Given how fantastic and eye-catching the premise of I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons is, I can’t help but feel a little let down in this book’s execution. What we have here is a perfectly fine classic fantasy novel in my opinion, though I feel the setup had the potential to be something truly special. I love the idea of a sympathetic dragon ‘exterminator’, and really wanted this to play a bigger part in the novel. I won’t give away any of the plot, but I was disappointed when the book veered away from this setup into what I’d consider a weaker and less original story idea.

The story was originally written back in the early 2000s, but was never actually released. Now debuting in 2024, it has a charmingly classic feel compared to its modern contemporaries, almost like a time capsule of fantasy writing from a few decades ago. From the traditional setting to the style of characters, and even the typeface of the novel, feel strangely nostalgic! If the book were written fully in the last few years, I wonder if the story would have stayed small in scope in line with modern cosy titles, rather than moving into the traditional fare of 20 years ago.

Lead character Robert has taken over his late father’s business of local dragon exterminator, but is begrudging to follow in his father’s footsteps due to his love of the scaly beasts. A sudden need to clear the ruling king’s castle of pesky rodent-sized dragons (to impress a royal suitor to marry the princess), Robert is called up to the castle to rid the walls of as many dragons as possible. All three lead characters are eager to escape or subvert their destined fates in some way, so the story felt like more of a journey of inner discovery more than plot advancement, though the plot did move forward fairly consistently throughout. My two main gripes character-wise were related to the number of characters, and definition of the main protagonists. I got the sense that there were too many characters in the book for how simple the plot was, and many felt unnecessary or surplus to the story. The lead characters we did have seemed to lose all sense of identity and personality in the second half of the novel; one action scene near the end comes to mind, where all involved characters seem to possess the same bravery, wit and skill with a blade.

I thought this book was going to be a lot cosier than it was, and was fully expecting to recommend it to fans of Legends and Lattes and Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea; instead I’d probably recommend this title to fans of your classic medieval fantasy classics, such as Terry Brooks, John Gwynne and Tad Williams. This is a solid fantasy novel that I had a good time reading despite my reservations, and will most likely find fans from both aforementioned subgenres.

Why even bother writing a review, or reading one? It's a book by Peter S. Beagle; what else do you need to know?

Something about its preoccupations, maybe. To wit: courage; the desire to have a decent life that doesn't involve heroism; responsibility; doing work that you hate and that is destroying your soul; the varieties of paternal love, including a kind that shows itself in both cruelty and unquestioning self-sacrifice; romantic infatuation and the kind of love that comes with intimacy, respect, the survival together of great trials. Oh, and of course power: who do you become when it turns out you've got some? (Or do you?)

I have one quibble, which is that Robert is the teensiest bit slow on the uptake with respect to the existence of his special relationship with dragons. (This is barely a spoiler, I promise.) So, you know, 4.75 stars. But seriously: Peter S. Beagle.

It was fun to return to Beagle's writing after so long a time. He gives us a witty and charming story full of quirky characters and events. If you liked the Last Unicorn then you'll probably be laughing along with this one!

Robert is a dragon exterminator and he hates it. Princess Cerise is bored with her suitors and trying to learn to read. Prince Reginald is absolutely hopeless but his father will NOT permit him to fail. When the three of them end up hunting dragons together they find far more than they bargained for.

Beagle does an excellent job building the everyday world of the kingdom as well as the dragons. I could probably have read a book entirely about the dragons and been happy, but the humor and wryness of the story and its characters paired with the more serious vein of soul searching delivers a richer read. Though it takes a little while for the action to get going, the build up is necessary to give the characters somewhere to grow from. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons early in exchange for a review.

An absolutely joyful book, but I'm a Beagle fan to start with. A fun story, the words flow well and build a poetic world for fans of Terry Prachett.

I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle was a fun and enchanting middle grade fantasy read. This title is a perfect one to pick up for those who are already fans of the author but also an excellent starting point if you are new to Beagle's works. I will be nabbing a physical copy for myself as soon as possible.

I read The Last Unicorn years ago and didn’t necessarily have the adoring response that seems typical in the fantasy world—it probably doesn’t help that there’s an energy drink named after the villain—but I was privileged to read some of Peter S. Beagle’s short fiction last year in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and it definitely made me want to seek out more of his work. With a short novel appearing on the horizon, I thought I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons seemed as good a place as any to dive back in. 

I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons follows a tender-hearted young man who has reluctantly taken over his father’s vocation as a dragon-exterminator in a world where dragons can range from the size of rats all the way up to the classic awe-inspiring creatures of legend. He’s looking for a way out, and a pair of jobs for royal customers may give him that opportunity—if he survives them. 

This is in many ways a classic, whimsical fantasy adventure, complete with a not-quite-farmboy with hidden abilities, a prince and princess chafing against their parents’ expectation, a sorcerer with a bone to pick, and plenty of dragons. Most of the characters play pretty closely to type, and the older generation of royals are outright caricatures, but this is meant to be a lighthearted fantasy adventure, not a character study. 

And as a whimsical fantasy adventure, it’s pretty successful. Reader experience will doubtless vary depending on how much they enjoy the storytelling, but Beagle writes well, and if the book spends most of the first third on royal silliness and ordinary (fantasy) extermination, a book of only about 300 pages doesn’t really have time to bog down. 

Unsurprisingly, given my own tastes, my favorite parts were the slow revelation of mysterious dangers and hints at the lead’s mysterious abilities, because I’m generally a sucker for revelations of hidden things. The royal absurdities, the romantic subplot, and the magical showdown at the end were all perfectly well-written, but those also aren’t the elements that really drive me to pick up a book. If they’re the elements that drive you to pick up a book, you’ll probably like them even more than I did! 

Overall, I wouldn’t call this an especially ambitious book, but it’s one that does a pretty good job at what it’s trying to do. It’s not going to define a subgenre, but it’s worth a look for anyone looking for some extra whimsy in their lives or feeling some nostalgia for classic adventure fantasy. 

Recommended if you like: traditional adventure fantasy with dragons and plenty of whimsy.

Overall rating: 14 of Tar Vol's 20. Four stars on Goodreads.

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.

Peter S. Beagle is back at it again with another delightful fantasy story. I really enjoyed this and think anyone who's read his work in the past will enjoy it too!

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.

Peter S. Beagle always does a great job in the fantasy genre, it had what I enjoyed from the Last Unicorn and the other books that I read before. It had that charm that I was hoping for and enjoyed the overall concept of this book. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and thought it worked. I always enjoy reading books from Peter S. Beagle and glad I am a fan of his.

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.