Book Review: "Seraphina"

Seraphina

by Rachel Hartman

Goodreads Summary: Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

Review: Not many books immerse me to the point where I feel as if I'm in the world along with the characters; Seraphina is one of the lucky few.  The world was highly imaginative and incredibly detailed, complete with full rituals and customs and religion.  Seraphina herself was a plucky and prickly heroine, with a core of strength, intelligence, and kindness.  Her garden of grotesques were fascinating, another detailed world within a world, and one that I want to know more about.  All the other characters were also wonderful in their own right: Orma, the cold and unfeeling dragon closest to Seraphina; Kiggs, the intelligent but slightly mischievous prince; Glisselda, the seemingly ditzy yet perceptive heir to the throne.  It might be too slowly paced for some people, but I enjoyed the intricate world and character building.  I'm looking forward to the next book.
 

Rating: ★★★★

This book was obtained as an eGalley from Random House Children's Books.  It's expected publication date is July 10, 2012.

Book Review: "The Gray Wolf Throne"

The Gray Wolf Throne (Seven Realms #3)

 by Cinda Williams Chima

Goodreads Summary: Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana ’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells...(more).

Review:  This is the third book in the Seven Realm series, which will have a total of four books.  It picks up about a month after the second book ends, and is truly a well written, epic fantasy adventure, similar to such books as Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. Even though it is categorized as teen fiction, it doesn't make it any less rewarding to read (each of the three books so far are 500+ pages long!).  The book moves fairly slowly like the first two books, but I felt that many of the flaws that I found previously were not an issue in this book.  As with the previous books, this one was rich in character and plot development.  The main two protagonists, Raisa and Han, are worth rooting for, and the rest of the characters are intriguing and complex.  Once again, I enjoyed how Chima has blurred the lines between good and evil in the characters.  Each character has their own agenda, whether or not they're on the same side.  The political intrigue played more of a prominent role in this book than the last two, and while I usually don't enjoy such books, Chima did a wonderful job in balancing it with action and romance so that the reader doesn't get bored. I am very much looking forward to the next, and last, book of the series, which doesn't come out until fall 2012. 

Rating: 4/5