SPOIL FREE SUMMARY
A young boy named Ansel gets roped into accompanying a man named Brock who claims he kills dragons. But the thing is that no one has ever seen one and even Brock doesn't even believe what he is selling. But as they arrive at a village claiming to have been attacked by a dragon, Ansel eventually wonders if perhaps they're real after all.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Ansel is a young man who hasn't spoken since he was young. He has been through a lot and lost his family. Because of his inability to talk, he is treated like a push over and he does come across as passive. We learn about him through his narration of the story.
Brock is a confident, and supposed to be charming and charismatic (I didn't get that impression, but it's obvious by how woman threat him that's how he is supposed to be perceived). He who loves the attention he gets from villagers. He seems rather two dimensional but his history is eventually revealed.
Flegal is a scheming man who pretends to be religious and charge people money for his services. He knows Brock.
Else is a young girl who ends up with Brock and Ansel. She isn't sure what to think of them and isn't very hopeful of her future.
PACING
The story starts with Ansel and Brock and then goes back, telling of Ansel's history. It didn't really make the story feel any faster.
The story mostly follows one set of characters, but eventually the characters all get split up. Even so, there is no jumping back and forth between them so it doesn't feel fast paced.
However, there is suspense about if one character really died, which helps propel the reader forward.
AN OBVIOUS SECRET-SPOILERS
When we meet the villagers who believe in a dragon, their behavior is spelled out so it's clear they have a secret. The dragon is real, they know it, but the slayer is a fake. So they feel bad about sending him to his death. But not that bad.
Also when a woman comes forward saying they took her daughter to be sacrificed it's undeniable. But of course, our characters don't believe her (although Ansel does, but he still has to go along). Because they have never seen a dragon before.
OMNISCENT POV
The author mostly stays with Ansel, but a few times jumps into Else's head. But more so with Brock's. I don't really care for this perspective as I don't think I necessarily need to know everything that each character is thinking. I like being left in the dark and having to notice subtle hints. But that's my personal preference.
CRAZY BROCK
Brock goes through the most changes throughout the book. In the beginning, he is not exactly likable. He says people are stupid, referring to the peasants. And that he can easily fool them into believing there are real dragons and he hunts them. In fact the first and only time I felt he was portrayed sympathetically is when his horse dies and he gets angry and upset about it.
He even comes across as a villain in one scene when he laughs at another characters fear of being eaten by a dragon.
Brock also is implied to be a womanizer, which I wouldn't mind so much, if it wasn't kind of inappropriate for a childrens' book. He isn't simply shown flirting, Ansel tells the reader that a woman liked his stories so much that she invited him to her room to tell her more. Most children will get the implication.
Another problem I have is that he seems all over the place. He thinks God has chosen him but he is clearly doing everything for selfish purposes. I didn't really like him by the time the story had ended. He never developed into anyone worth admiring.
BROCK'S HISTORY-SPOILERS
Eventually it is revealed that Brock dreamed of glory and fighting in the crusades. But when he saw his first battle he was terrified and his dreams were destroyed. Ever since then he has been on the road with his scheme of being a dragon slayer.
The topic is quite serious, and I don't necessarily feel it belongs in this book because it's obvious that Brock is a shallow character who most likely never had any faith at all. He most likely just dreamed of battle and was shocked at the reality.
I don't really think he needed the backstory and I don't think being traumatized in battle would make you crazy enough to risk others' lives as well as your own. Supposedly, Brock wants to redeem his past failures but he was clearly a coward. What has changed since then to make him suddenly brave? Or suddenly crazy?
VIOLENCE-SPOILERS
There are mentions of pagans sacrificing girls to the dragon and a character gets eaten. Else assumes her father was killed by the dragon.
ELSE & HER ROLE
When Else first meets the group, she hopes the dragon will eat them, so she can escape. Oddly enough, my first impression of her was not sympathetic. She is a victim, and yet I didn't care for her right away.
I think perhaps the author wanted her to be tough and not some damsel in distress. But the thing is, she is mainly a victim. But she just happens to be a girl. In fact, when we learn more about her, it turns out she has been told she is bad luck.
As for her role she practiced throwing stones as a child and this comes in handy. She also reveals the truth about Flegal.
ELSE & ANSEL
lse and Ansel eventually develop a friendship to the point where she actually risks her own life for him. He frees her when she is put at risk and tied up. They only know each other a short time, and since he cannot talk, it's up to Else to share any personal information.
ANSEL & BROCK
Ansel is skeptical of Brock. He is hardly a mentor character or even a friend. I didn't feel like there was much to bind the two of them together. Brock never shares his past trauma with him, instead only the reader finds out about it. And since Ansel can't talk, it would be up to Brock to form a relationship. But it just isn't there.
RELIGIOUS THEMES
There are mentions of God from Ansel, Brock and Flegal. All three clearly have different views of God and religion. Early on, it is said that God took Ansel's voice.
Flegal uses peoples' faith to make money off of them while Brock ends up believing that God has chosen him to be special. Oddly enough, Brock seems to think God wants him to be famous and wealthy (a prosperity gospel, if you will).
When a tree blocks there path back down the mountain, Flegal thinks the mountain is evil, while Brock thinks its God who wants them to stay on the mountain. It's interesting to see that two religious people can have completely different ideas on an event. Although I don't think any kids will find it interesting.
I appreciated that there wasn't one view or agenda pushed on the reader. There is simply opinion. Ansel thinks maybe God is behind this event; Brock thinks maybe God is behind that event. But we don't really know.
CLIMAX
The dragon is caught and taken back to the village but things go sour. Ansel reaches his arc. He, Else and her mother leave town to start a new life.
LET HIM LIVE OR DIE?-SPOILERS
The dragon is essentially an animal. He isn't good or evil, as the author makes clear. Even so, when he is abused you can't help but feel bad for him.
But I was surprised when Ansel did nothing to prevent his escape. Right afterwards the dragon attempts to kill a young boy. I wanted to root for the dragon and just watch him fly away.
I got that this scene was crucial to Ansel, but I thought the same event could have happened else where. Particularly it would have been more meaningful if it had been tied to Else.
CONCLUSION
I don't mind that the story isn't that original. But I do wish that the relationships between the characters had been more developed. We learn mostly about the characters through their minds, and not through their interactions. As such, there aren't really deep relationships.
The pacing is decent and I really found the philosophical views interesting. But I don't think the intended audience would care much for that.
Ansel and Else have an arc, both becoming bold near the end of the book. But Brock kind of goes crazy, then evil, then realizes he was evil, then is still selfish. And then is sheepish.
Ultimately it feels unfulfilling. I give “No Such Things as Dragons” two stars.
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