This is a great short story that has lot of different rep in here including transgender and aro.

I especially loved the relationship between Snap and Violet and I will be reading more from this author!

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*

A very weird and queer read which had a dream-like quality to it while also reminding me of Le Guin. A dragon moves into a small isolated town somewhere and starts stealing things. A knight investigates but then a woman goes missing.

Didn't expect this novel to go where it did, but that was sweet and queer and weird. I have many questions but I loved how sassy and fun the dragon was! More of this! Also trans representation was sweet and unexpected.

4 Stars

Thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review :)

This is an inclusive fairy tale for all ages. It follows a dragon, a knight, a baker and her wife. The representation is absolutely incredible. I have never read a book that had so much and so nicely presented and explained. The characters are just great and I really enjoyed reading their adventures and conversations.

Unfortunately, where the story got a little boring for me was when it came to the plot. It started great: the dragon still things from the village just for fun and knight has to go and retrieve them. After this, it lost me.... We got a missing person and that made me more curious, but it was resolved so fast. I just could not stand how fast it got solved and how it moved to some other quest. I found myself rolling my eyes a couple of times due to this.

I still recommend this to anyone! It is such a joy to read about these characters and it opens some awesome discussions about LGBTQ+.

This novella has been updated by the author to tackle issues the queer community expressed about it.

I haven’t read the problematic original one so I only know about this because the author told me about it and therefore I can only talk about the new edition of The Dragon Of Ynys.

Which I heavily enjoyed – I just wished there were more pages to it. There are so many characters and I would have loved for the story to be slightly more fleshed out. If I keep in mind that it is supposed to be a fairytale for all ages I can live with the shortness. Especially if that means young children can listen to the book and understand everything.

It is a lovely fairytale with a very amusing dragon going by the name Snap. If I had known this book as a child Snap would have competed with and quite possible won against Fuchur (it’s Falkor in the english translation I think?).

The characters are mostly loveable, some I can’t quite grasp because of the shortness of the book, and I love how issues are solved on page. Mainly trans*phobia and the flirting at a character who absolutely does not want to be flirted with. There’s a lot society should lean from The Dragon Of Ynys.

Bookish Thoughts
I can’t remember any fairytail I was read as a child that had such a positive message for people:

The message that being different from what is considered the norm does not mean you will lead an unhappy life.”

kindle pos. 885
So to have this message in combination with an inclusive cast, a feelgood ending, and even an aroace character (sadly still not the norm even in inclusive and diverse works)? It’s like a dream come true.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting idea behind this story and some good writing that reminded me of a old timey story or legend. I liked the representation in the book.
However, the story line was quite weak with a lack of definitive plot. This made it difficult to really get into the story and enjoy it.
An OK read.

I was very underwhelmed by this book. Although i do appreciate all the LGBTQ+ representation in it, the sorry itself felt like a first draft with no plot or intrigue. I really wanted to love it but I found myself not enjoying it whatsoever. I gave it 2 stars because I loved the representations of different queer characters and there was nothing really problematic with the book other than i was not invested in the story at all.

If you're looking for a fun, cute, and quick read, this one is great! It's very charming, and told in an old-school fairy tale style, but has themes that are super relevant today. (accepting of queer and trans people, being different isn't a bad thing, etc.) At times it was a little bogged down with dialogue, but still a very cozy read!

📖Book Review: 'The Dragon of Ynys' By Minevra Cerridwen
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫 3.4
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, LGBTQIA+
Cover Art: @ullathynell
Published By: Atthis Arts

'It will remind them, even in dark moments, that they deserve love and people who love them for who they are - differences are nothing to be afraid of'

A heartwarming and whimsical read with LGBTQIA+ themes. 'The Dragon of Ynys' by Minera Cerridwen, follows Sir Violet (the village Knight) and his misadventures with Snap, the dragon.

One by one 'treasures' start to go missing from the small village of Ynys. Each time, Sir Violet treks up the mountainside to Snap's cave and negotiates the safe return of each 'treasure'. It's annoying but Snap is always courteous.

But when Snap hoards a person, Sir Violet decides Snap has crossed a line. Deeply concerned Sir Violet has underestimated the dragon, he decides to march to Snap's cave to save the baker. But all is not what it first appears... and a mystery starts to unravel. Accompanied by the baker's wife and Snap, Sir Violet begins a wild adventure across many lands.

I enjoyed reading about an array of different characters and their sexual orientations, set in a fun and magical setting. It was nice to read more about an aromantic character in particular.

There is plenty of charm to this fairy tale with soft hearted dragons, unlikely friendships and giant talking spiders that web stories. It touches on some potent messages about (self) love and acceptance of others for who they truly are, regardless of gender, sexual orientation etc. It's a timely reminder that not all stories need to end with you running off with 'prince charming' to have a happy life.

This story helps anyone whose a bit different, in whatever way regardless of sexual orientation, to realise they aren't so alone after all.

Thank you to @netgalley and @minerva_cerridwen for sending me an e-Arc of the book.

#thedragonofynys #bookstagram #fantasy #pride #lgbtqia #lgbtq #lgbtbooks #asexual #dragon #middlegradebook #childrensfiction #minervacerridwen #octoberbooks #octoberreads #booktober #fall #fallvibes #bookrecommendation #bookreview #cozy #ireadya

*Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review *
This was a fantastic short story about a knight and a dragon on a quest to find a missing person. It takes place in a beautiful atmospheric world with writing that reads just like a fairy tale, but all the characters are queer. This is a perfect book for kids with easy to understand descriptions of different identities and with dragons, because who doesn't love dragons alongside asexual representation?

I'm very happy to have been given this advanced copy of this book which I was really curious to read, thanks to the publisher who gave it to me.


The story takes place in the small town of Ynys and their local knight and the towns dragon who are wound up in a adventure they are not used to. The story takes the protagonists and the reader through the new and exciting world where they meet new people.

"Why?" the spider asked. "What message do you think is so important that everyone sould hear it?"
"The message that being different from what is considered the norm does not mean you will lead an unhappy life."


It's a story about self-acceptance but especcialy about accepting others. About feeling and expressing your true self without the fear of being judged. This book is something everybody should read. It's very suitable for children because of the length and how it's written. But there are probably more adults who can also learn a lot from this book.

it is a very beautiful story, I enjoyed it at all times, it is a story that I read very quickly, the style of the author fascinated me, I loved all the representation that is in the book, no doubt this gave him many points in his favor because they are well described and have a unique personality that will make you identify with them

Quick, fun read with amazing characters with depth and extraordinary personalities. I am a sucker for individuality and I think Minerva was able to capture and successfully execute an amazing about adventure and friendship.

A force to be reckon with.

Sir Knight is just a regular knight who protects his village and often finds himself as the liaison between his fellow countrymen and the dragon. Luckily for him, the dragon is nice and is open to negotiating with who was in the dragon’s cave leads to the baker’s wife, the knight, and the dragon on a quest together. I mean, what could go wrong when you have a dragon as a friend, right?

This book will bring joy and comfort to so many children and teens who don't know where to ask the questions they have about their gender identity.
Parsing trans, non binary and different sexualities all in one engaging, sweet and joyful book, this is something that should be in every schools library.

A very cute story that reads like a fable, which I believe many children will enjoy. There are themes of self-acceptance and not letting other people dictate who you are, and I believe these messages are always important. However, it was done in a very obvious way, with messaging that was quite in-your-face. I prefer my underlying themes to be a bit more subtle, but I understand that it may have been done this way to make it easier to understand for children.

This was a good quick read; the pacing was well done and there weren’t any moments that dragged on or felt boring. The plot was very simple, but it was original and easy to follow, which made the pages fly by.

To me, the characters seemed a bit flat and unrealistic. Because of this, their dialogue was uninteresting and overdone. Snap was by far the most interesting and unpredictable character, though I believe Sir Violet is a protagonist/hero that children would be able to root for.

There is a lot of important rep in this book, such as aro-ace, queer, and nonbinary rep, and I thought it was lovely that it was included; as far as accuracy goes, or how well it was done, I believe I should leave that to own voices reviewers to decide and speak on.

I liked that it was a tale for children which also included important themes. All children will enjoy a story which features a dragon, it’s an added bonus that they might also learn something from the book.

Sadly I had a few issues with the trans character portrayal and found myself not very interested or invested in the story. I wanted to live this book. There are some really beautiful and pleasant parts of this story. Honestly it could have been the perfect Pete's Dragon with some gentle notes and overall whimsical tale of trials, friendships and overcoming bigotry. Snap was probably my favorite part of the story, but I felt that the trans character having to acknowledge/celebrate the cis characters for trying was wrong and forced.
This is a shame because I was very interested in this story. Considering this story was referred to as having queer friendly, representation doesn't equate "friendliness."
Aside from that, I really enjoyed a lot of the tale and perhaps this book might be great for many people. But I didn't feel happy after reading it. A lot of things were overshadowed by my annoyance.

I do appreciate the opportunity to read this digitally through netgalley in exchange for an honest review

A beautiful fable for adults with love, friendship and a mischievous dragon. A Dragon of Ynys has trans, aro-ace, nonbinary and queer rep wrapped up in an adventure that warmed my heart. A lighthearted, fun and truly satisfying tale.

The dragon of Ynys is a pleasant reading that is middlegrade enough for young readers but also manages to include more adult messages to try and reach a wider audience.
It also includes several typical fantasy topics -a dragon, a small village, knights...- but it also have queer characters and even an aromantic, asexual main character.

It's a cute story about accepting others in a fantasy scenario but I get the feeling that this is not going to be a memorable book. It's entertaining, it's short, but there's no much left. It should've been longer so we could have more time to explore both its world and its magic but ended up being like just a regular short story or a novella.

The Dragon of Ynys is a cute, short adventure story about the importance of acceptance and good representation. Good communication and conflict resolution are also a central feature, which is especially good in a book that caters to all ages, including children. There is central asexual, aromantic, trans, and lesbian representation, along with discussions about boundaries and differing life experiences. This is fun, quick read that anyone can enjoy.

(3.5 stars)

This was a fun and very short book that was really enjoyable to me. It just felt like this book brought me peace, and I really liked it.

There's a lot in this book about accepting others, welcoming others and leaving behind prejudice, and I really enjoyed that aspect. It was very meaningful.

I feel like this book could have been a bit longer so we would have a bit more time exploring the world and the magic, but it's not too big of a complain, and I did enjoy it a lot.

<I>Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

While not a particularly bad book, this is not one that will hold up for older readers. It's a cute story and it is a wonderful book for kids, particularly ones interested in learning about LGBTQ+ people and those learning to develop good communication skills. However, for older teens and adults this book, pure and simple, reads like an after school special. The writing is too direct and overly simplistic much of the time as the characters all communicate incredibly openly and directly with everyone they meet, in a way that feels unnatural and unrealistic much of the time. Further, all of the characters have the exact same voice, so it is difficult to become invested in anyone in particular, making the perfectly okay story to be somewhat forgettable.

I would recommend this book all day long for readers ages 8-12, but not really for anyone past that.