If I'm being completely honest, I picked up Cat Dragon without knowing anything about the actual story. I heard about it because one of my favorite artists Maxine Vee was responsible for this adorable cover illustration, and the title being two of my favorite creatures sold me immediately. I was expecting whimsy and cozy vibes when I finally decided to read this; what I got instead was a touch of cozy, plenty of whimsy and fantastical, and a surprising number of shenanigans and perilous moments. I was also surprised to discover that this was actually an adult cozy fantasy (though I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work for a young adult audience as well).
The biggest highlights of Cat Dragon for me were all the magical elements, from the variety of creatures (seriously, cat dragons sound utterly adorable and I would love to have one of my own), plant life, spells, lore, folk and settings. It felt like stepping into a charming (if sometimes scary) new world where anything could be possible, even the unexpected, and that's always a delightful experience for me!
I am generally fond of the quest/journey set-up in fantasies, so it doesn't surprise me that I enjoyed it in Cat Dragon. The combination of high stakes and unintended twists, friends gained (especially the familiars - I adore them and their antics) and knowledge uncovered, different parts of the world and unique challenges - it all blended fairly well. It did come to a point where I felt like the pace dragged just a wee bit, but the ending somehow managed to bring it all together and stick the landing.
It's the characters in Cat Dragon that I felt mostly neutral about. I vacillated between thinking that these characters felt younger than they ought to or that their personalities and traits were overly exaggerated (though that might have something to do with the audio narration). I felt like they were likable enough to root for, but I never really did end up feeling invested enough to feel for them as they went through their different obstacles in the journey (which is especially true of the main character, Aloysia). And, as I've said in many other reviews, characters really are a major deciding factor in my overall feelings towards a book.
A brief note about the audiobook narrator - their narration contributed to the way the story came to life in my mind. They incorporated a variety of voices and accents (I liked some more than others), which made it easy to keep track of the different individuals in the cast.
I'd recommend Cat Dragon to readers who like their cozy, whimsical fantasies to have high character stakes, and particularly to those who like journey/quest-centered plots. Oh, and who also don't mind the characters feeling a little younger than they're stated to be. While I did like this one overall, it doesn't feel like it's going to be a standout or particularly memorable after some time has passed. (I do think it would actually translate even better into an animated film or possibly a graphic novel - the visuals could only enhance the experience.)
Cat Dragon by Samantha Birch
Publication Date: September 23, 2025 | Publisher: One More Chapter
Format: Audiobook | Source: Borrowed via Libby | Buy the book!
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