AUTHOR INFO: Quenby Olson lives in Central Pennsylvania where she spends most of her time writing, glaring at baskets of unfolded laundry, and chasing the cat off the kitchen counters. She lives with her husband and children, who do nothing to dampen her love of classical ballet, geeky crochet, and staying up late to watch old episodes of Doctor Who.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/QuenbyOlson
Website: https://quenbyolson.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/QEisenacher
Publication Date: October 26, 2021 Page Count: 421
JEN
You’d have to have been living under a rock
this last year, if you hadn’t heard a little of the buzz surrounding Miss
Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons (from hereon
Miss Percy) about the spinster Mildred Percy, inheriting a trunk containing an
unhatched dragon egg.
I mean, I practically live under a
rock myself, and my little corner of book twitter was definitely buzzing.
Anyway, whether you had heard of it or not, is beside the point. I just wanted
to preface this review by saying- it was very hard not to go into this one with
my expectations so high, that I feared nothing could possibly live up to
them.
But don’t you worry, because Miss Percy
was very near perfect.
The Cast
The Heroes:
Mildred, our forty-year-old spinster, proves it’s never too late to
stand-up for yourself. Mildred had so much growth over the course of this story.
I wanted to cheer for her when she finally threw caution to the wind and didn’t
listen to that nagging little voice of self-doubt that has held her back from
doing and saying things, that should have long been said, or done.
And I was glad she found people who appreciated her and loved her, as much as
she deserved.
The Vicar Mr. Wiggan, and his housekeeper Mrs. Babbinton, were
the perfect welcoming counterbalance to Mildred’s sister Diana. I wanted them
to keep Mildred, and never let her go back to her sister’s home.
And let’s not forget Fitz, who managed to win my heart by being a
combination of all my farm animals and pets, at once.
The Villains:
Diana, the bratty Belinda, and Reginald.
Reginald, wins all-time favourite intro of a character ever, with this line- “If
Reginald Hawthorne had known he was going to be the villain of the piece, he
might have made a greater effort to dress the part.”
A good villain for me, is someone you can
feel a little sorry for but also want to slap to the moon and back. These three qualify, on all accounts. Some
needed a little more slapping than others though.
The Bad:
My only real quibbles in the story had to do with the abundant use of meandering
thoughts in parenthesis, sometimes even doubled-up! I occasionally would lose
track of the train of thought that the whole process started with, especially
in some of the longer ones.
And I do feel a little hypocritical complaining about this, since
it’s something- if you’re familiar with my reviews, you’ll find I am pretty
excessive about myself.
I did find that these lessened quite a lot, as the story went along and there
was more happening to fill the space and thoughts.
The Good:
I’m one of those weird readers that isn’t
all about having dragons in my fantasy… that is until they become the size of
small puppies, with roly-poly warm bellies (I could not help but think of my
sweet lab, Ellie, when she was small and fat) and apparently, I am all over
that.
I think a lot of why this story worked so well for
me, is that everything is understated (other than the asides).
There’s just enough Fitz, to make me want more. Just enough romance (well
honestly, there never can be enough but in this case- it was enough) to satisfy.
Just enough villain and bratty side-kick plotting to worry about the outcome
for the heroes (I kind of want a story about these two going through hardships
and learning to live with their choices). And the humour was spot on; not too
much, doesn’t try too-hard to be funny, and the occasional wall break- the “quiet
you” had me chuckling a lot.
One more thought and then I will shut-up. Not only were the entries from the
Pocket Guide, at the beginning of the chapters great
for filling in the dragon-lore, but they also allowed for us to believe there
was a happily-ever-after. One where Mildred, went on to spend her life as the
Jane Goodall of dragons- studying and living among or at least near them. And
this, was all on top of the lovely ending we did get.
I really just liked the completeness
that the story gave me as a whole (especially since I apparently didn’t crawl
out far enough from my rock, to realize that at some point, the second book had
been fully-written and published, and I somehow forgot all about it) and that
if I never went on to read another in this series, I would be happy with
everything the way I left it.
The TLDR:
Miss Percy won my heart bit-by-bit, with
every page I turned. The story was full of humour, charm, and all the feel-good
sweetness that you’d hope for from a story surrounding a toddling baby dragon
named Fitz.
JONATHAN
Miss
Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons
Miss Mildred Percy is living the only dull life
she has available: as a middle-aged spinster, caring for her sister’s three
children. Worn down with worry and unsure of herself, Mildred’s life is changed
by the arrival of her inheritance from her late uncle, which includes a rather
odd stone … or is it just a stone?
Miss Percy is
the third of this year’s finalists that I’d qualify as “cozy” fantasy, just on
account of the lower stakes, whimsy, and a calmer setting … which is not
necessarily my bag. It also has a distinctly Regency setting, which had me
cautious. Even so, I found it a pleasant read.
I’d say this is definitely a character-driven
story. Mildred herself is very likable. It’s not common to see middle-aged
women as prime characters in fantasy, so this was a refreshing perspective. She’s
a very tepid person in the beginning, unsure of herself and hesitant with every
action she takes. Her sister and niece are arrogant and dismissive of Mildred
and her feelings. Yet, she still manages to direct the plot with her decisions.
Other than the arrival of the dragon egg (yes, the stone), the major events are
driven by Mildred’s actions, wishy-washy as she was … and she only gained
strength through the story. The supporting cast is varied and some are
interesting. The infant dragon, despite being a newborn, develops a distinct
personality that’s fun to read.
There are two minor romantic sub-threads in the
plot, and the contrast in those romances is very telling for the characters
involved. Mildred’s final conversation with her sister (her prime tormentor)
was the highlight of the story for me.
While I think the light, conversational nature of
the prose will appeal to many readers, the heavily-used technique of setting
off information in parentheses made it a chore for me in places. I get that it’s
consistent with a Jane-Austen style of writing but I found it more cumbersome
than anything. Also, the plot here is rather light and while Mildred enjoys
significant character development, not much else of consequence happens. It’s a
good set-up for later books but as a standalone, it felt a little lacking.
Despite that, Miss Percy is a light,
enjoyable read. I’d recommend it for anyone who enjoys regency settings,
casual, conversational narration, and character-driven tales.
ŁUKASZ
Miss Percy lives with her sister in Upper Plimpton, a pleasant but dull village. She owns nothing of value. She firmly believes that ladies of her age do not have adventures, and has resigned herself to a daily routine to pass the time.
Then, one day, she inherits a dragon egg. The egg hatches. Her life becomes complicated. And, shudder, exciting.
Mildred Percy may lack agenda and charisma, but she certainly does not lack empathy. Her knees and lower back hurt. She's shy, withdrawn, and can not say no to a good pie. It was refreshing to have such a unique protagonist. Observing her growth and her growing hunger for adventure made me smile. And I consider it high praise - I rarely like characters that much.
I had a blast reading this book. Miss Percy tells an uplifting and warm story. Elegantly written, fast-paced, and with just the right amount of humor. It's the kind of narrative that reassures you that everything will turn out okay in the end, but still offers suspense, frights, humor, and psychological insights.
Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons focuses on the importance of (found) family, acceptance, kindness, and love, but it's also an exciting story about adventure, overcoming adversity, and teamwork. It’s packed full of lyricism, poignancy, and heart. Highly recommended to readers of all ages, especially those tired of doom and gloom.
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