Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Seraphina
    Unavailable
    Seraphina
    Unavailable
    Seraphina
    Audiobook13 hours

    Seraphina

    Written by Rachel Hartman

    Narrated by Mandy Williams and Justine Eyre

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Lyrical, imaginative, and wholly original, this New York Times bestseller with 8 starred reviews is not to be missed.  Rachel Hartman's award-winning debut will have you looking at dragons as you've never imagined them before…

    In the kingdom of Goredd, dragons and humans live and work side by side - while below the surface, tensions and hostility simmer.

    The newest member of the royal court, a uniquely gifted musician named Seraphina, holds a deep secret of her own. One that she guards with all of her being.

    When a member of the royal family is brutally murdered, Seraphina is drawn into the investigation alongside the dangerously perceptive-and dashing-Prince Lucien. But as the two uncover a sinister plot to destroy the wavering peace of the kingdom, Seraphina's struggle to protect her secret becomes increasingly difficult… while its discovery could mean her very life.

    "Will appeal to both fans of Christopher Paolini's Eragon series and Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown." -Entertainment Weekly

    "[A] lush, intricately plotted fantasy." -The Washington Post

    "Beautifully written. Some of the most interesting dragons I've read." -Christopher Paolini, New York Times bestselling author of Eragon

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 10, 2012
    ISBN9780307968937
    Unavailable
    Seraphina

    Related to Seraphina

    Related audiobooks

    YA Action & Adventure For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Wolf Sister

      May 7, 2020

      Wolf Sister
      10 min read

    • Article

      Your Letters!

      Jul 13, 2023

      Your Letters!
      5 min read

    • Article

      Room With A View

      Nov 16, 2022

      Room With A View
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Mountain In The Sea

      Feb 22, 2023

      The Mountain In The Sea
      1 min read

    • Article

      Story Magic

      Nov 3, 2021

      JINGLE SMELLS by Mark Sperring, illustrated by Sophie Corrigan (Bloomsbury) brings some extra-stinky fun to the festive season! All kids are sure to enjoy this vibrantly illustrated tale of a smelly skunk who saves Christmas with his noxious odours.

      1 min read

    • Article

      Watching The Detectives

      Dec 30, 2020

      Watching The Detectives
      5 min read

    • Article

      All Our Hidden Gifts

      May 19, 2021

      RELEASED 27 MAY 400 pages | Paperback/ebook Author Caroline O’Donoghue Publisher Walker Books This YA mystery, set in Ireland, is a lesson in the perils of fortune-telling. Maeve is a teenager who stumbles upon some old tarot cards and uncovers a tal

      1 min read

    • Article

      Hello

      Jul 14, 2023

      The other day I was chatting to a group of people about artificial intelligence (AI). Everyone is up in arms about ChatGPT, with most conversations ending with a self-pitying sigh, accompanied by something along the lines of: but will people become r

      2 min read

    • Article

      Save a Kingdom

      Nov 1, 2023

      Save a Kingdom
      7 min read

    • Article

      Silly Things

      Feb 1, 2022

      Silly Things
      2 min read

    • Article

      Yara And The Witch Queen

      Oct 1, 2019

      I knew the dangers of witchcraft. My parents had told me about the time before I was born, when magic plagued our desert kingdom of Bahati. Untrained witch doctors trying to cure warts ended up paralyzing their patients or turning them into crocodile

      10 min read

    • Article

      50 Best Kids’ Books

      Nov 27, 2022

      50 Best Kids’ Books
      8 min read

    • Article

      A Short Slice Of Fantasy

      Apr 7, 2022

      A Short Slice Of Fantasy
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Book Eaters

      Aug 10, 2022

      The Book Eaters
      1 min read

    • Article

      The Halloween Parade Problem

      Oct 1, 2023

      The Halloween Parade Problem
      2 min read

    • Article

      Cat Amongst The Cosmos

      Aug 10, 2023

      Cat Amongst The Cosmos
      1 min read

    • Article

      Tuesdays

      Jan 1, 2022

      Tuesdays
      2 min read

    • Article

      On Uppermost Winds

      Feb 1, 2024

      On Uppermost Winds
      5 min read

    • Article

      $30m Proposal… And Counting

      Apr 7, 2022

      In what many industry watchers are considering a game-changer, selfprofessed showman and bestselling fantasy novelist Brandon Sanderson (the Cosmere novels – including the Mistborn and Stormlight Archive series) astonished the literary world with a v

      2 min read

    • Article

      A Dragon’s Perspective

      Jun 10, 2022

      There once lived a dragon named Deathwing. Well, at least that’s what they called him. Deathwing was growing old, far too old for his liking. The joints of his claws ached and groaned under his ever-growing weight and his scales were beginning to los

      18 min read

    • Article

      'The Hazel Wood' Has Few Uses For Enchantment

      Jan 30, 2018

      In Melissa Albert's dark take on fairy tales, 17-year-old Alice has spent her entire life on the run from her family legacy: a terrifying mythical world created by her grandmother, a famous author.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Saving Freyfaxi

      Feb 1, 2024

      Saving Freyfaxi
      8 min read

    Reviews for Seraphina

    4/5

    1,068 ratings142 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Excellent story, plot, characters and questions.
    • 5/5
      The review's up on the blog here.

      Getting through this book took me a while, only because of the life stuff. I could have read this in one intense sitting, although I would definitely have sobbed had that been the case. I was definitely fighting off tears while I was riding on MARTA. Anyway, I totally adored this book and I am so thrilled that I was chosen to be an Ambuzzador for something I truly appreciate so much. Even better, I have a copy to give away to one of you, so that I can share the magic with others, which I really love to do.

      I have to start by talking about the dragons, because, ummm, dragons are freaking cool. Seraphina is pretty much what I was dreaming the book Firelight would be...only better. This one, too, has dragon shifters, but these are so much better thought out and so much more serious than Sophie Jordan's. This isn't about dragons just because paranormal's in; Seraphina focuses more on social tensions, bigotry, and prejudice.

      The dragons here remind me most of Vulcans. They live their lives based on logic and find emotions to be in bad taste. However, one of the most fascinating aspects is how shifting to human form can affect their brains, breeding improper emotions like love and hatred. There was also a scary aspect, since any dragon found guilty of undue emotion was likely to get his/her dragon brain wiped of all memories, so that the human taint could be removed.

      As may be obvious, there is a lot of tension between humans and dragons (whether in human form or not), despite the treaty that has created a tentative alliance between the two species. These tensions are seriously close to erupting after the murder (possibly by a dragon) of one of the countries princes. An anti-dragon group , the Sons of Ogdo, is constantly gaining in adherents. Meanwhile, the dragons obviously view humans with some amount of contempt, both for their emotions and their brief lifespans.

      In this world, humans and dragons (while in human form...there is no bestiality up in here) are forbidden from forming romantic attachments and, most especially, from procreating. Well, as with rules, this one has been broken. Seraphina discovers in her youth that she is half-dragon. Her father did not know, in fact, that his wife was a dragon until she died in childbirth, her silver blood spilling from her body. Seraphina has red blood, but she also has scales along her stomach, back and arms. She leaves her life trying to avoid notice, a lonely life with only her tutor and uncle, Orma, for a friend.

      Despite her need for anonymity, she cannot keep quiet when she begins to suspect she knows the answers to some of the mystery surrounding the prince's death. She finds herself having to choose between her country's best interests and her own, between loneliness and love. Seraphina is an amazingly strong, wonderful heroine. I loved her for her faults as well as her skills and cleverness; she lies constantly, even when the truth might be better, and she has serious trust issues. She is, however, braver than just about anyone.

      Seraphina was DAMN close to being a perfect five star read for me. The only aspect that I continually found jarring, even though Hartman did explain it and it did work, was Seraphina's mental garden. This won't really make sense if you haven't read the book, but you'll get it when you do. I personify things, including my brain, picturing it filled with disordered shelves covered in dust, often locked with now wayward keys. That's probably a little weird, or even a lot. Seraphina's relationship with her mind, though, makes mine pale in comparison. It was just a bit too weird for me, and the descriptions perhaps ran a bit long. It was the only part of the book that dragged at all for me.

      This book seems to me like Firelight (for the dragon shifters) Cinder (girl who has to hide what she is, affecting her relationships) a whole lot more awesomeness that is all Rachel Hartman's. The writing and the world building are both completely exceptional. I am already salivating for the sequel and the title hasn't even been released yet. I declare myself to be, based on just this novel, a firm Hartman fan.
    • 5/5

      This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

      Cover Impressions: This cover is so beautifully intricate. It is not the type of cover that jumps off the shelf but it is the type that encourages the reader to stop and study it. I am already intrigued to see the artwork for the next in the series.

      The Gist: The kingdom of Goredd holds a tenuous balance between it's human citizens and the dragons who can take their form. As the 40th anniversary of their peace treaty approaches it seems that someone is determined to tip the scales and renew the old conflicts. Seraphina straddles the line between humans and dragons. When a member of the royal family is found beheaded, she becomes an integral part of the investigation - if only to try and keep her own secrets hidden.

      Review: Oh God. These are always the hardest reviews for me to write. I can rant all day about books that I hate, pointing out the slow plot, annoying characters and writing that would fit quite well in my stack of grading from grade 7. Those reviews are my bread and butter, they flow through my fingertips like water, gracing the page with WTF's and FFS!'s.

      Every now and then, however, I come across a book that was just so fan-fucking-tastic that I can barely put into words why. Seraphina was one of those books. The world building is complete and unique. The characters are fully developed, sometimes flawed and remarkably human (even when they are not). The writing is polished and elegant, begging you to savor every word. The plot never lags or races but maintains a pace that keeps the reader enthralled (seriously - as soon as the baby went to bed I begged my husband to just leave me alone and go watch sports or something so that I could read).

      Seraphina is easily one of my favorite characters thus far this year. She is intelligent, talented, brave, vulnerable, and loyal. She struggles with her own self worth and undergoes remarkable growth. The secondary characters are also not to be missed. Hartman has not allowed for one dimensional characters here. Between the members of Seraphina's garden, the dignitaries at court and the dragons in human form, there was always someone intriguing to watch and someone else to wonder about.

      Hartman creates a world that is wonderfully strange yet oddly familiar. Though the people and dragons of Goredd negotiated a peace treaty nearly 40 years ago, there is still a great deal of animosity and racism on both sides. The hatred and anger between these peoples was palpable and created some of the most tense scenes in the novel.

      The writing in Seraphina flows beautifully. The one thing that I did not enjoy (and this is a criticism of fantasy in general rather than this book in particular) is that choosing not to explain certain terminology in the text and to rely on a glossary is fine in a physical book, but I find it becomes rather tedious while reading an e-book.

      This novel easily makes the list as one of my top books of 2012. Now, when is that sequel coming out???!!!

      Teaching/Parental Notes:

      Age: 13 and up
      Gender: Both
      Sex: Implied at
      Violence: Death by be-heading, Knifeplay, Swordplay, Death by Poisoning
      Inappropriate Language: Bastard
      Substance Use/Abuse: Drinking of Wine
    • 5/5
      The premise: ganked from BN.com: In her New York Times bestselling debut, Rachel Hartman introduces mathematical dragons in an alternative-medieval world to fantasy and science-fiction readers of all ages. Eragon author Christopher Paolini calls them, "Some of the most interesting dragons I've read in fantasy."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.Winner of the 2013 William C. Morris YA Debut AwardMy Rating: 9 - Couldn't Put It DownThis book was an utterly fast and fascinating read, and the author often surprised me with various revelations. I was so sure I knew how things would turn out, and then as I read on, I'd discover I was oh-so-wrong. It's a solid book with Seraphina, our heroine, learning how to accept herself as well as the friends she has, and Hartman has built quite the likable cast, yet they're very fragile. Various revelations could tear the friendships apart, and I hope that ends up not being the case, because these characters feel right for their ages in that particular time. No gibbering teenage nonsense: these characters might not be adults by today's standards, but they are by historical standards, and Hartman handles that line very, very well. It's a wonderful book, and it's one I'll seriously consider for the Hugo. I'm not sure if Hartman is eligible for the John W. Campbell Award for New Writers, but if she is? She totally deserves a nod there too.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. The full review may be found at my blog, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome. Just click the link below to go directly to the full review!REVIEW: Rachel Hartman's SERAPHINAHappy Reading!
    • 5/5
      Rachel Hartman's debut novel is an absolutely fantastic piece of fiction! Seraphina eclipses all other fantasy debuts of the year so far with it's lyrical writing and Hartman's vivid imagination.Seraphina is a strong girl with a dangerous secret. She lives in a world where dragons and humans skirt around each other in distrust and sometimes curiosity. She's a peculiar girl who has visions of strangers she calls 'grotesques'. When Seraphina begins to see some of them bleed into her reality and forges a bond with them, Seraphina comes even more alive with mystery. The story is set in first person perspective and Seraphina's thoughts are completely honest for readers. Her loneliness, humility, and compassion are the height of her character and spurs her to do much for herself and her newly found friends. As Seraphina grows and learns from her mistakes, she becomes the heroine that makes reading something to look forward to.Seraphina is an addictive novel that will capture the attention of readers from all age groups. Even those who aren't yet fans of the fantasy genre, where the worlds are completely unfamiliar and filled with imaginative cultures and languages, will fall in love with Seraphina and her journey to save the peace between humans and dragons. The fact that Seraphina is only the first in a series makes it that much more exciting to read. The novel is full of events that lead to a big finish, so one can only imagine what surprises await in Dracomachia!Originally posted on Lovey Dovey Books 
    • 4/5
      A tenuous peace exists between humans and dragons, made more fragile by the murder of a member of the royal family – apparently by a dragon. The dragons aren’t quite like us or quite like the dragons you might expect in a fantasy novel. They can take a human shape, but despise all emotional displays as a form of weakness. Seraphina’s insight into the dragons’ behavior leads to her involvement in the murder investigation. This position has a high risk of revealing a secret she’s fought to keep hidden, but may also help lead her to greater self-acceptance.In many ways, Seraphina is a typical YA novel: part fantasy, part mystery, and part coming of age story. I would, however, describe the writing as well above average. All the main characters and many of the supporting characters are well-developed and act believably. The pacing was perfect. Something exciting was always happening and I had a very hard time putting the book down, even just long enough to jot some notes.Until I started writing a plot description, I didn’t remember having read anything like it before. Then I realized the plot reminded me a lot of Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elentra series. In both books, a young woman gets pulled into circles of power because of her ability to solve a murder and she has to interact with superior, shape-shifting dragons. The difference is that Michelle Sagara’s series is intended for an older audience. The world in Seraphina is less complex and the story is less dark. For instance, Seraphina’s abilities include playing music and understanding people instead of fighting, having underworld contacts, and controlling some rather dark magic.I wasn’t reviewing books yet when I read Sagara’s series, so you’ll have to try goodreads if you’d like a review. Both Sagara’s work and Seraphina are very good books and I would recommend that fans of one try the other. Although Seraphina is similar to this previous work, it’s still unique among YA lit and I would highly recommend it for the great writing, well-developed characters, and fast-paced plot.
    • 4/5
      Seraphina is a delightfully fun young adult fantasy bildungsroman mixed with some politics, some romance, and a murder mystery that ties it all together. Centered upon an engaging teen protagonist struggling to deal with a dangerous personal secret, filled with a well-written, interesting, and often quirky cast of supporting characters, as well as an interesting and fairly original take on dragons, this story is an almost pitch perfect piece of young adult fantasy fiction.In the world of Seraphina, dragons are real, and have waged long and bloody wars against humanity. Forty years before the events of the central story line in the book, the humans of Goredd and its neighboring kingdoms made peace with the dragons of the northern mountains, entering into a treaty that ended the conflict and has allowed both sides to heal. Many dragons have mastered the art of transforming themselves into human form so that they can live among and interact with humans. However, given the long history of enmity between the two races, many humans view dragons with suspicion or even outright hostility, a sentiment that many among dragonkind return.The central character in Seraphina is, naturally enough, Seraphina, a talented musician who has, through a combination of hard work and family connections, secured a position as the assistant to the court composer to the royal family of Goredd. She also harbors a deadly secret: She is, in fact, a half-dragon, and when the book opens, as far as she knows, the only half-dragon. Given the prejudice against dragons harbored by many humans (most notably, the Son of St. Ogdo), Seraphina's heritage poses a threat her life should it become known, and thus she takes great pains to conceal the signs she inherited from her mother: A ring of scales around her left arm, and another around her torso.[More forthcoming]
    • 3/5
      The pacing of this book was slow and I nearly gave up on it a few times, but persevered and was rewarded in the last third of the book. I enjoyed the premise of "Serephina" which enabled humans and dragons to co-exist, with dragons being able to take on human form. I also really liked the central protagonist, Serephina, who was both dragon and human, torn between two worlds but accepted in neither since both see her as an abomination. "Serephina" had the potential to be a great book with dragons, adventure and romance all in together, but for me it fell short.
    • 4/5
      I probably should have read this instead of listening to the audio book - I kept falling asleep because I was tired, but then really wanted to know what had happened - lots of replay. I liked the weird take on dragons and Seraphina's adventurous and independent character.
    • 5/5
      Hand-flappingly good. I think Seraphina on her own is a fantastic character, but the book is rich with them. Hartman plays the gray areas of complex relationships and politics beautifully, and by acknowledging there are grey areas pays great respect to her readers at the same time.
    • 5/5
      I can't believe it took me so long to read this -- I've had the book on my shelf for years -- because it is exactly the kind of thing I like: a richly detailed, thoughtful fantasy with deep worldbuilding and strong character development. The fact that this book is listed as YA shouldn't stop anyone from reading it -- it is a beautifully built fantasy in the most classic sense. Here there are dragons -- but not of the kind you are used to -- and princes as well, but you can tell early on that that author (who is brilliant) has thought through each classic trope with care and twisted them around to suit both the world she has created and an audience hungry for more original fare in the fantasy market. Yes, there is a wee bit of a love story here, but it doesn't end quite the way you think it will. And yes, the protagonist starts off as an angsty young woman. But anyone who assumes that Hartman's elevated take on the YA fantasy adventure novel will go as typical will be pleasantly surprised by the details here. I devoured this book and moved immediately on to the sequel. What more can I say?
    • 5/5
      What an incredibly stunning and vivid world Hartman has created! Often, with books I wasn't awaiting or that I didn't buy for myself, reality keeps me from getting fully engaged for a hundred pages or so. This absorbed me from the first sentence.
    • 3/5
      Half-dragon Seraphina Dombegh is a gifted musician who joins the medieval royal court of Goredd just prior to the heir to the kingdom being murdered. Forty years of an uneasy peace between humans and dragons is rocked by the death. Seraphina has much to hide from both sides, as the idea of a half-dragon is considered an abomination. Can she unravel the plot to end the peace treaty without being uncovered herself? And will Prince Lucian Kiggs, captain of the Queen's Guard and fiancee of Princess Glisselda, discover her secret? In a world where dragons can change themselves into human shape and reject all emotion as weakness, old hatreds run deep and any excuse is a good one to reignite the war between the two sides. Slow first half to the book which picked up in the second half. Interesting concepts, but won't bother with the rest of the series. A shame the list of characters wasn't at the start of the book rather than being discovered at the end - would have been useful to know it was there!
    • 3/5
      I think the strength of this book lies in the world that's been built, more than the characters or the plot. While Seraphina was interesting, it was hard to get a read on her character traits, other than "scared" and "quiet". It was the way her society interacted that really kept me reading. I was fascinated especially by the religious structure. I'm not entirely an expert, but it seemed almost like Catholicism without the Holy Trinity, which meant it was as if a monotheistic belief system had essentially been broken down into a polytheistic one.

      But, I digress.

      All in all, I really enjoyed the political atmosphere that was carefully created between the dragons and the medieval cultural aspects that the author weaved throughout the story. And I loved Kiggs! I wish he had a different name than "Kiggs," though.
    • 5/5
      Sometimes you read a book that is so thoughtful, intelligent, and delightful that you remember why you love YA fiction all over again. This is one of those books: with characters you want to spend time with, a story you want to roll around in, and SPOCK-DRAGONS. It is delightful. Have I mentioned that? Because pretty much 'delightful' is the highest compliment I can give a book: it's that moment when you feel your own breath push out of your body as you read, your own happiness bubble up like froth. This book brought me joy, no more, no less.
    • 4/5
      The world is interesting and different. I really enjoy the author's writing style. All the characters are well built and affable.
    • 4/5
      Dragons, music, diplomacy and deceits figure in this tale of the young Seraphina. Working as the assistant to the music master of the Goerdd court, she has been enjoined by her father to avoid any personal attention, but filling in for a performer at a prince's funeral service exposes her, eventually, to the perils and possibilities of being recognize for what you are. Quite readable and a pleasant variant on fantasies with both conflict and cooperation with dragons.
    • 5/5
      I was so close to giving this a (measly?) 4 stars, but it became truly amazing once I got over the fantasy-world-specific language. Could *not* put it down.
    • 5/5
      Omg love! Interesting, really different, dragons, fabulous heroine. Some aspects of the plot were a little clunky, but still, love! I read it in a day.
    • 5/5
      Delightful. I really enjoyed this very specific fantastical take on an alternate medieval setting. Lots of attention to historical detail, and also lots of attention to worldbuilding that makes this world much more fun to spend time in than the actual medieval world would have been.

      The queer content is minor (secondary characters) but well-done, and pleasingly integrated into the worldbuilding.
    • 5/5
      New take on the dragon fantasy. Well-realized world, great characters.
    • 3/5
      I really wanted to like this more, but oof that love triangle thing. Also there was a section near the middle where the character kind of lost all of her friends for Reasons and it just reminded me too much of Robin Hobb stuff and I really had to force my way through.

      But I enjoyed the dragons and how they were envisioned. I liked a lot of the world setup, that was cool. I really adored the uncle.
    • 4/5
      Well-crafted and -plotted, with impressive world building. However, it lacks in emotion, much like the dragons; feelings are told, but not shown so I never felt emotionally engaged in the story.
    • 4/5
      Looking forward to the next installment!
    • 5/5
      Encased within the covers of a book lies a whole new world of its author's making. A universe that--no matter what the setting: Earth, even your own hometown--is always different from our own in one way or another. Oh, the uniqueness and beauty of make believe.

      In Seraphina's case, we're caught up in an unfamiliar country--full of dragons and other eccentricities; tensions and conflict; love and heartbreak. And very real characters with very real struggles, all woven together by Seraphina's hauntingly beautiful voice and Rachel Hartman's vivid descriptions.

      I read this book in the period of approximately one day. In one day, I experienced the goings on in the kingdom of Goredd. I went through the struggles our beloved Phina endured nearly her whole life.

      I feel like I cheated.

      Even so, I enjoyed every second of this beautiful, imaginative fantasy. Shadow Scale, its sequel, seems too far away. (It's to be published only 8 days from now, but still).

      Let me start by saying how much I loved the voice. The author's voice, Seraphina's voice. They could both be described by a word I'm going to use far too often in this review--beautiful.



      Here the story begins:

      I remember being born.

      In fact, I remember a time before that. There was no light, but there was music: joints creaking, blood rushing, the heart's staccato lullaby, a rich symphony of indigestion. Sound enfolded me, and I was safe.

      I was immediately drawn in; weren't you? But of course the lyrical style of writing wasn't all that captured me. Part of it had to do with the dragons.

      Sir James waved a gnarled hand. "They're nothing but feral file clerks, dragons. They used to alphabetize the coins in their hoards.”

      Even before my reading this book, if someone had asked if I liked books with dragons I would have responded, "Pfft. YES." After all, WHO DOESN'T LIKE DRAGONS?

      But now that I think on it, I can't recall many books that I've read that centered around the creatures. Let's see...I remember Dragon Slippers. Oh, and does Harry Potter count? No? Well, that may be it then. Maybe that's why I put off reading Seraphina for so long. It was unfamiliar territory, so to speak. Plus, it looked like a pretty hefty read at 451 pages. Obviously, those turned about to be some pretty unfounded fears.

      Because I devoured it. All of the creatures and characters(not just the dragons) lent something extra to the book. But most of my praise is reserved for our main character. Poor, lovely, brave Seraphina. She deserves to put on the list of Fictional People I Admire More Than Most Real Ones. *snickers*

      But seriously.

      I loved her passion for her music.

      There are melodies that speak as eloquently as words, that flow logically and inevitably from a single, pure emotion.

      I loved her in spite of her insecurities.

      He did not know the truth of me, yet he had perceived something true about me that no one else had ever noticed. And in spite of that—or perhaps because of it—he believed me good, believed me worth taking seriously, and his belief, for one vertigi-nous moment, made me want to be better than I was.

      Even though sometimes, she's a bit of an oddity.

      Take good care of him, or I'll...I'll bite you!

      In short, she's one of those characters you can't help but root for and sympathize with. I just want to give her a big hug--for enduring all that she had to, and for letting me live a few hours of my life in her head(oh, the places books can take you!).



      I can't really find anything bad to say here. I found the conflict between humans and dragons interesting, the world-building to be wonderful, the pacing good, the characters fascinating.

      A few things tickled me, in a good way. Like the dragons' perception of love.

      They'll mop up my mind when I get home--I won't lose myself to it. But I want to measure this danger, stare right into the fearsome jaws of love, survive its deadly blast, and find better ways to treat others who suffer this malady.

      I never imagined love as having fearsome jaws. But hey, if the dragons say so then who am I to argue?

      5 out of 5 brilliant and amazingly shiny stars. Highly recommended.

      Content: Mild language

      The Scribbling Sprite
    • 5/5
      When I look at the cover, I'm actually thinking about this...

      nice...

      Seraphina is a YA fantasy novel about a talented musician Seraphina Dombegh who came to live in the castle as an assistant to the court's composer, Viridius and a music tutor to Princess Glisselda while preparing for Treaty Eve is a celebration commemorating the signing of Comonot's Treaty; a treaty where both human and dragons (known in this book as saar) are able to live in peace. However, trouble is brewing with the Goredd's people prejudices against all of the dragon kinds especially after Queen's son Prince Rufus was found headless in the forest.

      The book was written with Seraphina as the narrator who carried a secret that she couldn't tell anyone : she is half-dragon and half-human. Her mother Linn, an accomplished flutist unexpectedly found love with Seraphina's father, Claude Dombegh. For a dragon, the idea of feelings and falling in love was foreign and forbidden but Linn choose to follow her heart and abandon her dragon family for Claude. However, during labor, she realized that she wouldn't survive the ordeal, she passed down her memory onto her newborn child before dying. Claude was grief-stricken by the death of his wife and the fact that she was a dragon, he began to distant himself from the newborn and so Seraphina grew up neglected by her father who wanted her existence hidden until her musical talent began to brought attention and so he gave her to her own dragon uncle under pretense as an apprentice as well as a place where she able to learn about the dragons and control her mother's gifts; which manifested as visions from her mother's past and of various of people inside her mind.

      While I started reading the book, I was already a skeptic after reading bombastic reviews about the book. The book started with a prologue on the mind of a newborn Seraphina with a lot of descriptive thoughts for a baby and proceed with her experiences in her childhood where she choose an unconventional saint and the distance with her father. Soon after that, I got confused when Seraphina keep having this inner self moment where she went into an alternate dimension inside her head where she met with weird strangers and ask them to behave since it gives her headaches. Along with this, she had several collapses when her mother's visions were triggered and she uncontrollably had to suffer through while suffering through a convulsive epileptic state. A lot of the terms (like quiqutl, porphyry, dracomachia, ard) were lost on me while reading the book but I caught up with the meaning as I followed the storyline until the end of the book, luckily I get to look up more works since the book have its glossary at the end. However, the language of the book weren't difficult for a fantasy genre, so you'll get used to it.

      To much of my delight, Seraphina is a complex intriguing character. Her musical talents brought a form of adoration to her listeners from the average citizen to royalties and dragons alike. Because of her heritage, she braved herself to pursue for the her love of art into the court life in the castle. Although she's secretive about her personal life, soon her charisma shone through her that her empathy developed into self-confidence and bravery to uphold what she knows is true especially when someone is in dire need of help. Even parts of the book maintain her secretive charade, she can be too reckless when faced with problems that could lead to her exposure. From her mother's vision, it brought her abilities to understand the complexities of being a dragon and the strict almost-religion observance among the dragonkind had often guided her ways to maneuver through heated conversations that are very political in many sense. Eventually, her curious nature leads her along with the investigation with the bastard Prince Lucian Kiggs that leads to an even more sinister plot. Since this was a singular point of view novel, most of the time. Seraphina can be hard on herself and frankly, she's quite an enjoyable character to read since own character conflict is way fascinating to read.

      Even earlier on, I had some misgivings about its plot progression but I didn't actually have any problem with her as a character. As a country living in peace but on the edge with continued hate sentiments by its people against the dragons, for a YA novel, the book does not skimp on its political theme in peace-keeping by the Goredd and Tanamoot's monarchs and its ambassadors and highborns. At these aspect, the book does reminded me a bit of HBO's Game of Thrones, G. A. Aiken's Dragon Kin (only the serious political storyline) and Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms. Some part made me think of Frank Herbert's Dune and Ghibli's The Tales of Earthsea.

      I had no doubt that the book is enjoyable as a proper fantasy novel filled with politics, crimes and menaces, I just hope reader's hearing about the books wouldn't be too disappointed with the romance outlook in the book. I haven't heard any news about the future installments in this what would be a book series but I really hope the publisher consider atleast a 6 novel contract for this author. I wouldn't spoil you but I had the feeling these dragon politics is getting much more interesting.
    • 3/5
      Know how I've always marveled and pondered the many ways authors handle the subject of dragons? Well, in Seraphina, they are intelligent, possess advanced technology, and have a magical ability that lets them take human form. The book takes place in a world where humans and dragonkind exist in a constant state of mistrust. After warring with the humans for time eternal, the leaders of the two races had finally come together to agree upon a peace treaty. Now forty years have passed, and while dragons walk amongst humans at court and in their cities as scholars and ambassadors, bitter feelings still exist between the two sides. The tension reaches a fever pitch in the days before the dragonkind leader arrives to commemorate the treaty's anniversary, and a human prince of Goredd is found dead, his head missing--presumably eaten by a dragon. These events hold terrible implications for our protagonist Seraphina Dombegh, a half-dragon hybrid who has struggled to hide her secret for most of her life. Circumstances draw her into the murder investigation, and she finds herself working with handsome Prince Lucian, Captain of the Queen's Guard, despite her position as the court musician's assistant. With the day of the anniversary celebrations fast approaching, they have limited time to tease apart a dangerous conspiracy plot.The world-building in this book is phenomenal; as in, a lot of thought seems to have been put into every aspect of the setting. For example, its rich history adds a lot to the story, and to a certain extent, the reader has to understand the significance of past events to fully appreciate the impact they have on the present. Then there is the complex religion, which encompasses a fair number of saints to which the people of Goredd look to guide them. The religious aspect certainly isn't central to the book, but at the same time, it adds a layer of context to the story and characters, making them feel more refined.Then there are the dragonkind and their culture. Let's just say when it comes to emotional suppression and denial of their feelings, the dragons in Seraphina make the Vulcans on Star Trek look like cuddly puppies. The idea that they can look like humans is also very interesting, if not wholly original, but what I found amusing are the dragons' general impressions on having to take human shape; I just wished there were more details on the magic involved during the actual changing process.And speaking of magic, on the whole, the concept of it in this book is quite abstract. Seraphina, for instance, has to regularly "tend a garden" in her mind in order to control the debilitating visions that overtake her, thanks to the powers she inherited from her unusual parentage. If you're anything like me, it'll take some time to wrap your head around this bizarre idea, which really is more a part of Seraphina's abilities than a metaphor, which I know it sounds like. So why am I not absolutely crazy for this book, like I should be? Unfortunately, some books that by all rights I should adore are diminished in my eyes by the characteristics of the main protagonist, and this was the case for Seraphina. Try as I might, I just couldn't connect with the eponymous heroine as I'm usually not a fan of the "wallflower-type" character. Granted, Seraphina has all the reasons in the world to be the way she is, but she's still a bit too far on the meek side of things for my tastes. It's true she displays moments of strength and determination, but then also wallowed in her self-pity one too many times for me to truly engage with her narrative. Don't get me wrong, this book was a wonderful read and I'm glad I picked it up, but being able to like the main character is a biggie for me, and it was that one thing that prevented me from giving it a higher rating. Overall, however, Seraphina is an impressive debut featuring excellent world-building and very imaginative elements. It's classified as Young Adult, but a wider audience could definitely appreciate this.
    • 5/5
      This is one of those books that I can't believe I'm just now reading. Like, literally, where have I been?!? Why did I not pick this up sooner! I haven't found a dragon book this good in ages. This is one of those rare books that happens to be so ridiculously imaginative that you wonder what you've been reading all your life. Rachel Hartman creates a unique world where dragons live in peace with humans by transforming into human form. Things aren't always easy though. Even though there is peace, there is still mixed emotions, humans still despise and fear the humans. What they don't know is that there are a few half breeds living amongst them. Seraphina always thought she was alone but when shit hits the fan she will have to use her special skills to help keep the peace.Seriously, read this. Amazing book from first time author, Hartman. You. Won't. Regret. It!!
    • 2/5
      Got as far as page 79 and stopped just couldn't get into it. Tried.
    • 2/5
      Most of the time I don't remember who's who. I even forgot who's Thomas Broderick (if not mistaken). I was like who's he? why is he stalking Seraphina? Then, Seraphina got to see Orma and told him that Thomas stalked her because of the lizard figurine and cause of the deal Seraphina made with the what's-it's-name-creature? :P

      EDIT:

      I don't think I'll continue reading this anymore. I can't really get into it. :( It just made me really sleepy. I'm sorry. Hopefully, I'll pick this up again and read it full. As of now, I don't think it will happen.

      I'm giving this a 2.5 stars. Cause some parts, I became really attentive to it. But some... I don't know. Maybe if the words used were not old English, I might enjoy it.