This adorable story was adorable.

Now I'm the first to admit adorable is generally not my thing but I'm a sucker for stories with dragons so I thought I'd give this a try. So glad I did. It was funny and sweet and touching. I *may* have gotten a little teary-eyed at one point.

This was really different and creative and I highly recommend it.

I tried to read this book but it is something I am no longer interested in and hence I didn't like it much. The writing was nice enough but the starting was a little slow and couldn't hold my attention.

My only critique of this book is that I wish it was longer and that the author had spent more time setting up the world and story. Overall though it was a fun and quick read and I enjoyed it.

Heart of the Dragon by Jamie Sullivan
Publication Date: June 15, 2020
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Description from NetGalley...
“The greatest thief captures an unexpected prize.

Madfall is the greatest thief in the kingdom, stealing crowns off the very heads of kings. His hoard is legendary. Simply put, he’s a dragon through and through. So, when he steals a basket of “gold” from the king’s castle but finds a baby inside, he’s at a loss. What’s a dragon to do?

Seventeen years later, inexperienced knight Richard of Benfro sets out to slay the dragon, expecting death or glory. Not the most awkward meet-cute in history when he’s captured by the dragon’s human—and handsome—son.

Oenyn has been content living with Madfall, enjoying the fierce and protective love of his adopted father. But he’s always been curious about humanity. When Richard blunders into the home he shares with Madfall, Oenyn grabs the chance to learn all he can about people, castle life, sex . . . and maybe love. At least until Richard makes a startling discovery.

Caught between a potential future in the human world and his old life, Oenyn is faced with an impossible choice. Luckily, being raised by a dragon has left him plenty stubborn. He won’t give up his father, or his human family, without a fight.”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @riptidepublishing #readtherainbow for the digital copy in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
I would consider this a novella. A quick read, funny at times, sweet at times and a small cast of characters. To finish the story, I had to take it for what it was, a fairytale-fantasy book: A Knight saved the Princess from the Dragon, but not really. Maybe because it was a novella, I felt the world-building and characters could have used more background, personification and history. Madfall was an interesting dragon, but he needed more foundation. The end fell flat for me. There were witty banters, and a fun and sweet relationship between Oenyn and Richard and a lovely parent-child relationship between Oenyn and Madfall. The genre was quite mixed here and I think suitable for YA readers and up due to descriptive sex scenes.

This is a fun twist on the Knight saves the Princess from the Evil Dragon trope. Oh, the knight does find the princess, it’s just that the princess is actually a prince so the hero gets the guy not the girl, happily for them both. And the knight does locate the prince in a dragon’s lair it’s just that the dragon is not evil. It is a dragon who has lovingly raised the prince since infancy- going so far as to travel to other realms just to acquire fresh vegetables in the winter for him. But you get the gist.
It is an enchanting tale with delightfully charming characters. The plot combines enough twists with the familiar to be engaging, not trite. And the scenes with the prince Oenyn and the knight Richard trying to get it on outside of dragon hearing are priceless.
I would recommend this book.
However I do not think my library would purchase this title given current budget and my ranking of the book.

What a short (less than 200 pages – which is short compared to most of my recent reads) sweet read. ❤

Madfall is a fearsome dragon intent on adding to and protecting his impressive hoard. It is his most priceless treasure, that is, until he accidentally acquires something that turns out to be much more precious to him – Oenyn.

Oenyn is as loyal to Madfall as the dragon is to him. He’s grown to love him, just as any son would love a doting, devoted & loving father. That’s why defending their lair from Richard is perfectly reasonable. Even though Richard grows to be less of a threat and more of a interesting diversion with each passing day. Richard doesn’t understand his devotion to Madfall, who definitely hasn’t warmed up to him in the slightest, but Oenyn is determined to not only reunite with his human family, but to bring both families together.

I loved the relationship between father and son and the awkwardness between Richard and Oenyn. Heart of the Dragon is a fun, sweet fantasy and my first read by Jamie Sullivan, but I don’t think it will be my last. 😉

This book was not the type of book i was expected. I think i saw dragon and just picked it without really reading what it was about. It started off slow in the beginning, and then once Richard was introduced it ramped up the story and the humour.

This book was surprisingly good. it wasn't action packed, actually not much action at all, but it was a nice emotional story. About a farther (dragon) and his son (human), and the love they have for each other despite being different species.

I could easily pick up this book again for a nice wholesome story to read.

This is the first book I read by author Jamie Sullivan and I was pleasantly surprised by this story. The blurb caught my attention from the start and I am happy I got the chance to read it.

I love dragon stories and this one was well crafted. The writing style is easy to follow and engaging and the storyline drew me in from the start. Madfall is a feared dragon, many have tried to bring him down but none have succeeded to find his lair. He's a master of stealth and a skilled thief. His hoard is impressive, but his appetite to possess more gold is unsatiable and when he has the opportunity to add more to his impressive pile of treasures he takes it. That's how he ends up stealing from the king's castle a basket full of gold coins. Or so he thinks...because at a closer look, the basket doesn't hold gold but a human baby.

I loved how the father-son relationship was portrayed. Oenyn was raised my Madfall, and it was really heartwarming to see a big old dragon interact with a child. The bond that developed between them is as strong as that between blood relatives. The little boy grows up learning about the human world from the books Madfall provides him and while he is not a captive he prefers to live in the cave with his adoptive father. He turns into a beautiful, brave and kind-hearted young man. And when Richard stumbles into their cave, Oenyn becomes enthralled with the young knight and new feelings bloom in his heart.

The story is told from three points of view, which works perfectly for this book. The plot isn't mindblowing but the atmosphere created around the characters, the banter and the overall dynamic of the story make this tale unique and entertaining. It was a fun, light and charming read and I recommend it!

Although the synopsis of the book makes it sound like a romance, for me, this was really more of a story about the love between a boy and his dragon.

The boy is Oenyn, who was accidentally abducted by the dragon Madfall when Oenyn was a baby. Madfall meant to steal a basket full of gold for his hoard, but it’s hard to tell one human carrying a basket from another when you’re a dragon, even if that dragon is a master thief. Madfall is disappointed when he finds a baby instead of gold in the basket, but he takes on the task of caring for the child temporarily—just until he can return him for a profit, of course. But then Madfall gets attached, and Oenyn grows up in his care, thinking of himself as Madfall’s son. it’s not until a young dragon hunter named Richard shows up 17 years later that Oenyn and Madfall have to confront the consequences of Madfall’s mistake, because Richard makes Oenyn want more than a solitary life with his dragon father.

There’s a reason my description has mostly focused on Oenyn and Madfall; their relationship is really the heart of the story. The novel does include a thread of romance between Oenyn and Richard, and Richard is partly why Oenyn decides to enter the human world. (I’m not going to mention the other major reason, because spoilers.) I felt Madfall and Oenyn’s love for each other much more deeply, though. Madfall changes himself and his existence significantly for Oenyn’s sake, like a loving parent does for their children, and he feels sorrow at the thought of Oenyn growing up and leaving him. And Oenyn’s only hesitation about leaving to live among humans is that he can’t imagine being separated from Madfall, who has been everything to him.

Heart of the Dragon reads like a fairy tale, a gentle and humorous one. Just picture a dragon raising bunny rabbits, and you’ll get a sense of the story’s tone. It's very, very sweet.

Being in the mood for a bit of whimsy, I enjoyed this book, and I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a light fantasy with a hint of romance.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Heat Factor: Waggly eyebrows, for the most part
Character Chemistry: Oenyn and Richard are cute together, but it’s more about Oenyn’s growth as a young man
Plot: Oenyn, accidentally acquired by Madfall as a baby, is raised as a dragon. Richard is going to slay the dragon. Oenyn is not on board with that.
Overall: The real hero here is Madfall, whom I love.

Heart of the Dragon caught my attention because, um, it’s about a dragon. But it’s even better than that! Rather than reinventing dragon mythology, Sullivan leans in to what already exists, so a thieving, treasure-hoarding dragon attempts to steal treasure from the king...only to discover he’s accidentally acquired a human baby. Madfall’s error leads him to make excuse after excuse until he’s permanently adopted a human child for himself. A human child who grows up as a dragon, isolated except for brief excursions into the village to purchase food and goods (after he tells the dragon that stealing is wrong when he’s twelve). Oenyn is curious about the world, but knows he’s loved by Madfall, and is happy to live his life as a human raised by a dragon.

And Madfall grouches and grumbles that Oenyn is a dragon, which is adorable.

After six years of seeing nothing of the dragon, a chance sighting in the kingdom spurs the king to issue a reward to any man who brings back the heart of the dragon and leads the king to the dragon’s treasure. Richard, in an attempt to prove himself after feeling marginally inadequate his whole life, takes on the quest. And regrets it immediately because how stupid is it to sail a tiny boat in a turbulent sea up to a rocky cliff wall in an attempt to kill a giant, fire-breathing monster? P-r-e-t-t-y stupid. But he is surprised to find not a dragon but a young man in the dragon’s lair. So surprised, Richard is neatly captured by Oenyn, who really expected it to be just a little bit harder to defeat a knight.

To be honest, this story is less about romance and more about love. Madfall adores Oenyn, turning his life upside down and inside out for the child, wanting only what’s best for his son. Even if that means letting him go live among humans after Richard reveals intricacies of the human experience to Oenyn as they get to know each other.

Oenyn, as a young man, is at the point of being prepared to begin his own life as an adult, but with the arrival of Richard, he realizes that he has choices to make about what that looks like. The important thing for him is that, even though he knows he’s human and that he wants to explore that part of himself, he also knows he loves his adoptive father and doesn’t want to give up that part of himself.

For his part, Richard has to learn to think outside of the confines of what he’s been taught his whole life. When he thinks Oenyn is a victim suffering from some kind of Stockholm syndrome, Oenyn makes him realize that Madfall isn’t a monster, and Oenyn has a clear understanding of himself and his boundaries.

The conflict is extremely low-key. Madfall finds a child and must decide what he’s going to do with it. Richard tries to slay the dragon and has to figure out how to survive being captured. Oenyn meets Richard and suddenly realizes he has a choice to make as an adult human living in a world that is decidedly dragon-unfriendly. Even though there’s a quest element, and the story could be full of derring-do, it’s much more about the emotional lives of the protagonists involved, which is totally satisfying.

Oenyn’s bantery exchanges with Madfall and Richard make the book a fun read. And Oenyn’s understanding of what’s important to him and what his boundaries are, make this a truly heartwarming read. That and Madfall’s utterly willing transformation from a treasure-hoarding loner to a loving, supportive parent. Warm fuzzies all around, friends!

Note: This book, originally published in 2018, has been republished in June 2020.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

3.5/5

The story is told in third person limited, with multiple main characters. The story starts off with Madfall(dragon) stealing a basket (which he thought had gold in it). Soon he finds out that it has a little baby boy in it. He takes him home, and hopes that he can use him for leverage, for ransom treasures. At first I didn't think I would have enjoyed the story, but I grew to fall in love with the characters as the story progressed. All the characters showed their purpose from the second chapter on. As for the first, I felt it was a rather weak first chapter, but after reading it fully I came to terms with how it fit.

The story from the beginning had one real main plot. Most could guess cause of the first paragraph: to get the boy home. But things took a turn for an interesting plot in the second chapter. Madfall quickly fell for the boy and began to take care of him, as if he was his own son. From the second chapter I started to love Madfall and understand why he kept the boy. It gave him a purpose, he grew tired of being along. And as the story goes on, it is made very clear through his actions.

As for the setting, there was never a real understanding of what type of land it was or how the land was placed but overall it was gathered at the end. Kings and Queens, with knights. So I would assume that it was during mid evil times, but I could be wrong.

This type of reader this is best suited for would be one that needs a light and fun read. One that the ending is happy, and you can feel complete. It was a very easy read, but one that was needed for me lately. I truly enjoyed this novel; I'd recommend this novel.

<i>A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

I did not mean to finish this book tonight. I meant to read a bit before sleep. It’s now 3:40am and I am bursting with feelings over this book.

I LOVED IT SO MUCH AND MADFALL IS THE BEST DRAGON EVER 🙌

Seriously. I adore Madfall. I would die for him 🤷‍♀️

Given the time I’ll leave me writing the rest of this review (properly and less trashqueen-y) until tomorrow, but seriously. Put this on your TBRs. Madfall (and the humor- THE LAUGH OUT LOUD HUMOR) is worth it.

ALRIGHT I have slept on it and I am still full of this book. I asked my parents and I luckily didn't wake them up with my laughing.

Heart of the Dragon might be short, but damn is it packed full with feelings and humor. In short, we have a dragon who accidentally appropriates a baby, and ends up taking care of it, raising the boy. We have a knight going to slay the dragon, and we have said boy, raised by the dragon.

I did not expect this book to be so funny, but Madfall is just the absolute best and his banter with Oenyn is just *chef's kiss*. Their bond is so beautiful, and actually makes for some angst when Richard, the knight, comes along.

Richard, is an idiot. An obtuse idiot. But I suppose he can't be blamed, given the circumstances he grew up in. His relationship with Oenyn stirs up a lot of feelings, of both the NSFW variety and the questioning-my-life variety on Oenyn's part. There is some smutty content, but nothing too graphic. I'd give it an M rating on AO3. These two boys are 18, okay. What do you expect? (they end up SO CUTE okay)

A huge plus of this book is that queer relationships are just accepted, it's normal, not A Thing. Early on in the story that's already made obvious; to me anyways.

The problem with this book is that because it's so short I can't talk about it much without giving everything away, haha! There was one 'twist' that I really should have seen coming and normally would have been annoyed by, but it just felt natural. As per usual with short books, it's fast paced and might feel a bit rushed, especially at the end. It didn't bother me, as it flowed well, though I won't lie and say I would mind this book being a lot longer. I won't ever get enough from Madfall. He is one of my new favorite characters. Watch me name a pet after him one day. Don't think I won't do it; I have two cats named after Aziraphale and Crowley (Good Omens), and a bunny named after Kacper (Something Wicked This Way Comes).

So yes. Basically my feelings and thoughts about this book are: AKSFHVKJLSJDASLJKGVKDL

Please read it and love Madfall with me.

<I>Thanks to NetGalley for a providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

A quick review for a quick read. This was a cute, sweet little tale that was easy and fun to read. The story is pretty by the numbers, but this was outweighed by how charming the whole story was.

My only feedback would be that I'm not quite sure who the target audience is. I was under the impression for a good portion of the book that it was intended for middle grade readers because of the language and style. However, there are two partial sex scenes and some talk about masturbation, making the minimum age for the book at least 15.

Amazingly written. An adventure story for all the ages :)
Every little and big one will enjoy this story.

Madfall prides himself on being the best thief in the kingdom, his treasure trove has the most valuable gems, crowns and armour imaginable. He has been observing the castle to work out how the king is moving his gold and realises it is being carried hidden under the bread a servant is carrying to the castle. However, things don’t go the way he plans and the basket he steals actually contains a human baby boy.
Richard of Benfro volunteers to slay the dragon that has been sighted in the kingdom, he hopes to prove himself and make his fortune. However, when he actually finds the dragon’s lair things don’t according to plan. Beautiful, gentle, heart-warming tale, I totally loved it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Overall Enjoyment: 3/5
Characterization: 2/5
World building: 1/5
Diversity: 2/5

This was a light and fluffy story that you can enjoy if you take it at face value and don't try to think harder about why things are the way they are. It's pretty upbeat so if that's what you're looking for you could enjoy this book.
The characters are Richard, Oenyn, and Madfall. What I liked about them is that with a smaller cast of characters to focus on it was easier to remember everyone. However, I feel like the characterization was really lacking. The characters were fairly shallow with their main differences being how they feel about dragons. Everyone's backgrounds and other beliefs were just glazed over and I think that really stagnated the characters a bit. Oenyn is curious and kind, but given what is said about dragons that doesn't really make 100% sense. I don't think someone would be completely different from who raised them simply because they read some book. Also, Madfall (the dragon) is completely breaking the mold of other dragons, but the story never really delves into the change of heart.
The world building is lackluster. There isn't really any that goes on. There's some vague mentions of geography of the area and those nearby, but that's about all. Seems like medieval Europe.
The only point of diversity in this novel is that the characters are in a gay relationship. Richard may be bisexual, but it's unclear.
As mentioned, if you want a light, fluffy story then I think you could enjoy this, but if you're a person who thinks more deeply about your characters and what a bit more realism in some aspects then you might struggle a bit with this book.

I appreciated my reading, especially at the beginning. The dragon's personality is sweet and fun, and I loved the banter. The story isn't very surprising, but I didn't mind it, as it's written as a fairy tale, with just a modern twist.

What disturbed me is the ambivalence of the genre: the first part is clearly written as a children book (even if it isn't marked as such), very naif and sweet. While reading I was thinking that it could be read by young children (about 8 yo), especially for the rare romance for a children's books and so was rather startled by the sudden, and completely out of character, sexual atmosphere. Nothing pornographic, but very clear sexual allusions.
This dissonance in the book's tonality is a real weakness in my opinion, the author should have chosen how they wanted to tell the story, but not mixed genres in such a way.
The happy ending is, again, very sweet, but not realistic, even in a fairy-tale (the practical problem of the succession never seemed to worry anyone !)

A 2,5 / 5 read for me.

A dragon accidentally steals a baby. It horrifies him at first, it soon grows on him, and grows up next to his hoard. Of course, living with a human changes the dragon, and it also changes the human boy. When a young knight turns up to kill the dragon things get complicated, especially since there is chemistry between the knight and the young man living with the dragon.

A fantastic M/M romance, but also a story about what makes family.

this was a great story!!! A must read for lovers of Dragon storys, the book has great characters and a very nice storyline!

Heart of the Dragon by Jamie Sullivan is being published on June 15th.
This is the story of a dragon who accidentally kidnaps a baby, and of what happens 17 years later when a knight comes to kill the dragon, and instead finds himself captured by the dragons human son.
This is a heartwarming story of how love for a child can change a big bad dragon. It's a very quick read but one I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters were well thought out and vividly drawn upon the pages.
The events were a little predictable but didn't affect my enjoyment of the story.
LGBTQ+ with some sex scenes so probably not suited for younger readers.
4 stars.