I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle I had previously read Beagle’s classic The Last Unicorn so couldn’t resist to see what his latest novel involving Dragons was like. I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons reads a bit like a fairy tale in some ways with a handsome prince and beautiful princess, but the prince struggles with bravery and the princess secretly wants to learn to read as much as find her true love. In the mix is also a lad of humble birth who along with two friends works as a dragon exterminator, despite a fascination with the creatures and secretly keeping a few as household pets. When an evil sorcerer threatens the kingdom, it will take all their collective skills to save the land. I felt the book held my interest more earlier on with its quirky depiction of a dragon infested castle and dragon market than later when it became somewhat more predictable in the climatic battle, but If you enjoyed The Last Unicorn you will also likely be charmed by this sweet coming of age tale.
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose We read To Shape a Dragon’s Breath as part of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion Group in March. The group enjoyed the novel which although marketed as Young Adult (it was picked by a member who is a school librarian), still has plenty to appeal to adult fantasy fans. Blackgoose is of Native American descent and she works in issues of colonization and differing worldviews into her story about a teen girl, Anequs, attending a dragon academy. Beyond Native Americans there is also diversity in many of the other characters represented including one student who is neurodiverse. What I enjoyed was that this is done in an authentic feeling way and doesn’t read as simply tokenism and even characters we route for have their own flaws so one culture isn’t all perfect. There is a surprising twist on the typical romantasy love triangle and some Steampunk elements are included since her brother and his friends are part of a collective of inventors interested in “enginekraft.” The most unique concept though in the book was the way in which dragon fire is used to manipulate matter; it can both be used to split things apart as well as form new things depending on what the dragon’s companion, called Nampeshiweisit by Anequs’s people and Dragoneers by the Anglish, has them do.
Written by: Aimee Harris Information and Digital Services Manager
BookTok has become almost infamous for its hit list and recommendations. Some suggestions are questionable and frighteningly disturbing while others are hidden gems that deserve to have the spotlight on them. The latest in this trend of BookTok hits is Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. One of the interesting things about Yarros is that this isn’t her debut in terms of writing, as her back catalog reveals she has quite a few romances under her belt. Fourth Wing is her first venture into the fantasy genre, in particular the fantasy romance genre (or “romantacy” as BookTok has begun to call it).
We are introduced to Violet Sorrengail, a twenty year old who had spent all of her life preparing to become a Scribe, only for her mother to force her to enter the Dragon Riders and follow in her footsteps, despite a medical condition that makes her more prone to injury. As she continues to face the trials laid out before her, she starts to suspect that the powers that be are hiding a terrible secret and that trusting the wrong person could mean the difference between life and death.
The world building is unique enough to pique the reader’s interest, especially if they are new to the fantasy genre. It’s tangible enough of a world that both experienced fantasy readers and those new to the genre will find it unique.
In terms of plot, the overall plot of the novel is fine and a decent first read for anyone who’s new to reading fantasy while it’s obvious that the subplot is what is being used to advertise the book and is the source of hype all over TikTok. Character work is also another thing that may be a hit or miss to some readers. You can see what Yarros was going for in terms of certain characters and providing obstacles for Violet, but many of these fall into their tropes almost too well and if you are a well seasoned reader, you may be okay with them because this is the author’s first attempt at a fantasy, or you may roll your eyes at them.
Things start off relatively slow at first, mainly consisting of things that introduce us to the main character and establish the world to the reader. While there are plenty of action and suspenseful moments, much of the character interaction seems to drag on for longer than usual.
Until the dragons show up.
That’s when things pick up and become a whole lot more interesting and the pacing improves by leaps and bounds. Tairn and Andarna are the best characters throughout this whole book and their interactions with Violet are an absolute joy to read. Even if you’re not big on romantacy, these two dragons alone make reading this book all the more enjoyable. These two characters help provide very much needed moments of humor and light hearted moments that adds so much to the tone of the series. While things still remain grim and serious, the addition of these characters help to provide much needed charm that makes reading it all the more enjoyable. Tairn and Andarna aren’t just there to be convenient side characters, they each contribute to the plot of the story and
One writing flaw that many experienced readers will notice is Yarros’ take on characterization in fantasy, primarily with the main protagonist, Violet. When we are introduced to her, we are told of how she has been preparing to become a Scribe all of her life, only for her mother to take that away from her because of her pride. We are told that becoming a scribe is something that Violet wanted not just for her safety, but for herself as well. However, we don’t see any anger, bitterness, resentment, or any other indication of her being upset with her mother for essentially stealing the future she wanted and prepared for. Later on, when another character offers to help her slip past the guards and get into Scribe’s Quadrant, she doesn’t react the way someone would when given the chance to get back to the role she’s wanted. There’s no internal conflict about getting the chance to escape to the Scribes, no sign of gratitude that her friend would even offer to help her out at the possible cost of his position, no longing to go back to the Scribes at all. She takes his trying to help her as a sign he thinks she’s weak. One could argue that this is a character flaw, but it seems strange that something she wanted so much that was taken from her is being offered to her and she doesn’t even argue with herself about the opportunity presented to her. She just says she can’t because of her mother and just accepts it yet again. There’s no fight to reclaim the thing she’s prepared and trained for all of her life.
There are also things all of the characters do throughout the book that are questionable even for a fantasy story. Early on in the story, one of the main characters, Xaden has Violet and her small crew moved over to his division just for the sole purpose of having direct access to her so he can supposedly take revenge for his father out on her. While suspension of disbelief is important for a story, allowing someone with military ranking to just have a direct line to someone they have a grudge or vendetta with is a huge conflict of interest and would make those familiar with this rule raise their eyebrows. As previously mentioned, this can be dismissed as something to suspend your disbelief on, one can’t help but wonder if Yarros did this simply so she could cite that her book as the much beloved trope of enemies-to-lovers. While there is nothing wrong with being proud of the tropes in your book, this particular one feels like it could have been executed much differently and in a way that would make it much more believable.
Then there’s the chemistry between Violet and Xaden. With fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope there’s supposed to be some kind of teasing or banter or subtext for them falling for each other, but with Fourth Wing, the chemistry between the two characters is sort of lacking and they don’t speak to each other as much as Violet speaks with Dain. Yes, we know that she’s attracted to Xaden, which itself is fine, but it isn’t until after the dragons show up that we see any more interaction between Xaden and Violet. The build up to their romance feels rushed, but is also fun to read once it actually gets going.
Overall, while Fourth Wing does have its share of flaws, it is an enjoyable, escapist read and a good beginner book for those looking to dip their toes into the romantasy genre or for those looking to get into fantasy with grumpy and sweet dragons.
Written by: Lauren Lapinski Information and Digital Services Assistant
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 