“But I hanker for stranger wilder things: the big wide world with all its adventures.”
— Sarah Mussi, Here be Dragons.
Sometimes what you really need is something to read that is both light and fluffy but heavy on the adventure — something to pull you out of a slump where you’ve been having trouble reading anything. For me, that book was Sarah Mussi’s Here Be Dragons. It is the perfect book to get you out of a reading slump because it has all the best ingredients: a strong female lead, cute boys, fun characters, Welsh myths, dragons, and nothing too terribly serious. The world-building is light, and the teenage voice is authentic.
The book opens as we follow Ellie Morgan, volunteer for the Mountain Search and Rescue, up remote North Wales’ Mount Snowdon in search of a lost girl on Christmas Day. The country of Wales has a place in this story as both a setting and a magical, influential character of its own, which I found quite charming. The inclusion of the Welsh language and traditions helps embed and entwine the modern story in the stories of the past.
Mussi’s writing style reminded me, in the best way, of Twilight, minus the angst and self-doubt. There is no self-doubt in our Ellie, a fierce mountain girl who — even in white-out blizzards — strikes out to save others. She is certainly not a damsel in distress, even when up against dragons. She is clever, strong, and perhaps feels more comfortable climbing mountains than anywhere else. However, she is not immune to boys — specifically a certain boy whom she catches a glimpse of out on the mountain. Fearing he might need her help, she ventures out to save him! What a twist.
The story is quite adorable and timeless. The mixing of modern and myth was just right. I loved the spin on the Welsh legend of the battle of the red and white dragon. It is a fresh telling of an old story that I found fun and enchanting. The story deals with adventure, love, and sacrifice, and it gripped me from the first page. With the fast-paced action, I found it hard to put down.
Ellie’s phone updates were quite funny, along with her ongoing beef with her friend Sheila, who really brings out Ellie’s snarky side: “(Mia-ow!)” George and Granny Jones, Ellie’s closest neighbors, are both sweet and fiercely loyal. George is everything a true friend should be, always trying to help Ellie, wielding his second best ax and all. Granny Jones is the older version of him, minus the ax-wielding (actually, who knows, she just might pick up an ax), using instead magic potions and protective spells. Granny is quirky and crazy but caring and positively wise. Their charm really balanced out Ellie and the story.
This book is the perfect read for the holiday season. It takes place between Christmas and New Years, and it has a matching enchanting holiday spirit about it as well as a magical Christmas wish. The book is chocked full of adventure with a capital “D” for dragons! And, “Not nice little friendly How-to-tame-ones. Huge, mythical, hunting beasts.”
This is only book one, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Warning: Mussi’s cold snowy mountain setting had me grabbing my knee socks and a cup of tea as I curled up and entered Snowdonia, the world of Welsh dragons and mysterious mountain boys.
Thank you to Vertebrate Publishing for providing me with a copy of Here be Dragons.