Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (Seraphina #1)

Dragons, music, and unrest
May 7, 2015
2 min read

In the fantasy land of Goredd, dragons and humans live side by side in fragile peace. For forty years, the two species have managed to coexist, but after the strange death of Prince Rufus, an heir to the kingdom's throne, dragons are the prime suspects in the case. Tensions are building, and Seraphina, a court musician, along with the clever and alluring Prince Lucian, are determined to get to the bottom of the crime. As Seraphina becomes more involved in the workings of the royal court, she becomes worried about her own secrets, which threaten to come to light.

I love dragons. After all, they have wings and magic and can burn you to a crisp. What's not to like? We need more of them in YA, so I was excited to see more of them in this series. One of the nice things about there not being very many dragons in YA is that it leaves plenty of room for authors to come up with creative and original dragons for their stories. These dragons were fascinating and extraordinary. They believe emotions are illogical and therefore dangerous, and, along with emotion, creativity and art. The Dragons of Seraphina have a rigid military society with a distinct heirarchy. I can describe them as "modernized". Knowledge is hoarded rather than gold, and math and science are almost religion. Like the dragons of Talon (awesome Julie Kagawa book) and Firelight, (Sophie Jordan) they can turn into humans. I've never met such unique dragons and interesting dragons.

I found Seraphina an intriguing heroine. She has several conflicts. Phina doesn't like being in the spotlight and prefers to lie low, but at the same time, her talents with music and her beautiful singing make it impossible for her to go through her life unnoticed. She's organized and carefull, not wanting to slip up and reveal her secrets and not taking risks. When people won't help her or give her answers, she's not afraid to take matters into her own hands. Phina is a strong and independent heroine, and I'm curious to see how she develops.

The world of Seraphina is original and entertaining, and the author explored it throughout the book. Goredd has a rich culture and history, and aspects like religion, music, and languages make it seem very real. Phina suffers from strange visions and has creatures in her mind that haunt her and also share the memories of those close to her with her, and I found her method of caring for them, as well as the creatures themselves, whimsical and fascinating!

I was ensnared by this original debut with the book's colorful world and mysterious characters. The hunt for the prince's killer added an air of mystery to the plot, and there were a few action-packed fights to keep my heart flying. I loved exploring and learning about Goredd. If I have anything I disliked, it would be the love interest. Seraphina seems to have feelings for Prrince Lucian, but I didn't see much chemistry. I hope to see more of that in the sequel, Shadow Scale. I was very impressed with this creative and magical debut! 4/5 stars.