Review - Seraphina (Seraphina #1) by Rachel Hartman

Title: Seraphina

Author: Rachel Hartman

Series: 1st

Pages: 464

Published: July 10th 2012 by Random House Children's Books 

ISBN: 9780375866562

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Description: 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.

I Give This ...

This one jumped on my radar and I was immediately in want of it.  I love the idea of dragons and humans, and especially the idea that humans can turn into dragons.  When I started to see fantastic reviews for it, my hopes began to rise.  At 450+pages, I was thinking to myself this had better be good.

Oh my gosh is it ever.  Despite a really slow and confusing start, I found myself completely engrossed in this book.  Hartman has created a world that I would love to live in.  Dragon pose as humans and most people can't tell the difference.  They walk, talk, and look just like us.  The only thing that really sets them apart is they have very high intelligence especially when it comes to mathematics and science.  Plus, the seem to have a distinctive smell that is sometimes detectable by humans , but can always been smelled by another dragon.  

Seraphina is an interesting to female character.  Her entire life she been told not to stand out, blend in with the crowds and make it so no one remembers you were there.   At first I wasn't sure if it's the way the treated the females in this world, but quickly discovered that wasn't the case.  While the truth doesn't come out for quite awhile, I realized I knew what Seraphina was.  I just wasn't sure how.   While, she's been told`to blend in, the quickly becomes noticed by the royal family.  She's got an unnatural talent for music plus a way about her that make people trust her.  It doesn't take her long to land herself smack in the middle of the feud between the humans and the dragons.   Turns out that just as there are humans that don't want peace, there are dragons who don't want it as well.   And they are willing to obliterate the human race to prove it. 

I loved the characters in this book.  Seraphina was the perfect lead to the story.  I loved her interactions with her uncle Orma and how their relationship changed over the course of the book.  Orma is particularly fascinating to me because he never behaves quite the way I think he should.  I didn't like her father at first, but over the course of the book I realize he's dealing with all that has happened to him in his own way.  And above all he is just trying to protect Seraphina.  I LOVED Price Lucian.  He's the perfect balance to Seraphina's rash ways.  He always thinks things through to the point that I was surprised that he didn't figure out Seraphina sooner.  

This was a fantasy story that I enjoyed to the very last page.  It was rich with details and the plot line was fantastic.  I enjoyed the characters and can not wait to see what happens in the next installment.  If you like fantasy, I highly suggest you check this one out!