Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC!

As the new King and Queen start their new journey as royals, Bronwyn and Malik now roam the capital in a confused state of their relationship while the dragons are reeking havoc on the innocent. They work together to try stop and dismantle the dragons but naturally, things don't go according to plan.

I absolutely had a fun time reading this story. I did read The Musician and the Monster first and I am glad I did. I am generally not a fan of slow burns, but I did enjoy the banter and the tension between Malik and Bronwyn. While I had my suspicions of who was the leader of the Dragons was, I still enjoyed the build up of the story. I am glad that Maliks character evolved and grew so much from the first book and how he turned into Bronwyn's biggest fan. I love both of these characters and am very interested in seeing if there is going to be another book in this series.

I love love love when fantasy meets regency!! It's like magical Bridgerton and I live for it. This is such a great grumpy sunshine romance, I loved their banter and their chemistry. I actually don't usually love fairytale retellings but I found the first one was unique so had to grab this too and I really enjoyed it!

** Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC **

If you loved Bronwyn and Malik’s simmering chemistry in The Musician and the Monster, this sequel is everything you hoped it would be—and more. The Artist and the Dragon picks up seamlessly from Book One, pulling us right back into the royal intrigue, enchanting magic, and undeniable longing that defines this world. Bronwyn and Malik find themselves entangled in fake romances, determined to uncover a plot against the throne, all while secretly pining for one another. The result? A sweetly agonizing push-and-pull that leads to some truly satisfying (and spicy) payoffs.

One of the most dramatic twists is how both characters must confront their own limits—Malik especially, who’s forced to embrace the dark magic he’s long feared in order to save Bronwyn from a dangerous conspiracy. It’s a heart-stopping moment that underscores just how far he’ll go for love. Even better, Megan Van Dyke wraps up the story with a glimpse into the future, giving readers a chance to see how Bronwyn and Malik’s world looks once the dust settles—a treat for anyone who’s come to adore these characters.

Altogether, The Artist and the Dragon is a fantastic conclusion to this duology, offering up political intrigue, heartfelt romance, and a deeply satisfying finish that left me smiling. If you’re craving a fairy-tale retelling with high stakes and a happily-ever-after that feels truly earned, this series absolutely delivers.

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 The Artist and The Dragon
🗓 29.4.2025
💫💫💫.5

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I did not realise that this was book 2 in a duology. It was still understandable but I think I should have read book 1 first. Just so I could understand the world.

Otherwise, it was a good book. It had banter, Bridgerton vibes, slow burn and most importantly yearning.

When our FMC sisters is put under a sleeping curse, Bronwyn and Malik (grumpy x sunshine mortal enemies) must ender the parade and fanfare of the Dragons to find a cure. The pacing of this book is strong, especially towards the final scenes where the plot really unfolds into a well written HEA.

I would definitely recommend this book, just maybe read the first one like I did not.

Thank you for this Arc!
I flew through this book. I had just finished the first book and was so excited to be able to read this one right afterwards.

The story picks up a few months after the events on the 1st book. Definitely could be read as a standalone, but you’d have better understanding if you read the 1st.

A ❤️‍🔥slow burn ⚔️ bantering 🛌sleeping Beauty retelling.


I enjoyed this one more than the 1st.

I absolutely loved this book! The name and cover had me hooked and I’m so glad I got the chance to read this!

I liked the general story - just didn't love it. A little bit of play on fairy tales, a little bit of intrigue, and a little bit of second chance romance with a headstrong MFC that has deep devotion to her family & doesn't like crowds & traditional lady things of the time. I like fantasy/romantasy but I don't like when they use f*ck in gaslamp/historical romance - takes me out of the moment. Also, I'm all about the spice, but I think for gaslamp/historical romance in particular, they would at least note they considered the potential consequences of their actions more (like - being caught alone with a man in his house unchaperoned would be bad enough, let alone getting pregnant out of wedlock - quite the scandal for ladies in that time, especially the sister of the queen...right?). I know they are in love & their feelings have been brewing for some time, but still - they seemed like smart enough characters. Thanks for the ARC opportunity NetGalley & the publisher.

Jumping right back into the world of Castamar felt like I never left. I absolutely adored the first book in the series (MATM) and was so happy to see everyone back right where we left off. The writing flowed so smoothly introducing Bronwyn and Malik. The author, Megan, is the best at writing retellings and making them just that much more enjoyable as an adult by adding mature situations that keep you interested and invested in the journey of the characters. The chapter endings always left me wanting more with shocking twists and turns. I was so happy with the ending making this duology a set to reach for again if Im craving a high stakes HEA.

I can verify you don’t need to read the first one for this one, but if you care about spoilers then read the first one before this one.

This was a cool retelling. I didn’t really know what to expect going into it, but I liked the little glimpses of Sleeping Beauty woven within the plot. Because it’s technically and characters have already been established the action takes place quickly and throughout the book. While the romance plot is there, it’s not necessarily the forefront of the book. The main focus feels more about finding out who the dragons are and breaking the curse.

The Artist and the Dragon is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty with themes and motifs from The Phantom of the Opera, and set in a gaslamp fantasy world akin to Bridgerton, but with magic.

4.25 stars and ohmygoodness this took everything good from The Musician and the Monster and made it even better, developed some incredibly rich characters, and added in a fun mystery!!

In this Sleeping Beauty x Phantom of the Opera fantastical story, Bronwyn and Malik struggle to stay away from each other (which of course they’re doing strategically—and not doing very well) while rooting out a dangerous rebellion in the kingdom that leaves Drystan and Ceridwen at risk (now king and queen because duh). With references to Disney stories galore, yearning to the nth degree (Malik is down bad crying the gym literally), and shapeshifting magic, this book truly has it all!!

While I enjoyed the first book, it felt much more surface level and I wasn’t sure what to expect coming in but this absolutely blew me away. The improvement, the depth, and the plotting of this book were just out of this world!!

Thanks so much to Megan Van Dyke and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Imagine Bridgerton setting, Sleeping Beauty plot and MMC is obsessed with her as in Phantom of the Opera.

They were so freaking cute together-| was obsessed! This book was such a fun read. He's a totally smitten prince but has to pretend he's not, while she's in love with him but thinks he's over her.
Now she's got another guy courting her, and the prince is not handling it well. I loooove the jealousy trope. All this drama goes down while they're trying to stop dark magic wielders from sneaking into the castle and causing chaos.

"I realized that it would be far worse to never tell you how I feel, to never truly be yours, than to savor every moment we could have together, even knowing that they might be our last. I would rather have you and lose you than have never had you at all."

I loved this book so much, retellings are always my favourite thing to read and this one didn't disappoint. The writing was so beautiful and from the moment I started I couldn't put it down, the slow burn romance, the yearning and the angst just everything was done so well. The storyline was also so well developed and it all moved at such a good pace from start to finish. Highly recommend!

Thank you so much to the author for the opportunity to read and review this before publication. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

The Artist and the Dragon by Megan Van Dyke is a beautifully executed blend of Sleeping Beauty and Phantom of the Opera with Bridgerton vibes and magic. I loved the first book of this duology so I was very excited to continue on with the journey and I thoroughly enjoyed Bronwyn's story!

At the heart of this story is the reluctant partnership between Bronwyn, a gifted artist and sister to the newly crowned queen, and Malik, a charming but secretive prince. Their chemistry from the first book carries into the sequel perfectly and I loved their tension and banter.

Beyond the romance, the book weaves an intricate mystery involving mysterious "dragons" and a deadly curse threatening Bronwyn's sister. I thought the author balanced romance, suspense, mystery, and political intrigue very well, and it was hard to put this down.

If you love a reimagined fairytale, slow-burn romance, and a bit of mystery, I highly recommend The Castamar Duology!

I loved the concept of a re telling of the sleeping beauty and I was not disappointed in this novel, indeed I read it, and didn't want to put it down. The characters were well drawn and the story was brilliant. Highly recommended.

Review will be posted to Goodreads and Instagram on March 27th 2025 @ approx. 10:30 PM CST

Breathtaking. Absolutely, positively breathtaking.
This book had me so glued to the pages that it took me less than 24 hours to finish.
Malik and Bronwyn are absolute perfection.
The pining? The angst? The SLOW BURN?
I’m obsessed with it ALL.
By the end of the book, I was shedding tears at how perfectly it ended.
I would recommend this to LITERALLY everyone.

Thank you to net gallery and the author for allowing me to read this ARC!

This gives off Bridgerton vibes but add magic into it! I didn’t know this was the second book in a series when I requested it. The cover caught my eye and I thought it was like an interconnected sandal one kind of book. So I was slightly lost at first until I looked up book one. Will have to go back and read it soon.

It was a good read though. Bronwyn can’t stand Malik at first, but Malik is a gush over her. When these evil Dragons cause Bronwyn’s sister to be afflicted with a sleeping curse, her and Malik go in disguise to find the dragons and break the curse. The Dragons live in high society disgused so the two have to go to balls dressed for high society. Malik has to play the part of a handsome arrogant playboy and Bronwyn a high lady. The flirting they do with others really gets on each others nerves which is delicious. Love it! So much angst and slow burn.

🎨- Grumpy/Sunshine
🎨- Sleeping beauty retelling
🎨- Banter
🎨- Touch her and die
🎨- Hurt/Comfort
🎨- Yearning
🎨- High Society balls
🎨- Slow Burn
🎨- Magic
🎨- Happily Ever After