Tagged: debut novel
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
(Cover picture courtesy of Rachel Hartman’s website.)
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 the 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.
In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina’s tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they’ve turned the final page.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Rachel Hartman’s debut novel has received quite a bit of attention, and rightly so. Which is why for Canada Day (and review #150!), I’m reviewing Seraphina as it is a novel written by a Canadian author that I actually like. I’ve probably just jinxed Ms. Hartman now because excellent mainstream novels rarely win literary awards. Oh well, I’m still predicting that Seraphina will be a bestseller.
The novel starts out rather slowly, but this is a good thing because otherwise readers would be completely overwhelmed by the well built fantasy world it takes place in. Somehow Rachel Hartman is able to convey enough information so readers know what’s going on, but not too much so readers will keep reading to find out more. Seraphina’s incredible backstory is revealed to us gradually and could probably be used as an example of how writers should develop backstory. She is no Mary Sue and will go down as one of my favourite female leads ever, so hopeful writers take note!
And unlike in most fantasy novels, there is diversity. She has obviously put immense effort into her world building because of all the different peoples, religions and countries. Some of the government is based on feudal Europe, but it is not nearly as in-your-face as it is in many fantasy novels. Also, the people of Goredd are not homogenous and we actually see people who worship different gods (or “saints” as they’re called) and speak different languages. As for the coldly rational dragons…they’re incredibly unique and I mean that in a good way.
Technically Seraphina isn’t out yet (I got an early ebook from NetGalley), but I already can’t wait for the second book. Rachel Hartman is a new author with enormous potential, so it will be interesting to see where she takes the series.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
(Cover picture courtesy of My Opera.)
One boy…
One dragon…
A world of adventure.
When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the witner. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.
Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.
Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.
If you’ve been tuned into the blogosphere these past few years, there is a very good chance you’ve heard of Eragon, the debut novel of Christopher Paolini. It was written when he was fifteen and the maturity level of the novel reflects that, but it is still a worthwhile read.
Eragon follows the typical fantasy plot: a young farm boy discovers he has magical powers or is otherwise gifted and is whisked away by a mentor-figure who teaches him how to control his powers while they travel. They are usually travelling toward the rebel stronghold because the king is out to get them. On the way, they have many adventures and meet a variety of strange (usually magical) creatures/beings.
Christopher Paolini sometimes gets bogged down in his descriptions—he uses the word ‘eloquent’ very often—but long descriptions are what you expect in high fantasy. His plot and characters may be cliché, but there is one thing that is excellent: his world-building. He explains magic very well and places reasonable limitations on its use. Dragons are also explained well and have very distinct, almost cat-like, personalities. If I had to pick one reason to read Eragon, it would be because of Eragon’s dragon, Saphira.
I give this book 2.5/5 stars.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
(Cover picture courtesy of Kristin Cashore’s blog.)
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.
She never expects to become Po’s friend.
She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away…
Kristin Cashore’s debut novel is a well-written, emotionally resonant, fast-paced and surprisingly addicting masterpiece. Katsa is a strong protagonist who does not just live for romance, as many YA characters do, but falls in love with prince Po by accident. Even when she has to leave Po and go off on her own, she does not fall to pieces like a helpless damsel. Instead, she rises to the challenge and brings down the villain.
Graceling is set in a well-developed world of enchanting beauty and petrifying horror. It is full of light and dark and characters like Katsa, Po, Raffin, Leck and Bitterblue reflect this balance very well. They have realistic motivations and are three-dimensional, which is more than I can say for many characters in young adult fiction. Not only is the world believable and the characters are three dimensional, the plot is intriguing. Graceling starts out like a typical YA novel, but Kristin Cashore throws in interesting and unexpected plot twists that keep you hooked until the end.
If you’re looking for well-written and very interesting YA novel for slightly older teens, Graceling is certainly the book for you.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
(Cover picture courtesy of Carrie Ryan’s website.)
In Mary’s world, there are simple truths.
The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.
But slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things that she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown in to chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.
Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?
Zombies, romance and death…what more could you ask for in a post-apocalyptic book? As it turns out, a lot more than what The Forest of Hands and Teeth has to offer. In Carrie Ryan’s debut novel, Mary (the book’s main character) wants more than what life in her isolated village has to offer. But when her mother is bitten and her village is overrun by zombies (which are called the Unconsecrated to avoid the z word), her life is turned upside down and she must make a choice: to stay in her now zombie-infested village or go forward to an uncertain destination deep in the Forest.
I have not yet reviewed a book in which one line in it sums up the entire novel: “You’re selfish to want to sacrifice all of us for your own whims.” (Cass, page 144) If Mary is one thing, it is selfish. I have rarely read a novel in which I cannot identify with the protagonist, but The Forest of Hands and Teeth is an exception. Mary wants more in life, but she is willing to sacrifice people she loves to reach her dream of seeing the ocean. To me, that seems pretty selfish and it feels like she is always the exceptional character in the novel. She gets attacked by zombies without being bitten, runs through the Forest and scales down a sheer cliff without getting picked off by falling zombies and is the only one to know the truth about the Sisterhood and all its secrets.
Carrie Ryan’s world-building is also lacking. Mary’s village is completely closed off to Outsiders, yet there seem to be no unfortunate genetic implications, even after several generations. Also, the story of how the village came to be is a bit unbelievable to me because it was established during the apocalypse for future generations. If there was a zombie apocalypse, your first concern would likely be your own survival, not the establishment of a village filled with enough supplies to last for generations.
Despite the character and world-building faults, The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a fast-paced, page-turning novel with a few interesting insights into what could happen when a village is completely cut off from the rest of the world.
I give this book 2/5 stars.