Here be Dragons

by Ottilie Weber

Eleanor grew up in Sapphire Shores with her aunt and uncle. She was told her parents died when she was a baby. Years pass, and on King Tobias's deathbed, the truth comes he hid a second child in the kingdom to avoid a civil war. His son had died years prior in battle, and Eleanor is his hidden daughter. When she is brought to the castle after living a quiet life in the country, Eleanor isn't sure if she is ready to become queen. She has the best intentions for her country but learns there are dark secrets behind her title. There are poisonings, betrayals, and the truth about enemies that were believed to be dead. She is kidnapped by a dragon warrior from the Lonan village, and rebels take over the castle. On her journey to freedom and to regain her throne, she has to learn who the real enemies and allies are despite what history has taught her.

439 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2024

About the author

Ottilie Weber grew up in Wall, New Jersey, not far from the beach. She always has a book in her hands or nearby, despite her dyslexia. She graduated from The College of New Jersey, earning a degree in History Secondary Education then earned her special education certificate. She now has left New Jersey and teaches in Virginia. Ottilie has a passion for writing, where she is always ready to take on the next project. Her family and close friends are there to help her take on the bumps or potholes in the road.

Reviews

[Sara Burr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Beneath the Scars by Ottilie and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to pick up Here Be Dragons, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Here Be Dragons is an action-packed romantasy, featuring Sheamus, a warrior who’s a loveable grump, and Eleanor, a girl who was born a princess but was sent into hiding for her protection. When she’s brought to the castle, her world is turned upside down, having to learn the ways of the royals and a vastly different lifestyle than she was used to living.

However, life in the kingdom and for Eleanor is sent into upheaval yet again when rebels infiltrate the castle and Eleanor is kidnapped by Sheamus and taken to the village of Lonan in retribution for the wrongs committed to his people. Did I mention that Sheamus also rides dragons? Yeah, there’s that, too. While imprisoned, Eleanor uses her wits to strike up a deal with Chief Alpin of Lonan to reclaim her throne and pave the way for their country to defeat their mutual enemy. But there’s one catch:

Sheamus is entrusted to watch over and train Eleanor, much to their shared chagrin.

What transpires next is a classic enemies-to-lovers tale with sword fighting, humor, dragon riding, and battle scenes that were well done. The slow burn between Sheamus and Eleanor was great, and their transition from sworn enemies to a marriage of convenience to two people genuinely falling in love was believable. My only gripe is that Ottilie made be ugly cry so hard that I sobbed, so I won’t be speaking to her anymore (just kidding).

If you love romantasy, this may be one you should check out. A sequel is being released this year with the backstory for Sheamus and him telling the events of this story through his eyes, which you also won’t want to miss.

[Jessica Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book and took me on an emotional roller-coaster. The writing was well done and made it easier to enjoy. Very well done.