Dragons of Darkness (review)

Christopher has spent most of his fourteen years on earth in the shadow of his dashingly handsome and impossibly talented older brother, Arne. When Arne is kidnapped by Maoist revolutionaries during a missionary trip to Nepal, however, it is up to Christopher to put aside his childhood insecurities and save his brother. Meanwhile, Jumar, the crown prince of Nepal, has spent most his fourteen years feeling overlooked because, well, he is. With his father too consumed by grief for his lost wife to recognize the unrest among his people, Jumar sets off from the palace to put a stop to the Maoist rebellion. The two boys eventually join forces, and they soon realize they are up against something much more sinister than just a few rogue communists as they travel a countryside left colorless and destroyed by creatures straight out of fairy-tale lore. The delicate blend of a modern-day political struggle with the fantasy elements of dragons and magic would seem clumsy in less capable hands, but Michaelis manages to integrate her lush portrayal of contemporary Nepal with an imaginativeness that creates a believable, though nonetheless stunning, setting. Less successful, however, is the emotional development of the two heroes, making for a jarring disjuncture between the immaturity of Jumar and Christopher and the age of the intended audience. As sheltered and shy as they both are, the two boys present a very young idea of fourteen with their fear of girls and constant need for approval, and although both manage to successfully lose their virginity by the end of the journey, they otherwise seem unaffected and unmatured by their harrowing ordeal. Readers enchanted by the exotic setting and the epic battle of good versus evil, however, will certainly be satisfied with the story's happy ending.