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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An interesting take on dragons. I preferred Seraphina's platonic and familial relationships over the romantic one.
This book starts off feeling a little bit cheesy. I wanted a lighter read, but was wondering if I would regret choosing this one. The story is based on a world that is inhabited by humans and dragons after a pact has been made for peace between the two, with the dragons able to take on a human form and live among humans. The protagonist is Seraphina, who discovers that she is half-dragon with some peculiar abilities and has to hide this from the rest of the world. While there is supposed to be peace, humans are still largely afraid of and disgusted by dragons. There is a murder, plots to undermine the peace treaty, and of course a love story thrown in. I was intrigued with Seraphina's inner world and the author's depiction of dragons. In the end I really liked this book and by the last 50 pages I couldn't put it down.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This story is so interesting, I feel like I could read this from Kiggs perspective and it would be a crime noir type beat that I'm here for
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A very interesting take on human / dragon relations. All of the other books I can think of make dragons into glorified pets, or particularly nifty modes of transportation. I like this version, where each species has their strengths and weaknesses, and the people in the middle can navigate both worlds. I was distressed by the amount of self-hatred that Seraphina felt, though it makes sense in this society where anti-dragon sentiments proliferate. I hope that those feelings change in the sequel.
I genuinely didn't want to put this book down at points. I did enjoy it, and I'm going to buy the sequel. Seraphina is a YA novel about a girl and music and not-your-typical-dragons, some court machinations and royalty and also about, you know, love and self-acceptance.
To be honest, while typing out this review, I realized I have a lot more complaints than I realized, and a lot fewer positives -- hence the three stars instead of four. But the positive for me is exceptional enough to outweigh all the faults that it has. And this is: the familial subplot. I would read a thousand books about Seraphina and her father or uncle (easily the most interesting characters in the book), who care for her in their own way, but for different reasons can't or won't express it the way she wishes they could. This was the aspect of the story that kept me reading, and I wish there'd been more of it.
(note: I picked this up in my new quest to rediscover YA fiction. I'd realized I hadn't read a lot of it in the last few years, and what I had I was continually lukewarm about. I wasn't sure if it was the tropes, the writing styles, or the character motivations... but basically, even though I hadn't liked most of the YA I'd read lately, I didn't want to turn into one of those assholes who devalues and judges YA fiction and people who read it. So I took some recommendations and am going back down the rabbit hole.)
And... a couple few complaints, just to get them out there:
Dead mom trope is unfortunate. I get that it plays so hugely into Seraphina and her story, but. I also think the story could've survived in a different way.
Seraphina has typical YA protagonist traits of painfully-shy-except-when-painfully-sharp, simultaneously pretty and plain, and exceptionally gifted at music have been done before (and the first of these three is particularly frustrating). I still found her sympathetic, in the end. Honestly, I appreciated how often she lied, and not just lying to protect herself, sometimes she just lied because it was easier, and that seemed - realistic, not cookie-cutter.
The love interest is typical, both a prince and the Captain of the Guard ("but he's illegitimate," I imagine the author telling me sagely, as if that were a three-dimensional character flaw), and typically uninteresting. But the romance subplot didn't offend me and that's pretty high praise honestly.
There were a couple of plot things that bothered me, so spoilers for the rest of this review:
The part where Dame Okra sends her back home with her father for her protection, Seraphina comes back the very next day, and nobody even comments on it was a bit bizarre.
The whole garden thing was confusingly presented, glossed over where it needed to be detailed, and its connection to the main plot honestly seemed tenuous at best. Every time it came up, all I could think was that I assumed it was something that was being planted for future sequels. And it's too underdeveloped for me to like it.
Perhaps the most heart-wrenching moment in the book, when Seraphina fucks up real bad and gets her uncle essentially sentenced to live as a fugitive presumably forever, is handled very well in the moment, and then apparently forgotten in the next chapter as she spends her time pining after the prince. Frustrating.
To be honest, while typing out this review, I realized I have a lot more complaints than I realized, and a lot fewer positives -- hence the three stars instead of four. But the positive for me is exceptional enough to outweigh all the faults that it has. And this is: the familial subplot. I would read a thousand books about Seraphina and her father or uncle (easily the most interesting characters in the book), who care for her in their own way, but for different reasons can't or won't express it the way she wishes they could. This was the aspect of the story that kept me reading, and I wish there'd been more of it.
(note: I picked this up in my new quest to rediscover YA fiction. I'd realized I hadn't read a lot of it in the last few years, and what I had I was continually lukewarm about. I wasn't sure if it was the tropes, the writing styles, or the character motivations... but basically, even though I hadn't liked most of the YA I'd read lately, I didn't want to turn into one of those assholes who devalues and judges YA fiction and people who read it. So I took some recommendations and am going back down the rabbit hole.)
And... a couple few complaints, just to get them out there:
Dead mom trope is unfortunate. I get that it plays so hugely into Seraphina and her story, but. I also think the story could've survived in a different way.
Seraphina has typical YA protagonist traits of painfully-shy-except-when-painfully-sharp, simultaneously pretty and plain, and exceptionally gifted at music have been done before (and the first of these three is particularly frustrating). I still found her sympathetic, in the end. Honestly, I appreciated how often she lied, and not just lying to protect herself, sometimes she just lied because it was easier, and that seemed - realistic, not cookie-cutter.
The love interest is typical, both a prince and the Captain of the Guard ("but he's illegitimate," I imagine the author telling me sagely, as if that were a three-dimensional character flaw), and typically uninteresting. But the romance subplot didn't offend me and that's pretty high praise honestly.
There were a couple of plot things that bothered me, so spoilers for the rest of this review:
Spoiler
Throughout the whole book, I kept thinking: why does Seraphina even care that much about the Ardmagus, to work so hard to try and save him??? Actually, I'm pretty sure she definitely doesn't care about him, so why?? Wouldn't a better motivation with semi-similar results be finding her grandfather, for Orma if not for herself? Why is the Captain of the Guard leading this protection effort with his fifteen-year-old cousin/fiancee and his sixteen-year-old love interest? Is there literally no other capable leadership on his team?The part where Dame Okra sends her back home with her father for her protection, Seraphina comes back the very next day, and nobody even comments on it was a bit bizarre.
The whole garden thing was confusingly presented, glossed over where it needed to be detailed, and its connection to the main plot honestly seemed tenuous at best. Every time it came up, all I could think was that I assumed it was something that was being planted for future sequels. And it's too underdeveloped for me to like it.
Perhaps the most heart-wrenching moment in the book, when Seraphina fucks up real bad and gets her uncle essentially sentenced to live as a fugitive presumably forever, is handled very well in the moment, and then apparently forgotten in the next chapter as she spends her time pining after the prince. Frustrating.
Wonderful world-building, super unique internally consistent.
I read this book for the first time shortly after it was first published. I remembered absolutely loving it, but I didn't remember much about the actual plot. I'm happy to stay that it remains one of my favorite YA novels. If you're looking for a book with a complex, flawed heroine, dragons, music, fractured families, and a world you won't want to leave, you should read Seraphina.
*mild spoilers*
The world that Hartman creates is so rich and beautiful, from the characterization of the royal family to the musical instruments. Some points in the world I found particularly intriguing this time around were the culture of the dragons, the religion of Goredd, and the Porphyrian philosophers that Seraphina and Kiggs discuss. Maybe the most original aspect to me is Seraphina's mind garden. The way that it combines her psychic powers and her own "demons" is skillfully done. It ties these things together so that the connection doesn't have to be overstated.
The characterization was also very impressive. Specifically, Orma and Kiggs really stuck out to me. In regards to Orma, at the beginning of the novel he struck me as cold, uncaring and at times almost annoying. By the end of the book however, I could understand Seraphina's affection for him and could see his affection for her without it having to be overt. The reader also gets to see his struggle with expressing emotion through Seraphina's eyes. Kiggs' devotion to truth and his longing to belong was in direct opposition to Seraphina's secret keeping and her need to keep herself separate, though she eventually gives into the same longing that he has. Their love for each other and connection is portrayed as realistic and delicate, as many budding relationships are.
The ability of this novel to highlight the importance of emotion was wonderful. Maybe it's because this is so important in my life currently, but the truth and importance of emotions in this novel spoke to me. Although much of this is overtly represented in the saars, Seraphina herself goes through a journey to accept her grief and abandonment over losing her mother and retaining her legacy, her loneliness, and love for someone she should not love all while trying to advise the saar on how best to feel similar emotions.
The only gripe I had with the book was how contrived Seraphina's secret keeping seemed at times. Although those around her who had told her to keep her true self concealed told her she didn't have to do so anymore, she continued to keep the secret even when it seemed slightly illogical for the sake of revealing it at the opportune climactic moment. It could be argued that she had internalized the lies to the point that it didn't matter that others told her she didn't have to anymore, but it still felt a bit forced.
I apologize if this isn't the most elegant or coherent review, but I adore this book and wanted to sing its praise upon my rereading of it. Let me know what you thought about the book and its masterfully crafted world.
*mild spoilers*
The world that Hartman creates is so rich and beautiful, from the characterization of the royal family to the musical instruments. Some points in the world I found particularly intriguing this time around were the culture of the dragons, the religion of Goredd, and the Porphyrian philosophers that Seraphina and Kiggs discuss. Maybe the most original aspect to me is Seraphina's mind garden. The way that it combines her psychic powers and her own "demons" is skillfully done. It ties these things together so that the connection doesn't have to be overstated.
The characterization was also very impressive. Specifically, Orma and Kiggs really stuck out to me. In regards to Orma, at the beginning of the novel he struck me as cold, uncaring and at times almost annoying. By the end of the book however, I could understand Seraphina's affection for him and could see his affection for her without it having to be overt. The reader also gets to see his struggle with expressing emotion through Seraphina's eyes. Kiggs' devotion to truth and his longing to belong was in direct opposition to Seraphina's secret keeping and her need to keep herself separate, though she eventually gives into the same longing that he has. Their love for each other and connection is portrayed as realistic and delicate, as many budding relationships are.
The ability of this novel to highlight the importance of emotion was wonderful. Maybe it's because this is so important in my life currently, but the truth and importance of emotions in this novel spoke to me. Although much of this is overtly represented in the saars, Seraphina herself goes through a journey to accept her grief and abandonment over losing her mother and retaining her legacy, her loneliness, and love for someone she should not love all while trying to advise the saar on how best to feel similar emotions.
The only gripe I had with the book was how contrived Seraphina's secret keeping seemed at times. Although those around her who had told her to keep her true self concealed told her she didn't have to do so anymore, she continued to keep the secret even when it seemed slightly illogical for the sake of revealing it at the opportune climactic moment. It could be argued that she had internalized the lies to the point that it didn't matter that others told her she didn't have to anymore, but it still felt a bit forced.
I apologize if this isn't the most elegant or coherent review, but I adore this book and wanted to sing its praise upon my rereading of it. Let me know what you thought about the book and its masterfully crafted world.