Official Review: The Strange Tale of Fogarty Maximus and ...

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desantismt_17
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Official Review: The Strange Tale of Fogarty Maximus and ...

Post by desantismt_17 »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Strange Tale of Fogarty Maximus and other Dragons" by Christopher Bulteel.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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There be dragons! Join author Christopher Bulteel and his intrepid Sir Alisdair Maddy McGlynn, Maddy to his friends, on a journey to Erehwon for a story of fantastic creatures and adventure in The Strange Tale of Fogarty Maximus and Other Dragons.

While out fishing, Maddy gets caught in a terrible storm and is knocked unconscious. When he wakes, he finds himself in the strangest land he’s ever encountered, where the water is black as night and precious gems and gold cover the mountainside. Consumed by desire for the gold and gems, Maddy gathers all he can, to the point where he exhausts himself and passes out a second time. This time when he wakes, he finds himself in the presence of magnificent winged creatures, he soon discovers are dragons. Welcomed to their land, Maddy witnesses the first birth of a royal dragon in a very long time.

When the naming and flaming ceremony for the newborn goes terribly wrong, the baby dragon, named Fogarty due to a misunderstanding, is left pink and weak without flame. Though dragons are peaceful, there are some who would seize power at the first opportunity and attempt to do just that. Can Maddy keep the bad dragons from overthrowing the royal family and help Fogarty become a flamed dragon?

I quite enjoyed this story. Whimsical is the first word that comes to mind when asked how to describe it. The writing flows smoothly, full of cute asides and humorous one-liners. I wanted to take a jaunt off to Erehwon and spend an afternoon conversing with the natives.

Bulteel’s take on dragons is very well-developed. Much time is dedicated to describing dragon culture, naming conventions, jobs, etc. There is an entire world that I feel I only got a small glimpse of. At times, the amount of information felt a bit overwhelming, but it was fascinating enough to hold my interest. As for the dragons themselves, they possessed an array of personalities. My favorite character was Bussby, the transportation dragon who doesn’t work very often on account of most folks already having their own wings, if you, er, know what I’m saying. He was adorable.

When Fogarty is born, there is a turn toward Maddy helping the dragons to understand disabilities. He wants to make sure the dragons don’t make the same mistakes humans did by proving Fogarty can still live a good and prosperous life. I absolutely loved this theme, but it seemed like it wasn’t fleshed out. After the initial mention, the bad guys start moving, and the royal family does their thing and other characters take sides. There are so many elements that are suddenly introduced that the disability angle gets lost. Really, a few aspects of the story felt a bit jumbled. I think the book needed another hundred pages or so to explore everything that was brought in. As it is, all the different plots are resolved. Some just felt rushed and a little underdeveloped.

There were some errors throughout—missing commas, typos, and other things. This combined with the latter half of the book feeling rushed put my final rating of The Strange Tale of Fogarty Maximus and Other Dragons at 3 out of 4 stars. I think kids would enjoy this book, perhaps read by a parent. Younger readers may struggle with the writing itself, but the story is definitely perfect for them. There are a couple of sentences that give attention to dragon reproduction. There are no graphic details, and this is relevant to the story. Fans of anything dragons or Narnia-type fantasy would also enjoy this book. So, if that’s you, take a trip to Erehwon. A whole world, literally, awaits.

******
The Strange Tale of Fogarty Maximus and other Dragons
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You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
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Kareka88
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Post by Kareka88 »

Thank you for your review. This sounds like a very whimsical story and would be great for young people as well as those who may, at times, feel like a young person.
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melissy370
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Post by melissy370 »

This sounds like a really cool story. The cover is bland and I think if it was more colorful with a picture it would garner more attention. Hopefully, the author will polish it up some more. Thanks for your review.
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daydreaming reader
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Post by daydreaming reader »

I didn't expect such an interesting story due to the cover. Yep, I judged a book by its cover. Thankfully I read your great review to set me straight!
"Without chaos, there can be no order"
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