Rating: 3.5⭐️
“The Flood Wars have come and gone, leaving a world at the mercy of magic. Kyra Greene is an exiled Valkyrie who finds her place in Montreal Ward as a pest controller of extraordinary creatures. She already has an apartment full of rescues, including a basilisk who thinks he’s a turkey, a banshee nanny, and a pygmy kraken. She might take care of them, but they also fill her need for family. And when that family is threatened, she’ll risk everything to save them.”
I picked this book up because I really enjoyed Kim McDougall’s The Knack series and her female characters in particular. That series was my first time reading this author and I thought to explore other books as well.
Unfortunately, I found that Dragons Don’t Eat Meat, the first book in the completed 9-book Valkyrie Bestiary series isn’t going to be nearly as interesting or entertaining as I hoped.
Written four years earlier, it has many elements and aspects of the story that I found engaging. But ultimately it comes down to the main character of this series itself that I find the least enjoyable.
First to the positive aspects. The exotic animals in her Bestiary, including Ollie, the baby dragon. While not exploring much of the dragon’s history or much of any of the other creatures in her care, they remain an important and engaging part of her life and story. Which unfortunately, comes with a negative side in the narrative as well. Another plus is Jacoby, a dervish. His plight, and need for a home made me connect to the story and situation in a way that Kyra never did.
The gargoyles, are introduced as though they were a bigger part of some previous story. So it feels like the reader is missing something, key information. Especially as one, Henry Mason a gargoyle she had a brief kiss with, doesn’t seem very layered as a character or have much chemistry with Kyra.
Things that I found needing further clarification or better explanation or just something.
Plot points or holes. Her shop which is also her home, and the home for her creatures and banshee? Not warded or alarmed. A huge question mark considering a dramatic event that occurs in the story that causes minor character deaths. FYI. That’s absolutely illogical.
One villain is easily spotted, at least by the reader. Does anyone in this story think that maybe that person is acting strangely. Yes. Do the main characters continue on course. Why yes. SMH. Keep in mind the fact that the main characters are immortal or immortal somethings.
To short it up, my last big issue is with Kyra.
She’s a Valkyrie. With an amazing soul eater sword. Powerful weapon, powerful woman. Right?
Except for the fact that McDougall has written her as an apologist. I’m so sorry for my actions. I’m so sorry for my sword’s actions. I wish I wasn’t a Valkyrie. I wish. Well, you know.
Everything I’m so over in seeing in a woman character. Haven’t women characters stopped apologizing enough. For what and who they are? This is supposed to be comedic fantasy fiction but I see nothing funny about this.
I may try to read one more book in the series to see if it gets better. But usually once it starts out with this kind of characterization it continues on in this vein.
Luckily, The Knack is different. Read that series. That’s my recommendation.
Published by Wrongtree Press.
Cover and book design by Castelane, Cover art by Pamela Francescut.
Valkyrie Bestiary (9 book series):
Dragons Don’t Eat Meat #1
Buy link
Book 1 of 9: Valkyrie Bestiary
Blurb
One lost baby dragon. One fae pest controller. And a city on the brink of civil war.
Kyra Greene is a sucker for a vulnerable critter. The exiled Valkyrie turned pest controller shares her chaotic home with a banshee roommate, a pygmy kraken, and a basilisk who thinks he’s a turkey. But when she rescues a baby dragon that swallowed a dangerous artifact, she’s stuck working with a mysterious gargoyle who kissed her a year ago and then ghosted.
With a rogue fae prince after the relic stuck in the dragon’s belly, Kyra and her irritating companion venture into the magical and lawless Inbetween to find the dragon’s elders. And as attraction brews and enemies converge, she fears they might not make it out alive without triggering a supernatural civil war.
Can she reunite the lost dragon with his thunder and save her quirky family of magic creatures? Or will Montreal fall to chaos and monsters?
Dragons Don’t Eat Meat is the laugh-out-loud first book in the now complete Valkyrie Bestiary urban fantasy series. If you like feisty female leads, smart snark, found-family fantasy, and romance that’s just right, then you’ll love Kim McDougall’s action-packed adventure.
Dive into a world of magic and fantastic beasts—buy Dragons Don’t Eat Meat today and start your adventure!
WrongTree Press
Publication date
August 15, 2020
Language
English
Print length
288 pages
Book 1 of 9
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 