Young Ansel, a boy who doesn't speak at all, is offered by his father to Johannes Brock, a dragon-hunter, to serve as his assistant while he travels into the mountains to hunt a fierce dragon. At first Ansel is afraid, but Brock assures him that there really is no such thing as a dragon: he just says there is so he can look like a hero to the village people. It is all just a show to him.Their trip progresses perfectly until they reach the superstitious village, head up into the mountains to pretend to hunt the dragon, and are faced with the biggest surprise of all: the dragon is real! Suddenly Brock realizes that he didn't ever really want to fight a dragon, and Ansel must decide if he can be brave enough to do battle with the dragon on his own.
This is a great fantasy: well-written and adventurous. I found myself cheering for Ansel, and even taking pity on the poor dragon, and I especially enjoyed the twists and turns that lead the story to a satisfying ending.
You can find author Philip Reeve's website here: http://www.philip-reeve.com/no_such_thing_as_dragons.html
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