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A review by sherwoodreads
Dragonfly by Julia Golding
If I were still teaching, I would have bought a copy instantly for my classroom shelves. I know I would have loved this book at age twelve or thirteen, and would have read and reread it passionately.
Now I'm old, and I still found it perfect read for soggy hot weather after two days of insomnia. Tashi, the sixteen year old Fourth Princess of the Blue Crescent, is sent to marry eighteen year old Ramil of Gerfal. The Blue Crescent people are peaceful goddess worshippers . . . but they have invented gunpowder (and rifling!), which they keep secret, to protect their islands. Gerfalians are military, with only men in charge, but they use crossbows and spears. They need an alliance against the evil, conquering Fergox of Holt--who is forcing worship of his bloodthirsty god over conquered territories--and his equally nasty sister Junis.
Unfortunately, Tashi and Ramil get off to a very bad start, as neither wants to marry the other. They don't understand or respect either the person or the other's culture. They endure two days of mutual dislike before they get captured, and hauled back to Fergox as part of the latter's expansion plans . . .
The pacing keeps moving along at a fast clip, and there is plenty of action and fun dialogue. Tasha and Ramil begin to change their attitudes toward each other--and to grow up fast, as they are constantly threatened with death.
They also have other challenges. Tasha, regarded everywhere as a witch (though the Crescent people don't do magic--there doesn't seem to be any magic in this world), is treated badly and then thrown into a dungeon until she agrees to give up the goddess and worship the bloody god. Her faith takes a hard hit, which leaves her bewildered and in despair. Ramil, in trying to help, thinks about the big questions for the first time, but he also has lessons to learn. As a prince, his life has been easy, and now he finally has to work at the lessons he ignored.
They escape and get into a lot more action, meeting a variety of colorful characters along the way. I found Fergox and the horrible Junis amusing villains--way better than the usual Evil All The Time rug chewers--but the side characters are pretty stock. Golding keeps things moving fast enough that I never minded stock characters doing predictably stock things. A young teen without years of reading experience is not going to see familiar patterns, and be on the edge of her seat.
I liked the story, the evolutions of Ramil and Tashi's romance, and the lessons they learn, and though the world building was painted in pretty broad strokes, as were the characters, it suited the story. This was such fun. I've a grand niece I think is just ready for it. I can easily see it becoming her favorite book.
Now I'm old, and I still found it perfect read for soggy hot weather after two days of insomnia. Tashi, the sixteen year old Fourth Princess of the Blue Crescent, is sent to marry eighteen year old Ramil of Gerfal. The Blue Crescent people are peaceful goddess worshippers . . . but they have invented gunpowder (and rifling!), which they keep secret, to protect their islands. Gerfalians are military, with only men in charge, but they use crossbows and spears. They need an alliance against the evil, conquering Fergox of Holt--who is forcing worship of his bloodthirsty god over conquered territories--and his equally nasty sister Junis.
Unfortunately, Tashi and Ramil get off to a very bad start, as neither wants to marry the other. They don't understand or respect either the person or the other's culture. They endure two days of mutual dislike before they get captured, and hauled back to Fergox as part of the latter's expansion plans . . .
The pacing keeps moving along at a fast clip, and there is plenty of action and fun dialogue. Tasha and Ramil begin to change their attitudes toward each other--and to grow up fast, as they are constantly threatened with death.
They also have other challenges. Tasha, regarded everywhere as a witch (though the Crescent people don't do magic--there doesn't seem to be any magic in this world), is treated badly and then thrown into a dungeon until she agrees to give up the goddess and worship the bloody god. Her faith takes a hard hit, which leaves her bewildered and in despair. Ramil, in trying to help, thinks about the big questions for the first time, but he also has lessons to learn. As a prince, his life has been easy, and now he finally has to work at the lessons he ignored.
They escape and get into a lot more action, meeting a variety of colorful characters along the way. I found Fergox and the horrible Junis amusing villains--way better than the usual Evil All The Time rug chewers--but the side characters are pretty stock. Golding keeps things moving fast enough that I never minded stock characters doing predictably stock things. A young teen without years of reading experience is not going to see familiar patterns, and be on the edge of her seat.
I liked the story, the evolutions of Ramil and Tashi's romance, and the lessons they learn, and though the world building was painted in pretty broad strokes, as were the characters, it suited the story. This was such fun. I've a grand niece I think is just ready for it. I can easily see it becoming her favorite book.