Book Review #19: Highfire by Eoin Colfer

Hello Dear Reader!

In September, my parents got me this book for my birthday, and after following my scheduled list of books, I finally got the change to read it! It is Eoin Colfer’s latest adult novel, so if you’re a younger reader, this book probably isn’t for you. Just to give a heads-up!

The book is set in the real world, with fantasy elements, mainly the existence of dragons! Full of real-world references and adult humor that isn’t suitable for little kids, Highfire puts a fun, unique twist on the genre of contemporary fantasy.

But before I get into that, let’s get into the back-cover summary (found on Amazon):

In the days of yore, he flew the skies and scorched angry mobs - now he hides from swamp tour boats and rises only with the greatest reluctance from his La-Z-Boy recliner. Lying low in the bayou, this once-magnificent fire breather has been reduced to lighting Marlboros with nose sparks, swilling Absolut in a Flashdance T-shirt, and binging Netflix in a fishing shack. For centuries, he struck fear in hearts far and wide as Wyvern, Lord Highfire of the Highfire Eyrie - now he goes by Vern. However...he has survived, unlike the rest. He is the last of his kind, the last dragon. Still, no amount of vodka can drown the loneliness in his molten core. Vern’s glory days are long gone. Or are they?

A canny Cajun swamp rat, young Everett “Squib” Moreau does what he can to survive, trying not to break the heart of his saintly single mother. He’s finally decided to work for a shady smuggler - but on his first night, he witnesses his boss murdered by a crooked constable. 

Regence Hooke is not just a dirty cop, he’s a despicable human being - who happens to want Squib’s momma in the worst way. When Hooke goes after his hidden witness with a grenade launcher, Squib finds himself airlifted from certain death by...a dragon?

The swamp can make strange bedfellows, and rather than be fried alive so the dragon can keep his secret, Squib strikes a deal with the scaly apex predator. He can act as his go-between (a.k.a. familiar) - fetch his vodka, keep him company, etc. - in exchange for protection from Hooke. Soon the three of them are careening headlong toward a combustible confrontation. There’s about to be a fiery reckoning, in which either dragons finally go extinct - or Vern’s glory days are back.

Back-cover summary end! Time for the review!

Highfire revolves around three main characters: human protagonist Squib, dragon protagonist Vern, and human villain Regence Hooke… who really is a despicable human being. His character was really well done. So were Squib and Vern! All three of these main characters along with the wide cast of side characters that include a loving mom, a mafioso wannabe, and a group of terrifying people with a lot of combat experience have very distinct personalities. I could tell who was who just by the way they spoke, and I find that pretty amazing. What I also found pretty amazing was that Hooke was my least favorite character for the best reason ever: His depth of character was that well-developed. There was genuinely nothing good about the guy other than how great he was at being a terrible human being.

The book is set in the bayous of Louisiana, and Colfer does a great job at describing what the swamps look and smell like as well as what goes down in them, from the violence of the gators, boars, and snapping turtles to the unsettling murkiness of the waters. He also did a fantastic job at describing the contrasting, bustling city setting within New Orleans, especially around the area of the Marcello Hotel.

I found the plot of this book to be very enjoyable, especially the growing relationship between Squib and Vern. Both of their character developments throughout the book were smooth, and the growth of these characters made sense and were appropriate in my opinion. I also enjoyed the many, many references of other literary works and real people such as Moby Dick and Danny DeVito. Because this is an adult novel, there was a good amount of adult humor scattered throughout the pages of the book. While I enjoyed most of it, the rest didn’t really strike me as funny, but that’s just a personal opinion. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who would appreciate all the humor in this book. There’s also a lot of cursing in this book, and that personally threw me off a little bit as well. Still, these things didn’t take much away from the reading experience for me, and I enjoyed every page of this book.

So, Highfire rating:

8/10 and would definitely recommend if you like a ton of references and adult humor in your books! Highfire puts a really unique, comedic twist on the contemporary fantasy genre, and while it may sound like it’s not for you, I definitely think you should give it a shot.

That’s it for this book review dear reader! Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading!