A review by lesserjoke
Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

3.0

I adored Rachel Hartman's earlier novel Seraphina, and this sequel coasts by on a lot of borrowed good will from that. Unfortunately, Hartman has jettisoned the parts of Seraphina that I found most engaging (namely the cultural differences between humans and dragons, her heroine's secret status as a mixed child of both species, and the ensuing court intrigue and interpersonal drama) and built this next book largely around the parts that I liked the least (namely the magical mental powers of her characters and the protagonist's quest to find people from her dreams).

The ensuing book is fine if a little aimless -- and I do appreciate the added diversity of characters -- but it's a disappointing follow-up to the wonder of Seraphina.