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Seraphina is an excellent fantasy novel with a really interesting depiction of dragons. The titular character is a 16-year-old girl who has recently come to the royal court of Goredd to serve as assistant music master. The kingdom is in turmoil because a royal prince was recently murdered and it’s the upcoming anniversary of the long-standing treaty between the people of Goredd and the dragons they were formerly at war with. Seraphina tries her best to stay out of court politics because she has a terrible secret (she’s half dragon, although she looks human), but her musical talent keeps her from fading into the background and she finds herself caught up in a series of events far beyond her control.
I really liked what Rachel Hartmann does with dragons in this book. Although the truce has been in effect for many years, it’s an uneasy peace at best, and many of Goredd’s people would be happy to go back to war with their former enemy. Dragons can take human form, and while in Goredd, they do so, but it’s only their outer appearance that mimics humanity. They are calm, extremely rational, and completely bewildered by human emotions. Seraphina’s loyalties are divided. She’s human in appearance and emotions, but she’s upset by anti-dragon prejudice.
Seraphina is a great main character. She’s smart, talented, and loyal. She’s lived her whole life hiding her true nature, and because of this, she’s a bit of a loner. Now that she’s at court, she’s forced to interact with a wide variety of people and she finds herself forming friendships despite her need to stay under the radar. She feels more human than dragon, but she’s never completely at home in the human world because she knows most of them would turn on her if they knew her secret. She's not really accepted by most of the dragons who know about her heritage, so she's always caught between two worlds, not really belonging in either.
I really enjoyed this book because of its unique fantasy world and its strong protagonist. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Although it’s classified as young adult, I think older readers may enjoy it as well. The main character is a teen, but in her world she’s a mature adult, and I think readers of any age will be able to identify with her.
I received an ARC from Amazon Vine.
I really liked what Rachel Hartmann does with dragons in this book. Although the truce has been in effect for many years, it’s an uneasy peace at best, and many of Goredd’s people would be happy to go back to war with their former enemy. Dragons can take human form, and while in Goredd, they do so, but it’s only their outer appearance that mimics humanity. They are calm, extremely rational, and completely bewildered by human emotions. Seraphina’s loyalties are divided. She’s human in appearance and emotions, but she’s upset by anti-dragon prejudice.
Seraphina is a great main character. She’s smart, talented, and loyal. She’s lived her whole life hiding her true nature, and because of this, she’s a bit of a loner. Now that she’s at court, she’s forced to interact with a wide variety of people and she finds herself forming friendships despite her need to stay under the radar. She feels more human than dragon, but she’s never completely at home in the human world because she knows most of them would turn on her if they knew her secret. She's not really accepted by most of the dragons who know about her heritage, so she's always caught between two worlds, not really belonging in either.
I really enjoyed this book because of its unique fantasy world and its strong protagonist. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Although it’s classified as young adult, I think older readers may enjoy it as well. The main character is a teen, but in her world she’s a mature adult, and I think readers of any age will be able to identify with her.
I received an ARC from Amazon Vine.