By: Alison Goodman
Eon is training for Dragoneye selection, a revered position – a powerful Lord able to master the wind and water elements to protect the land. Eon struggles with a damaged hip and a desperate secret for Eon is in reality Eona, a gifted young woman disguised as a boy in order to provide her master with the chance for a return to power. This deception is deadly as the world she inhabits views women as powerless, they have no respect and can only be wives or servants, for the most part they are hidden away.
The outcome of the Dragoneye testing is totally unforseen and thrusts Eona right into the heart of a vicious struggle for the Imperial throne and ultimate power. With no way out Eona must learn to navigate the treacherous court and make the hardest decisions she has ever faced. She will need all her wits and strength just to survive the bloody struggle and hold onto her magic.
An amazing read, I just have to start there.
Goodman has created a wonderfully detailed world that draws you in and doesn’t let you go – like the monsoon winds controlled by the Dragoneyes. Eon/Eona is an amazing character of vulnerability, confusion, determination and strength. At her heart she wants to do good and she struggles with her lack of knowledge and uncertainty. She is thrust into a world far more complex than she could have imagined. The events around her sweep her in as much as they do us as she struggles to to come to terms with the depth of her deception and the scope of her responsibility.
Lady Dela is a wonderful companion/advisor for Eona allowing for a unique and interesting perspective. Other characters flesh out the world and contribute to it’s total believability.
The story is at one time both simple and complex. To say it is a story of good versus evil would be true but an oversimplification. The politics, culture and natures (hidden and open) of the characters make this story so much more. This was a book I didn’t want to put down and I look forward to reading the sequel Eona. If you are looking for a well constructed fantasy with layered and interesting characters and a story that won’t let you go, I would have no qualms recommending this.
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
Published: 01 December 2009
Format: Paperback 448 pages
Categories: Fantasy, Dragons
ISBN 13: 9780732290115
Purchase: here or use Booktopia logo on side of page
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