Well this one has been a long time coming. Originally intended to be a novella released in 2007 via a different publisher, I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by the prolific author of The Last Unicorn, will finally be making it into the hands of readers—did I also mention it has grown to be nearly 300 pages? Thankfully, I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy, and it absolutely did not disappoint.
Overall, I think this book is an incredible return to form in terms of classical fantasy. There is whimsy, kingdoms in peril, princesses, wizards, brave heroes, and obviously dragons. However, nothing is as it seems. All of this isn’t to say the story lacks seriousness. At its heart this narrative is about making your own way and overcoming ignorance, also doing the right thing even when it isn’t the easy thing. In my opinion, I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons is a beautifully written and oftentimes funny fairytale made for adults.
As a fantasy and fairytale fan, I would definitely recommend this. Despite the more advanced vocabulary, it took me back to a time when I was a child discouvering the original stories behind my favourite Disney movies—the ones that were a little too violent and a little too dirty, but all the more fun.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this arc!!

5/5 stars!

This was such a fun and funny read, full of heart, magic, and of course, dragons! I really enjoyed this book, the characters were fleshed out so well with some fantastic character development, the settings were rich (and dirty lol) and the humour was silly without being stupid. Peter S Beagle continues to be one of my favourite authors 💜💖💜💖💜

Robert is the latest in a line of dragonslayers, but he’d really rather be a prince’s valet, instead of following in his father’s footsteps. When he’s recruited to help solve a royal dragon problem, he has to fight against his destiny to get the future he wants.

I ended up DNFing this around 60%. Peter S Beagle’s writing is nice, and the concept of characters going against their traditional “tropes” was intriguing, but I personally didn’t feel connected with any of the characters, which was making it feel like a bit of a chore to get through. Bonus points though for Robert’s exceedingly long, exceedingly ridiculous name.

I would still recommend you give this a shot in case it lands better for you, because the writing and the premise are there!

Highly recommended! This book captivated me from the start! a strong novel! I most definitely need to get a physical copy!!

I loved this slightly grownup take on the fairytale/epic fantasy that isn't too grown up. It's perfect for middle grade, YA, and I enjoyed it as an adult. The story is told mostly from the perspectives of Robert and Princess Cerise, but it also delves into some other secondary perspectives that enrich the tale. I loved the original spin on dragons and princesses in this adventurous story complete with heroes and foes alike. I highly recommend this book for fans of adventure and fantasy.

Take your idea of a classic high fantasy but remove all the sexism and long passages describing scenery and you have this novel. This book is whimsical, fun, and quite delightful. It’s something I’d read to my kids when they are older but it is also something entirely enjoyable for an adult.

Given I love The Last Unicorn (the book more than the movie, though the movie is great too), I knew I’d likely enjoy this novel when I saw it pop up on NetGalley.

It was so fun and entertaining. Because high fantasy is quite stylized in that it has a sort of fairy tale aspect to it, the characters aren’t overly complex, but they are well-developed and likeable. Each person has a side to them that they are fighting with - the dragoncatcher who loves dragons, the princess who wants to fulfill her duties but also learn to read (and who really lets her smarts and strength shine when she needs to), and the handsome prince who just wants some goddamn peace and quiet. There are also some highly amusing side characters and while the main antagonist wasn’t entirely threatening, he was very fun.

The story is a pile upon pile of quest narratives, but through it all is the main story, which is that of friendship and love. The novel takes the archetypes romanticized in classic high antasy (hero, princess, prince) and while not modernizing them too much, makes them more relatable by delving into how people often feel trapped by their situations, expectations, and the roles they are born into. It’s about how if we don’t try, we’ll never know. It’s charming. There are some darker moments, some funny parts, and some romance too.

Overall, if you loved The Last Unicorn, if you love high fantasy without the dated stuff, and just want a charming and fun fantasy, this will not disappoint.

I absolutely adored every aspect of this book. The level of world-building and character development was simply superb. It felt like I was stepping into a fully realized universe with its own history, cultures, and nuances. The ensemble cast of characters was brilliantly crafted, each with their own distinct personalities and arcs that kept me thoroughly engaged from start to finish.

The story itself was incredibly imaginative, taking me on a thrilling journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. The pacing was spot-on, keeping the suspense and excitement building with each chapter. What really stood out to me were the moments of clever wording that practically begged to be reread, revealing new layers of meaning and depth with each pass.

Despite the gravity of the narrative, there was a delightful infusion of humor and lightness throughout the book. Beagle has a knack for balancing the weightier themes with moments of levity, creating a rich tapestry of emotions that kept me invested in every scene.

Furthermore, Beagle's keen social commentary added an extra layer of depth to the story, prompting me to reflect on the issues and dynamics at play in our own world. It's rare to find a book that entertains while also provoking thought, and this one certainly delivered on both fronts.

Overall, I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's a captivating read that stays with you long after you've turned the final page.

I chose this book for the title and I was expecting a funny and lighthearted read. Unfortunately that was not the case. This book had potential but it I found it was a dark read and not fun at all. The characters were not likeable and I found that I was skimming through the book.

Robert is a dragon exterminator who really just loves dragons and wants to be doing anything else. Princess Cerise is used to being admired, but when Prince Reginald, (off on a hopeless ‘Don Quixote-esque’ mission to prove himself) comes to her kingdom Cerise decides she must do whatever she can to capture Reginald’s attention. Enter Robert who must rid the castle of all its dragon inhabitants (picture cute little rabbit sized dragons). Ultimately a hero’s quest will end up presenting itself to our three protagonists and we get to enjoy a wholesome, silly adventure.

I'm Afraid you've got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle

This book makes me think of Eragon mixed with Princess Bride. Dragons, royalty, wizards, and hunter/exterminator - all character roles we love to see in fantasy. Peter S. Beagle explores and challenges these roles by providing the characters with their own twists. Peter highlights a theme in his book that we are limited to what we believe we deserve.

The writing style and humor adds to the appeal of this fast paced adventure novel. The world building is vast but simple and unique. A world where dragons are common, too common perhaps, in varying sizes and colors. A hero whose dreams were of a station not fit to be his and a princess who would rather be treated as a person rather than royalty. Along with a vengeful wizard that I honestly cannot find fearful.

If you want a clean YA fantasy dragon read, this book is for you!

Thank you for Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the advanced reader copy

What a quirky, fun read. Lots of laughs and clever wordplay. As always with a Peter Beagle book the characters are all likeable and I was invested in their stories. It's sort of in between cozy and adventurous perfect for someone who wants to read fantasy but maybe doesn't want to jump into a huge series.

Review: I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle

Are you looking for a dragon-filled adventure? I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons may very well be the book for you. With quirky characters, quest-like adventures, twists on common archetypes, and a bit of silliness, this story feels similar to The Princess Bride or a Hobbit-esque adventure. I enjoyed this read and devoured the book in about three days.

I did find it reminded me a bit of The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munch, but a lengthened and slightly more complicated version. The story does deal with princesses, dragons, and a prince, but also a dragon slayer and a wizard and friends. The theme of bravery is approached in several different ways and contrasted with heroism, so while a fun romp in a dragon infested medieval world, it touches on some important themes in interesting ways.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and hope you do too - in stores May 14th. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Simon & Shuster Canada and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a cute and whimsical tale of three characters on an adventure of self discovery (and dragons).

I think that this would be a great book for those who like cozy fantasy mixed with quick moments of high adventure.

I didn’t love it the way that I hoped that I would, but that was because I found myself more interested in the overall worldbuilding that was going on in small pieces in the background than the main plot of the story that was being told. There would be mentions of things that I found myself saying “wait, go back and talk about that more”, but it wasn’t integral to the actual plot, so we didn’t get that expansion that I would have loved. For me, we were pulled in too many directions between Robert, Cerise and Reginald without the page length to flesh each of them out enough to get the development that they all deserved. I would have loved more focus on Robert's storyline on his own.

Note for the publisher - early in the eARC there is a ethnic slur used as a adjective without any contextual purpose, which I’m hoping gets removed in the final copy.

I loved everything about this book. There was great world building and character development. Indeed, it is a great ensemble cast of characters. I found the story very imaginative with great pacing. There was some very clever wording that was worth rereading. And amongst all that, Beagle manages to work in a good deal of humour and lightness. His social commentary as well did not go unnoticed. Overall this is a great read. Thank you to Netgalley and S&S/Saga Press for the advance reader copy.

This was such a fun book to read! I haven’t read anything by Peter Beagle before, and I wasn’t too sure at the start of this book, but this was such a fun and enjoyable story!

This book is set in a time where dragons are so common, they’re often seen and treated as pests and vermin. The story centres around three characters who are not the stereotypical fantasy trope you’d expect. Robert Thrax is a local exterminator who has inherited his job from his father, but despises his job and keeps quite a few dragons as pets. Princess Cerise is the only daughter of the king and queen of Bellmontagne, the local country, and has been dismissing eligible princes who have sought her for marriage, and is teaching herself to read and write. And finally, Prince Reginald is the crown prince of Corvinia, the neighbouring country, and looks the part of a valiant prince, but would rather be anything else. Through a series of sheer coincidences, the three of them are brought together, and they set out on a quest to find what they truly want to be.

What drew me in to this story was the humour; there were multiple times I was laughing at the commentary and outcomes of the decisions some of the characters made in this book! It’s quite irreverent in how fantasy characters are stereotyped, and doesn’t take the characters too seriously, in a Douglas Adams-like way. There were a few passages that left me wanting more, but overall I really enjoyed this book!

I received this book as a digital ARC from Simon & Schuster, and am very grateful to receive this for early review!

This is cute. It's everything a ya fantasy should be. It has royalty and wizards and dragons. The main characters who are trying to find their place in the world and go on an adventure together. This was an enjoyable read. Thank you Simon and Schuster canada and NetGalley for the arc.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC. This is a highly imaginative, whimsical fantasy and a nostalgic tale containing characters we feel we have met before in fairy tales. Still, none are content with the roles expected of them. There is wit, whimsy, dry, satirical humour, pathos, and darkness.

The leading character is named Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax, but he prefers to be called Richard. He inherited his late father's work as a dragon exterminator. Dragons are considered vermin, and his profession places him at the lowest rung of society in the small, impoverished kingdom of Bellemantogne. Many species of dragons range from tiny winged creatures to ferocious fire-breathing beasts that can obliterate entire villages and destroy tall buildings.

Richard hates his work but has a fondness for dragons. He has several as pets at home. He yearns to become a prince's valet, give up his demeaning work, and slightly improve his social standing.

Princess Cerise is strikingly beautiful but bored with her royal role and her parents' expectations. She finds no joy in interviewing princes who have gathered in the small, dilapidated palace to seek her hand in marriage. She is brave and forthright, longing for adventures and to teach herself to read and write. She catches a glimpse of the handsome Crown Prince Reginald of Corvina and is dazzled by his bearing and good looks.

Prince Reginald is the son of the cruel King Krije of a wealthy country who aims to conquer the surrounding kingdoms. Cerise fears Prince Reginald would not be impressed by the small crumbling castle with dragons in its walls. She implores her parents to hire a dragon exterminator in case Reginald visits. Robert manages to rid the castle of seven thousand small dragons but is sorrowful. He was ordered to bring the dead and injured beasts to the Dragon Market to be butchered for food or their hide.

Cerise is getting little attention from Prince Reginald when he visits. He knows he cannot get involved unless he impresses his father by becoming a hero, but he has no intention of doing anything heroic and is as dull as he is handsome. His scheming valet, Mortmain, accompanies Reginald. He tells Robert that he will teach him to become a valet. In exchange, Robert must help Reginald kill a dragon. Robert, Reginald and Cerise begin a quest and find some giant, terrifying dragons of an unknown species. They are controlled by an evil wizard, Dahr, who uses magic spells for revenge on King Krije, who is said to have killed Dahr.

Prince Reginald was ill-prepared for their quest to kill a dragon to impress his father. During the journey, he fell off his donkey into the mud. When the dragons appeared, his first impulse was to hide. Cerise dared to face them, but the encounter was unexpected, dangerous, and unpleasant. In the end, all three were well on their way to changing their self-concepts and emerging as new and better people. I can see a second book as part of an adventure/fantasy series.

I noticed that the book was recommended for children aged three and up. However, the vocabulary and concepts are too complex for young children. I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't easy to read. I had never read Peter S. Beagle's popular The Last Unicorn, but I have now added it to my reading list. The publication is set for May 14.

I absolutely loved this!! An entertaining and whimsical high fantasy adventure.
While the plot seems to cover familiar ground -- with a beautiful princess, a handsome prince, and an overabundance of dragons -- Beagle puts a clever, whimsical twist on the traditional fairytale, centering the story squarely on Robert, a lowborn dragon exterminator who hates his job and loves dragons.
Overall, an absolute joy to read!

A fun classic fantasy feeling adventure with princes princess's and dragons! It's a short quick read that was a lot of fun with some serous moments and even some mystery!
Really enjoyed it

Awesome fantasy book! Love the creativity and imagination behind it all. I also really enjoy the writing. I recommend it!