In "There Be Dragons," Peter Hallett brings the fantastical to the spine-tingling experiences of men at war to create a work of fiction that both shocks and amazes the reader, demanding their attention to the very end.
The story opens with the arrival of Lieutenant Ethan Jacobs in Vietnam in 1968, charged with commanding a platoon of soldiers from all walks of life. From his interactions with another fresh Lieutenant (Lynch), his fears and concerns about his role in the war are soon exposed and his character quickly painted (or so one thinks - he does have one or two surprises up his sleeve). As other platoon members are introduced to the story, their unique qualities also become readily apparent. These are men brought together by war, not by mateship, and Hallett does a great job in showing the reader what conflict might conceivably arise in such a situation. Nor does Hallett waste time in his construction of the setting. Almost immediately the reader feels as if they too are straining to hear the characters talk over the roar of the C-130, ducking their heads when walking beneath chopper blades, and wiping dirt and grit from their grimy, unwashed faces. The experience is almost tangible.
The presence of the mythical dragon is discussed by soldiers early on in the story but is dismissed by Jacobs who attributes it to stress and trauma to which the men have been exposed. Jacobs himself is not exempt from such experiences, and throughout the story he frequently vocalises the thoughts and emotions that stream through his mind. It is interesting to note here that there is always someone to whom he can talk, regardless of his circumstance. While at first it seems a little bizarre that this character remains so open and reflective, towards the end of the book it becomes apparent that this was a device deliberately employed by the author.
When Hallett brings the dragons to life in the jungles of Vietnam, he makes them almost believable. Although there is gore, fire-breathing and other such scenes which can be expected when dragons are on the loose amongst the human population, it seems to suit the horrors already playing out between the men in the conflict. And these horrors quickly worsen: the CIA become implicated, as do the Russians, and from here the story simply snowballs with action, deception, and more gore.
"There Be Dragons" is a must read, even for those not normally inclined to read war fiction. It's a smooth melding of two very different genres which not only entertains, but also serves to enlighten the reader about the experiences of the men who did actually serve in the conflict not so long ago. It's definitely a great debut novel by a talented author.
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