Review
Title: Dragonwatch: Champion of the Titan Games
Author: Brandon Mull
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Books
Genre: Youth Fantasy
Year Published: 2020
Number of Pages: 528
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN13: 978-1-62972-788-2
Price: $15.99
Reviewed by Heather Harris Bergevin for the Association for Mormon Letters
My first impression of Dragonwatch: Champion of the Titan Games was that the cover art was beautiful, and I was immediately intrigued. My children missed the age range for most of Brandon Mull’s novels. My older kids weren’t interested in middle range books, and my youngest wasn’t quite into them yet, so I’ve missed out on reading most of his series. The only Fablehaven book I’d previously read was the first in the series, but it was an audiobook and my children, who are auditory sensitive, refused the narrator’s voice and refused to listen. I’m wandering in halfway along, and I apologize if I’m not yet as invested in all of the characters and scenarios as necessary for those who already adore this series. Realistically, though, those of you already invested going to be reading it regardless. I know Champion of the Titan Games is meant to be possible to read as a stand-alone, so that’s how I’m going to review it.
Champion is quite long for a middle-range novel, which would have delighted my older son at this age, when he felt shorter books were too babyish, but wasn’t ready for grittier or harder to read YA fiction. Mull writes beautifully and his characters are intriguing and clever. This book, which is halfway along a long story arc for the series, focuses mostly on Seth and Kendra and their voyage into the Giant’s realm. The Giants have an intriguing Queen with the great presence of an Elizabeth I style character, with a little mix of Titania thrown in. These giants have enslaved the Dragons, which is…never a good plan, not with any being, but especially with an incredibly powerful group of beings. Generally speaking (cough-foreshadowing-cough) such beings do not prefer to be harnessed, even if you use magical collars that force them to be obedient.
If there’s anything Western Society should have paid attention to throughout all of history, it’s that authoritarian rule by enslaving and oppressing other beings is just not a good plan. Egalitarian systems are seen as the opposite of dystopia for a reason. And yet, here we always are.
But, I digress.
The main quests are a continuation of Seth and Kendra’s general missions. Seth’s goal is to regain his memories, which have been lost in a well-done parallel to trauma response/ PTSD memory blackouts. Kendra’s is to find Seth, who is likewise lost. Along the way, there are trolls and giants and a spirit/valet (one of my favorite characters), and old friends and old enemies cropping up from time to time. The action is excellent for a middle-grade novel, especially, with the whole book being quickly paced and well-plotted without being too graphic for children to read. All this action and mystery surrounds the Titan Games, which are to be presided over by the Humbuggle, who is the enemy who stole Seth’s memories, and who he is trying to find.
The name the Humbuggle really annoys me, but won’t annoy children, who don’t know what a humbug is and have not read any of Oz or any of the more classic usages. I’ve not read the rest of the series, and he does seem a somewhat formidable enemy, so I’m assuming that whenever the series is finished, he will either be a) a wizard of Oz-like character who is actually a humbug or b) badly misnamed. His name isn’t threatening, which is perhaps part of the point of facing up to your fears as if he’s more of a bogeyman than a humbug. The monsters and whatnot are more of DnD style characters, which is also fine. The book could be played as a sort of children’s campaign, actually, as most good middle and YA fantasy can. There is a massive amount of fast-paced dialogue, without a great deal of transition, as seems to be Mull’s style. This tires the eyes when reading. However, many exceptional authors use similar techniques, including Agatha Christie, so I might be unaccustomed to it only in children’s fantasy. Altogether, the characters are quite loveable and the scenarios plausibly implausible.
There are some scenarios where I would have liked more development. A small scene with a giant rock who, having previously been commanded to crush all who came below it, is easily and without question coerced to obey Seth’s new command to stop crushing people, for instance, is…just unsatisfying. There are lots of little bits in many series which are similarly fragmented, though. Seth’s powers are intended to be overpowered, which isn’t a bad thing. It does, however, add an element of deus ex machina to some of the scenes. We also know that, in general, anyone who can easily use coercive control or seeming mind control, will eventually turn to evil. It’ll be interesting to watch Seth’s story arc with these new powers. Will he, as a traumatized child, be capable of not using his powers to seek authoritarian rule and dominion? Few can, but, in the end, that’s what delineates a hero.
Dragonwatch: Champion of the Titan Games is great for your later elementary school kids and early middle school children, unless you’re my middle schooler who refuses to read anything at all, stressing out his mother. If your family enjoys stories that are continued over a long series of books, and which are peopled with many and varied fantasy characters, this might be a great series for you!