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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 sweet stars!
The Dragon of Ynys is a tale that will bring joy to readers of all ages. I couldn’t help but feel at ease while reading; the characters were outwardly peaceful, and their journey just the right amount of whimsical.
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
In the small village of Ynys, people are quick to notice when their possessions start disappearing. Knight Violet is assigned to investigate and retrieve the lost items.
Soon enough, he discovers that a dragon is the village thief, and it becomes common for the two to encounter each other whenever Violet returns to collect the stolen goods.
When a person goes missing this time, Violet is almost sure he’ll find her in the dragons lair. The dragon assures Violet he would never steal a person, and thus the two embark on a journey to find the lost girl.
~★~
This book was an unexpected joy! I grew attached to Sir Violet and his sweet demeanor in no time, as well as the supporting cast and Snap the friendly dragon. It was great to follow an asexual, aromantic protagonist that is written from an author who identifies as the same.
This is a story largely surrounding acceptance and welcoming others into their true self, which was much needed on my part. It’s been a while since I’ve read something this simplistic and meaningful, so I’m happy to have gotten around to The Dragon of Ynys!
My one small complaint is that I wished there were more to the magic of this world. There wasn’t enough time to properly address the creatures present, much less the physical magic. I wish there was something a little more inventive included. All in all, I had a fun time with this one!
Thank you to Netgalley and Atthis Arts for the E-arc!
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I recieved an eARC of this novella through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First, for clarity - this is actually a republication of a novella originally published in 2018. I didn't read the original version, but the author explains in her note at the end that after the original publication she realised that the way in which she had portrayed trans characters (and cis characters' opinions of those characters) was harmful. Minerva Cerridwen has since come out as genderqueer and several sensitivity readers helped in the rewriting of this story.
I went into this story knowing that it was an LGBT+ fairytale containing dragons - it was lovely to see just how much LGBT+ representation there is! There are two openly trans characters (one trans woman, one trans girl) as well as at least one nonbinary character. The trans woman is a lesbian married to a cis woman. There is also representation of an aromantic asexual character in this story - the author is aro & ace, so this representation is #ownvoices.
Overall I thought this was a very sweet middle-grade level novella dealing with important social issues. Diversity and equality are major themes, with a strong message to accept all people (and dragons) not just in spite of their differences but because of them. This book also shows the importance of communication, that it's okay to ask for space if you need it, and that avoiding problems is not the best way of dealing with them. Serious issues are balanced well with lighthearted humour, lots of love and friendship, and a healthy dash of cinnamon. Although the characters do face some adversity it is not a particuarly tense or upsetting read.
This would make an excellent short chapter book to read with younger children. 20+ years ago I was a little girl obsessed with books and dragons. I know that I would have loved this story then, especially since I grew up to be a queer woman with lots of trans and nonbinary friends!
Happy reading,
Maisie Rose
First, for clarity - this is actually a republication of a novella originally published in 2018. I didn't read the original version, but the author explains in her note at the end that after the original publication she realised that the way in which she had portrayed trans characters (and cis characters' opinions of those characters) was harmful. Minerva Cerridwen has since come out as genderqueer and several sensitivity readers helped in the rewriting of this story.
I went into this story knowing that it was an LGBT+ fairytale containing dragons - it was lovely to see just how much LGBT+ representation there is! There are two openly trans characters (one trans woman, one trans girl) as well as at least one nonbinary character. The trans woman is a lesbian married to a cis woman. There is also representation of an aromantic asexual character in this story - the author is aro & ace, so this representation is #ownvoices.
Overall I thought this was a very sweet middle-grade level novella dealing with important social issues. Diversity and equality are major themes, with a strong message to accept all people (and dragons) not just in spite of their differences but because of them. This book also shows the importance of communication, that it's okay to ask for space if you need it, and that avoiding problems is not the best way of dealing with them. Serious issues are balanced well with lighthearted humour, lots of love and friendship, and a healthy dash of cinnamon. Although the characters do face some adversity it is not a particuarly tense or upsetting read.
This would make an excellent short chapter book to read with younger children. 20+ years ago I was a little girl obsessed with books and dragons. I know that I would have loved this story then, especially since I grew up to be a queer woman with lots of trans and nonbinary friends!
Happy reading,
Maisie Rose
I feel all warm inside after reading this adorable original fairy tale.
Sir Violet is the lone knight of an isolated village, responsible for investigating local crimes. A dragon moves into the area and keeps nicking small items from the villagers, which brings him to Violet's attention. Eventually, Violet (who is aro-ace), the dragon, and a trans lesbian go on a quest to find her wife. Then, they all carry out a plan to improve their world, in a manner that both fits a fairy tale and is a metaphor for real life.
This is a short work, but it tells a complete story. I'd even say it's epic in scope, just in a subtle way. It's told from Violet's point of view only, but all of the major characters have distinct voices and personalities. There aren't a lot of physical descriptions, but I have very clear mental images of all of them. I also appreciate that all of the characters have some flaws; for example, Snap cares a lot about humans, but he can be a bit inconsiderate, because he has such different everyday concerns from theirs, while Violet often worries about food and safety and really does prefer solitude, although he does appreciate his new friends.
This is a fairy tale, and every character gets a happy ending, but they aren't romantic or even friendship-based happy endings. Rather, every character finds acceptance and/or a fulfilling purpose. It's really nice to read a story that includes not only lots of familiar fairy tale elements, but also a variety of characters, who all achieve different types of happiness.
While I definitely enjoyed the story immensely, this would also be a great book for kids, with its gentle humor and positive lessons about acceptance and being true to oneself. There's no violence or strong language of any kind. Really, I would recommend it to anyone.
I was eager to read this book because of how much I enjoyed the author's short story (which also features an aro-ace protagonist) in the lovely anthology [b:Unburied Fables|32326669|Unburied Fables|Tiffany Rose|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475347178s/32326669.jpg|52960536]. I look forward to her next release.
Sir Violet is the lone knight of an isolated village, responsible for investigating local crimes. A dragon moves into the area and keeps nicking small items from the villagers, which brings him to Violet's attention. Eventually, Violet (who is aro-ace), the dragon, and a trans lesbian go on a quest to find her wife. Then, they all carry out a plan to improve their world, in a manner that both fits a fairy tale and is a metaphor for real life.
This is a short work, but it tells a complete story. I'd even say it's epic in scope, just in a subtle way. It's told from Violet's point of view only, but all of the major characters have distinct voices and personalities. There aren't a lot of physical descriptions, but I have very clear mental images of all of them. I also appreciate that all of the characters have some flaws; for example, Snap cares a lot about humans, but he can be a bit inconsiderate, because he has such different everyday concerns from theirs, while Violet often worries about food and safety and really does prefer solitude, although he does appreciate his new friends.
This is a fairy tale, and every character gets a happy ending, but they aren't romantic or even friendship-based happy endings. Rather, every character finds acceptance and/or a fulfilling purpose. It's really nice to read a story that includes not only lots of familiar fairy tale elements, but also a variety of characters, who all achieve different types of happiness.
While I definitely enjoyed the story immensely, this would also be a great book for kids, with its gentle humor and positive lessons about acceptance and being true to oneself. There's no violence or strong language of any kind. Really, I would recommend it to anyone.
I was eager to read this book because of how much I enjoyed the author's short story (which also features an aro-ace protagonist) in the lovely anthology [b:Unburied Fables|32326669|Unburied Fables|Tiffany Rose|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475347178s/32326669.jpg|52960536]. I look forward to her next release.
This is a fun, light read with several queer characters and an aroace MC. And a dragon! I loved the way it included several classic fantasy tropes--the dragon, giant spiders, small villages, knights, etc.
I will say, the aroness and aceness is really... I want to say underplayed? It's heavily implied, but that is mostly done through microaggressions at first, and I'm glad Violet actually talks about being happy about being alone, because it *really* needed that to balance the other things out. I wanted more, though, and it doesn't feel like a world in which most people will get Violet or let him have that happy ending. Except for Snap.
Overall, nice story about a baker, her wife, an aroace knight and the local dragon thief working together to make the world a better place TM.
2018/20/10 - Added note, because while I was uncomfortable with the way this novella put the burden of forgiveness on the trans character, discussions with trans reviewers put into light how deep this runs, and how much the cis characters are rewarded for basic allyship. Approach with care, and check out Corey's review to get the details.
I will say, the aroness and aceness is really... I want to say underplayed? It's heavily implied, but that is mostly done through microaggressions at first, and I'm glad Violet actually talks about being happy about being alone, because it *really* needed that to balance the other things out. I wanted more, though, and it doesn't feel like a world in which most people will get Violet or let him have that happy ending. Except for Snap.
Overall, nice story about a baker, her wife, an aroace knight and the local dragon thief working together to make the world a better place TM.
2018/20/10 - Added note, because while I was uncomfortable with the way this novella put the burden of forgiveness on the trans character, discussions with trans reviewers put into light how deep this runs, and how much the cis characters are rewarded for basic allyship. Approach with care, and check out Corey's review to get the details.