Hello friends! I have been having so much fun with indie books this month! After Moon Rising by Daniel Weisbeck which was an indie SciFi thriller, I bring you an indie Historical Fantasy, Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson. Many thanks to Storytellers on Tour for bringing this book to my attention and for coordinating a creative interview for tomorrow. I must warn you before you proceed – this is not a normal review. This book was amazing and I might have called back the old me who had a lot of fun reading it. Let’s get started with the synopsis and content notes and begin my gushing session!
Miss Mildred Percy inherits a dragon.
Ah, but we’ve already got ahead of ourselves…
Miss Mildred Percy is a spinster. She does not dance, she has long stopped dreaming, and she certainly does not have adventures. That is, until her great uncle has the audacity to leave her an inheritance, one that includes a dragon’s egg.
The egg – as eggs are wont to do – decides to hatch, and Miss Mildred Percy is suddenly thrust out of the role of “spinster and general wallflower” and into the unprecedented position of “spinster and keeper of dragons.”
But England has not seen a dragon since… well, ever. And now Mildred must contend with raising a dragon (that should not exist), kindling a romance (with a humble vicar), and embarking on an adventure she never thought could be hers for the taking.
Content Notes: Very mild profanity.
Thoughts on Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons
Did you ever (or do you still) have a phase where all you read was (is) regency romances? Growing up, my grandma had pretty much the full collection of Georgette Heyer books. Friday’s Child, which I have mentioned on the blog from time to time, is a well worn copy of mine because I have read it so many times in the past. It used to be a yearly staple – around the winter break, I would curl up like a cat with that book, some tea and Christmas lights. Heavenly. Anyway, I have not read regency romances in at least 3 years and Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons was like going back in time in so many ways.
It combined Fantasy with Regency and it had never crossed my mind to find something like that before. I loved it and will be looking for more.
On Miss Percy, who you will meet tomorrow
Have I mentioned how excited I am to host a fictional character on the blog? Does that tell you something about Miss Percy and the author, Quenby’s amazing writing?
Let’s get into the story a bit now – It’s regency England and Miss Percy lives with her married younger sister. She takes care of the kids and is kind of the governess in the house, except she is family. When she inherits a bunch of items from an uncle she hasn’t seen in a long time, her life gets very interesting. For one, she gets the help of the vicar of the town who is fascinated with her, not just the things. There is also the case of the rock that turns out to be an egg. And this mysterious guy who has found Miss Percy in hopes to take the said rock back because it belongs to his family (and his father had gambled it away… so does it really?)..
This was such an adventure!
Miss Percy is the protagonist I always wanted to read about. There is some romance, a lot of proper etiquette and tea and biscuits, but most importantly for me, there is a woman finding her place in the world when the rest of the world might think she is all set and nothing will ever change for her.
I am Team Percy always! Quenby wrote her so well that I feel this connection that I want to talk to her (and I did, thank you Quenby)!
On the amazing little dragon who is one of the stars of the show
Fitz is adorable! I love that name for a dragon and since cats are little dragons, I might name my next cat Fitz. Isn’t it best to commemorate a book by naming a pet from it? We did that with The Count of Monte Cristo and my black kitten Dantes. 😀
Coming back to Miss Percy and Fitz, I love their bond! It reminded me a lot about getting my first cat, Fiona (who is named from Shrek because she is a firecracker). The book is divided into multiple chapters and each chapter begins with a snippet from the pocket guide or one of the characters’ journals. I love the meta-ness of this. Reading a book named for the book that it has snippets from – very enjoyable! I also liked how the writing alluded to what is to come in the next book!
Reading Experience Summary
I can gush more but I think this is a book that everyone would enjoy. It is fun, fast-paced and adorable. I want you to pick it up.
The cast is well throughout and I felt like I got to know all of them. There are stressful times in the plot when I cheered extra hard for the characters and wanted them out of harm’s way. I was glued to this book and read it within a few days. I am excited for book two, Miss Percy’s Travel Guide to Welsh Moors and Feral Dragons, and meeting some more dragons! Meantime, do check this one out!
Will you pick up this book?
Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons is now available. Be sure to check your local library and support them.
Amazon Kindle
Many thanks to the author and Storytellers on Tour for providing me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author
Quenby Olson lives in Central Pennsylvania where she spends most of her time writing, glaring at baskets of unfolded laundry, and telling her kids to stop climbing things. She lives with her husband and five children, who do nothing to dampen her love of classical ballet, geeky crochet, and staying up late to watch old episodes of Doctor Who.
Find her on Twitter and learn more on her website.
Thank you for hanging out with me today! I will be back tomorrow and we will hear from Miss Percy and Quenby! Until then, happy reading!
Cover Photo by Mark Timberlake on Unsplash
This sounds like a cracking read! Definitely going on the tottering pile…
I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I’m sure I shall. I need something lighter to read next!
Let me know what you think of it! 😀