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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I had not expected to like this book so much, but I was drawn into the story immediately. It was probably something to do with the first person narration plunging the reader straight into the action - and straight into a likable, intelligent, suffering heroine who seems really human and heroic at the same time. The Asian-flavored mythology and world works well and the dragon stuff is actually fascinating. And the gender bender twists which affect almost all the key characters in the story are much more clever than you usually see in this sort of literature.
Fun, fast-paced, utterly engrossing...finished it in 3 days.
The plot is nothing new under the sun, but I rather liked the setting in this fantasy far east nation...and with dragons, what's not to like ;o))
I'm looking forward for the next book
The plot is nothing new under the sun, but I rather liked the setting in this fantasy far east nation...and with dragons, what's not to like ;o))
I'm looking forward for the next book
I liked the way that one of the themes was being true to your own self and not hiding what you were inside. The more Eona tried to hide her femaleness, the less the Mirror Dragon showed.
The writing is excellent and beautiful and the storyline is unpredictable and compelling. Strong female protagonist and some really interesting characters... And I love the additional tension that gender gives to the storyline.I couldn't put it down, I loved it so much. It's one of my new favorite books. Well done Alison. :-)
I have a confused reaction to this book. On one hand, I'm sure I liked it, on the other, there are some things bothering me that I can't put my finger on.
The things I liked:
1.Eon/Eona - Though I wouldn't call her the strongest female lead I've seen, I found Eona to be a character who I could empathise with. She is not one of those suddenly-blossomed-into-Margaret-Thatcher-from-ordinary-girl-in-miniskirts heroines that seem to (over)populate YA these days. She is a sixteen year old thrust into a situation beyond her capabilities and she handles it the best she can. Eona's character is realistic and believable, and I didn't mind it when she cried. I also really appreciated the duality of her nature and the character development she went through - it was really one of the high points of the book.
2.The setting - (Stashes away manga before anyone sees.) Ahem. Yes. As a big fan of East Asian culture and mythology, one of the reasons I was drawn to this book was the infusion of Chinese and Japanese elements. Alison Goodman has done some excellent world building here, the mythology is extensively developed, but still leaves just the right amount of room for mystery. The beauty and harmony of the settings contrasts nicely with the brutality of the society. Think kings who kill baby brothers and generals that allow soldiers to randomly castrate men.
3.Lady Dela - I honestly think she is the most awesome character in the book. Politically savvy, witty, true to herself (basically everything Eon is not; Dela is a foil in more ways than one), rather ironically, Lady Dela may be a better symbol of female empowerment than the protagonist (or any one else for that matter).
4.The dragons - Technically they should be part of the world building, but I will never let go of an opportunity to rave about dragons (Never! Clings tightly to the post.) The dragons are wholly Chinese; they have the pearls of wisdom and claws typical of those (and the connection to the Zodiac). I like how they are represented as elemental beings; they may be infinitely wise and everything, but they are still enormous beasts. The writing really shines when Eona and her dragon commune. And with great power comes great responsibility. (And great electricity bills.)
The things I didn't like:
1.The master: Is that...? No, it can' t be...? OMG, the old man is making a move on her! Nooooooooo! Okay, I have no issues with age and romantic love etc etc, but for the person who crippled you permanently and kept you around just for money and is probably old enough to be your grandfather, to grope your chest after you wake up, recovering from burns, is just wrong. It's wrong. Or maybe he just forgot his spectacles at home. That explains why he died. Yep.
2.Ido - I'm all for handsome, charming, morally ambiguous antagonists getting redemption, but what's with this abruptness? We have Ido running around, putting in great effort to kill off other Dragoneyes, take over Eona's mind and body, stealing and retrieving stolen folios and since all this work makes a man thirsty, he occasionally drains his apprentice (and whoever he can get his hands on) of power. Oh, and don't forget the wine with steroids. All this is going on when all of a sudden, our protagonist pumps him with some green happy stuff and he reforms faster than a Jew in the Spanish Inquisition. Good times. I get that there are shades of grey and all, but this is kind of ridiculous. Plus, if Eona really had made him feel the effect of everything he did, the man would be in an ICU right now. Thats all I'm saying.
3.The politics - This could have been more believable. We are introduced to a conflict without of epic proportions and never told what exactly drives who. Lord Sethon, okay, but Ido? Why does he want power so badly? Given that his personality is ambiguous, shouldn't his motivation be too? What about the prince? Sure, his dad was okay, but he seems to have a mean streak. What's the certainty he won't be a dictator too? Kygo is rather underdeveloped as a character. The royal family in general is a problem. Eona never questions their trustworthiness; she just accepts that it is right and necessary to preserve them. The rebels are also lacking in details; I had to be reminded that a rebel faction exists at all.
4. The above mentioned faults are not too bad. In fact, I'm willing to overlook everything except...the excessive kowtowing. As P.C Cast put it, the whole I-bow-you-bow-then-we-all-bow-thing gets tiresome and is only worth mentioning if you want a serious workout to lose some flab. A quick class on how to lose weight fast using the tried and tested grovel method:
a) Get rid of any pride you have. Cruelly beat it, pulverize it to death. You must be at the bottom of the social ladder for this to work.
b) Then start bowing to everyone you meet. The higher their rank, the lower the bow. This should go on until you meet the king and he can't tell you from the carpet.
c) Enjoy the results of your strenuous abdominal workout and start working to pay for a knee replacement.
Observant readers may have noticed that I've given the book 4 stars despite all the negativity. Thats because the book does make up for its flaws with a plot that moves at breakneck pace, an unforgiving insight into reality and society, interesting, unique characters and decent prose. So I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and hope that I will finish the sequel wanting to write a review about how much awesomer it is.
The things I liked:
1.Eon/Eona - Though I wouldn't call her the strongest female lead I've seen, I found Eona to be a character who I could empathise with. She is not one of those suddenly-blossomed-into-Margaret-Thatcher-from-ordinary-girl-in-miniskirts heroines that seem to (over)populate YA these days. She is a sixteen year old thrust into a situation beyond her capabilities and she handles it the best she can. Eona's character is realistic and believable, and I didn't mind it when she cried. I also really appreciated the duality of her nature and the character development she went through - it was really one of the high points of the book.
2.The setting - (Stashes away manga before anyone sees.) Ahem. Yes. As a big fan of East Asian culture and mythology, one of the reasons I was drawn to this book was the infusion of Chinese and Japanese elements. Alison Goodman has done some excellent world building here, the mythology is extensively developed, but still leaves just the right amount of room for mystery. The beauty and harmony of the settings contrasts nicely with the brutality of the society. Think kings who kill baby brothers and generals that allow soldiers to randomly castrate men.
3.Lady Dela - I honestly think she is the most awesome character in the book. Politically savvy, witty, true to herself (basically everything Eon is not; Dela is a foil in more ways than one), rather ironically, Lady Dela may be a better symbol of female empowerment than the protagonist (or any one else for that matter).
4.The dragons - Technically they should be part of the world building, but I will never let go of an opportunity to rave about dragons (Never! Clings tightly to the post.) The dragons are wholly Chinese; they have the pearls of wisdom and claws typical of those (and the connection to the Zodiac). I like how they are represented as elemental beings; they may be infinitely wise and everything, but they are still enormous beasts. The writing really shines when Eona and her dragon commune. And with great power comes great responsibility. (And great electricity bills.)
The things I didn't like:
1.The master: Is that...? No, it can' t be...? OMG, the old man is making a move on her! Nooooooooo! Okay, I have no issues with age and romantic love etc etc, but for the person who crippled you permanently and kept you around just for money and is probably old enough to be your grandfather, to grope your chest after you wake up, recovering from burns, is just wrong. It's wrong. Or maybe he just forgot his spectacles at home. That explains why he died. Yep.
2.Ido - I'm all for handsome, charming, morally ambiguous antagonists getting redemption, but what's with this abruptness? We have Ido running around, putting in great effort to kill off other Dragoneyes, take over Eona's mind and body, stealing and retrieving stolen folios and since all this work makes a man thirsty, he occasionally drains his apprentice (and whoever he can get his hands on) of power. Oh, and don't forget the wine with steroids. All this is going on when all of a sudden, our protagonist pumps him with some green happy stuff and he reforms faster than a Jew in the Spanish Inquisition. Good times. I get that there are shades of grey and all, but this is kind of ridiculous. Plus, if Eona really had made him feel the effect of everything he did, the man would be in an ICU right now. Thats all I'm saying.
3.The politics - This could have been more believable. We are introduced to a conflict without of epic proportions and never told what exactly drives who. Lord Sethon, okay, but Ido? Why does he want power so badly? Given that his personality is ambiguous, shouldn't his motivation be too? What about the prince? Sure, his dad was okay, but he seems to have a mean streak. What's the certainty he won't be a dictator too? Kygo is rather underdeveloped as a character. The royal family in general is a problem. Eona never questions their trustworthiness; she just accepts that it is right and necessary to preserve them. The rebels are also lacking in details; I had to be reminded that a rebel faction exists at all.
4. The above mentioned faults are not too bad. In fact, I'm willing to overlook everything except...the excessive kowtowing. As P.C Cast put it, the whole I-bow-you-bow-then-we-all-bow-thing gets tiresome and is only worth mentioning if you want a serious workout to lose some flab. A quick class on how to lose weight fast using the tried and tested grovel method:
a) Get rid of any pride you have. Cruelly beat it, pulverize it to death. You must be at the bottom of the social ladder for this to work.
b) Then start bowing to everyone you meet. The higher their rank, the lower the bow. This should go on until you meet the king and he can't tell you from the carpet.
c) Enjoy the results of your strenuous abdominal workout and start working to pay for a knee replacement.
Observant readers may have noticed that I've given the book 4 stars despite all the negativity. Thats because the book does make up for its flaws with a plot that moves at breakneck pace, an unforgiving insight into reality and society, interesting, unique characters and decent prose. So I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and hope that I will finish the sequel wanting to write a review about how much awesomer it is.
I stayed up until 5am to finish this book. ….
Action, Betrayal, Magic, Friendship, and Political Struggle the value of women and are all themes throughout the book. Alison Goodman uses a lot of sensory detail. Nothing was vague or left to the imagination. I did feel like Eon was a little slow in the beginning. It had more political struggle than action, but that builds tension in the book until the climax. So stick with it!!!
Eon/Eona was very strong protagonist, mentally and physically. She carries the burdens of not just herself, but also her servants and master. The only problem I had with Eon/Eona was that if she trusted her allies with her burdens her problems would have been solved quicker .I do understand why she didn't trust anyone with her secret’s easily because if she is caught it would be an immediate death to herself and anyone that associated with her.
Throughout the book Eon/Eona could not catch a break; it was one obstacle after another. Most of her obstacles are caused by Lord Ido, the keeper of ambition. He is willing to do anything to get Eon/Eona's power for himself. I despised Lord Ido he is a controlling, power hunger, blood thirsty; villain and that’s what I loved about him. He does have a moment to redeem himself in the last chapter of the book. So I wonder how that will play out in Eona, the final book.
Though there were subtle hints throughout the book about the mystery behind why Eon/Eona was chosen as the dragon eye, I was not able to piece the puzzle together until the very end.
It’s an enjoyable read. You will have to stretch your imagination and look up some words if you don’t know them, but it was still a good read. I still have some questions about the mirror dragon’s history and hope they will be answered in the last book Eona.
Action, Betrayal, Magic, Friendship, and Political Struggle the value of women and are all themes throughout the book. Alison Goodman uses a lot of sensory detail. Nothing was vague or left to the imagination. I did feel like Eon was a little slow in the beginning. It had more political struggle than action, but that builds tension in the book until the climax. So stick with it!!!
Eon/Eona was very strong protagonist, mentally and physically. She carries the burdens of not just herself, but also her servants and master. The only problem I had with Eon/Eona was that if she trusted her allies with her burdens her problems would have been solved quicker .I do understand why she didn't trust anyone with her secret’s easily because if she is caught it would be an immediate death to herself and anyone that associated with her.
Throughout the book Eon/Eona could not catch a break; it was one obstacle after another. Most of her obstacles are caused by Lord Ido, the keeper of ambition. He is willing to do anything to get Eon/Eona's power for himself. I despised Lord Ido he is a controlling, power hunger, blood thirsty; villain and that’s what I loved about him. He does have a moment to redeem himself in the last chapter of the book. So I wonder how that will play out in Eona, the final book.
Though there were subtle hints throughout the book about the mystery behind why Eon/Eona was chosen as the dragon eye, I was not able to piece the puzzle together until the very end.
It’s an enjoyable read. You will have to stretch your imagination and look up some words if you don’t know them, but it was still a good read. I still have some questions about the mirror dragon’s history and hope they will be answered in the last book Eona.
Eon felt very much in the vein of one of my favorite authors, Tamora Pierce--epic fantasy in a well-developed world with a young woman taking charge of her destiny. Eon tackles gender inequality, transgenders as well as plenty of cross dressing and eunuchs, all in a east Asia fantasy world (as opposed to the typical European-style setting). Along with these, Eon can be a really frustrating character to sympathize with at times, but in the end I couldn't help but want to see her overcome her mountains of fears (which, seriously, were justified throughout) and succeed.
The pacing in here is off at times, especially when Eon is really struggling with what to do about the situations she feels stuck in. There's a ton of angst and worry, and some of it was pretty obvious as a reader how to get around it. Still, it was the journey of watching her grow that proved to be satisfying, and some of the drag I experienced was really from not having as much time to listen to audiobooks as I normally do.
Definitely recommended to fans of Tamora Pierce, or just fantasy books in general where gender roles are challenged.
The pacing in here is off at times, especially when Eon is really struggling with what to do about the situations she feels stuck in. There's a ton of angst and worry, and some of it was pretty obvious as a reader how to get around it. Still, it was the journey of watching her grow that proved to be satisfying, and some of the drag I experienced was really from not having as much time to listen to audiobooks as I normally do.
Definitely recommended to fans of Tamora Pierce, or just fantasy books in general where gender roles are challenged.
This was my favorite book as a teen and it was my introduction to transness in media so it's hard to face the issues in it. But there's some pretty inexcusable fatphobia in this book.
The genderfuckery is cool and as a disabled kid it was really nice to have a disabled hero to look up to. And to have their disability not just be a set dressing but actually effect them and the story.
I'm happy to be wrong about this but this also seems like a pretty blatant example of a white woman appropriating ""asian"" aesthetics with no real knowledge of the cultures she's trying to pull from.
The genderfuckery is cool and as a disabled kid it was really nice to have a disabled hero to look up to. And to have their disability not just be a set dressing but actually effect them and the story.
I'm happy to be wrong about this but this also seems like a pretty blatant example of a white woman appropriating ""asian"" aesthetics with no real knowledge of the cultures she's trying to pull from.
This book lost two stars for one reason *slight spoiler alert* she doesn't figure out she can't call her dragon because of the sun energy she was taking. I mean, it was so freaking obvious I wanted to stab myself in the eye with a fork, and the idiot couldn't figure it out. It was super annoying and I found myself skimming through a lot of the middle of the book, while she tried, densely, to figure out what to do. Not a very bright heroine! It super annoyed me. Yes, be repressed, have bad self esteem, be weak physically, but show us a little glimmer of intelligence, mmmkay? Also didn't really enjoy the battle scenes, I skimmed through most of those. But hey, I liked the world building, and great job on the cast of characters, and thanks for making Ido interesting there towards the end.
This book is definitely further along on the straight fantasy spectrum than I usually read, but it turned out to be really good, and the Graceling comparisons were deserved. Compelling story and complex examination of gender roles in this fantasy society. Full review forthcoming on slatebreakers.com