czwartek, 29 marca 2012

REVIEW #20 - Eon by Alison Goodman



TITLE: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn
AUTHOR: Alison Goodman
GENRE: fantasy
PUBLICATION DATE: Dec 26th 2008
SOURCE: library

BLURB:
Eon has been studying the ancient art of Dragon Magic for four years, hoping he'll be able to apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But he also has a dark secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been living a dangerous lie for the chance to become a Dragon-eye, the human link to an energy dragon's power. It is forbidden for females to practice the Dragon Magic and, if discovered, Eon faces a terrible death. After a dazzling sword ceremony, Eon's affinity with the twelve dragons catapults him into the treacherous world of the Imperial court, where he makes a powerful enemy, Lord Ido. As tension builds and Eon's desperate lie comes to light, readers won't be able to stop turning the pages...

REVIEW:

Deemed "best fantasy book for young adults 2008", Eon: Dragoneye Reborn was a book I definitely looked forward to reading. I have to admit I am a bit disappointed.

What would happen if a Dragon-eye, the key to save the whole empire, is actually a girl? In the world of men it's a betrayal so deep it's unimaginable. Yet Eona, known as Eon, is a chosen one.

I think I expected too much from Eon, with all the hype surrounding it. But still, it's a decent book and a good read. Despite the info dumps and a lot of mythology, I found it the most intriguing element of the Dragoneye world. It's fascinating to watch how Alison Goodman incorporated ancient Chinese beliefs and myths, the lunar cycle, the ying and yang theory. Definitely an interesting read for those who love Asian culture.

For the majority of the book, Eon(a) was irritating me. Although I could understand her motivations and aspirations, her journey to discover her true self was infuriating. I'm glad she accepted herself though.

The best characters were in my opinion Lady Dela and Ryko, but I am not going to spoil them to you - you will have to read the book to find out who they are.

I didn't like how slow paced the story was. Only the end was action packed and a real page-turner, as opposed to the rest of the book full of nuances and politics which weren't necessarily the most interesting part of the book. On top of that, the story was just too predictable for me and although the title reads Dragoneye Reborn, there were next to none of what I looked forward the most to! Appearances of the dragons.

All in all, I'm still considering whether or not I'd like to read the sequel. The premise left by Eon: Dragoneye Reborn promises great adventure and (finally!) more dragons on the scene and less politics. Given that those were two main things that irked me in the first book, it could be the deciding factor in picking up Eona. That and... I wouldn't mind to hear more from the handsome prince.

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars

1 komentarze:

  1. Nice Review ,,, I also don't like book that move slowly ,,, i get so frustrated but there is always a chance that in the next book it will get better :D

    OdpowiedzUsuń

I ♥ comments! Please comment and I will be a very happy person.