Seraphina (2012) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 3 stars

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Seraphina is a fresh take on dragons in a teen fantasy context. Time is taken to develop certain characters, dragon and human. It's the first in a series, so you'll be hanging on for the sequel. There are twists enough to keep you involved and plenty of puzzles (is this a good guy or a bad guy?) to keep you guessing. If you are intrigued by half dragons or mixed blood fantasy you might want to try the adult fantasy Halfblood Chronicles trilogy by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey, starting with Elvenbane.
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• Rated 4 stars

“Vulcan-like dragons take the shape of humans in order to study and teach in their universities and serve as ambassadors at the royal court. The title character is a half dragon/half human who must keep her monstrous heritage a secret. Her mother was a dragon who fell in love with her human father and died during childbirth. Now Seraphina is 16, and tensions rise as the 40th anniversary of a controversial peace treaty between the two species approaches.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Seraphina is something so unthinkably vile that she -- almost no one, in fact -- doesn't even know that there are others like her: half human and half dragon. She's just begun a plum of a career as assistant to the court composer when a 40 year old peace between humankind and dragons threatens to crumble. -- Meanwhile, Serpahina's become a good friend to the princess through their music lessons -- and to the princess's fiance (here it becomes a bit of a twist on Camelot, with a queen in place of King Arthur, and a love triangle of friends).
Especially lovely writing, memorable heroine, unique premise; somewhat predictable path. ”

• Rated 3 stars

“I listened to this author's debut album on audio because another librarian stated it was a great experience listening to the story. I have to agree. The reader (I forgot the name of the reader) I enjoyed the story overall. I really liked the array of characters and the flashbacks Seraphina had to her mother and grandfather. The storyline and plot was almost flawless and you can really understand the struggle Seraphina must have gone through being both dragon and human. However, there were times in the story in which it became a little slow, a little too detailed and I wished the author would have left out certain parts. Also Seraphina at times seemed a bit naive. The descriptions of her with her "mouth hanging open" and "wide eyed" was a bit unexpected from this character. Overall a good read about a good heroine. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“I loved this book!!! A little hard to understand, but that's because I didn't realize there was a glossary at the end of the book that would have helped me understand it better. That's one problem of reading on a kindle...you can't thumb through the book to discover these things. I'm quite interested in finding out where the story goes next, so I will really be anxious to get my hands on the next book!”

• Rated 5 stars

“For forty years there has been peace between the dragons and the humans in Goredd thanks to a treaty negotiated by the Queen and the leader of the dragons, Ardmagar Comonot. As the fortieth anniversary of the treaty approaches, Ardmagar Comonot plans to visit Goredd to celebrate. However, dragon/human animosity is on the rise after the prince is murdered in a manner that suggests that the culprit was a dragon. Seraphina has a secret, she is the product of a marriage between a dragon and a human. Her existence is in violation of the treaty and she lives in constant fear of discovery. However, she may be the only one with the ability to figure out who killed the prince and preserve the peace between humans and dragons.

I really loved this young adult book. It was an original take on dragons and an interesting look at what it takes to maintain peace between two sides with a long history of war. Seraphina was a strong heroine who was easy to route for. The characters were all complex and well developed, much more than the usual sterotypes often found in young adult fantasy novels. I am looking forward to reading more in this fantasy world.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Slow to start, but makes up for it with a rip-roaring second half. I love a good dragon tale, and this one doesn't disappoint--the dragon mythology constructed by Hartman is fascinating and engrossing. Some reviews I read complained about the ending, but I loved it--I thought it was perfect, and the door is open for several follow-ups that I will anxiously be awaiting. If you're confused at first by the rules of the world in which Seraphina lives, stick with it. Hartman's brilliance as a writer is that she shows, rather than tells. I enjoyed absorbing all the minutiae of how their world works without having to be told explicitly. As a musician, too, I appreciated the historical music thread that ran through the whole book. It's a delight.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Good young adult”

• Rated 4 stars

“It's a hard book to start reading but the plot smooths out after the slightly confusing beginning. Its about a girl who hides her secret until she finds love. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“I LOVE this world, the characters, the story so much! Rachel Hartman is a beautiful writer and she creates a wonderful world where dragons have the ability to transform into humans and walk among them. The story revolves around a peace treaty between the two that is about to be revisited while hostile parties try to reverse any progress that has been made. I'm so excited that there is another book on the way. I'm eager to follow these characters through their next adventure!”