The Dragon of Ynys

I feel all warm inside after reading this adorable original fairy tale. Sir Violet is the lone knight of an isolated village, responsible for investigating local crimes. A dragon moves into the area and keeps nicking small items from the villagers, which brings him to Violet's attention. Eventually, Violet (who is aro-ace), the dragon, and a trans lesbian go on a quest to find her wife. Then, they all carry out a plan to improve their world, in a manner that both fits a fairy tale and is a metaphor for real life. This is a short work, but it tells a complete story. I'd even say it's epic in scope, just in a subtle way. It's told from Violet's point of view only, but all of the major characters have distinct voices and personalities. There aren't a lot of physical descriptions, but I have very clear mental images of all of them. I also appreciate that all of the characters have some flaws; for example, Snap cares a lot about humans, but he can be a bit inconsiderate, because he has such different everyday concerns from theirs, while Violet often worries about food and safety and really does prefer solitude, although he does appreciate his new friends. This is a fairy tale, and every character gets a happy ending, but they aren't romantic or even friendship-based happy endings. Rather, every character finds acceptance and/or a fulfilling purpose. It's really nice to read a story that includes not only lots of familiar fairy tale elements, but also a variety of characters, who all achieve different types of happiness.While I definitely enjoyed the story immensely, this would also be a great book for kids, with its gentle humor and positive lessons about acceptance and being true to oneself. There's no violence or strong language of any kind. Really, I would recommend it to anyone. I was eager to read this book because of how much I enjoyed the author's short story (which also features an aro-ace protagonist) in the lovely anthology [b:Unburied Fables 32326669 Unburied Fables Tiffany Rose https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475347178s/32326669.jpg 52960536]. I look forward to her next release.

This all-ages fantasy story is uplifting, inclusive, and comforting. The banter between Sir Violet and Snap the dragon is witty and clever with touches of sarcasm, but the humor never gets mean. It's a lighthearted read that nevertheless presents a deep message about acceptance of self and others. Short enough that it can be read fairly quickly, it's a great comfort read — I have re-read it a few times when the world has seemed grim, and it never fails to lift me up.

I have the paperback edition (Atthis Arts, 2020) and it's beautifully typeset with a lovely cover and overall excellent quality of printing and paper.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was simply BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!! The amount of Diversity in this has me SOBBING!!!!!!! No joke, this is the first book in a While to make me actually cry!!!!! Also, the writing was just GORGEOUS!!!!!!! I really Really wish there had been more stories like this out when I was a child, because I really think it would have helped me a Lot!!!!! I'm so SO Glad I read this!!!!!!! The story itself was AMAZING!!!!!!! Highly HIGHLY recommend if anyone is looking for a good diverse fantasy!!!!! Especially the 2020 republished version, because the afterward by Minerva is also something I think is Super important!!!!!!!!