This book just missed the mark for me. It didn't live up to the hype for me. It wasn't bad, it just didn't keep my attention. I could definitely see this book doing well with its target audience though!

Fitz feels like an oddity, an anomaly. He may or may not be the last dragon in the world but he's definitely the loneliest. Fitz is happy enough in in his little piece of Wales - he even wrote a book - about bees!

The chance for another adventure with his friend Perceval gives Fitz a new lease on life, a chance for one last hurrah. Enter an on the run teenager with an aptitude for Social Media and their quest has taken a particularly 21st century turn! But as usual not all their new followers want them to win - the trolls are out in force too.

Witty, warm and cosy fantasy with a decidedly modern Britain bent. They argue, they make up but their common goal is always at the heart of things. Like many friends, Perceval and Fitz don't have to be in constant contact - they can pick up their conversation like they saw each other yesterday. They are brilliantly anachronistic in their outlook on things, learning about SM from Anna was a complete hoot to watch.

Thanks so much for sending me a copy of this book to review!

I found myself absolutely obsessed with this book - the pacing was great and I felt as though the modern and medieval mix was perfect and gave me nostalgic BBC Merlin vibes.

Rating this 3 stars and I really enjoyed the story and it was such a wholesome read. However I did feel as though the tone of voice was a bit off sometimes with the modern teenage girl character Anna - who sometimes is felt spoke more as though she would have fit in better in one of the flashback sections - which ruined the flow a bit.

As I read this book I came up with a variety of terms to say what it is. It's a morality story. A fairy story with the lessons to be learnt, that such stories always tell. It is a charming tale of a parallel world. It is a wish fulfilment story. It is sad. It has heroes. But these are flawed heroes. It has a happy ending, or at least an ending with a promise of happiness, or life with an aim to be achieved.
It was magic and full of magical creatures, from Perceval and Odo who had lived to fulfil a quest and a promise made, long past their natural life spans, to Oscar, again living past his natural life span and able to change colour. Anna, who perhaps is descended from Megan's family and thus is essential to complete the quest. And a magical book - the Codex which may just be a herbal medicinal text after all. Dragon's Blood is the name herbal women will have given to a rare plant eg Dracaena cinnabari (a tree), the resin of this and other tropical trees is red and originally used as a cure-all but is more often used for gastrointestinal conditions. Herbal practitioners gave the herbs they used alternative names to ensure their knowledge was kept safe. See Macbeth's witches who are actually throwing herbs into their cauldron. Eye of newt being mustard seed for instance. So beware of taking things literally and look behind to find the truth.

What a fun and quirky read! For starters, there’s just a dragon brambling about in civilization like any other human would, and he even wrote a book! About…bees.
It’s a modern quest with old elements. Like imagine a dragon and multicolored horse using social media and a cell phone on a quest! It’s for charity reasons but still. It’s an unlikely group of friends, but it makes for such a unique read.
I feel like the cover doesn’t prepare you for a weird read (not in a bad way though) so here’s your warning.

Thanks R&R Book Tours for the copy!!

This story blends ancient history and mythology with modern elements in a quirky and unique tale. The story revolves around Fitz, supposedly the last dragon and guardian of a dangerous book. A surprise visit from an old friend leads to a strange quest that eventually forces them both to confront the past.

At its heart, the novel is a delightful exploration of friendship and the unexpected connections that bind us together. Their quest involves a rather eclectic group — the last dragon who is mostly interested in gardening, a temporarily homeless teenager, a multicolored horse, and an out-of-touch knight. Together, they embark on a coastal walk in Wales to raise funds for charity, documenting their adventure on social media.

Spurrier's narrative style is infused with humor, making the journey an enjoyable and entertaining experience. The banter between the characters, particularly the old friends Fitz and Perceval, adds a charming layer to the story. I adore how confused Perceval is about the modern world and how Fitz has to explain these things to him. Despite its charm, the novel explores deeper themes beneath its lighthearted surface.

While the story unfolds as a simple walk for charity, it soon transforms into a journey into darkness and the gates of death as someone seeks the long-neglected Winchester Codex. The plot twists kept me on my toes for sure and the suspense builds steadily throughout the novel. I did NOT expect that ending but it was apropos.

This book is WEIRD. But it's also a delightful and charming novel with its humor, unique characters, and unexpected twists.

Thanks to R&R Booktours for the copy. This is an honest review.

I was excited for this one because it sounded so good. I can definitely see how it would appeal to many people.
It was written really well but I didn't gel with the characters and so I found it difficult to be invested in it. I am very much of the opinion that not every book is for everyone.
The premise of the story is an interesting one and I would definitely be interested in a story about Meghan and finding out more about her.

“ℳ𝒶𝓎𝒷𝑒 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒾𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹. 𝒪𝓇 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝓌𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓌𝒾𝓈𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒.”

This book became a new all time favorite of mine, I am obsessed with it and so sad that I finished it… But wow, I devoured this novel!

This book surprised me in so many aspects, one of the main character was a dragon who is not the last dragon on earth but the humans definitely make it feel like it. There was so many thought-provoking things to ponder about. The world imagine dragons as violent creatures and when they find out the truth in an interview with Fitz the dragon they are disappointed by they standards how boring Fitz is who loves gardening and only flies to the supermarket. It was so interesting to think about all the things that came up in the book. But also this was such an adventurous and interesting journey to read about, I felt like I was walking with Fitz, Perceval and Anna and of course Oscar the horse who can change colors. There was also so many fun conversations, intriguing historical stories. I loved the friendship between them so much, it was heartwarming to read. This was a beautifully written book the author’s first novel which I’m definitely shocked because she’s just so talented and this book was unlike anything I’ve ever read.

I highly highly recommend to read this masterpiece of a book to everyone!

It was a very fun, entertaining, and highly amusing read.
Lots of humour and friendly banter, from a band of unlikely friends. (Misfits)

The story follows Fitz, and his old friend Perceval.
It was full of adventure, and it also had some great historical facts that provided quite an insight.

I enjoyed the writing style. It had great descriptions and was very visual. And the world building was very unique, nothing like anything I have previously read.

This was a fun & entertaining story! The Blurb makes this book sound interesting & it was but I was surprised by how entertaining it was! I sat down one afternoon & by that evening I had finished the book! It has adventure, humor, history & friendship! The historical descriptions where fantastic! It talks about Alfred the Great & the Vikings! Definitely a good read! I would love to read more about these characters! So hopefully there will be another book! Thank you RR Book Tours & Frances Spurrier for sharing this wonderful book with me!

Fitz is not quite the last dragon left in the world, but he certainly feels as though time has left him behind. Though the rest of the world is intent on imagining dragons as violent creatures who want to do nothing but burn things down and destroy villages, Fitz really wants nothing more than to be left alone in his cottage in Wales, where he is happy with his garden, his bees, and his baking. But Fitz has something else in his cottage- a millennia-old book containing ancient wisdom that many would kill to obtain. When his old friend Perceval comes to Fitz to ask for his help on one last quest, Fitz must finally stir from his comfortable life and face the fact that his past is not ready to let go of him. When the questing pair makes friends with a teenager on the run, their adventure takes on a twenty-first-century flair when the teen, Anna, suggests they document their walk along the Welsh coast on social media. They gain thousands of followers, but not everyone is there to cheer them on. There are people who know what book Fitz has, and will do anything to take it and its wisdom for themselves.

Grim and gritty fantasy novels have been all the rage for quite some time, and it can be difficult to find a fantasy novel that is straight-up fun and charming. Fortunately, we are starting to see more books where earnestness and friendship are features and not flaws- cozy fantasies where the characters get along with each other, do their best to make amends after arguments, and are perfectly happy to sit down in a soft chair with a cup of tea and a pastry and tell stories around the fire.

The Winchester Codex is just such a book. Fitz and Perceval are perfectly charming characters with a long history of adventures and misadventures behind them. Though they haven’t seen each other for a long time, they pick up right where they left off, and it doesn’t take much convincing for Perceval to get Fitz out of his comfortable cottage and into the wild blue yonder. Their banter is always amusing- especially with they meet up with Anna and end up dealing with social media. They’re already outsiders in time, and seeing a dragon and a knight trying to fathom something like Instagram is especially amusing.

Though most of the book is devoted to Fitz, Perceval, and Anna’s quest in modern Wales, there is a historical interlude involving Alfred the Great and his fight to save his kingdom from the oncoming Viking armies. Here, the historical details are pretty much spot on and provide insights into English history (albeit, an alternate history with dragons) and into Fitz and Perceval’s background. This, too, has plenty of charm, and is worth the diversion from the main story.

If you’re looking for a fantasy novel featuring a band of unlikely friends going on an adventure together combined with humor and self-reflection, The Winchester Codex is an excellent book to start with.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with both an eBook and a physical copy of the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Winchester Codex! It was so completely not what I was expecting ... in a good way! The blurb looked interesting but I was in for a very pleasant surprise. The story is fun, sweet and entertaining. A dragon, Fitz, and a knight, Perceval, go off on a quest in the 21st century. Along the way a runaway, Anna, joins them and the quest turns into something so much more. Friendship, a noble cause and a kidnapping! There are laugh out loud moments and a colour changing horse, a wild mother and delusional dragon slayers. An awesome read.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.