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lionessramping 's review for:
Seraphina
by Rachel Hartman
((Personal Peeve: I'm trying not to judge this book too harshly based on my overall disgust with the YA genre at the moment. DOES NO ONE WRITE STAND-ALONE BOOKS ANYMORE? I mean, starting a series is one thing--and enough of one thing itself, are there ANY non-series fantasy/scifi books out there these days??--but writing a book that then ISN'T a book because ALL you do is set up setting, characters and plot elements for the NEXT book which you promise, oh YES you promise, "THIS one has the story I got you excited about, I swear!" Only to find that means, "Well, actually, by 'story' I meant interminable, plot-less bridge from the first novel to the third," is a whole other thing.))
Okay, so Seraphina isn't the worst culprit of this awful current trend, but it DOES span 400+ pages only to never quite get there and leave you on an almost-built-up-to-the-main-plot cliff. However those 400+ pages of more description, intrigue and set-up than plot are thoroughly enjoyable. The story tugs you along excitedly, and there's little of the same-old in terms of characters and tropes. In fact this is one of the more unique takes on dragons, and dragon politics, I've read in a long time. Of course there's a goofy YA romance element, yet the main female lead manages to stay slightly reasonable, functional and autonomous despite it. The female character you think you're being set up to write off ends up being strong and independent in her own way as well. And there's a lovely anti-hate theme throughout as well, so I certainly can't fault the messages behind this teen novel either. I could be picky and agree with some other reviewers about where the heck her powers came from and why she's the one that has them when there is nothing else of the ilk in this fantasy world, but I'll save the rest of my pickiness for the second book (which I will most definitely be reading.)
Okay, so Seraphina isn't the worst culprit of this awful current trend, but it DOES span 400+ pages only to never quite get there and leave you on an almost-built-up-to-the-main-plot cliff. However those 400+ pages of more description, intrigue and set-up than plot are thoroughly enjoyable. The story tugs you along excitedly, and there's little of the same-old in terms of characters and tropes. In fact this is one of the more unique takes on dragons, and dragon politics, I've read in a long time. Of course there's a goofy YA romance element, yet the main female lead manages to stay slightly reasonable, functional and autonomous despite it. The female character you think you're being set up to write off ends up being strong and independent in her own way as well. And there's a lovely anti-hate theme throughout as well, so I certainly can't fault the messages behind this teen novel either. I could be picky and agree with some other reviewers about where the heck her powers came from and why she's the one that has them when there is nothing else of the ilk in this fantasy world, but I'll save the rest of my pickiness for the second book (which I will most definitely be reading.)