The Thrifty Fae And The Treasure Hunt

by Ariana Jade, Arizona Tape

The ruins of Red Vale are calling and they promise to be full of treasure.

Down to her last coins, Daxia is miles behind her other fae peers. To fix her money problem, she'll do what all fae do. A treasure hunt.

Luckily, she doesn't have to go about it alone. She's got an unpredictable companion and her first love to help her out while a dragon who eats coins makes things harder.

Can Daxia find an Enchanted artefact worth a lot of money or will she end up even in more debt?
****
The Thrifty Fae And The Treasure Hunt is a cozy rags to riches fantasy with a found family, a cheeky dragon, and a sapphic romance.

Genres: Fantasy

96 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2026

Reviews

[Autumn Aria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naia, Daxia and Erin go treasure hunting in a crowded town full of other treasure hunters and try their luck. They also meet up with an old unwanted acquaintance and discover the secrets the town hides. Will they find the treasure that makes their dreams come true? Their journey into the human world continues.

Thank you to the author of a free ARC.

[The Book Nerd's Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daxia and friends are ready to investigate the Red Vale ruins and finally find themselves some treasure.

Down to only a few coins and desperate to prove to Naia that she has what it takes to be a treasure hunter, Daxia heads to the Red Vale ruins in the hopes of striking big. Her treasure finding team may be small, but Daxia is convinced that if they look long enough, they will eventually find something worth while.

Thank you so much to Ariana Jade for the gifted eARC of this one and for letting me continue on with this series!

At this point, I'm hoping that this series gets more engaging very soon. I do enjoy the lighthearted treasure hunting vibes, but Daxia keeps getting on my nerves. I get that she doesn't feel good enough for her rich ex-girlfriend, but it's clear that Naia still loves her despite all the dumb things that Daxia’s done.

I wasn't originally expecting the little dragon to be such an important part of this series, but I guess they're never getting rid of him. Once they started training him and then Naia named him, I knew it was all over for them.

This book definitely needed another round of editing. Jade's books usually lack a certain polish due to the large amount of books she publishes, but I fear this one had more errors than usual.

This one also felt a tad short, though I guess maybe they're being split up by location? This one honestly didn't need to be much longer, but it still would have benefited with an extra scene or two. It just feels as though nothing really happens in this one.

Overall, "The Thrifty Fae and the Treasure Hunt" was a decent enough installment in the "Fae on a Budget" series. Personally, I wish more would have occured, but the cozy treasure hunting vibes were still fun. Daxia needs to accept that she’s good enough for Naia in the next book otherwise I might have to riot. I think the bothersome dragon is everyone's favorite part of this book and it's for a good reason as nothing much really happens.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thrifty Fae and the Treasure Hunt is Book 3 in the Fae on a Budget series by Ariana Jade.
In this installment, we follow Daxia, Naia, and Erin on their first treasure hunt together in the ruins of Red Vale, witness the unexpected return of a pesky metal-eating dragon, and laugh at Erin's no-chill attempts to get the two estranged exes to bridge the awkward distance between them. Because of unexpected fees, Daxia's debt increases while her confidence decreases.
Erin, their human companion, is annoying, witty, and a great addition to the party. Naia proves to be everything Daxia remembers from their youth and more, having matured during their years apart. Daxia is still processing her past trauma and is slowly opening her heart again.
I love seeing Daxia and Naia repairing their relationship. They are sweet and have great chemistry.
Bo is a fun character. I am glad he is back.
This is an entertaining series that should be read in chronological order. I always have a nice time with sapphic books by Ariana Jade. I recommend checking out their numerous series.

Quoteworthy:
Everyone knows decisions made in the dark are weighed differently. The mind is in control during the day, but the heart takes over at night.

"You're not protecting her by keeping her at arm's length. You're only protecting yourself."

#slowburn #romantasy #fae #humans #secondchance #friendstolovers #oppositesattract #dragon #magic #questingparty #treasurehunter #serial #notastandalone #foundfamily #queernormative #wealthypoor #HFN
I received a review copy from the author. This is my honest opinion.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daxia is a halfling and she is down on coin, desperately in debt with her ex-girlfriend, and planning how to repay her debts, and make more money. Like all other fae she decides to go on a treasure hunt, together with her ex Naia, her human friend Erin, and a metal eating young dragon who has decided to attach himself to Daxia, and who gobbles up her coins, the little she has. They all end up in the ruins of Red Vale where apparently treasure was to be found. However our trio only manages to dig up roots and rubbish, and her debts keep on rising, but her old flame seems to be rekindling at least. I really enjoyed this funny book, the banter between Erin and the rest of the team is hilarious, and I really loved Bo, short for bothersome, as Daxia had decided to name the little cute dragon. Will she manage to find treasure and make her fortune?

[Dulaine Roode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Off to hunt for treasure.

Daxia doesn't like to be beholden to anyone, but when they make it to Red Vale to hunt for treasure in the ruins, it turns out that will be more difficult than she anticipated. They have to pay for quite a lot of things, like a plot to dig, place to sleep, and so much more. She ends up owing Naia some money, and she doesn't like that one bit. She decides to sell her knife, pays Naia back and buys some needed things. But the dreaded dragon turns up again, and it turns out that the dragon might be somewhat helpful.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jessica Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cute edition to the series! As much as I occasionally want to throttle Daxia and scream at her to just tell Naia how she feels, I also understand not feeling worthy of someone is so many different ways. I get it. Luckily, Erin is there both to offer levity and, on one occasion, some surprising advice, and Bothersome the Dragon is adorable!

I received an advance review copy for free from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. There’s a very adorable and precocious dragon that steals the show for me. I love him. This was another fun and cozy installment to the series. Daxia and Naia’s romance is finally going somewhere which was lovely to see. Fun read.

Spice: None/❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mx Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Thrifty Fae and the Treasure Hunt is a treasure hunting sapphic slow-slow-burn fantasy. I love the time it is taking for Daxia and the crew to find their treasure. (Though I think the real treasure is Daxia and Naia.) I can’t wait to read the next adventure.

“Thank you, Vampari Press, for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.”

[Carolyn Evans]

This was an entertaining read about a treasure hunt with many obstacles, many of which have to do with communication. The dragon is bothersome in more ways than one, but a charming addition.

[Christine Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow i love this series its a quick read but the story keeps you hooked definitely worth reading congratulations

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daxia, Naia, and Erin arrive in the town of Red Vale to try their luck treasure hunting in the ruins. The fees in town set Daxia back more than she’d like and she’s determined not to borrow from Naia. Erin meddles in their relationship trying to get them back together, but past hurts and miscommunication still stand between them. They’re all surprised when the metal-eating dragon tracks them to Red Vale. When they can’t get him to leave, Daxia attempts to train the dragon in order to save their coins and supplies from his appetite. He even gets a nickname, Bo, which makes him part of the team. An unexpected discovery leads them to uncover a surprising secret of the town. Deciding to move on, will they have better luck in their next adventure?

Ariana Jade continues her cozy fantasy adventure series, Fae on a Budget, with this charming episode. A slow burn, second-chance, sapphic romance between half-fae Daxia and unlucky fae Naia, alongside human sidekick Erin, and troublesome dragon Bo. The leads are appealing and the angst between them is understandable. I like that they have some clear communication to start to heal the past and that they’re not rushing into full reconciliation. Bo is adorable and the training was a lot of fun to read. I love how he’s becoming integrated into their team. Overall a cute and cozy read with a touch of spice.

I received a free review copy from the author and am pleased to leave this voluntary review.