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Royal Red
In a world of dragons...
When Rose Blackthorn decides to tour the Southern Lands, she only hopes to improve her painting skills. She doesn't expect adventure.
Join Rose as she pursues artistic excellence through the white-topped mountains, along the seaside, and in the corrupt city of Tirras--and finds friendship, romance, and a dragon-sized helping of trouble along the way.
Art. Adventure. And lots of tea.
When Rose Blackthorn decides to tour the Southern Lands, she only hopes to improve her painting skills. She doesn't expect adventure.
Join Rose as she pursues artistic excellence through the white-topped mountains, along the seaside, and in the corrupt city of Tirras--and finds friendship, romance, and a dragon-sized helping of trouble along the way.
Art. Adventure. And lots of tea.
194 pages, Paperback
Published July 27, 2022
8 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
K.C. Shaw
30 books46 followersK.C. Shaw lives in Atlanta and writes fantasy, YA, and furry fiction. As Kate Shaw, she produces Strange Animals Podcast and writes nonfiction.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 3, 2025
This one was an absolute delight. It's a short, quick read, but an extremely textured and satisfying personal journey that manages to pack a surprising amount of ideas and themes into its somewhat minimalist length and prose. We follow the journey of Rose, a dragoness painter traveling the countryside to explore the world and obtain new perspectives in order to improve her painting skills. The reverence the story and writing has for the art form is palpable, and that alone might be enough to carry me through, but the journey of Rose is just as interesting from an internal perspective as an external one. As she sees things, she grows emotionally and intellectually, developing a richer understanding of nature, politics, culture, and people. The colorful cast of characters she meets are all memorable, but none more so than herself. By the time she finally returns home, this charming yet flat and static backdrop has become a painting in and of itself; a portrait of a world in constant flux and change, captured for the briefest moment within the pages of this book and through the eyes of a dragon.
September 27, 2023
I wanna say that this book was more of a 3.5, but going off of Goodreads rating system, 3 stars is where it's at for me. I liked the book, but that's about it, and I just don't think the slice of life nature of it is for me.
It was definitely a cozy adventure, but it lacked anything that would make it particularly interesting to me. It was mostly just the main character traveling and drawing, which is fine, but it didn't make for an engaging read.
The only part where the book got very interesting was Rose's time spent in Tirras. The author did a fantastic job of writing characters and society that depicted the sad and the unpleasant and rich sides of it. I immensely enjoyed her interactions with other characters, and how interesting and unique they all felt. I actually found a lot of them relatable, and several of them very quickly made me feel for them. The later parts in Tirras even had some very unexpected events that had me glued to my Kindle because I wanted to find out what exactly happened.
Unfortunately, Rose's journey was written in such a way that she's just a bystander and witness to the events going on in the world. I understand that some people love this, but to me, it just felt disappointing not getting to learn more about the events going on around the world, like some sort of cruel tease. Even more so because the little teases were really good, and I would gladly read a sequel that delves more info the intrigue of the world, with the consequences of the royalist takeover.
Another thing that, while I didn't have issues with it, still struck me as odd was the adult nature of the book. All the characters are very charming and lovely and just generally very pleasant and kind (apart from a few), and the way they talk is very natural. So when some of the characters randomly drop an F-bomb in an attempt to describe how much they want to have sex with another character, it just feels... jarring, and out of place. I'd understand the crass language if all dragons casually talked like that, but the mature language is very very rare, so it makes the few scenes where it happens even more bizarre to me. It's like the dragons talk 90% of the time in a very normal manner, but then you suddenly get a character who thinks that another is "a pounding good fuck!". It was honestly quite amusing to read and it didn't detract from my experience, but it did feel a little out of place. Oh, and the sex scene was pretty good, way more explicit than I expected it to be.
All in all, I enjoyed reading this book, but I can only really say that I loved reading a small portion of it, which was the Tirras portion, because it was, by far, the most interesting portion. The book is wonderfully written though, and there is lots of potential for a sequel here, and I'd quite happily read a follow up to this, especially if it focused more on the events happening in the world.
It was definitely a cozy adventure, but it lacked anything that would make it particularly interesting to me. It was mostly just the main character traveling and drawing, which is fine, but it didn't make for an engaging read.
The only part where the book got very interesting was Rose's time spent in Tirras. The author did a fantastic job of writing characters and society that depicted the sad and the unpleasant and rich sides of it. I immensely enjoyed her interactions with other characters, and how interesting and unique they all felt. I actually found a lot of them relatable, and several of them very quickly made me feel for them. The later parts in Tirras even had some very unexpected events that had me glued to my Kindle because I wanted to find out what exactly happened.
Unfortunately, Rose's journey was written in such a way that she's just a bystander and witness to the events going on in the world. I understand that some people love this, but to me, it just felt disappointing not getting to learn more about the events going on around the world, like some sort of cruel tease. Even more so because the little teases were really good, and I would gladly read a sequel that delves more info the intrigue of the world, with the consequences of the royalist takeover.
Another thing that, while I didn't have issues with it, still struck me as odd was the adult nature of the book. All the characters are very charming and lovely and just generally very pleasant and kind (apart from a few), and the way they talk is very natural. So when some of the characters randomly drop an F-bomb in an attempt to describe how much they want to have sex with another character, it just feels... jarring, and out of place. I'd understand the crass language if all dragons casually talked like that, but the mature language is very very rare, so it makes the few scenes where it happens even more bizarre to me. It's like the dragons talk 90% of the time in a very normal manner, but then you suddenly get a character who thinks that another is "a pounding good fuck!". It was honestly quite amusing to read and it didn't detract from my experience, but it did feel a little out of place. Oh, and the sex scene was pretty good, way more explicit than I expected it to be.
All in all, I enjoyed reading this book, but I can only really say that I loved reading a small portion of it, which was the Tirras portion, because it was, by far, the most interesting portion. The book is wonderfully written though, and there is lots of potential for a sequel here, and I'd quite happily read a follow up to this, especially if it focused more on the events happening in the world.
October 8, 2022
A slice of life novel that is dragon POV, there are no humans at all actually. The entire story takes place from a single character POV as well, no bouncing around.
I was recommended this book when I was looking for a slice of life novel, no epic battles, no end of the world, I just wanted a fantasy setting book that took me on a trip in someone else life for a bit. This book delivered that but in a way that moved me more than I expected. Its a beautiful slice of life, a peek into an important moment in a persons life that brought me to tears when it was done. A truly wonderful experience.
I was recommended this book when I was looking for a slice of life novel, no epic battles, no end of the world, I just wanted a fantasy setting book that took me on a trip in someone else life for a bit. This book delivered that but in a way that moved me more than I expected. Its a beautiful slice of life, a peek into an important moment in a persons life that brought me to tears when it was done. A truly wonderful experience.
November 1, 2022
Amazingly surprising, or suprisingly amazing ?
This book suprised me even though I had recommendations on it and thus was expecting something good.
Vivid slices of life with an endearing, overall optimistic yet nothing near naive main character on a rich journey of self discovery.
Although the draconic society depicted may seem similar to our own in a number of little details, it also has its own institutions and peculiar details that make it solid.
This book was hard to put down, and also easy to read without sacrificing aesthetics and expressiveness.
This book suprised me even though I had recommendations on it and thus was expecting something good.
Vivid slices of life with an endearing, overall optimistic yet nothing near naive main character on a rich journey of self discovery.
Although the draconic society depicted may seem similar to our own in a number of little details, it also has its own institutions and peculiar details that make it solid.
This book was hard to put down, and also easy to read without sacrificing aesthetics and expressiveness.
April 4, 2023
A really nice and cosy story - exactly what it said on the description!
The characters were really interesting, though I feel like we never got the chance to linger with some of the better ones.
The framing was at times strange - so much focus was given to the low-stakes and cosy nature of the main character's story, while some pretty big events were taking place in the background. I sometimes expected the story to follow those events (and would be interested to see a different story telling them sometime!)
Overall, a really nice story that was a pleasure to read.
The characters were really interesting, though I feel like we never got the chance to linger with some of the better ones.
The framing was at times strange - so much focus was given to the low-stakes and cosy nature of the main character's story, while some pretty big events were taking place in the background. I sometimes expected the story to follow those events (and would be interested to see a different story telling them sometime!)
Overall, a really nice story that was a pleasure to read.
August 18, 2022
If a book was ever scientifically engineered for me, it would definitely be a cozy slice of life adventure in a world full of dragons that centers on painting as a central plot point. I really enjoyed my time in the world presented by Royal Red and I think that’s at least due to all of the world building that K.C. Shaw has put into it. It felt like the characters were living in a world designed for dragons with each little detail. From the yearly molt, to how dragons would best identify housing districts from the color of roofs, to something as small as drinking tea out of bowls large enough to fit their snouts in. As someone who has taken a few painting classes and would really like to get back into that hobby, I also appreciated all of the details on the process of painting that were peppered throughout the adventure. I’ve been eyeing up my paints and unused canvases ever since finishing the book, so I’d say it lit a proverbial fire in me to at least try that again. Rose is a fun character and to see her meet and interact with so many dragons and then be changed by those experiences hammers home the importance of traveling. You learn more about yourself by experiencing others often enough.
My criticisms are pretty small in that I wish we could have spent more time with certain characters or scenes in the book. There were a few times when Rose would be leaving a city or village at the end of a chapter and the exit would be so abrupt that it would catch me off guard. There were also occasional sentences where the way in which it was worded made me have to go back and re-read to understand what was being said. I should clarify that these weren’t the dragon-specific slang that would come up, but just general sentences. Not enough to affect my enjoyment of the book, but came up enough times to be noticeable. Very excited to eventually pick up a physical copy and would be interested in reading more adventures in this setting for sure!
My criticisms are pretty small in that I wish we could have spent more time with certain characters or scenes in the book. There were a few times when Rose would be leaving a city or village at the end of a chapter and the exit would be so abrupt that it would catch me off guard. There were also occasional sentences where the way in which it was worded made me have to go back and re-read to understand what was being said. I should clarify that these weren’t the dragon-specific slang that would come up, but just general sentences. Not enough to affect my enjoyment of the book, but came up enough times to be noticeable. Very excited to eventually pick up a physical copy and would be interested in reading more adventures in this setting for sure!
February 22, 2023
This was a charming, peaceful little tale that I was able to easily read over the course of a few days. I liked the snippets of worldbuilding, I liked the main character, and thought she had a satisfying story arc. If you enjoy dragons and/or cozy fantasy, I think this is the perfect tale!
February 13, 2025
Cozy fiction is still on the rise, and I’m here for it. The more hectic life gets, the more appealing it becomes to read stories about likeable characters just kind of living their lives and vibing without any clear stakes or massive conflicts to deal with. That lack of a clear plotline is supposed to be storytelling poison according to conventional wisdom, but I’m happy to learn I’m not the only weirdo who has been liking books that my high school English teachers would have had a fit over.
Royal Red
That lack of a clear plotline is also the point of Royal Red by K.C. Shaw, a cozy fantasy adventure in a quaint world of domestic dragons that promises “Art. Adventure. And lots of tea.” And it delivers all three in spades, even if that second bullet point is very low-key and personal throughout.
Rose is a dragon and an artist living in a co-op of other artist dragons, but lately she’s found herself in a slump and unhappy with her style of painting. At the urging of her mentor and roommates, she packs up some funds and some art supplies and flies away from her homeland for the first time to travel abroad and experience more of the world in the hope of growing and evolving as an artist and a person.
And that right there is the start and finish of the plot. Rose gets up to a handful of unexpected adventures on her travels, meets other dragons in a wide range of personalities and likeability, paints a lot of different subjects, and has a lot of little meals and tea breaks along the way. To dwell too much on any detail of her journey counts as a spoiler, because the whole thrust of the book is wondering what the next little event will be on Rose’s mostly aimless tour of self-discovery.
What I found most interesting about the whole tale were the bits of worldbuilding that Rose herself took for granted, namely, that this is a world for and entirely populated by dragons — no humans, no other fantasy races, just intelligent dragons casually existing in a quaint dragon society that has the vibes of one of the lower key Ghibli movies, like a Kiki’s Delivery Service or a Ponyo. The worldbuilding that goes into imagining how intelligent, civilized dragons would live is excellent and woven throughout the story with a casual matter-of-factness that sells the setting expertly. Cities are designed around being as readable from the air as they are from street level, architecture takes landing strips and space for takeoff into consideration, the unique particulars of egg-based reproduction are accounted for in the culture and social structures, and all the tea is served in bowls to accomodate a dragon’s snout.
The details are excellent and well-realized, presented as mundane but still with just the right amount of narrative exposition that lets the reader know what’s up without straying into the dreaded “as you know” territory that would make you wonder why someone who’s grown up in this world would be caught up by its basic functions. Rose is familiar with her own setting, but she isn’t well-traveled before the book begins, which gives the audience the same tourist lens for the world that she has. But while she was marveling at the scenery around her, I was engrossed in the minutiae of how civil engineering accounts for everybody’s wings and prehensile tails, or how public hatcheries leads to a very casual free love attitude toward sex and relationships.
Oh yeah, by the way, there’s dragon sex in this book, as the author’s foreward helpfully points out. Not enough to recommend it as a spicy read, but enough to warn off child readers. It contributes to the story and adventure at times, but in the same matter-of-fact way that all the other excellent worldbuilding does, as a simple facet of this society that is present and fleshes (heh) out the setting. The whole thing is entertainingly not focused on the rich fantasy it’s drenched in, as Rose cares much more about her art supplies and her next local breakfast nook. The juxtaposition is a big part of the fun, harkening back to those Kiki’s Delivery Service comparisons.
In all, Royal Red is a slow and cozy read that delivers more than just the low-stakes vibes that it promises, even though those are still most of the focus and excellently presented. The hints toward bigger things happening around Rose that simply don’t concern her or that she isn’t concerned with lays rich ground for how much potential this setting has for bigger adventures, but at the same time, neither Rose nor the story are interested in getting caught up in anything more sweeping and exciting than seeing what’s on the other side of that mountain in the distance and maybe painting it. Then some tea and a nap, and if there’s time, dinner with new friends to talk about art stuff.
It’s low, slow, and cozy, ambling on purpose, with hidden depths and novel sights to see. There’s a tea or travel metaphor in here somewhere, so pretend that I found it and said it, and that it was profound.
Royal Red
That lack of a clear plotline is also the point of Royal Red by K.C. Shaw, a cozy fantasy adventure in a quaint world of domestic dragons that promises “Art. Adventure. And lots of tea.” And it delivers all three in spades, even if that second bullet point is very low-key and personal throughout.
Rose is a dragon and an artist living in a co-op of other artist dragons, but lately she’s found herself in a slump and unhappy with her style of painting. At the urging of her mentor and roommates, she packs up some funds and some art supplies and flies away from her homeland for the first time to travel abroad and experience more of the world in the hope of growing and evolving as an artist and a person.
And that right there is the start and finish of the plot. Rose gets up to a handful of unexpected adventures on her travels, meets other dragons in a wide range of personalities and likeability, paints a lot of different subjects, and has a lot of little meals and tea breaks along the way. To dwell too much on any detail of her journey counts as a spoiler, because the whole thrust of the book is wondering what the next little event will be on Rose’s mostly aimless tour of self-discovery.
What I found most interesting about the whole tale were the bits of worldbuilding that Rose herself took for granted, namely, that this is a world for and entirely populated by dragons — no humans, no other fantasy races, just intelligent dragons casually existing in a quaint dragon society that has the vibes of one of the lower key Ghibli movies, like a Kiki’s Delivery Service or a Ponyo. The worldbuilding that goes into imagining how intelligent, civilized dragons would live is excellent and woven throughout the story with a casual matter-of-factness that sells the setting expertly. Cities are designed around being as readable from the air as they are from street level, architecture takes landing strips and space for takeoff into consideration, the unique particulars of egg-based reproduction are accounted for in the culture and social structures, and all the tea is served in bowls to accomodate a dragon’s snout.
The details are excellent and well-realized, presented as mundane but still with just the right amount of narrative exposition that lets the reader know what’s up without straying into the dreaded “as you know” territory that would make you wonder why someone who’s grown up in this world would be caught up by its basic functions. Rose is familiar with her own setting, but she isn’t well-traveled before the book begins, which gives the audience the same tourist lens for the world that she has. But while she was marveling at the scenery around her, I was engrossed in the minutiae of how civil engineering accounts for everybody’s wings and prehensile tails, or how public hatcheries leads to a very casual free love attitude toward sex and relationships.
Oh yeah, by the way, there’s dragon sex in this book, as the author’s foreward helpfully points out. Not enough to recommend it as a spicy read, but enough to warn off child readers. It contributes to the story and adventure at times, but in the same matter-of-fact way that all the other excellent worldbuilding does, as a simple facet of this society that is present and fleshes (heh) out the setting. The whole thing is entertainingly not focused on the rich fantasy it’s drenched in, as Rose cares much more about her art supplies and her next local breakfast nook. The juxtaposition is a big part of the fun, harkening back to those Kiki’s Delivery Service comparisons.
In all, Royal Red is a slow and cozy read that delivers more than just the low-stakes vibes that it promises, even though those are still most of the focus and excellently presented. The hints toward bigger things happening around Rose that simply don’t concern her or that she isn’t concerned with lays rich ground for how much potential this setting has for bigger adventures, but at the same time, neither Rose nor the story are interested in getting caught up in anything more sweeping and exciting than seeing what’s on the other side of that mountain in the distance and maybe painting it. Then some tea and a nap, and if there’s time, dinner with new friends to talk about art stuff.
It’s low, slow, and cozy, ambling on purpose, with hidden depths and novel sights to see. There’s a tea or travel metaphor in here somewhere, so pretend that I found it and said it, and that it was profound.
May 12, 2023
Royal red is… Not your typical fantasy adventure to say the least. From the moment I began I knew this would be different from the books I’ve been reading as of late. Royal Red is known as a cozy fantasy adventure, and you learn what that means from the very beginning. Unlike many of the other books I’ve been reading, Royal Red doesn’t feature intense combat, life or death situations, or saving the world, but something much different
The story follows Rose - A dragon artist who is part of a group of artists. One day, wanting to improve her abilities, leaves her home and friends behind on a journey across a mystical dragon society for inspiration and improvement. Along the way, she meets friends, makes connections with like-minded people, fights through dreadful weather, and drinks tea (a lot of tea!)
Royal Red caught me by surprise, when I purchased it on Amazon, I was immediately excited right from the beginning, and finishing it just five minutes ago, I can see why.
If you’re looking for an easy, feel-good adventure of friendship, tea, dragons, and maybe even a little bit of love, you’ll want to read Royal Rose
To the author: Thank you for the adventure, I hope this book will continue in the future! Now with that said…
Good night
The story follows Rose - A dragon artist who is part of a group of artists. One day, wanting to improve her abilities, leaves her home and friends behind on a journey across a mystical dragon society for inspiration and improvement. Along the way, she meets friends, makes connections with like-minded people, fights through dreadful weather, and drinks tea (a lot of tea!)
Royal Red caught me by surprise, when I purchased it on Amazon, I was immediately excited right from the beginning, and finishing it just five minutes ago, I can see why.
If you’re looking for an easy, feel-good adventure of friendship, tea, dragons, and maybe even a little bit of love, you’ll want to read Royal Rose
To the author: Thank you for the adventure, I hope this book will continue in the future! Now with that said…
Good night
November 2, 2025
It indeed wasn't a lie, this was a cozy fantasy adventure. The book overall had a slow pace, a slice of life type adventure. I really enjoyed the small portion of checking into different families daily lives, it gave a nice charm to the whole adventure. When Rose reached the mountains, then Tirras, the book just sucked me in. It was very interesting, I adored the small Rose encounter. It even made me tear up slightly when Rose said she's never coming back to small Rose. On the other hand I was disapproving Rose joining Diamond's group. I just had a discomfort when we joined their evenings.
The events slightly calmed back down again after Tirras and the Sather part felt it was just a rush. Well, Rose definitely felt it was a rush.
Overall I did enjoy this cozy adventure, it was very different from what I normally read, and now to think about it, by reading this book, I also take the path Rose took. Awesome book, would recommend.
The events slightly calmed back down again after Tirras and the Sather part felt it was just a rush. Well, Rose definitely felt it was a rush.
Overall I did enjoy this cozy adventure, it was very different from what I normally read, and now to think about it, by reading this book, I also take the path Rose took. Awesome book, would recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2024
As a person who generally has a hard time enjoying laid back stories, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. The story is framed as a journey of self discovery for an artist, but the most fascinating part to me is how it frames that story within a social and political climate in which the artist herself is very much a participant, but also very much impotent to change the flow of history. As much as the story centers around finding some sense of personal fulfillment within this climate, it leaves a clear road for the reader to think about what one must push away to embrace that fulfillment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2026
Indeed a very cozy and casual read. I really enjoyed how the book goes about discussing the main character's painting process but found it a little odd at points. Certain scenes, especially closer to the end of the book, felt VERY rushed. The book also contains NSFW content that I thought felt just a little out of place due to them being both graphic but also very quickly glossed over. Overall though, it's nice.
May 31, 2024
I picked this book on a whim and after the first half I realized it was not a book I would normally like as it contained quite a bit of romance from a female pov. I struggled a bit with finishing the book. However I am glad I did as now looking back at the story I was a really nice book and I have enjoyed my time with it.
December 10, 2025
Dragons are the landscapes, and life is her canvas. But the book itself is a work of art. It hints at details without defining them (a quote from the book). It asks questions but never provides answers.
November 20, 2024
A lovely little diversion. Just the right amount of conflict and character growth in a cozy dragon-filled countryside. Very cute.
February 15, 2026
This one has been on my list for a long while. And I'm happy to report that it's quite good. There's just something about the slice-of-life fantasy genre (cozy fantasy, I think it's called?) that really, really makes me happy, and this one is no exception.
It is as it says in the blurb. A cozy fantasy adventure featuring a painter who gets out to see the world in an effort to try and improve her craft. The fact that said painter is a dragon makes it a million times better, in my eyes.
I will also preface, as others have done, by saying that this is definitely an adult book, despite appearances. There is one explicit sex scene near the beginning, and another less explicit one towards the end. There is a little bit of swearing and general flirting on multiple occasions through the book.
But there was never a point where it felt gratuitous or smutty. Even the explicit one was very tastefully done. Long enough to paint a picture of intimacy, short enough to not linger unpleasantly. The inclusion of sex in this book—both the act and the discussion of it—was done very well. Incorporated into the book as just another element of reality that Rose explored and experienced on her journey, among dozens of others of equally interesting experiences. In my opinion, it made the world feel more real, made Rose feel more like a sapient person who does and feels what most people do and feel, while never detracting from the book's cozy tone.
The writing style is artistically simple, saying just enough to paint a perfect picture, moment by moment. Every character Rose meets feels real, but in a simple, down-to-earth sort of way. All of them are interesting, and I found myself growing attached to even the ones that weren't especially significant to Rose's journey. Rose herself is a fun character who obviously loves painting, whose creative challenges I found to be quite relatable, and even her social challenges. She is kind, resourceful, talented, and it was comforting in a way to see her grow into herself, ending the story feeling a lot more confident in herself and her talents—but still with that ever-present sense that there's more for her to learn. It felt very real, very grounded.
It was genuinely so fun to get to explore this world through Rose's eyes, and I think that's the best part of this book. Which is good, I suppose, since that's kinda the point of it. The places and people she met were diverse and interesting, but never excessively so. And yes, as others have stated, there's something of a revolution happening as she travels to one place in particular. You never really learn more about it, but I didn't find that to be a problem. The story isn't about a revolution or uprising. It's about Rose, traveling in an effort to become a better artist, and to discover herself.
Now, to discuss the dragons themselves.
It's very difficult for me to really decide how much I like the depiction of dragons in this story. Overall, I would say they are very good. Well-described, with cultures that reflect their nature. Their mannerisms, their behavior, the things they think about, and of course, the way Rose approached her travels (by flight), were all very draconic and well thought out. Mostly.
There were, however, several times when I lost that sense. Where it felt more like I was reading about humans with dragon-masks instead of dragons. Especially towards the beginning of the book in Dayrill, Rose's hometown. I think mostly this came down to word choice, and the specific ways that the author described characters' actions. Like an elderly dragon 'snapping open his newspaper'. Or the very human descriptions of the buildings, whose layout seemed identical to anything you would find in any human world (It exuded European vibes in particular), instead of things built to house dragons, who have their own culture, their own needs, their own separate physiology.
In all, pretty small crimes, and not enough to really detract from the enjoyment of them. I do think that keeping it simple and using already-existing words to describe things like farms and kitchens and newspapers was an intentional choice. And there were a pretty large number of specific considerations added to the world with dragons in mind—like all of a city's roofs being painted different colors based on how the city was structured, for easier navigation while flying.
I had a hard time choosing between four and five stars, but I think five is the right choice. I haven't read another book quite like Royal Red, and I can see myself reading it again sometime to appreciate how Rose develops as a character more fully. I would recommend others read it too: assuming, of course, that they're alright with some adult content.
It is as it says in the blurb. A cozy fantasy adventure featuring a painter who gets out to see the world in an effort to try and improve her craft. The fact that said painter is a dragon makes it a million times better, in my eyes.
I will also preface, as others have done, by saying that this is definitely an adult book, despite appearances. There is one explicit sex scene near the beginning, and another less explicit one towards the end. There is a little bit of swearing and general flirting on multiple occasions through the book.
But there was never a point where it felt gratuitous or smutty. Even the explicit one was very tastefully done. Long enough to paint a picture of intimacy, short enough to not linger unpleasantly. The inclusion of sex in this book—both the act and the discussion of it—was done very well. Incorporated into the book as just another element of reality that Rose explored and experienced on her journey, among dozens of others of equally interesting experiences. In my opinion, it made the world feel more real, made Rose feel more like a sapient person who does and feels what most people do and feel, while never detracting from the book's cozy tone.
The writing style is artistically simple, saying just enough to paint a perfect picture, moment by moment. Every character Rose meets feels real, but in a simple, down-to-earth sort of way. All of them are interesting, and I found myself growing attached to even the ones that weren't especially significant to Rose's journey. Rose herself is a fun character who obviously loves painting, whose creative challenges I found to be quite relatable, and even her social challenges. She is kind, resourceful, talented, and it was comforting in a way to see her grow into herself, ending the story feeling a lot more confident in herself and her talents—but still with that ever-present sense that there's more for her to learn. It felt very real, very grounded.
It was genuinely so fun to get to explore this world through Rose's eyes, and I think that's the best part of this book. Which is good, I suppose, since that's kinda the point of it. The places and people she met were diverse and interesting, but never excessively so. And yes, as others have stated, there's something of a revolution happening as she travels to one place in particular. You never really learn more about it, but I didn't find that to be a problem. The story isn't about a revolution or uprising. It's about Rose, traveling in an effort to become a better artist, and to discover herself.
Now, to discuss the dragons themselves.
It's very difficult for me to really decide how much I like the depiction of dragons in this story. Overall, I would say they are very good. Well-described, with cultures that reflect their nature. Their mannerisms, their behavior, the things they think about, and of course, the way Rose approached her travels (by flight), were all very draconic and well thought out. Mostly.
There were, however, several times when I lost that sense. Where it felt more like I was reading about humans with dragon-masks instead of dragons. Especially towards the beginning of the book in Dayrill, Rose's hometown. I think mostly this came down to word choice, and the specific ways that the author described characters' actions. Like an elderly dragon 'snapping open his newspaper'. Or the very human descriptions of the buildings, whose layout seemed identical to anything you would find in any human world (It exuded European vibes in particular), instead of things built to house dragons, who have their own culture, their own needs, their own separate physiology.
In all, pretty small crimes, and not enough to really detract from the enjoyment of them. I do think that keeping it simple and using already-existing words to describe things like farms and kitchens and newspapers was an intentional choice. And there were a pretty large number of specific considerations added to the world with dragons in mind—like all of a city's roofs being painted different colors based on how the city was structured, for easier navigation while flying.
I had a hard time choosing between four and five stars, but I think five is the right choice. I haven't read another book quite like Royal Red, and I can see myself reading it again sometime to appreciate how Rose develops as a character more fully. I would recommend others read it too: assuming, of course, that they're alright with some adult content.
November 14, 2025
A Series of Events that Happened to a Dragon
Royal Red wasn't so much of a dragon story as it was a series of events that happened to a dragon. We weren't allowed to dwell on anything that occurred with the book's breakneck pace, and some baffling sequences left me wondering what the book was trying to say, if anything. It does nothing egregiously bad, but everything a little bit bad, which is kind of the problem.
This book is about Rose, a painter who decides to go traveling to find her artistic style. I suppose she succeeds? There's not really any discernible character arc. It's not particularly obvious she changed, other than some brief nods towards "a new artistic style" or "understanding this sort of person now". Regardless, she gets up to many things: ... As you can see, it's just a meandering grab bag of Things That Happen, some of them completely out of left field. I could not tell you the themes that underlay all this if I tried. Maybe I'm not refined enough to see it, but...!
I'm a big fan of worldbuilding, and a good instance of it can save otherwise mediocre novels for me. However... The worldbuilding here is entirely limp. They mostly act like humans, except sometimes they talk about how awkward it is to rear on two legs for doing things that need two hands free. The only thing that's really different revolves around eggs and how parenthood is treated. Otherwise, it's frustratingly vague about the time period it's trying to emulate - I'm guessing turn of the century, maybe a bit earlier? There's oblique mentions to factory work, and some talk about class divide, but zero mechanization. Or wars. Or, seemingly, government. The world feels like it's vague in that slimy sort of way where you know the author just didn't want to think about it.
Still, credit where it is due: I liked the perspective of an artist. I most many parts of the Tirras arc fairly charming, and each character had their own voice, many of them interesting. The prose is fine, and I never had any problems with it, which is a much higher bar in dragon fiction than one might expect.
Overall, though, I can safely say it is a victim of the Cozy Story Curse. Any tension is held at arm's length, the protagonist is utterly passive, and everything is rushed past without giving time for it to sink in to us or to the protagonist. Maybe I'm just allergic to Cozy Stories, and this book is just fine, but I'm going to go with my gut and say that this book has some problems.
Royal Red wasn't so much of a dragon story as it was a series of events that happened to a dragon. We weren't allowed to dwell on anything that occurred with the book's breakneck pace, and some baffling sequences left me wondering what the book was trying to say, if anything. It does nothing egregiously bad, but everything a little bit bad, which is kind of the problem.
This book is about Rose, a painter who decides to go traveling to find her artistic style. I suppose she succeeds? There's not really any discernible character arc. It's not particularly obvious she changed, other than some brief nods towards "a new artistic style" or "understanding this sort of person now". Regardless, she gets up to many things: ... As you can see, it's just a meandering grab bag of Things That Happen, some of them completely out of left field. I could not tell you the themes that underlay all this if I tried. Maybe I'm not refined enough to see it, but...!
I'm a big fan of worldbuilding, and a good instance of it can save otherwise mediocre novels for me. However... The worldbuilding here is entirely limp. They mostly act like humans, except sometimes they talk about how awkward it is to rear on two legs for doing things that need two hands free. The only thing that's really different revolves around eggs and how parenthood is treated. Otherwise, it's frustratingly vague about the time period it's trying to emulate - I'm guessing turn of the century, maybe a bit earlier? There's oblique mentions to factory work, and some talk about class divide, but zero mechanization. Or wars. Or, seemingly, government. The world feels like it's vague in that slimy sort of way where you know the author just didn't want to think about it.
Still, credit where it is due: I liked the perspective of an artist. I most many parts of the Tirras arc fairly charming, and each character had their own voice, many of them interesting. The prose is fine, and I never had any problems with it, which is a much higher bar in dragon fiction than one might expect.
Overall, though, I can safely say it is a victim of the Cozy Story Curse. Any tension is held at arm's length, the protagonist is utterly passive, and everything is rushed past without giving time for it to sink in to us or to the protagonist. Maybe I'm just allergic to Cozy Stories, and this book is just fine, but I'm going to go with my gut and say that this book has some problems.
June 28, 2023
This is just one of the best books I ever read, I almost feel like it was written for me. It's so cozy, but also rough where it has to be. It reminded me of Tooth and Claw, in the sense that the dragons live in very human cities and countries, with human-esque culture, but playing in the artistic renaissance and less cruel. But despite the humanization of dragons you still always feel the dragon perspective. It's not like a Wings Of Fire where you sometimes forget your read a dragon story. The whole world building seems human at first glance, but then there are very dragon feeling elements like treating sex extremely casual, and having breeding seasons. And dragons sometimes turning rather feral.
I just love that book. Especially the ending. I need more.
I just love that book. Especially the ending. I need more.
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