The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica Series by James A. Owen

The Imaginarium Geographica"What is it?" John asked.The little man blinked and arched an eyebrow."It is the world, my boy," he said. "All the world, in ink and blood, vellum and parchment, leather and hide. It is the world, and it is yours to save or lose." An unusual murder brings together three strangers, John, Jack, and Charles, on a rainy night in London during the first World War... moreThe Imaginarium Geographica"What is it?" John asked.The little man blinked and arched an eyebrow."It is the world, my boy," he said. "All the world, in ink and blood, vellum and parchment, leather and hide. It is the world, and it is yours to save or lose." An unusual murder brings together three strangers, John, Jack, and Charles, on a rainy night in London during the first World War. An eccentric little man called Bert tells them that they are now the caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica -- an atlas of all the lands that have ever existed in myth and legend, fable and fairy tale. These lands, Bert claims, can be traveled to in his ship the Indigo Dragon, one of only seven vessels that is able to cross the Frontier between worlds into the Archipelago of Dreams.Pursued by strange and terrifying creatures, the companions flee London aboard the Dragonship. Traveling to the very realm of the imagination itself, they must learn to overcome their fears and trust in one another if they are to defeat the dark forces that threaten the destiny of two worlds.An extraordinary journey of myth, magic, and mystery, Here, There Be Dragons introduces James A. Owen as a formidable new talent. less

"'The Crusade has begun'... "There's an old myth in the Archipelago," he went on softly, shaking his head. "A legend, really...I recall it mentioned a Crusade, but those events happened seven centuries ago. We always thought it was only a story." It has been nine years since John, Jack, and Charles had their great adventure in the Archipelago of Dreams and became the Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica... more"'The Crusade has begun'... "There's an old myth in the Archipelago," he went on softly, shaking his head. "A legend, really...I recall it mentioned a Crusade, but those events happened seven centuries ago. We always thought it was only a story." It has been nine years since John, Jack, and Charles had their great adventure in the Archipelago of Dreams and became the Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica. Now they have been brought together again to solve a mystery: Someone is kidnapping the children of the Archipelago. And their only clue is a mysterious message delivered by a strange girl with artificial wings: "The Crusade has begun." Worse, they discover that all of the legendary Dragonships have disappeared as well. The only chance they have to save the world from a centuries-old plot is to seek out the last of the Dragonships -- the Red Dragon -- in a spectacular journey that takes them from Sir James Barrie's Kensington Gardens to the Underneath of the Greek Titans of myth. With friends both familiar and new, they will travel through an extraordinary landscape where history, myth, and fable blend together to tell the oldest story in the world. And along the way, the Caretakers of the Geographica will discover that great deeds alone do not make heroes, and that growing up may be unavoidable...but growing old doesn't have to be. less

John and Jack are mystified when they discover a cryptic warning on a medieval manuscript—a warning that is not only addressed to them, but seems to have been written by their friend, Hugo Dyson. But before they can discover the origins of the book, Hugo walks through a door in time—and vanishes into the past.In that moment, the world begins to change. Now, the Archipelago of Dreams and our world both suffer under the reign of the cruel and terrible Winter King... moreJohn and Jack are mystified when they discover a cryptic warning on a medieval manuscript—a warning that is not only addressed to them, but seems to have been written by their friend, Hugo Dyson. But before they can discover the origins of the book, Hugo walks through a door in time—and vanishes into the past.In that moment, the world begins to change. Now, the Archipelago of Dreams and our world both suffer under the reign of the cruel and terrible Winter King. Dark beasts roam the countryside, and terror rules the land.John and Jack must travel back in time—from the Bronze Age to the library in ancient Alexandria to the founding of the Silver Throne—to find the only thing that can save their friend and restore both words. The solution lies in the answer to a 2,000-year-old mystery: Who is the Cartographer? less

The Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica are at war. The Imperial Cartological Society, led by Richard Burton, have collected all of the doors from the Keep of Time, and are building a new tower in our world at the request of an old enemy: The Winter King’s Shadow. He has a terrible weapon – The Spear of Destiny – that can be used to command the shadows of anyone it touches…including the protectors of the Archipelago, the dragons... moreThe Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica are at war. The Imperial Cartological Society, led by Richard Burton, have collected all of the doors from the Keep of Time, and are building a new tower in our world at the request of an old enemy: The Winter King’s Shadow. He has a terrible weapon – The Spear of Destiny – that can be used to command the shadows of anyone it touches…including the protectors of the Archipelago, the dragons. With a ship called The Iron Dragon, the Shadow King regains passage to the Archipelago where he uses the power of the Spear and the portals of Time to enlist an unstoppable army of Dragon Shadows. And after the Archipelago falls, he intends to betray the Allies in our world – but not to align himself with the opposition. The Shadow King intends to use the turmoil of WWII to take over BOTH worlds. All the legendary Caretakers, past and present, come together on a great island in the northermost part of the Archipelago to decide the ultimate fate of the Imaginarium Geographica, as a terrible battle ravages the lands around them. And their only hope lies with a small group of companions who are on the quest for the broken sword Caliburn: the Grail Child Rose Dyson; her mechanical companion, the owl Archie; a mouse with an attitude; a dead Professor of Ancient Literature; and the mythical knight, Don Quixote. They must sail beyond the ends of the Archipelago in search of the sword, and the only being alive who can repair it: a scholar, who, once upon a time, was called Madoc. less

Seven years after the events of The Shadow Dragons, John, Jack and Charles are finally able to return to their beloved Archipelago of Dreams. But even as their return is celebrated by old friends, new concerns shadow the reunion: the threat of Ecthroi, primordial Shadow. And perhaps even worse, the apparent splintering of Time itself. Now, the Caretakers must fight against their most fearsome enemy ever and attempt to restore Time... moreSeven years after the events of The Shadow Dragons, John, Jack and Charles are finally able to return to their beloved Archipelago of Dreams. But even as their return is celebrated by old friends, new concerns shadow the reunion: the threat of Ecthroi, primordial Shadow. And perhaps even worse, the apparent splintering of Time itself. Now, the Caretakers must fight against their most fearsome enemy ever and attempt to restore Time. They must journey through a forgotten Door from the destroyed Keep of Time in order to seek out the Dragon's Apprentice. If they fail, it will mean the end of both of the worlds. But success will carry its own price - a price that may be too high even for the Caretakers to bear. less

The Archipelago of Dreams is no more…but the battle to save it has just begun in the penultimate book in the acclaimed Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series.The Caretakers are at war. The Archipelago of Dreams has fallen to the Echthroi, and the link to the Summer Country has been lost. The Keep of Time must be rebuilt, and the secret lies somewhere in Deep Time at the beginnings of the World, when the Summer Country and the Archipelago were one and the same... moreThe Archipelago of Dreams is no more…but the battle to save it has just begun in the penultimate book in the acclaimed Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series.The Caretakers are at war. The Archipelago of Dreams has fallen to the Echthroi, and the link to the Summer Country has been lost. The Keep of Time must be rebuilt, and the secret lies somewhere in Deep Time at the beginnings of the World, when the Summer Country and the Archipelago were one and the same. Fortunately, there is still hope: the Grail child, Rose Dyson, and the new Cartographer Edmund McGee have learned how to map time, and through a precarious balance of travel to the past and the future, they have a chance of repairing the present.     Rife with allusions to history’s great literary figures and personalities, from Gilgamesh and Medea to Edgar Allan Poe and H.G. Wells, this absorbing adventure, the sixth in the Imaginarium Geographica series, leads its heroes to a land where all secrets may be found: Known at the beginning of time as the City of Jade, history came to call it Atlantis. And it is there that the Architect of the Keep may have trained the young angel who built the city—an angel named Samaranth. less

Restoring the Archipelago of Dreams comes with a precious price in this final volume of the critically acclaimed Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series.To save the world, Charles, the Grail Child Rose Dyson, and Edmund McGee must travel deep into the past to discover the identity of the mythical Architect of the Keep of Time. However, even if that tower can be restored, the Archipelago of Dreams is still missing... moreRestoring the Archipelago of Dreams comes with a precious price in this final volume of the critically acclaimed Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series.To save the world, Charles, the Grail Child Rose Dyson, and Edmund McGee must travel deep into the past to discover the identity of the mythical Architect of the Keep of Time. However, even if that tower can be restored, the Archipelago of Dreams is still missing. Somehow, the first Dragon must be found to restore the lands to what they once were. But fulfilling their mission may be giving the Echthroi exactly what they wanted all along… In this chilling conclusion to the critically acclaimed Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series, the Caretakers will have to trust those who were once enemies, defeat the worst within themselves, and discover what may be the most important truth of all: where there is hope, and will, and courage, redemption is always possible. less

Ten years ago, HERE, THERE BE DRAGONS, the first book in James A. Owen's illustrated Young Adult Fantasy series The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica was published. It became a bestseller, has been published in more than twenty languages, and still remains in print in hardcover to this day... moreTen years ago, HERE, THERE BE DRAGONS, the first book in James A. Owen's illustrated Young Adult Fantasy series The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica was published. It became a bestseller, has been published in more than twenty languages, and still remains in print in hardcover to this day. Six other books in the series were published: THE SEARCH FOR THE RED DRAGON; THE INDIGO KING; THE SHADOW DRAGONS; THE DRAGON'S APPRENTICE; THE DRAGONS OF WINTER; and the final volume, THE FIRST DRAGON, which concluded the story he began in Book One...but it wasn't the last Imaginarium Geographica story he had to tell.THE DRAGON KNIGHT is a standalone book, readable at either end of the seven book series, or at any point in between. It consists of a special framing sequence wrapped around stories of all the characters and places his readers know and love, including "The Littlest Knight and the Last Dragon," "Mr. Tummeler's Grand Day Out," and more, as well as the TRUE story of how John, Jack, and Charles became Caretakers, and the long-awaited novella about Don Quixote and the Keep of Time, "The Thin Man and the Queen of Stars." All with new illustrations by James and presented in a beautiful new edition that will match the set perfectly. less