A review by peytiebear
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I don't know if this is the right edition...I "read" the audiobook and it is just so good. It's one that I know I'll come back to and re"read" every few years. There are so many things I love about this book, I can't list them all and some of them are spoilers. But I will say the take on dragons is FANTASTIC, one of my favorites I've ever read, and it's so well-written -- it actually manages to have moments of characters miscommunicating or doing other things that are infuriating to read but not because you can tell the author is just manipulating it that way because they need to for the plot. Even when I wanted to yell "NOOOO COME ONE" I knew I wasn't being fair because Seraphina was actually always doing the best she could at any given time given her situation and personality -- it felt real for her character to be acting that way. All the characters feel real and alive, and for me the plot was genuinely mysterious and surprising. I saw a few things coming, but mostly got surprised. It's a delightful read for any fantasy fans who love sharply-drawn vivid characters balanced with a suspenseful and intriguing plot. And Dragons. Who in this book are basically Vulcans, so if you love Spock you should definitely read this too. ;)
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