Midsummer Musings — On Dragons, Teacups, and the Ones Who Grow on You
By Sophia Salazar, Editor-in-Chief
August has arrived. The sun is high, the days are long, and
something about this time of year makes you want to sprawl out in the garden
like a cat who has absolutely no intentions of moving.
It's the perfect moment to talk about dragons.
Particularly one dragon. A dragon who arrived in our lives a
few weeks ago and has, rather unexpectedly, made himself at home.
Percival Luminos the Third.
A Dragon Who Demands Attention
Let me tell you about Percival.
He is, by his own account, a dragon of considerable breeding
and impeccable taste. He is covered in glitter. He has opinions about
everything. He will tell you about his great-grandmother Rosalind Sparklewing
at length and with great feeling.
He is also, I should be honest, a little bit much.
He is the kind of dragon who expects tea to be served at
precisely the right temperature. Who will critique your biscuit selection. Who
will lounge dramatically on your village green and act like he owns the place.
And yet.
There is something about him. Something that creeps up on
you. Something that makes you roll your eyes and then, moments later, find
yourself smiling.
Why We Can't Help but Love Him
Percival Luminos the Third is not an easy dragon to love. He
is demanding. He is dramatic. He is covered in glitter that gets everywhere.
But he is also, beneath all that, deeply and genuinely lost.
He is a dragon who has misplaced his treasure hoard. Who is,
when you get past the glitter and the opinions, just a creature trying to find
his way home.
And that, I think, is why we love him.
Because we've all been there. Lost. A little bit messy.
Clinging to something that reminds us of who we are.
We've all been Percival.
A Dragon Who Becomes a Friend
You can't rush a dragon like Percival. He doesn't arrive
fully formed as a beloved character. He grows on you. Slowly. Quietly. In the
spaces between his dramatic declarations.
One day you're rolling your eyes at his demands for scones.
The next day you're saving a seat for him at the village green. The day after
that, you realise you've started humming the song about his teacup.
He becomes part of the landscape. Part of the community.
Part of the family.
And you wouldn't have it any other way.
The Book Is on Its Way
Now, here's the wonderful news.
If you haven't yet met Percival properly — if you've only
caught glimpses of him through the soundtrack or whispers of his adventures —
his full story is on its way.
Wizards Are Not Welcome Here introduced us to him, yes. It
gave us a taste of his chaos, his charm, and his deeply unexpected heart.
But there is more. So much more.
A new book is coming. A story that delves deeper into
Percival's world, his past, his friendships, and the teacup that means
everything to him.
We can't tell you exactly when yet. We're still shaping it,
still letting it simmer, still making sure it's worthy of a dragon who demands
the best.
But it's coming.
And when it arrives, you'll be ready.
What to Do While You Wait
If you haven't already, head over to hellobookend.com and
pick up Wizards Are Not Welcome Here. Percival is in it. He is magnificent. He
will steal your heart before you realise what's happening.
And while you listen, pay attention to the song. The one
about the teacup. The one about travels and treasure and the things that truly
matter.
It will give you a glimpse of the dragon he is. And the
dragon he is yet to become.
A Final Thought on Dragons
There is something about August that makes me think of
Percival. The heat. The languor. The sense of time stretching out like a cat in
a sunbeam.
He would love August. He would demand iced tea and a
comfortable spot in the shade. He would critique the quality of the lemonade.
He would be absolutely insufferable.
And we would love him for it.
Because that's what Percival does. He arrives, he makes
himself at home, and he becomes someone you can't imagine your world without.
Even if he is a little bit annoying.
Especially because he is a little bit annoying.
Wizards Are Not Welcome Here — by Joules Young
Out Now
Produced by Studio Hock | Published by Hollyhock Books
Available at hellobookend.com
Look, Listen, Linger, Laugh, and Love.
— Sophia Salazar
Editor-in-Chief, Hollyhock Books
Studio Hock | The Hocksbox Universe
P.S. Percival says hello. He also says your biscuits could be better. Take it up with him.
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