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Dragons of Safe Haven #1
A Dragon Rider's Guide to Retirement
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.
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.
334 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2025
944 people are currently reading
3899 people want to read
About the author
Julia Huni
53 books191 followersAuthor of the Colonial Exploration Corps, Space Janitor, Recycled World, and Krimson Empire series.
I grew up in the US Pacific Northwest, and after twenty years roaming the country with the US Air Force, I'm back. I have a spouse, three kids, and a dog named Pippin.
I've been an IT guy, a choir director, an executive assistant, a stay-at-home mom, a college instructor, and that lady at the information booth in a tourist town. But writer is the best job ever, because I get to make stuff up. Stuff I wish were true; stuff I'm glad isn't true.
When I'm not writing, I like to knit, read, bake, and ski. I also love to travel.
I grew up in the US Pacific Northwest, and after twenty years roaming the country with the US Air Force, I'm back. I have a spouse, three kids, and a dog named Pippin.
I've been an IT guy, a choir director, an executive assistant, a stay-at-home mom, a college instructor, and that lady at the information booth in a tourist town. But writer is the best job ever, because I get to make stuff up. Stuff I wish were true; stuff I'm glad isn't true.
When I'm not writing, I like to knit, read, bake, and ski. I also love to travel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
July 22, 2025
“He was no longer the senior dragon rider of the realm or the leader of the most prestigious guild in the known world. Here he was simply the lame old man who’d purchased FarPoint Tower.”
This book was a delightful and heartwarming read, perfect for summer! It had a good atmosphere, whimsical world, and Studio Gibhi vibes but specifically for adults. It also reminded me of How to Train Your Dragon. I loved that the MCs were older and their stage in life was represented, as they struggled with their new identities in retirement after they served in the war and had a major lifestyle change. Even though they were “retired,” their adventures were definitely not over. Also appreciate the menopause rep! I LOVED the side characters, particularly the mayor. And the dragons?? They definitely got their time on page. Now I really want a pet dragon with how adorable they were here. Since the romance was between two adults in their fifties, it developed maturely without a lot of melodrama, which was a nice change-up from what I’ve read before. Of course, there were some things they had to overcome first, especially one particular character, but the MCs were good for each other. When I wasn’t reading this book, I was thinking about it. Even though it’s cozy fantasy, I kept asking myself, what’s going to happen next? Obviously, there is some predictability with this particular fantasy subgenre, but it’s a good example of how cozy doesn’t mean boring.
I received an eARC for a review.
Spice level: Kisses only (overall, the romance aspect of the story is pretty wholesome)
This book was a delightful and heartwarming read, perfect for summer! It had a good atmosphere, whimsical world, and Studio Gibhi vibes but specifically for adults. It also reminded me of How to Train Your Dragon. I loved that the MCs were older and their stage in life was represented, as they struggled with their new identities in retirement after they served in the war and had a major lifestyle change. Even though they were “retired,” their adventures were definitely not over. Also appreciate the menopause rep! I LOVED the side characters, particularly the mayor. And the dragons?? They definitely got their time on page. Now I really want a pet dragon with how adorable they were here. Since the romance was between two adults in their fifties, it developed maturely without a lot of melodrama, which was a nice change-up from what I’ve read before. Of course, there were some things they had to overcome first, especially one particular character, but the MCs were good for each other. When I wasn’t reading this book, I was thinking about it. Even though it’s cozy fantasy, I kept asking myself, what’s going to happen next? Obviously, there is some predictability with this particular fantasy subgenre, but it’s a good example of how cozy doesn’t mean boring.
I received an eARC for a review.
Spice level: Kisses only (overall, the romance aspect of the story is pretty wholesome)
November 4, 2025
Exactly what you expect from a cozy fantasy. This seems like it is going to be a very readable series.
September 7, 2025
Cosy fantasy
It's a bit slow to start but if you're a fan of legends and lattes and the like, then this one will be for you. It's like a warm hug in a book.
I do think there were some plot points that could be doing with a bit more fleshing out, but maybe we'll get a sequel. There is so much potential with so many of the characters that could still be explored.
It's a bit slow to start but if you're a fan of legends and lattes and the like, then this one will be for you. It's like a warm hug in a book.
I do think there were some plot points that could be doing with a bit more fleshing out, but maybe we'll get a sequel. There is so much potential with so many of the characters that could still be explored.
December 9, 2025
This book is just meh. The characters aren’t really that interesting and the MMC had more chemistry with his apprentice Nevan than he did with the FMC.
I will read book 2 only bc I like Nevan so much, but from the few snippets we get of Franisa in book 1 I’m not very optimistic.
I will read book 2 only bc I like Nevan so much, but from the few snippets we get of Franisa in book 1 I’m not very optimistic.
October 7, 2025
this is cute! it’s not life changing but it’s sweet and cozy and low stakes. i feel like there was a lack of depth to the characters that left me feeling fairly disengaged, but i still wanted them to have their happy endings (spoiler: they did). i do feel like there were elements of this story that were a bit incongruous with the lighthearted, surface-level nature of the story? the complicated politics between two warring nations and the repeated mentions of koni’s reality-hopping and the loss of cala’s magic and the appearance of [redacted]… lots of really cool, complex plot points that seemed to be used as one-offs to guide the main characters reconciliations and relationships. solid 3 stars but i doubt i’ll read anything else in the series.
October 8, 2025
LOVED THIS COZY FANTASY ROMANCE!!! Put more of this directly into my veins! Loved the mature main characters. Please make this a series!!!
March 22, 2026
A Dragon Rider's Guide to Retirement certainly has the cozy vibes but it failed to live up to what I wanted from it.
It was nice reading about older MC's and seeing the difficulties with aging being acknowledged. I also appreciated that the book tackles bigotry and prejudice and learning to overcome those things.
Beyond that however I found the book was just to cozy even for me, lacking any stakes at all. The entire premise for why they needed the dragons was basically forgotten. And that was disappointing as with even a bit of work, the story of using dragons to fight fires could have been great.
I didn't particularly care for any of the characters in the book, finding them all quite surface level and the romance felt like an unneeded tacked on element.
The big reveal near the end of the book also rang super hollow for me as the character who should have been hugely impacted by it, barely reacted, leading me to wonder why I should care if they didn't.
This book may work for people who want pure vibes and absolutely no stakes, but for me it just wasn't the best.
It was nice reading about older MC's and seeing the difficulties with aging being acknowledged. I also appreciated that the book tackles bigotry and prejudice and learning to overcome those things.
Beyond that however I found the book was just to cozy even for me, lacking any stakes at all. The entire premise for why they needed the dragons was basically forgotten. And that was disappointing as with even a bit of work, the story of using dragons to fight fires could have been great.
I didn't particularly care for any of the characters in the book, finding them all quite surface level and the romance felt like an unneeded tacked on element.
The big reveal near the end of the book also rang super hollow for me as the character who should have been hugely impacted by it, barely reacted, leading me to wonder why I should care if they didn't.
This book may work for people who want pure vibes and absolutely no stakes, but for me it just wasn't the best.
March 29, 2026
They’re in their fifties they’re not dead but with how the author describes them you’d believe they have a foot in the grave and less than 2 years left to live.
January 21, 2026
I didn't like it. The idea was interesting, but the execution sucked. The entire book seemed half-professional at best. No more this author for me.
February 8, 2026
Fantastically written cosy fantasy where the stakes are so low there is almost no point to anything that happened.
December 23, 2025
Cozy fantasy is 100% mijn genre!
March 23, 2026
Ready to Ride or just to Glide?
I must confess that I finished reading the ARC copy of the next book in the series, and, with dragon wings in my mind, I had to go back and read the first book.
What joy and sweet love the smaller Sea dragons bring to all whom they encounter. Safe Haven is the name of the island where they dwell, and safe is how Author Julia Huni creates the hybrid dragon/Magic Healers community.
If you love dragons and other magic folk, then this series is for you. Hurry and read A Dragon Rider's Guide to Retirement so you'll be ready when book two is released. Definitely a 5-star book.
I must confess that I finished reading the ARC copy of the next book in the series, and, with dragon wings in my mind, I had to go back and read the first book.
What joy and sweet love the smaller Sea dragons bring to all whom they encounter. Safe Haven is the name of the island where they dwell, and safe is how Author Julia Huni creates the hybrid dragon/Magic Healers community.
If you love dragons and other magic folk, then this series is for you. Hurry and read A Dragon Rider's Guide to Retirement so you'll be ready when book two is released. Definitely a 5-star book.
April 13, 2026
It started off really good but then I got bored halfway through.
August 14, 2025
Great fantasy adventure with romance
The dragons are amazing, William and Cala are loveable, and Koni is hilariously mysterious. Although bad things have happened in the past, Safe Haven is....a safe haven where bad things aren't allowed, beyond natural disasters. I love Huni's sci fi books and thoroughly enjoyed Guide and the magical world she has invented. And the main protagonists are older beings!!
The dragons are amazing, William and Cala are loveable, and Koni is hilariously mysterious. Although bad things have happened in the past, Safe Haven is....a safe haven where bad things aren't allowed, beyond natural disasters. I love Huni's sci fi books and thoroughly enjoyed Guide and the magical world she has invented. And the main protagonists are older beings!!
March 8, 2026
A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement is a low‑stakes fantasy that leans into warmth, humor, and the quiet hope of starting over. William Ordell, a dragon rider sidelined by injury, settles into an abandoned lighthouse on Safe Haven just as Calantha Stormbringer arrives to revive her aunt’s neglected bookshop. Both are older, worn down by war, and unsure of what comes next. They were on opposite sides of the war and bias leads their early interactions, but gives their slow‑burn, no‑spice romance a grounded charm.
The world feels inviting rather than intense, and the side characters add a pleasant spark without overtaking the story. The dual narration by Leanne Woodward and Cliff Miller is smooth and well produced, making the cozy pace even easier to sink into.
A comforting pick for listeners who enjoy dragons, witches, and fantasy that favors heart over high stakes.
Huge thanks to High Gravity Productions and Julia Huni for the ALC copy!
The world feels inviting rather than intense, and the side characters add a pleasant spark without overtaking the story. The dual narration by Leanne Woodward and Cliff Miller is smooth and well produced, making the cozy pace even easier to sink into.
A comforting pick for listeners who enjoy dragons, witches, and fantasy that favors heart over high stakes.
Huge thanks to High Gravity Productions and Julia Huni for the ALC copy!
May 11, 2026
Sometimes you have to read the not-so-good books to appreciate the good books.
This book started out strong and I was looking forward to it. But we don’t meet the dragons until the 50% mark.
And the romance was a bit bland. They got over being enemies way too quickly and became friends even quicker. (Yes it was a cozy fantasy, but still.) Anyway, then it got boring.
And like someone stated on a review: one of the characters experiences a profound experience and yet they weren’t as excited in the book as you would think they would be, so it didn’t seem as exciting.
This book started out strong and I was looking forward to it. But we don’t meet the dragons until the 50% mark.
And the romance was a bit bland. They got over being enemies way too quickly and became friends even quicker. (Yes it was a cozy fantasy, but still.) Anyway, then it got boring.
And like someone stated on a review: one of the characters experiences a profound experience and yet they weren’t as excited in the book as you would think they would be, so it didn’t seem as exciting.
October 19, 2025
3.5 — A cute, cozy, quaint romance about a dragon rider who is forced out of his employment and country and finds a “Safe Haven“ to retire to. He must overcome his prejudices and preconceived notions in order to truly find his place in his new home, especially when he meets a former War Witch.
The writing was a bit elementary at times, but an enjoyable read and a nice escape.
Happy reading!
The writing was a bit elementary at times, but an enjoyable read and a nice escape.
Happy reading!
April 26, 2026
As a 46 year old perimenopausal woman, I loved this take on dragon riders! I love that it shows that retirement doesn’t mean the end of all adventures! I love how the characters had their own experiences that had to over come with getting older..hot flashes are no joke! Lol I’m looking forward to seeing how all the relationships and friends grow and what’s next for the MCs.
November 16, 2025
Meh
This book never really hooked me. It wasn't bad and the author is good at setting a descriptive scene thats nice for a cozy read, but I honestly feel like the romance between the MCs was an after thought and could have just stayed as a platonic close friendship.
This book never really hooked me. It wasn't bad and the author is good at setting a descriptive scene thats nice for a cozy read, but I honestly feel like the romance between the MCs was an after thought and could have just stayed as a platonic close friendship.
March 13, 2026
This was a wonderful read. I really enjoyed it.
A simple plot. Older main characters. Amazing side characters. Great world building. Well written.
I was smitten with the sea dragons!
The only reason it's not 5 stars is because I felt like many things could have been developed further.
I'm really looking forward to book 2!
A simple plot. Older main characters. Amazing side characters. Great world building. Well written.
I was smitten with the sea dragons!
The only reason it's not 5 stars is because I felt like many things could have been developed further.
I'm really looking forward to book 2!
March 13, 2026
3.5⭐️ Very cozy and sweet! I don’t love reading about older people falling in love very sorry but the world retirement in the title did tell me what I was getting into.
March 15, 2026
This was exactly the right escapist reading for me over the past week. I think "cozy fantasy" may be my new favorite genre. The characters were fantastic! The dragons were mythical. And the friendships were lovely. What a great read.
September 7, 2025
Overall: a dragon rider retires to an island that is neutral between his home country and the country across the water who are at war… but a war witch from the other country is also returning to this island…
Pros: cool magic, well-fleshed out characters and world building, and cute storyline
Cons: William the dragon rider and his other friends get very tedious with constantly hating on the war witch. I honestly see absolutely no reason for her to fall in love with him… he’s a jerk half the time.
Pros: cool magic, well-fleshed out characters and world building, and cute storyline
Cons: William the dragon rider and his other friends get very tedious with constantly hating on the war witch. I honestly see absolutely no reason for her to fall in love with him… he’s a jerk half the time.
August 28, 2025
3,5 🌟
September 15, 2025
a quietly stunning story.
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 :
- [x] A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement #1
- [ ] A Blacksmith's Guide to Dragon-Rearing #2 - Aug 31,2026
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 :
- [x] A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement #1
- [ ] A Blacksmith's Guide to Dragon-Rearing #2 - Aug 31,2026
September 21, 2025
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 :
- [x] A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement #1
- [ ] A Blacksmith's Guide to Dragon-Rearing #2 - Aug 31,2026
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 :
- [x] A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement #1
- [ ] A Blacksmith's Guide to Dragon-Rearing #2 - Aug 31,2026
April 3, 2026
Quick synopsis
: Two 50-something adults retire to a tropical island. Become friends, find love, tame dragons, have exciting magical times.
Brief opinion : I loved loved loved loved the idea behind the story, but unfortunately the execution of it didn't do the story justice.
Plot : Set in a fantasy world, two nations have been at war for generations. William is a dragon rider (and the dragon riding guildmaster) from one, Calantha is a war witch from the other.
After William loses his dragon and is badly injured in a battle, he's forced to retire. Due to generic political stuff, he has to leave the country and moves to a magical tropical island.
Meanwhile, in the other country, war witches don't usually get old enough to retire. Their magic explodes and so their deaths are used as a final big attack against the other country. Cala is an exception to this, and so as her magic fades, she retires to the same magical tropical island as William.
William is attracted to Cala at first sight... even though her nation, and perhaps her personally, is is responsible for killing his dragon-partner. The two have a couple of very small arguments, but soon enough their mutual attraction overcomes the generations of hatred between their two nations...
While the two are becoming close, fires break out across the island's village, so William decides they should tame the local wild dragons (sea dragons) to help fight the fires.
While the story never covers what was causing the fires to begin with, the dragon taming plot is successful and Cala becomes the first woman in the world to be a dragon rider. (In William's nation, only men are permitted to be one.)
Writing/editing : The editing was outstanding, especially for a self-published book. I spotted no errors at all, which is rare even in traditionally-published books.
What I Liked/What I Didn’t Like : The two characters became friends/attracted to each other way, way, way, way too fast for me. The authors' goal was romance, so the characters had to get over their hatred fast, but it was so unrealistic to me.
Also I really did not like the romance at all (or romance in general), but the book is labeled fantast/romance, so that's on me. I thought the story would be good enough for me to put up with the romance, so I gave it a try.
On the plus side, I did love that the characters are older. Plus the story (sort of) explored that Cala has hot flashes (though they're magical ones).
Rating: 1-Hated / 2-Disliked / 3-Okay / 4-Liked / 5-Loved : ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Okay. Book 2 is out, but I'm not going to continue with this series. Romance books just aren't for me, and the rest of the plot and story logic is taking a backseat to romance stuff.
Brief opinion : I loved loved loved loved the idea behind the story, but unfortunately the execution of it didn't do the story justice.
Plot : Set in a fantasy world, two nations have been at war for generations. William is a dragon rider (and the dragon riding guildmaster) from one, Calantha is a war witch from the other.
After William loses his dragon and is badly injured in a battle, he's forced to retire. Due to generic political stuff, he has to leave the country and moves to a magical tropical island.
Meanwhile, in the other country, war witches don't usually get old enough to retire. Their magic explodes and so their deaths are used as a final big attack against the other country. Cala is an exception to this, and so as her magic fades, she retires to the same magical tropical island as William.
William is attracted to Cala at first sight... even though her nation, and perhaps her personally, is is responsible for killing his dragon-partner. The two have a couple of very small arguments, but soon enough their mutual attraction overcomes the generations of hatred between their two nations...
While the two are becoming close, fires break out across the island's village, so William decides they should tame the local wild dragons (sea dragons) to help fight the fires.
While the story never covers what was causing the fires to begin with, the dragon taming plot is successful and Cala becomes the first woman in the world to be a dragon rider. (In William's nation, only men are permitted to be one.)
Writing/editing : The editing was outstanding, especially for a self-published book. I spotted no errors at all, which is rare even in traditionally-published books.
What I Liked/What I Didn’t Like : The two characters became friends/attracted to each other way, way, way, way too fast for me. The authors' goal was romance, so the characters had to get over their hatred fast, but it was so unrealistic to me.
Also I really did not like the romance at all (or romance in general), but the book is labeled fantast/romance, so that's on me. I thought the story would be good enough for me to put up with the romance, so I gave it a try.
On the plus side, I did love that the characters are older. Plus the story (sort of) explored that Cala has hot flashes (though they're magical ones).
Rating: 1-Hated / 2-Disliked / 3-Okay / 4-Liked / 5-Loved : ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Okay. Book 2 is out, but I'm not going to continue with this series. Romance books just aren't for me, and the rest of the plot and story logic is taking a backseat to romance stuff.
August 15, 2025
Two retired fighters arrive an independent island to begin a new life - 5 stars
William Ordell, Dragon Master, and Calantha Stormbringer arrive at Safe Haven after serving on opposite sides of an armed conflict. Both have just retired from military service. The setting of technology is wind powered sail boats, horses for land transportation, no electricity, along with magic, dwarfs, spells, and elves. This story is a fantasy from an author who has a vivid imagination and excellent story telling skills. Expect drama, some fireworks, and flying dragons to keep your interest.
Because William and Calantha fought on opposite sides for decades, there is an initial cause for conflict between the two veterans. The small island of Safe Haven with its elfin Mayor along with a tradition of welcoming all who come as long as they are peaceful. Both try to reduce their initial aggressions and set about fix up their respective living quarters. Calantha has her Aunt's book store and a few friends from her youth while William is new to the island, having bought an old castle sight unseen. The neglected castle is located out of town and needs extensive repairs including a roof, doors, and windows.
Usually I steer clear of both fantasy and magic, but I was willing to try a different type of story from a writer whose science fiction I found to be quite good. Putting aside my preference for how the unscientific the story might be, I found that the view of mild magic along with strong characters was more than acceptable. It was fun.
The story allows William to develop a relationship with playful sea dragons, local craftsmen, and an elf who can help rebuild his castle. William assisted the local people and earned their respect. Since William never learned to cook, he was a regular at one of the two local pubs. Calantha's skills of using magic to cause storms to aid her side before loosing her strong command of magic, never had an interest in cooking or in developing a relationship with men. William and Calantha's backgrounds made for an interesting conflicts.
From the beginning, it seemed clear that a romance would be in the making, however tortuously. A structure fire in the town got both William and Calantha working together, at least to put out the blaze. As the ploy to use local, sea dragons as fire suppression hoses developed, having dragons as pets raised from hatchlings made the story. As the baby dragons bonded with their humans, the humans slowly realized their mutual interests in each other.
William Ordell, Dragon Master, and Calantha Stormbringer arrive at Safe Haven after serving on opposite sides of an armed conflict. Both have just retired from military service. The setting of technology is wind powered sail boats, horses for land transportation, no electricity, along with magic, dwarfs, spells, and elves. This story is a fantasy from an author who has a vivid imagination and excellent story telling skills. Expect drama, some fireworks, and flying dragons to keep your interest.
Because William and Calantha fought on opposite sides for decades, there is an initial cause for conflict between the two veterans. The small island of Safe Haven with its elfin Mayor along with a tradition of welcoming all who come as long as they are peaceful. Both try to reduce their initial aggressions and set about fix up their respective living quarters. Calantha has her Aunt's book store and a few friends from her youth while William is new to the island, having bought an old castle sight unseen. The neglected castle is located out of town and needs extensive repairs including a roof, doors, and windows.
Usually I steer clear of both fantasy and magic, but I was willing to try a different type of story from a writer whose science fiction I found to be quite good. Putting aside my preference for how the unscientific the story might be, I found that the view of mild magic along with strong characters was more than acceptable. It was fun.
The story allows William to develop a relationship with playful sea dragons, local craftsmen, and an elf who can help rebuild his castle. William assisted the local people and earned their respect. Since William never learned to cook, he was a regular at one of the two local pubs. Calantha's skills of using magic to cause storms to aid her side before loosing her strong command of magic, never had an interest in cooking or in developing a relationship with men. William and Calantha's backgrounds made for an interesting conflicts.
From the beginning, it seemed clear that a romance would be in the making, however tortuously. A structure fire in the town got both William and Calantha working together, at least to put out the blaze. As the ploy to use local, sea dragons as fire suppression hoses developed, having dragons as pets raised from hatchlings made the story. As the baby dragons bonded with their humans, the humans slowly realized their mutual interests in each other.
August 2, 2025
This one was quite a change... (Once again I got an ARC before publication and intend to write a review about it.) ...it's not set on a space station or planet, with characters we might have known for years and are hoping to get another story from the author due some compulsion and hopes for more fun and entertainment.
This time we are not told explicitly where we are, but our main characters quickly turn out to be William and Cala, who come from opposites sides of the front line in a long standing war. William was one of the lead riders of war dragons while Cala was one of the most powerful war witches on the other side. They end up on the same small island that is neutral in the war, both of them being washed up, or maybe out is the better word, from their careers and are looking ways to live without all the trappings and responsibilities of their former jobs. They just want to lead quiet lives and start over, and while they might not all out hate each other at the start, whatever they share between them is pretty close to that. After all they were on opposite sides of a war and part of their jobs were to take the other out.
Now they actually need each other's help from time to time, both make some profound discoveries, and show a large amount of character growth. Along the way there are several twists and surprises that I won't go into because I don't usually like spoilers and won't purposely hand them out. But I will say that this book was a lot of fun, and after several days between finishing the book and starting to write this review, I picked the book up again to make sure I hadn't forgotten important parts of it, and ended up reading from about 20% in to the end again!
It was just as much fun reading most of it a second time as it was the first, even with less than a week between the two readings, so this one gets 5 stars because of that. In addition to that, the last page has a note from the author about this being a prequel to a new series, so I expect to see more good things come from dragon riders here as well as space janitors and explorers of the other universe this author writes about.
This time we are not told explicitly where we are, but our main characters quickly turn out to be William and Cala, who come from opposites sides of the front line in a long standing war. William was one of the lead riders of war dragons while Cala was one of the most powerful war witches on the other side. They end up on the same small island that is neutral in the war, both of them being washed up, or maybe out is the better word, from their careers and are looking ways to live without all the trappings and responsibilities of their former jobs. They just want to lead quiet lives and start over, and while they might not all out hate each other at the start, whatever they share between them is pretty close to that. After all they were on opposite sides of a war and part of their jobs were to take the other out.
Now they actually need each other's help from time to time, both make some profound discoveries, and show a large amount of character growth. Along the way there are several twists and surprises that I won't go into because I don't usually like spoilers and won't purposely hand them out. But I will say that this book was a lot of fun, and after several days between finishing the book and starting to write this review, I picked the book up again to make sure I hadn't forgotten important parts of it, and ended up reading from about 20% in to the end again!
It was just as much fun reading most of it a second time as it was the first, even with less than a week between the two readings, so this one gets 5 stars because of that. In addition to that, the last page has a note from the author about this being a prequel to a new series, so I expect to see more good things come from dragon riders here as well as space janitors and explorers of the other universe this author writes about.
October 20, 2025
A fun romanstasy with a nice twist…
I just finished reading A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement by Julia Huni, and really enjoyed it. Recently there has been an bit of a trend towards middle-aged heroines (and heros) in romance/romanstasy – a welcome trend IMO. But usually the protagonists are discovering their powers in their 40s and 50s, while in Guide, both main characters are having trouble with theirs: Calantha Stormbringer due to well….hmmmm….menopause, and William Ordell due to injury, the death of his war dragon, and a lousy king.
So it’s a lot of fun to watch as they try to “retire”, but instead end up launching a sea dragon fire brigade for their adopted island home of Safe Haven. And a story hour for the local kids. And reading lessons for some of the adults. Their growing attraction is definitely complicated by the fact that Cala had been the High War Witch for the country of Borgonne and William had been the Master of the Dragon Guild for Borgonne’s mortal enemies, the kingdom of Verduun. But it is helped along by a supporting cast of humans, giants, trolls, dwarves, orcs, elves, and even Safe Haven’s magical mayor. And of course, let’s not forget the sea dragons. As you might guess, I read this far too late into the night last night.
Guide is the first in the Dragons of Safe Haven series by Julia Huni, who, per the blurb at the end of the book, mostly writes science fiction, but also writes romantic comedies under the name of Lia Huni. So it seems fair that both “Julia” and “Lia” get author credit, since Guide is a delightful combination of both. Sadly, the next book in the series is still almost a year away, due out in August, 2026. But, both Julia and Lia have a number of other already-published books, and now I’m going to go try some of those.
I just finished reading A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement by Julia Huni, and really enjoyed it. Recently there has been an bit of a trend towards middle-aged heroines (and heros) in romance/romanstasy – a welcome trend IMO. But usually the protagonists are discovering their powers in their 40s and 50s, while in Guide, both main characters are having trouble with theirs: Calantha Stormbringer due to well….hmmmm….menopause, and William Ordell due to injury, the death of his war dragon, and a lousy king.
So it’s a lot of fun to watch as they try to “retire”, but instead end up launching a sea dragon fire brigade for their adopted island home of Safe Haven. And a story hour for the local kids. And reading lessons for some of the adults. Their growing attraction is definitely complicated by the fact that Cala had been the High War Witch for the country of Borgonne and William had been the Master of the Dragon Guild for Borgonne’s mortal enemies, the kingdom of Verduun. But it is helped along by a supporting cast of humans, giants, trolls, dwarves, orcs, elves, and even Safe Haven’s magical mayor. And of course, let’s not forget the sea dragons. As you might guess, I read this far too late into the night last night.
Guide is the first in the Dragons of Safe Haven series by Julia Huni, who, per the blurb at the end of the book, mostly writes science fiction, but also writes romantic comedies under the name of Lia Huni. So it seems fair that both “Julia” and “Lia” get author credit, since Guide is a delightful combination of both. Sadly, the next book in the series is still almost a year away, due out in August, 2026. But, both Julia and Lia have a number of other already-published books, and now I’m going to go try some of those.
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