I went into this book expecting a comforting and cosy read. It certainly delivered on that but I was not expecting how totally engrossed I would become that I had to read the whole book at once!

I read an eARC of this book on Net Galley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

I was utterly charmed by this lovely tale of dragons, botany, magic and headstrong heroines. There was so much to love in this book. The plot was tight, exciting and there was real jeopardy as our main character Fern is forced to run between crises, with looming deadlines to try and save two different dragons and learn to solve a magical mystery.

Fern is strong-willed, dedicated to her studies of botany but also kind and pragmatic. She refuses to be held back by the social expectations of her gender and is committed to continuing her late father’s work as a botanist. She’s kind and loving to her household and this is extended to those she believes deserving of her care, whereas the cruel and callous earn her disdain.

Fern’s adventure starts when she is asked to attend a stately home to help with continually dying plants in the gardens. However a ferocious storm will kick up new challenges to solve in said gardens!

I enjoyed this book so much, it was magical, I loved the world building, I loved the gentle inclusion of magic within a specific and recognisable historical period that was done so naturally. I loved the challenge of female stereotypes and the bold nature of our main character. I will definitely be getting and recommending this book and looking for more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Ribbonwood Press for the ARC.

This was a beautiful book that questions what is life and what makes something worth saving. Fern struggles with this as she fights to save a tiny origami dragon brought to life after a magical storm. The novel is an alternative history (set in 1818 England but magic is real), cozy fantasy, mystery all wrapped up in what should be too much but turns out to be just right. If you are looking for a read that will pull some heartstrings, make you think and still be a cozy fluffy feel good book then this is the novel for you. This is the first time I have read Tilly Wallace but I look forward to reading more by her. This novel is the first in a series but not in a giant cliff hanger way. It looks like it will be set up that each novel is a new mystery but the characters continue their growth and interactions between the novels.

This is a unique and refreshing find among fantasy novels. So often, they are the same recycled world and drama. It is such a cute and quaint story. It is a historical fiction fantasy set in the Regency period of the English countryside but with a twist—magic exists. However, magic seems to be slowly disappearing, with science leading the way for reason.

Fern lives a life between the stuffy rules of nobility and commoners. Our MFC takes center stage as events and mysterious problems run amuck in a neighboring country estate. The reader goes along on this journey as she works through balancing the old ways and the new. The author hints at future possible stories, and I am all in. I plan to follow the author so I can continue the adventure. I highly recommend it to all readers, especially those needing something different.

4.2/5 Stars