If you've read the Artemis Fowl or Fowl Twin books, then you know that nobody brings fairy physiology and the messy side of myths into the realm of this modern world like Eoin Colfer does. And he's done it again in this earthy, swampy, adult fantasy novel, where Vern, high lord dragon of old, is peacefully hiding out and swilling vodka in the Louisiana bayou. Until Squib, a resourceful swamper in his teens, and a sociopathic constable named Hooke cross his path. Vern can keep the gators in line, but these humans are a huge headache.

While I enjoyed the grumpy dragon and the plucky swamp rat persona of Squib, I was somehow both bored and deeply unsettled by Hooke,

Spoiler

and genuinely bummed by the death of another character who was one of the most interesting in the book and who I was hoping to see more of later

. I also expected a little more sparkling, intellectual wit and found the plot, language, and humor to be a bit murkier, muddier, and swampier than I had anticipated. It reads very much like a YA book (which I generally enjoy but wasn't anticipating) that indulges in so much strong language, substance use and abuse, and death and dismemberment that it had to be marketed as adult (although I don't see why, since plenty of YA fantasy includes those elements). Unfortunately that leaves it in a weird spot for finding its audience. I thought I was a shoo-in for that audience, but it just didn't land quite right for me. The writing is good, and the story is unique, but it didn't have the sparkle I look for in fantasy reads.