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 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.