What do you think?
Rate this book
The Gilded Age of Dragons #1
A Menagerie of Dragons
Ormdale, Yorkshire, 1910
Una Worms thinks nothing of soothing a feverish wyvern or putting out a salamander fire, and she is never, ever late for tea.
At only 19, the youngest daughter of England’s famous dragon-keeping family is also the one who keeps life at the Royal Menagerie of British and Foreign Dragons running smoothly.
But when a mysterious villain infiltrates the menagerie—and even worse, Una’s prodigal sister Violet appears unannounced—Una’s tidy schedule is thrown into turmoil, and she will have to confront parts of her past that she would rather forget.
Meanwhile, in London, restless suffragette Penny Fairweather stumbles across a story that could accelerate her journalistic ambitions—if her irritatingly mild-mannered civil servant brother keeps out of her way. But Crispin Fairweather has ambitions of his own. Drawn into a thrilling shadow-realm of espionage, he finds himself wondering just how far he will go to establish himself there—if his sister doesn't kill him first, that is.
Next in the much-loved world of Wormwood Abbey and The Secrets of Ormdale comes a new series, The Gilded Age of Dragons, set in a dazzling era where motor-cars and airships compete with mythical creatures for the heart of a generation.
Una Worms thinks nothing of soothing a feverish wyvern or putting out a salamander fire, and she is never, ever late for tea.
At only 19, the youngest daughter of England’s famous dragon-keeping family is also the one who keeps life at the Royal Menagerie of British and Foreign Dragons running smoothly.
But when a mysterious villain infiltrates the menagerie—and even worse, Una’s prodigal sister Violet appears unannounced—Una’s tidy schedule is thrown into turmoil, and she will have to confront parts of her past that she would rather forget.
Meanwhile, in London, restless suffragette Penny Fairweather stumbles across a story that could accelerate her journalistic ambitions—if her irritatingly mild-mannered civil servant brother keeps out of her way. But Crispin Fairweather has ambitions of his own. Drawn into a thrilling shadow-realm of espionage, he finds himself wondering just how far he will go to establish himself there—if his sister doesn't kill him first, that is.
Next in the much-loved world of Wormwood Abbey and The Secrets of Ormdale comes a new series, The Gilded Age of Dragons, set in a dazzling era where motor-cars and airships compete with mythical creatures for the heart of a generation.
422 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2025
39 people are currently reading
477 people want to read
About the author
Christina Baehr
8 books752 followersI live in wild and cosy Tasmania, Australia, and I write intrepid historical heroines who discover the world is more wondrous than they previously imagined.
I'm also a big reader of books both old and new, so here's a quick heads up about my review policy:
1. If you are a living author, as another living author I will not be giving you a critical review, because I know writing books is hard! Reading mean reviews makes everything harder.
2. If you are dead, the gloves are off!
3. Absence of stars may mean ambivalence as to quality, it may also mean I don't feel Aristotle needs my star rating.
4. Five stars may not mean I think the book is perfect. It can mean that I deeply enjoyed the book despite inevitable flaws, or that I consider it an excellently-crafted example in its genre (even if the genre is not my favourite). I may also be more generous with star ratings to living authors who need encouragement. E.M Forster won't mind if I give him 4 stars (see point 2).
6. I may occasionally flag major content I think will be distressing to people who follow my reviews, but I don't do granular content/trigger warnings, because I read books as whole works of art, and don't note the swears etc as I go. My brain is tired enough as it is. So please do look elsewhere if you want to know every single thing that's in the book beforehand.
I'm also a big reader of books both old and new, so here's a quick heads up about my review policy:
1. If you are a living author, as another living author I will not be giving you a critical review, because I know writing books is hard! Reading mean reviews makes everything harder.
2. If you are dead, the gloves are off!
3. Absence of stars may mean ambivalence as to quality, it may also mean I don't feel Aristotle needs my star rating.
4. Five stars may not mean I think the book is perfect. It can mean that I deeply enjoyed the book despite inevitable flaws, or that I consider it an excellently-crafted example in its genre (even if the genre is not my favourite). I may also be more generous with star ratings to living authors who need encouragement. E.M Forster won't mind if I give him 4 stars (see point 2).
6. I may occasionally flag major content I think will be distressing to people who follow my reviews, but I don't do granular content/trigger warnings, because I read books as whole works of art, and don't note the swears etc as I go. My brain is tired enough as it is. So please do look elsewhere if you want to know every single thing that's in the book beforehand.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
Read
January 27, 2026[**IMPORTANT NOTE: some dear Hoopla and Libby readers have checked out an unfinished, unedited version of this novel. How do you know if you have the completed novel? It will have a "Families of Ormdale" family tree graphic. Please don't read any ebook that is missing the family tree, and report it to the place you checked it out/bought it from.**]
When readers asked for a follow-up to The Secrets of Ormdale, I knew I didn’t want to replicate my cozy gothic series. I wanted to do something new, with a similar balance of comfort and excitement. So here is the beginning of that something new: a multi-POV cozy Edwardian fantasy series focusing on dragon-keeping as a family business (not a dark secret) and siblings growing to love and understand each other as adults.
In my research, I fell deeply in love with the 1910 setting and began to explore some of the most fascinating aspects of Edwardian life—including shiny machines, expanding suffrage, and the beginnings of modern espionage in Britain. (If you think you spot a reference in this book to EM Forster, Edith Nesbit, Elizabeth von Arnim, JM Barrie, or John Buchan…go ahead and give yourself a gold star.)
Whether you are a new visitor to Ormdale or an old friend, I hope you enjoy the beginning of this next chapter in its history!
Fair warning though: this is a series, and you won’t get all of the answers in Volume 1! What you will get is an emotional resolution to the main relationship in the first book (Violet and Una), before we focus on Violet in the next instalment.
When readers asked for a follow-up to The Secrets of Ormdale, I knew I didn’t want to replicate my cozy gothic series. I wanted to do something new, with a similar balance of comfort and excitement. So here is the beginning of that something new: a multi-POV cozy Edwardian fantasy series focusing on dragon-keeping as a family business (not a dark secret) and siblings growing to love and understand each other as adults.
In my research, I fell deeply in love with the 1910 setting and began to explore some of the most fascinating aspects of Edwardian life—including shiny machines, expanding suffrage, and the beginnings of modern espionage in Britain. (If you think you spot a reference in this book to EM Forster, Edith Nesbit, Elizabeth von Arnim, JM Barrie, or John Buchan…go ahead and give yourself a gold star.)
Whether you are a new visitor to Ormdale or an old friend, I hope you enjoy the beginning of this next chapter in its history!
Fair warning though: this is a series, and you won’t get all of the answers in Volume 1! What you will get is an emotional resolution to the main relationship in the first book (Violet and Una), before we focus on Violet in the next instalment.
February 1, 2026
3.5 stars ⭐️ Clean Fiction - Historical Fantasy (no magic)
I honestly stared and squeed at the family tree for a good five minutes before starting to read this book—so many changes and I just wanted to hug every character and say “hello again, dear friend!” It should be noted that I desperately need art of Edith and Simon and their kids because I can’t stand the cuteness of the thought. 🥹🥹🥹
It was a bit bittersweet to read this book—when a series ends, I think it’s fair to assume that most readers expect the characters to live happily ever after. And while some characters have, there’s also a bit of sadness and even bitterness and resentment from some of the younger children that have grown up in the ten years we’ve missed into adults with responsibilities and dreams or perhaps disappointments and strained relationships. While this might be a little sad for some readers, I do think it was realistic and makes sense. After all, most books aren’t a day-to-day normal setting; there are things to solve and growth to happen—a plot driven book, if you will, so we have to have a goal to accomplish or work towards.
We also meet new characters, most that I’m curious about and one that I found obnoxious (that would be Penny), but it was really the highlight of the book to me to see Edith and her family again.
I think 3.75 stars would fit my feelings for this book the best. It’s wonderful to see these beloved characters again (even with their difficulties with some of the others), but I’m not sure I’m sold on some of the new characters and some of the feminist comments from Penny. While I appreciate the right to vote, I think my personality clashes with her’s and she was my least favorite character. I was a little shocked by Pip’s change and hope he snaps out of his current path soon! The ending was a little abrupt in my eyes, but it’s setting up for the rest of the series which I am looking forward to reading.
As far as some content notes, I would suggest this book for 16+ as it does deal with a slightly heavier world and thus topics discussed than in the original series. There’s also a depth to this author’s writing style that I believe a high school aged reader would note and appreciate more than younger reader with hidden meanings behind some conversations the characters have. I highly suggest to make sure you’ve read the first series as there’s a lot of characters to keep up with—and even more introduced in this new series—but there is a handy character guide at the end if you plan to ignore my advice. 😉
Main Content-
(The author shares this content warnings at the beginning of the book: one character is chloroformed in a suspenseful scene; the pursuit of a villain leads a character into an opium den where drug use is referenced but not described; an illegitimate character speculates about the identity of his father and uses the term 'by-blow' about himself. Consumption of tobacco and alcohol are at Edwardian levels throughout. Some characters speak disrespectfully of women, foreigners, and what they deem 'lesser races', with brief use of the following period-accurate terms (now slurs): Chinaman, lascar, coolie.)
Christian elements-
A handful of Scriptures are remembered & quoted.
The Thanksgiving collect is said and written out on-page (which one character knows by heart, but doesn’t feel soothed by saying it at the moment); Violet says she never broke any of the ten commandments that her aunt hammered in her, but isn’t sure if she kept the sabbath one, adding that she doesn’t “suppose that one matters as much as the others”; Violet says a prayer when in danger but expects that God is as angry at her as the rest of her family is; Violet calls Jacob from the Bible a “stupid boy” due to not being able to tell the difference between the sisters (which Una isn’t sure it is right to call a character in the Bible that, but because her sister is worked up, “allowances ought to be made”); A thought that one person is in heaven but another might be headed in the opposite direction.
Mentions of God; Mentions of an abbey, monks, & clergymen; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of Saint George being the patron saint of England & a group who seems to be very devout to him; A few mentions of those & events from the Bible; A few mentions of different denominations of Christian and Catholic churches (Church of England, Methodist, Roman Catholic); A few mentions of christenings; A couple mentions of religious (Jewish) observances with prayers and candles; A couple mentions of sins; A mention of sermons; A mention of a governess being a “chapel-goer” and having a young Una and her sisters the copywork of “terrifying passages from the prophets”.
Other Spiritual-
Edith comments that “That the heart that holds the universe together beats with love” and when chided that it’s not orthodox, Edith lets the other know she was raised as a clergyman’s daughter and can recite the articles of faith of the Church of England; Violet shares that England is full of fanatics like “theosophists and spiritualists”, adding about one woman saying she’s found the “reincarnation of Jesus Christ as a little Hindustani boy” (which makes another comment on others having all the luck, but Violet doesn’t think the young boy or Jesus Christ would receive kind treatment).
Someone calls a dragon a “little demon”.
Mentions of a story about Fairyland & fairies; Mentions of luck; A couple mentions of Destiny and Fate (both with capital letters); A couple mentions of curses; A mention of prayer of protection against evil spirits; A mention of stories about “murderous water-maidens” (sirens); A reference to Greek mythology.
Language/Negative/Prejudice-
A few curses are said but not written (including by Violet into a pillow) & also a few references to curses like “hell” (including one cut-off; not including the word “ass” being used in a Scripture when referring to a donkey); A comment about the suffragette making an “ungodly fuss” over the right to vote; Others exclaims “the devil!” or “the deuce” when upset; Some characters lies & eavesdrop; Some eye rolling & sarcasm.
Being drugged with chloroform, passing out, being kidnapped, going to an opium den (no drugs are consumed), & a near drowning (up to a few sentences); A few characters also steal from others (including family).
A character recalls seeing someone squash and kill a dragon (up to a couple sentences); Seeing a flock of birds sucked out of the sky by a dragon for a meal.
Una and Violet’s father was very harsh (including yelling at them to toughen them up) & they did not have a good relationship with him or their older brother (it’s shared that Una cried at their funerals because she was glad she would never have to see them again); Una and Violet’s relationship is strained due to past events & Una struggles with anger at her sister’s actions; Pip resents others for his lack of status and being treated as a servant; Penny and Crispin have a strong sibling rivalry.
A couple implications of abuse/neglect or a child feeling forgotten around others.
A new character, Penny, is a suffragette so there are many references and comments about women being able to vote, the liberation of the female sex, the war between sexes, and women looking out for other women because the men won’t do it (referring to when men failed to protect women and children during a war); Penny makes some jabs about her brother having everything come easy to him because of being a man and not feeling things as deeply as she did & also about his physical limitations due to his asthma.
Characters face prejudice and slurs based on their gender, race, religion, being a foreigner and views on different topics like women being able to vote; A group wants to make England just for the English after feeling like their jobs have been stolen from them because others can hire cheaper labor with foreigners (a couple of these conversations happen on-page, though one character is undercover and lying about what he is saying); A character also accuses a group of Asiatics of attacking him to get away.
Mentions of deaths (including of a wife, mother, father, & brother); Mentions of wars, battles, deaths, injuries, & a concentration camp (up to a few sentences); Mentions of attacks, injuries, blood/bleeding, & passing out (up to a couple sentences); Mentions of stealing, thieves, & stolen items; Mentions of jails & arrests; Mentions of people being seriously harmed or killed by dragons, people being bitten by dragons, & their venom; Mentions of being drugged; Mentions of opium, opium dens, dealers, & smuggling; Mentions of smoking, tobacco, cigarettes/cigars (including for medicinal uses; Both traditional and medicinal smoking is done by male characters on-page); Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & bars; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of suffragette being beheaded in China (Qiu Jin); A few mentions of “white slavery” & abductions; A few mentions of fights & someone being held down by bullies underwater; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a massacre of Jewish people; A couple mentions of the death of a mother (and a child feeling to blame); A couple mentions of stories of children being in dangerous situations or hurt (such as falling into a fire or being crushed by cartwheels); A couple mentions of women not being burned at the stake anymore; A couple mentions of sanatoriums; A couple mentions of dragons eating cows or lambs; A mention of gangs; A mention of making bombs; A mention of a gambling hell; A mention of Chinese women’s footbinding.
Sexual-
A new character thinks about kissing an unconscious young woman and nearly does before something stops him; A married couple lays in bed together and nestles close and he kisses her fingers, but nothing else happened; A different married couple shares a kiss.
Pip doesn’t know who his biological father is, which is a very sore point and both him and Una try to figure out who it could have been (including possibly her father or older brother); Pip refers to himself as a “by-blow” and a nobody because of this; Later, someone says that his mother might not have had any choice in the matter and had been hurt (implied assault).
A couple conversations about the possibility of a man “doing that thing that men do” (referring to “sowing wild oats”) and a woman comments on it being disgusting.
Mentions of illegitimate children (also referred to as a “by-blow” and an implication of the word “bastard” in this sense) & men sowing “wild oats” (which Penny asks Crispin if he is doing that and they have a couple vague conversations referencing it, but he is not); Mentions of men taking advantage of women (kissing or implied more) or the possibility of it happening (including when a woman is unconscious); Mentions of kisses & kissing; A few mentions of floozies at opium dens; A couple mentions of young women being targeted for their physical attributes (which is what one character thinks is happening to another); A couple mentions of flirting; A mention of a king’s mistresses; A mention of the possibility of gelding (castrating) a male animal.
I honestly stared and squeed at the family tree for a good five minutes before starting to read this book—so many changes and I just wanted to hug every character and say “hello again, dear friend!” It should be noted that I desperately need art of Edith and Simon and their kids because I can’t stand the cuteness of the thought. 🥹🥹🥹
It was a bit bittersweet to read this book—when a series ends, I think it’s fair to assume that most readers expect the characters to live happily ever after. And while some characters have, there’s also a bit of sadness and even bitterness and resentment from some of the younger children that have grown up in the ten years we’ve missed into adults with responsibilities and dreams or perhaps disappointments and strained relationships. While this might be a little sad for some readers, I do think it was realistic and makes sense. After all, most books aren’t a day-to-day normal setting; there are things to solve and growth to happen—a plot driven book, if you will, so we have to have a goal to accomplish or work towards.
We also meet new characters, most that I’m curious about and one that I found obnoxious (that would be Penny), but it was really the highlight of the book to me to see Edith and her family again.
I think 3.75 stars would fit my feelings for this book the best. It’s wonderful to see these beloved characters again (even with their difficulties with some of the others), but I’m not sure I’m sold on some of the new characters and some of the feminist comments from Penny. While I appreciate the right to vote, I think my personality clashes with her’s and she was my least favorite character. I was a little shocked by Pip’s change and hope he snaps out of his current path soon! The ending was a little abrupt in my eyes, but it’s setting up for the rest of the series which I am looking forward to reading.
As far as some content notes, I would suggest this book for 16+ as it does deal with a slightly heavier world and thus topics discussed than in the original series. There’s also a depth to this author’s writing style that I believe a high school aged reader would note and appreciate more than younger reader with hidden meanings behind some conversations the characters have. I highly suggest to make sure you’ve read the first series as there’s a lot of characters to keep up with—and even more introduced in this new series—but there is a handy character guide at the end if you plan to ignore my advice. 😉
Main Content-
(The author shares this content warnings at the beginning of the book: one character is chloroformed in a suspenseful scene; the pursuit of a villain leads a character into an opium den where drug use is referenced but not described; an illegitimate character speculates about the identity of his father and uses the term 'by-blow' about himself. Consumption of tobacco and alcohol are at Edwardian levels throughout. Some characters speak disrespectfully of women, foreigners, and what they deem 'lesser races', with brief use of the following period-accurate terms (now slurs): Chinaman, lascar, coolie.)
Christian elements-
A handful of Scriptures are remembered & quoted.
The Thanksgiving collect is said and written out on-page (which one character knows by heart, but doesn’t feel soothed by saying it at the moment); Violet says she never broke any of the ten commandments that her aunt hammered in her, but isn’t sure if she kept the sabbath one, adding that she doesn’t “suppose that one matters as much as the others”; Violet says a prayer when in danger but expects that God is as angry at her as the rest of her family is; Violet calls Jacob from the Bible a “stupid boy” due to not being able to tell the difference between the sisters (which Una isn’t sure it is right to call a character in the Bible that, but because her sister is worked up, “allowances ought to be made”); A thought that one person is in heaven but another might be headed in the opposite direction.
Mentions of God; Mentions of an abbey, monks, & clergymen; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of Saint George being the patron saint of England & a group who seems to be very devout to him; A few mentions of those & events from the Bible; A few mentions of different denominations of Christian and Catholic churches (Church of England, Methodist, Roman Catholic); A few mentions of christenings; A couple mentions of religious (Jewish) observances with prayers and candles; A couple mentions of sins; A mention of sermons; A mention of a governess being a “chapel-goer” and having a young Una and her sisters the copywork of “terrifying passages from the prophets”.
Other Spiritual-
Edith comments that “That the heart that holds the universe together beats with love” and when chided that it’s not orthodox, Edith lets the other know she was raised as a clergyman’s daughter and can recite the articles of faith of the Church of England; Violet shares that England is full of fanatics like “theosophists and spiritualists”, adding about one woman saying she’s found the “reincarnation of Jesus Christ as a little Hindustani boy” (which makes another comment on others having all the luck, but Violet doesn’t think the young boy or Jesus Christ would receive kind treatment).
Someone calls a dragon a “little demon”.
Mentions of a story about Fairyland & fairies; Mentions of luck; A couple mentions of Destiny and Fate (both with capital letters); A couple mentions of curses; A mention of prayer of protection against evil spirits; A mention of stories about “murderous water-maidens” (sirens); A reference to Greek mythology.
Language/Negative/Prejudice-
A few curses are said but not written (including by Violet into a pillow) & also a few references to curses like “hell” (including one cut-off; not including the word “ass” being used in a Scripture when referring to a donkey); A comment about the suffragette making an “ungodly fuss” over the right to vote; Others exclaims “the devil!” or “the deuce” when upset; Some characters lies & eavesdrop; Some eye rolling & sarcasm.
Being drugged with chloroform, passing out, being kidnapped, going to an opium den (no drugs are consumed), & a near drowning (up to a few sentences); A few characters also steal from others (including family).
A character recalls seeing someone squash and kill a dragon (up to a couple sentences); Seeing a flock of birds sucked out of the sky by a dragon for a meal.
Una and Violet’s father was very harsh (including yelling at them to toughen them up) & they did not have a good relationship with him or their older brother (it’s shared that Una cried at their funerals because she was glad she would never have to see them again); Una and Violet’s relationship is strained due to past events & Una struggles with anger at her sister’s actions; Pip resents others for his lack of status and being treated as a servant; Penny and Crispin have a strong sibling rivalry.
A couple implications of abuse/neglect or a child feeling forgotten around others.
A new character, Penny, is a suffragette so there are many references and comments about women being able to vote, the liberation of the female sex, the war between sexes, and women looking out for other women because the men won’t do it (referring to when men failed to protect women and children during a war); Penny makes some jabs about her brother having everything come easy to him because of being a man and not feeling things as deeply as she did & also about his physical limitations due to his asthma.
Characters face prejudice and slurs based on their gender, race, religion, being a foreigner and views on different topics like women being able to vote; A group wants to make England just for the English after feeling like their jobs have been stolen from them because others can hire cheaper labor with foreigners (a couple of these conversations happen on-page, though one character is undercover and lying about what he is saying); A character also accuses a group of Asiatics of attacking him to get away.
Mentions of deaths (including of a wife, mother, father, & brother); Mentions of wars, battles, deaths, injuries, & a concentration camp (up to a few sentences); Mentions of attacks, injuries, blood/bleeding, & passing out (up to a couple sentences); Mentions of stealing, thieves, & stolen items; Mentions of jails & arrests; Mentions of people being seriously harmed or killed by dragons, people being bitten by dragons, & their venom; Mentions of being drugged; Mentions of opium, opium dens, dealers, & smuggling; Mentions of smoking, tobacco, cigarettes/cigars (including for medicinal uses; Both traditional and medicinal smoking is done by male characters on-page); Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & bars; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of suffragette being beheaded in China (Qiu Jin); A few mentions of “white slavery” & abductions; A few mentions of fights & someone being held down by bullies underwater; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a massacre of Jewish people; A couple mentions of the death of a mother (and a child feeling to blame); A couple mentions of stories of children being in dangerous situations or hurt (such as falling into a fire or being crushed by cartwheels); A couple mentions of women not being burned at the stake anymore; A couple mentions of sanatoriums; A couple mentions of dragons eating cows or lambs; A mention of gangs; A mention of making bombs; A mention of a gambling hell; A mention of Chinese women’s footbinding.
Sexual-
A new character thinks about kissing an unconscious young woman and nearly does before something stops him; A married couple lays in bed together and nestles close and he kisses her fingers, but nothing else happened; A different married couple shares a kiss.
Pip doesn’t know who his biological father is, which is a very sore point and both him and Una try to figure out who it could have been (including possibly her father or older brother); Pip refers to himself as a “by-blow” and a nobody because of this; Later, someone says that his mother might not have had any choice in the matter and had been hurt (implied assault).
A couple conversations about the possibility of a man “doing that thing that men do” (referring to “sowing wild oats”) and a woman comments on it being disgusting.
Mentions of illegitimate children (also referred to as a “by-blow” and an implication of the word “bastard” in this sense) & men sowing “wild oats” (which Penny asks Crispin if he is doing that and they have a couple vague conversations referencing it, but he is not); Mentions of men taking advantage of women (kissing or implied more) or the possibility of it happening (including when a woman is unconscious); Mentions of kisses & kissing; A few mentions of floozies at opium dens; A couple mentions of young women being targeted for their physical attributes (which is what one character thinks is happening to another); A couple mentions of flirting; A mention of a king’s mistresses; A mention of the possibility of gelding (castrating) a male animal.
December 16, 2025
I loved this!! But boooo it’s finished! 😭 I wanted it to go on and on. 😂 My anticipation for Book 2 will be even greater because there are so many pieces of the puzzle that I am fully invested in. How will it all come together??
I love the glimpses of the characters we get from Christina’s earlier series and how they’ve developed in 10 years. (Too many to name!) I love the core young adult characters, Una, Violet, Pip, Penny, and Crispin. I love all their storylines equally—lots of surprising twists and turns, some things we know about them and lots more we don’t know. They each have some serious struggles ahead of them, both internal and external. It’s going to be a joy to see how Christina takes them each on their journeys to wholeness. I must say that she nailed the multi-person POV.
The historical setting is delightful. I love the mix of the historical setting and Christina’s dragon-full imagined world. Oolong in particular is the sweetest thing! The humor in this was such a treat too. So Wodehousian with the clever turns of phrase!
I kinda just want to turn back to page 1 and start again…
I love the glimpses of the characters we get from Christina’s earlier series and how they’ve developed in 10 years. (Too many to name!) I love the core young adult characters, Una, Violet, Pip, Penny, and Crispin. I love all their storylines equally—lots of surprising twists and turns, some things we know about them and lots more we don’t know. They each have some serious struggles ahead of them, both internal and external. It’s going to be a joy to see how Christina takes them each on their journeys to wholeness. I must say that she nailed the multi-person POV.
The historical setting is delightful. I love the mix of the historical setting and Christina’s dragon-full imagined world. Oolong in particular is the sweetest thing! The humor in this was such a treat too. So Wodehousian with the clever turns of phrase!
I kinda just want to turn back to page 1 and start again…
January 6, 2026
3.75 ✨ (rounded up)
Oh no! I didn’t like this one as much 🫣. It was interesting and different but hmm idk I feel like I enjoyed the POVs of Violet, Edith, Simon, and Una but I didn’t like the modern POVs. They were hard to get through and just too much black market "behind the law" kind of ways. Idk it just wasn’t for me. I feel like if it was more on the dragon part of things and more plot was there I would have liked it more? Idk.
It was definitely interesting. I felt the modern time period interesting but I wrestled with it especially with the more racial and polarized talk. It was hard to read and I realize what the author was trying to convey, I know sometimes when authors do this they include in the beginning why they do so, which I prefer and it’s easier to read that way. But it was still hard for me to get through. So yeah that was a bit difficult. But learning about the suffrage movement was super interesting!
Outside of that I had so much fun reading from Edith and Simon’s POV like it was worth the wait of FIVE BOOKS FOR ME TO HAVE BABY SIMONS AND EDITHS. Okay I’m done now just had to rant there cause goshhhhhhhh I loved those scenes!
Anyways I did enjoy this book. Seeing Ormdale in the future was very interesting but unfortunately the modern timeline POVs with new characters brought down my enjoyment. Nevertheless I did enjoy those characters back at the abbey!
Also the real American man I liked him! I ship him and Violet for no other reason but that he was so funny and cute and clueless. Also I really was kind of upset with how Pip ended up and his focus on his father. I feel like it’s hard to explain but I was really looking forward to his point of view because of the representation in the book and I felt like he was the only ethnic character (he wasn’t but his role felt like a voice to his and my ethnic background) and I was really excited to read his POV. Unfortunately I just felt saddened by his story and pov and the focus on his father rather than Pip. It felt defeating rather than the empowering beauty and blossoming I was looking for/forward to. Maybe if Pip turns around in the next one it will be better idk. I have many thoughts on this which are hard to explain especially without spoilers but I’ll leave it there. Ok byeeee
Oh no! I didn’t like this one as much 🫣. It was interesting and different but hmm idk I feel like I enjoyed the POVs of Violet, Edith, Simon, and Una but I didn’t like the modern POVs. They were hard to get through and just too much black market "behind the law" kind of ways. Idk it just wasn’t for me. I feel like if it was more on the dragon part of things and more plot was there I would have liked it more? Idk.
It was definitely interesting. I felt the modern time period interesting but I wrestled with it especially with the more racial and polarized talk. It was hard to read and I realize what the author was trying to convey, I know sometimes when authors do this they include in the beginning why they do so, which I prefer and it’s easier to read that way. But it was still hard for me to get through. So yeah that was a bit difficult. But learning about the suffrage movement was super interesting!
Outside of that I had so much fun reading from Edith and Simon’s POV like it was worth the wait of FIVE BOOKS FOR ME TO HAVE BABY SIMONS AND EDITHS. Okay I’m done now just had to rant there cause goshhhhhhhh I loved those scenes!
Anyways I did enjoy this book. Seeing Ormdale in the future was very interesting but unfortunately the modern timeline POVs with new characters brought down my enjoyment. Nevertheless I did enjoy those characters back at the abbey!
Also the real American man I liked him! I ship him and Violet for no other reason but that he was so funny and cute and clueless. Also I really was kind of upset with how Pip ended up and his focus on his father. I feel like it’s hard to explain but I was really looking forward to his point of view because of the representation in the book and I felt like he was the only ethnic character (he wasn’t but his role felt like a voice to his and my ethnic background) and I was really excited to read his POV. Unfortunately I just felt saddened by his story and pov and the focus on his father rather than Pip. It felt defeating rather than the empowering beauty and blossoming I was looking for/forward to. Maybe if Pip turns around in the next one it will be better idk. I have many thoughts on this which are hard to explain especially without spoilers but I’ll leave it there. Ok byeeee
January 8, 2026
5+ stars (7/10 hearts). I knew, of course, that I would love anything Christina Baehr wrote. And yet I admit I was terrified this spin-off series to the Ormdale books would just not be good enough. I needn't have worried. It's perfection.
From the multiple POVs (Una, Violet, Pip, Penny, and Crispin are the main ones, but we also see Edith, Janushek, Edith's father, and even a villain's POV) to the casual exploration of prominent worries in 1910s England, this book is delightfully different and yet delightfully similar to Edith's novels. I loved the many nods to beautiful classics (Little Women and Rose in Bloom, to name only two); I loved the happy dragons; I loved the humour; I loved the sisterly relations; I loved the slight but deep spiritual questions... and I loved how the decisions and questions of the past came back to haunt the new generation, which has to learn to deal with those themselves.
It was like an autumn wind, brisk, bracing, and full of beauty.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*
From the multiple POVs (Una, Violet, Pip, Penny, and Crispin are the main ones, but we also see Edith, Janushek, Edith's father, and even a villain's POV) to the casual exploration of prominent worries in 1910s England, this book is delightfully different and yet delightfully similar to Edith's novels. I loved the many nods to beautiful classics (Little Women and Rose in Bloom, to name only two); I loved the happy dragons; I loved the humour; I loved the sisterly relations; I loved the slight but deep spiritual questions... and I loved how the decisions and questions of the past came back to haunt the new generation, which has to learn to deal with those themselves.
It was like an autumn wind, brisk, bracing, and full of beauty.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*
Read
November 20, 2025I'll read my bestie's new book twice in two months IF I WANT TO
--
Impeccably cosy. Perfect themes. Characters that stab you in the feels. A sister relationship that will steal your heart. Witty banter. Fabulously authentic writing about very real 1910s cultural worries regarding women and immigration. I am looking forward to being totally not normal about Crispin and Una in future books.
--
Impeccably cosy. Perfect themes. Characters that stab you in the feels. A sister relationship that will steal your heart. Witty banter. Fabulously authentic writing about very real 1910s cultural worries regarding women and immigration. I am looking forward to being totally not normal about Crispin and Una in future books.
Currently reading
October 24, 2025Soooo excited! Merry Christmas to me (and all those who have longed to return to this magical world!)
December 8, 2025
Having loved the Secrets of Ormdale series so much, I was very excited to return to that world with this new series. However, the question of a sequel series is always whether it will measure up to the original . . . and I'm happy to say that A Menagerie of Dragons definitely does.
I enjoyed seeing how Ormdale and the world at large has changed since the first series. A Menagerie of Dragons picks up about a decade and a half after Secrets of Ormdale. Ormdale is now out in the open, with tourists and researchers visiting to discover the dragons. The focus characters of the previous stories are now largely settled and living their lives, reaping the rewards of their trials in the last series, while the younger generation takes center stage. Meanwhile, the world at large is changing with new technology, new cultural problems, and new whispers of trouble at home and abroad.
As always, I love the family focus — especially since this story is all about siblings. A Menagerie of Dragons follows sibling sets Una, Violet, and Pip in Ormdale and Penny and Crispin Fairweather in London, and the different dynamics and conflicts among these siblings heavily dominate the narrative, especially on the Ormdale side, where Pip and Violet have returned and are trying to find their places while Una struggles with feelings of betrayal about how so many people leave. Una and Violet's conflict and eventual resolution hit especially well (and gave me the same vibes as some of the later Penderwicks books).
This story also has a heavy focus on identity. Almost all the characters are, in some way, trying to figure out who they are and where they belong, though all in very different ways — Pip wrestling with the question of his parentage and what it means for him, Violet and Una both asking questions about their relationship with each other and with Ormdale, Penny trying to find her place to make a difference, and Crispin being offered a chance at a life more exciting than the one he expected. All of these journeys are handled well (even if, in a few cases, that means I want to give the character in question a good shaking), and I'm excited to see where the characters' arcs go.
Expanding the story to include multiple characters did require that the POV change from the first-person of Secrets of Ormdale to third-person limited. I was a little disappointed by that, especially since character voice was such a big part of what I liked in the first series. Still, the switch makes sense, and it works for the story.
I also liked the heavier focus on historical events. Most of the Secrets of Ormdale books, with the exception of City of Serpents, were fairly self-contained with regard to the affairs of the larger world. In A Menagerie of Dragons, however, we see a lot more of what's going on in the broader world, especially through Penny and Crispin's POVs. Stirrings of war, women's suffrage, early British espionage, and immigration tensions of the historical era are all present, as are the seeds of how dragons might affect all those things. I look forward to seeing how those seeds grow in future books.
I enjoyed seeing how Ormdale and the world at large has changed since the first series. A Menagerie of Dragons picks up about a decade and a half after Secrets of Ormdale. Ormdale is now out in the open, with tourists and researchers visiting to discover the dragons. The focus characters of the previous stories are now largely settled and living their lives, reaping the rewards of their trials in the last series, while the younger generation takes center stage. Meanwhile, the world at large is changing with new technology, new cultural problems, and new whispers of trouble at home and abroad.
As always, I love the family focus — especially since this story is all about siblings. A Menagerie of Dragons follows sibling sets Una, Violet, and Pip in Ormdale and Penny and Crispin Fairweather in London, and the different dynamics and conflicts among these siblings heavily dominate the narrative, especially on the Ormdale side, where Pip and Violet have returned and are trying to find their places while Una struggles with feelings of betrayal about how so many people leave. Una and Violet's conflict and eventual resolution hit especially well (and gave me the same vibes as some of the later Penderwicks books).
This story also has a heavy focus on identity. Almost all the characters are, in some way, trying to figure out who they are and where they belong, though all in very different ways — Pip wrestling with the question of his parentage and what it means for him, Violet and Una both asking questions about their relationship with each other and with Ormdale, Penny trying to find her place to make a difference, and Crispin being offered a chance at a life more exciting than the one he expected. All of these journeys are handled well (even if, in a few cases, that means I want to give the character in question a good shaking), and I'm excited to see where the characters' arcs go.
Expanding the story to include multiple characters did require that the POV change from the first-person of Secrets of Ormdale to third-person limited. I was a little disappointed by that, especially since character voice was such a big part of what I liked in the first series. Still, the switch makes sense, and it works for the story.
I also liked the heavier focus on historical events. Most of the Secrets of Ormdale books, with the exception of City of Serpents, were fairly self-contained with regard to the affairs of the larger world. In A Menagerie of Dragons, however, we see a lot more of what's going on in the broader world, especially through Penny and Crispin's POVs. Stirrings of war, women's suffrage, early British espionage, and immigration tensions of the historical era are all present, as are the seeds of how dragons might affect all those things. I look forward to seeing how those seeds grow in future books.
Read
November 10, 2025*White Christmas voice* SISTERS, SISTERS
and a bunch of the crumbliest men you’ve ever seen
(This is a joke most are very nice)
We return to Ormdale in this new series 10 years later!! I enjoyed reuniting with our lovable cast of characters as well as re-getting to know the kids in their grown up era. A Menagerie of Dragons sets up Una, Violet, Crispin, and Penny to set forth on their individual quests as as inner conflict collides with external machinations with designs upon Ormdale’s dragons and legacy. The cozy vibes we know and love are still here but a lovely excitement fills the pages as the characters step forth on their adventure. I’m excited for book 2!
Thanks to the author for the ARC! 🥰
and a bunch of the crumbliest men you’ve ever seen
(This is a joke most are very nice)
We return to Ormdale in this new series 10 years later!! I enjoyed reuniting with our lovable cast of characters as well as re-getting to know the kids in their grown up era. A Menagerie of Dragons sets up Una, Violet, Crispin, and Penny to set forth on their individual quests as as inner conflict collides with external machinations with designs upon Ormdale’s dragons and legacy. The cozy vibes we know and love are still here but a lovely excitement fills the pages as the characters step forth on their adventure. I’m excited for book 2!
Thanks to the author for the ARC! 🥰
Currently reading
December 2, 2025Ooops I accidentally bought this....I haven't even had breakfast yet....send help before I buy the rest of the books please XD my book budget can only take so many hits guys
November 30, 2025
I consumed this like a quetzalcoatl sucking a flock of birds out of the sky. It was a perfect Thanksgiving vacation read and went by much too quickly.
Don't shoot me, but I think I'm going to like this sequel series better than the original SECRETS OF ORMDALE. I relate more to Una as a character than to Edith, for one thing, and I was surprised to find that the era also appeals to me more (very much unexpected: I thought I was more of a Victorian gal!). I think, too, that the plots are becoming more complex and self-assured, and it's great fun to have an expanded cast of characters with settled backstories to give everyone depth. If you loved the characters of ORMDALE, you're going to love watching many of them bloom -- or in some cases get all gnarly and twisted: if you know, you know -- in GILDED AGE. This story follows several POV characters, and I actually loved that. I wasn't bored by any of them; they're all compelling in different ways and all drive the story forward.
This is just the first installment, so it doesn't exactly have a neatly wrapped up and satisfying conclusion, but I would say the main plot of MENAGERIE is Una finding her place at Wormwood Abbey and amongst her family and friends. I really, really enjoyed her character; I related very much to her desire for order and for control, her urge to protect her loved ones and to protect herself from being hurt. She struck me as OCD, and if that was the intention, I appreciated the representation. I could also see myself in her response of anger and resentment, and it was lovely watching her grow over the arc of the story. There's a lot of nods to LITTLE WOMEN, with Violet extremely Jo-esque (down to the exclamations) and Una very much Beth (but clashing with Violet like Amy does with Jo), and Pip representing the worst of Laurie (I hope he gets the kick in the pants Violet says he deserves). The allusions are fun and it's great to see the Alcott inspiration and to keep an eye out for others: I think I spot Buchan in Crispin's storyline?
There's heaps being introduced here - a secret brotherhood out to get the St George relic (why?), a fearful government potentially looking to use the dragons as weapons (yikes), suffragettes suffragetting (calm down, Penny), characters who need answers and knocks over the head (looking at you, Pip), and romances just waiting to emerge (who doesn't love a guy who falls in love with a girl based on a couple sightings and her picture in a newspaper??). I am most stressed about the potential for dragons to be taken by the government, but Christina's stories are geared toward cosiness and hope, so I trust this will somehow not get too grim!
Looking forward happily to the rest of this series. It's a bummer that READING books is so much faster than WRITING them.
(I received a free ARC to review, but my thoughts are very much my own.)
Don't shoot me, but I think I'm going to like this sequel series better than the original SECRETS OF ORMDALE. I relate more to Una as a character than to Edith, for one thing, and I was surprised to find that the era also appeals to me more (very much unexpected: I thought I was more of a Victorian gal!). I think, too, that the plots are becoming more complex and self-assured, and it's great fun to have an expanded cast of characters with settled backstories to give everyone depth. If you loved the characters of ORMDALE, you're going to love watching many of them bloom -- or in some cases get all gnarly and twisted: if you know, you know -- in GILDED AGE. This story follows several POV characters, and I actually loved that. I wasn't bored by any of them; they're all compelling in different ways and all drive the story forward.
This is just the first installment, so it doesn't exactly have a neatly wrapped up and satisfying conclusion, but I would say the main plot of MENAGERIE is Una finding her place at Wormwood Abbey and amongst her family and friends. I really, really enjoyed her character; I related very much to her desire for order and for control, her urge to protect her loved ones and to protect herself from being hurt. She struck me as OCD, and if that was the intention, I appreciated the representation. I could also see myself in her response of anger and resentment, and it was lovely watching her grow over the arc of the story. There's a lot of nods to LITTLE WOMEN, with Violet extremely Jo-esque (down to the exclamations) and Una very much Beth (but clashing with Violet like Amy does with Jo), and Pip representing the worst of Laurie (I hope he gets the kick in the pants Violet says he deserves). The allusions are fun and it's great to see the Alcott inspiration and to keep an eye out for others: I think I spot Buchan in Crispin's storyline?
There's heaps being introduced here - a secret brotherhood out to get the St George relic (why?), a fearful government potentially looking to use the dragons as weapons (yikes), suffragettes suffragetting (calm down, Penny), characters who need answers and knocks over the head (looking at you, Pip), and romances just waiting to emerge (who doesn't love a guy who falls in love with a girl based on a couple sightings and her picture in a newspaper??). I am most stressed about the potential for dragons to be taken by the government, but Christina's stories are geared toward cosiness and hope, so I trust this will somehow not get too grim!
Looking forward happily to the rest of this series. It's a bummer that READING books is so much faster than WRITING them.
(I received a free ARC to review, but my thoughts are very much my own.)
Read
December 1, 2025I love this story so much. If you're looking for what to read next, it should be A Menagerie of Dragons. 💙
February 16, 2026
Christina Baehr always hooks me in so slow-and-easy…and then wham, for the back two-thirds I am dragged through the water without release till I reach the end
November 28, 2025
Spoiler free ARC Review
⭐️5/5 stars!⭐️
Thank you to Christina for sending me this ARC! All thoughts and opinions in this review are entirely my own.
Christina Baehr’s latest novel, A Menagerie of Dragons, ushers in a new era of Ormdale, replete with English suffragettes, secret societies, and, of course, dragons. The story is set 10 years after the events of The Secrets of Ormdale, as we follow several characters from the previous series into adulthood.
📚After the turn of the century, Una Worms is tasked with the maintenance of England’s most mythical display. Refined, punctual, and efficient, Una has no time for deviations from the schedule.
Yet as England’s political and societal climate is thrust into upheaval, Una and the rest of Ormdale’s kin are confronted with the larger scope of the world around them. As each undergoes their own quest for independence, they all seek to answer the same question: What would you do to survive in an ever-changing world?
🐉📚🩵✨📖🐉
🌟Having adored The Secrets of Ormdale, I was overjoyed to find the same degree of comfort and immersion in A Menagerie of Dragons. It felt like a breath of fresh air returning to this mythical land, and I was delighted to uncover a story steeped in intrigue, relationships, and heart.
❣️Not only was it lovely seeing the original cast ten years later, but meeting the younger generation as adults and witnessing their escapades was thrilling. I immediately fell in step with Una, Violet, Pip, Crispin, and Penny, and loved their changing POVs to discover what was next for each character.
Una’s storyline is undoubtedly my favorite. She runs the menagerie authoritatively and gracefully, abandoning all previous notions of being the weak baby of the family. At the start of the book, we learn that Violet had been absent for two years, having left Ormdale without explanation. When she returns, Una is forced to reckon with her anger towards her sister. As the two try to bridge the gap and repair their relationship, they begin to see things from the other’s point of view. This gradual change is so rich, and I loved experiencing their dynamic.
Crispin and Penny, while only briefly introduced in The Secrets of Ormdale (Penny receiving but a short reference), are now grown, estranged siblings, each holding strong beliefs about what the future of England should entail. Their storylines deviate from the mythical immersion of Ormdale and place readers in the heart of England’s political landscape. Getting to know them individually was so intriguing — Crispin, with his quiet demeaner and aptitude for puzzles, and Penny, with her steadfast beliefs and love for discovery. I anticipate their storylines unfolding significantly over the next two books, and I look forward to seeing their entanglement with the Worms family.
Lastly, Pip, son of Lily and former servant of Wormwood Abbey, is on a journey of self discovery in this book. Trying to make a name for himself outside of his ties to Wormwood, Pip grapples with his identity in an emotional tumble. Of all the characters established in Menagerie, I think I’m most intrigued to see how he will evolve.
With complex sibling dynamics, rich storytelling, and a strong emotional undercurrent, this book was yet another of Baehr’s stories I was sad to leave.
Additionally, don’t let the stunning cover and cozy description fool you — this book holds up a mirror to our current reality for all to see. Gender equality, immigration, and personal autonomy are all prominent themes, revealing how shockingly similar 1910 is to 2025.
Overall, I am completely in love with this book, and I can’t wait to see what Baehr has in store for these characters! Every second spent with her writing is an absolute joy, and I implore you to experience it for yourself 🩵
⭐️5/5 stars!⭐️
Thank you to Christina for sending me this ARC! All thoughts and opinions in this review are entirely my own.
Christina Baehr’s latest novel, A Menagerie of Dragons, ushers in a new era of Ormdale, replete with English suffragettes, secret societies, and, of course, dragons. The story is set 10 years after the events of The Secrets of Ormdale, as we follow several characters from the previous series into adulthood.
📚After the turn of the century, Una Worms is tasked with the maintenance of England’s most mythical display. Refined, punctual, and efficient, Una has no time for deviations from the schedule.
Yet as England’s political and societal climate is thrust into upheaval, Una and the rest of Ormdale’s kin are confronted with the larger scope of the world around them. As each undergoes their own quest for independence, they all seek to answer the same question: What would you do to survive in an ever-changing world?
🐉📚🩵✨📖🐉
🌟Having adored The Secrets of Ormdale, I was overjoyed to find the same degree of comfort and immersion in A Menagerie of Dragons. It felt like a breath of fresh air returning to this mythical land, and I was delighted to uncover a story steeped in intrigue, relationships, and heart.
❣️Not only was it lovely seeing the original cast ten years later, but meeting the younger generation as adults and witnessing their escapades was thrilling. I immediately fell in step with Una, Violet, Pip, Crispin, and Penny, and loved their changing POVs to discover what was next for each character.
Una’s storyline is undoubtedly my favorite. She runs the menagerie authoritatively and gracefully, abandoning all previous notions of being the weak baby of the family. At the start of the book, we learn that Violet had been absent for two years, having left Ormdale without explanation. When she returns, Una is forced to reckon with her anger towards her sister. As the two try to bridge the gap and repair their relationship, they begin to see things from the other’s point of view. This gradual change is so rich, and I loved experiencing their dynamic.
Crispin and Penny, while only briefly introduced in The Secrets of Ormdale (Penny receiving but a short reference), are now grown, estranged siblings, each holding strong beliefs about what the future of England should entail. Their storylines deviate from the mythical immersion of Ormdale and place readers in the heart of England’s political landscape. Getting to know them individually was so intriguing — Crispin, with his quiet demeaner and aptitude for puzzles, and Penny, with her steadfast beliefs and love for discovery. I anticipate their storylines unfolding significantly over the next two books, and I look forward to seeing their entanglement with the Worms family.
Lastly, Pip, son of Lily and former servant of Wormwood Abbey, is on a journey of self discovery in this book. Trying to make a name for himself outside of his ties to Wormwood, Pip grapples with his identity in an emotional tumble. Of all the characters established in Menagerie, I think I’m most intrigued to see how he will evolve.
With complex sibling dynamics, rich storytelling, and a strong emotional undercurrent, this book was yet another of Baehr’s stories I was sad to leave.
Additionally, don’t let the stunning cover and cozy description fool you — this book holds up a mirror to our current reality for all to see. Gender equality, immigration, and personal autonomy are all prominent themes, revealing how shockingly similar 1910 is to 2025.
Overall, I am completely in love with this book, and I can’t wait to see what Baehr has in store for these characters! Every second spent with her writing is an absolute joy, and I implore you to experience it for yourself 🩵
December 15, 2025
It’s been delightful to be back in Ormdale with beloved characters ten years after The Secrets of Ormdale series ended. This new series follows children who are now all grown up and finding their way in the world. I enjoyed the picturesque setting, the cozy vibes, the mysteries, and of course the dragons. The ending definitely left me eager to read the next installment.
November 28, 2025
I honestly loved everything about A Menagerie of Dragons!
This book is everything that I hoped it would be. It’s a warm and cozy book that also discusses women’s suffrage and immigration issues. It has action, adventure, family, strong female characters coming into their own, the return of previous characters, and of course it has dragons. It also has villains, betrayal, mystery, government secrets, and
If you read and enjoyed The Secrets of Ormdale, then you’ll like this book as well. However, if you’re new to Christina Baehr’s writing you can easily start with A Menagerie of Dragons without any worry of being lost or confused.
I am so excited to see where this series goes and I can’t wait for the next book!
This book is everything that I hoped it would be. It’s a warm and cozy book that also discusses women’s suffrage and immigration issues. It has action, adventure, family, strong female characters coming into their own, the return of previous characters, and of course it has dragons. It also has villains, betrayal, mystery, government secrets, and
If you read and enjoyed The Secrets of Ormdale, then you’ll like this book as well. However, if you’re new to Christina Baehr’s writing you can easily start with A Menagerie of Dragons without any worry of being lost or confused.
I am so excited to see where this series goes and I can’t wait for the next book!
February 9, 2026
Utter perfection!
************
Some of my favourite passages:
Dragons, it turned out, could be managed.
Sisters could not.
Una felt uncomfortable about living in a deconsecrated abbey stolen from monks. Cousin Edith would say that all happened in the fifteen hundreds, and they might as well feel guilty about the Norman Conquest, but Una was sure she would feel horribly guilty about the Norman Conquest if an Anglo-Saxon came to tea.
Edith: “You see, I don’t write my novels to remind people how much things can hurt. I write them to remind people that hurts can be healed.
George: “Ah, well, I suppose one must not covet one’s neighbour’s books any more than his oxen.”
She walked for more than an hour. Slowly, the sounds of carts and voices and trains and whistles faded from her ears, and the great silence of the dale reclaimed her.
Only it wasn’t really a silence.
It was wind-whistle and lark-song and sheep-bleat, and the untiring gurgle of delight that was the river.
The trees were not yet in leaf, just beginning to bud with green…
“The problem with this family,” she announced, hugging her scrapbook, “is that we’re stuck thirty years in the past! We might as well be Victorians!”
Pip’s dreams were all of sun-warmed Venetian stone, glittering Roman mosaics, and bee-loud Provencal gardens where fraternal painters shared laughter, bread, and wine, and did not judge each other because of their accents or the cut of their clothes.
“There are things much more frightening than riding dragons,” Janushek said to his wife with certainty. “And one of them is raising children.”
************
Some of my favourite passages:
Dragons, it turned out, could be managed.
Sisters could not.
Una felt uncomfortable about living in a deconsecrated abbey stolen from monks. Cousin Edith would say that all happened in the fifteen hundreds, and they might as well feel guilty about the Norman Conquest, but Una was sure she would feel horribly guilty about the Norman Conquest if an Anglo-Saxon came to tea.
Edith: “You see, I don’t write my novels to remind people how much things can hurt. I write them to remind people that hurts can be healed.
George: “Ah, well, I suppose one must not covet one’s neighbour’s books any more than his oxen.”
She walked for more than an hour. Slowly, the sounds of carts and voices and trains and whistles faded from her ears, and the great silence of the dale reclaimed her.
Only it wasn’t really a silence.
It was wind-whistle and lark-song and sheep-bleat, and the untiring gurgle of delight that was the river.
The trees were not yet in leaf, just beginning to bud with green…
“The problem with this family,” she announced, hugging her scrapbook, “is that we’re stuck thirty years in the past! We might as well be Victorians!”
Pip’s dreams were all of sun-warmed Venetian stone, glittering Roman mosaics, and bee-loud Provencal gardens where fraternal painters shared laughter, bread, and wine, and did not judge each other because of their accents or the cut of their clothes.
“There are things much more frightening than riding dragons,” Janushek said to his wife with certainty. “And one of them is raising children.”
December 1, 2025
Delightful.
Happy publication day to the first book in Christina Baehr's new series! I just finished this last night and am so ready for more. Just like the Wormwood Abbey series, this book is perfect for people (like me) who don't necessarily read much fantasy but are always at home with character-driven fiction that is well-grounded in its historical context. And let's not forget: populated by lovable characters!
This new series is set around 10 years after the events in the original series (although I really do think you could start here and actually not be lost with the plot). The kids from Wormwood Abbey are all grown up and settling (or not) into their roles connected to their now public status as the dragon family. It's a multi-viewpoint narrative that does a great job of keeping several plates spinning in the air, while still feeling easy to follow. Main characters from the previous series are kept just a little bit in the background while you get to know the new set. It works well.
It's a gentle read with lots of nods to Victorian and/or Edwardian literature. Fun for everyone!
Thank you so much to the author for an ARC of this greatly anticipated book!
Happy publication day to the first book in Christina Baehr's new series! I just finished this last night and am so ready for more. Just like the Wormwood Abbey series, this book is perfect for people (like me) who don't necessarily read much fantasy but are always at home with character-driven fiction that is well-grounded in its historical context. And let's not forget: populated by lovable characters!
This new series is set around 10 years after the events in the original series (although I really do think you could start here and actually not be lost with the plot). The kids from Wormwood Abbey are all grown up and settling (or not) into their roles connected to their now public status as the dragon family. It's a multi-viewpoint narrative that does a great job of keeping several plates spinning in the air, while still feeling easy to follow. Main characters from the previous series are kept just a little bit in the background while you get to know the new set. It works well.
It's a gentle read with lots of nods to Victorian and/or Edwardian literature. Fun for everyone!
Thank you so much to the author for an ARC of this greatly anticipated book!
December 5, 2025
What a cozy, intriguing, heart racing adventure this book took me on!
I absolutely loved visiting Ormdale and these beloved characters 10 years later! I loved seeing all of the kids grown up, and getting to know them better was a treat! I love the sibling relationships in this book, the personalities, seeing where other beloved characters are(I just love Simon and Edith sooo much), and the nod to Little Women made me so soo happy!
I really enjoyed the setting in Edwardian England. What a fun time period to visit! There is the Women’s Suffrage movement, a new threat, family relationships to navigate, some danger, tea time of course, and the menagerie of dragons!!!
I love how the author wrote shorter chapters with multiple point of views and locations. She managed different story lines so well, and they came together so beautifully to create an exciting and addicting story!
What an amazing book! This story flew by so quickly, and I couldn’t put it down! I loved being back in this world again! I love these characters, and I can’t wait for book 2!
Favorites:
🤍The prologue
🤍New and old characters to love
🤍Character growth
🤍The different personalities just jump off the pages!
🤍Family
🤍Dragon keepers
🤍Sisters who are opposites
🤍Exciting and adventurous storylines
🤍Cozy feel
🤍Beautiful writing
🤍Can’t wait to see what comes next!
.
.
.
Thank you to the author for the arc copy. A positive review was not required but freely given. All opinions are my own.
Content:The author does have a content warning at the beginning of the book.
I absolutely loved visiting Ormdale and these beloved characters 10 years later! I loved seeing all of the kids grown up, and getting to know them better was a treat! I love the sibling relationships in this book, the personalities, seeing where other beloved characters are(I just love Simon and Edith sooo much), and the nod to Little Women made me so soo happy!
I really enjoyed the setting in Edwardian England. What a fun time period to visit! There is the Women’s Suffrage movement, a new threat, family relationships to navigate, some danger, tea time of course, and the menagerie of dragons!!!
I love how the author wrote shorter chapters with multiple point of views and locations. She managed different story lines so well, and they came together so beautifully to create an exciting and addicting story!
What an amazing book! This story flew by so quickly, and I couldn’t put it down! I loved being back in this world again! I love these characters, and I can’t wait for book 2!
Favorites:
🤍The prologue
🤍New and old characters to love
🤍Character growth
🤍The different personalities just jump off the pages!
🤍Family
🤍Dragon keepers
🤍Sisters who are opposites
🤍Exciting and adventurous storylines
🤍Cozy feel
🤍Beautiful writing
🤍Can’t wait to see what comes next!
.
.
.
Thank you to the author for the arc copy. A positive review was not required but freely given. All opinions are my own.
Content:The author does have a content warning at the beginning of the book.
November 29, 2025
I am hooked! Starting a companion series following a very loved series had its stresses for me, but I’m already invested in the older and the new characters of Ormdale! The setting or more time period is intriguing and I’m already wanting to protect Una and curse some other nameless people!
December 1, 2025
I just finished this wonderful book just in time for release day!!!! Yay! This book was like a cozy, warm hug as we return to Ormdale and get to know Una and Violet. I’m so glad they get their stories!! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it! It gets 5 stars all the way and I look forward to the next one with much anticipation. I received a review copy of this book from the author and am writing this review voluntarily.
December 28, 2025
This book has so many themes that are timely for the current state of the world. I wasn't expecting to find such a sharp reminder tucked into a lovely fictional historical setting, but I did. It never fails to surprise me how far the pendulum swings from one side to the other.
If you enjoy history and good stories, you will love Christina's books. She artfully weaves fact and fiction without losing the impact or beauty of either in her story.
If you enjoy history and good stories, you will love Christina's books. She artfully weaves fact and fiction without losing the impact or beauty of either in her story.
November 29, 2025
To say Christina has become a favorite author of mine would be an understatement. Her way of weaving an interesting tale with real-world history always makes for a splendid sort of story. To say I was excited for this spin-off series would be putting it lightly. Firstly, that cover?!!! GORGEOUS. All the blue makes this blue color obsessed gal happy! Pictured on the front looking so perfectly as described would be the main heroine of this tale, Una Worms. Of the 7-8 POV we follow in this story, Una had to be my favorite as she was quite easy to get along with and understand. My second favorite would have to be Crispin. He was such a colorful fellow in his own monotone way. Some of his statements had me laughing out loud. I'll be honest, Penny was my least favorite 🙈 but I liked her more at the end. Pip, oh Pip, what can I say?! Please do the right thing in the sequel.
I have a few of my favorite quotes above. There were many more, but these give a great show at the author's writing style so you too can get a taste! I LOVED hearing from Edith, and Simon's little world catapulted 10 years into the future from the previous series, "The Secrets of Ormdale." Their world looks perfectly pleasant, which made me ever so happy! Enjoyed seeing the sisters Una and Violet sorting things out, always love sisters sticking together through thick and thin.
I have a few of my favorite quotes above. There were many more, but these give a great show at the author's writing style so you too can get a taste! I LOVED hearing from Edith, and Simon's little world catapulted 10 years into the future from the previous series, "The Secrets of Ormdale." Their world looks perfectly pleasant, which made me ever so happy! Enjoyed seeing the sisters Una and Violet sorting things out, always love sisters sticking together through thick and thin.
December 7, 2025
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I loved The Secrets of Ormdale series so much and was so eager for this spinoff series that's set ten years later. It did not disappoint! In fact, it was even better than I was expecting.
I loved seeing beloved characters but also loved meeting the new ones too. And I absolutely adored all the dragons!
I liked that part of this story took place in the countryside and another part in London. I liked seeing the dichotomy of the two places.
I enjoyed seeing the ever-evolving family dynamics and sisterly bond between Una and Violet. Things might've been strained, but you could see that the love was still there, as was the hope that things could get better.
Reading this book felt like coming home again. I loved it so much! It was a fun read that also touched upon serious social issues as well. I’m very much looking forward to the next book! Fans of the first series will love it, but people new to it will enjoy it as well. I highly, highly recommend it!
I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
I loved seeing beloved characters but also loved meeting the new ones too. And I absolutely adored all the dragons!
I liked that part of this story took place in the countryside and another part in London. I liked seeing the dichotomy of the two places.
I enjoyed seeing the ever-evolving family dynamics and sisterly bond between Una and Violet. Things might've been strained, but you could see that the love was still there, as was the hope that things could get better.
Reading this book felt like coming home again. I loved it so much! It was a fun read that also touched upon serious social issues as well. I’m very much looking forward to the next book! Fans of the first series will love it, but people new to it will enjoy it as well. I highly, highly recommend it!
I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
November 26, 2025
I was more than ready to visit Ormdale again after reading the original series at least five times, losing count between digital, physical, and audio versions.
I was afraid I was going to miss Edith’s voice because this book is written from the viewpoints of all of the characters I’d grown to love, but it was a delight to read about her from a different perspective.
It was really astonishing how Christina was able to express and bring us into the minds of so many, with all of the joys, disappointments, fears, ambitions and loves. Yes, I cried a couple of times.
The whereabouts of all of the main characters, dragons ❤️included, after 10 years is gradually revealed, beginning with Una.
Avoiding spoilers, I’ll just say that there is all of the adventure, intrigue, humour, peril, exhilarating moments, and (new) secrets that could be desired; hints of exciting things to look forward to and speculate about (eeeeeek) in the rest of the coming books of this series.
Grateful to have an ARC. My opinions are my own.
I was afraid I was going to miss Edith’s voice because this book is written from the viewpoints of all of the characters I’d grown to love, but it was a delight to read about her from a different perspective.
It was really astonishing how Christina was able to express and bring us into the minds of so many, with all of the joys, disappointments, fears, ambitions and loves. Yes, I cried a couple of times.
The whereabouts of all of the main characters, dragons ❤️included, after 10 years is gradually revealed, beginning with Una.
Avoiding spoilers, I’ll just say that there is all of the adventure, intrigue, humour, peril, exhilarating moments, and (new) secrets that could be desired; hints of exciting things to look forward to and speculate about (eeeeeek) in the rest of the coming books of this series.
Grateful to have an ARC. My opinions are my own.
December 1, 2025
I loved the Secrets of Ormdale, so when I found out there would be another series in the same world, I was so excited! A Menagerie of Dragons follows the grown up versions of Una, Pip, Violet, Crispin, and Penny. It was so cool to see them as adults. I love how Christina ties in other classic literature. In this book, she refers to the Faerie Queene, gave a backstory for how Una chose her name. I love the world building throughout Christina's writing. I felt as if I was really back in the 1910s with all my favorite characters. It feels like Enola Holmes, but a couple decades later😅. Christina does a great job of addressing real world issues that are still relatable today. She handles them in a gentle way that gets her point across without becoming too bleak. I love that Simon and Edith have grown their family since we last saw them. When Una was struggling with forgiveness, I felt anger right along with her. I felt myself in her shoes, and could imagine the pain she must have felt. I also appreciated the elements of mystery without being exclusively a mystery novel. Crispin and Pip are swoon worthy for sure(Although I would probably have fallen for Pip). I can't wait to see what happens next!
Spice🌶️: 0/10
Profanity🤬:0/10
Violence🗡️:2/10
Spice🌶️: 0/10
Profanity🤬:0/10
Violence🗡️:2/10
November 28, 2025
For fans of Ormdale, this book does not disappoint. The author works with her characters from the Ormsdale series, but 10 years later.
I really enjoyed picking up the lives of especially Violet and Una 10 years later. The tensions in their sister relationship were very realistic and handled well.
I found her setting of 1910 England really interesting. So many of the issues of the day feel very familiar in 2025 America.
As usual I love her various references to authors and books and historical figures that pop up throughout. The author is a well read person.
My only disappointment with this book is that it ended. It is of course the first of a new series and I have to wait for the next book to be written. That is kind of hard, but no choice.
Thank you to Christina Baehr for my ARC.
If you have not read any of the Ormdale series, this one can be enjoyed on its own, but will be so much better if you start with Wormwood Abbey and move through the first 5 books in that series.
I really enjoyed picking up the lives of especially Violet and Una 10 years later. The tensions in their sister relationship were very realistic and handled well.
I found her setting of 1910 England really interesting. So many of the issues of the day feel very familiar in 2025 America.
As usual I love her various references to authors and books and historical figures that pop up throughout. The author is a well read person.
My only disappointment with this book is that it ended. It is of course the first of a new series and I have to wait for the next book to be written. That is kind of hard, but no choice.
Thank you to Christina Baehr for my ARC.
If you have not read any of the Ormdale series, this one can be enjoyed on its own, but will be so much better if you start with Wormwood Abbey and move through the first 5 books in that series.
December 5, 2025
To say that I've missed Christina Baehr’s writing would be an understatement. Her writing is so soft, magical and powerful at the same that I can't get enough of it. This book reminded me exactly why I fell in love with her books in the first place. The writing is so alive it's almost breathing. I adored seeing familiar faces return from The secrets of Ormdale series, older and somehow even more wiser and lovable.
I also loved the fact how the author captures even the smallest things and turns them into something that hits straight in the heart. I felt just as much as the characters such as Una, Pip, and everyone else, their hopes, fears, joy and unraveling.
Also seeing real world issues in the book is something I appreciate so much because you rarely see them being acknowledged, especially in books. Because books can reflect our world just as much as we can escape from it and it's so important that it does.
I loved everything about this book 🥹 felt like coming home to something I didn't realize I’d missed so deeply. So excited to see how the series will be progressing in the future
I also loved the fact how the author captures even the smallest things and turns them into something that hits straight in the heart. I felt just as much as the characters such as Una, Pip, and everyone else, their hopes, fears, joy and unraveling.
Also seeing real world issues in the book is something I appreciate so much because you rarely see them being acknowledged, especially in books. Because books can reflect our world just as much as we can escape from it and it's so important that it does.
I loved everything about this book 🥹 felt like coming home to something I didn't realize I’d missed so deeply. So excited to see how the series will be progressing in the future
January 8, 2026
Brilliant first installment to this new series! It was such a joy to return to Ormdale with familiar faces and new friends (and foes). I was highly impressed by how well-researched this book was, particularly in setting the context for London and the Fairweather chapters.
A note: This book was less cozy, more gripping than the Ormdale series. However, this new era of Ormdale tales is no less thrilling and engaging than its predecessor. Highly recommend!
A note: This book was less cozy, more gripping than the Ormdale series. However, this new era of Ormdale tales is no less thrilling and engaging than its predecessor. Highly recommend!
January 26, 2026
A great start to the second Dragons of Ormdale series!!!!
Una is so relatable. I love having her POV.
Una is so relatable. I love having her POV.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews