I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle

[rekishi]

Peter S. Beagle is an author I knew for exactly one work: The Last Unicorn.

This book is very much not that, but it is still delightful.

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...

And the book goes exactly the way you would expect from that summary....and yet not at all.

It was delightful and I had a lot of fun with this and the characters. I definitely felt with Robert throughout this and the princess (because every good fairy tale with dragons needs a princess, right?) is actually a pretty great character.

Definitely recommended!

(Copied from my journal)

Comments

[yhlee]

Oh, cool! I must look for this. My obscure Peter S. Beagle fave is A Fine and Quiet Place, although it's melancholy since the two main characters are ghosts.

[rekishi]

I have that book on my list as well! I picked this, because the summary sounded somewhat more whimsical. Considering I'm on a Dead Boy Detectives kick atm for fic (to read), I also didn't want to conflate anything there. But thanks for bringing it up, I feel I'm more likely to read it now.

[valoise]

I've added it to my list of books to grab at the library soon

[rekishi]

Great! It's a lovely little read :D There's no fic (at least on AO3), sadly, so maybe a new option for the be the first challenge next year 😂

[got_quiet]

Beagle is a versatile author. There's something so loving in the way he writes that transcends whatever scenario he's thought up too. I'll haven't read this book yet but I'll have to give it a shot.