Thank you to Saga Press and Netgalley for the access to this ARC.

Still trying to wrap my head around how the author of The Last Unicorn wrote *this*

Ah I wanted to like this book I really did, but instead of giving me anything to think about all it did was give charm with little substance.

I'm afraid that this book doesn't have enough dragons. Or at least the usage of dragons needs to be more consistent in the novel. The idea of them being a household pest is a cute idea, there was a lot to work with there- juxtaposing the normal fairytale vision of dragons being this almighty foe with this mundane and vermin-like interpretation.

Too bad that idea goes straight out the window in favor of a grand quest! Its uniqueness melts right back into the generic fantasy pot.

Each character is gimmicks, gags, and tropes tightly bundled, lacking depth.

The best way to describe our protag Robert is that he is what watchers of the "How to Train Your Dragon" movies think that the book version of Hiccup must be like.

Princess Cerise happens when you watch every Disney Princess film simultaneously and try to make a single coherent character out of the slurry.

The message, if there is even one to be found, is muddled in all the nonsense. There were a few pages where characters just *paced around* waiting for the return of the protagonist.

Reading about the tumultuous publishing of this book clears up why this book seems so unpolished. It was meant to be released in 2007 and then indefinitely put on hiatus till now. The attempted subversive nature of the novel would have been better received at its original planned publication date. The princess who doesn't want to be a royal and the hero who doesn't take to hero-ing are old hat now.

Maybe if I had a time machine I could go back to when this novel could've been good.