Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Obtained: Physical ARC for interview and review.
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Random House
Buy it: Amazon & IndieBound & Book Depository
Shelf it: Goodreads
Rachel Hartman: Website & Facebook & Goodreads

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.

In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina’s tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they’ve turned the final page.

Review

I enjoyed Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. I had never read a book that was focused on dragons, so it was a nice change of reading material.

I kind of felt bad for Seraphina because she was raised thinking that dragons are bad, to find out that she herself is part-dragon. WHAAAAT?! Yeah. So she’s got this internal battle raging. She’s growing up and moving out of her home, and at the same time this mess happens! She finds out that she’s different than the people she loves. She goes through a lot of self hate and a bit of self harm. Thankfully she has wonderful people like Princess Glisselda on her side to give her hugs and tell her that she’s accepted.

I loved the cast of characters as well as the way they spoke. I didn’t see it until I was over half-way through: there is a glossary in the back with character names and definitions of a lot of the words that they use. It comes in helpful if you know about it.

Tagged as: Rachel Hartman, Random House, Seraphina