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A review by kitvaria_sarene
The Pygmy Dragon by Marc Secchia
3.0
This one was a vaery mixed batch for me.
I hated teh start and would never have kept readig if it wasn't for SPFBO and so I had a goal of reading at least 20%. The start is written like a kids book, in a tone and voice that grated badly for me, and it was a chore to get past.
One I did get past and the stly changed I did like it well enough. It went from what felt like a kids story to a very YA like tone and voice, and I could handle that much better. I actually enjoyed the next bit, and thought it an easy and quick read that swept me along nicely, even igf it lacked in depth and just felt a bit too easy.
But then for a book that felt like YA it had way too much sexual innuendo. That again really grated on me. Like one scene when the main character find her clothes stolen after a bath (she herself doesn't really mind nakedness so takes it more or less in stride) slight spoiler for just that one scene, not the whole book here
Or a relationship between a (young!) student and a (really old!) master. That just had me actually gag a little.
This scenes were frequent enough to really annoy me, but not so many it would have ruined the book for me. It definitely changed it from a very easy and light read that I would recommend for Ya audiences to a "not nearly complex enough and lacking depth book for adults" as I wouldn't give a teen a book with that sort of content.
If it was full YA it would a good enough entertaining and quick read. As it isn't suitable for teens in my eyes, but not complex enough for adults I have a hard time recommending it to any audience, even though I did read the whole book and thaought it read quick enough despite its flaws... So 2,5*
As this was another SPFBO Semi finalist, here's the link to the full review on the Fantasy Hive:
https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2020/10/the-pygmy-dragon-by-marc-secchi-spfbo-6-semi-finalist-review/
I hated teh start and would never have kept readig if it wasn't for SPFBO and so I had a goal of reading at least 20%. The start is written like a kids book, in a tone and voice that grated badly for me, and it was a chore to get past.
One I did get past and the stly changed I did like it well enough. It went from what felt like a kids story to a very YA like tone and voice, and I could handle that much better. I actually enjoyed the next bit, and thought it an easy and quick read that swept me along nicely, even igf it lacked in depth and just felt a bit too easy.
But then for a book that felt like YA it had way too much sexual innuendo. That again really grated on me. Like one scene when the main character find her clothes stolen after a bath (she herself doesn't really mind nakedness so takes it more or less in stride) slight spoiler for just that one scene, not the whole book here
Spoiler
being then cornered by another character who is rather insistent that she definitely wants to have sex with him. And while the situation gets revolved it ends with her being told off for running around naked and no repercussions whatsoever for the other character.Or a relationship between a (young!) student and a (really old!) master. That just had me actually gag a little.
This scenes were frequent enough to really annoy me, but not so many it would have ruined the book for me. It definitely changed it from a very easy and light read that I would recommend for Ya audiences to a "not nearly complex enough and lacking depth book for adults" as I wouldn't give a teen a book with that sort of content.
If it was full YA it would a good enough entertaining and quick read. As it isn't suitable for teens in my eyes, but not complex enough for adults I have a hard time recommending it to any audience, even though I did read the whole book and thaought it read quick enough despite its flaws... So 2,5*
As this was another SPFBO Semi finalist, here's the link to the full review on the Fantasy Hive:
https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2020/10/the-pygmy-dragon-by-marc-secchi-spfbo-6-semi-finalist-review/