Eon

While a lot of crossdressing adventure stories deal with issues of gender and sexism in some way, very few acknowledge transgender people, let alone engage with the trans perspective on gender. This is a damn shame.
Eon bucks the trend by accepting transgender experiences as central to its discussion of gender. The book does this in several ways: first, transgender experiences are acknowledged by having the main character discuss gender issues with a transgender woman. In addition, transgender experiences are acknowledged in the rules of the world's story: Eon has its main character perform a setting-appropriate equivalent of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), imbibing a substance that will help her emulate maleness in the same way that show more testosterone is used by real life trans men.*
Most powerfully, the main character's arc echoes the emotional experiences of many trans people. Her crossdressing ruse is not merely a physical inconvenience, but also mentally taxing and spiritually painful. The experience almost destroys her in the same way that being forced to live contrary to one's gender often destroys the lives of trans people. And the pain of living at odds with herself combines with the main character's other struggles, such as her disability and internalized sexism, to create a tortured but realistic inner world.
In spite of a few imperfections, Eon's portrayal of the transgender experience is both functional and sincere. My big question is this: why isn't the main character just a trans girl? It feels like all the groundwork for that choice is there. Sure, there's a lot more precedent for the crossdressing cis girl narrative than for what I suggest (especially in 2008, when this was published), but that disparity makes placing a trans protagonist into that narrative all the more powerful and groundbreaking. In fact, such a book would still be groundbreaking if it was published today. In many ways, Eon is ahead of its times, but I can't help feeling that it didn't go far enough.

* While a lot of media attention outside of transgender circles is focused on surgery as the primary goal of those transitioning, quite a few trans people consider the hormonal changes caused by HRT a more significant part of their transition, showing that Goodman's knowledge of trans issues is more than surface level. show less

Yes yes yes yes yes yes YES!

Oh my goodness did I love this book. I started it because the book I had been reading was left outside in the car, it was late at night, and I wanted a book to read without having to go out into the cold. Then I couldn't put it down.

In spite of massive loads of homework, I devoured Eon. I was caught up in the incredibly complex, but so satisfying magic system, fantastic characters and the strength of Eon, the crippled, 16 year old girl who has taken on so much responsibility even my shoulders felt its weight. Not only is there a complex political structure and magic system in place - but there's huge uproar in this story as well. It's the end of the world as these characters know it, and every move is show more carefully plotted out and executed.

While I can easily see younger boys and girls loving this story, I do want to put a word of warning out there. If you aren't prepared to talk to your children about castration and men dressing and feeling as if they are women, then you might want to hold off on this one. I thought the entire thing was very tastefully done, but I would also understand if this book is one that was held back until those reading it are a bit older.

Overall though - fantastic story and ideas. Epic struggle between what is good and what is evil and sometimes just how hard the gray area in between can be. show less

Eon, a young woman disguised as a twelve-year-old boy, struggles to make her way through the intrigue-laden Imperial Court, where she must politick with the Dragoneyes and their allies even as she works to master her own inconsistent magical powers.

I found this a remarkably readable book. It was easy to sink into, and Goodman's prose reads up right quick. I whipped right through it, and I enjoyed it a fair bit. That said, I find that I'm having trouble reviewing it, because the things that really jump out at me are the elements that tripped me up and made it tough for me to love it.

But we'll get to those in good time. There were a couple of things I really liked, and I'd prefer to start off with those.

Lady Dela, one of Eon's show more compatriots, is right at the top of the list. She's physically male, but at no point does Eon refer to her as 'he' or demean her choice to embrace her female nature. She's not universally accepted, and Goodman makes sure we know that she's been persecuted in the past, but she remains true to her inner self. I was, so, so glad to see a trans character in a book marketed at the (North American) YA set, and I was even happier to see Goodman treat her with such honesty. The contrast between her physical sex and her true gender does hint at what Eon herself is going through, but it never becomes the focus of her character. She's a person, first and foremost.

I also liked the mystery surrounding Eon's fleeting grasp on her powers. It is a tad predictable, but I don't feel that the book suffers for it. I was still eager to read on in the hopes that Eon would figure it out sooner rather than later. As a reader, I'm always ridiculously satisfied when a character finally learns something I've known for a couple hundred pages. And even though it was fairly obvious to me, (and to many others, if the reviews are anything to go by), it makes sense that Eon wouldn't clue into it right off the bat.

Eon's world also made for a nice change from your standard medievalesque fantasy setting. I will say, however, that a couple of Goodman's word choices threw me. Lady Dela, for example, is called a Contraire. French, anyone? It stood out like a sore thumb in this Asian-inspired world.

Now: the stuff that didn't quite work for me.

EON has a large cast of characters, and Goodman does a fairly good job of limning each of them; however, I had some problems with the ways they all related to one another. I often felt like Goodman was telling us one thing and showing us another. Eon's relationship with her master was perhaps the most jarring of all. What Goodman told me about their connection was dramatically different from what she showed me.

I sometimes had trouble connecting to the action, too. I'd find myself reading back over particular passages to see what it was I'd just read. I'm still not sure if this was because Goodman didn't delve deep enough for me, or if my dodgy sense of the characters' interconnections made it tough for me to commit to some of the plot stuff.

All in all, though, this was an enjoyable read that I couldn't quite love, hard as I tried. I'd still recommend it to those with an interest in Asian-inspired fantasy, but I'd say that those of you who're more heavily invested in character-based stuff should proceed with some caution.

(A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina). show less

It's a young adult book. Don't expect extreme moral complexity, but hop on for an atmospheric world, some "fuck yeah, feminism!" moments, and a compelling ensemble of heroes. Any story that, at its core, is a tale of a young woman learning how powerful she really is, has a good chance of winning me over.

This is the only story about a woman masquerading as a man that actually addresses the dysphoria she might feel, the profound discomfort caused by living as a person she isn't. It's made all the more powerful by her mentor and friend Lady Dila, who is a trans woman and communicates the message that being a woman isn't necessarily about the body, but about a strong internal feeling of womanhood.

My major reservations are that the villain show more is a bit too cartoonish, and the Throwing Off the Disability trope at the end made me go "Nooooo!" It was such a good representation of disability until then, why did you have to take it away from me? show less

4.5 stars. Eon was such an exhilarating, page-turning, and suspenseful read. Oh, and action-packed. Lots of action. Also, did I mention how gorgeous the cover is? A normal dragon is already majestic enough, but a spirit dragon? I can only revel at its powerful glory. That, added with the fierce silhouette of a girl with swords and the intricate scrawl of the character symbol, just makes me want to stare at it all day.

First of all, I love the fact that the book was inspired by Chinese and Japanese culture! I'm always drawn to such books, and this one was no exception. It was fun reading about the dragons each representing a member of the Chinese zodiac, and I liked the diagram at the beginning depicting each of them. The empire was show more similar to that of ancient Asian culture, too--there was the "heavenly emperor" who ruled over all, there was an imperial court (rankings, concubines, eunuchs, servants, and all), and there was the ever-present danger of royalty. The amount of time Eona spent in the court filled the book up to its brim in political intrigue. Even though the harshness of their ways of life made me cringe in sympathy more than once, I loved it all. It just made the whole book much more interesting, adrenaline-pumping, and delightful to read.

Lady Dela was probably my favorite character. She was witty, clever, and filled with courage. She was living proof that being female didn't necessarily being weak. Even though technically she was male, she had the mindset of a woman, and that was what mattered. Not surprisingly, most of the empire is very sexist (save for her home tribe), but she ignored them all and stood firm in her declaration of being feminine. That is definitely something to be greatly admired. I wish Eona was as self-accepting as Lady Dela. That would have solved many problems, but since it was part of her character development, oh well. Although Lady Dela is still my favorite.

This book was heavy on masculinity and femininity. Since nearly everyone in the empire favored males, thinking them to be stronger and more reliable, Eona tried her best to suppress her secret girl identity. She refused to listen to Lady Dela when she told her that females could be strong, and she thought the way to power and dragons was masculinity. Hence the many scenes where I wanted to smack her over the head for her stubborn ignorance. I was so relieved when she finally accepted her real identity at the end. Nevertheless, the whole topic about everyone's opinions on genders was interesting to read about. Thank goodness for today's gender equality (at least compared to ancient times).

Do I recommend this book? Of course, that's an easy yes, especially if you enjoy fantasy and stories based on Asian cultures (like I do!). Go try it out! show less

Eon is a crippled servant in a world where cripples are untouchable, considered to bring bad luck with them wherever they go. They are not even allowed in the imperial presence. However, Eon's ambitious master has plans for him still and has spent years training Eon to become a Dragoneye. The Dragoneyes are special men, each chosen by one of the eleven celestial dragons, able to commune with their dragon and use its power on behalf of the emperor. The Rat Dragon is now the ascendent, and Eon is one of several candidates to become the apprentice Rat Dragoneye. He and his master have staked everything on Eon being chosen; if he is not, his master will lose what little political power and wealth he has left. Eon has a special gift -- he is show more able to see all of the dragons in the spirital realm at once, a power unheard of in any other -- and this is the reason he, a cripple, is allowed to compete. However, Eon has a terrifying secret that only he and his master know -- he is really Eona, a girl. Women are forbidden to be Dragoneyes -- they are forbidden from most aspects of power -- and discovery of this fact will mean instant death for Eon and his master. They have both ruthlessly eradicated all traces of the female in Eon, but it is still a dangerous plan, and one that both does not go as expected and yet exceeds all expectations. Eon is not chosen by the Rat Dragon, but by the Mirror Dragon, the twelfth dragon that has not been seen for hundreds of years. This marvel instantly catapults Eon to Lord status and co-ascendant Dragoneye with the cruel and power-mad Lord Ido, the Rat Dragoneye. Now it is even more important for Eon to hide his sex, as he is quickly immersed in a political power struggle between the current emperor, whose health is failing, and Lord Ido and his brother, High Lord Sethon, who intend to take over the throne.

I picked this book up because it was a fantasy in an Asian-inspired world and because it has a phenomenal cover closely tied to the subject of the book. (Not that I knew that at the time.) The deep reds signify the colors of the Imperial family as well as the Mirror Dragon, and the shining golden compass held in the dragon's claw is a key item for communicating with the dragons. Plus, it just looks badass. Am I right? I'm always curious to see how different authors reimagine and reinterpret Asian cultures to create an entirely new world, one not based on the standard European fantasy model that permeates the genre, and Alison Goodman really knocks it out of the park for me. Her world is very imaginative and unique (it doesn't seem like a thinly veiled copy of China, for example) and yet has a lot of research behind it. Every detail was crystal clear: court protocol; dragon mythology; decorative embellishments on buildings, items, hairpieces; gardens built to harness certain kinds of energy; Story robes that told tales in the weaving; the emphasis on poetry as communication as well as art. Simply amazing.

But what I really love about this book -- and Goodman's writing -- is how skillfully she weaves in themes of sex and gender and its importance (both the seeming and the being) in this society. While men are supreme, there's Eon, a girl pretending to be a boy; Lady Dela, a Contraire, a man who lives publicly as a woman; and Ryko, a Shadow Man, or eunuch; and they all have different views on the power each gains, or loses, from their roles. The interplay between Eon and Lady Dela is especially interesting, as their roles are swapped: Eon gains status by denying her femininity and adopting a masculine identity, while Lady Dela lives as a woman because she never felt at home in her male body. However, Eon is living a lie, while Lady Dela is not, and Eon is the one who has given up the most. Of course, it turns out that Eon's power does come from her femininity -- her Moon energy, rather then the male Sun energy -- and the hardest journey she undertakes in the book is the one to reclaim her true self.

All of the characters are fascinating, and even Lord Ido ends up having more to him then the standard mustache-twirling villain, despite how he appears at the beginning. Eon is a wonderful character, humble, conflicted, brave, proud, desperate, but not perfect at all -- she makes plenty of mistakes and has plenty of moments where she has less-then noble ideals. But she comes through at the end. The book also has suspenseful, high stakes political intrigue mixed with heart-pounding action, and sometimes the conflicts grew so intense that I found myself racing through paragraphs, almost afraid to know what happened next but needing to know right away. This is how I felt about the ending -- I know Goodman is writing the sequel, and I only wish I had it right now.

The pacing in the middle lags. I'm not sure why. I think it is because the reader has already figured out why Eon is having such trouble calling the Mirror Dragon, why the dragon continually eludes her, leaving her powerless just when she needs power the most. The Mirror Dragon is female, the Queen of the dragons, and Eon pushes the dragon away every time she does something to reinforce her male identity. It takes Eon far, far too long to figure this out, and she actually doesn't do it on her own, though she should have. I got increasingly frustrated with her, especially when she starts ingesting the Sun drug in large doses (steroids, basically) and can't figure out why that has seemed to make the dragon less accessible, not more. "Put it together already!", I wanted to yell. I might have actually done this at least once.

Also, and this is the one that really bothers me -- I think Goodman did an excellent, unique thing when she made Eon crippled, something heroes often are not, especially not to the extent that Eon is. It's an important facet of her character, dealing with her painful lameness; it affects every single part of her life and accounts for a lot of her strength of character later on. But when she finally figures out how to call the Mirror Dragon (at the end, natch), the first thing that happens is that her leg is magically healed and she is "whole". While I understand Goodman's desire to emphasis Eon's new power with a mirroring in her physical body, it seemed like a cop-out. I wanted to see her go all the way despite being untouchable to some, despite being physically hampered. How much more interesting it would have been.

Still, this was an excellent book, a must-read, especially for people who love fantasies, love incredible female protagonists, and who are looking for really detailed worlds that don't rehash the Euro-centric medieval standard. It's smart, it's emotional, it's (mostly) fast-paced, and it has a killer ending. And dragons -- celestial dragons. Let's not forget them. It's nice to see dragons done in a new way. The sequel can't come out fast enough. show less

Young Reader Reaction: This book was a treat to read. I took my time so I could savor each chapter. I love how Alison Goodman took historical practices in Asian culture and acclimated it into her fantasy world. Those rituals were obviously well researched. I was also intrigued throughout was the exploration of gender and what it truly means to be “masculine” or “feminine.” The story treats sexism with care and realistic representation. The main character is not a traditional superhero. Eona is crippled, not only physically, but also mentally due to the unreachable standards that society has set — to obtain true masculinity.

The only thing I do not care for is the book's length (500 pages). The plot is very drawn-out and could show more easily be reduced to 400 pages. That said, I respect the author’s choice of drawing the reader in with detailed descriptions. I would recommend this book for ages 14+. This book would be a great gift to anybody interested in high fantasy and genuine female characters.

To read our full review, go to The Reading Tub®. show less