Just when you thought there was nothing else to imagine when it comes to dragons, out of nowhere comes Rachel Hartman‘s Seraphina.  This is a richly imagined, multifaceted, well-written tale bursting with unique ideas, intriguing characters (dragons and humans both), and a complex, riveting plot.

At its heart, Seraphina is a book about belonging: “he did not know the truth of me, yet he perceived something true about me that no one else had ever noticed.  And in spite of that – or perhaps because of it – he believed me good, believed me worth taking seriously, and his belief, for one vertigious moment, made me want to be better than I was.” (174)   So says Seraphina, the complex, strong, talented, and captivating young woman who has a secret that, if discovered, would end her life.  She’s always been an outsider, on guard and separate,  never daring to trust, or to hope for more.  But her love of music and her desire to escape the confines of her father’s house have lead her to win a coveted spot at Court, assistant to the Court Composer, on the eve of a State Visit by the ruler of the Saar, the dragons who were once mankind’s mortal enemies.   The peace has long been tenuous since neither human nor dragon have completely set aside old wounds to truly build the framework for a lasting coexistence.  And now the brutal murder of one of the Royal family has threatened to send tensions over the edge at a time when too much is at stake for everyone, human and Saar, alike.

It’s Seraphina’s fiery spirit, inquisitive and thoughtful mind, and her no-nonsense determination that quickly thrust her squarely in center of the danger.   More than that, however, it’s the unlikely partnership she forges with Kiggs, a Prince of the Realm, and a realization that her secret may be more than a curse she must hide that enable her to unravel this mystery.  When Seraphina learns to overcome her doubts, put trust in herself and others, and harness her courage, she has the power to make those who are blind truly see.

  • Posted by Cori

 

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