Tag: author Julia Huni

Review: A Rider’s Guide to Dragon Healing (Dragons of Safe Haven #3) by Julia Huni

Rating: 4 ⭐️

 I enjoyed the third story far better than the second, circling back to characters who are older, been worn and in many ways, damaged by their past histories, in the particular case, a shared traumatizing event, caused by one of the main characters. 

A Rider’s Guide to Dragon Healing sees the return of two characters who have had important roles and relationships with the main characters in this series.  

Sarai Lavigne,a Tier One Healer, is dragon rider William Ordell’s sister. Someone who is thought dead by the ruler and Kingdom they both have fled. William and his dragon seeking sanctuary and retirement on Safe Haven, a mysterious island magically hidden from others and inhabited by multiple otherworldly species that coexist together.  She has found her own way to a kingdom currently at war with the one they fled.  She’s a beautifully written, multi dimensional woman, thoughtful, intelligent, whose past life has left its wounds. 

Do I love her? Yes I do.  As much as retired war witch, Calantha Stormbringer, who’s now William’s wife.  The OG couple and story are great. 

Then there’s Tyge de Xerrist, a dragon rider and his wounded dragon Sundri, who have fled the same ruler and Kingdom as William to Safe Haven, seeking help for his dragon who’s in desperate need of healing. Tyge and Sundri have been betrayed and she’s been ordered destroyed. 

So Tyge should be a character we empathize with. But he has a problematic personality and backstory. He kidnapped Sarai previously in another story, and he’s a hot tempered bigot. He’s arrogant and insincere. So, even with a plot line that has him emotionally attached to his wounded dragon, Tyge is still his dragon’s and his own worst enemy.

And it makes him remarkably hard to connect with. I’m with Willam each time he talks to him about his racism/specism towards the islanders and inability to deal. 

The growth of the dragons , including Sundri, their communications and abilities is a joy. As is all the relationships building around them. 

However, I don’t think Huni made a case for Tyge’s character’s makeover here. It’s not credible in the short time frame that he goes from hardcore bigotry to total acceptance of the island’s character and history.  And that the dragons have been able to “talk” directly to their riders all along, which he’s absolutely slow to believe even given proof in front of him. 

So putting aspect aside a not so realistic scenario for Tyge’s redemption, I think it’s a very good story and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Eventually that nasty ol’ Kingdom will notice the dragons. Drama will be coming!

A real winner!

Cover design by David Drummond

Dragons of Safe Haven (4 book series to date):

A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement #1

A Blacksmith’s Guide to Dragon-Rearing #2

A Rider’s Guide to Dragon Healing #3

A Guide to Mermaids and Mountain Trolls #4 – June 29,2027

Buy link 

        A Rider’s Guide to Dragon Healing (Dragons of Safe Haven Book 3)

    

Blurb 

The only thing harder than mending a dragon’s wing is softening his rider’s heart.

Tyge de Xerrist would rather face a Borgonne army on foot than trust his dragon’s life to a witch. But exiled to Safe Haven with Sundri’s wing torn to shreds, the surly rider is out of options.

Sarai Lavigne is a Tier One Healer who has spent years mending the wounds of war. She’s ready to save Sundri, but his rider is her most stubborn patient yet. Even as Sarai and Tyge clash over dragon-lore and ancient grudges, they must work together to get Sundri back in the sky and help Safe Haven’s dragon fire brigade come to full strength.

A cozy fantasy with a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance that won’t steam your glasses. Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes, A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic, and K.M. Shea’s Magiford books—a tale of scales, soot, and second chances.

IPH Media, LLC

Publication date

June 30, 2026

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Language

‎English

File size

4.6 MB

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Print length

332 pages

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Book 3 of 4

Dragons of Safe Haven

Review:  The Vacuum of Space (Space Janitor #1 ) by Julia Huni

Rating: 2.5⭐️

This is the first of Julia Huni’s Space Janitor novels and introduces both the universe of Space Janitor (and its many series) and its main character of  Triana, a space janitor, bot maintenance operator.  

The rating is really more for the book’s storyline’s potential than the author’s actual execution of the plot. I love the idea of a story and series based around a space station janitor. That’s such a great point for a character to see how a space station functions, the various cultures and societies that make up the station as well as how it physically functions. 

And it seems to start off this way. Triana is monitoring the bots as they clear various paths, she eats junk food, and is clearly a “sub level” employee who enjoys her world and odd work. 

Then she finds a body.  Or her bot does. 

And the author abandons her , imo, clever approach, and does an entire storyline/series twist that shakes this character and her own ingenuity upside down. She’s not who we’ve come to expect at all. 

Instead, Huni turns Triana into a person who is the complete opposite of the character we meet at the beginning of the story. And this one, is self pitying, whiny, and more than a bit irresponsible.  That’s a huge leap and a loss. 

Then there’s her instant boyfriend, Ty, a law enforcement agent, whose credibility is largely missing, and a friend who doesn’t seem very reliable. No relationships between her and the other characters feel like they had any believable connection or emotional depth. The closest the author came was with her mother’s old servant/assistant. That’s not enough.

 The Vacuum of Space (Space Janitor #1 ) by Julia Huni is also listed as humorous science fiction but I find it with almost no resemblance to comedic fiction. It’s not funny, imo. And worse, there’s no satisfaction with the ending. So I was left wondering why I finished it. 

I’m not going further into this series or universe. But the potential for a really interesting story was here. And that’s a shame. 

Previously published as Murder is Messy, 2018 

Cover designed by German Creative 

Space Janitor Series: 

The Vacuum of Space 

The Dust of Kaku 

The Trouble with Tinsel

 Orbital Operations 

Glitter in the Stars 

Sweeping S’Ride 

Triana Moore, Space Janitor (the complete series) 

Tales of a Former Space Janitor 

The Rings of Grissom 

Planetary Spin Cycle 

Waxing the Moon of Lewei 

Tales of a Former Space Janitor (books 1-3) 

Changing the Speed of Light Bulbs Sun Spot Remover Warp, Rinse, Repeat (late 2025) 

Friends of a Former Space Janitor Dark Quasar Rising 

Dark Quasar Ignites 

Dark Quasar Reckoning (Fall 2025) 

Buy link

 Book 1 of 4: Space Janitor 

Blurb 

It’s a dirty galaxy and someone has to clean it.
Avoiding the wealthy inhabitants on the upper levels of Station Kelly Kornienko is bot-programmer Triana’s number one rule. Well, number two, right after “eat all the chocolate.”

But when one of her cleaning bots finds a dead body, all the rules go out the airlock. A highly connected security agent interrupts her routine with stories of missing bodies, and Triana can’t ignore him; it’s cooperate or find a new job. A girl has to pay the rent, even on a crappy studio compartment.

Working with a shiny detective beats a shuttle dirt-side, so Triana lends her programming skills to Agent O’Neill’s investigation. Together, they find more victims and evidence of a major cover-up.

It will take all Triana’s technical talents, most of O’Neill’s connections, and some really excellent croissants to stop the murders, save her job, and ultimately, her life.

The Vacuum of Space is the first book in a completed series.

This book was previously published as Murder is Messy

IPH Media

Publication date

August 1, 2019

Language

‎English

Print length

231 pages

Book 1 of 4

Space Janitor

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

Rating: 4⭐️

Not quite sure how you would categorize this, a cozy dragon fantasy? With a no spice romance aspect to it?

It has many interesting and well thought out elements to it, ones I really found intriguing but somehow got lost in the narrative here. 

The first book revealed the existence of this mysterious island where multiple species coexisted peacefully between warring magical countries, hidden by fae magic behind barriers none could penetrate unless they were fated to. Like a dying “retired” war witch from one country and an equally retired dragon rider soldier from the opposing side, whose life he feels is over, betrayed by his king. Both of whom find themselves on the island, and eventually become friends then wedded partners. From enemies to lovers.

It’s was a great tale that was made better by the discovery of sea dragons. 

Huni’s story contains a great deal of detailed backstory on the countries at war, war witches, dragon riders, the new king, the island’s political system, and the other beings who make up the community there . And the rules   I mean it’s a lot. Mostly in the first book.

But here it’s Nevan and Franisa Hearthwell’s story. Each one was a secondary character before, but they are, primarily due to Nevan becoming a dragon rider, into the forefront. It’s a romantic story but they don’t have much time for that to develop. It’s the community and friends who are telling each of them about how the other is feeling. Plus there’s an entire “fake engagement “ aspect to this story that launches their romance. 

It’s too much “as told to” to be believable. Where the first relationship between William and Cala was and is remains totally credible. They are so well established and intriguing people. 

The dragons element is reduced down to one important one and that’s Starlight. She’s developing into an amazing character. There appears to be a new element, the wounded fire dragon from William’s country and with one of his former unit squadron members. Unfortunately right now, that person is just a one dimensional character. Hopefully, he’ll grow some or this aspect of the series will end up very one note coded. 

I’m looking forward to seeing where this author goes next with all these characters and storylines. A definite recommendation. 

Cover designed by Mariah Sinclair Designs 

Dragons of Safe Haven (3 book series):

A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement #1

A Blacksmith’s Guide to Dragon-Rearing #2

A Rider’s Guide to Dragon Healing #3 – Sept 30,2026

Buy link

 Book 2 of 3: Dragons of Safe Haven 

Blurb 

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 paired with the runt of the clutch, Nevan is 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 Hearthwell has enough on her plate. Widowed at an early age, she’s running the island bakery, raising two children, and fending off a meddlesome dwarven in-law who thinks her son belongs in the mine. When desperation strikes, she blurts out a solution that’s equal parts brilliant and ridiculous: she’s betrothed to Nevan.

But Nevan has adored Franisa since childhood. And fake betrothals have a way of attracting real feelings, curious neighbors, and dragons who seem very invested in romantic outcomes.

As fire threatens the village, an injured war dragon seeks refuge, and Safe Haven rallies around its own, Nevan and Franisa discover that bravery comes in many forms—and that family can be forged as surely as iron.

Dragons, fresh bread, found family, and a seaside village full of heart—welcome back to Safe Haven.

A cozy fantasy with a reverse-age-gap, fake engagement, friends-to-lovers romance that won’t steam your glasses. Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes, A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic, and Jane Austen’s Dragons—a cozy fantasy that smells faintly of woodsmoke, sea spray, and warm cinnamon rolls.

IPH Media, LLC

Publication date

March 31, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

324 pages

Book 2 of 3

Dragons of Safe Haven

Review: A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement (Dragons of Safeway Haven Book 1) by Julia Huni

Rating: 4.5⭐️

What a wonderful find and absolutely fabulous read!  Julia Huni is an author I hadn’t heard of before but she’s now firmly in my author list to look forward to. 

A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement, the first book in Dragons of Safeway Haven series by Julia Huni, is a quietly stunning story.  I’m not sure I’ve read one quite like this in a group of novels about dragons and dragon riders. 

There’s no fast paced adventure, no real action or battles. At least not yet. Those have already happened. In a long,  dark ongoing war between two countries that’s continuing to escalate and claim the lives of many, this story focuses on the recent retired warriors of each country.  One a battle witch who’s losing her powers and one a disabled dragon rider who lost his dragon in the war.  Both in their early 50’s and they’ve retired to Safe Haven , a mystical island unbeknownst to each other. At first. 

 What author Huni delivers is beautiful, deeply believable characters, ones who are dealing with their own trauma and personal losses. Who then are confronted with not only the physical enemy they have been fighting all these years, a enemy that has cost them greatly in terms of unbelievable loss and suffering, but they also have to face the fact that perhaps they have been rigid and bigoted in their own ways. 

Huni’s story doesn’t preach but slowly sees change occur as the characters interact with each other and the town people who are accepting them into their own lives.  It’s a magical place, full of many different kinds of beings and beautiful creatures. Including dragons. 

Acceptance, loss, grief and the ability to see things from different perspectives and move on is key here.  The dragon rider William Ordell, slowly becoming a part of Safe Haven, readjusting his views as he feels more at home with his new surroundings. And Calantha Stormbringer, a battle witch whose powers are fading, has returned to her home, feeling like a stranger only to find herself confronted by the very thing she was fighting in the war. 

Calantha and William are both very relatable and very well defined in their own personalities and challenges that each are facing in their respective retirements. From Calantha’s loss of powers after she reached menopause, (and the fact that most battle witches never survived to this age) to William dealing with the loss of his bond with his dragon, his dragon, his small corp of brother riders, and country and his leg.  They are the unlikely survivors of a deadly war that’s still going on. And this writer gives us remarkable insights into what happened, and how emotionally and physically this has and continues to affect them both. 

But there’s also light-hearted and heartfelt content in this book. Magical moments and a slow burn love story as well. 

I love it. Have to wait for the next one but totally worth it. I’ll savor this one and reread it just before the next is released. 

A definite winner and one I’m thrilled to recommend. 

Cover designed by Mariah Sinclair Designs

Dragons of Safeway Haven :

  • A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement #1
  • A Blacksmith’s Guide to Dragon-Rearing #2 – Aug 31,2026

Buy

 Book 1 of 2: Dragons of Safe Haven 

Blurb 

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.

  • Publisher: IPH Media, LLC
  • Publication date: August 5, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 336 pages
  • Book 1 of 2: Dragons of Safe Haven