The Tinker's Daughter by Josephine Angelini - Book Review

Series: The Chronicles of Lucitopia #2

Publication Date: 17th Dec 2024 

Genre: NA Fantasy Romance 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: A fluffy and lighthearted read 

Jonara has been a good girl all her life, which makes her a perfect choice as the village’s sacrificial offering to the dragon. Luckily for her, the dragon doesn’t eat virgins. Using this chance and the dragon’s help, Jonara rallies an army to fight Asphodel who had been destroying one town after another to claim the throne vacated by the death king. 

However, the dragon has its own secrets and Jonara could play a vital role. What does the future have in store for this feisty good girl?  

The story comes in Jonara’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

I quite enjoyed the first book in the series, though I don’t remember much about the details. However, it’s not necessary. This works well as a standalone. The characters and the setting are different though the universe is the fantasy land of Lucitopia. 

While book #1 was YA, this is NA bordering on adult fiction. The lead characters are twenty and above, and there’s a fair bit of… *ahem* Still, it is closed-door romance. 

Jonara is quite a personality. She can order anyone around like a military commander. Is it any surprise that she plays a vital role in building an army to fight the villain? 

The Dragon is a sweet guy but also a sort of confused alpha. I rather like him. Also, I wouldn’t mind having such a dragon of my own. Scratch him and get gold! I’d be rich in no time. ;) 

The world-building is pretty basic but it doesn’t affect the reading experience. We can visualize the scenes as there is enough information.

The writing style is casual which may not work for everyone. Jonara’s instinct to boss around might annoy some readers. I wasn’t bothered since I expected something like that (based on my experience from book one). 

A certain scene in the first half might put off some readers, especially if they haven’t guessed it would happen. I knew what to expect (it’s a trope-y thing, and there are enough clues) so I wasn’t the least bit surprised. 

The ending provides a short glimpse into the future (as in what’s to come in the next books). I noticed book #4 added to the list and read the blurb. Do NOT do that.  

The pacing is a little off in this one but I wasn’t bored at any point. The book was exactly what I wanted to remove the traces of annoyance at my previous read. 

To summarize, The Tinker's Daughter is what a GR friend calls brain candy – it is fluffy, lighthearted, cheeky, a bit dangerous, and has a good dose of romance. Ready for book #3! 

Thank you, NetGalley, Sungrazer Publishing, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #TheTinkersDaughter