Authors: Rachel Hartman
Publisher: Random House
Year: 2015
Genre(s): fantasy, young adult, romance
Part of a Series: Yes. Sequel to Seraphina
Rating:
Why I read it: Because I loved Seraphina so much and needed to know what happened next!
Summary: With a war with the dragons looming, Seraphina needs to find the other half-dragons in the world in order to create St. Alabaster’s Trap. Glisselda and Kiggs give her their blessing and support to go visit Goredd’s neighbors to find them. Seraphina takes young Abdo, a fellow half-dragon, with her as he could see their brethren using “mind light” better than she could. She also hopes to find her uncle, Orma, who is in exile. However, things grow complicated when a dangerous figure from her past threatens everything she is working for. Will Seraphina be victorious? Or is her world doomed?
Review: I hesitated to put the romance tag up there because this really isn’t a romance. It was framed as one, though, which confused me when the story ended. Romance really, really took a backseat. In fact, if I go by the Romance Writers of America definition, it wasn’t even a romance. It was a love story. Of various sorts, which was nice. We had a bit about Seraphina and Kiggs, which was sweet. There was some romance between Orma and General Eskar, but that wasn’t really shown but told when Eskar revealed what had happened to Seraphina. And then there’s another romantic surprise that I won’t reveal here and let readers discover on their own.
The main relationship is Seraphina and Jannoula. It really drives the story forward, especially once Jannoula becomes a fully formed character. They are complete opposites. Seraphina has hidden her half-dragon self so much, her abilities are locked inside her. Jannoula, though, has embraced her self and uses her powers to further herself, despite spending most of her life locked up physically. She manipulates people to attain her goals while Seraphina tries to get them to agree of their own free will. It’s a great battle.
Hartman does a great job in expanding the world she created in Seraphina. It all feels natural and flows, all working well together and nothing really clashing. She really is a great world builder. And she creates amazing, unique characters that feel like real people—even in such fantastical settings.
Bravo to her.
Bottom line: A great continuation of a great story.
Sex: Implied dragon sex.
Moonlight Musing
Has a book ever surprised you with a romance?
No comments:
Post a Comment