I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a 3,5 review.
So, I didn’t know what I was getting into when I requested this on Netgalley, and it was a great surprise. The book follows Sir Violet as he searches for a missing person in his village and forms an unlikely friendship with the dragon Snap. Setting it apart, the book has plenty of characters (including Sir Violet) from different LGBTQ+ communities, as they discuss the importance of being yourself.

“Why?” the spider asked. “What message do you think is so important that everyone should hear it?”
“The message that being different from what is considered the norm does not mean you will lead an unhappy life.”

At the end of the day, this book by Minerva Cerridwen manages quite beautifully to get to the heart of it. It just works on many levels, the pacing has the feel of old fairy tales mixing just enough of learning with adventure; it reminded me of reading Chronicles of Narnia with a flashlight as a kid, ageless. A pleasant fresh fast read, perfect to set your mind at ease with the smugness and hopefulness of it all… The epilogue seemed a bit slow, and I would have been pleased to read without reaching it, but it does not change my good opinion of this.

"And when your story reaches people like yourself, it will let them know that they are not alone. It will remind them, even in dark moments, that they deserve love and people who love them for who they are. When their friends and family hear the story, they will be reassured that their loved one will be fine, and that differences are nothing to be afraid of."

As always, I thank those involved in making this book available for me. Sharing the point of view from others is very important to the growth of understanding and the growth of humanity. This is a fairy tale, but it is ultimately a story about people. I hope others will enjoy this too.

Violet the Knight of Ynys, turns to the Dragon when something is missing from the village.
Every time the friendly hoarder Dragon Snap returns what he took to Violet. So far already over ten years. Until one day Juniper, from the bakery, is missing. Violet accused the Dragon but something else is going on. Together with Junipers wife, they travel to places and even to the spider realm.

A gentle, playful, at times heart aching, lovely uplifting narrative with a beautiful message.
It’s about to be who you want to be and accept the others. It’s about creatures with open hearts and minds. We meet a very wise Dragon who loves and cares. Oh let’s not forget the cinnamon rolls.

Thank you Netgalley and Atthis Arts for access to this arc.


What might seem a generic story about a small village that has to deal with a dragon with hoarding issues soon turns into something more. By the time that the missing baker is found and returns home, a whole new system of communication – mainly started to share stories of inclusion and self affirmation – is begun. I won’t spoil it too much but remember that the spiders in the story are heavily involved with this.

Something that I was reminded of is not to judge too quickly just based on titles or descriptions. Mayors are now often women and even dragons can become lonely at times. Manners are always appropriate so don’t wait ten years to introduce yourself. Bearded men can have great taste in dresses. Men can proudly answer to the name Violet. Dragons are sensitive about having villagers show up even if said villagers are not carrying pitchforks and torches. And if you’re going to head out on a quest, leave a note so your loved ones won’t worry about where you are.

There are a lot of changes and new ideas for characters to acknowledge and assimilate and perhaps the pace of acceptance is a wee bit quick but it is a novella and meant to be read by all ages. I wish there had been more fantasy elements besides just a dragon and the spiders. Some of the dialog also felt too contemporary and … well, not fantasy story “period.” A few of the characters seemed to be little but their genderqueer identity. But the lessons of inclusivity and acceptance are front and center of this story and seeing representation of genderqueer people is important. B

This was a hug in book-form.

Delightful, slightly fantastical, fairytale-inspired and brimming with queer rep (a note: I love that the author not only revised the book based on a reviewers comment on the original containing things that were hurtful to trans readers, but also that she reflects upon why these rewrites were necessary and what caused the original material to make its way to the original book) this is such a lovely little book about acceptance, growing into one's true self and the support of those around you.

I've never met a dragon I didn't like and Snap went right onto my list of favourite dragons with his snappy wit and introspective smarts. Violet was so inherently relatable and human, and the side characters were just.. *chefs kiss*.

A hug in a book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review is going to be rather short because, well, the book is also rather short but I really wanted to feature it on the blog! This is a lovely children’s story full of heart and acceptance and I just loved it.

The Dragon of Ynys does it’s job perfectly, which is why I made the decision to give it five stars. The book is ownvoices and features an aro-ace protagonist, an out and proud lesbian couple, and two trans characters. It also shows how easy it is to ask someones pronouns on meeting them and acknowledges non-binary identities in the process, it was just wonderful to read! The book highlights the importance of representation and seeing yourself within stories, in fact this is a central theme of the story and it’s much needed.

Due to the length of the novel there’s not a lot of nuance, but time is spent giving each character a distinct voice. It isn’t deep and there isn’t a whole heap of world building but I don’t think that’s the point, it’s lovely to see a fantasy that’s perfect for children who want better representation in the books their picking up.

This is a wholesome and soft short story that’s filled to the brim with love and acceptance, and I just loved how easy it was to read.

Recommend: If you have children this could be perfect, but it works well as a short story for adults too!

First, I want to thank NetGalley and Atthis Arts for giving me free and early access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

I give this title 4.5 stars. It was a delightful, fun short story that is full of great, diverse characters and dollop of snark. The main reason I didn't give it 5 stars is becomes some things seemed to work out too well or just a bit too easily. Which, is not necessarily a bad thing, but I think I'm a bit too cynical about things to full enjoy that aspect of this story.

While there are some elements that on there own sound like troupes from a fairy tale or fantasy story, there is almost nothing in this story that follows the 'norms' or expectations that many readers may have when picking up a book that says it has a dragon and knight as two of the characters.

I definitely recommend this book to readers of all ages.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC.

This review is a bit different from others I’ve done, as I requested this book because I thought it was a children’s book. I intended to read it and determine whether it would be of interest to my kids, with the intention of then reading it to them.

After reading it, it doesn’t quite strike me as a children’s book. It’s not the queer content. In fact, I like that a children’s book had queer content. I want to normalize that for my children.

Spoilers below:

I don’t think this is something my kids would like. It’s written as if for children. It’s wholesome. It’s not too complicated and the storyline is simpler than an adult novel. The author indicated this was on purpose; for the book to be accessible to all ages for a variety of reasons. However, the discussions in the book, the things that concern the characters are too adult, in my opinion, to interest kids. A dragon and a person talking about how they feel lonely, when that isn’t really relevant to the quest, is not going to interest my kids. Same with discussions of flirtations and whether they are wanted or not. My kids are too young to “get” it and they probably won’t care. They aren’t concerned with those kinds of things yet, because they are still too young to know about them. If you have a tween, this might be an excellent way to teach about different genders, sexuality and orientations and how to be polite and accepting. I don’t know. I don’t have tweens yet.

The dragon was amazing and my favourite character. He really felt alive but also not the typical dragon character. He was central to moving the story along and a delight to read.

Unfortunately, it was a bit preachy for my tastes. I’d love a world where everyone is kind and thoughtful, but that isn’t the world we live in. It is especially not the world we live in if you are not cisgendered and heterosexual. Yet all the characters are unfailingly polite and accepting of all the different characters. There’s no grit. Even when two of the main characters have a fight, a catalyst for the entire plot, they make up by each being more sorry and polite and perfect than each other. It doesn’t make sense.

The major plot point is that due to an argument with her wife, Juniper runs off to try and make the world kinder and more accepting. Except everyone they meet is just polite, accepting and eager to help spread the message of acceptance for whomever you want to be. A great message, but you’re preaching to the choir in the book. There doesn’t actually seem to be any conflict, because this world already seems to be like this.

Some of these issues may be that the story was originally written in the author’s native Dutch. There was obviously a lot of work and thought put into this story so that it wasn’t hurtful to anyone who may read it.

I was hoping for an action-adventure story for young readers that included a range of diverse characters. This is not that story. This is a story about sexuality, genders and orientations that included a bit of adventure.

I'm giving this a 2.5/5 largely because of the writing style which feels like it's more for middle school children than anything. The constant repetition and blunt explanations of everything felt almost condescending - as though the author didn't trust the readers to make the right conclusion.

THAT BEING SAID: I did enjoy this! I read it in one sitting and once I restructured my reading level expectations, the ideas behind the book are quite fun. As someone who is asexual, having an aroace main character is really enjoyable. The diversity is the focus of the book but that's the point.

This book is definitely unique in the fact that while it isn't a story ABOUT being queer, the entirety of the plot revolves around being queer. I haven't quite come across this before.

Rep: aroace main character, trans sapphic side character, cis sapphic side character, trans minor character

CW: challenged transphobia, flirting with an aroace character, theft, spiders

This was a delightful short story! I found myself smiling for the majority of my time reading this. The story has a strong focus on friendship and showing kindness and understanding to others, and the world was one in which I’d be happy to live in myself.

My favourite thing about it hands down was the dragon. Snap is polite, a touch mischievous, gets very excited about shiny things, and more than anything else just wants a friend. Cerridwen can just @ me next time, okay?

It’s worth mentioning that the version I read was the version released in 2020, which has undergone edits and further sensitivity reads from its previous version. Having read about what the story used to be, I think that its current incarnation is much better. It’s still not perfect. Personally, I think that the characters that the narrative follows didn’t show much concern at all for the situation they left behind when they went on their quest. Then again, they were gone from the village for two days at most, and the nature of the story meant that I was never unsure of whether everything would work out or not.

I would’ve liked Violet’s aromanticism and asexuality to have been mentioned or referenced before someone tried to flirt with him, but I didn’t have any issues with the way it was handled after the fact.

All in all, this was a sweet fairytale-esque story that I’m sure I’ll be coming back to in future! I would recommend it.

This is a short, all-ages fairytale about an asexual, aromantic knight called Sir Violet whose job is to find and return items that the dragon nearby has taken from the little village of Ynys. But when one day the lesbian baker goes missing, what will Sir Violet do? He reminds me of Bilbo Baggins - after all, he goes on the whole adventure of this novel and all he wanted was some cinnamon rolls...

I felt a lot like Sir Violet reading this book. I knew from its blurb that it would be cute and adorable and easy to read, and full of fun medieval shenanigans, but I didn't expect that it would be full of so much heart.

Consider the story of a fairytale dragon: he's usually the only one of his kind, living a lonely existence up in the mountains. Others are scared of him and don't know how to interact with him.
The author makes the point that, in the real world, many LGBT+ people are treated like dragons and shunned from the village. But she makes it with nuance and vigour, centering queer voices in the story and giving them real depth. Characters pursue real friendships, navigate real (and complicated) relationships, and learn how to listen to each other's stories. And importantly, they don't just ride off into the sunset together at the end.

Here is one of my favourite quotes from the book:
"It was odd, really. They had all these tales about rare creatures like dragons ... yet he'd never heard a single one about a girl whose identity did not match the way her body was perceived by others."

Thank you to NetGalley and Atthis Arts for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! And thank you Minerva Cerridwen for re-writing this book and putting it back out into the world - the world needs many many more adorable stories just like this.

In today’s divisive society, uniqueness can become a point of shame rather than pride. The Dragon of Ynys is a perfect balm to soothe everyone and anyone who feels hurt by the lack of acceptance that is often so prevalent–it will make you smile, lift your spirits, and reaffirm your belief that there is good in the world, all in the span of roughly 100 pages. I seriously cannot adequately express how much I loved this book.

The plot is very straightforward: Sir Violet is a somewhat reluctant knight who is very happy with his place in the small village of Ynys, where his biggest challenge is constantly visiting the dragon, Snap, who lives nearby and has a penchant for stealing shiny items. But when Juniper, the baker, goes missing one day, Violet must team up with Snap, as well as Juniper’s wife, Holly, to hunt her down. And that quest launches an even bigger adventure, full of secret caves, spiders, and stories galore.

I cannot begin to express how much I loved this cute, quirky fairytale. The cast is wonderfully queer: Sir Violet is an aro-ace hero, more interested in staying home with a cup of tea than winning hearts; Juniper and Holly are a proud lesbian couple; two characters are trans; and in passing dialogue, the characters offer affirmation of genderfluid, nonbinary, and bi/pan identities. The queer rep is OwnVoices, too–the author notes at the end that she identifies as both aro-ace and genderqueer/genderfluid. And–get this!–more than once, when meeting new people in this book, characters actually ask each other for their pronouns. That is next-level inclusivity, and I am so here for it.

As someone who is also ace, I felt like Sir Violet was an excellent representation of asexuality (and especially ace introverts). It doesn’t consume his identity, and he generally just doesn’t bother thinking about romantic or sexual things at all unless someone else brings it up–more often, he is preoccupied with the idea that he doesn’t fit in because he isn’t really an adventurous type. In his opinion, the most important things in life are things like cinnamon rolls and good friends, not derring-do and winning hearts, and he feels bad that he and his friends don’t often see themselves reflected in the stories they hear. That running theme, about the importance of representation, was absolutely wonderful to read.

Of course, given how short the story is, there isn’t a ton of time to delve deep into things like worldbuilding and deep character complexities, but for something executed in such limited space, this just…works. As I mentioned earlier, it feels like a long fairytale, rather than a short book, and the level of nuance and respect for individuality in every character is truly well done. Snap is a sarcastic dragon with a heart of gold and commentary that made me laugh out loud, and Holly and Juniper truly are like an old married couple, mingling bickering with deep affection.

Honestly, I don’t have much else I think I need to say about this book. It is simple, sweet, wholesome, and much-needed, with lovable characters and an important message. Whether you are an adult looking for something that reminds you of childhood but is far more accepting, or trying to find a book for a child who wants better representation in their fantasy, this book is a perfect choice. It isn’t a long read, but it is an impactful one that I’m sure will stick with me for quite some time, and I wholeheartedly recommend it for readers of all ages.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Review publishing on the 15th of September

The story here is very cute, Our not-quite-a-knight Violet and the Dragon of Ynys go on an adventure with one other individual to find a missing person. I thought it was very sweet, and it certainly felt genuine. Even in the short amount of page we had the characters moved to different and diverse locations, giving the story an actual feel of travel. Towards the end, I also really liked the idea of the spider webs that is introduced (I always enjoy love for spiders in books).
I also appreciated the rep here as someone who considers herself on the ace spectrum. I do think this fell a little bit into the stereotype of the isolated and standoff-ish Ace/Aro individual though definitely not the extreme level of some tales. I have my days where I am those things, but I'm largely a friendly (if introverted) person. So seeing this repeated over and over in the very few stories with this rep, is a bit on the disappointing side. Yet, saying that, I know we aren't a monolith so I can't fault the book for that - I just want to make sure to mention it for those like myself looking for something different.
I can't speak to the trans-rep, but the notes do indicate that the book has been edited and touched up to make that rep stronger and better for the community at large. It came across as well meaning to my knowledge, but again - I'm not an expert at all.
All that to say, I did have a few other qualms.
So this started off really strong with a very cute fairy tale tone to it. It lost me quickly however because there felt like there was a bit of referencing to other stories in the same world. I dropped out of total immersion because I was wondering - is this another story, does this character tie in somewhere else? It felt very much like a novella or short story meant to give backstory to side characters in another larger tale.
I also had a hard time with the writing once I got tripped up so early. I've seen this shelved as Adult online in several spaces and I'd heartily argue that this reads very much like a middle grade novel. Especially after reading the author's note, in which she talked about writing this when younger, this reads just like that. I would give this to a middle school or young YA student to read (I do not recall where on NetGalley this sits, I think I got it from the general Fantasy section and not a specific age bracket).

So a cute story, with simple prose and plenty of representation. I'd recommend this to much younger readers, as I mentioned or even those just starting in fantasy at that age. It'd be a great little introduction with the well done travel elements.

Every time something goes missing from the village, Sir Violet, the local knight makes his way up to the dragon’s cave and negotiates the item’s return. But when the dragon hoards a person, that’s a step too far. Only to find a more complex mystery. A quest that leads Sir Violet far beyond the cave. The dutiful village knight embarks in his greatest adventure yet.

The book was so pleasantly, wonderfully and unexpectedly good. Such a joyful, funny, super cute story about acceptance. I grew attached to Sir Violet and Snap the very second I started reading the story. Reading about a character who is asexual aromantic brought such joy to my heart. We need more books like this on the near future.

A few parts were a bit preachy for my liking, had a couple of eye rolls here and there. The fact that this story is suitable for any age is so beyond this world. You can learn so much from this book about acceptance and you might even find your place in this world after reading this wonderful story. I didn’t want the story to end.

Thumbs up to Certidwen for giving the female characters so much power and bravery.

The Dragon of Ynys is a fantasy fairy tale about love and acceptance and friendship. Sir Violet investigates thefts that are happening in his town. He finds the dragon who is stealing them. But then Juniper goes missing, and Sir Violet wonders if the dragon has stolen her as well. What follows is a bit of an adventure, as the characters go looking for Juniper, and work on solving some personal relationship problems as well.

This is quite a short book, and it really does feel like a fairy tale. There's something about the language and the structure. As I was reading it, I felt like it would work quite well read aloud as a bedtime story. At first the way it was written made me feel a little disconnected from the characters, but as the story progressed I got to know and like the characters.

This story is fun and cute. The characters are interesting and likeable, and the plot is fun and engaging. There are some funny moments, and some quite emotional moments as well. For the most part, the book feels like it's aimed at children, with its simplistic, fairy tale like structure and its positive message and morals, although it can definitely be enjoyed by adults as well! Occasionally it felt more adult, though not in an inapropriate way . More that there were certain conversations that felt like they might bore children, especially younger children.

This is a fairy tale with queer representation, which I loved. I love being able to see myself and characters like myself in the kind of story that we often don't get to play a part in. But this isn't just a fairy tale featuring diverse characters. It's also a fairy tale specifically about a diverse range of characters and their identities. I especially liked that there is an aroace main character, and that there are nonbinary characters as well. In the story, people aren't restricted by gender, with women as knights and a woman as the mayor. There's a little bit of minor transphobia from some of the characters but ultimately characters are supportive, and the book would be a good way to introduce younger children to trans and gender nonconforming people, as it shows that it's important to be yourself and also to accept others as themselves. The sharing of pronouns is also normalised, which is great.

This version of the book is a rerelease, after the writer rewrote the book to be more trans friendly. I definitely think she succeeded, and I think this is a wonderful story to read and to share with children.

This was such a nice and fun story to read! A dragon, a knight, and the baker's wife embark on a quest to find the missing baker. Sounds quite simple said like this but this story was filled with LGBTQIA+ characters and important messages, which the real story was to bring them to all around the world.

“The message that being different from what is considered the norm does not mean you will lead an unhappy life.”

When things start to go missing in the small village of Ynys, local knight Violet must venture to meet the dragon living nearby to retrieve the items. The dragon, being of a good temper, is usually more than willing to return the items upon Violet’s requests. When the baker goes missing, Violet’s first inclination is to seek out the dragon. But, when the baker is still nowhere to be found, it is up to Violet, the dragon, and the baker’s wife to figure out what has become of the baker, leading them on an adventure beyond the borders of the village where they meet new people and other creatures.

Snap the dragon is the standout character in this novella. He talks and has a rather good disposition--he’s never once tried to eat Sir Violet. He likes shiny and sparkly things, which is why things often go missing. More importantly, the things he says are amusing. One of my favorite lines is a poke at the village and the mayor, “I suppose that in a place like your village, that chain really is the only perk of being mayor. Far be it from me to take that joy away.” I would greatly enjoy conversing with Snap. He would be wonderful company and I would come out of it alive.

Dealing with strangers and a dragon that hoard only serves as surface-level concerns. There are multiple layers revealed when the baker goes missing and Violet, Snap, and Holly go on their search. At the heart of this fairytale is acceptance, from those around you and yourself. It’s about individuals trying to fit in by their own standards, rather than the standards of others. It’s also about listening, being able to see beyond your worries or interests so you can better understand those around you, to hear what they say and what they do not say…because what they are unable to vocalize may be just as important if not more so.

The book has LGBTQIA+ representation along with ARO-ACE representation, which is not as common as it should be. It is an enjoyable read—I also really liked the narration—that actively encourages readers to ponder the lessons it imparts for far longer than the nearly 100 pages that it makes up.

⁠It's a cute little book about an unlikely friendship between a knight, a baker, and a dragon, who later become a crime solving/adventure having trio. It's so frigging wholesome it was difficult not to say aww every couple of pages. ⁠
🐉⁠
The style of narration made this book feel more like a fairy tale than a fantasy novella. At first, I found it surprising, but then I was quite interesting and enjoyable.⁠
🐉⁠
Here are some cute things about the book: everybody is named after a plant, there is a dragon that hoards things out of boredom because he wants the knight to visit him, and there a wide range of characters with different identities. Holly, the baker looking for her missing wife, is the most logical and straightforward character I've ever encountered in a fantasy book. The Dragon, is, well, a typical dragon, mocking humans yet willing to help. He's basically a magpie, attracted to the tiniest shiny thing he sees. And finally Sir Violet, the knight, is there to occasionally sigh and do all the knighting. ⁠

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to this e-arc.
Basically a cute and charming little tale about the need for more representation in media. The message of the story iis that it is OK to be different, that it is OK to be you.
It is told in a 87page long short story, so there isn't much room to work out the message in any sort of nuance, but it is an absolutely charming story which really plays with the gender a lot. Most of the characters have names of flowers and so intuitively you would consider them all as being women, however, many of them are men or have chosen to be seen as a specific gender. As a result, this is very much a world in which it isn't possible to assume someone's gender, thus normalising the need to ask for people's pronouns. I thought that was really well done.
I also liked reading the afterword in which the author describes how she reworked this short story based on reader's criticism.
Another message of the story is definitely that it is ok to make mistakes as long as you're willing to learn from your mistakes and grow, which this afterword of the auhtor clearly indicates is something the author really takes to heart.
A beautiful look at how to respond to criticism in a positive way.
Definitely think this is most suited as a sort of bedtime story to children, but you can definitely also enjoy it as an adult as a sort of palate cleanser when you need something light and fluffy, something that'll warm your heart.

I love a good fairytale and this novella delivered on a number of the standard tropes- knights, a dragon and their hoard, a quaint village. Overall, this was a delightful read although the messages were a bit on the nose. A bit of subtly in the themes would have bumped this up another star. I do wish the aromantic/asexual representation was a bit more prominent as those characters are sorely unrepresented in literature today. I plan to pass this along to my pre-teen cousins as I think the message in this is very beneficial to a younger audience.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atthis Arts and Minerva Cerridwen for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Dragon of Ynys is a beautiful story full of adventure and representation. There's a reclusive dragon who occasionally steals from the village, a brave village knight who goes to face the dragon whenever something is taken and a lovely journey of acceptance and found family.

It is written in a very easy to read way, and is aimed at all ages although is likely more for younger audiences, children who want to see themselves represented and see their stories told. The book features trans characters, asexual and aromantic characters, and lesbian characters. It is a truly beautiful story with a deep meaning and could become a favourite for children learning about their own identities.

One of the main messages in the book surrounds the internet and the benefit of spreading messages of love and acceptance in an attempt to make the world a safer place for those that are different, it is told in a beautiful way through the lens of fantasy in a world where the internet does not exist. However, it isn't only the internet that is important for spreading these messages but also the libraries for those who do not have access to the internet as our books should reflect the diversity around us and teach children about the things they feel.

Overall a really lovely book with a great message. It feels like a fairy tale and there's a great found family element for the characters which is adorable. It's not exactly what I had expected, I was expecting a longer YA style fantasy book, but this book is likely invaluable to children who are questioning their identity.