Book Review: Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis

Format: ebook
Published: October 4th, 2021
Age: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy Romance

Rating: 5/5 Stars

There is one thing every young woman in the ton is hoping to show off during the season; a dragon. And Elinor Tregarth’s cousin is no exception. Except when Penelope pushes too far in her mistreatment of both her dragon and cousin, Elinor makes a rash decision and escapes the house, taking the dragon with her. But Elinor is in for a surprise; after a chance encounter with a handsome fortune hunter and his dragon scholar friend, Elinor ends up heading back to the house where she was little more than a poor relation, looking ever so slightly different, thanks to her new dragon friend.

Scales and Sensibility is a delightful historical fantasy romance that absolutely captured my attention from the very first page. It’s fun, with a full heart. I loved Elinor, I loved Sir Jessamyn and they’re surrounded by an excellent mix of different characters. It was fun to see regency tropes in this kind of fantasy setting, and the way Burgis introduced dragons into this world was handled skilfully. It feels very natural, like the next time I pick up a regency book I’ll be asking, “where did the dragons go”.

I think that’s key here – when worldbuilding is done well, you barely notice it. For Fantasy, it means your suspension of disbelief is fully engaged, and the world you’re reading about feels real. Burgis achieves it here really well, keeping the other elements of this world inline with the plot, but dropping just enough to reflect a fully realised, wider world outside the book’s immediate setting. We get an idea of dragon scholars, and how much (and little!) they know about dragons. There’s ideas that filter in about the discovery of dragons and their introduction to Britain, without it ever feeling heavy-handed.

Scales and Sensibility is a lovely blending of regency with fantasy, with engaging characters and a gripping plot, and a lovely romance at the centre. I recommend this one if you’re looking for either a different kind of regency romance, or something on the lighter side of fantasy, and I’ll definitely be continuing the series with book 2.

Reading Challenge
2025 TV Shows Reading Challenge
Prompt: Game of Thrones – a book featuring dragons
Progress: 4/12