This ain’t yer mama’s dragon story, not by a longshot. Vern — short for Wyvern, also known as Lord Highfire — is living out his twilight years in the Louisiana bayou in relative solitude, with only Netflix and bottles of cheap vodka as company. When “Squib” Moreau gets into trouble with the local corrupt constable a stone’s throw from Vern’s secluded shack, the old dragon has no choice but to rescue the boy and find out exactly what he knows. Rather than scorching the kid, Vern and Squib come to a reluctant arrangement, and, naturally, shenanigans ensue. 50% dragonfire, 25% vodka, 25% cussin’, 100% a good time — that’s Eoin Colfer’s Highfire in a nutshell. Joyously crass and delightfully irreverent, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants a modern reality-adjacent fantasy with attitude and heart in equal measure.
— Darcy
“Highfire hooked me from the first pages. Vern, a grumpy dragon languishing in the Louisiana swamps, believes he’s the last of his species. Squib, a 15-year-old boy, is just trying to stay out of trouble and earn some money doing odd jobs. The intersection of these two one-of-a-kind characters sucks you in like a whirlpool. I loved reading about the absurd circumstances they found themselves in. This book has all the earmarks of a great hand-seller for the dead of winter, when we all need something new!”
— Patricia Worth, River Reader Books, Lexington, MO