Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
DNF at 30%. I really adore cozy witch books and this cover was so cute, but I'm sorry I could not make myself pick this back up once I put it down. I felt myself reading it in the way that you'd trudge through mud, and I have read just too many arcs back to back to back so continuing to read something I really didn't enjoy just chafed a LOT.
If I were to give some constructive reasoning for why I didn't like it, I think the author just made the rules too complicated. If it was just witch magic, drawn from The Guardian, and main girl and a hot guy she doesn't like (ooOOoo) needed to "save the magic of the land" (which is the plot) that would have been simple but kind of fun! Except the author reinvented cows. literally. Every single thing in this world was the same but just a little bit new and then overexplained and it was just too much for my tired mind. I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this, it just wasn't for me!
Thank you netgalley and Harper 360 for the arc!
If I were to give some constructive reasoning for why I didn't like it, I think the author just made the rules too complicated. If it was just witch magic, drawn from The Guardian, and main girl and a hot guy she doesn't like (ooOOoo) needed to "save the magic of the land" (which is the plot) that would have been simple but kind of fun! Except the author reinvented cows. literally. Every single thing in this world was the same but just a little bit new and then overexplained and it was just too much for my tired mind. I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this, it just wasn't for me!
Thank you netgalley and Harper 360 for the arc!
Thank you to NetGalley, Samantha Birch, and Harper 360 for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a cute and cozy read. I liked the main characters and the ones they met on their journey. I do wish they were well-rounded characters. I loved the magical creatures. They were cute. I wish the atmosphere were described more. There weren’t a lot of descriptions. I do feel like the book was a little long. But overall, I enjoyed the book. I would recommend it if you love a cozy fantasy!
This was such a cute and cozy read. I liked the main characters and the ones they met on their journey. I do wish they were well-rounded characters. I loved the magical creatures. They were cute. I wish the atmosphere were described more. There weren’t a lot of descriptions. I do feel like the book was a little long. But overall, I enjoyed the book. I would recommend it if you love a cozy fantasy!
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.
3.5 stars
For being billed as a cozy fantasy, this had so much high stakes action! The town of Tangleroot and the setting seemed cozy enough: all the witches with their cat dragons, cute festivals, magic and more. But then! Aloysia and Hollis must go on a magical quest to save The Guardian!
What follows is a quest with high stakes, dangerous interludes, some found family, romantic tension, and most importantly, a cute baby cat dragon I’d defend with my life. The end was super climactic, dangerous, and emotional. I absolutely cried.
I just have a bit of confusion at the end. Some ends definitely seem to be left open and unresolved. And the last 2 lines had me scratching my head going wait, what? Maybe we’ll get another book in this world?
I definitely had an enjoyable time reading this, but I also feel a tad unsatisfied.
3.5 stars
For being billed as a cozy fantasy, this had so much high stakes action! The town of Tangleroot and the setting seemed cozy enough: all the witches with their cat dragons, cute festivals, magic and more. But then! Aloysia and Hollis must go on a magical quest to save The Guardian!
What follows is a quest with high stakes, dangerous interludes, some found family, romantic tension, and most importantly, a cute baby cat dragon I’d defend with my life. The end was super climactic, dangerous, and emotional. I absolutely cried.
I just have a bit of confusion at the end. Some ends definitely seem to be left open and unresolved. And the last 2 lines had me scratching my head going wait, what? Maybe we’ll get another book in this world?
I definitely had an enjoyable time reading this, but I also feel a tad unsatisfied.
ARC review
"Cat Dragon" by Samantha Birch is a cute and cozy fantasy.
I received an e-ARC from HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.
The cover of this book (especially the cute cat dragon) initially got my attention.
This is a cozy story about a witch (Aloysia) that struggles to bond with her cat dragon.
What you can expect:
- adorable magical creatures
- magic
- grumpy/sunshine characters
- forced proximity
- slow burn romance
- found family
It took me a while to get into this story because of the writing style.
The world and magic is interesting, but the vocabulary is a bit difficult.
The story and the romance was cute overall, there is no spice and there is a plot twist at the end.
"Cat Dragon" by Samantha Birch is a cute and cozy fantasy.
I received an e-ARC from HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.
The cover of this book (especially the cute cat dragon) initially got my attention.
This is a cozy story about a witch (Aloysia) that struggles to bond with her cat dragon.
What you can expect:
- adorable magical creatures
- magic
- grumpy/sunshine characters
- forced proximity
- slow burn romance
- found family
It took me a while to get into this story because of the writing style.
The world and magic is interesting, but the vocabulary is a bit difficult.
The story and the romance was cute overall, there is no spice and there is a plot twist at the end.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
A charming, cozy fantasy perfect for autumn. There were so many elements to this book I enjoyed. This is a world with talking pumpkins and cat dragons. How could one not be enchanted? I really loved Tangleroot Valley and all the other places we visited on our journey. The world building and magic system were simple but incredibly immersive. I would love to read more from this world the author created. There are so many fun magical creatures and plants that I adored. I definitely could see the world being expanded upon even more. My favorite part of the story was the world and its inhabitants. It was so whimsical and imaginative. There is a slight romance in this that I could have done without. I felt like the characters didn’t get enough actual bonding time together for me to truly believe their relationship. They also felt a little immature to me. The characters are supposed to be in their 30s but they acted more like shy teenagers. If you like childhood friends to lovers you might enjoy it. I also didn’t believe the bad boy image portrayed of the love interest at the beginning. The FMC seemed to be annoyed and disliked him for a good amount of the book but there wasn’t much evidence as to why. I think it was supposed to create tension between the two, but it felt irrational and was very short lived. The story dragged in some parts for me. Though it was only 430 pages, I felt like it could’ve been shorter. The ending was a little confusing and rushed, but ended up making sense in the end. I do think this book could use a better title. Cat dragons are a huge part of this story but I think as a title it’s a bit too simplistic and limiting to what the story is really about. Overall, I enjoyed this. It was a sweet, cozy time that would be perfect for the autumn season.
*Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!*
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
In the beginning I thought I wasn't going to like this book because it was slow moving but then it started to pick up when we learned the Guardians were "sick," Aloysia was trying to help and found her cat dragon. I liked that the book focused on the adventure more than the romance, it was a nice refresher compared to other books where romance becomes the main subject quickly on an adventure. After the first few chapters I liked it. I would read a second book.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was lucky enough to win a proof copy from Harper Collins for Cat Dragon by Samantha Birch. So thank you for that.
If you’re after a cosy, witchy, cottagecore vibe with some fantastical adventures, oh and a cute baby cat dragon, then this is the book for you.
It really is perfect for autumn, especially with the botanical side of things. This is very much Earth witch magic (amongst others).
The pacing is very good and progresses really well. The characters are all very loveable and the settings read beautifully. It definitely gave off Japan vibes at one point and Norwegian (or Icelandic I’m not quite sure which - could be both).
One thing I did struggle with at times was the writing style and following what was going on. There were parts where I read something and thought “wait was this mentioned before” or “what does that mean”. But it didn’t take too much away for me to carry on reading.
Overall a perfect read for witchy season.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to the author, the publisher, & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I was endlessly excited when I saw this book. The cover was adorable, the title contained my favorite animal in combination with the coolest fantasy animal, and it was a cozy genre. I sadly was slightly disappointed however, in the execution.
The good: it is adorable. The animals sound like the cutest things ever and the magical system sounded super interesting.
What I wish we would have seen is more fleshed out storylines and less prose. Some of the transitions felt abrupt and out of nowhere, and I had to stop and make sure I hadn't accidentally turned too many pages. The author's writing style is very flowery and made it hard to follow, sometimes I found myself having to reread pages because I didn't understand what she was trying to say.
The ending sets it up for a sequel but as much as I'd like to say I'd read a sequel I'm not entirely sure.
I was endlessly excited when I saw this book. The cover was adorable, the title contained my favorite animal in combination with the coolest fantasy animal, and it was a cozy genre. I sadly was slightly disappointed however, in the execution.
The good: it is adorable. The animals sound like the cutest things ever and the magical system sounded super interesting.
What I wish we would have seen is more fleshed out storylines and less prose. Some of the transitions felt abrupt and out of nowhere, and I had to stop and make sure I hadn't accidentally turned too many pages. The author's writing style is very flowery and made it hard to follow, sometimes I found myself having to reread pages because I didn't understand what she was trying to say.
The ending sets it up for a sequel but as much as I'd like to say I'd read a sequel I'm not entirely sure.