hmierow's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book!
I know it won’t be for everyone, but this was a great slow burn, kind of political, character driven fantasy. Ileth is just a fantastic main character. E.E. Knight is such a detailed writer and I was so immersed in this world. The way he writes and builds up to big reveals is brilliant.
Like I said this is very character driven. This book is the second in the series and follows Ileth’s life as an apprentice at the Serpentine. It’s not big plot point after plot point and super action packed on every page (though the final battle is very action packed and so so good). We follow Ileth through the nitty gritty of her every day life with other characters from the serpentine.
I checked this out from the library, but I will MOST DEFINITELY be purchasing my own copies of both books because they are fantastic and I loved them.
I know it won’t be for everyone, but this was a great slow burn, kind of political, character driven fantasy. Ileth is just a fantastic main character. E.E. Knight is such a detailed writer and I was so immersed in this world. The way he writes and builds up to big reveals is brilliant.
Like I said this is very character driven. This book is the second in the series and follows Ileth’s life as an apprentice at the Serpentine. It’s not big plot point after plot point and super action packed on every page (though the final battle is very action packed and so so good). We follow Ileth through the nitty gritty of her every day life with other characters from the serpentine.
I checked this out from the library, but I will MOST DEFINITELY be purchasing my own copies of both books because they are fantastic and I loved them.
katleap's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 Stars
I received an e-ARC copy of Daughter of the Serpentine from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an e-ARC copy of Daughter of the Serpentine from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
technocracygirl's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
bloggingwithdragons's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars
Daughter of the Serpentine is the follow-up to The Novice Dragoneer, one of my favorite books of this year. There is something uniquely comforting about this series—it wraps you in its magical atmosphere like a warm blanket. Even though I didn’t quite love Daughter of the Serpentine as much as its predecessor, I really love this series and ardently adore main character Ileth, her fight to overcome her station and stutter, and her journey to becoming a fully fledged Dragoneer.
My favorite parts of Daughter of the Serpentine are the parts where Ileth trains as an apprentice at the Serpentine. I love her relationship with her fellow trainees, and even those ranked above her. Something about her life in the Serpentine feels magical, akin to when I was a young girl reading The Song of the Lioness series. Author E.E. Knight makes it feel like anyone could train alongside Ileth, and with hard work, could also become a Dragoneer.
Especially interesting to me is that author E.E. Knight uses Ileth’s upbringing in a Lodge (basically a working orphanage) and her stutter to highlight the difference class, sex, and great Names make in actually achieving one’s goals. Ileth is discouraged by practically everyone with a mouth from her goal of becoming a Dragoneer due to her lack of a great Name, sex, and poor upbringing. She is encouraged to remain among the dragon dancers and to give up on her dreams. But she never lets this deter her, which I love. Poor Ileth doesn’t even have the money to buy herself an apprentice sash, and no one is going to give it to her. When her position as an apprentice dragoneer is threatened as a result, Ileth finds another—less legal—solution, and immediately owns up to it. This situation demonstrates everything I love about Ileth—she unabashedly makes the most out of what she has and makes no apologies for it—and her fierceness in a nutshell.
Ileth doesn’t shy away from working as dragon dancer and simultaneously training as an apprentice. She’s physically exhausted from the demands of this lifestyle, but works harder than all of her counterparts combined. I love when she got paired up with the most notorious teacher of the Serpentine, dubbed The Horse. This teacher really puts her and all of the trainees through the paces, but also comes to recognize Ileth’s unique strengths. Every time Ileth brings someone around to recognize her determination and character strength, my heart sings right along with hers.
To Ileth’s dismay and my own, she spends a good portion of Daughter of the Serpentine away from the Serpentine, which is probably the main reason I didn’t like this novel quite as much. As much as I love Ileth, I love her relationship and interactions with the dragons, fellow trainees, and instructors the most. Despite this lack of dragon time, Ileth’s time away further highlights the class disparities in a pretty hilarious way, reveals more about Ileth’s mysterious past, and even finds Ileth receiving the deserving attention of a young man. It is entertaining to see Ileth in such a different situation and gives me a bit of Jane Austen vibes. Plus, Santeel Dun Toot, Ileth’s high class friend with a great Name, gets involved and that girl is a veritable riot. To top it off, this sidequest, for lack of a better word, all leads up to an epic dragon battle with pirates, so I really can’t complain.
This battle with the pirates is Ileth’s first experience of war. Author E.E. Knight does a great job of depicting the harsh realities of battle without being overly gruesome or gory. Instead, the grim reality of death and destruction is dealt with in matter-of-fact way that is authentic. Daughter of the Serpentine skillfully and easily demonstrates how each person, and dragon, is affected by the war in different ways. Even unwavering Ileth is given pause by the the actual fight and the business-like approach to death and destruction, but of course, finds her mettle.
In the midst of this battle with pirates, particularly thrilling to me is Ileth’s relationship with Aurue. Aurue, a young scaleless dragon, is like Ileth, a bit of an oddball. I love their kindred spirits and I can't help but to hope that will one day be Ileth’s dragon. It is hard not to be impatient for Ileth to become a fully-fledged Dragoneer because I feel she deserves it so much, but I am enjoying every bit of her journey to her lifelong dream becoming true. Even more so, I love this adventure of Ileth overcoming all obstacles through sheer force of will and watching the people around her come to realize and to appreciate her strength of character and greatness.
If you enjoyed The Novice Dragoneer, love strong heroines or dragon riding stories, do not hesitate to pick up Daughter of the Serpentine. I can't wait to read future entries in the series.
*All quotes are taken from an ARC and are subject to change.
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Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars
Daughter of the Serpentine is the follow-up to The Novice Dragoneer, one of my favorite books of this year. There is something uniquely comforting about this series—it wraps you in its magical atmosphere like a warm blanket. Even though I didn’t quite love Daughter of the Serpentine as much as its predecessor, I really love this series and ardently adore main character Ileth, her fight to overcome her station and stutter, and her journey to becoming a fully fledged Dragoneer.
My favorite parts of Daughter of the Serpentine are the parts where Ileth trains as an apprentice at the Serpentine. I love her relationship with her fellow trainees, and even those ranked above her. Something about her life in the Serpentine feels magical, akin to when I was a young girl reading The Song of the Lioness series. Author E.E. Knight makes it feel like anyone could train alongside Ileth, and with hard work, could also become a Dragoneer.
“There are two basic sorts of people. Those who try to change their situation for the better, and those who look around and seek out villains to explain life’s many, many disappointments and spend the rest of their life crying on the proverbial stump assigning blame. I believe very strongly you are the first type, rare in your sex and rarer still at your age.”*
Especially interesting to me is that author E.E. Knight uses Ileth’s upbringing in a Lodge (basically a working orphanage) and her stutter to highlight the difference class, sex, and great Names make in actually achieving one’s goals. Ileth is discouraged by practically everyone with a mouth from her goal of becoming a Dragoneer due to her lack of a great Name, sex, and poor upbringing. She is encouraged to remain among the dragon dancers and to give up on her dreams. But she never lets this deter her, which I love. Poor Ileth doesn’t even have the money to buy herself an apprentice sash, and no one is going to give it to her. When her position as an apprentice dragoneer is threatened as a result, Ileth finds another—less legal—solution, and immediately owns up to it. This situation demonstrates everything I love about Ileth—she unabashedly makes the most out of what she has and makes no apologies for it—and her fierceness in a nutshell.
Ileth doesn’t shy away from working as dragon dancer and simultaneously training as an apprentice. She’s physically exhausted from the demands of this lifestyle, but works harder than all of her counterparts combined. I love when she got paired up with the most notorious teacher of the Serpentine, dubbed The Horse. This teacher really puts her and all of the trainees through the paces, but also comes to recognize Ileth’s unique strengths. Every time Ileth brings someone around to recognize her determination and character strength, my heart sings right along with hers.
To Ileth’s dismay and my own, she spends a good portion of Daughter of the Serpentine away from the Serpentine, which is probably the main reason I didn’t like this novel quite as much. As much as I love Ileth, I love her relationship and interactions with the dragons, fellow trainees, and instructors the most. Despite this lack of dragon time, Ileth’s time away further highlights the class disparities in a pretty hilarious way, reveals more about Ileth’s mysterious past, and even finds Ileth receiving the deserving attention of a young man. It is entertaining to see Ileth in such a different situation and gives me a bit of Jane Austen vibes. Plus, Santeel Dun Toot, Ileth’s high class friend with a great Name, gets involved and that girl is a veritable riot. To top it off, this sidequest, for lack of a better word, all leads up to an epic dragon battle with pirates, so I really can’t complain.
“'From the Serpentine’s perspective, it could hardly have gone better,' Dun Huss said. ‘Not a single dragon lost or crippled.' Ileth didn’t know if it was usually to speak only in terms of the dragons. She’d seen, now, the Academy’s method ensuring that a lost dragoneer could be replaced quickly.”*
This battle with the pirates is Ileth’s first experience of war. Author E.E. Knight does a great job of depicting the harsh realities of battle without being overly gruesome or gory. Instead, the grim reality of death and destruction is dealt with in matter-of-fact way that is authentic. Daughter of the Serpentine skillfully and easily demonstrates how each person, and dragon, is affected by the war in different ways. Even unwavering Ileth is given pause by the the actual fight and the business-like approach to death and destruction, but of course, finds her mettle.
"You'll understand, some day. You're the future of the Serpentine. I'd like to leave it, as we all must, in the right hands. With the right ideals."*
In the midst of this battle with pirates, particularly thrilling to me is Ileth’s relationship with Aurue. Aurue, a young scaleless dragon, is like Ileth, a bit of an oddball. I love their kindred spirits and I can't help but to hope that will one day be Ileth’s dragon. It is hard not to be impatient for Ileth to become a fully-fledged Dragoneer because I feel she deserves it so much, but I am enjoying every bit of her journey to her lifelong dream becoming true. Even more so, I love this adventure of Ileth overcoming all obstacles through sheer force of will and watching the people around her come to realize and to appreciate her strength of character and greatness.
If you enjoyed The Novice Dragoneer, love strong heroines or dragon riding stories, do not hesitate to pick up Daughter of the Serpentine. I can't wait to read future entries in the series.
*All quotes are taken from an ARC and are subject to change.
Bloggingwithdragons.com
My Book Review Policy
Connect with Me:
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margaret_k30's review against another edition
5.0
I think this is a well-thought out series and has a lot of emotional depth and some wonderful characters. I liked the second book even more than the first as everyone has grown on me even more.
_seanna_nicole_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
elsa_reads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Loving this coming of age series. Waiting impatiently for the next book. Very character driven not plot focused. I enjoy the journey of not really knowing what is coming next. Have listened to the audiobook as well as reading
hmierow's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this book!
I know it won’t be for everyone, but this was a great slow burn, kind of political, character driven fantasy. Ileth is just a fantastic main character. E.E. Knight is such a detailed writer and I was so immersed in this world. The way he writes and builds up to big reveals is brilliant.
Like I said this is very character driven. This book is the second in the series and follows Ileth’s life as an apprentice at the Serpentine. It’s not big plot point after plot point and super action packed on every page (though the final battle is very action packed and so so good). We follow Ileth through the nitty gritty of her every day life with other characters from the serpentine.
I checked this out from the library, but I will MOST DEFINITELY be purchasing my own copies of both books because they are fantastic and I loved them.
I know it won’t be for everyone, but this was a great slow burn, kind of political, character driven fantasy. Ileth is just a fantastic main character. E.E. Knight is such a detailed writer and I was so immersed in this world. The way he writes and builds up to big reveals is brilliant.
Like I said this is very character driven. This book is the second in the series and follows Ileth’s life as an apprentice at the Serpentine. It’s not big plot point after plot point and super action packed on every page (though the final battle is very action packed and so so good). We follow Ileth through the nitty gritty of her every day life with other characters from the serpentine.
I checked this out from the library, but I will MOST DEFINITELY be purchasing my own copies of both books because they are fantastic and I loved them.
butterflybrianna's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
clouded_jasper's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.25