Review - Seraphina

by Rachel Hartman
publisher: Random House Children's Books
date of publication: July 10, 2012
format: digital review copy
pages: 464
source: Netgalley
read it in: 8 days

From Goodreads:

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.

Seraphina Dombegh is a girl of extraordinary musical talent who has attained a position at court as the court composer's apprentice.  However, Seraphina has a secret, one that could jeopardize everything from her livelihood to her life, itself.  After a much-loved prince is found murdered in the forest, even more unusual occurrences begin to take place that point toward a plot to undermine the tenuous treaty between dragonkind and the kingdom of Goredd.  With her keen intelligence and finely honed powers of observation, Seraphina is well-placed to discover the culprits.  Can she do so without exposing her true nature... or losing her life?

Seraphina is one of those characters that you can immediately hear speaking in your head.  Her voice is developed very well and she has such a strong personality.  As more of her persona is revealed, you can tell that she is a girl who knows what she's about.  Her responses to the events around her are those of a person who doesn't take injustices lightly and show that she has a keen sense of loyalty.  All of these made her a very compelling character to read.  Kiggs is a bit of a mystery, at first.  I couldn't quite pin him down and didn't know what I thought until several chapters had gone by.  I can honestly say, however, that I enjoyed the build-up that his introduction entailed.  It allowed so much time in which to make a well-informed assessment of him.  It was done in such as way as to give the impression that you're meeting a new acquaintance.

Seraphina has a fantastic (in all sense of the word!) plot that, while a little slow-moving at first, builds into a rousing adventure.  The inclusion of such an in-depth dragon lore was nothing short of brilliant and I found the background development as a whole to be very intriguing.  The world building is nicely done, as well, and I loved all of the descriptions of Goredd and the surrounding countryside.  The pacing did take some getting used to but, in the end, it proved well worth it, as the spectacular nature of the story just can't be denied.  You can tell that Hartman takes great care to craft her words into such a wonderful story.

I had such a great time getting to know both the characters and the world that makes up Seraphina.  This is a book that illustrates the importance of patience, because if you don't give it time and quit too soon, you will miss out on a great story.  The imagery is vivid and the premise is spectacular, ensuring that you're provided with a great reading experience.  The writing is precise and is very successful at conveying the full scope of how this world runs.  If you're looking for a well-written dragon tale, you should definitely try Seraphina.  It's a must-read that will pick you up and positively fly away with you.

Buy Seraphina at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.