This is a fun little book. Peter Beagle is an accomplished storyteller at this point, and this story absolutely delivers. The characters follow familiar growth arcs to become more fully themselves. I agree with others that this is a YA-accessible story, definitely beneficial for a young reader. Maybe not enough depth to blow away a seasoned speculative fiction reader like me. At the end Robert's denial of his true interest and destiny gets a bit wearing. The description of how dragons take up residence in a home makes me think of highly intelligent cats. The royal castle in the story has become a kitty house, something that happens regularly to elderly people living alone. And the process to remove those cats gets sad in just the way described in the book.
Overall a pleasant read though.
