Fiends and Festivals

The Weary Dragon Inn #2

by S. Usher Evans

A cozy fantasy novel

The Harvest Festival is the most-anticipated event in the quaint village of Pigsend, and Bev and the Weary Dragon Inn are ready to welcome visitors from near and far. But when strange occurrences begin happening, including the destruction of Bev's beloved herb garden, Bev's got to put her sleuthing hat back on to uncover the truth.

There's no shortage of suspects, from the snooty official judge all the way from the Queen's Capital to a mischievous little dog who might be more than he seems. But if Bev doesn't figure it out soon, then this year's Harvest Festival may be Pigsend's last.

The eagerly awaited sequel to Drinks and Sinkholes, Fiends and Festivals is the second book in the Weary Dragon Inn series, a cozy fantasy adventure from two-time award-winning author S. Usher Evans.

Genres: Fantasy, Cozy, Mystery, Cozy Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 17, 2023

About the author

S. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a "real job" as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit.

Reviews

[Colin Letch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiends and Festivals was the perfect follow-up to Bev's first outing, Drinks and Sinkholes. There were so many things done right in this novel that made it enjoyable to read while allowing me to appreciate the craftsmanship of S. Usher Evans. Throughout the first book the reader is given tidbits about Pigsend's Harvest Festival and this novel capitalizes on that. Using a festival as the central plot is genius for a cozy fantasy: it allows for some competition and tension while maintaining low stakes, it provides a means for smoothly introducing new characters (can you say visitors from a rival village?), and most importantly it creates great fodder for Bev to do another investigation.

I'm so glad that Evans gave a bigger role to some of the supporting characters, particularly the two butchers. While developing Bev's personality was essential in Book 1 the involvement of these characters makes the village feel more real. As for new characters, Biscuit takes the cake (and the biscuits, and possibly some other items) as the best one. I always love an adorable pup as a sidekick and the fact that Evans immortalized one of her dogs in this role makes the addition even sweeter. The mystery is cozy, the setting is incredible, but the characters are what make this novel feel like a big hug. I will say, however, that this book did leave me longing to know some of the village's LGBTQ+ characters more deeply. It's impractical to give every character a huge role in a novel or even in a series, so I'm hoping that someday we get a short story collection that features a different character's perspective in each story.

As far as the audiobook is concerned, Deborah Balm did a phenomenal job. After being spoiled by her during the first two books I hope she continues to narrate this series!

[Teodora · Rating 3 out of 5]

How much could I endure until there is some romance in this?

God really gives his toughest battle to his strongest soldiers

[Jenna Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read, enjoyed the plot much more than the first, the little bit of character development was welcome.

[Si Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a warm snuggle from a puppy.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 bk 25. The second in the series has held up to the promise of the first. In this story, Bev and friends are preparing for the annual festival, complete with competitions for all sorts of agricultural and home goods. Bev does not normally participate, which makes her a neutral party when disagreements and sour tempers break out when some folks have their entries destroyed. To top it off, the regular judges do not appear. Instead a Queen's Agricultural Judge who is very much by the book comes - and overrules the substitute judge - a nice young man taking his aunt's place. Mayhem ensues when a rival town tries cheating to win contests and the right to hold the fair. Fun story.

[Phi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cozy, delightful read! I love this series, and I look forward to reading the rest when they come out. I want to stay at the Weary Dragon Inn. It sounds like such a fun, relaxing place.

Update: just relistened to this audiobook, and it's seriously even better the second time. It feels even cozier, and I also love seeing how things feel different knowing what happens the whole time. Such a delightful read!

[Lorewarden]

This was an enjoyable second entry in the Weary Dragon Inn series starring Bev the overworked and always friendly innkeeper. This time she's once again tasked with solving a magical mystery, now about shenanigans at the local country fair instead of sinkholes threatening the town. I enjoy that this series has not only an immediate cozy story each book but also larger arcing plot elements between books.

[Verónica Fleitas Solich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just perfect.

[Chels · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book to review, that in no way changes my opinions.

GUYS. There's a new DOG character.
I'm pretty sure I threatened to throw myself off a mountain if he didn't stay around but it looks like he is! Great news for us all! Also he is a menace and I wouldn't have him any other way.

Onto my actual review.
I might possibly like this book slightly more than book 1. Something about the festival and all the silly festival things just made me really happy. It was like Evans thought "what could make this book even cozier" and then added a fall festival. Kind of reminded me of Gilmore Girls and how they had little festivals every month. That's the vibe this book gives but with a little mystery thrown in.

I'm trying so hard to write this review without giving any hints about what's inside because I think it's best to read it that was for the full cozy effect. How many times can I say cozy in one review? But honestly it's the best word to describe this series.

I'm really loving this genre of cozy fantasy and I don't know why it wasn't introduced sooner. Something about the low stakes mystery with a linear story just makes it really easy to follow and gives my brain a break. With most genres I'm constantly trying to figure things out like who the villain is, what's gonna go down, but with this book I didn't care and just let it take me where it wanted. I'm so happy I have this series to look forward to!

[Tara Kat (MagnoliaPigeonBookBlurbs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, first things first - my jaw was absolutely on the floor when I read the last page. I’m still processing and I need book 3 in my hands asap!!! Secondly, Merv is the absolute GOAT and I will hear no arguments to the contrary because a giant mole man who enjoys his tea and sweaters is 100% perfect.

Now for the review - 5 cozy fantastical stars!!! I’m so happy to be back in Pigsend with Bev and the gang for the Harvest festival! The real mystery begins when things surrounding the festival - especially where Bev is involved keep going wrong. Now with the festival on the line it’s up to Bev to investigate and find out if it just bad luck or something more sinister.

This book literally has it all - mystery, an adorably always hungry “dog”, magic, delicious rosemary bread, quirky townspeople, a friendly giant moleman, an amnesiac innkeeper, a mystery man and of course a surprise ending that I never saw coming!

If you haven’t already please check out this series because I need someone to talk to about all of its awesomeness!!!

Thank you to S. Usher Evans for the advanced copy!!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book two was a lot easier to digest than book one, but there are still plenty of annoyances throughout.

Incompetence seems to be a strong theme. But most of the time it ends up being willful incompetence. You have the main guard who is always "so busy" but really just seems to hate his job and want to mess around with friends and not really work. He will come to conclusions about things that happen in a "that's so weird that happened" kind of way, then want to go back to hanging out with his friends.

People know he is incompetent but don't care. Sure, it's a little annoying for them because it means they are going to be the ones who have to do the deep dive, and that's okay with them. Yet, Bev then wonders if maybe his ideas are right? When prior to that she made it clear she knew he wouldn't do anything because he's incompetent?

Then there's a lot of clues as to who the culprit is, and Bev is positive she knows who it is when it was so very clearly spelled out who it is. Even her strange way of double guessing someone...Her dog, for instance, and when she not only learns what he is on her own, but is told so by a creature that knows these things very well, at first she's like, oh okay. Then shortly after questions it. While I can see niggling doubt creeping in being a good choice, I think it could have been done in a less willingly incompetent way.

People are nicer to Bev, and the ones who aren't make more sense this time around. It's just what I'd hoped to see in the first book. A few annoying people, and others who are on her side. Though while she has a friend on her side, she's the one dismissing that friend half the time. The little side story about her friends was there. It isn't important to the story. If these women know this is an issue for years and years and haven't done anything about it yet, then I have no sympathy. I'm guessing the story was put in there to give these characters depth, but it falls flat in that aspect. I would like to know more about these side characters, but something like this doesn't actually help.

I do think the overall plot and story is interesting and I'm curious. Bev is perfectly happy being where she is though it's hard to see why. She shows so much willful ignorance in this book that it's difficult to be on her side or like her very much. I think her wanting to shut off any potential memories because she's comfortable is a relatable thing to do. It's curious why she doesn't want to know anything about her past, but I'm going to hope there's a reason we learn about later on. Not just because of what she was involved in (I have theories) but because maybe she wanted herself to be ignorant of her past, and that's why she wants nothing to do with it now. I am curious enough to move on to the next book and see if we learn more about her.

If there's growth and better character writing that makes me care about these characters more, I know I'll want to continue. I struggle to understand why the choice was made to include these little annoyances which don't help solidify strong characters and relationships, but instead make them annoying and hard to like.

There was one part with the feuding farmers that was probably my favorite part of the book, though. There's a lot of potential in there, and I can only hope the books continue to get better. It's a very interesting story and I have questions I'd like to be answered, so I can get past those annoyances. Though they have made the books drag on despite not being very long reads.

[Fiona McGier · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been on a magic-fantasy reading bent lately, so this 3 book set seemed to be just what I wanted. Unfortunately, while there are some good ideas here, I didn't enjoy the read. I kept waiting for something, ANYTHING, to happen. The story slogs along slowly, with minimal action. And the supposed surprise at the end wasn't surprising at all. I figured it out long before then.

Also, while I appreciate the author's attempt to include non-binary and other LGBTQ characters, it's hard to believe in a town as small as Pigsend Creek, that there are so many marriages between females and females; and males and males, that it seems odd to have a man, the bakery owner, actually dating a female. And no one, including visitors to the town, seems to find this odd or noteworthy.

Nor does anyone notice the magic that has infiltrated itself into the town so much so, that no one finds it unusual. The often-alluded to war between the supporters of the king, who lost, and the supporter of the queen, who won, is mentioned as the reason no one talks about magic. Seems the queen has soldiers who seek to wipe out any magic anywhere, that is not sanctioned by the queen herself. But when the heroine, Bev, with no memories of herself before 5 years ago, when she wandered into town and the late innkeeper took her under his wing, training her to own the inn he would leave to her, discovers a "moleman" living underground, no one finds it worthy of being reported to the queen's soldiers.

The plot in this book is that mishaps keep occurring during the yearly festival held in town to celebrate the produce grown by the farmers, as well as the arts and crafts created by people in Pigsend Creek, as well as the nearby larger town of Middleton. Bev's rosemary, which she uses to produce her bread adored by everyone, is torn up and out of her garden one night. Other people's products are similarly sabotaged. Even though there is a mayor and a lawman in town, everyone expects Bev, the innkeeper, to solve the mystery. Why? No one explains. And why does she do it, even though she's already kept very busy running the inn? She's too nice? Or maybe she just can't say no.

Either way, I had to force myself to keep reading, because I don't like to not finish books I've started. Luckily I read quickly.

[Metaphorosis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars, Metaphorosis reviews
Summary
The Pigsend Harvest Festival is starting, and for Bev, proprietor of the only inn in town, it's a busy time. Especially when someone or something seems intent on ruining every aspect of the festival, including Bev's famous rosemary bread. Somehow, Bev gets roped into leading the investigation into what's happening.

Review
This second entry in the Weary Dragon Inn series is … perfectly serviceable. Like its predecessor, it’s billed as “cozy fantasy”, and that’s what it delivers – uncomplicated minor mystery in a fantasy setting of clear-cut characters and limited risk.

There is a well-established series arc that was set up in the first book and developed here, and that’s frankly much more interesting than the per-volume happenings. The series arc promises drama and serious consequences. The per-volume dramas are very low stakes, and quite a lot of the text is taken up with the protagonist worrying about how long she can stay away from chores at the inn. While that should add some welcome verisimilitude, it also becomes draining over time. Hero Bev is clearly going to be called on to investigate one thing or another, and constantly being reminded that dinner’s in the oven adds a tension that doesn’t help the story.

As in the prior volume, the way people act is generally a strong signal of character. Evans works in some (not very surprising) surprises, but largely it’s clear that there are Good people and Bad people, and which is which. There’s also a new dog added to the mix, which I found a welcome humanizing touch, especially because he’s one of the few whose motivations are less clear cut.

All in all, serviceable, but I’m afraid fairly rapidly forgettable.

[Mattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a marked improvement from the first entry in the series. The writing is tighter and more interesting. We don't have a cavalcade of characters introduced in the first 14 pages. The plot is also more tightly organized. Also, lost are the incredibly terrible townsfolk, although, the first book's behavior and resolution isn't immediately discarded. This book feels much more cozy.

In this book, the quiet village of Pigsend is holding their regional Autumn Harvest Festival and the town is abuzz with excitement and visitors. Some of those visitors are from the rival town, Middlesburg, and they are set on proving that their town should be the new location for the festival. After several of the festival's competitions are disrupted and Bev's herb garden is mysteriously destroyed, Pigsend's mayor Hendry asks Bev to get on the case to learn what's going on and whether the Middlesburg delegation is trying to sabotage the festival.

The most welcome (and most cozy) addition to the series by far is Biscuit, a rambunctious and mischievous dog who takes a shining to Bev and just might help her crack the case if he doesn't make her tear her hair out first. Also back from the first book are Ida, Vellora, and Allen, the only kind people in town from the first book.

The book's mystery to be solved by our affable and amnesiac innkeeper, Bev, is appropriately lower stakes while a larger -- and higher stakes -- series long mystery starts to really break ground here. The despotic Queen's search for magical beings and artifacts will surely start nipping at this quiet town's heels in the upcoming books and the mystery of just who Bev actually is and perhaps what side of the civil war between the King and Queen she was on has started to unfold.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book two of the Weary Dragon Inn series, we join the people of Pig's End at their annual Harvest festival. Bev is running ragged with the Inn full up for the event, and she is hosting the festival judges. She meets Claude, who is filling in for his Aunt, and Petula, a member of the newly minted Queens festival judges. As soon as the events start we start seeing issues and Bev of course is asked to investigate them.

I loved this installment. That was her normal hilarious charming self. Her new friend Biscuit the dog is entertaining with doggy antics. I quite like the inclusion of the new characters going hand in hand with the ongoing passage of time the books are doing. Her discussions with her neighbor Ida, who also seems to be her best friend, always feel real. The hints and quiet nods towards the obvious use of magic in their area which has been banned by the queen always makes me smile. Resist! Lol. I would have to say my favorite part was one of the sadder parts her reaction to the first festival disrupting incident, as she is the victim, is very poignant to me.

I still stand by I do not like that the local authorities do not seem to actually do their job but if they did we wouldn't have a story because Bev would not be doing the investigating.

[Rin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am BEYOND in love with this series! While it took me a moment to get into the first book (I blame that on reading mainly fanfiction so learning new lore/magic systems/history/characters is more brain bendy than I’m used to) I was so absolutely enraptured by the second book that now I need to go back and read both of them again. The pacing was engaging and kept me interested for literal hours. There was just enough focus on the details without it being monotonous to someone who isn’t interested in the specifics (I enjoy baking and gardening so the details were very much appreciated). I love the cast of characters and the overarching plots that are so elegantly woven together with the day to day of village life. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator does a fabulous job making it clear who is speaking without going over the top. Now I’m going to go off an dream of spending some time at a lovely little harvest festival with a band of lively townspeople and adorable little… dogs.

Disclaimer: I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of both books on audiobook. I fully intend to buy the entire series of the physical copies ASAP but I wanted to be completely honest up front :)

[The Book Dragon's Hoard by A.V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable second instalment in the Weary Dragon Inn series. Bev's sleuthing days aren't over, and when the town's harvest festival is jeapordized with a series of catastrophic incidents, matters come to a head. The cozy mystery mixed with fantasy makes for an interesting combination, and I thoroughly enjoyed the unfolding of events. The author kept me on my toes the whole way through.

I also enjoyed the magical creatures in this volume. A sniffer-dog who can find magic made for some really fun moments, especially since Bev has to first figure out what creature she's found. Biscuit looks like he's there to stay, so It'll be fun to see what more magic-finding adventures are on the horizon.

I'm enjoying the series. It makes for a wonderful break from all the epic, chosen one fantasy series, or the ones steeped in political intrigue. This is nice, fun, relaxing reading with a focus on community and sticking together for what is good for the majority.

[Jeanette C. Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

As #2 in the series we are getting to know the secondary characters better: the couple who are butchers, the baker who brings morning muffins to Bev, the mayor, the competitive neighbours. All enjoyable characters. I'm not sure if the puppy will stay at the Inn. I guess I'll have to read #3 to learn that.
The story opens with the preparations/anticipation for the Pigsend Harvest Festival. The mood is dampened when one of the judges explains if the festival doesn't stick to the official rules the festival will be moved to near-by town. Then the sabotage begins. Bev's entry in the bread competition disappears from her kitchen overnight. Then her garden is destroyed, including the rosemary she uses to make her famous bread. Tables of pies and jams collapse, livestock escape from their pens. Bev and butcher Ida investigate, spying on neighbours and visitors from out of town. It's a different sort of fantasy mystery than I usually read but I am enjoying the series.

[Old Time Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

And the seasons change.

I like this book, I like the series.

Pigsend is a wonderful town, filled with wonderful people. And in book one they all came together to solve a threat to their town. The problem with book two is that I found it difficult to care about their crisis. All kinds of neat, interesting things happened, yes, but the villians were bumbling buffoons and so was their threat to the town. Fortunately the description of life in Pigsend carried the book.

Here is my problem. This is one book chopped up into four. Back in the day this would have been serialised in a magazine and published over several months. It isn't really a series, it is one story told in chunks.

I look forward to learning more about Bev and the village of Pigsend.

Cheers! Read every day and read for fun!

[Michael Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another 2.5 rounded up for GR … and again this is just fine.

I struggled with currency & the value of things in the first book, but it felt even worse in this one. Also time was weird and fluid here which made it hard to keep track of things.

There were minor editing errors like when two characters were in the same place interacting the author seemed to lose track of which was which.

And once again Bev was responsible for everything and the townsfolk did little to nothing but then got annoyed at her for not making everything happen.

If this was the first book I’d read by this author I would get really nitpicky about … well pretty much the entire plot! But - it just isn’t that type of book, so you just go with it.

Starting book 3 in the series (I bought the first three as a bundle on sale) and look forward to putting this in my rear view mirror!

[Ashleigh Mattern · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this second instalment of the Weary Dragon Inn series, Bev is off to solve another mystery. I like how this book continues Bev's story, reveals more about why she lost her memory and hints at who she might have been. I also love the addition of the super cute, magic-sniffing dog as her sidekick! I liked the first book in this series a bit better, however. In this one, I felt as though I had guessed who the bad actor was long before they were revealed, and it bothered me that it wasn't investigated sooner. Also, the number of times Bev or someone else "chuckles" is far too high. It's irritating when a character "chuckles" every few pages. Despite those minor gripes, I'm still invested in Bev as a character and can't wait to find out more in the next instalments!

[Chetana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

Another great read from this series. It was also the right time to read this as it is sweater weather here and also fall time in the book. It was fun to read about the. rivalries between 2 town mayors about the Harvest competitions and also the rivalries between the townsfolk and other competitors. One of the advantages of reading books set in small towns is that you get to learn the quirks of the people in town and start to like them. I appreciate that only a couple of weeks have passed in the timeline after the last book and the consequences form that are still being felt in this story. I loved unravelling the mystery of who was sabotaging the festival and also the snippets of the overarching mystery of who Bev really is. I am looking forward to reading more.

[Niffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the first book. The mishaps during the festival got a little old after awhile, as did Bev's constant protests about not wanting to enter her rosemary bread in the festival competition. She barely seemed to spend any time taking care of the inn. The first book was slightly more believable in that because the soldiers didn't want her feeding them or cleaning their rooms. But this time around she didn't even offer to clean any rooms, and despite having a full inn she didn't seem to have any animals to care for.

The characters are overall fairly two dimensional, and some of their conversations/personality quirks get old after a bit. But overall a decent little fluff mystery with no dead bodies.

[Jane Shand · Rating 4 out of 5]

A second installment of warmth and a little mystery in Pigsend. Things are going awry at the Pigsend Harvest Festival and Bev gets herself involved in discovering what. I quickly worked out who the culprit was, but had to wait for the motive! These books are warm and full of charm with relatively low stakes. Friendship and family and community are big themes throughout. We are introduced to some more characters, the ‘dog’ Mr Biscuit being a lovable mischievous one. I like the Queen less and less, but the people of Pigsend more and more.

[TenshiMari · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, better than the first book, though this series still has way too many unlikeable and selfish characters for my liking. Adding half a star for the addition of Biscuit, I always love a dog companion. The constant repetition of Bev reminding the reader about her chores, her inn and the dinner in the oven. It makes Bev seem like a very indifferent and unlikeable person, because she doesn't really seem to care about whatever is affecting the town and the residents as long as it doesn't affect her daily running of her inn.

[Alixandra Hoskins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved book 1 (Drinks and Sinkholes) of The Weary Dragon Inn series so much that I had to get book 2 the day it came out. It was so great having Bev and friends back again and being introduced to new characters (especially Mr. Biscuit). This book came at the perfect time for me when all I was needing was some comfort and coziness. Going through another mystery with Bev was the right amount of adventure and guessing to keep me interested and very entertained. I can't wait for book 3!

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cozy little series and these have basically been little bite sized novellas that bring you into a cozy fantasy land.

I wish we were getting more plot movement around Bev's origin story - makes me wonder how many books I'll need to read to get some resolution...at this rate, 20? It reminds me of a procedural show where the last 2 minutes you get a little bit of information regarding the overall plot and then BLAM, here come the credits. Aside from that, a fun read.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the first book of this series was just ok, happy I decided to give this sequel a go as a cozy going to bed audiobook. In this sequel, the author found their flow, with more complex intrigue and character development. We follow Bev through the yearly town's agricultural festival, trying to stay out of it without much success, only to be brought to investigate the sabotage afoul once more in her beloved town. 3.75 Stars

[Sirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's time for the annual harvest festival, and Bev has been persuaded to enter her beloved Rosemary bread. But from day one, everything seems to be going wrong, not the least of which is the appearance of a small dog intent on eating everything in Bev's kitchen.

This is pretty much exactly what I was hoping for in this sequel. I hate when naughty dogs are a plot point. Why aren't there ever good dogs in funny books? But otherwise, this was exactly what I was looking for and made me happy.

[aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in The Weary Dragon Inn series and I think it really improved on the first. Now the characters are really starting to feel flushed out and it is giving some wonderful cozy fantasy vibes that I really dig in this genre. This series now feels like it could get even better and live up to some of the best out there. Bev is still cool. Bev does more investigating and baking and I love that.