The Shadow Dragons
Encyclopedia
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 Search for the Red Dragon
and then The Indigo King
. It has been stated by the author that at least three novels will follow, the first of them entitled The Dragon's Apprentice
, along with what Owen refers to as "surprises".
)'s study as well as the ever-out-of-reach "future" door. As the second World War rages in the Summer Country, the Imperial Cartological Society - led by writer/explorer Sir Richard Burton - rebuilds it at the request of the Archipelago's terrible foe, the shadow of the Winter King, who wields a weapon of such power it can take the soul of anyone it touches - even the ancient and terrifyingly powerful dragons. To defeat the King's shadow, the three Caretakers band together with past Caretakers (the Caretakers Emeritis) found at Tamerlane House, built by Edgar Allan Poe
in the Nameless Isles of the Archipelago. Rose Dyson, the Grail Child, Don Quixote, Archimedes
, and Stellan Sigurdsson are sent to retrieve and repair the sword Caliburn. In the meantime, the Caretakers are betrayed by Rudyard Kipling
and Daniel Defoe
, but their cause is bolstered when Burton, Doyle, and Houdini defect from the Imperial Cartological Society, which had allied itself with the Shadow King. Charles and Fred, Tummeler's grandson, chase Defoe through a Trump, and burn down a reproduction of the Keep of Time by the Shadow King. When Rose, Archimedes, and Quixote return, the Nameless Isles are under siege from the armada of children created by the Shadow King in 1926. They were brought by the Chancellor Murdoch, who is a fusion of the Red King from the Clockwork Parliament made by the animals in 1914 and of Mordred's shadow. He wields the Lance of Longinus, which can command the shadows of the Dragons, using their true names. The Dragons' true names, all except for Samaranth's, were found in the Last Book stolen by Defoe. The children are pushed back by the Tin Man
(Roger Bacon
), and the shadows of the Dragons are prevented from entering into the Nameless Isles by the carvorite deposits in the bases of the islands. The Shadow King, however, crosses and kills Artus, the King of the Silver Throne and descendant of Arthur Pendragon. Kipling reveals himself as a triple agent for the Caretakers, Rose Dyson binds the Chancellor, and Stephen, 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 to pass the Frontier. John, Jack, and Charles are returned to Oxford and to their own time, and they forge a full alliance, to be implemented in seven years, with Burton and the Imperial Cartological Society.
Jack/C.S. Lewis is the youngest Caretaker, aged around forty-four. He has matured greatly over the course of the series and is now teaching at Oxford, but remains to be the most easy-going of the trio. He is particularly affected by the Winter King's weapon, the Spear of Destiny, as he had his shadow stolen in the first novel. The reincarnation of Captain Nemo
affects Jack initially, but he learns he is able to teach Nemo how to be the great captain he becomes.
Charles/Charles Williams is the eldest Caretaker, aged around fifty-six years old. In the previous novel (The Indigo King
), he had been present only briefly, as his presence in rounding the trio of Caretakers was taken over by another incarnation of himself, Chaz. However, in this novel, Charles himself is prominent, especially as it dealt with time and space travel, of which Charles is quite knowledgeable. However, Charles does learn he is supposed 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.
), which is located a secret island in the Archipelago, houses the portraits of previous Caretakers, who are all called upon to help the resistance against the Winter King.
The Search for the Red Dragon
The Search for the Red Dragon, by James A. Owen, is a fantasy novel released on January 1, 2008. It is the second book in The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica...
and then The Indigo King
The Indigo King
The Indigo King, released on October 21, 2008, is the third book of The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica, a series of books begun by Here, There Be Dragons, by James A. Owen...
. It has been stated by the author that at least three novels will follow, the first of them entitled The Dragon's Apprentice
The Dragon's Apprentice
The Dragon's Apprentice written by James A. Owen is the fifth book in the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica, which was released in the United States on the 19th of October, 2010....
, along with what Owen refers to as "surprises".
Synopsis
In 1942, 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, dangerously approaching the Cartographer (MerlinMerlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
)'s study as well as the ever-out-of-reach "future" door. As the second World War rages in the Summer Country, the Imperial Cartological Society - led by writer/explorer Sir Richard Burton - rebuilds it at the request of the Archipelago's terrible foe, the shadow of the Winter King, who wields a weapon of such power it can take the soul of anyone it touches - even the ancient and terrifyingly powerful dragons. To defeat the King's shadow, the three Caretakers band together with past Caretakers (the Caretakers Emeritis) found at Tamerlane House, built by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
in the Nameless Isles of the Archipelago. Rose Dyson, the Grail Child, Don Quixote, Archimedes
Archimedes
Archimedes of Syracuse was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists in classical antiquity. Among his advances in physics are the foundations of hydrostatics, statics and an...
, and Stellan Sigurdsson are sent to retrieve and repair the sword Caliburn. In the meantime, the Caretakers are betrayed by Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
and Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Richardson,...
, but their cause is bolstered when Burton, Doyle, and Houdini defect from the Imperial Cartological Society, which had allied itself with the Shadow King. Charles and Fred, Tummeler's grandson, chase Defoe through a Trump, and burn down a reproduction of the Keep of Time by the Shadow King. When Rose, Archimedes, and Quixote return, the Nameless Isles are under siege from the armada of children created by the Shadow King in 1926. They were brought by the Chancellor Murdoch, who is a fusion of the Red King from the Clockwork Parliament made by the animals in 1914 and of Mordred's shadow. He wields the Lance of Longinus, which can command the shadows of the Dragons, using their true names. The Dragons' true names, all except for Samaranth's, were found in the Last Book stolen by Defoe. The children are pushed back by the Tin Man
Tin Woodman
The Tin Woodman, sometimes referred to as the Tin Man or the Tin Woodsman , is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum...
(Roger Bacon
Roger Bacon
Roger Bacon, O.F.M. , also known as Doctor Mirabilis , was an English philosopher and Franciscan friar who placed considerable emphasis on the study of nature through empirical methods...
), and the shadows of the Dragons are prevented from entering into the Nameless Isles by the carvorite deposits in the bases of the islands. The Shadow King, however, crosses and kills Artus, the King of the Silver Throne and descendant of Arthur Pendragon. Kipling reveals himself as a triple agent for the Caretakers, Rose Dyson binds the Chancellor, and Stephen, 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 to pass the Frontier. John, Jack, and Charles are returned to Oxford and to their own time, and they forge a full alliance, to be implemented in seven years, with Burton and the Imperial Cartological Society.
Current
John/J.R.R. Tolkien is the series' protagonist and second-eldest Caretaker, aged around fifty. Since the first novel (set numerous years before, roughly 1916) been charged with the honour and duty of the title Caretaker Principa of the Imaginarium. He was under the tutelage of a former Caretaker/professor named Stellan, until Stellan's murder.Jack/C.S. Lewis is the youngest Caretaker, aged around forty-four. He has matured greatly over the course of the series and is now teaching at Oxford, but remains to be the most easy-going of the trio. He is particularly affected by the Winter King's weapon, the Spear of Destiny, as he had his shadow stolen in the first novel. The reincarnation of Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar, is a fictional character featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island ....
affects Jack initially, but he learns he is able to teach Nemo how to be the great captain he becomes.
Charles/Charles Williams is the eldest Caretaker, aged around fifty-six years old. In the previous novel (The Indigo King
The Indigo King
The Indigo King, released on October 21, 2008, is the third book of The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica, a series of books begun by Here, There Be Dragons, by James A. Owen...
), he had been present only briefly, as his presence in rounding the trio of Caretakers was taken over by another incarnation of himself, Chaz. However, in this novel, Charles himself is prominent, especially as it dealt with time and space travel, of which Charles is quite knowledgeable. However, Charles does learn he is supposed 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 TamerlaneTamerlane (poem)
"Tamerlane" is an epic poem by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the 1827 collection Tamerlane and Other Poems. That collection, with only 50 copies printed, was not credited with the author's real name but by "A Bostonian." The poem's original version was 403 lines but trimmed down to 223 lines...
), which is located a secret island in the Archipelago, houses the portraits of previous Caretakers, who are all called upon to help the resistance against the Winter King.
- J.M. Barrie, an ex-Caretaker still loyal to the cause (Jamie).
- Tycho BraheTycho BraheTycho Brahe , born Tyge Ottesen Brahe, was a Danish nobleman known for his accurate and comprehensive astronomical and planetary observations...
- Miguel de CervantesMiguel de CervantesMiguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written...
- Geoffrey ChaucerGeoffrey ChaucerGeoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
, the first Caretaker by name - Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da VinciLeonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
- Chrétien de TroyesChrétien de TroyesChrétien de Troyes was a French poet and trouvère who flourished in the late 12th century. Perhaps he named himself Christian of Troyes in contrast to the illustrious Rashi, also of Troyes...
- Daniel DefoeDaniel DefoeDaniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Richardson,...
, a spy for the Winter King - Charles DickensCharles DickensCharles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, Caretaker who recruited Magwich and Sir Richard Burton - Alexandre DumasAlexandre Dumas, pèreAlexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
- Johann Wolfgang von GoetheJohann Wolfgang von GoetheJohann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
- Jakob Grimm, a spy for the Winter King
- Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
, de facto head of security after beating the others at an arm wrestle - John IrvingJohn IrvingJohn Winslow Irving is an American novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of The World According to Garp in 1978...
- Johannes KeplerJohannes KeplerJohannes Kepler was a German mathematician, astronomer and astrologer. A key figure in the 17th century scientific revolution, he is best known for his eponymous laws of planetary motion, codified by later astronomers, based on his works Astronomia nova, Harmonices Mundi, and Epitome of Copernican...
- Rudyard KiplingRudyard KiplingJoseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
, a triple agent, working for the Caretakers - Thomas MaloryThomas MalorySir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur. The antiquary John Leland as well as John Bale believed him to be Welsh, but most modern scholars, beginning with G. L...
- Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
, the "master" of the Tamerlane House. - Franz SchubertFranz SchubertFranz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
, attuned to the supernatural - William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, suggests that people should be flogged - Mary ShelleyMary ShelleyMary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
, the only female to be chosen as a Caretaker - Percy Shelley, attempted to burn Lord Byron's portrait in the Pygmalion Gallery
- Edmund SpenserEdmund SpenserEdmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
- Jonathan SwiftJonathan SwiftJonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
- Mark TwainMark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
, or Samuel Clemens, an organizer of journeys through time - Jules VerneJules VerneJules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
, the Prime Caretaker who makes his first physical appearance in the series at the end of the novel. - Bert/H.G. Wells, the current Caretaker's companion since the first novel; father of Aven, grandfather of Stephen.
Other Characters
- The Winter King, in "shadow" form, wields the Spear of Destiny in hopes of taking over both the Archipelago and Summer Country
- MordredMordredMordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
/Madoc, as he appears when he appears at the bottom of the waterfall at the Edge of the World; Rose's father; he mends Caliburn so it can be used when Rose promises to bring him a door so he can leave the Deep.
- Mordred
- Don Quixote, a knight who assists the Caretakers.
- Artus, the King of the Archipelago, descendant of King ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
; he sacrifices himself in the battle; also known as Bug - Aven, the Queen of the Archipelago; Bert's daughter; mother of Stephen and Captain NemoCaptain NemoCaptain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar, is a fictional character featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island ....
's lover. - Stephen, the son of Nemo and Aven; it is hinted he has feelings for Laura Glue.
- Rose Dyson, the daughter of Mordred and the priestess who is actually the Holy Grail; she lives with Hugo DysonHugo DysonHenry Victor Dyson Dyson , generally known as Hugo Dyson and who signed his writings H. V. D. Dyson, was an English academic and a member of the Inklings literary group. He was a committed Christian, and together with J.R.R. Tolkien, he helped persuade C.S...
, hence her surname. She is the key to the existence of the Archipelago and crucial to the plot of the novel. Because she died in some dimensions but not in others, only some characters in the novel can see her, also known as the Grail Child; name derived from the Compass Rose given to her by Hugo Dyson - The Cartographer/MerlinMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
/Myrddin, Mordred's twin brother who was forced to become the Cartographer. - Captain NemoCaptain NemoCaptain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar, is a fictional character featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island ....
, reincarnated as a young boy; he is Stephen's father and Aven's lover. - Laura Glue, the granddaughter of Peter PanPeter PanPeter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
and former member of the "Lost Boys," she has aged some and is now the leader of the Valkyries; it is hinted she has feelings for Stephen. - LancelotLancelotSir Lancelot du Lac is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is the most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories...
, presented as the guard to the priestesses on AvalonAvalonAvalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 pseudohistorical account Historia Regum Britanniae as the place where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was forged and later where Arthur was...
- one of which is revealed to be GuinevereGuinevereGuinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
, his lover, whom he is punished to never see again. - Lady of the LakeLady of the LakeThe Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...
, who presents Excalibur to Rose, Bert, and Quixote. - Richard Francis BurtonRichard Francis BurtonCaptain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS was a British geographer, explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as his...
, the head of the Imperial Cartological Society; a former Caretaker. - Harry HoudiniHarry HoudiniHarry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
, apprentice of Burton and member of the Imperial Cartological Society. During most of the novel, he is delegated with the task of retrieving doors from the Keep of Time along with Conan Doyle. - Arthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan DoyleSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
, apprentice of Burton and member of the Imperial Cartological Society. He is partnered with Houdini for most of the novel, and he is mostly referred to as 'The Detective', while Houdini is 'The Magician'. - ArchimedesArchimedesArchimedes of Syracuse was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists in classical antiquity. Among his advances in physics are the foundations of hydrostatics, statics and an...
, Rose's constant companion, a mechanical owl from ancient times - Uncas, a badger, son of Tummeler, the basis for C.S. Lewis' character Trufflehunter; squire to Don Quixote.
- Fred, Uncas' son; later made Charles' apprentice as Caretaker.
- Grimilkin, An elder god in the form of a cat, based on The Cheshire Cat; bound by a leather collar with runes and a bell on it