Seraphina

Know how I've always marveled and pondered the many ways authors handle the subject of dragons? Well, in Seraphina, they are intelligent, possess advanced technology, and have a magical ability that lets them take human form. The book takes place in a world where humans and dragonkind exist in a constant state of mistrust. After warring with the humans for time eternal, the leaders of the two races had finally come together to agree upon a peace treaty.

Now forty years have passed, and while dragons walk amongst humans at court and in their cities as scholars and ambassadors, bitter feelings still exist between the two sides. The tension reaches a fever pitch in the days before the dragonkind leader arrives to commemorate the treaty's anniversary, and a human prince of Goredd is found dead, his head missing--presumably eaten by a dragon.

These events hold terrible implications for our protagonist Seraphina Dombegh, a half-dragon hybrid who has struggled to hide her secret for most of her life. Circumstances draw her into the murder investigation, and she finds herself working with handsome Prince Lucian, Captain of the Queen's Guard, despite her position as the court musician's assistant. With the day of the anniversary celebrations fast approaching, they have limited time to tease apart a dangerous conspiracy plot.

The world-building in this book is phenomenal; as in, a lot of thought seems to have been put into every aspect of the setting. For example, its rich history adds a lot to the story, and to a certain extent, the reader has to understand the significance of past events to fully appreciate the impact they have on the present. Then there is the complex religion, which encompasses a fair number of saints to which the people of Goredd look to guide them. The religious aspect certainly isn't central to the book, but at the same time, it adds a layer of context to the story and characters, making them feel more refined.

Then there are the dragonkind and their culture. Let's just say when it comes to emotional suppression and denial of their feelings, the dragons in Seraphina make the Vulcans on Star Trek look like cuddly puppies. The idea that they can look like humans is also very interesting, if not wholly original, but what I found amusing are the dragons' general impressions on having to take human shape; I just wished there were more details on the magic involved during the actual changing process.

And speaking of magic, on the whole, the concept of it in this book is quite abstract. Seraphina, for instance, has to regularly "tend a garden" in her mind in order to control the debilitating visions that overtake her, thanks to the powers she inherited from her unusual parentage. If you're anything like me, it'll take some time to wrap your head around this bizarre idea, which really is more a part of Seraphina's abilities than a metaphor, which I know it sounds like.

So why am I not absolutely crazy for this book, like I should be? Unfortunately, some books that by all rights I should adore are diminished in my eyes by the characteristics of the main protagonist, and this was the case for Seraphina. Try as I might, I just couldn't connect with the eponymous heroine as I'm usually not a fan of the "wallflower-type" character. Granted, Seraphina has all the reasons in the world to be the way she is, but she's still a bit too far on the meek side of things for my tastes. It's true she displays moments of strength and determination, but then also wallowed in her self-pity one too many times for me to truly engage with her narrative.

Don't get me wrong, this book was a wonderful read and I'm glad I picked it up, but being able to like the main character is a biggie for me, and it was that one thing that prevented me from giving it a higher rating. Overall, however, Seraphina is an impressive debut featuring excellent world-building and very imaginative elements. It's classified as Young Adult, but a wider audience could definitely appreciate this. ( )

In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina, whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royal scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents. ( )

I’m a bit torn about the rating on this one, struggling between 3 and 4 stars. While I enjoyed the world-building—which was chockfull of engaging details including an entirely original religious system, invented philosophers with ideas I’d quite appreciate in the real world, and utterly novel dragon mythology—I was not blown away by the plot itself. The storyline was overly convoluted and even unbelievable at times; for example, I found the fact that the royal family became trusting of and attached to Seraphina so quickly bizarre and unlikely. I also found the romantic side-plot incongruous with the rest of the text, though I am thoroughly supportive of the couple since they actually talked together a lot and have things in common! My biggest complaint concerns the rushed ending. There is not much resolution in this volume, so the overall effect of the story was like reading Part 1 of 2. Even if a book is arranged to be a series, I never appreciate feeling like I just read a Part 1; a book must stand alone. Technically, Seraphina stands alone, but the ending wraps so little up while introducing more problems than existed when we started.

Still, this was a captivating book and easy to consume in a few reading sessions. I previously mentioned my love for the worldbuilding, but I would be remiss to not praise the characters as well. Seraphina is a wonderful protagonist with a host of personal issues that provide ample discussion material (there are wonderful ethical issues here that bring to mind the controversy over interracial marriage and how racist people react to it and consider any resulting offspring). Lucian, the bastard prince, has similarish problems, which creates a nice feeling of congruity with Seraphina and some minor characters. I have high hopes for the sequel Dracomachia because now that the world is sufficiently built, the stakes are effectively raised, and the characters are properly introduced, Hartman will hopefully create a more gripping, better paced plot that will come to a full conclusion.

I think I’ll rate this 3.5 stars; I certainly enjoyed it, there is lovely writing and worldbuilding and blending of themes, but after closing the book, I find myself without much to say about it. Except for: I loved Orma! ( )

This is one of those books that I can't believe I'm just now reading. Like, literally, where have I been?!? Why did I not pick this up sooner! I haven't found a dragon book this good in ages. This is one of those rare books that happens to be so ridiculously imaginative that you wonder what you've been reading all your life. Rachel Hartman creates a unique world where dragons live in peace with humans by transforming into human form. Things aren't always easy though. Even though there is peace, there is still mixed emotions, humans still despise and fear the humans. What they don't know is that there are a few half breeds living amongst them. Seraphina always thought she was alone but when shit hits the fan she will have to use her special skills to help keep the peace.

Seriously, read this. Amazing book from first time author, Hartman. You. Won't. Regret. It!! ( )

I picked this book up after reading the description, something intrigued me.

Mathematical dragons

I do not like math, but logical thinking dragons...really. I didn't really know what to expect and I wasn't at all disappointed in the story. I liked the world that Ms. Hartman created. I like the logical thinking dragons, and I liked the main character.

Seraphina or Phina for short is special (and no I am not going to say how), and she soon discovers that she isn't the only one. These characters are actually the most interesting, and once they start actually being real and not just in Seraphina's head, things get more interesting in the story.

I am looking forward to the next story. ( )