When a Dragon Comes Courting by Claire Trella Hill Series: Tales from Karneesia #1
Published by self-published on 6/28/2024
Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance
Pages: 72
Format: Kindle or ebook
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Bookshop
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A young mother and a dragon in a man’s guise meet in the unlikeliest of places….
After her husband is drafted and dies in the Dragon Wars, Roe means to have nothing to do with the bitter conflict. She focuses on providing for herself and her baby daughter, keeping to her own land. But when soldiers drag a bloody prisoner into her farmyard, Roe’s intentions turn to ash.
The prisoner has a frightening magnetism about him, a strange heat and power that Roe doesn’t understand—until she realizes he is a dragon, captured in human form. Both fascinated and fearful, Roe offers what succor she can and earns his regard. Roe is determined to free the prisoner before he is delivered for magical torture—and the dragon is determined to protect her.
Dragons have long memories, and neither soldiers nor sand will keep him from returning for what is his….
When a Dragon Comes Courting is a closed door fantasy romance novella set in the world of Karneesia, the first in the Tales from Karneesia novella series.
A slow-burn, poignant dragon-shifter romance
When a company of soldiers are quartered at a war widow’s farm, they bring with them a prisoner… and a threat to her safety. The prisoner is one of her land’s most fearsome enemies, so why does Roe find herself sympathizing with him?
When a Dragon Comes Courting is a slow-burn, poignant dragon-shifter romance. Roe’s hatred of war, her sense of fairness, and her love for her child form the bedrock of who she is, and make her both strong and vulnerable. Her young daughter Aish is a delight, bright and intelligent; one of my favorite scenes involves her figuring out the hero’s secret. And the hero, Galad, is brave and protective, not to mention deeply committed to Roe.
But the book isn’t just about these three people forming a family; it’s about the impacts of war on ordinary families on both sides of a conflict or a border, in a way that really resonated for me. Not from personal experience, but because I could so easily put myself in Roe’s shoes. Yet the war-time setting notwithstanding, When a Dragon Comes Courting manages to maintain the feel of a cozy fantasy.
Although this is a novella, and Galad’s initial attraction to Roe is instantaneous, their relationship is still slow-burn because years elapse between the first and second sections of the book. (It’s also closed-door.) Despite that, the story itself is on the short side, even for a novella. In some ways, I wished it had been longer, but truthfully, When a Dragon Comes Courting hit the right notes for romantic fantasy at the perfect length for reading along with a pot of tea. (And thank you to author Stephanie Burgis for recommending this in her Dragons Book Club on her Patreon!)
Content warning for sexual assault [interrupted].
Challenges: COYER Unwind (2024), Chapt. 2
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- COYER Unwind (2024) – Chapter 2
Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits
This just sounds like what I want to read right now. Thanks for the reminder! (I also saw it on Stephanie Burgis’ list of recommendations, but I haven’t picked it up yet.)
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