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A review by janina_reads
Eona: The Last Dragoneye by Alison Goodman
3.0
Three stars, but barely.
It is hard for me to hide my disappointment after reading this second installment of the Eon Duology. After so many reviews signing its praise, my expectations had soared high and I feel let down now.
I do love Alison Goodman's writing, her skill in creating atmosphere, making Eona a lush and sensual reading experience. Nevertheless, especially the second half of the book was a let down character-wise. I am sad to say that I lost my respect and admiration for Eona. Full of strength and courage as Eon, her union with her dragon and the power she has gained through it have made her weak and insecure. The way she treats her loved ones, the way she meets everyone around her with mistrust and suspicion were not necessarily unrealistic traits for someone in her situation, but they made it almost impossible for me to feel with her. The love triangle introduced did not make it any easier for me. It is one of those cases where you just know it'll end badly, and it made me think even less of the heroine. I have to admit, though, it is not necessarily only there for the sake of adding tension - it really illustrates the heroine being torn not only between two men, but also between two paths she can take - but one of the men is a total creep, and the other's intentions aren't clear either. Additionally, the relationship developed a bit too fast. All in all, I was just very surprised as the first book was romance free (for a change), but the second one was so heavy on it. Add all the trust and power issues – it was kind of painful, partly in a good way, but mostly in a frustrating way. I do like my portrayal of heroes realistic – they should always be complex characters, with strengths and faults. Here, I felt like everybody besides the main character was strong, but Eona herself failed to carry responsibility and power on her shoulders. She does redeem herself later, and chooses the path I wished she would take, but in the end, I felt like she hadn't earned the ending she got.
Still, I admire this story for its diversity, for the amazing side characters – especially Dela and Ryko – and for the atmospheric setting. I would recommend giving the books a try despite my disappointment in this second volume, they are excellently written and the cast of characters is definitely unique in the fantasy genre.
#7 Aussie YA Challenge 2011
It is hard for me to hide my disappointment after reading this second installment of the Eon Duology. After so many reviews signing its praise, my expectations had soared high and I feel let down now.
I do love Alison Goodman's writing, her skill in creating atmosphere, making Eona a lush and sensual reading experience. Nevertheless, especially the second half of the book was a let down character-wise. I am sad to say that I lost my respect and admiration for Eona. Full of strength and courage as Eon, her union with her dragon and the power she has gained through it have made her weak and insecure. The way she treats her loved ones, the way she meets everyone around her with mistrust and suspicion were not necessarily unrealistic traits for someone in her situation, but they made it almost impossible for me to feel with her. The love triangle introduced did not make it any easier for me. It is one of those cases where you just know it'll end badly, and it made me think even less of the heroine. I have to admit, though, it is not necessarily only there for the sake of adding tension - it really illustrates the heroine being torn not only between two men, but also between two paths she can take - but one of the men is a total creep, and the other's intentions aren't clear either. Additionally, the relationship developed a bit too fast. All in all, I was just very surprised as the first book was romance free (for a change), but the second one was so heavy on it. Add all the trust and power issues – it was kind of painful, partly in a good way, but mostly in a frustrating way. I do like my portrayal of heroes realistic – they should always be complex characters, with strengths and faults. Here, I felt like everybody besides the main character was strong, but Eona herself failed to carry responsibility and power on her shoulders. She does redeem herself later, and chooses the path I wished she would take, but in the end, I felt like she hadn't earned the ending she got.
Still, I admire this story for its diversity, for the amazing side characters – especially Dela and Ryko – and for the atmospheric setting. I would recommend giving the books a try despite my disappointment in this second volume, they are excellently written and the cast of characters is definitely unique in the fantasy genre.
#7 Aussie YA Challenge 2011