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This high-octane, smart, whip-sharp novel is one heck of a reality and fantasy clash. It perhaps shouldn’t work, but it does, it really really does and has popped itself on my list of favourite reads. Meet Vern, he is currently hiding out in a Louisiana swamp, he doesn’t trust anyone, loves his vodka, has a thing for Flashdance, oh, and he’s a dragon. Having lived a few thousand years he really doesn’t need the escalating feud between Squib Moreau and crooked Officer Hooke to spoil his peace and quiet. This is the first novel for adults from the bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer. I feel as though Highfire has been waiting for me, to welcome it to my bookshelves. The balance between the different genres is beautifully done. Different emotions skittered through me as I read, there’s violence aplenty, and some wicked smirks waiting to be found too. Highly entertaining and exciting, Highfire is my kind of book, in fact if you could marry books, I’d be Mrs Highfire in no time!
Highfire is a genre-bending tour-de-force of comedy and action by the million-copy-selling master storyteller.
Squib Moreau may be swamp-wild, but his intentions are (generally) good: he really wants to be a supportive son to his hard-working momma Elodie. But sometimes life gets in the way - like when Fake Daddy walked out on them leaving a ton of debt, or when crooked Constable Regence Hooke got to thinking pretty Elodie Moreau was just the gal for him . . .
An apprenticeship with the local moonshine runner, servicing the bayou, looks like the only way to pay off the family debts and maybe get Squib and his momma a place in town, far from Constable Hooke's unwanted courtship and Fake Daddy's reputation.
Unfortunately for Squib, Hooke has his own eye on that very same stretch of bayou - and neither of them have taken into account the fire-breathing dragon hiding out in the Louisiana swamp . . .
For Squib Moreau, Regence Hooke and Vern, aka Lord Highfire of Highfire Eyrie, life is never going to be the same again.
From start to finish this is an absolute blast, packed full of character and paced to keep the pages turning. It's the sort of book that will have you in hysterics one moment, wincing at the insane amounts of violence laid down the next, and stopping to think about what life is really like for these characters soon afterwards. In short, it's an absolute joy to read - Track of Words
'Highfire is a 4-star story, with 5-star characters by a 10-star author.??I'm firmly convinced that Eoin Colfer is one of the funniest fantasy writers out there - Ink and Plasma
A beautifully judged pitch-perfect black comedy - Irish Examiner
The great charm of this entertaining novel lies in its characters and generosity of spirit - The Times
Awesome - Western Mail
Deliciously funny - Irish Times
Conceived out of Colfer's incredible originality a high-velocity action-adventure ensures. The hilarious, violent and pop culture-placed tale blends the lavishly fantastical with the amazingly realistic - Irish News
Highfire is a fast-paced, action-packed ride from start to finish and worth a read if you're already a fan of his work - The British Fantasy Society
Colfer's sheer storytelling panache brushes aside the quibbles of fantasy-genre agnostics - Irish Mail
A real joy to read. It was entertaining, heart-warming yet dark, funny, had a great villain and some of the best characters I've encountered in a long time - SF Crowsnest
A hell of a lot of fun . . . packed with vivid, authentic-feeling characters driven by distinctive, sassy voices marinated in Cajun spice and a brackish atmosphere. . . Part Pratchett, part Gaiman, part American Pie - SFX
Charming characters, lots of action and ridiculous conversations made this a hugely enjoyable read - The Bookish Gurl
Fun, interesting and entertaining . . . truly an amazing read - KBook Reviews
Brilliant . . . I highly recommend you read Highfire, it's the dragon tale I never knew I needed - Not Another Book Blogger
Highly recommend - Don Jimmy Reviews
A delightfully funny page-turner - Booklist Starred Review
Witty, well-developed characters, action, and fantastic violence from the author of the Artemis Fowl series will appeal to a wide range of readers - Library Journal
Hilarious and suspenseful . . . Highfire is funny, menacing and unlike anything else I've read recently - BookPage Magazine
Having grown up reading the Artemis Fowl books and absolutely loving them, I just had to read Eoin's first adult fantasy book and it did not disappoint! . . . This book is dark, brutal and violent at times, but also filled with hope and finding where you belong. - The Tsundoku Chronicles
Colfer has come up with something new here, a real genre-blending treat, and I applaud him for it - Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones on HIGHFIRE
A twisty, tongue-in-cheek fantasy that's part thriller, part action movie, and wholly irreverent. . . . Colfer's catchy narrative voice suits the characters and their setting perfectly, capturing Vern's world-weary nature, Squib's youthful adaptability, and Hooke's malicious cunning. This no-holds-barred yarn is good fun from start to finish - Publishers Weekly
A fun, unusual contemporary fantasy that doesn't skimp on violence - Kirkus
With plenty of smart-ass humour, Highfire is a fine genre-bending yarn few would fail to enjoy - Weekend Sport
Very engaging. It's messy, it's weird, it's funny - Starburst
A high-velocity action-adventure . . . The hilarious, violent and pop culture-packed tale blends the lavishly fantastical with the amazingly realistic - awesome in the truest sense of the word - Press Association
A romp fuelled by great characters - The i
A briskly entertaining outing . . . With this satisfying and at times hugely joyous novel, Colfer is, like his engaging scaly protagonist, cooking on gas - Guardian
It's a heady caper with elements of southern gothic, urban fantasy and airport thriller. The exotic swelter of the American South is playfully conjured, while Vern's unlikely friendship with a poor Cajun teenager called Squib Moreau gives a rich, emotive underpinning to the vivid action sequences... Colfer has served up a stomping, flamespurting romp sure to delight fantasy fans whose passion for dragons somehow survived Game of Thrones and its dreadful denouement - The Daily Telegraph
Told in crunchy prose, with lashings of earthy dialogue, it reads like an Elmore Leonard Thriller, but with dragons . . . Colfer clearly had a blast writing this, and his sheer storytelling panache brushes aside the quibbles of fantasy-genre agnostics with infectious glee - Mail on Sunday
A dazzling first adult novel from bestselling children's author Colfer - Daily Mail
A funny, offbeat adult fantasy novel - Independent
ISBN: 9781529402032
Publication date: 05/01/2021
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books an imprint of Quercus Publishing
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781529402049
Publication date: 28/01/2020
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books an imprint of Quercus Publishing
Format: Hardback
| ISBN: | 9781529402032 |
| Publication date: | 5th January 2021 |
| Author: | Eoin Colfer |
| Publisher: | Jo Fletcher Books an imprint of Quercus Publishing |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 384 pages |
| Genres: | Action Adventure / Spy, Crime / Mystery, Humour, Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Star Books, |
| Collections: | 70+ Action-Packed Books, |
| Categories: | Fantasy, Humour, |
Both Eoin Colfer’s parents were teachers and young Eoin was taught by his dad Billy at Wexford’s Christian Brothers primary. Eoin remembers his dad’s presence in school as “witty…[he] made school fun.” Colfer junior’s first attempt at serious writing came in the sixth grade. “I wrote a play for the class about Norse Gods. Everyone died in the end except me.” Eoin followed in his parents’ footsteps and trained to be a teacher but his writing didn't stop and his first book, Benny and ...
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