I have to admit I didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did. It’s a somewhat campy but ultimately cozy book with plenty of dragons, jokes, and fun characters.

A review of this book would probably be inadequate without noting some of the names of essential elements. The fact that the Inquisition of the Priory of the Thrice-Dead Prophet decided to ban dragons and forbid all questions about their heroic mission tells you a lot about the kind of humor and hijinks the book will contain.

The stakes are pretty high (the Inquisition is after them, after all!), but it never feels tense. Everything stays lighthearted and fun. The book’s humor might not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it. The humor reminded me somewhat of The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom series by Christopher Healy. There are stupid jokes and pop culture references that characters shouldn’t be making, considering that they’re in a fantasy world, but the book's silliness encourages the reader to just roll with it and enjoy the book for what it is. It’s not trying to be a serious fantasy with intricate rules. It’s trying to be a book with pie and dragons and silly jokes to make you smile, and it more than delivers at that. Once or twice the jokes pulled me out of the story for a moment and occasionally the jokes were a little forced, but overall I got a few chuckles.

I’m not entirely sure who the audience for this would be. A lot of the humor wouldn’t make sense to a kid, but an eleven-year-old main character (who doesn’t always act her age, unfortunately sometimes seeming much younger) isn’t going to appeal to a lot of older readers. Maybe it would be a fun read-aloud?

I wish the dragon had a lot more time because it sometimes felt like it was an afterthought in spite of being a main plot point, and some of the descriptions were repetitive or confusing. Despite the faults, though, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

While I wouldn’t say it’s a perfect book, I had a perfectly enjoyable time reading it. The flaws were overshadowed by the charm of the characters, the silly humor, and the overall fun time.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me a free copy to review in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

A fun, snarky adventure full of unapologetically tongue-in-cheek humor and sarcastic dialogue!

This book follows young town troublemaker Ailis as she finds herself the proud new caretaker of a - deeply illegal and supposedly extinct - baby dragon. All Ailis wants is to enjoy her new companion and throw the dragon a birthday party, but everyone from her mother to the mayor to the High Inquisitor keep getting in her way!

I really enjoyed this silly little book. While the writing was very juvenile and less polished than I usually prefer to read, the sarcastic humor and the way the book didn't take itself seriously at all made for a really fun story. I enjoyed all the characters and chaos and would recommend this book to any reader, young or old, who enjoys snarky, goofy, and lighthearted stories... or anyone who just loves dragons!

I think I'm not the right target audience for this book. Maybe cosy fantasy just isn't for me. The ending annoyed me and felt too rushed. A lot of the story felt rushed. I don't know why we followed the smuggler only to never get his ending from his perspective.

I did like seeing the Irish names used and the dragons were cool. This book is meant for kids and I'm an adult so like I said not intended audience.

This is a really great book for kids. The adventure the family goes on due to Ailin doing a prank on a traveler. The book moves along well. I really enjoyed it and would recommend to kids who enjoy fantasy and dragons 🐉! The way the book is written it made me feel like I was watching a movie and the side comments are fun. As an adult I enjoyed it and the kid in me would have loved reading it in school.

Upscaled is a really cute novel, but unfortunately I had to DNF this one after I read aprox. half of it, because I couldn't connect with a 11 years old. That being said, I feel like the book could be great for a middle grader and I think that founding it in the teens & YA category was just an error

Thank you Eclipseborn publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book😊

I laughed so much during this tale! Ailís is a wonderful character and she grew on me the more the story progressed!! All she wanted was a birthday party for her dragon (Pilib).
I loved the humor and it was exactly the type of fun read I needed!!

I found out not to long ago that I’m a dragon lover. I absolutely loved this book and had a great time reading it! I’m not usually a cozy fantasy girl but, Upscaled may have just changed that game for me. Having a younger main character is also a bit of a switch up and I think the writing was done so well that I was still able to become immersed in the book. If you’re up for a fun and cozy fantasy please do yourself the favor and pick this up.

This was such a gem. Although it reads like a children’s tale, I was never bored by this cute and silly (in the best way) story. This is also the first time I’ve read a book where the author proclaimed their humor was inherited from Pratchett and the Monty Python and it actually felt like it. Every single chapter with the Inquisition and many other scenes read like they were taken out of a Monty Python movie.

The characters are endearing and so relatable. No matter how old you are, you’ll find one you’ll probably identify with in some way. The overall low stakes and the absurdity of the bad guys made this a journey where you can just enjoy the flow without ever having to fear for the characters’ lives.

This was my first book I read by this author. I enjoyed it and found it very charming. I’m look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC. All opinions in this review is my own.

Many years ago, the Inquisition banned all dragons because they represented a great evil according to the Prophet. The fact that they did not manage to eradicate them all is widely ignored. When a dragon egg falls into the hands of a young girl - she only wants to prank a merchant - a small dragon hatches from it. While the Inquisition is after her, she only wants to throw a little birthday party for the dragon.

A delightful, lighthearted, humorous story about a dragon in need of a birthday party.

Sadly, it was not my humor. Most of the humor was deprived of all persons of authority being utter idiots. Unfortunately, this fact also made the book a bit boring. The b

A cute cozy fantasy story that kept me reading and made me smile. The perfect book that makes you feel good and travel to a places you never knew existed.
Well plotted, intriguing characters and world building. I can't wait to read the next one as I loved this one.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Upscaled is the first book in The Dragons of Nóra series. It's such a cozy story with a humorous tone that I really enjoyed. Even though it's more on the younger side, I think everyone will love the story. Plus, the cover is adorable, which initially drew me to the book. Overall, it was a delightful read and I highly recommend it to everyone. I can't wait to pick up the next book. Thanks to Netgalley and Eclipseborn Publishing for the arc.

Thank you Netgalley and Eclipseborn for access to this arc.

Can I just put it out that I really was hoping for a LOT more dragon stuff. Pilib is adorable but spends a great deal of his time asleep. But then he is a youngster so perhaps that accounts for it. Ailis is, ahem, strong-willed. Bratty might be a better term. She's eleven and acts like it knowing full well that it will drive her poor Ma demented. Ma and Camarain are my two favorite characters after Pilib. I'm willing to admit that maybe it takes a strong person to bond with a dragon but Ailis got on my last nerve a time or two.


The other people in the book range from secretive (but otherwise nice) to frankly silly. Many of them, as the secretive person says, "engage in debates of their own idiocy." This happens frequently. It was boring after a round or two. One character in particular bloviates quite a bit. The debates and arguments are frequently repeated not just in general but often basically word for word. It's like watching the Ministry of Silly Walks non-stop for a few hours.


There's a lot of humor and an overall lighthearted feel to the story. However those very aspects also remove almost all the tension and sense of urgency as well as often not landing properly and falling flat. It's clear that witty and whimsical were what was being aimed for but alas, these are reached maybe half the time. I also sincerely hope that the final version has been line edited a bit more as many words were often missing altogether or used strangely.


I'm not sorry I read the book but I'm also debating whether or not I'm the right audience for it. Perhaps the silly humor and low key approach to the high stakes will work better for lower middle grade readers. I honestly doubt that teens, much less young adults, would be entertained. But at the same time, there are some arguments lightly made against the causes of (real world) disputes which might sail over the heads of eleven year olds. So is it a cozy fantasy? Well ..... mostly, maybe? The story ends with an epilogue that I could see coming which also intrigues me so I will be watching to see what the second book is about. C+

What I liked:
-The main character was precocious, fun, mischievous little girl who has a good heart but always gets into trouble. I really enjoyed reading her story.
-The humor was great. It was reminiscent of Monty Python, which I enjoy. The book struck a good balance between humor and serious moments.
-I think this book can be enjoyed by all ages, though I would probably classify this as a juvenile book.

What I didn't like:
-Camarain was underused. I felt like there wasn't much of a reason for him to even be in the story because he didn't really do anything. I feel like we'll get more of him in the next book, especially after the ending, but I wish we had gotten to know him more in this one.
-There was not enough of the cute dragon! I thought it would be more of a character but instead he's more of a house pet. This is definitely Ailis's story and I was hoping it was going to be more of Ailis and the dragon's story.

The tone is funny and fresh, perfectly suited to the protagonist's age, and the touches of absurd humor are a real delight. However, I must say that the girl at the center of this story deserves a few slaps, and I had some trouble continuing my reading at times. I felt more sympathy for the poor, exhausted mother. But a young reader probably won't dwell on that ^^ The ending was very predictable, and I admit I'm a bit tired of chosen one stories. But the writing is lively and funny.

Upscaled is the first volume in a new cozy middle grade/YA fantasy by Joseph John Lee. Due out 23rd Aug 2024, it's 201 pages and will be available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free at release.

This is a truly exuberant, often silly, cozy fantasy with two young protagonists, a random encounter with destiny on an errand to the market to buy eggs, and a fairy-tale version of the kitten (dragon egg) that "followed them home".

It's not derivative, but it gives the same vibe as T. Kingfisher's awesome "A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking", and fans of the latter will likely enjoy this one too.

Four stars. Silly (REALLY silly and occasionally overwrought), but quite good fun.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you to Eclipseborn Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

I DNFed this at 20%/page 43. I tried so hard to give it a fair shake, to see if it just needed to find its feet, but it never did and I wasn’t enjoying where it was heading. This is the first time I’m DNFing an ARC and I feel really bad about that.

The cover is amazing. The synopsis is so charming. The content doesn’t match either.

This book desperately needs an editor.

I think it’s meant to be witty and quirky and a little Princess-Bride-y, but the author regularly uses the wrong word, uses repetition to ill-effect, and has a lot of clunky descriptions. The quirky moments are also alternated with otherwise very standard writing, which makes them feel cringe instead of cute.

I also have no idea who the target audience is. The “precocious eleven-year-old” main character acts like she’s seven but will have random “motherly” thoughts (which is super uncomfortable to read from any child character, even an eleven-year-old). Then there’s a secondary character that’s a full-grown adult man with no patience. The pet dragon feels like a footnote almost immediately—though this may be improved later in the book.

Unfortunately, if the book is for children, the narration is bloated with five-dollar words and flowery descriptions, so I don’t think they’d enjoy it either.

So who’s this for? Not me, at least.

To conclude, I’m sad. I usually try to recommend it to a certain type of person or reader, or talk about all the things I loved and hated, but my biggest take-away was just that it needs both a developmental editor and a line editor badly—and one of them should be a woman and/or have experience with children.

I definitely had the wrong expectations going in—I was picturing teenage characters going on a light-hearted romp through the town to get party suppliers and something silly goes wrong at each stop—and instead got a surprisingly dark and heavy keep-the-dragon-secret plot told from a small-girl-child-according-to-a-grown-man’s perspective.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this free advance review copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

After playing a trick on a merchant, eleven year old Ailís finds herself in possession of an illegal dragon egg, and shortly after that a newly hatched dragon, still very much illegal. With the local authorities, whose entire role is to wipe out dragon kind, breathing down her neck, Ailís, her mum and little brother must flee their village and seek out help from her uncle.

What I liked: It was quirky and cute, there were definite parts where I laughed out loud. I liked the overall idea and the characters. This should be marketed as a children’s book not a teens though.

What didn’t work for me: It felt like at times it was trying too hard to be a copy of Terry Pratchett, at some points it pushed the obscure too hard (often more silly than quirky) then at others it just fell into a more relaxed narrative, which almost seemed the exact opposite, it’s a shame it couldn’t find a happy medium. I also think some of the references to Monty Python should just go, if the main character is eleven the people reading it are not going to get the inquisition bit (I grew up in the 80’s, I got it but it’s been done to death).

Final thoughts: A fun kids adventure book about a young girl and her dragon.

Who would enjoy this: Kids who like comedy fantasy books.

Posted on GoodReads:

I received this as an ebook from NetGalley in exchange of a review.

I initially chose this book to read because I definitely judged it by its cover- super cute! I like books that have dragons and are fantasy but couldn’t get into the humor, maybe because this book is geared more towards younger readers. Overall it was cute and I enjoyed the main characters possessiveness and enthusiasm towards the dragon.

Thank you to Netgalley & Eclipseborn Publishing for this arc!
This was such good fun! 4.5 stars rounded up.
- I haven't read anything quite like this before and I was constantly surprised by how funny, heartwarming and charming it was.
- I was also surprised by how much I loved the characters, particularly the mother. It's a trope in mg/ya fiction to have really unlikeable parental figures and I'm so glad this didn't fall into that. I loved her no-nonsense yet caring attitude. The family dynamics as a whole in this were wonderful- found family in the form of Aine and blood family in the form of the siblings, ma and uncle. I loved how they all connected during the story. The main character Ailiss was also a delight. She was clearly her age, yet she still had fantastic determination!
- The humour was sort of python-esque and frequently silly, but it never got in the way of the fun of the plot which, though it was mostly shennanigans, was always engaging. Ailiss' quest to find baked goods for her dragon was just delightful. Was it epic and high stakes? No. But it didn't need to be and the author knew it!
- Speaking of dragons, I really enjoyed their prescence! While the dragon is quite cat-like at the moment (and absolutely adorable), I can't wait to see how he'll grow throughout the series.
- I think perhaps the villains could have done with a little bit of de-sillifying. They were good fun, but I could see some social commentary there that didn't quite land for me because they were so stupid. I feel like a properly sinister inquisitor could have elevated my enjoyment of the story a little bit but, honestly, that might just be personal preference.
- Overall, a really fun cosy read that's just perfect for a rainy day (or any day really) when you want to lighten your mood! However, a warning: the baked goods will make you hungry.