Review: A Dragon’s Fortune (The Magic Emporium) by Sam Burns & W.M. Fawkes

Cillian Roarke is the world’s sweetest dragon. He’s a great boss, a good person, and he spends his days making honey-glazed caramel treats in the shape of bunnies for his bakery, Honey Bunny. Still, the highlight of every day is watching the adorable college student who’s Much Too Young For Him stuff his face full of Cillian’s sweet buns.

Finnick West is a college student who dreams of baked goods, much to the consternation of his figure-skating partner. She’s not offended by the temptation, but by Finnick’s continuing failure to ask out the cute baker. With pressure from all sides, Finn knows it’s time to take something for himself, if only he can catch Hot Baker’s eye.

While the two of them work up the nerve to ask each other out, an assassination attempt reveals forces working to not only stop their interspecies romance in its tracks, but destroy everything and everyone they love.

A Dragon’s Fortune is part of the Magic Emporium Series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone’s in dire need. This book contains dragons, ice skating, a whole bunch of sugar, and a guaranteed HEA.

Another sweet edition to this series of completely stand alone, but interconnected, novels all touched by the intervention of the peculiar Magic Emporium.

As per the blurb, Finn has been crushing hard on the reticent owner of the The Honey Bunny. Not only does Finn love every delicious concoction that Cillian creates, he’s smitten on the guy even though they’ve barely spoken a word.

Cillian in turn, is reluctant to start anything because he’s hiding a pretty big secret. He’s in the closet - not because he’s gay but because he’s a dragon, and he fears the inherent prejudices of being such could possibly interfere with his comfortable life. However, Cillian’s wish for anonymity is crushed when an assassination attempt is made on his highly public figure of a brother, so when the truth comes out, this has unforeseen consequences as Finn’s unknown shady past comes to the fore. Suddenly, both these men have some very difficult decisions to make as to whether or not they’ll allow biology to dictate their lives and whether the other is worth fighting for.

Overall, I enjoy this author duo, both together and separately (shout out to Fire and Valor!), but I typically equate a more simplistic storytelling with Burns. Though this sets up the world building and sociopolitical implications that come with in-the-know humans living with other supernaturals, I felt the plot lines regarding both Cillian being a dragon and Finn’s mysterious background were not fully realized.

Having said that, Cillian and Finn are the nicest guys around, and they’re obviously perfectly perfect for each other. This had some good bones and ends on a solid HFN for these two but leaves broader plot threads dangling which would benefit from a sequel that we probably won’t get. Regardless, fans of Burns and Fawkes should not skip their latest foray into urban fantasy! Enjoy!