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There Be Dragons

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Predator meets Platoon in this action packed novel that moves at a breakneck pace.

Edge of your seat suspense and gut wrenching horror combine to leave you breathless ... and begging for more.

Vietnam 1968: Lieutenant Ethan Jacobs took command of his platoon.

He had to fight for the respect of his men. He had to fight for his family’s honor. He had to fight for his country. He had to fight the NVA, Vietcong and the Russians. He had to fight the dragons … and for his life.

If you are easily disturbed, prone to nightmares or have a weak stomach then prepare yourself for the worst case scenario.

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2013

3 people are currently reading
73 people want to read

About the author

Peter Hallett

12 books75 followers
Welcome to the maddening world of author Peter Hallett and the pulp universe of Hallettsville, where there is an epic extravaganza of extreme excitement around every corner.

Peter Hallett originates from Haydock, England. He has written scripts for independent movies and worked for a leading genre publication. THERE BE DRAGONS was his debut novel.

If you are easily disturbed, prone to nightmares or have a weak stomach then prepare yourself for the worst case scenario.

https://www.facebook.com/PeterHallett... - Like Peter!

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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Kelly Graham.
Author 11 books35 followers
June 28, 2013
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.
Profile Image for Kelly.
276 reviews178 followers
May 28, 2013
Peter Hallett’s debut novel, There Be Dragons, mixes the unlikely element of dragons into the chaos of the Vietnam War—and it works. Lieutenant Ethan Jacobs has just arrived in Vietnam. He’s a thoughtful and somewhat philosophical guy and the reader gains a sense he’s not quite prepared for what he will face once he hits the jungle. He has two main concerns, which feel typical of any green soldier: can he kill a man, and will his wife wait for his return?

The first question is answered very quickly. On his first mission, Jacobs leads his platoon into a fire fight and from there, the novel barely pauses for breath. The action is swift and brutal. A second foray into the jungle leads to a village that is harbouring NVA and then the dragons appear. Add some Russians and a CIA spook and this book is unlike anything you’ve ever read. I couldn’t put it down until the last, shocking page.

You’ll have to read the book yourself to find out the answer to the second question.

I had not previously read anything set during the Vietnam War, so I found that aspect of There Be Dragons thoroughly engaging. The author’s attention to detail and obvious interest in the subject shone through. The short sentences and paragraphs worked well to convey the many elements competing for the soldiers' attention. The dragons, oddly enough, fit. There were hints, then a brief glimpse and then they exploded into being. None of the myths or legends the soldiers put forth really explained why they were there, but in my opinion, dragons rarely need to explain themselves. They can breathe fire.

The secondary characters all had enough personality to remain separate and distinct, which is remarkable given how quickly the action moves. Both Jacobs and his second in command, Stephens, were really interesting. Jacobs, because he displayed unexpected grit. Stephens because he was nuts.

Finally, There Be Dragons is not for the faint hearted. Hallett could have called his book ‘There Be Blood, Gore, Torture and Other Really Horrible Things’, but that’s not as catchy a title and might give the impression this is just another novel set during the Vietnam War. Obviously, it’s not.

Written for and originally published at SFCrowsnest.
Profile Image for Lisa.
Author 4 books14 followers
June 25, 2013
There Be Dragons was written by Peter Hallett, an author who has worked for a leading genre publication and also written scripts for independent movies. His stunning debut novel combines action and adventure with horror and fantasy.

Dragons. Do you believe they exist? There is the Komodo dragon, but I’m not talking about those. I’m talking about huge, winged reptiles that can fly through the air and breathe fire.

The setting is Vietnam, 1968. I’m not much into reading books that center on the soldiers in a war. One word in the title of this book captured my attention though. It was the word ‘dragons’. I wondered, was that word being used figuratively to describe the enemy they were fighting against? Did they seem as fierce as dragons? Or were there really fire-breathing dragons? Fighting the Vietnamese was bad enough, so how would the soldiers react to living, breathing dragons?

Vietnam was like a conveyor belt of GIs. Stephens, Moore, Jacobs, Lynch, Jackson, Teacher, Diaz, and others go in. How many of them will leave that place alive, and how many will leave it in body bags? Will there be enough of the ones who are killed to even be put in a body bag? Jacobs is put in charge of his platoon. He was drafted into this war and left a wife behind at home. Will he even be able to kill the enemy?

One of the soldiers notices that there is something odd about the wounds on some of the dead. The wounds make it look as though the dead have been chewed on by some huge beast. There is talk of flying demons. It is thought that those who have seen these flying demons are just hallucinating. They have been there too long and seen too many people killed. Maybe they have even killed too many themselves.

These soldiers are fighting in a land where no one can be trusted, not even the children. You could be blown up and killed by a child just as easily as you could meet death at the hands of a soldier.

The Dragon Master is a very cruel man who really seems to get into torturing people. His methods are horrendous and no detail is spared. One of the soldiers he tortures show amazing strength, resilience, and even humor during his times of torture.

If you have a weak stomach, you need to prepare yourself before reading this book. This story does take place during a war, so there is plenty of blood and gore. I don’t have a weak stomach, but there is one torture scene that about made me sick. His extremely realistic descriptions are very well written, and I don’t think there is any detail he leaves out. The dialogue was realistic, and I really respected the characters who withstood so much.

I was sent a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. If you are a fan of war novels, you would like this book. If you are a fan of dragons, you would like this book. When the presence of dragons is added to an already horrific war, things become even worse.
Profile Image for S.B. (Beauty in Ruins).
2,669 reviews244 followers
September 3, 2022
For a book that I nearly abandoned halfway through (more on that in a bit), There Be Dragons turned out to be a solid, enjoyable read. Peter Hallett has taken the 'war is hell' story of American soldiers fighting in the jungles of Vietnam, deftly incorporated all of the elements that you'd expect, and then added a pair of new twists to make the story his own.

This is a story that, right off the bat, evokes memories of Apocalypse Now, Platoon, and Tour of Duty. Hallett nails the Vietnam setting, effectively capturing the familiar depiction of life and death within the jungle. He incorporates the conspiracy theories, the media presence, and the feeling of being abandoned by one's country, but goes a step further. Instead of merely settling for a war that few people understood, and ever fewer wanted to fight, he provides a rather incredible, but effective, justification for America's most unpopular war.

You see, in Hallett's version, there do indeed be dragons. They're a bit smaller than their epic fantasy counterparts, but just as mean, just as vicious, and just as dangerous with their talons and their fire. He smartly keeps them off the page for most of the novel, introducing the very concept of them as something crazy, something questionable, something to be dismissed. Even once he's exposed them to the reader, he keeps them largely in the background, keeping the focus on the soldiers and their struggle for survival.

Along with the dragons, he introduces an interesting twist in terms of political strategy, with cold war foes entering the fray not out of a misguided sense of justice, but in order to control the secrets of the dragons. This sets up the capture and torture of our hero, which keeps the story grounded in the human element. The strength of the entire story rests on the shoulders of Jacob, and he proves himself more than capable of carrying so much violence and drama on his back.

If I were to have one complaint (I promised I'd get back to it), it's that the spiritual element was a bit too heavy for my taste. The whole idea that are no atheists in foxholes is something I disagree with entirely, but it's a common enough theme that I can often overlook it. Paired with a rather prolonged soapbox speech about how dragons are proof of Noah's ark and creationism, however, it becomes an issue. While I think the existence of dragons could be used to raise some interesting questions, I think the story could have benefited from some balance.

The spiritual element aside, this was a strong, enjoyable read. I grew tired of Vietnam war stories a long time ago, but Hallett has done enough here to make it interesting again. There Be Dragons is a compelling tale, well-told, with a strong understanding of human relationships, and a great sense of how to balance the monstrous with the human. Worth a read.


Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Profile Image for Maureen Reil.
Author 56 books34 followers
May 23, 2013
I managed to get a free copy of this book in a Kindle promotion and boy was I glad that I did snap it up, you bet I was. Although this is not the type of book that I usually go for, but I was eager to burst out of my comfort zone and read something completely different and something which would blow my socks off and I found it in this fantastic tale of men fighting a war and fighting each other and fighting demons. What more could you want to make a book packed with ‘on-the-edge-of-your-seat’ stuff? It was the book’s description that got me thinking that I’d want to read this from the moment I discovered it, since it mentions dragons and the Vietnam War which is two topics that I’m really interested in. I also love a great action movie and this is exactly what it reminded me of as I could easily picture the brilliantly written scenes which were described so well that I was right there with them, also fighting for my life too. You got to know the characters like kin as they each had their own distinctive personalities which made you root for them individually to survive this horrific ordeal. But which one will get out of this alive and if not, how will they die? This vividly written and fast paced book made the words simply step off the page and got right inside my head to let my captive imagination run free as I felt the fear and smelt the death and suffered the violence that was assaulted on my mind, so you really need to read it for yourself to see what I mean about how exciting and downright thrilling it is. I cannot praise this book enough or Peter Hallett for the sheer impact and entertainment value that this story brought to me. So count me in for the next one as I hope to read more enthralling works from this author sooner rather than later.
Profile Image for Daniel.
132 reviews9 followers
September 24, 2013
In 1968, Lieutenant Ethan Jacobs takes command of a platoon to protect the country from the NVA and Vietcong. Within the jungle, soldiers reported seeing strange flying creatures, but none were taken seriously. That is until Jacobs and his platoon discover fire breathing dragons. Now they must battle the opposition along with the deadly dragons.

I Have never been a fan of stories based around Vietnam or dragons. I set my preconcieved notions aside and entered the jungles of Vietnam alongside Lieutenant Jacobs and his platoon. Right from the start you sget inside the head of Jacobs and the author's attention to detail added relevance to the characters point of view. I couldn't connect with some of the secondary characters, though but it didn't deter my enthusiasm for what awaited me and the soldiers. The action is quick, bloody, and brutal

On the technical side, the book is nearly flawless. Quick passages help with the sense of action and desperation. I didn't notice any typographical or grammar errors which is a plus. The only downside is that the origins of the dragons are not really explored and the readers is left guessing as to how they got there.
Profile Image for B.R. Crichton.
Author 4 books6 followers
May 23, 2013
**Four and a half stars**
I'll get my petty gripe out the way early and say that for me, the character of Jacobs was at times a little too open and honest; expressing his deepest thoughts and feelings to near strangers, and this put a faint question mark over his credibility. However, this habit of vocalizing his inner monologue works very well in the later parts of the book given the position he finds himself in, so perhaps I am being too harsh in that assessment.
As far as the rest of the story goes, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The premise draws on the myths and legends that abound in many cultures, and in the remote jungles and chaos of the Vietnam war, the Dragons roam freely.
You can't help but like the characters in the book and the author brings their diverse personalities to life well
The story is fast paced and filled with action and gore. Not one for the faint-hearted, but I found it a difficult book to put down.
I will certainly buy any other offerings from Peter Hallett
Profile Image for Saoirse.
1 review
June 6, 2013
This book is definitely not what i expected it to be even with its strange title.I enjoyed reading this book I found the plot to be very exciting and surprising.

The characters are very interesting some likeable some VERY unlikable, I liked Lynch because he seemed like a genuinely good guy.
Sergeant Stephens is a borderline sociopath which was very fun to read!
The platoon has a very different mix of characters which was great.

This book deals with themes such as blood,violence and gore; I would not recommend it to the light-hearted.If you have an interest in mythology and if you like action then I would recommend this book to you.


There were times I found the book to contain very chaotic scenes which left me a little confused and curious , but besides that I enjoyed this book.
Profile Image for Sheri.
2,116 reviews
September 7, 2013
There Be Dragons (Peter Hallett)

Set in 1968 Vietnam, Ethan Jacobs is the commander of his platoon. As he and his men fight for their country they come upon a strange occurrence, Dragons. At first they are not sure what they are seeing, but soon it becomes apparent and not only are they fighting the enemy, they are fighting the large winged beasts. But what they are up against is more than just that.

Fast paced, action thriller. Very original story plot. I will read more from Peter Hallett.
Profile Image for Thibaldo Manrique.
264 reviews1 follower
March 13, 2014
Very poor story

Very poor story

I like science fiction and fantasy novels. This one is neither.

Badly edited, has both grammar and syntax errors that distract from the story.

The characters are badly developed and the story is so poorly told, at the end you not only do not care about any of the characters, you are just happy the story ended!

I usually do not give bad reviews, but I have to make an exception here. If you decide to read this, be warned, it is far from good. Sorry.
Profile Image for Kevin Lintner.
Author 51 books45 followers
April 5, 2014
"There Be Dragons" is a complex, intense story of the Vietnam War that blends action, horror and, yes, dragons perfectly. It may be hard to fathom a tale as harrowing and violent as Platoon melded with dragon-style fantasy. but Hallet makes it work very well. The book contains cover-to-cover action, very well developed characters and a strong plot that never falters or veers off course. Put this on your "must-read" list.
Profile Image for Katy.
1,293 reviews306 followers
Want to read
July 25, 2013
Free on Amazon today 7/25/13
Profile Image for Heidi.
448 reviews
April 7, 2014
fast paced intriguing story. Wow combining a very real horrible war and mythical creatures. I enjoyed this one. its a bit gory and a little heavy on the faith part for me.
Profile Image for Amy.
389 reviews7 followers
April 10, 2017
War and dragons!

During the war there were stories of dragons being sighted. Follow Jacobs on his first tour as well as being in charge. Peter tells a really fantastic story. Definitely going to read more of his work!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews

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