Review: A Blacksmith's Guide to Dragon-Rearing (Dragons of Safe Haven #2) by Julia Huni

Title: A Blacksmith's Guide to Dragon-Rearing

Series: Dragons of Safe Haven #2

Previous book in this series: A Dragon Rider's Guide to Retirement

Author: Julia Huni

Genre: Adult, cozy fantasy

Publication date: March 31st, 2026

Published by: IPH Media

Source: eARC for review of author

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Synopsis: Raising dragons is easier than raising a five-year-old. Probably.

Nevan never planned on becoming a dragon rider. He was perfectly content swinging a hammer in the forge—until an injured dragon rider retired to Safe Haven. Now he’s supposed to help train the island’s brand new sea dragon fire brigade. That means long days, soaked clothing, and a growing suspicion that dragons like to play matchmaker.

Franisa has her hands full keeping her bakery--and her daughter--in one piece, but she still manages to keep an eye on Nevan. After all, she’s known him since childhood—and maybe, just maybe, she’s starting to see the dragon rider in a new light.

But when sparks fly—literally and figuratively—the whole village gets involved. Between curious dragons, nosy neighbors, and one busy little girl, Nevan and Franisa might have to decide if their friendship is ready to turn into something more.

Dragons, fresh bread, and a magical island town—welcome back to Safe Haven.

My rating: ★★★★⯪

This book was just like a warm hug. I loved it!

Review: A Dragon Rider's Guide to Retirement by Julia Huni

Title: A Dragon Rider's Guide to Retirement

Series: Dragons of Safe Haven #1

Author: Julia Huni

Genre: Adult, cozy fantasy

Publication date: August 5th 2025

Published by: IPH Media

Source: eARC for review from author

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Buy it: Amazon | Julia Huni's store

Synopsis: They survived the war. Now they just have to survive retirement.

When dragon rider William Ordell is grounded by a battlefield injury, he trades conflict for peace and purchases an abandoned lighthouse on the island of Safe Haven. But quiet doesn’t suit a man used to action. After a series of mysterious fires, William finds himself launching the island’s first fire brigade—with help from the local sea dragons.

Calantha Stormbringer has left war behind, along with the last sparks of her fading magic. She retreats to Safe Haven to rebuild her late aunt’s dusty bookshop—and maybe herself. Restoring the shop will require patience, intelligence, and gold. Calantha figures two out of three isn’t bad.

What neither of them wants? To run into each other. Again.

Old grudges, magical dragons, and one cozy, nosy village—what could possibly go right?

A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement is a cozy, low-stakes fantasy filled with magic, mischief, and a slow-burn romance that won't steam your glasses. Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes, Cursed Cocktails, and J. Penner’s Adenashire series.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I love Julia Huni's cozy sci-fi books, so I was super excited when I found out that she was going to be writing a cozy fantasy! In general, the cozy fantasy genre just doesn’t sound like it's for me. I'm a girly who loves her plot-driven books with lots of exciting action. But like I said, I love all of this author's books, so of course I was going to give this one a shot! And I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed it! And maybe this will be my gateway into more cozy fantasies. Who knows?

Review: Slayers by C.J. Hill

Title: Slayers

Series: Slayers #1

Author: C.J. Hill (pen name of Janette Rallison)

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: September 2011

Published by: Square Fish

Source: Own paperback

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Synopsis:

Dragons exist. They’re ferocious. And, in this novel from C. J. Hill, they’re smart: before they were killed off by slayer-knights, they rendered a select group of eggs dormant so their offspring would survive. Only a handful of people know about this, let alone believe it—these “Slayers” are descended from the original knights and are now a diverse group of teens that includes Tori, a smart but spoiled senator’s daughter who didn’t sign up to save the world.

The dragon eggs have fallen into the wrong hands. The Slayers must work together to stop the eggs from hatching. They will fight; they will fall in love. But will they survive?

My rating: ★★★★★
Tori has always been fascinated with dragons, so she is ecstatic when her parents finally let her go to this dragon camp, but boy does she not know what she’s getting herself into! Turns out, amid the normal dragon-enthusiast campers, there are a handful of super special, elite campers that do more than the normal camp stuff... They’re Dragon Slayers!! And guess what, Tori just happens to be one of them! Tori must train hard to help the others protect the country from dragons that will inevitably attack. But Tori has many doubts: are the others crazy? Are dragons really, well, real? Does she even have powers? Should she just forget everything and go home? All these questions float around in her mind (and then some), but will she be able to pull herself together in time the help the others when the time comes?