Episode Fifty Seven
A bride gets kidnapped at her own wedding, dragged to a remote island, and the “monster” watching her from the shadows turns out to be the only person who understands her. We’re talking about I Am Dragon, the 2015 Russian fantasy romance film that feels like a Beauty and the Beast retelling filtered through folklore, snow, and surprisingly strong visual effects.
Before the dragons, we hit romantasy news that’s actually useful: a special edition Black Dagger Brotherhood drop, RomanticyCon announcing an Edinburgh, Scotland event plus next year’s Orlando dates and venue change, and adaptation updates including Amazon optioning Abigail Owens. We also hype new releases like Danielle L. Jensen’s Defy the Dusk (post-apocalyptic fantasy with convoys outrunning the dark) and a holiday-ready advent romance collection that turns short stories into a daily read.
Then we break down the movie’s core romance and its biggest questions. Why summon a dragon who only appears when called? What’s the deal with the “honor” storyline and the fog rules? And what does it mean that Arman doesn’t want to be a dragon, even when the world insists he has to be? Also, one of us tries to watch the whole thing without reading subtitles, which becomes its own chaotic experiment in storytelling.
We wrap with dragon romance book recommendations across spicy and sweet, including Rebecca F. Kenney, Opal Reyne, Katee Robert, Kimberly Lemming, Grace Draven, and more.
Our Thoughts
Our Thoughts on the book.
“I think that’s probably what humanized him to her was he explained, you know, when he was a child, he had made the decision not to become a dragon because it is a choice. And how he was resisting it, and his father was disappointed in him.”
“I was not gonna read this movie. I watched it with my heart.”
“There is no English translation anywhere. However, I did find a Spanish translation which is on its way to me. So I’m not sure. So Murray will report back. And I will report back if there’s any more depth.”
“So that’s the role that character of the helmsman played in the movie was usually the loyal man at arms, loyal to the family, loyal to the honor of the family, even though the the prince, son, etc., is a complete douchebag.”