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Dragons are common in the backwater kingdom of Bellemontagne, coming in sizes from mouselike vermin all the way up to the fabled Kings, which haven’t been seen in an age. Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax (who would much rather people call him Robert) has recently inherited his deceased father’s job as a dragon exterminator, a career he detests with all his heart. Things turn from bad to worse when Robert is hired by the royal family to disinfest the entire castle, as Princess Cerise is determined to receive Crown Prince Reginald with the shabby château looking its best.

What happens next is not the fairy tale you may be expecting.

A slice-of-life cozy fantasy, this isn’t high adventure or pace-breaking fiction–it’s a look at a young man’s life and struggles.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but I found it delightful. The author just jumps into the story as if the reader will understand everything about life with dragons, and I loved the immediate immersion into the world. I also loved the sly snarkiness throughout the book.

There’s quite a bit of adventure in the story, but that’s not the main focus. There’s some romance (lots of princes trying to woo a princess), but that’s not the focus either. The focus is Robert and how he is living life verses how he wants to live it.

My one complaint is that it did end too abruptly for me–I would have liked to see more of how Robert accepts and lives with his developing role with dragons. Instead, he discovers new things about dragons, then the story ends. It could definitely have used another chapter or epilogue to show more of that.

Overall, a fun read. Kind of YA, but there’s a little more swearing than you’d expect in YA.

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For more YA fantasy, check out:

Lament by Laura L. Zimmerman
Head Over Tails by Brianna Tibbets