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| The Indigo King (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica) | 
 enlarge | Creator: James A. Owen
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $17.99
Buy New: $10.46
You Save: $7.53 (42%)
New (30) Used (11) Collectible (5) from $5.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 10003
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 1.6
ISBN: 1416951075
EAN: 9781416951070
ASIN: 1416951075
Publication Date: October 21, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
"Answer the question unanswered for more than two millennia, and perhaps you may yet restore the world."On a September evening in 1931, John and Jack, two of the Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica, discover a cryptic warning on a medieval manuscript -- which is not only addressed to them but seems to have been written by their friend, Hugo Dyson! But before they can discover the origin of the strange book, Hugo walks through a door in time -- and vanishes into the past. And in that moment, the world begins to change. The Frontier, which separates our world from the Archipelago of Dreams, has fallen. Dark and terrible beasts roam throughout England. No one can be summoned from the Archipelago. And both worlds have fallen into darkness under the reign of a cruel and terrible king. The only hope to restore the proper order of things lies on a forgotten island at the edge of the Archipelago, where a time travel device left by Jules Verne must be used to race through history itself -- from the Bronze Age to ancient Alexandria and the founding of the Silver Throne -- in one night. And in that single night, John and Jack will find that the only way to save their friend and stop the chaos destroying the world is to solve a 2,000-year-old mystery: Who is the Cartographer?
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
Nice mixture November 25, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is a nice mixture of genres. From mythological to real people, the story has them all and remains interesting from beginning to end. For the age targeted the book is not too long and isn't a hard read for a child to read and understand. Depending on the age of child it is good to either read it to them or have them read it on their own and discuss the story with them.
 A fantastical tale that will enthrall lovers of myth and legend November 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I found this book, the third in James A. Owen's Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica, to be the best yet in this series, which features Jack (C.S. Lewis), John (J.R.R. Tolkien), Charles (Charles Williams), Bert (H.G. Wells), among other notable authors of works of imagination. John and Jack's friend Hugo Dyson vanishes through a door into the past, the world immediately changes for the worse, and John and Jack must also travel into the past to set things to rights.
This complex tale features quite a varied mixture of mythologies, legends, science fiction, and real and fictional characters: King Arthur, Merlin and Mordred; Odysseus, Circe and Calypso; lots of allusions to the works of Lewis and Tolkien; dragons and dragonships; time-travel paradoxes. Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee, Hank Morgan, even makes an appearance. Toward the end, we come across the idea of the existence of different dimensions and multiple universes, a concept that Williams was exploring. Mixed into all this we find plenty of humor and nonstop action. And Owen's own beautiful illustrations further draw us into the story.
Readers who are familiar with these mythologies and legends, and with the works of Lewis, Tolkien, Williams, et al., will especially enjoy this book (and the earlier books in the series; be sure to read them first). For other readers, this series will serve as an excellent basis for further exploration of these fascinating subjects. I had thought the Imaginarium Geographica Chronicles would be a trilogy, but at the end we are given hope that we have more installments to look forward to in this delightful series.
 Never delivered November 21, 2008
1 out of 25 found this review helpful
Generally I hate it when people write reviews that say things like, "The book never came!" Because you're supposed to be reviewing the book, not the shipping service. But as this was a vine pick and there are repercusions to not reviewing a vine pick, I feel compelled to post this.
Great Book! You Should Check Out The Series! November 20, 2008
0 out of 12 found this review helpful
In "THE INDIGO KING," James Owens third book of the "Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica", he has woven a captivating adventure that cleverly blends historical and mythological figures and events. It's no wonder that Warner Studios has snapped up this property for a new movie franchise, seeing as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, etc; have all become big hits. A number of historical literary personalities make their appearances in this book but as the story develops, I easily forgot that John was J.R.R. Tolkien, Jack was C.S. Lewis, and that Bert was H.G. Wells. The only times I could tell that John was Tolkien and Jack was C.S. Lewis was during their conversations about Christianity and faith. As to the legends and myths incorporated in the plot, if you're familiar with the Odyssey, the Iliad, and the King Arthur legends, you will find this book gratifying and will be able to understand it a lot better. The publishers obviously have targeted this book to young adults, but if I don't see "The Indigo King" flying off the shelves it's because it may be hard for teenagers to identify themselves with middle-aged English college professors. That being the case, I have no doubts that this fantasy book will easily find its way into the hands of anybody who loves stories with magic, legends and mythology.
A celebration of imagination November 20, 2008
More than most novels of the imagination, The Indigo King makes the creative act the centerpiece of the plot. From its beautifully designed and executed cover art to the author's splendid ink illustrations that festoon the book, the novel's presentation celebrates the artistry involved in its own creation as well as others like it. With a plot that involves such masters of the imagination as J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams and H. G. Wells, and an imaginary atlas called the Imaginarium Geographica - an atlas of imaginary places - that the famous writers are asked to guard, all aspects of creativity are exalted in this superlative fantasy novel.
James A. Owen is doubly gifted: he writes well and draws beautifully. His lovely illustrations, resembling classic 19th century wood-block drawings that one might see in a masterful Folio Society rendition of a book of fairy tales, raises the bar in new imaginative fiction. I found myself quickly drawn into his world, the beauty of the book acting as a portal through which my own imagination acted as the guide. This is the third book of a series but it can stand alone without loss of continuity. Ostensibly written for young adults, adults who enjoy works that break the boundaries between what is real and what exists in imaginative worlds lying just beyond our reach will appreciate the many beauties contained between its covers. A lovely book that is strongly recommended.
Mike Birman
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