Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Title: Seraphina
Author: Rachel Hartman
Series: Seraphina #1
Publisher: Random House
Published: July 10, 2012
Pages: 467
Rating: 3/5
Links: Goodreads

"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. 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."

I really wanted to love this book. I had heard really amazing things about it, so I rushed out and bought it when it came out. But it took me so long to read. It was so slow. I think I just might not like dragon books because I couldn't get into Eragon.

The world was very interesting. I thought the fact that dragons had to become human, and that they didn't like emotions. But I felt that the world took to much time to explain. It caused the book to be a little slow and boring because of the world building. I was a little disappointed about the "big fight thing" (I don't know how to describe that. Sorry). It was still big and dramatic, but I was expecting more. Also I felt like there was too much talk and detail about music. Now I love music, I'm a music major, but I was just too much. It was too much detail went into the instruments, how the music sounded, and how much Seraphina loved it. I felt that book focused too much on the music elements when it should of focused more on the mystery, dragon, and world parts of it instead. I also didn't really like Seraphina's "garden". I didn't completely understand it, and it was just a little weird. I did really like that there wasn't a love triangle. I like love triangles, but I feel like there are too many in YA fiction right now.

Seraphina annoyed me a lot. She thought she knew everything about everything. She knew everything thing about dragons because she was half dragon. She knew everything about humans because she was half human. She knew everything about music and was the best in the kingdom. It drove me crazy! And she wouldn't shut up about music! She would talk about how much great she was, but she had to hold back so that people wouldn't think she was a dragon. There are more important things happening in your kingdom other than music! Prince Lucian was sweet. I liked him. But there wasn't enough of him. I know you're a prince and all, and you have you're duties. But you are also the love interest, show up a little more please! Seraphina's uncle was my favorite character. Some of his responses were so funny.

I think I just have issues with dragon books. I will probably read the next book, but I won't rush out to get it. Seraphina was still a good book, I just think I was expecting a lot more. If you like Eragon and books about dragons, you should try it out because you will probably like it. It just wasn't for me.