DRAGONHAVEN
By Robin McKinley
Reviewed by
Kenny Brechner
Harry Potter and
The Deathly Hallows proved that there is such a thing as a sure thing in the
publishing business. After all it sold millions of copies before anyone had a
chance to finish it. With adult fiction, however, a big name and a proven track
record is only enough to ensure pretty good sales for a week or two. Bad reviews
or bad word of mouth can put an end to publisher's hopes and dreams. On the
other hand, despite endless energetic attempts, the publishing equivalent of
lightning still can't be bottled. Steeping books in vampires, dragons, and
relationship stuff, is a good bet for young adult fantasy. Yet the ingredients
do not truly make the hit. That being said, a familiar name, a proven track
record, and proven topics, do mean a book will do at least pretty well.
When it comes to being a bona fide publishing phenomenon however, genuine magic
is still required, thank goodness.
With Dragonhaven, Robin Mckinley, well regarded reteller of
Arthurian legends and other folklore, turns her attention to a different subject
and a more modern setting than her previous work. Dragonhaven refers to
Smokehill National Park, in which The Makepeace Institute of Integrated Dragon
Studies is housed. Mckinley's Dragons are essentially a highly regulated
endangered species around which a political battle has raged. Considered too
dangerous and expensive to protect, or even to exist, by much of the public, but
considered vitally worthy of study and protection by scientists and the liberal
minded, the scope for allegory here is as large as an adult dragon.
Dragonhaven is in fact a rather self conscious and allegorical fantasy. The
story is narrated by Jake, a young man whose father is a scientist at the
Makepeace Institute. Jake is politically and emotionally aligned with
Makepeace's mission. One of the reasons for studying dragons is that no one
knows whether or not Dragons are intelligent. No reader expecting Jake to
mindmerge with a baby dragon, discover that they are highly intelligent, learn
their language, and swing the political pendulum back towards center with his
discovery, will be disappointed.
Mckinley seeks to overcome the predictability, and
familiarity of the plot by exploring dragon human communication at great length.
Yet for all its tried and true ingredients, mind merged friendships with
dragons, saving the day by discovering dragon intelligence, and convincing the
world that there are whos down in whoville, a group of kids who break ground
that their highly educated adult counterparts have failed to break, a love story
forged amidst adventure, a new batch of dragon babies, and the realization that
"us humans have sure messed up a lot of stuff but we haven't quite finished
the job so maybe we can unmess a little. Maybe with some help from
dragons," Dragonhaven never quite catches fire. Jake feels a bit too
consciously constructed as a narrator, and the story lacks the conviction and
wonder which would have transcended its predictability. It will do fairly well,
just on the strength of its dragonness and Mckinley's established name, but I
don't think kids will fall in love with it.
