"This is a tale of love, mistakes, double-crosses, and pain—-one that left me tied up in knots!"—Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author
“Dragon fiction has never flown higher.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred
"...[A] worthy and wholly satisfying continuation of Seraphina’s tale."—Publishers Weekly, Starred
“Blazing. Clever surprises, and lovely prose.”—Booklist, Starred
★ 01/26/2015
In this strong follow-up to 2012’s Seraphina, Hartman continues the adventures of that book’s eponymous half-dragon, who is now assigned with finding and uniting her fellow “ityasaari” before the full-blooded dragons can resolve their civil war and mobilize to wipe out the southern human kingdoms. But some ityasaari don’t want to be found, and one, who has the power to enter and control minds, would rather see them united for her own bitter purpose. With numerous factions jockeying for power and war on the horizon, Seraphina must unlock her own long-dormant potential and find a way to save everyone she loves. As the page count attests, Hartman’s style is leisurely; she builds her epic fantasy carefully, with attention to detail and atmosphere, while letting the plot simmer and allowing just as much to happen off-screen as in Seraphina’s presence. She juggles the large cast skillfully, balancing wide-screen action with intimate character development (including some deft, thoughtful treatments of gender identity), allowing for some subtle yet surprising revelations. This is a worthy and wholly satisfying continuation of Seraphina’s tale. Ages 12–up. Agency: Writers House. (Mar)
01/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—This sequel to the award-winning Seraphina (Random, 2012) takes the half-human, half-dragon girl on a search for others like herself. The revelation of Seraphina's true heritage has placed her in a position of power with Queen Glisselda who sends her on a mission to find other half-human/half-dragon beings. With her loyal friend, Abdo, she searches the lands for the creatures she has only met previously in dreams, in the hopes that they may trip the balance of power toward the kingdom of Goredd. Though the halflings were feared and reviled by the human population historically, some of them managed to hide in plain sight and were elevated to sainthood. With the insane Jannoula as their leader, these long-lived beings have emerged from hiding and are bent on taking control of Goredd and its human population. And, the love she and the Queen's intended, Kiggs, have for each other may ultimately destroy any chance Seraphina has for personal happiness. This is not a stand-alone story, and those who haven't read the first novel in the series will spend the first third of the novel getting caught up. By then, it may be too late for some, as the lengthy work suffered from an over-abundance of explanation of who the dragons were without really giving readers a sense of the main characters' ideals and motivations. Still, for lovers of Christopher Paolini's and Anne McCaffrey's dragon stories, this is an adequate addition to dragonlore.—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK
A listener might get lost in Hartman's rich, complex plot and detailed world-building if not for Mandy Williams's captivating narration. With the kingdom of Goredd on the verge of war, Seraphina travels to gather her fellow half-dragons and struggles to understand her own heritage and abilities. Williams sweeps us along on the journey, never stumbling over Hartman's invented words or the panoply of dragon, half-dragon, and human characters. Williams's soft-edged English accent makes for an appealing Seraphina; she adds a lilt to her voice for Seraphina's mischievous young friend, Abdo, and makes it higher and sharper for her queen and confidante, Glisselda. It won’t take long for listeners to be drawn into the story's intrigue or to find themselves rooting for a happy ending. J.M.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
★ 2014-12-10
Having come to terms with her own heritage, both dragon and human, Seraphina is back for more, following her eponymous first outing (2012). The dragon-dragon war continues to rage, and it seems a cohort of half-dragons might make a difference. The mental garden Seraphina built to control her visions of other half-dragons is a map to that cohort, and so she crosses kingdoms to raise a different kind of army in hopes of saving the world. Along the way, Seraphina uncovers the truth of the Goreddi Saints, searches for her missing uncle, navigates a complex relationship with a man she can't have and must come to terms with Jannoula, a powerful half-dragon who seems the shadow to Seraphina's light. Love, betrayal and sacrifice wind throughout, all narrated in Seraphina's appealing, slightly stiff voice. Every now and again, a book comes along that reimagines a familiar trope so magnificently it resets the bar, which is exactly what happened with Seraphina, Hartman's debut. Here, she continues to expand her world with enough history and detail to satisfy even the most questioning of readers, doing it all so naturally that it's hard to believe this is fiction. Dragon fiction has never flown higher. Seraphina's adventures may be over, but here's hoping there are more Goreddi tales to come. (map, cast of characters, glossary) (Fantasy. 13 & up)
