Tag Archives: Dragons

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

American Literature

Synopsis: When Seraphina, the half-dragon musician, discovers that there are others like her, she tries to unify them to live in freedom from persecution, but another half-dragon with greater powers has plans of her own. Review: First of all, I want to applaud Shadow Scale for its deft handling of exposition in refreshing readers’ memories of the events of the first book, Seraphina. It managed to get me back up to speed without forcing characters to tell each other things they already know, or spending…

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Seraphina Sequel! Station Eleven, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Praying Life

American Literature

I just got my e-hands on an e-ARC for Shadow Scale, the sequel to Seraphina, and it’s not disappointing. Full review will be posted on the release date. I joined a book club but missed the first meeting because production widow. I was so bummed, because Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven was a great one for a discussion. I have long been fascinated by depictions of our world with the lights off, but usually they leave me with the megrims and a sense of…

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A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire)

On Reading

Synopsis: When honorable Ned Stark goes to court to serve as the Hand of the King, he places his family into danger at the hands of the Lannisters, who will stop at nothing to stay on top, even as zombie-like White Walkers are killing people in the north, and across the Narrow Sea a deposed princess is amassing an army for an invasion. Review: What struck me most on this reread of Game of Thrones (I think this is #4 or #5, I can’t be…

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Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

American Literature

Synopsis: Seraphina is mistress of music at the royal court, but when dragon/human relations become strained, she fears that someone will discover her secret–that she is half dragon herself. Review: Seraphina was an absolutely delicious read. Fabulous world, great political intrigue, and a winning love story all centered around a fierce, strong, vulnerable, complicated protagonist. I am only sad that this is just Rachel Hartman‘s debut because I want to read more!

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Dragon City by Robin Hobb (Volume 3 of the Rain Wilds Chronicles)

American Literature

Synopsis: As the dragons and their keepers grow restless and hungry, only the promise of flight and the ancient secrets of a dead city can save them from enemies without and within. Review: I really should have reread Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven before reading Dragon City, because I forgot so much! How did Selden end up a slave? What makes Tarman different from other liveships? What’s Tintaglia doing? Hobb didn’t do much to catch me up, which I do always appreciate–the book is free…

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Spoiler Edition: A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 5)

American Literature

Synopsis: Tyrion becomes a slave, Dany pines for Daario while marrying someone else, her dragons eat children and incinerate a prince, Jon Snow upends 8000 years of tradition, a couple of no-goodniks get baked into a pie, Stannis can haz teh dumb, Theon Greyjoy lives the worst version of a Lifetime movie thanks to the Bastard of Bolton, Arya kills time, Ser Barristan the Bold displays mad skillz, Davos is not dead, Victarion rows his boat, Asha picks the wrong fort to defend, Cersei and…

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The Ale Boy’s Feast by Jeffrey Overstreet (The Auralia Thread, Book 4)

American Literature

Synopsis: The breathtaking conclusion to The Auralia Thread. Review: Magnificent. To say much more about The Ale Boy’s Feast would involve an ungraceful unstitching of the intricate world and story Jeffrey Overstreet has created in the series begun in Auralia’s Colors. If you want to read a fantasy series that will expand your mind, challenge your perceptions, awaken your emotions, and make you ache for all that is possible, then please, get started on this series right away. I can’t wait to share these with…

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The Magician King by Lev Grossman

American Literature

Synopsis: Now a king in the magical land of Fillory, Quentin still fights with the demons of depression and purposelessness, so he goes on a quest and risks losing Fillory forever. Review: You have to understand what Fillory means to Quentin to truly understand his position at the outset of The Magician King. He has literally gotten everything he has ever wanted–he is a king in the magical country from the books he loved as a kid. It’s as if you grew up loving Narnia,…

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A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 5)

American Literature 4 Comments

Synopsis: You really need to read the first 4 books. Review: I have never anticipated a book the way I anticipated A Dance with Dragons, not even Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This will be a spoiler-free review. I plan to listen to the audio book next month and that review will be spoiler-filled. I was thoroughly entertained and satisfied by the book, and loved what happened in the new POV characters, especially Reek. I am impressed by Martin’s manipulative abilities–he is in such…

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Fool’s Fate by Robin Hobb (The Tawny Man, Book 3)

American Literature

Synopsis: As Fitz accompanies Prince Dutiful on a quest to lay the head of an ice-encased dragon on the hearthstone of the Narcheska Elliania’s mothershouse, he betrays his dearest friend and brings his own bastard daughter into grave peril. Review: Fool’s Fate is a thoroughly satisfying conclusion not just to the Tawny Man trilogy but to the entire tale begun in the Farseer trilogy and developed in the Liveship Traders. Hobb is after full-bodied resolution and she sure delivers. Everything is wrapped up and no…

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