Book Review: Seraphina

Title: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Pages: 467 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary: Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

I have to start this review by talking about how original this book is. I’ve read other fantasy stories where the dragons are able to take on human appearance but none have ever been set in a world quite like this.

Seraphina Dombegh is a half dragon, half human girl born into a world where dragons and humans coexist only because of a very fragile peace treaty. The two races distrust each other intensely. Seraphina’s very existence is considered an abomination and must be kept secret and so her life is an intricate web of lies. Seraphina’s human father would gladly keep her hidden but Seraphina, a smart girl of enormous musical talent, is determined to live as full a life as she can despite believing herself to be a monster.

Hartman’s world building is fantastic! It’s easy to become lost in the history, the politics and the life in Goredd. This story involves several social issues including discrimination (both on the basis of race and sexual orientation), religion and bullying. Hartman does not skimp on the details that completely bring this book to life: the music, the clothes, the importance of saints in their religion, the fantastical characters – it’s all there. Her plot is well developed and the story is well written.

So with all this awesome world building and good writing, what’s my issue with Seraphina? The book starts off really well but the middle drags and drags. This is a long book and it took me quite awhile to get through it. I found myself waiting for something exciting to happen as the story slowly developed but I found myself bored and tempted to abandon the book altogether.

Additionally, I didn’t have any strong feelings of like or dislike towards Seraphina. She is likable enough character but I didn’t really connect with her. There is also my issue with Seraphina’s love interest being engaged to someone else. Granted, Princess Glisselda and Prince Lucian Kiggs are first cousins (gross, I know), but they are still engaged and Glisselda and Seraphina are friends, making the romance even more distasteful. 

While Seraphina may have been too slow for me, I’m in the minority as most other reviews I have seen rave about the book. If you love high fantasy and don’t mind a slow moving plot, Seraphina may be the book for you. The action does pick up in the end and while there is no cliffhanger, Seraphina does not appear to be a standalone novel, but the first in a series.

Content: Kissing, discrimination, bullying and violence.

My Rating: Just Fine

Book Review: Vanish

Title: Vanish by Sophie Jordan
Release Date: Sept. 6, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 304 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC from publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads Summary: To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

I loved Firelight. It was original, exciting and hands down, one of my favorite books of 2010. Needless to say, Vanish was one of my most anticipated books for this year and it delivered.

Vanish picks up right where Firelight left off, with Jacinda, Tamra and their mom fleeing Chaparral and returning to the pride with Cassian. When they get home, Jacinda is heartbroken and misses Will terribly but to make matters worse, she is shunned and treated as outcast by the other Draki when they find out she had a relationship with a hunter.

There is so much tension and angst in Vanish. Jacinda has to choose between being with the boy she loves and the safety of the entire pride; between doing what everyone in the pride wants and expects her to do and doing what will truly make her happy. While I do not like the fact that Jacinda vacillates between two boys, it is understandable. Her choices are hard and there is so much at stake.

The characters, especially Cassian and Tamra, are more developed in Vanish which is great because neither were particularly likable in the first book. Because the book is set in the pride, we meet more Draki with cool paranormal abilities. The story is very exciting and fast paced with some unexpected twists thrown in.

I have to warn you that like Firelight, Vanish ends with a huge cliffhanger. I hate that I have to wait until next year to find out what happens but I bet it’s going to be fiery and explosive!

Content: Kissing and violence

Book Review: Redheart

Title and Author: Redheart by Jackie Gamber
Release Date: April 6, 2011
Publisher: Seventh Star Press
Pages: 294 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Publisher

Enter the lands of Leland Province, where dragon and human societies have long dwelled side by side. Superstitions rise sharply, as a severe drought strips the land of its bounty, providing fertile ground for the darker ambitions of Fordon Blackclaw, Dragon Council Leader, who seeks to subdue humans or wipe them off the face of the land. As the shadow of danger creeps across Leland Province, a young dragon named Kallon Redheart, who has turned his back on dragons and humans alike, comes into an unexpected friendship. Riza Diantus is a young woman whose dreams can no longer be contained by the narrow confines of her village, and when she finds herself in peril, Kallon is the only one with the power to save her. Yet to do so means he must confront his past, and embrace a future he stopped believing in.

Redheart is a traditional fantasy novel where the main characters (Kallon and Blackclaw) are dragons. Kallon is a red dragon, the last of his kind and has chosen to live in isolation, away from humans and other dragons. Having witnessed his parents’ murder as a young dragon, Kallon is bitter and antisocial, refusing to take his father’s place as the ruler of the dragons. Instead, the dragons are ruled by Blackclaw, a scheming and despicable character with absolutely no redeeming qualities.

Despite Kallon’s gruffness, he is very likable. I understood him and loved the portions of the book told from his perspective. Even though I don’t think I was supposed to, I liked Jastin the dragon hunter as well. Like Kallon, he had some anger issues rooted in his past and makes some bad decisions and alliances as a result. Unfortunately, I didn’t love Riza as much as I wanted to. She is a true friend to Kallon who stands by him, brings him out of his despair and sacrifices for him, but she also needs help and saving a lot.

Along with engaging characters, Redheart is beautifully descriptive and exciting. The plot flowed quickly and I love the themes of destiny, faith, political intrigue and the magic of love. There is also an interesting plot twist at the end that I was not expecting. This was an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to book two of the Leland Dragon series which will be published in the fall.

Content: References to rape and the pregnancy and birth that result from it, racism (among dragons), kissing, violence