War Two ravaged London to a dangerous world of dragons, pirates, and family secrets.
Hidden on an island in the Atlantic, dragons, mermen, gargoyles, and witches have maintained a peaceful existence for centuries. When a malevolent force begins threatening this bucolic existence, it falls on Luke and Nick—the youngest members of an ancient, dragon-blooded family—to protect the island. The Brothers Dragon is the thrilling tale of how these young boys find themselves in the process of helping their family.
“Luke felt his shoulders hunch up to his ears as he got to his feet and yanked on the pants. He hated this feeling, the sensation that the ceiling could crumble in on them at any second.”
With Germany’s bombardment of London picking up, and their father away at war, eleven-year-old Luke and seven-year-old Nick are sent west to stay with an uncle they’ve never met. But when they discover strange maps, references to a land called Draksmore, and a tree house built of stone in the forbidden forest they find that their Uncle Bilok’s home is not the haven they had expected. Together, they quickly break their Uncle Bilok’s rules and find themselves in a world where the fantasy’s from Nick’s favorite books are real.
“‘Sometimes being brave doesn’t mean no longer being afraid. Sometimes it means choosing to do something even when we’re terrified to do so.’”
Finding themselves in their ancestral castle under the tutelage of their father’s two brothers, Nick and Luke are forced to grow up quickly. These uncles, with their strange colored eyes, initiate the boys into centuries-old mysteries as Luke’s twelfth birthday and the castle’s quincentennial approach. Hovering in the background, rumors of stray German U-boats and pirates with spying crows weigh down the boys excitement at the magic all around them. When suspicions rise inside of the castle, they have to take matters into their own hands.
“Nick,” Luke gasped. “It’s straight out of one of your books!”
From the very beginning, an electric pace and compassionate understanding of character makes this story utterly captivating. Baker expertly leads her Luke and Nick through their journey, delicately matching their burgeoning inner growth with its outward narrative display. There are celebratory heroics but also sobering moments of defeat. As the older brother, Luke’s self-reflection on his responsibility to his brother, his embodiment of the parental role, is poignant and deeply felt. The shifting balance between childish exuberance and world-weary maturity is a marvel to watch.
Readers of all ages will be swept up in by the captivating prose, gripping plot, and the easy way that each of Baker’s character appears fully formed and relatable from the start. Each chapter smoothly shades into the next with an almost inexorable sense of fate leading the whole book forwards. As the tension rose and the surprising conclusion approached, I was incapable of putting the book down. Thankfully, the ending suggests more are coming!
Extraordinarily fun and readable, The Brothers Dragon is a formidable new middle grade novel.
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