As a whole, this book is really good. However, the beginning is very poor, i forced myself to read till the page 70 or 80: a village almost completely from the agrarian era and battle aircrafts flying over it. Yes, they are called dragons and are conscious, but made of steel (!), full of electronics, accumulators and fuel, armed with missiles. Manufacturing, magic, and old refrigerators at a dump. What a crap! But not only the world is tasteless and poor, but also the plot shines with its banality: an ordinary boy in his early teens comes right into the center of great events. Does it resemble something? Just too lot for me!

But then the book develops into something quite different. One just shouldn't take it literally, as a realistic literature. This is wholly a symbolic literature. Understanding this makes the process of reading much more exciting and smooth. It isn't also phantasy, but the very our world, only covered in weird garments: not a mix, but a crazy medley and salad of every culture's myth, legend or creature. Exactly Babel! Surprisingly, it has its style and kind of beauty. The plot is interesting and at some points very unusual. Finally, there are some deep and wise ideas, hidden in the book.