Introduction
Hello, Bookworm Buddies, I hope you are reading well. Today, I am going to review a book titled “A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement” by Julia Huni. I would like to thank Julia Huni for the ARC copy of this book. All the opinions for this book are my honest thoughts. This time, I tried something new from the genres I usually read. This book is a cosy romantic fantasy, and surprisingly, I loved it.
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About A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement by Julia Huni
They survived the war. Now they just have to survive retirement.
When dragon rider William Ordell is grounded by a battlefield injury, he trades conflict for peace and purchases an abandoned lighthouse on the island of Safe Haven. But quiet doesn’t suit a man used to action. After a series of mysterious fires, William finds himself launching the island’s first fire brigade—with help from the local sea dragons.
Calantha Stormbringer has left war behind, along with the last sparks of her fading magic.
She retreats to Safe Haven to rebuild her late aunt’s dusty bookshop—and maybe herself. Restoring the shop will require patience, intelligence, and gold. Calantha figures two out of three isn’t bad.
What neither of them wants? To run into each other. Again.
Old grudges, magical dragons, and one cozy, nosy village—what could possibly go right?
A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement is a cozy, low-stakes fantasy filled with magic, mischief, and a slow-burn romance that won’t steam your glasses. Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes, Cursed Cocktails, and J. Penner’s Adenashire series.
So, without further ado, let’s start with the A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement book review.
My Review
I am reviewing this book in the Cawpile Rating system. To know more about the Cawpile rating system, check out this page.
Characters: (10/10)
I liked the characters a lot. Every character was unique and had a different personality. The FMC was a strong female lead who was a War Witch of Borgonne, and now she came to Safe Haven, where she spent her childhood, after her magic started to fade away, and the army no longer wanted her. The MMC is a Dragon Rider of Verdunn who, after injury and having lost his dragon, looks forward to starting afresh and comes to Safe Haven. But what happens when they meet each other and realise that they are from enemy countries? You have to read to find out. I loved the banter between the two leads. It was hilarious!
“This is not bad.” “Your unqualified approval of our humble skills warms my heart,” she said with an ironic little bow.
“There you are. Cala Lamplighter, at your service.” She gave him a mocking curtsy. “It’s good to have a hobby.” She snorted a laugh at his dry comment.
Other characters like Koni, the Elf and Nevan, the Giant, whom I liked very much. I liked Koni’s magic and getting to know about the elven magic. This is my first book in this genre, so I don’t know much about elves, orcs and all, but after reading this story, I found it quite cool and that this genre can be this interesting. I also liked the friendship between these characters; it was amazing.
“That felt… friendly. I’m going to look.”
“They’ll eat you!” Nevan reached toward William, but didn’t get any closer. “It’s been a pleasure knowing you,” Koni said, but it came out sad and sincere, not joking.
Atmosphere: (10/10)
I liked the world-building. I’d like to live in Safe Haven because it is that cozy. And with all the elven magic protecting the town, I loved it. Who would not love to live on an island, with a bookshop, a closed-knit community where everyone cares for each other, and you can meet sea dragons also!
Writing: (10/10)
I liked the writing of this book. The scenes of Dragon eggs hatching and characters bonding with the young dragonets were so well-written that I felt I was there for everything. The characters discussing how to bond with a dragon, what they will do every day to meet dragons, where they will stay, during all this, I felt that I was part of that group, and I would also have a dragon to pair with, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. 😔
Plot: (9/10)
The plot, according to me, was about finding joy even after retirement, and that your world does not stop after retirement. You can find new ways to do what you love, like William did, by finding a way to form a group of firefighters with sea dragons so that he can help people. Like Cala, who despite her fading magic found something new to try and loved it as well, that means you don’t have to stick to one thing if you are good at it, you can try new things and like them as well. But I wanted to see the fire brigade in action, and that didn’t happen, but maybe in the next book.
“We all transition to new skills and strengths as we age. Embrace the change.”
Intrigue: (10/10)
I was intrigued by the book and by the world it created. I would love to read about young William and Cala and what caused a war between their countries. I would love to read a book separately on Cala when her magic was with her, what she could do with it and how she saved the people of her country.
Logic: (10/10)
I loved the book and would not want to change anything about it. It was well-written and I enjoyed it.
Enjoyment: (10/10)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And I am looking forward to reading the upcoming books in this series.
Final Rating: 69/70 (9.8)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you love contemporary romances, Julia Huni also writes them under another pen name, Lia Huni. You can check the review of “When You Renovate a Grump” by her on my blog.
Conclusion
I am happy that I tried something new and found a new genre that I liked.😁 Now, when I am not in the mood for reading a thriller or romance, I can pick up this genre. I would recommend this book to my bookish friends who love cozy small-town fantasy with not much romance.
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Let’s Chat!
Have you tried this genre? If yes, which book would you recommend to me? I would love to check that out! Do you also try new genres? Which genre has surprised you? Did you like it or not? Let me know in the comments!
