Gripping and fun, two descriptors not usually seen together but I seem to keep describing Colfer's books with them! Colfer does this great thing where his characters are grumpy little shits and yet extremely loveable; Vern and Squib are no exception. 
Loved the lexicon use and location descriptions, they really made the swamp feel almost tangible and immersive. 
Only con is what I felt were excessive gory descriptions of injuries and deaths; they fit the plot but were on occasion shudder-inducing.

A fun romp with a truly loathable villain (hence the warnings about sexual harassment and violence).

I kind of hate sequels. I think they’re usually unnecessary sales techniques concocted up by publishing companies to popularize one specific author. There usually is never any further character development and the plot is almost always nearly identical to the first book. This is why I generally try to avoid picking up a series. So imagine my surprise when my first thought when finishing this book was “goddamn I hope there is a sequel in the works.” 

I loved the Artemis fowl books as a kid and so I reached for this book for 2 reasons: 1. It’s an Eoin Colfer book that isn’t written with kids in mind, and 2. Dragons. It’s the same reason I picked up Game of Thrones but that series has very little dragon content, so this book was great. The characters were written with such original personalities and real words and actions. The setting was fun and worked perfectly with the magical realism of the book. And the fight scenes were never played down.

That fight between Hook and Waxman was described as so brutal, I actually had to take a seat for a minute.

I really love this kind of magical realism and fantasy, it makes me want to read more. 

And that’s where I find myself now.

I want a sequel years in the future with a Dr.Everett Moreau, PhD trekking through rainforests and deserts and mountain ranges, searching for dragons with Vern. I want to see who Squib becomes and who Vern becomes and who else they meet along the way. Colfer left so much space available for future character development without the current characters feeling lacking, and now I can’t help but want more.

Leave it to Colfer to make me feel like a little kid again, eagerly waiting for another one of his books to be released.