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em_harring 's review for:
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn
by Alison Goodman
Eon by Alison Goodman is everything that I've wanted from a young adult book for a very long time. I devoured every page of it, completely immersed in her world and characters. In short, I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy (thar be dragons) and political environments (thar be political conspiracies--my favourite conspiracies).
Eon tells the story of sixteen year old Eona, forced by her master to disguise herself as Eon in the hopes that she will be chosen to become a Dragoneye apprentice. The world in this novel revolves around eleven dragons that, with the help of their Dragoneyes, keep the balance in the world. Each year is a different cycle--one year the Horse Dragoneye and his dragon ascend and its their year. During the respective cycle years, an apprentice is chosen for the Dragoneye; the apprentice will then train for the next twelve years until it's his turn to ascend and pick his apprentice--so on and so forth. The novel takes place during the Rat Dragoneye's ascension. Eona (as Eon...the pronouns can get kind of tricky in this novel) is one of twelve candidates and at the beginning of the novel, her is chosen by a dragon, but not the Rat Dragon. Rather, the Mirror Dragon, who has been gone for 500 years, returns and chooses her. Another candidate is chosen by the Rat Dragon. So, there's a dual ascension and from there on the plot progresses into political intrigue as Eona tries to not only hide her secret, but become a Dragoneye.
First off, I loved the world that Goodman. The combination of Chinese and Japanese cultural influences blended to make a unique, lush mythological environment that still managed to feel relatable. I thought she did a good job at explaining the world and how the Dragoneyes fit into society. The novel also did a great job at blending the mythological, the political, and the social. For example, Eona has to hide the fact that she's a girl because women are not allowed to be Dragoneyes. It's unheard of. This segregation between men and women carry into the society, where women are seen as lesser beings. Everything came together well to create a more dimensional world. And there's dragons. Dragons make every story better.
Aside from the world, I also loved the main character, Eona. Throughout most of the novel, she had a quiet strength, but she definitely developed as a character all the way to the end. The struggles she went through and the challenges she faced forced her to take certain actions and then live with the consequences in a way that felt real and made me care about her. She's a total badass by the end of the novel; I can't wait to see how she continues to grow in the second installment.
Her interactions with Lady Dela, Ryko, Lord Ion (SUCH A GREAT VILLAIN), and Prince Kygo were also great. I thought they were solid secondary characters, particularly Lady Dela.
I thought the first person narrative style was integral to the story. The story would not have had the impact it had, or it would have been a different impact, without getting to see into Eona's thoughts and see why she chose to do what she did. That said, I would've loved to see more closely into the secondary characters, which of course can't happen with first person narrative, which is usually why I prefer novels in third person. It worked well as is, though.
Overall, the book told a great, well paced story. I never found myself bored of a certain section or wishing it would pick up. There were moments when things happened slowly, but that was okay, because they needed time to develop and show things that would be important later on. The action was great; it wasn't gratuitously violent, but when Goodman had to include a certain 'squirmy' detail, she did. She doesn't shy away from the fact that battle can leave someone ripped open with their guts spilling onto the sidewalk, which is important, because it adds depth to the action. In my opinion, at least.
I think there's something for different types of readers in Eon, be it the fantasy aspect, the political aspect, or just the desire to read a good, complex story.
Eon tells the story of sixteen year old Eona, forced by her master to disguise herself as Eon in the hopes that she will be chosen to become a Dragoneye apprentice. The world in this novel revolves around eleven dragons that, with the help of their Dragoneyes, keep the balance in the world. Each year is a different cycle--one year the Horse Dragoneye and his dragon ascend and its their year. During the respective cycle years, an apprentice is chosen for the Dragoneye; the apprentice will then train for the next twelve years until it's his turn to ascend and pick his apprentice--so on and so forth. The novel takes place during the Rat Dragoneye's ascension. Eona (as Eon...the pronouns can get kind of tricky in this novel) is one of twelve candidates and at the beginning of the novel, her is chosen by a dragon, but not the Rat Dragon. Rather, the Mirror Dragon, who has been gone for 500 years, returns and chooses her. Another candidate is chosen by the Rat Dragon. So, there's a dual ascension and from there on the plot progresses into political intrigue as Eona tries to not only hide her secret, but become a Dragoneye.
First off, I loved the world that Goodman. The combination of Chinese and Japanese cultural influences blended to make a unique, lush mythological environment that still managed to feel relatable. I thought she did a good job at explaining the world and how the Dragoneyes fit into society. The novel also did a great job at blending the mythological, the political, and the social. For example, Eona has to hide the fact that she's a girl because women are not allowed to be Dragoneyes. It's unheard of. This segregation between men and women carry into the society, where women are seen as lesser beings. Everything came together well to create a more dimensional world. And there's dragons. Dragons make every story better.
Aside from the world, I also loved the main character, Eona. Throughout most of the novel, she had a quiet strength, but she definitely developed as a character all the way to the end. The struggles she went through and the challenges she faced forced her to take certain actions and then live with the consequences in a way that felt real and made me care about her. She's a total badass by the end of the novel; I can't wait to see how she continues to grow in the second installment.
Her interactions with Lady Dela, Ryko, Lord Ion (SUCH A GREAT VILLAIN), and Prince Kygo were also great. I thought they were solid secondary characters, particularly Lady Dela.
I thought the first person narrative style was integral to the story. The story would not have had the impact it had, or it would have been a different impact, without getting to see into Eona's thoughts and see why she chose to do what she did. That said, I would've loved to see more closely into the secondary characters, which of course can't happen with first person narrative, which is usually why I prefer novels in third person. It worked well as is, though.
Overall, the book told a great, well paced story. I never found myself bored of a certain section or wishing it would pick up. There were moments when things happened slowly, but that was okay, because they needed time to develop and show things that would be important later on. The action was great; it wasn't gratuitously violent, but when Goodman had to include a certain 'squirmy' detail, she did. She doesn't shy away from the fact that battle can leave someone ripped open with their guts spilling onto the sidewalk, which is important, because it adds depth to the action. In my opinion, at least.
I think there's something for different types of readers in Eon, be it the fantasy aspect, the political aspect, or just the desire to read a good, complex story.