The Season of Dragons

by Tansy Rayner Roberts

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune needs a dragon to protect him.

Dimity, Dido and Chambrey Iverwold no longer have a family dragon. Without their patron, they are alone in a world of invitations, assemblies and matchmaking. This season, with Chambrey finally in control of his fortune, the hungry fortune hunters are circling. Dimity is determined to save her brother from the worst fate of all: an unwise marriage.

Enter Mr Rackham: proud family friend, reliable gentleman hero, and nephew of Lady Beautrice de Bramble, one of the land’s most intimidating dragons. Another young lady might think Mr Rackham was the answer to her prayers, but all Dimity can see is yet another eligible gentleman who needs to be saved from his own terrible life choices.

When you don’t have a dragon, your only option is to BE the dragon.

A cozy fantasy tale of pride, prejudice and dragons from the author of Tea & Sympathetic Magic.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Dragons, Historical, Retellings, Cozy Fantasy, Fantasy Of Manners

Unknown Binding

First published February 14, 2025

About the author

Tansy Rayner Roberts is a fantasy and science fiction author who lives in southern Tasmania, somewhere between the tall mountain with snow on it, and the beach that points towards Antarctica.

Tansy has a PhD in Classics (with a special interest in poisonous Roman ladies), and an obsession with Musketeers.

You can hear Tansy talking about Doctor Who on the Verity! podcast. She also reads her own stories on the Sheep Might Fly podcast.

Reviews

[Intisar Khanani · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Season of Dragons is the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice you never saw coming. Somehow, Tansy RR got me to root for the prickly, pragmatic, and deeply protective Caroline Bingley stand-in -- and root for Dimity, I did! The story is both familiar and different, keeping a firm focus on our own main character's perspective on many of the key elements of the original storyline, while introducing some fascinating and original variations, including both dragon patronesses and hunters. It was an absolute delight to follow Dimity through her adventures to her own--well-deserved and perfectly suited--happily ever after. After all, if one cannot have a dragon protector, then one must simply BE the dragon one needs in life.

Highly recommend to P&P aficionados who enjoy unexpected twists, readers with a soft spot for prickly heroines, and anyone looking for a dragon patroness.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful as this book is I’ve discovered that I don’t want a fantasy P&P that veers so far from ODC. That’s just my preference, the story itself was nearly engaging enough to not upset my own prejudices.

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is basically Pride and Prejudice, from Caroline Bingley's point of view, with dragons. That's all you need to know. If that sounds like the sort of thing you'd enjoy, then you'll probably like this. Otherwise, steer clear. I loved it.

Like her Teacup Magic books, this is set in a place and time that looks like Victorian England, but isn't. This lets Roberts ignore the less savoury parts of the real period that these sorts of books that are set in the real world always have to just gloss over. The book sticks actually quite close to the plot of Austen's novel for most of the way through, just deviating enough to make the plot work.

Dragons are deftly woven into the book, taking the place of the formidable matrons of the Victorian era (of course the Lady Catherine character is a dragon), to act as patrons and guardians of their chosen families. But dragons also go into hibernation, and sometimes they don't wake up. This is the case of the Iverwold family, whose sole son and heir has just come into his fortune and has rented a home in the country, taking his sisters, including the unmarried Dimity, and his best friend, Rackham, with him. Since their dragon isn't there, it's up to Dimity to look after her brother's heart in her stead. But maybe she should be more concerned about Mr Rackham.

It feels odd to be rooting for Caroline Bingley over Lizzy Bennett, but this really worked and I was doing so all the way through. The book manages to take the scenes from the original and rework them to make Caroline the sympathetic character. While I'll always be a sucker for the original romance, there's enough room in my heart for Dimity and Rackham as well.

[Shaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful take on Pride and Prejudice, the aristocracy of this version of the world are all dragons and the implications and ramifications of this change are developed wonderfully in a way that subtly or substantially changes some events or reasons for actions of characters from the original version.

There's great banter and lovely characters and I had a lot of fun with this one.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in a Regency-esque world with Dragons as society’s highest patronesses and rigid rules for manners, The Season of Dragons is an absolutely adorable take on Pride and Prejudice. The POV character is the Caroline Bingley stand-in which I would have thought impossible to make likeable (Caroline Bingley as the love interest!), and yet Dimity Iverwold is an excellent substitute and I was completely rooting for her.

I loved the relationship among the siblings and the lore around the dragons. There’s loads of clever banter, some laugh out loud moments, and fabulous twists in the events from Pride and Prejudice.

The Season of Dragons is an exceptionally fun read! ( And now I dearly want a sequel telling the story of Chambrey's courtship!

[Smasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content:

Profanity: Mild. Two instances of D*** or variations of that word.

Violence: Mild. Sprained ankle, dragon hunting discussed, spells cast etc.

Sexual: Mild. Mostly flirting, hand-holding, chaste kisses.


Just shy of 4 stars, but rounded up.

This was interesting. Firstly though, this is a warning for those who read Pride and Prejudice retellings and are adamant that Darcy and Lizzy always end up together. Doesn't happen in this one. I would've enjoyed this more if I'd known that going in and didn't expect it.

This variation on Pride and Prejudice is quite divergent from the original (I mean, dragons should make that obvious) but the characters all have different names as well and it took me a bit to correlate each new name to their counterpart. ie: Dimity is Caroline, Chambrey is Bingley, Rackham is Darcy etc. The major difference in this though, is it's told from Dimity's (Caroline Bingley's) perspective following the major events in Pride and Prejudice.

Through personal experience, letters, gossip, and a big wiggle in plot, we see most of the major plot points play out through the lens of Dimity Iverwold, a young lady who is trying to protect her brother from a bad marriage now that he's come into his fortune. Dimity is not like Caroline Bingley. She's not after Darcy, she's literally just concerned about her family and loves them fiercely. She's got an acerbic tongue, and means well, and her actions are understandable even when they are a tad wince-worthy.

The world set up here is that there are two types of people in the world: Hoarders and Hunters. Hoarders are those who protect dragons, and the dragons are patrons/patronesses of their families, helping them become suitable people and do well in life. Hunters are those who, like it sounds, hunt dragons and steal their hoards for gain.

The crazy thing is, The Bellamy family (the Bennets) are Hunters in this, and immediately scorned by Dimity and Rackham (Caroline and Darcy) who are Hoarders when they meet at the assembly and see the daughters decked out in dragon bits and bobs (dragon wing purses and such). The Bellamy family (I mean, that name choice should give you an indication of how the author means to set them up) is quite unlikeable in this, even Lizzy's counterpart Laura. It took me a while to realize that this wasn't just a POV choice and she was actually a good person. Nope. Laura Bellamy is a jerk of a horrible arrogant girl.

I had a hard time reading because I kept waiting for the turn where Dimity would realize Laura wasn't all that bad, and She and Rackham would get together (like in P&P). It wasn't until the Netherfield Ball, or Elderflower Ball in this, that I realized the author was setting this story up entirely different.

Giving Caroline Bingley her happily ever after was fun, as most variations make her into a villain of all villains, when in reality she was just a normal woman who was trying to make a good match in P&P with an arrogance that makes her dislikable, but not evil. Dimity was a lot more likable in this than Caroline ever was, and the tweaks made to her character is what makes this an enjoyable read. I seriously just wish I'd know where the wind blew at the beginning though, as I would've been able to relax and enjoy the story rather than being on edge about the Bennet/Bellamy family.

Interesting fantasy take on the story. I'd read more from this author.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t say I’ve ever sympathised with Caroline Bingley but I never really saw her as a villain. Ultimately she’s a woman in a time when that meant not having much control over your life so you controlled what you could.

I knew this was P&P inspired when I picked it up but I had forgotten that it centred a Caroline type character. I enjoyed Dimity much more. Likely because we were in her head and could hear all of her witty commentary. Seeing her loyalty for her family and who she considers family is her driving force. Tansy Rayner Roberts does an excellent job of showing you her side of the story and getting you fully routing for her very quickly. It helps that the Bellamys (the Bennetts in this version) turn out to be bad news but even without that happening you wouldn’t have been on their side. Mr Rackham (Mr Darcy) has a very clear bond with Dimity from the start which is easy for the reader to see and root for. Dimity being completely oblivious is very funny, I do wish we’d gotten a “realisation of her feelings” moment with her but a lot was going on. I also wanted more moments of the pair together on page to see the strength of their bond, but I also just wanted more of their banter which i really enjoyed.

The fantasy world Tansy Rayner Roberts created here is very detailed and fully thought out, especially for such a short book. I hope she comes back to it in the future. I could see a series of Jane Austen retellings in this world with dragons. They could all be different romantic pairing to canon (Fanny Price x Henry Crawford I know is a popular one, I’ve also seen the Dashwood sisters swap suitors, there are many options). Or just straight up retellings would work too. It’s such a clever blend of regency and fantasy that I hope she revisits it in the future.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book completely took me off guard with how much I loved it, and I sent this blurb to Tansy afterwards: “Wickedly witty and subversively romantic, this book is a glorious treat to devour.”

I adore the whole richly developed fantasy world of this P&P retelling, with every detail like a perfectly placed gem. Here, the aristocracy is all dragonkind, and only the most privileged of humans are fortunate enough to have an esteemed patron like Lady Beautrice de Bramble to demand fealty and advise them on all matters of etiquette and matrimony. It's a hilarious setup and it really dives deep into the ramifications on all levels. Because of that, while most of the main events remain the same as the original P&P, the *reasons* behind several of them end up changing either subtly or significantly, as do the results...so, believe it or not, by the end I really WAS rooting for the Caroline Bingley equivalent to get her superbly happy ending!

Honestly, I just loved every moment of it. It's available right now on Tansy's Patreon, and I assume it'll be published widely at some point, but I recommend snapping it up now.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was DELIGHTFUL. A Pride & Prejudice retelling from Caroline Bingley’s POV set in a world where dragons comprise the aristocracy and the Bennets are dragon-hunters.

I’ll admit I was resistant at first to sympathizing with Caroline — Lizzy + Darcy 4eva — but I was fully invested in the dragony plot and romance by the halfway point. (Speaking of the romance, this reminded me a lot of Emma and Mr. Knightley’s. I’ll leave it at that!)

This was so charming and delightful that I read it in one day (and I write this now at 1 a.m.). I loved the story even more after reading the author’s note at the end, where she references both my favorite P&P adaptation (the 1940 Greer Garson & Laurence Olivier one) and a beloved but more arcane one (The Lizzy Bennet Diaries).

And Tansy’s also written a gender-swapped Three Musketeers retelling?? Be still my heart.

4.5 stars

[heb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this part from the afterword:

Pride and Prejudice is a complex book that contains multitudes. It has a remarkable structure that somehow remains whole even when retold in radically different spaces — such as Bride and Prejudice, the first adaptation that made me think it possible that all the Bennet sisters liked each other, or The Lizzy Bennet Diaries which took the brilliant angle of retelling most of the marriage plots as career plots, and the bold angle of making Lydia Bennet an incredibly sympathetic character.
(Most adaptations don’t do this because as soon as you sympathise with Lydia, P&P becomes a tragedy instead of a comedy.)

[Serena]

Tansy Rayner Roberts launching in October a kickstarter for The Season of Dragons - Deluxe Special Edition !

A Pride & Prejudice cozy fantasy which I plan on backing. I have the ebook edition (which I just started reading) but it's rare I can resist a Tansy Rayner Roberts book, a Tansy Rayner Roberts book that's this pretty? I know I am not missing it!
I hope you won't either!

[Kate Kulig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! Ms Robert's breezy style with just the right amount of snark does a better job of poking fun at High Society than Jane Austen.

The worldbuilding is most impressive, and the prose paints the pictures with panache. What does it look like to share High Tea with an immense dragon? I was easily able to imagine it.

There is plenty to like in the characterization and plot. Family dynamics, character development--especially with Dimity--society politics, a few misunderstandings that bring Shakespeare to mind, weave together into a delightful story with a few surprises I won't spoil

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for a good Pride and Prejudice retelling, and The Season of Dragons definitely fit the bill. I wasn't entirely certain at first how things would pan out, but the author's world building led to some fun choices, suspenseful scenes, and sweet family and romantic moments. I think Dimity's characterization and voice really elevated the story, but everybody had their moments.

[Ribbon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely does a book sell itself to me so hard with just its dedication:

For Caroline Bingley
who was robbed.

I absolutely loved Season of Dragons. It follows the story structure of Pride and Prejudice but dragons are patrons to highborn families and society is very different, though still Regency-flavored, accordingly. Character and place names are different, so when the story deviates from P&P don't worry about it. That's not Lizzie, that's Laura.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like it but felt that the dragon aspect could have be utilised a more/better. FOr instanced how they intertwined with the families and interacted with society was underdeveloped as was the whole dragon protector/hunter element. And then there was the whole dragon world which was a missed opportunity for real adventure.

[Pucktricks6802 · Rating 5 out of 5]

pride and prejudice from the point of view of Caroline Bingley with dragons

I was unsure how this would work and how it would end with a happy ending for everyone in the story, but it surprisingly did and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The author managed to work in all the events “Caroline” would know about and changed it so it was true to the idea yet an original story.

[Kim Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly delightful

The Season of Dragons is not so much a variation of Pride and Prejudice as a complete rewrite of plot and characters, complete with new names. Dimity’s voice is engaging from the very beginning and we see her world solely from her point of view.

[Fred Langridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this rewrite of Pride and Prejudice from Caroline Bingley's point of view... plus dragons. Names have been changed for reasons I don't completely understand: I just found myself translating back throughout. Great fun and an easy read.

[Lemony Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whole lot of fun! This is a charming retelling of Pride and Prejudice with dragons, and honestly, how can you go wrong from there.

The author sets out making this world seem fun and fresh, without having to spend an age establishing the setting. It’s remarkably well done.

[B.J. Sikes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty fantasy Regency with dragons.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun read!!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful Pride and Prejudice re-imagining, with dragons.

I'm inclined to consider that a great deal of literature of the time would be improved by the addition of dragons.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny and clever rewrite of the original. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the different story and how much of the original I misremembered.

[Selina Lock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun Pride & Prejudice inspired tale with dragons!

[Siavahda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming, sweet, funny - a delightful time was had by all! Wonderful brainfluff when I was struggling to concentrate on anything, too.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fight at the end needed more setup, but overall, a thoroughly intriguing version of P&P.

[Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun twist on Pride and Prejudice (though I felt it took me an embarrassingly while to realise this).

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, lighthearted P&P revisit, plus dragons!