Highfire: A Novel

This adorable book for adults is hilarious, satirical, insightful, and a rollicking good read.

The main protagonist is Vern (short for “Wyvern, Lord Highfire”), an antihero [i.e., a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes] who fits in perfectly with his swampy environment in fictional Petit Bateau, Louisiana. Vern spends his endless days drinking Absolut Vodka, chomping on Pringles, and watching reality television. He gets food, alcohol, and cable tv thanks to his go-between to the human world, Waxman, a nearby houseboat-dweller who is Vern’s only friend. But when Waxman has to leave for a while, Vern needs a new “familiar” to see to his needs, and Waxman recommends Everett show more “Squib” Moreau.

Squib is fifteen and “leaning toward” being a good boy. He works hard to help support his momma Elodie, who is a pretty nurse currently pursued by the corrupt town constable, Regence Hooke. Hooke is about as evil as you can get, but with an awareness that he is a psychopath (and proud of it!).

Hooke has plans to take over the drug running business from the New Orleans capo who pays off Hooke and other dirty cops throughout the area. He has visions of being a billionaire with Elodie by his side. (Elodie has special appeal for Hooke on account of having rejected him.)

Vern agrees to take on Squib as his familiar but only because he will indeed need one with Waxman not around. Vern's first instinct was to kill Squib because Squib found out Vern existed. That information was dangerous to Vern. Vern is, after all, as far as he knows, the only living dragon left in the world, and there are plenty who, if they found out about Vern, would like to boast of killing him. What if Squib tells anyone about Vern, or worse yet, posts a video of him on social media? But Waxman argued:

“Vern, Lord Highfire as was. The older I gets, the more I realize that we is all just souls. All souls in different bodies. . . . Some souls are assholes and some ain’t. Maybe it seems like there is an inordinate amount of human assholes, but that’s just percentages. And I do believe this specimen of a boy is a good soul.”

Vern reluctantly buys into Waxman's argument, and just as reluctantly grows fond of Squib, as Squib grows attached to Vern.

When Hooke, spying on Squib, finds out about his new job and more importantly, the nature of Squib's new boss, Hooke comes up with a plan to eliminate Squib once and for all - Squib being a barrier to snaring Elodie. Hooke thought maybe he could even use Vern to vanquish the local mob and take it all for himself.

What follows is an improbably hilarious wild and violent showdown between the forces of good and evil, with the outcome never certain.

Evaluation: While this story certainly includes brutality and meanness, it also features endearing characters, unconditional love, touching friendship, satire, loads of humor, and all the elements of a great “fish tale” - or in this case, dragon tale. It’s a bit like a Carl Hiaasen book, but with a lot more warmth. There is plenty of deeper meaning too, such as the most obvious point that external appearance should not be an indicator of who is "human" and who is monstrous.

I found the coming-of-age, father/son aspects especially appealing. Highly recommended! show less

You never quite know what you’re going to get when a favourite author makes the transition to a new market, but I’m pleased to say that Eoin Colfer’s first adult fantasy was equally as entertaining, well-written, and downright funny as the Artemis Fowl series which introduced me to his writing. Highfire follows the exploits of Vern (short for Wyvern) Highfire, the purportedly last dragon in existence, who happens to be hiding out in a Louisiana swamp minding his own business. As we all know, secrets don’t stay hidden for long, and Vern is no exception, as he unwittingly gets tangled up in some human drama when he goes to check out what the kerfuffle is near his designated territory. Vern is lucky that the person he stumbles on show more his Squib Moreau, since his other alternative was the definitely no good, twisted cop Constable Regence Hooke. Squib may not be a perfect person (he literally blew his finger off with dynamite trying to catch some catfish illegally), but he’s just a young kid with not a whole lot of inspiration to do better, so it’s easy for those of us who remember being wayward teenagers to identify with Squib’s plight and his quick change of heart when he comes face to face with the last magic in the world in the form of Vern. Vern himself is the real star of the story though, as he is definitely not your typical dragon. Having seen far too much tragedy surrounding the downfall of his species at the hands of humanity, Vern is hesitant to trust but yearns for what humanity can offer - mostly in the form of Flashdance tshirts, cable tv, and Absolut vodka - making for a hilariously sarcastic character that we can’t help but laugh and sympathize with. Vern and Squib may not have been BFFs at the outset (Vern being all for killing Squib quickly and maintaining his swampy secrecy), but by the end of the story both characters have been a positive influence on each other, and we can see that the pair of them are up for potentially lots of future adventures. The story of their friendship is wrapped around the high-stakes exploits driven by their conflict with Regence Hooke, who is not only out to pair up with Squib’s mother (a situation that makes any woman cringe, considering his creepy behaviour) but to take over the arms and drugs trade to Canada that has their swamply little town dead on the centre of the delivery pipeline. This drama sure adds for a rollicking story, and there were quite a few moments when I was sitting on the edge of my seat with anticipation, so readers looking for some action alongside their character development are sure to be satisfied as well. I sure hope that Colfer continues to write adult fantasy novels, because if this is what we can expect count me in for some more! show less

Colfer, Eoin. Highfire. Harper, 2020.
Eoin Colfer has a lot of fun in Highfire, and I did as well, though I feel a bit guilty about admitting it. A review in The Guardian describes the book as True Detective meets Swamp Thing, which is true enough, but it could also be Huck Finn meets one of the less reputable denizens of the Addams Family or Guardians of the Galaxy. Squib is a resourceful kid who got his nickname when he blew off a couple of fingers trying to dynamite catfish. Vern, short for Wyvern, is an old, depressed, vodka-swilling dragon who sports a Flashdance T-shirt and has been hiding out in the Louisiana bayous since the Civil War. The villain is a corrupt, lustful, homicidal sociopath, who is unfortunately the local show more constable. Violence is bound to ensue. Each of the characters has a nicely individualized voice, and I give high marks to the audiobook edition. show less

I really enjoyed this book and I absolutely adore Eoin Colfer BUT let me backtrack a bit. When I originally asked to review this book it was a simpler time. This was pre-pandemic and before all of the other ordeals we have found ourselves facing within the span of 2 seasons INCLUDING (but not limited to): the threat of Murder Hornets, square dancing hurricanes, protests, rioting, and Meth alligators (which is somewhat apropos here). Yes, times were easier and a bibliophile was likely to leisurely request, read and review on a whim. Then came Covid-19 and our world was changed overnight and, sadly, with no relief in sight. Couple all of this with the tensions and anxiety such an environment can
trigger and voila, you have the makings of a show more newly minted agoraphobic hermit sporting a new state of being born of high octane terror and a dollop of hopelessness. The world was not the only thing to change, I fear I changed as well. BUT please excuse my digression... I only wanted to set the stage.

Back to the review at hand...

I will admit that I LOVED Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series (all 7 books plus 2 novellas), they are in my top 5 favorite middle grade reads! So, when I saw that he once again penned another publication, this time with an adult target audience in mind, I HAD to have it. The day I was given the ARC I was ecstatic. I finished the book I was currently reading at record pace and then dove right into Highfire... AND... I was extremely underwhelmed. I thought "this can't be right, I must be in the wrong headspace for this kind of story right now" so I put it down to come back to later and every time I revisited, I promptly put it back down again. Fast forward a (mumble mumble) number of months, plus a broken tablet with the ARC on it, and I felt like squelching on my deal to review this book... weren't these obstacles a sign telling me to let it go and simply bale?? Should I just bury my head under a pillow and wait for this wretched year to end?? Well as it turns out the answer was NO... good thing too because it seems that I just needed to enjoy this one auditorily and thus the Audiobook came to the rescue!

This (audio)book is not your average Colfer tale. It still bares his signature: elaborately luxurious world building plus his beautifully tangible characters, add in his penchant for unique premises and your product is a work of art that is sure to please a wide variety of readers! His characters are so well crafted that you can imagine them perfectly, clear as day, jumping right off the page... errr... speaker(?!?) and landing right smack into your (messy, reclusive) life. You'll either love them or abhor them but either way you'll FEEL something.

The book's namesake Highfire, or simply Vern (Wyvern), is not your run of the mill dragon. He is a Flash Dance tee shirt wearing, oil and Vodka guzzling, ornery recluse of a thing that may or may not be the last of his kind. He has no qualms about blessing some swamp folk (or villages of old) with his fiery breath. After a millennia he is (reluctantly) trying to learn how to coexist and actually care about Humans, or one particular human to be exact. He is trying to stop letting his past horrors, complete with folks always at the ready to wrangle up an angry mob, define Humans as a species. This is especially true with his begrudgingly bequeathed "friend" Everette (Squib) Monroe. I enjoyed Squib's character more than I thought I would and I loved the parts with his mother Elodie in them. I was smitten with Squib's adoration of his mother and the special, unshakable, bond they shared. Oh, then there were the alligators. They don't play a staring role but it is definitely good to have friends/subjects in low places.

True to Colfer form, the characters are the best part of the book although his atypical premise came in a close second. I loathed the antagonist more than I disliked a dastardly villian in a long time and could not wait to see how he, Hook, would meet his demise. Thankfully my question was answered and done so with style.

Overall:
I couldn't believe the 180⁰ my attitude took... From the first time I picked up the book (nearly writing it off altogether) to getting the audiobook and relishing every second with it, my whole perspective and mindset did an abrupt about-face. My advice is: if you are having a hard time getting into this one as well, I highly recommend persevering OR do what I did, get the audiobook... it was well worth the time... you'll laugh, cringe and cheer.

Great book!!

~Enjoy

*** I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *** show less

Original!

Eoin Colfer once again pulls literary magic out of the box! His wicked sense of humor permeates this most unlikely story.
Put together one badass Dragon, last of his kind, formerly Wyvern, Lord Highfire, of the Highfire Eyrie, now just called Vern, and a bayou tatty, wise-ass Cajun kid with the handle Squib and you have one hugely amusing story of life in the bayou swamps around Louisiana. As Vern our former dragon Lord puts it, now he's "king of jack shit in Mudsville, Louisiana." Vern's living conditions are not the only thing that's changed. Now "Vern was mostly ketogenic, high fat, low carbs, apart from his beloved breakfast cereals...Unfortunately, it meant the beer had to go, but he got by on vodka. Absolut was his show more preferred brand. A little high on alcohol but easiest on the system." He also practices mindfulness as a way to cope with his down moods.
After a series of setbacks Vern takes on Squib as his general supplier. That's when things become so much more interesting. Squib's mother has caught the eye of the local rogue law enforcement Captain, and that means Squib is under observation as well. One thing of course leads to another.
(The banter between Vern and Squib reminds me a tad of that between Steven Brust's assassin Vlad Taltos, and his small dragon like companion, the jhereg Loiosh.)
With a Dragon lord, New Orleans drug lords, a crazy ex marine, rogue lawman with the handle Regence Hooke, the story reads like Peter Pan gone feral.
The one liners don't stop coming. The tone is self deprecating. The Dragon Lord has seen better days. His wardrobe is eye catchingly kitsch and includes a Flashdance T-shirt. Squib and his mother are delights.
What more can I say? I was amused the whole way through! In fact I feel a further read coming on to take in and fully appreciate Colfer's wonderful sense of the ridiculous.

A HarperCollins ARC via NetGalley show less

Highfire by Eoin Colfer is one rollicking good read! When young ‘Squib’ Moreau witnesses a murder on the bayou (of his new employer, no less), and nearly bites the dust when the killer realised there has been a witness to the dastardly deed, he is rescued by an unlikely saviour.

Enter the dragon- one Wyvern, Lord Highfire. Vern is the last of his kind, and values his privacy. When a ruckus on the swamp rouses him to investigate, he ends up saving Squib. But that only opens up more problems. Despite Squib’s assurances that he will keep Vern’s secret, the dragon decides it’s better to kill the witness after all. A lucky break allows Squib to escape. Not that Vern can’t find him. The two end up striking a deal though, thanks to show more the intervention of a mutual friend- Waxman. Waxman, who is far more than he seems, and is Vern’s only friend. Squib ends up as a gopher for the dragon in exchange for a) his own life and b) protection from Regence Hooke, the crooked constable whose murderous crime he witnessed.

This book cracked me up. It’s a far cry from the Artemis Fowl books, though it has the same cheeky humour. Colfer does a masterful job with keeping the language and tone befitting of the setting. It was easy to fall in love with all of these characters, even Regence and Ivory, villains though they be.

My favourite parts were the dragon lore, and insights into Vern’s physiology. While Vern isn’t technically a Wyvern, save by given name, the reason behind the definition of ‘wyvern’ in the story world was hilarious. (Vern is a dragon, with six appendages. Wyvern of mythology are dragons with two wings and two hindfeet. No forefeet. Think Game of Thrones). I loved the combustion mechanics and how Vern needed to replenish by drinking oil.

***Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for the Tulsa Book Review. show less

I grew up loving the Artemis Fowl series, as a child and even now as an adult. With Highfire, I really didn't know what to expect, but I was not disappointed. Colfer created a whimsical and charming story based on a lonely, alcoholic dragon and a hooligan teenager, and honestly I wouldn't change a thing. Normally I would have been distracted by alternating POVs from three different characters, but Colfer did a phenomenal job seamlessly integrating their perspectives without disrupting the flow of the narration.

I enjoyed the rough-around-the-edges look at a magical being stuck in a very much unmagical world, and I appreciated the pokes at issues in our society without it being shoved down our throats. Definitely would recommend!