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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was perfectly captivating from the beginning, well written, and well narrated. I particularly enjoyed the protagonist and her relationship with her Uncle. While it was a bit rushed, it didn’t feel like YA until the romance started up toward the end - it would’ve been a 5 star book without the Romantic Cop Out, but this is still indicative of the genre.
I recommend the audio if you want a good book to listen to while driving.
I recommend the audio if you want a good book to listen to while driving.
One of the best books I have picked up this year! I couldn't put it down!
A wondrously skilled musician, Serephina must hide her truth from the world: her father is a famous lawyer at the royal court, but her mother was a dragon.
The start of a series, the novel has a richly realized world, a complex and interesting social framework, some romantic complications, and a strong female lead. All to the good.
The start of a series, the novel has a richly realized world, a complex and interesting social framework, some romantic complications, and a strong female lead. All to the good.
I wholeheartedly endorse anyone to read this book, I adored it and am struggling to put into words quite why. It is flawless in its execution, beautifully and lyrically written, wonderfully plotted, populated by fully formed and fascinating characters, elegantly concluded and of course chockful of quite marvellous dragons. I urge you to rush to your nearest bookshop and pick up a copy!
First read August 5th-8th 2012
First read August 5th-8th 2012
Two thumbs up for the audiobook version of this novel.
I loved Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. There is nothing original about the book’s basic description: a coming-of-age novel about a teenaged girl with a dark secret, who feels like a monster, who IS a monster, who meets a man she is attracted to but can’t have, who lives in a world where two different types of beings, humans and dragons, share an uneasy truce.
All the same, Seraphina feels fresh and original. The character development, the relationships between the characters, and the plot all took turns that I did not expect. The author does an excellent job of world building and getting inside the head of main character Seraphina.
In Seraphina’s world, dragons can take human form. The dragons in this book reminded me of Star Trek’s Vulcans. Dragons aren’t supposed to have emotions. When they take human form, however, they experience human emotions, and they find those emotions are hard to ignore. Seraphina is half human and half dragon, and beings like her aren’t supposed to exist. Seraphina’s dragon mother, now dead, married Seraphina’s father without revealing her true draconic nature.
Although there is a romance for Seraphina in the book, the most touching relationship is between Seraphina and her uncle Orma, a dragon who lives as a human scholar most of the time. Because she must hide her dragon parentage, they cannot be open about their relationship. He is not supposed to care if she lives or dies, but he does.
Seraphina is one of those rare books that I did not want to end. I’m still thinking about the characters and the world. The end clearly hints at a sequel. I’m already on the lookout for it. I read an advance reader copy of Seraphina, but I will definitely buy my own copy once it is available in July. (The cover art looks awesome.)
If you like fantasy, I highly recommend Seraphina. I know some fantasy readers aren’t wild about dragons, but I urge you not to let the dragons in this book put you off. They may surprise you.
All the same, Seraphina feels fresh and original. The character development, the relationships between the characters, and the plot all took turns that I did not expect. The author does an excellent job of world building and getting inside the head of main character Seraphina.
In Seraphina’s world, dragons can take human form. The dragons in this book reminded me of Star Trek’s Vulcans. Dragons aren’t supposed to have emotions. When they take human form, however, they experience human emotions, and they find those emotions are hard to ignore. Seraphina is half human and half dragon, and beings like her aren’t supposed to exist. Seraphina’s dragon mother, now dead, married Seraphina’s father without revealing her true draconic nature.
Although there is a romance for Seraphina in the book, the most touching relationship is between Seraphina and her uncle Orma, a dragon who lives as a human scholar most of the time. Because she must hide her dragon parentage, they cannot be open about their relationship. He is not supposed to care if she lives or dies, but he does.
Seraphina is one of those rare books that I did not want to end. I’m still thinking about the characters and the world. The end clearly hints at a sequel. I’m already on the lookout for it. I read an advance reader copy of Seraphina, but I will definitely buy my own copy once it is available in July. (The cover art looks awesome.)
If you like fantasy, I highly recommend Seraphina. I know some fantasy readers aren’t wild about dragons, but I urge you not to let the dragons in this book put you off. They may surprise you.
This was good. The dragons were like Vulcans, and I *love* Vulcans. It was a nicely realized world, and I didn't think the characters or their actions were cliche or predictable at all. They were all quite likeable.
That said, it was definitely a YA book and I probably won't seek out any of the future volumes.
That said, it was definitely a YA book and I probably won't seek out any of the future volumes.
Normally when I listen to an audiobook it takes a while to get used to the narrator. However here the narrator's voice was perfect for the story.
Seraphina has a secret: She is an abomination to both Dragon and Humankind. For she is both. And she is neither.
I picked this book up at the strong recommendation from one of my friends (So I'm a few years behind taking her up on it. Sue me). To my satisfaction, I enjoyed it a great deal more than I expected to (though I didn't ALWAYS understand what exactly I was reading). I would have adored it entirely had it not been for the half-assed love triangle this author was trying to force-feed me. But I refuse to acknowledge that any further.
Seraphina is the Music Mistress of the Royal Court and a private teacher to its Princess. Phina has a very complicated past and relationship to her father, so at the first chance she had to escape it and make her place at the palace, she took it. But now she is forced to delve even deeper into secrecy, lest someone discover her true nature.
There were many aspects of this book that were incredibly original and gave me no small amount of delight: The "Avatars" for one, and their connections to Phina in the physical and metaphysical world. I adored them as much as Phina. I'm intrigued by the roles they play in Phina's life and by the individual "talents" that they each possess. I'm eager to learn how it will all factor into the sequel book, "Shadow Scale."
In all, I believe I would recommend this to those with a passion for the past, though in a futuristic-type-setting. The story had a well-thought-out plot that carried through the entire book. The conclusion left me very eager to discover what would become of this merry band of misfits.
P.S. Don't let the unfortunate appearance of a love triangle deter from your enjoyment of this finely written story. It's worth the inconvenience.
I picked this book up at the strong recommendation from one of my friends (So I'm a few years behind taking her up on it. Sue me). To my satisfaction, I enjoyed it a great deal more than I expected to (though I didn't ALWAYS understand what exactly I was reading). I would have adored it entirely had it not been for the half-assed love triangle this author was trying to force-feed me. But I refuse to acknowledge that any further.
Seraphina is the Music Mistress of the Royal Court and a private teacher to its Princess. Phina has a very complicated past and relationship to her father, so at the first chance she had to escape it and make her place at the palace, she took it. But now she is forced to delve even deeper into secrecy, lest someone discover her true nature.
There were many aspects of this book that were incredibly original and gave me no small amount of delight: The "Avatars" for one, and their connections to Phina in the physical and metaphysical world. I adored them as much as Phina. I'm intrigued by the roles they play in Phina's life and by the individual "talents" that they each possess. I'm eager to learn how it will all factor into the sequel book, "Shadow Scale."
In all, I believe I would recommend this to those with a passion for the past, though in a futuristic-type-setting. The story had a well-thought-out plot that carried through the entire book. The conclusion left me very eager to discover what would become of this merry band of misfits.
P.S. Don't let the unfortunate appearance of a love triangle deter from your enjoyment of this finely written story. It's worth the inconvenience.