Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Title: Seraphina
Author: Rachel Hartman
Series: Seraphina #1
Publisher:  Random House Books
Date Published: July 2nd, 2012
Buy: Amazon

Goodreads Summary

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 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.

Sometimes you go into a book secretly hoping it will blow your mind but keeping low expectations so as not to be disappointed. That was me and Seraphina.

Seraphina captured me right from the start. I had no doubt it was going to be an amazing book when I read the beginning. It starts off by giving us a brief overview of Seraphina’s childhood and a bit about her relationship with her uncle and her father. I loved how she compared her wanting her uncle’s attention to cat behavior.

There are many reasons to read this book. The reason I read it was because of dragons. I love dragons. Always have since I was a kid. But you know, there are dragons in a lot of books but I never read (in YA) something with dragons being a main part of the story instead of just looming in the background.
How do I go on describing this book?

I love the main character. I love her romantic interest and no for those who may think so, it ISN’T a love triangle. I certainly hope it doesn’t become one in the sequels either.

Anyways, Seraphina is a great female lead. She has a secret that no one must know. It would get her father and her into a lot of trouble. She doesn’t tell anyone the secret until well the end of the book when there isn’t a choice. I remember this scene early in the book where Lucien tries to get her to tell her more about what happened to her real mother and she says something to hurt him. It makes me happy she isn’t one of those female leads who if given some attention will spill all her secrets.

There is so much beauty to this book. Everything fits together like a puzzle. I don’t have anything to complain about. I just want to read this book over and over again.

I think one of the best things about this book is the rivalry between the humans and dragons. The author doesn’t make either one good or bad. Because the world isn’t black and white. No one can be completely right or completely wrong.

Yes maybe in the beginning the dragons may seem like the enemy but they aren’t. I never viewed them that way.

I’ve said a whole bunch of things now but I STILL haven’t mentioned Lucien. HA. That’s an achievement. Yeah, I need to keep a hold on my fangirling because I absolutely love him, nothing else should be said. He is a character everyone should get to experience on their own.

The best thing about the romance between the two is that they both know that they have other priorities, so as much as they love each other they know they have stuff to do. They trust each other and their relationship is developed slowly. Seraphina goes from thinking he is arrogant to respecting him to becoming friends with him and to finally loving him. It’s fun to watch that change. I always love it when relationships take their time to develop.

This book is a must read. I wish the sequel would come out sooner. It’s hard to wait for it.