Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

2.5/5 stars

This was just....I don't know if it wasn't good or if it just wasn't for me. It felt all over the place, the writing was confusing and overly complicated/fluffy, and I just didn't like any of the characters. I really only powered through because it was so short.

I'm sure there are people that would love this book - I liked it at the start, it felt like Patricia Wrede and other classic fantasy....but it lost me along the way.

Thank you to Peter S. Beagle and Saga Press via NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you, like me, grew up reading fairytale retellings or fairytale inspired books, then I think you’ll like I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons. Beagle’s writing is captivating and the book balances comedic moments with dangerous scenes. His style leaves a little to the imagination, which some might not like, but I had no issue envisioning the characters, setting, or even summarized conversations.

My absolute favorite part of the book were the dragonlets. I wish we got some more of them, but every scene they were in was adorable.

While I really enjoyed the feeling of being on an OG high fantasy quest with a princess, prince, dragons, etc., I did struggle with some sections.

The world building initially felt whimsical and charming, and then it got more and more confusing as the story progressed. There were a couple of characters that had a lot of potential, but they were never fully explored and fell flat.

I did think the overall story was interesting, but I had higher expectations.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Unicorn comes a new novel with equal amounts of power and whimsy in which a loveable cast of characters trapped within their roles of dragon hunter, princess, and more must come together to take their fates into their own hands.

Dragons are common in the backwater kingdom of Bellemontagne, coming in sizes from mouse-like vermin all the way up to castle-smashing monsters. Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax (who would much rather people call him Robert) has recently inherited his deceased dad's job as a dragon catcher/exterminator, a career he detests with all his heart in part because he likes dragons, feeling a kinship with them, but mainly because his dream has always been the impossible one of transcending his humble origin to someday become a prince's valet. Needless to say, fate has something rather different in mind..."

I mean, I just want to read the story for Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax, AKA Robert!

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

Quite the enjoyable read, this one gives lots of chuckles, serving up several fantasy tropes (about princes, princesses, kings and queens, dragon fighters) but pushing them sideways. It's not all light and laughter, because you can't be hunting dragons without a bit of collateral damage. Beagle has given us a number of memorable books, and this is another to add to that bunch.

This story is incredibly addicting and once I started reading, I couldn't stop. It has the vibes of a quintessential fairytale with several fun twists along the way.

I first want to talk about the Princess Cerise of Bellemontagne who is certainly not a damsel in distress. She gallops into adventure with the best of intentions and isn't afraid to speak exactly what's on her mind to her companions OR to an evil wizard. Whenever she's met with adversity, she faces it even if she's quaking on the inside. There isn't an obstacle that the Princess can't face; however, I felt that she could also be a bit stubborn and short sighted whenever she had her mind made up about someone or something. She has a lot of great character development throughout the book, though, and I would love to read a sequel with her as the main character.

Next is Prince Reginald, Crown Prince of Corvinia, who I thought was a clueless, pain in the neck when I first met him. That is, until I learned more about his backstory with his father, King Krije, and then I started to feel a little sorry for the princeling. He had it tough. People were constantly trying to shove him into a box that he wouldn't fit into. I found myself rooting for him in the end, even if he did frustrate me through the first half of the story.

And then there's Robert Thrax, the reluctant hero and dragon exterminator who lives in the kingdom of Bellemontagne. All he wants to do is step out of his late father's shadow and live a simple life that doesn't include ridding castles of dragonlets, or speaking to them, or embarking on excursions with shoe-wielding princesses. There were times when I wanted to reach into the pages, grab Robert by the shoulders, and shake some sense into him. He is incredibly lovable though (and his best friends, Ostvald and Elfrieda, are so sweet and fun to follow as side characters). I loved learning about the various types of dragons through Robert's dialogue and what made them sentient creatures in the world where the characters lived.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and absolutely adored how much it felt like a fairytale. If you love dragons, adventure, and whimsy, this book is definitely for you.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eARC of this amazing book.

I must preface this with The Last Unicorn is my favorite childhood movie, and after reading the novel as an adult, I further fell in love with the story. When I saw Peter S Beagle is finally releasing his long anticipated dragon book, I was elated.

This book gives vibes of The Last Unicorn through its characters that don't quite fit the life roles they were born into and the kingdom setting with fantastical creatures. Prince Reginald and Princess Cerise have expected royal duties but long for more than their parents declare for them. Robert trained as a dragon exterminator under his late father but contradictingly loves dragons. Even the side characters have desires that don't match society's expectations for them or their own self-images. I love how Beagle created such a world with mythological creatures and royalty that echoes real life with characters struggling to figure out who they are as they break away from their parents' wishes and go after their own dreams. The lands he created even give a reminiscence of medieval Europe without being concretely set in any specific Western European country. I got the sense of these kingdoms lying somewhere between France, Germany, England, Italy, and Northern Africa. No land as such truly exists in our world, but the descriptions of history, culture, and landscape create the perfect imagery to believe it could.

The book is short as under 300 pages, and action rarely meanders. Travel and fight scenes are balanced well with steady action and descriptions. Dialogue is snappy and emotional. The one thing I wish happened here was Schmendrick showing up as a cameo appearance, but I can see how that might be a distraction from the question of our stars achieving hero statuses or not. An epilogue knowing what happened to everyone after the abrupt but sweet conclusion would have also been cool, but Beagle is not known for dragging stories out.

Thank you to Saga Press, Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book early! I nearly lost my mind at being approved.

This was such an engaging read, and absolutely FULL of dragons!
We have 3 main characters here, none of whom truly want to be who they are. Robert wants to be a valet, not a dragon exterminator, Cerise wants to be more than just a princess, and Reginald really doesn’t want to be a prince. They somehow find themselves on a quest together, and nothing goes quite to plan.
However, this is not by any stretch a comedy. There are cute and funny moments, but there is death and tragedy and an evil wizard.
I loved the characters’ growth and development, most especially Robert and Cerise. The ending is so sweet and hopeful.
I think fans of T Kingfisher and. Beagle’s previous books will enjoy this a lot.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

It was a wonderful reading experience--returning to the imaginative world of the author of "The Last Unicorn". Fun and engaging storytelling mixed with no small amount of nostalgia. I heartily recommend this book to both new all old readers alke.

This is such a classic fantasy story! I loved every moment of this and the whole concept behind the story itself I thought was genius. Based on a boy who exterminates dragons but does not like doing it, and other characters who do not enjoy the roles they are given to play, it was a great setup for character dynamics. Even though there were a great many differences between them, they were all able to relate to each other in the dreams that they had for doing other things, or being other than who they were.
There were so many great lessons to be learned in this and character questions to consider. You never know what friends you might find or who you might come to relate with on first meeting them. People are always surprising, and often not all that they seem. The best fantasy stories are able to do this, create a world that lends insight to your own perspective on the real world. This one did that admirably.

In the small kingdom of Bellemontagne, dragons are seen as more pest than terror. Young Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax, who prefers to go by Robert, inherited his father’s job as dragon exterminator. In private he disdains this profession, prefer to secretly raise and care for dragons at home and is actively seeking any other career opportunity.

However, Prince Reginald, son of the feared and belligerent King Krije, has been avoiding any challenges and feats to prove himself when his arrival in Bellemontagne threatens this plan. Princess Cerise is being courted by all the available men of the nearby kingdoms and she falls hard for the apparently perfect looking Reginald. To make her home castle the most appealing place possible, Robert is called in to rid it of dragons.

To prove worthy of Cerise’s hand and Reginald’s birthright, the three set off as part of a grand procession in order for Reginald to slay a dragon. Things don’t go to plan, and the three must adjust their expectations and ambitions while growing to the responsibilities expected of their stations.

It is a great and at times humorous dragon lore heavy stand alone fantasy aimed at younger readers. The three main characters are all on their heroes journeys and grow and change through the narrative. They all challenge their assumed fates and seek to have their own agency in choosing their futures. Additional characters provide support, but this is a fairly swiftl paced adventure story center on the three.

Worth a read for any fantasy fan who like their stories semi cozy but not spared from the harsher realities of the risks of adventure. It is almost like a young adult version of a Travis Baldree book.

I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle, is a very quirky, very charming fairy tale. Thrax/Robert the dragonslayer, really likes dragons and hates his job. He saves as many as he can. The handsome, fuzzy foreign prince hero, does not want be a prince or a hero. Princess Cerise does not want the foreign prince, she wants Thrax/Robert. There are a lot of conflicted characters in this story and the plot has many twists. Beagle's tales are always fun to read and come to interesting and unexpected conclusions, this is no exception. What a great story. Strongly recommended.

I had never read the author before, nor had I ever watched the highly beloved film, The Last Unicorn, but I love fairy tales - always have and always will.

I’m not going to rehash the plot or write out a new synopsis, I’m just going to say that I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons was beautifully magical, whimsical, and fun - it reminded me (quite wonderfully) of The Princess Bride (the book).

A first rate and delightful fairy tale ❤️ (but those poor dragons).

Highly recommended!



Thank you to S&S/Saga Press and NetGalley for the DRC

“It was rather as though their lives were being written by dueling playwrights- and not terribly good ones, either.”

Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax, who prefers to go by Robert, is the exterminator for the small kingdom of Bellmontagne. However, what Robert exterminates is not your normal pest. He is hired to kill dragons. In this backwater town you can find dragons in all various shapes and sizes, from the small ones that nest in your walls to the fire breathing terrors that roam the mountains. Robert can take of them all, and he hates it. Robert loves dragons, has always felt kinship for them, and if not for his father’s passing, he would’ve pursued his true dream of being a royal valet.

When a foreign prince attempting to escape his royal duties has Princess Cerise swooning, Robert is tasked with ridding the castle of its out-of-control infestation. While on the job, Robert is propositioned by the prince’s servant to help him with a little problem: assisting the prince in killing a dragon. In return he’ll make Robert’s lifelong dream come true. Desperate to get out of his profession, Robert accepts. However, while journeying with the royal entourage, they will be attacked by dragons thought not to exist, and Robert may have to put he dreams of servitude aside in order to be a hero.

This was a super fun, short, silly read. I honestly loved the characters. Robert is brave and kind. He honestly reminded me of my son, who cries whenever I want kill a spider in the house. Princess Cerise is every girl in that stage before true adulthood, when they realize that what they thought they wanted and reality are two different things. She reminded me very much of myself at 18 and it made reminisce on being young and just a tad bit ridiculous.

The writing style and the humor made it hard to put down. I love dry humor, and books that don’t take themselves too seriously, so this was great for me. If I have any complaints, it’s that it wasn’t longer. I feel like another 50 or so pages to add depth to the story and it could’ve moved it from a good read to a great one. Either way, there’s a good chance I’ll be looking into other works by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for gifting me a free e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eARC of this adorable and fun book! All opinions are my own.


I loved this. The end.
No but really, once again, Peter S. Beagle stole my heart with his creativity and characters that you want to be friends with and go on adventures with. I was blown away by the emotions this book brings up despite the simplicity of the story and prose. All the personality Beagle gives to the dragons, all the sass/attitudes of the characters, and the world building all came together to weave one beautiful story of finding a place to belong. To weave a story about being true to oneself. To know it's okay to want to change your environment and chase your dreams.

I found myself turning the pages so fast and even though the prose is simple as said above, it sucks you right into the world and does not let you up for air until its done. It has been a while since I've read a book where I was completely invested 100% of the way through the book. Peter S. Beagle is an amazing author and will always be one of the greats.

I was lucky enough to receive a physical ARC of this book as well and will be posting reviews on Instagram and Goodreads as well and will update this review when I do.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a cozy, funny fantasy novel, full of dragons, love, and adventure! You do NOT want to miss this one!

I've only read The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle and while this was a different story, it still held elements of that book. The sense of humor was tongue-in-cheek and subtle, but still funny. And the take on dragons as pests was so unique.

Another utterly charming, heartfelt, funny, and sorrowful story from the hands of Peter S. Beagle! First of all let me just say, for a book about dragons, this actually delivered DRAGONS! It turns out I pretty much just do not get tired of reading about dragons. Aside from that though, I of course found all of the characters super lovable as well. Poor put upon Robert and his not so lofty dreams, beautiful foolish Prince Reginald, and brave and stubborn Cerise. And I love the way Beagle writes these fairy tale worlds. Princes, princess, dragons, and all else follow or break the fairy tale rules as it appropriately suits the story. Overall, an absolute joy to read!

Peter S. Beagle is, obviously, a legend. So I was *very* excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of his new book, and I’m delighted to say that it lived up to my internal hype.

The principle protagonist is Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax, who prefers to go by Robert. He just inherited his late father’s business as a dragon exterminator. He excels in the job, but also hates it, for the same reason: he feels a strong kinship to dragons, vermin though they are usually considered. One of the two secondary protagonists is the Princess Cerise, who is stunningly beautiful and more annoyed about it than anything else. She’s never had anything but contempt for the endless parade of banal princes vying for her hand … until she sees the equally stunning Prince Reginald (our other secondary protagonist) arrive in the country. Suddenly nothing will do but for the castle to be cleaned up and restored *immediately*, which necessitates the local dragon exterminator paying a visit. And we’re off to the Plot.

As with many great stories, these three are on a journey of self-discovery. Robert longs to get on a different path, which is made difficult by the fact that he’s really, really good at the one he is on. He needs to deal with his self-loathing and face what his understanding of dragons really means. Cerise needs to understand herself; her role as princess & heir of the kingdom, what she wants out of life, and how to break out of the passivity her life has mostly been. Reginald (who didn’t come to the kingdom looking to court Cerise, actually; he was sent out erranting by his overbearing father, and really just wants to get out from under the weight of expectations) needs to accept that it’s OK for him not to be the hero his father wants him to be, and everyone assumes him to be just because he really looks like one.

Throw in a cheerfully buffoonish king, a prim but secretly very romantic queen, an evil wizard, and a few village-destroying dragons rather larger than the variety Robert is fumigating the Great Hall for, and you’ve got a very compelling story.

Inevitably, anything Peter Beagle writes will be compared to *The Last Unicorn*. I don’t think this is quite as good as that, but that’s hardly a suggestion that this is anything less than wonderful. It has the same style as *The Last Unicorn*, as all of Beagle’s work does, but this one doesn’t have the same depth of sadness. Something people who haven’t read many of Beagle’s short stories might not realize (aside: go find and read some of Beagle’s short stories, they’re great) is that not only is his stuff generally beautiful and sad, it’s also freaking hilarious. It’s honestly a rather impressive thing to pull off, but he does it wonderfully. He also does scary very well, as everyone who had nightmares about the Red Bull knows. That’s the case here as well.

A worthy entry in the bibliography of one of the masters of fantasy. Comes out on May 14.

A charming, whimsical tale of Robert ,the dragon exterminator who hates his job because he actually loves dragons, and his quest to become a valet to royalty instead. He goes on a dragon hunt with Prince Reginald, who seems like a perfect Prince, and Princess Cerise, who really wants Reginald to be a perfect Prince . Will they all figure out who they really are? Wizards, kings, dragons, quests and true love abound in this high fantasy adventure .
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga press for this epic opportunity! The book will be available May 14,2024!!!



This was a whimsical nostalgic fun romp for me as a child who grew up on The last Unicorn movie and read the book. The lyrical prose and adventurous tale truly transported me to the world with in these pages.