Thursday, April 10, 2014

Sometimes Mere Scales Can Be Beautiful Music


Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. I LOVED this book. I loved this book so much that I want to tell you all to read it right now. You don't have to take my word alone for it either. Ask anyone else who has read it. They'll also sing its praises because it's just that good.

Now you probably want to know what it's about. Well, I'll be honest. It's a little different. It's about humans ... and dragons. But don't let that scare you if dragons aren't your thing. They happen to be dragons that have the ability to change their appearances to look like humans. So most of the time this story is just about people of different races because, really, that's all they are underneath. Some of those people want peace between the races and others can't accept anyone who is different and they actively cause trouble. And then there's Seraphina. She is a new musical apprentice in court and she has a secret that keeps her distant from everyone else, a secret that could change the relations between the two groups. So this is a story about music and identity and it's got a bit of romance and politics and it's just really, really smart. And yes, it has dragons.

I hope that I've convinced a few of you to give this book a try. There is a sequel coming out a year from now so the only complaint I (and others) have is that that date is too damn far away!

Waiting impatiently to hear the music again,
K

Note: This was my first read for the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

14 comments:

  1. Love this one so much! I'm so sad that the trilogy is now cut into two books, and that the publication date keeps getting pushed back. Was supposed to be 2013, then 2014, now 2015... I know the author has struggled to write it, and I feel for her.

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    1. I didn't hear about the two books thing. That makes me sad. :(

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  2. God, is the sequel still an entire year away? I feel like every time I check it's a year away! I loved Seraphina and I'm super excited to spend more time in that world.

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    1. Ahem, I posted that comment and then learned from clever Amanda directly above me that it's not just a feeling I've been having -- the sequel genuinely HAS been getting pushed back. Boo! But also, of course I want the author to have enough time to write the book in a way that satisfies her.

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    2. It's a wonderful world. It was so unique and yet very easy to buy into.

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  3. I loved this book! I can't wait for the sequel!!

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  4. I really need to read this book! I have heard such wonderful, wonderful things about it!

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  5. I have been hearing nothing but amazing things about this one, and it's been in my tbr list for so long! I love dragons, and even named my World of Warcraft dragon after Seraphina. haha.
    Btw, I am a new follower following some readathon participants before Saturday! :)
    Random Ramblings

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    1. Oh, read it as soon as possible! It's so amazing and (I'm pretty sure) you will love it.

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  6. Let's all send a message to the publisher that we will wait for as long as it takes for Hartman to make the sequel just as good as the first one (but no pressure or anything!). Of course we're impatient, but we'd much rather have an awesome book. I promise I will buy it whenever it comes out!

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    1. Your talk of the news about the sequel sent me to Hartman's blog (don't know why I've never been there before), where I've so far discovered that she's madly editing (good sign, means at least the first few drafts are done!), that the publication was pushed back because she went through some depression and couldn't write for a while (we tend to forget that authors aren't machines spitting out books for our amusement), and, most exciting of all: she lives in Vancouver!!! (Am now subscribing to her blog so I don't miss her book launch!)

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    2. I might consider coming up if she has a big event for the launch. ;)

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