The Dragon and the Exiled

by Megan Derr

Six months ago, Dipak was arrested for a horrific crime. He should have been executed, but he's not feeling terribly grateful for the crown's mercy when he's taken to the edge of the Forbidden Forest and left to rot with only the clothes on his back and whatever he could easily carry.

Homeless, friendless, and aimless, he ventures into the Forbidden Forest on the quest for a dragon, because any person who can single-handedly fell a nigh-legendary blue dragon will be granted whatever they wish by decree of the king.

Instead of a dragon, however, Dipak finds the single most annoying man he's ever met in his life, a man who is relentlessly cheerful and carefree, who seems determined to make Dipak his friend—a man entirely too at ease in a forest that has killed thousands of people.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Romance, Magic, M M Romance, Historical, High Fantasy

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 27, 2026

About the author

Megan is a long time resident of queer romance and keeps herself busy reading and writing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her wife and cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers and can be found all over the internet.

meganderr.com
patreon.com/meganderr
meganderr.blogspot.com
facebook.com/meganaprilderr
meganaderr@gmail.com
@meganaderr

Reviews

[Drache.... (Angelika)]

Dnf 78% because otherwise I'll only get cranky and nobody needs that.

A few of my issues, as I started to take notes early on (and that's always a bad sign)

Many of the author's choices didn't make sense, like Dipak being the only one knowing Euclid's secret, or Dipak and Euclid suddenly disappearing from view without a care of who watched, during the clean-up after the solstice, or that the forest was supposedly deadly because nobody ever returned from it alive and Dipak knew it was his death sentence being banned there, but after the first chapters life in the forest is calm and lovely, humans living far apart but trading and helping each other out, Euclid making sure that everyone is safe. As Euclid said, families with children obviously left the forest because raising children made more sense in the cities?! I thought nobody returned alive from the forest...

Dipak and Euclid went from being friends to lovers in the span of a heartbeat, suddenly both wanted to try if they could be forever mates? There wasn't any build-up, any hint at attraction or feelings.

Dipak constantly compared Euclid and what Euclid did to his ex lover Lochan and what Lochan had done, while kissing and during sex, it was cringey.

What troubled me most was the backstory to Dipak's predicament, though. Dipak "had been forced" to kill the king (his lover) because he feared the king otherwise was going to kill hundreds or thousands of people as he developed some kind of maniac obsession? The king hadn't given any orders and Dipak was the only one to see his mental decline.. so the only solution was to preemptively kill him? I love well written morally grey characters, but Dipak was shown as a man who was punished severely for saving others with his selfless decision (killing someone who he THOUGHT had the INTENTION to kill others). I really don't think that's how you justify killing someone.

At 75% the plot suddenly pickes up after chapters and chapters of living, hunting, trading, but the author hurls the storyline along with new explanations for everything that happens that are just so convenient, I don't care anymore.

[Verdelite]

Do I smell the possibility of a spinoff featuring a certain hot ex-mercenary?
Someone please tell me I'm not delusional!

[Achim]

3.5
It starts a bit too gloomy to be called a cozy fantasy although the rest of the story would easily fall into this category. There are some obstacles and threats, even an emotionally disturbing comment which would cause some drama in a lot of romances but here everything is solved quite agreeably. There is enough action and adorable characters to balance that smooth path forward and everyone who ever read a Megan Derr fairytale certainly agrees that this serves her writing style quite well.

The ending then was like the start a bit off-beat. Nothing gloomy here, quite the contrary but it felt prolonged, like she's showing off how colorful her world is. Unfortunately it doesn't add anything real to the actual story. Anyway, as someone who started his foray into M/M romance with Megan Derr and enjoyed it, I do the round-up into 4 stars.

[S.J. Himes]

Fairytale perfection

Reads like a fairytale in all the best ways. I love the characters and the worldbuilding. The romance is sweet and spicy. Derr is always a hit and never a miss.

[Rebs ✿]

Strong start but fell incredibly flat at the end

[Kassu]

3.5⭐

Oh, heh, this review went public already with my short note: 'farming sim'. 😅
It is.

Megan Derr quite often describes her characters toiling with their occupation and all the everyday grind, which can be quite charming. But I so got the giggles with this one, when we got a day by day live stream of Dipak starting his new home in Forbidden Forest. Gathering this, hunting that, preparing the goods, setting up camp, planning for winter... Luckily the story did pick up and it's not 50K words of farming sim.

The forest and Euclid were extremely charming. So much that I wish I could give this one 4 stars. Very much 4+ charm material. But it slightly missed so many marks, and I have not been in a generous mood, so this will have to do. Too many things remained vague or were glossed over. Nothing dealbreaking though, this was a fun one.

[Ami]

I haven't read many Megan Derr's novels for a while now - a couple that I read this year were all shorts - maybe because she has written more queer stories rather than M/M and I am not always in the mood for that.

So this one is a delight to find. It features an exiled hunter, a lovely dragon (whom in the majority of the book is in human form though), a cast of characters, and a great forbidden forest. Yes, I enjoyed this one a lot. Euclid was lovely (I said that already) - I loved that he LOVED doing the trades, taking care of other people and his woods. Depak trying to dismiss Euclid was a lost case for sure 😀.

[Hellarious]

5/5 ⭐️

This was my first book by this author, and honestly, I absolutely loved it. I’m seriously smitten with this book.

One thing I really enjoyed was the writing style. There aren’t a lot of descriptions, and usually that can be a problem for me, but here it actually worked really well. The story keeps moving: something happens, then something else happens, and then something else. There is always a plot, and I really like that kind of pacing. I never felt like the story was getting stuck in endless descriptions of things that didn’t really matter.

That said, I do think the lack of description sometimes worked a little too well. In a few places, the emotional moments felt too short, and I didn’t always get enough time to really feel and live through what the characters were experiencing. I understood what was happening and why they were feeling that way, but I sometimes wanted those emotions to be explored a little more deeply.

Still, I really loved the overall feeling of this book. It was cozy, heartwarming, and honestly felt a little like a fairy tale. Everything unfolded so nicely, and it was just such a pleasant story to read. It was easy, fun, and interesting without being boring, and I genuinely couldn’t predict what was going to happen next.

And now I really want more. If there are other books set in this world, I would absolutely read them. I’d love to spend more time in this setting and see more of it.

This book definitely made me want to read more from the author. I went in without knowing what to expect, and I came out completely smitten.

5/5. Absolutely loved it.

[Sam Reads Books *Just the Highlights*]

2026: 4.25

This was cute and I loved it 💜

[Tim]

Dipak is hunter with excellent archery skills that makes him a valuable member of several mercenary groups over the years. When his country goes to war, he meets the king and the pair of them begin a quiet affair. As the king's lover, Dipak begins to notice the king's erratic behavior which worries him. He suspects it's a blood curse of kind, and he knows it could and will lead to madness and violence. Unfortunately no one around him will believe his warnings, not any of the king's family, advisors, or court. So when the king finally snaps, Dipak has to kill him to save the country from more violence. Unfortunately he's arrested and imprisoned, and abused by his jailers for six months. Then the King's son and now the country's ruler decides Dipak should be exiled for being the Kingslayer. Much of this is repeated mentioned throughout the novel, but glossed over quickly.

The story opens as Dipak is being dragged to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, given a bundle of his possessions, and formally exiled into the woods. He stumbles into the forest only to find himself being followed by a gorgeous and very unusual young man, who keeps smiling, talking to Dipak, and helping him find his way to safety. Euclid keeps finding Dipak and hanging around him, and seems determined to make him his friend. But Dipak is bitter and angry from the circumstances of his exile, and untrusting of strangers. However, over a few days, Euclid eventually wears him down and they become friendly. Then Dipak uncovers Euclid's secret. It's not a surprise, folks.

The remaining two-thirds of the novel quickly devolves into a tedium of Dipak did this, Euclid did that, and clumsy dialogue

This was not Derr's best effort. It read like it needed more rewrites and tightened up considerably. Some of the repetition could have been eliminated, and I felt like the backstory should have been better worked into the novel itself. Many of the background characters were brought in only for a scene or two, then never seen again, leaving awkward scenes with many possibilities undeveloped. Kind of a disappointment since many of her short stories are considerably more tight with less prose.

Two stars, not great.

[Terri]

This is a very good fantasy romance full of good characters in a rich world. It's single point of view, always my favorite, and the plot was great. It would be fun to read more stories set in this world, hint hint...

[Sandy Kay]

Awww, a sweet romantasy with suspense and mate bonding. I enjoyed it a lot. Megan Derr isn’t always safe for me, but this one delivered a lovely story than never bumped me out of the read.

Skilled hunter Dipak has been banished. Formerly the king’s lover, he had to kill the king when no one listened to him about the king’s growing mental instability, which would have led to mass deaths.

After months of imprisonment, he’s thrown into the Forbidden Forest, a dangerous place from which few ever return. But Dipak has a plan…slay the mythical blue dragon and reclaim the honor and riches that once were his.

Meeting the effervescent and kind Euclid is…baffling, enchanting, mesmerizing…something Dipak never expected. This strange and wonderful man appears when needed, offering fair trades, good company, invaluable tips for surviving the forest, and a network of hidden forest dwellers who may be allies in time.

Their growing friendship and connection must withstand so much, from Dipak’s ambitions to outside danger that may be the ruin of all the forest and its inhabitants, both deadly and benign. Only by changing his ways and mindset can Dipak survive, thrive, and maybe find the place he was meant to be all along.

I enjoyed this fairytale so much, from Dipak’s ignorance to his epiphany, Euclid’s secrets and depth, the magic of the place, the sense of belonging and wonder, and the rallying of the underdogs to overcome near impossible odds and triumph. Such a fun time!

The romance is perhaps understated, very sweet, despite some steamy times, and I would have loved a bit more…oomph to it. But, it grew on me and I was rooting for these two all the way.

The secondary characters form a complex network of allies and antagonists, and I appreciated the way Dipak’s past and expertise were important to the outcome.

Overall, an enchanting read.

HEA, human and dragon shifter, magic, mate bonding, fun secrets and dangerous obstacles. No OM action at all; Dipak’s past with the king is important, and not made less of, but doesn’t infringe on the present and his new love with Euclid. Minor OM drama from another who’s interested in Euclid, but it isn’t a threat at all. Safe for me! Highly recommended.

[Theo]

"Sometimes, though… sometimes we are seen, and that is more precious than any treasure."

Another short read for me!
I read this super fast staying up way past when I got tired because I was so entranced by the story.
I love how blunt the writing could be the first few chapters absolutely felt like a brit had written them as that tends to be our sense of humour. I also liked the trading and community that the other forest inhabitants have.

I understand that this is a shorter book but it was too fast. The relationship between our dragon and hunter felt like insta love. I didn't have much of an inkling that Dipak was even attracted to Euclid until we were already in his house. There was no slow burn no courtship and while I appreciate that the fast pace was necessary at times for the story, it could have been written better so that it didn't feel so abrupt.
I didn't notice a strong hint of attraction until we were already in Euclid's house near the clothing. If Dipak had more thoughts than that throughout it would have felt so much more natural and rewarding when they finally did get together.
I absolutely did enjoy this story I just couldn't get on with the pacing of the pairs relationship.

[BMO]

I was honestly disappointed. I really liked both of the characters, Dipak and Euclid, but I was left with a feeling that they could have been so much more better developed. Dipak did not grow as a character. Well, it felt more like he did all of his character growth BEFORE the story. He had so much trauma and baggage, but he also dealth with it so easily. And he was in love with the previous King for so long and yet, he was very easily able to fall in love with with Euclid? It just didn't make sense. There should have been tension there, and there wasn't. Also, I didn't like how quickly and easily their relationship grew. It would have made more sense if it was a premise of like fated mates or Euclid knowing that Dapik was "the one" but it wasn't. It was made clear that a bond between them would be entirely up to choice and considering how important it was made to be, and how old Euclid was, it felt cheap to have him choose Dipak so easily and so quickly. And the main conflict felt so rushed, with no buildup.
Again, overall just a disappointing story.

[Deborah]

A tale of found family and purpose

This reads easily and holds the interest throughout. Our hero is a resourceful chap, raised a hunter and capable of living off the land, and trained as a scout, so the Forbidden Forest, whilst populated with nasty beasties, is somewhere he can survive. The nasty beasties play a very small role in the tale, which is about finding love, a community, and peace.
There are no great surprises, for me at least, but the depiction of a forest society living by trade and cooperation is nicely drawn. There’s some explicit sex, in context and utterly consensual, but it doesn’t dominate, and fits the story.
A good way to pass a lazy Sunday!

[Charlene]

Really enjoyed this book. The main characters were well rounded and the relationship unfolded very well. Dipak was shown to the Forbidden Forest and told not to return on pain of death. We find he had killed the King who was his lover because he was going to cause massive destruction but no one would believe Dipak. So now he is must keep himself alive in a dangerous place. He has magic and can keep him safe from those dangerous beings for now. After a few days he meets an unusual man who seem to be able to just appear and gives him some help. You need to read this to find out more but I can say this was a wonderful story.

[Deeze]

3.5

Normally I can pretty much sink into a Megan Derr world easily, this time it took a little longer.


While I loved Euclid immediately Dipak took me a little while to warm up to. I think my problem was that we only got told of his past we never got to live it. I feel like I missed half the story.


The magic was interesting and the other players entertaining, I feel like there is a story to be told about a few of them.

Overall a nice read just maybe not quite what I have come to expect

[MyDoRyS]

My reviews are my own. If you enjoyed this book, I’m glad you did. If not, I respect your opinion, so please respect mine. This is simply my view, so let's keep it courteous. My review is honest and voluntary.

Not bad, but I had a hard time caring for the characters. Not because of their personalities or anything, I just couldn't get personally invested in the story.

On to my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!

[Lisa]

This is a very enjoyable novella that takes place in a magical forest. Dipak, a former scout for the military, was exiled there as a punishment and no one expects him to survive. Then, he meets Euclid, a cheerful and helpful forest resident who helps him immensely. Along the way, there may be a possibility of love in the most unexpected place. It's charming and quaint, with just the right amount of danger and mystery, passion and romance. Recommended!

[Kimber]

Another fun read by one of my favorites

This was enjoyable, with a few surprise twists, but nothing horribly stressful; which I consider a win. Great characters and the usual excellent world building. The story, of course, was sweet and a little rough in a few places, without ever going over the top. I'm trying not to be too spoilery, but it's hard. I can definitely say that if you have read and enjoyed Megan Derr's work before, you'll definitely like this one.

[Jandee]

I love this story so much. It's so cool!

Dipak is so brave, and capable, and sexy. Euclid is a sweetheart. "Lord Sunshine himself." I love them and their found family. I want to go live in the forest with The Exiled.

"Your territory and the people that you protect became the treasure that you guard."

This book makes me happy. ❤️

[Jacob]

fine if predictable

It’s an ok story. The magic doesn’t make much sense and there’s a lot more exposition of thought rather than allowing unready to experience things organically. I also don’t find the speed at which they got together to be reasonable based on the characters own sense of relationships. But can you expect from such a short book

[Mavin]

Absolutely lovely

An incredibly satisfying read. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes queer fairytales, romance, overcoming a complicated and painful past, and a little spice. Had everything I could want in a book.

[☆ Todd]

A fun story and I liked how the people in power had no choice but to accept the unspoken, "I GODDAMN TOLD YOU SO!" from the MC in the end, after ignoring his warnings to the point he had to act on his own to save lives, and was then punished for it.

4 stars.

[JP]

Have read a lot of Megan Derr. This one is really great and feels really rounded out. I would love to hear more about their story and what they encounter in the future. Love the trading system of all the woodlands inhabitants. It was such a lovely story to read.

[Adam Brown]

DNFed at 21% because the writing was bad and I got bored. Cool cover tho.

[George S]

Another great book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it quite absorbing. My only wish is that it was longer although it did take a few hours to read.

[Zuum]

3.75-4 super enjoyable, like her writing

[Jim]

cute and quick read

[Duke Silver's Duchess]

This was adorable. Very low angst. Sunshine dragon meets prickly exiled human mate.