Description
'A joyous fantasy for grownups' Guardian
'A funny, offbeat adult fantasy novel' Independent
'A dazzling first adult novel from bestselling children's author Colfer' Daily Mail
Highfire is a genre-bending tour-de-force of comedy and action by the million-copy-selling master storyteller.
Squib Moreau may be swamp-wild, but his intentions are (generally) good: he really wants to be a supportive son to his hard-working momma Elodie. But sometimes life gets in the way - like when Fake Daddy walked out on them leaving a ton of debt, or when crooked Constable Regence Hooke got to thinking pretty Elodie Moreau was just the gal for him . . .
An apprenticeship with the local moonshine runner, servicing the bayou, looks like the only way to pay off the family debts and maybe get Squib and his momma a place in town, far from Constable Hooke's unwanted courtship and Fake Daddy's reputation.
Unfortunately for Squib, Hooke has his own eye on that very same stretch of bayou - and neither of them have taken into account the fire-breathing dragon hiding out in the Louisiana swamp . . .
For Squib Moreau, Regence Hooke and Vern, aka Lord Highfire of Highfire Eyrie, life is never going to be the same again.
'Told in crunchy prose, with lashings of earthy dialogue, it reads like an Elmore Leonard Thriller, but with dragons . . . Colfer clearly had a blast writing this, and his sheer storytelling panache brushes aside the quibbles of fantasy-genre agnostics with infectious glee' Mail on Sunday
From the internationally bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series: Eoin Colfer's first adult fantasy novel is a hilarious, high-octane adventure about a vodka-drinking, Flashdance-loving dragon who's been hiding out from the world - and potential torch-carrying mobs - in a Louisiana bayou . . . until his peaceful world's turned upside down by a well-intentioned but wild Cajun tearaway and the crooked (and heavily armed) law officer who wants him dead.
About the Author
Eoin Colfer is the author of the internationally bestselling Artemis Fowl series, which has been translated into over forty languages. A Disney film adaptation will be released in 2019, directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Dame Judi Dench. Eoin's books have won numerous awards including The British Children's Book of the Year, The Irish Book Awards Children's Book of the Year and The German Children's Book of the Year. Born in Ireland, Eoin was educated at Dublin University and qualified as a primary teacher, before turning his hand to writing in 2001. Highfire, his first adult fantasy novel, will be published by Jo Fletcher Books in January 2020.
Reviews
A funny, offbeat adult fantasy novel * Independent *
A dazzling first adult novel from bestselling children's author Colfer * Daily Mail *
Told in crunchy prose, with lashings of earthy dialogue, it reads like an Elmore Leonard Thriller, but with dragons . . . Colfer clearly had a blast writing this, and his sheer storytelling panache brushes aside the quibbles of fantasy-genre agnostics with infectious glee * Mail on Sunday *
It's a heady caper with elements of southern gothic, urban fantasy and airport thriller. The exotic swelter of the American South is playfully conjured, while Vern's unlikely friendship with a poor Cajun teenager called "Squib" Moreau gives a rich, emotive underpinning to the vivid action sequences... Colfer has served up a stomping, flamespurting romp sure to delight fantasy fans whose passion for dragons somehow survived Game of Thrones and its dreadful denouement * The Daily Telegraph *
A briskly entertaining outing . . . With this satisfying and at times hugely joyous novel, Colfer is, like his engaging scaly protagonist, cooking on gas * Guardian *
A romp fuelled by great characters * The i *
A high-velocity action-adventure . . . The hilarious, violent and pop culture-packed tale blends the lavishly fantastical with the amazingly realistic - awesome in the truest sense of the word * Press Association *
Very engaging. It's messy, it's weird, it's funny * Starburst *
With plenty of smart-ass humour, Highfire is a fine genre-bending yarn few would fail to enjoy * Weekend Sport *
A fun, unusual contemporary fantasy that doesn't skimp on violence * Kirkus *
A twisty, tongue-in-cheek fantasy that's part thriller, part action movie, and wholly irreverent. . . . Colfer's catchy narrative voice suits the characters and their setting perfectly, capturing Vern's world-weary nature, Squib's youthful adaptability, and Hooke's malicious cunning. This no-holds-barred yarn is good fun from start to finish * Publishers Weekly *
Colfer has come up with something new here, a real genre-blending treat, and I applaud him for it * Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones on HIGHFIRE *
Having grown up reading the Artemis Fowl books and absolutely loving them, I just had to read Eoin's first adult fantasy book and it did not disappoint! . . . This book is dark, brutal and violent at times, but also filled with hope and finding where you belong. * The Tsundoku Chronicles *
Hilarious and suspenseful . . . Highfire is funny, menacing and unlike anything else I've read recently * BookPage Magazine *
Witty, well-developed characters, action, and fantastic violence from the author of the Artemis Fowl series will appeal to a wide range of readers * Library Journal *
A delightfully funny page-turner * Booklist Starred Review *
Highly recommend * Don Jimmy Reviews *
Brilliant . . . I highly recommend you read Highfire, it's the dragon tale I never knew I needed * Not Another Book Blogger *
Fun, interesting and entertaining . . . truly an amazing read * KBook Reviews *
Charming characters, lots of action and ridiculous conversations made this a hugely enjoyable read * The Bookish Gurl *
A hell of a lot of fun . . . packed with vivid, authentic-feeling characters driven by distinctive, sassy voices marinated in Cajun spice and a brackish atmosphere. . . Part Pratchett, part Gaiman, part American Pie * SFX *
A real joy to read. It was entertaining, heart-warming yet dark, funny, had a great villain and some of the best characters I've encountered in a long time * SF Crowsnest *
Colfer's sheer storytelling panache brushes aside the quibbles of fantasy-genre agnostics * Irish Mail *
Highfire is a fast-paced, action-packed ride from start to finish and worth a read if you're already a fan of his work * The British Fantasy Society *
Conceived out of Colfer's incredible originality a high-velocity action-adventure ensures. The hilarious, violent and pop culture-placed tale blends the lavishly fantastical with the amazingly realistic * Irish News *
Deliciously funny * Irish Times *
Awesome * Western Mail *
The great charm of this entertaining novel lies in its characters and generosity of spirit * The Times *
A beautifully judged pitch-perfect black comedy * Irish Examiner *
'Highfire is a 4-star story, with 5-star characters by a 10-star author.??I'm firmly convinced that Eoin Colfer is one of the funniest fantasy writers out there * Ink and Plasma *
From start to finish this is an absolute blast, packed full of character and paced to keep the pages turning. It's the sort of book that will have you in hysterics one moment, wincing at the insane amounts of violence laid down the next, and stopping to think about what life is really like for these characters soon afterwards. In short, it's an absolute joy to read * Track of Words *
Highly entertaining and exciting, Highfire is my kind of book; in fact if you could marry books, I'd be Mrs Highfire in no time! * LOVEREADING *
A wild fantasy tale featuring, among much else, a vodka-swilling dragon. Huge fun * READER'S DIGEST *
The world-building is incredible . . . Highfire is a fast-paced, action-packed ride from start to finish * British Fantasy Society *
Book Information
ISBN 9781529402049
Author Eoin Colfer
Format Hardback
Page Count 384
Imprint Jo Fletcher Books
Publisher Quercus Publishing
Weight(grams) 588g
Dimensions(mm) 238mm * 160mm * 36mm
