The Toymaker's Hoard

Trice City Lovers #2

by Megan Derr

Cadmus is a dragon content to spend his days quietly tending his shop and creating custom toys, music boxes, and automatons for his clients. It's a peaceful life, minus the occasional hostile visit from a rival who wants to know the secret behind his creations, which require no winding to work.

Then an intriguing new client blows into his shop and commissions a gift for the man she loves, but is forbidden to be with. She is followed shortly by her father, the notorious Chief of Police Harren Imperia. He is best known for the tragic murder of his wife, and his open support of paranormals, even when it means angering more powerful humans.

As Harren and his daughter drag Cadmus into their dizzying world, he finds himself facing problems he never expected: being caught between the wishes of the father and the wants of the daughter, and captivated by the beautiful, alluring Lord Paali...

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, M M Romance, Romance, Menage, Novella, Polyamory

ebook

First published September 25, 2019

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

[Drusilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another example of Megan Derr's feel-good stories. This is part of a series, but can be read completely on its own. The protagonists from the first book make a brief appearance here, but you don't need to be familiar with them.
Surprisingly for me, as I hadn't read any reviews, this is the story of a love triangle. It begins with a little jealousy and you expect drama, but fortunately it's very brief and ends in wonderful threesomeness.
The characters and plot are so rich and wonderful, and again, all in just a few pages. I love it. And at least there's a little bit more to this story. It ends just as the relationship is really getting started, but it has a lovely, satisfying finish.
And besides, dragons are simply the best.

Harren laughed, then gently reeled him in, cupped his face with both hands, and leaned up to take Cadmus's mouth in a warm, lingering kiss that tasted of coffee and cinnamon. Oh, there went any chance of focusing on work today. Cadmus clung lightly to him and returned the kiss with fervor. 💕🐉💕

Oh, this wasn't fair. They were friends, or becoming so for certain. Cadmus was enjoying his blossoming relationship with Harren. He didn't want to be here, with memories of kissing one man tangling with a growing need to kiss the one in front of him. 🥰🐉🥰

Maybe it was just part of his hoarding nature, but he did not like to see such a jewel as Sula ignored and neglected. He belonged in the hoard, safe and happy. 😍🐉😍

[Natalie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. Short but not rushed and another enjoyable mmm story. I liked all three characters and liked that Cadmus was a dragon. The hoard situation was interesting but my favourite part was the helpers.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of this story quite a lot (unlike book 1, which I couldn't finish). I only skimmed the last scene because it was obvious to me.. But the worldbuilding was satisfying, I enjoyed the different take on what a dragon hoard means and how shifting works, and if there's a #3, I will certainly take a look.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really enjoyable threesome

I love Megan Derr's world building and this is no different. The story casts you immediately into the world of the Toy maker, as he navigates the city he lives and works in. Harran and Sula and their children made me smile - and the ending was, if not perfect - because life seldom is - it was right for them.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here be hoarding dragons, beware!

Of him making your face hurt from smiles of cuteness.

[Sanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love it. Want more.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the original re-telling of the dragon mythos here. In this world, a dragon's tendency to horde is treated as a stand in to sympathetically discuss mental disorders such as OCD. I also really liked all the descriptions of all the clockwork toys the main character makes. And WOW seeing our hero go from meek and shy to Hulking out into full fire breathing dragon mode was AWESOME!

However, all the romance was rushed and a bit forced. Yay for positive polyamory getting representation, but most of it could have been put on the back burner to allow for more world building and character development.

[Tigress62 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slight warning beforehand: this book is unusually spicy for this author!!! I liked it, though 😉

This is the second volume in the Trice City series, but both books can be read (and understood) independently. I enjoyed it more than volume one, which was nice, but read a bit like a rough draft. I liked Cadmus and his - no doubt - beautiful hoard! If only his automatons were to exist in real life 😍 Sula and Harren were cute, each in their own way. Unfortunately, however, the villain was a bit too easily dealt with in the end ... Since I am on a Megan Derr binge, I am off to the next book by this author ...

[Kassu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. There were so many aspect and pieces of the story I really like, but somehow they just didn't arrange themselves in a completely flattering way. This was a nice book, but not an excellent one.

I loved the main character, a dragon and a clockwork maker in one, that's just awesome. I was also very interested the two love interests being mature men with adult children - and lifetime friends to each other. This had so much potential but fell a bit short. Still, I obviously can't help liking a dragon tinkerer and polyamory with mature men.

[Relly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

I enjoyed this one better than the first in the series.

It didn't feel as rushed and there was more time spent on the relationship between Cadmus and Harren. that being said I did feel like the addition of Sula was done quickly and the extra bonus chapter at the end helped to portray how that eventuated.

I liked the way the hoard situation come about and the happenings afterwards.

All in al a quick read that was very enjoyable

[Soul Yaoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

It was a fun read. I love Megan Derr's work and I am a sucker for Happily Ever Afters. 😊

[Samvander · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one better then the first. Both are good stories.

[Deeze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another sweet Dragon.

Not quite as good as her longer works but still an enjoyable read.

[Justyna Małgorzata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cadmus was lovely - I sooo adore Megan Derr's dragons. His quiet nature and unusual talent made him really likeable. Unfortunately I didn't care much about Sula or Harren, nor did I enjoy the romance, which happened very fast and felt somehow lacking. The sex scene at the end was guite hot though!

[Harper Daily · Rating 5 out of 5]

*GASP* This book was so adorable!!! A dragon who builds mechanical toys out of his treasures I mean, come on, how is that not heartwarming! I also love how the dragon and the lovers build their friendship and more throughout the book - my only regret is the story felt short and I wished I could linger longer. Yet it is still a perfect little gem.

[WMD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice short magical love story

The second in Derr's Trice City series, this tale circles together bits of fairy tale, politics and court procedural into a an m/m/m tale. The magical toymaker, dragons, faeries, sleeping beauties and fakery gardeners all play a role. Generally sweet tale of a lonely Dragon stepping out from his comfortable Shoppe and finding life can be much better than he ever expected.
Likable characters, some discussion of racist anti-paranormal contingency and protests, follows the worn but pleasurable fairytale road. The magical toys and the heights of Dragon ire are two features that enrich the tale.

If you like the sound of the Toymaker's Hoard, I can recommend:
The first in the Trice City series (Love Tokens), which involves demon and incubus in a little mystery solving.
A Flower For Tulip by R. Cooper (mm short story, fantasy) and the other Being books by R.Cooper.
Magpie Lord by K.C. Charles (historical mm fantasy)

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful read! The characters were more complex that expected, no black and white with their feelings or actions. The three men are circling each other but they aren't an immediate easy fit; there is friendship, unrequited love, new love, and misunderstandings that keep things from being an easy path. On top of it all the city of Trice does not make things easy as it still resists its paranormal citizens and the things they need, all while pretending to embrace them at the same time.

This was a beautiful interweaving of lives in the midst of a difficult time. It brings to question actions, instinct, and what it all means in a relationship. Love and trust is important to all the relationships, beyond even the romantic, and falling back on those is how to find the way forward.

[Katrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually I do not enjoy books with threesomes, but in this case it was in a really sweet way and more like a 'side not at the end' that I could still enjoy the book.
And yes, I noticed now that I just overlooked that part in the summary, my bad... I check the genres for that case, but because the book was so new when I added it to my 'to read' shelf, I didn't checked it later on... Lucky me, because the book was wunderful sweet and I loved every second of it :)

[LWM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so pleased to finally read a book of this writer's that is error free!

If there were errors, I was too caught up in the story and its distracting plotlines to notice them. Loved this dragon protagonist and his two love interests, as well as the many other unexpected twists that kept me engaged. Great little story that was extremely well written.

[Helen M. Whitchurch · Rating 4 out of 5]

M/M/M romance

I really liked toymaker and young couple but think tournament's lovers could have been developed bit more. I found the setting's culture intriguing and want more of Trice setting. Of course stealing a hoard should be a capital crime for reasons given. Poor Smaug!

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of her work

I like Megan Derr's work normally. The story I enjoyed, as well as the characters but I'm not into threesomes and honestly I just don't think the storyline needed it.

[Trefoil · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a really enjoyable read. It was a good length, I would have enjoyed it more if it was longer. I loved the characters. I haven't read the first book, I really should. Although the demon that's supposed to be the main character in first book sounds quite scary lol

[TwistedRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this!! So cute 😍
I love this take on Dragon's. I wish Cadmus lived around here. I want one of his automatons! I wish it was longer. I need more!

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love dragons

I'm a sucker for a story with dragons, so I was sold on this one. I liked the characters. Serena and Tennis subplot was interesting.

[Indira Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, as always. I especially liked the little detail at the beginning.

[Novel Ninja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely

Megan Derr brings the drama with a core of sweetness as a dragon toy maker, a chief of police, and a half fae nobleman discover each other.

[ReviewerLarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. It was very sweet and a fun read.

[Xanthe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Praise

As always one of my favourites. I'm glad one of Megan Derr's earlier books made me better understand triads because their relationship is sweet and adorable.