Eon: Dragoneye Reborn
Ratings58
Average rating3.5
I can't write a proper review of this book because I cannot finish it. I am a third of the way in and it is tedious - to the point where I don't want to pick up my kindle because I know it's there, waiting for me. I just can't do it. I don't know if it gets better if you trudge through it a little longer but I like my female YA protagonists to actually be able to do more than look to the men in her life for guidance. If I wanted to read about men saving the day and guiding the girl I'd just read adult fantasy. I have been trudging for days now and it's not looking any better.
I loved the concept and characters in this book. The story was easier to follow and for such a large book it was a quick read, but that could be due to the fact that I couldn't put it down! :) I do however think that the world building could have been a bit more in depth. The plot could have been a little bit more complex, some parts I guessed ahead of the character certain events. These are the reasons this book received a four star. It has a lot of potential and I am eager to read the next.
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is a refreshingly non-western culture fantasy with plenty of action and intrigue. The main character and narrator, Eon, provides an accessible voice for readers while still being fully a part of the Empire of the Celestial Dragons.[return]
[return]I did find myself wanting to shake Eon for stupidity on a couple of occasions, mostly when I had managed to piece something together before Eon did.
Wow, I loved this book. I was so nervous for the main character terrified of what misfortune would come her way, It was hard to put away when I needed to do other things. I recommend it to people who like adventure books with heroines.
Pros: engaging, combines new age beliefs with fantasy world magic, protagonist stays in character
Cons: major plot twist is very obvious
Eon's ability to see all 11 energy dragons is awarding her the chance to become the apprentice of the Rat Dragon, ascendant this year. But women aren't allowed to be Dragoneyes, so she must hide her gender. When the choosing ceremony goes awry and the long lost Mirror Dragon returns, she is plunged into mess of political intrigue she is ill equipped to handle.
Eon is an engaging read that's hard to put down. The girl goes from crisis to crisis as she's thrust into the heart of palace politics while trying to keep several important secrets.
The magic of this fantasy world is based heavily on new age beliefs. The chakras are used to focus chi, while the dragon mythology is the Chinese zodiac. Goodman manages to take these familiar concepts and makes them unique by molding them to the energy dragons, through whom natural phenomenon can be controlled.
Modern readers will quickly figure out the plot twist regarding the truth of the Mirror Dragon. While it is in character for Eon to misunderstand what is happening, it is frustrating as a reader to see how she's missing something that to us is so obvious. However, I was impressed that the author resisted the urge to give Eon a modern mindset. She is very much a product of her world, which is as it should be.
I found Eon a fascinating character, even while I didn't always like her decisions. She's caught in a difficult position where if it's learned she's a woman, her life and that of her master and servant, are forfeit. As more and more people put their faith in her power her position becomes even more desperate. In response, she pressures a friend to act in a way that puts his life in danger, with no consciousness that she's done so. She also takes pains to avoid becoming a pawn.
While I was able to guess many of the plot twists early in the book, the last third, after the truth of the Mirror Dragon is revealed, was so unexpected, and somewhat disturbing, that I enjoyed every moment of the adventure.
The book ends at a satisfying place while leaving many things unfinished. I'll definitely be picking up Eona when it comes out next spring.
(Ages 16+) The story idea and main charecter (Eona) are very intresting. There are many complex situations and story building.
A couple things I did not really care for is the very unnessary annount of pages in this book. I feel myself reading every 3rd page to make the story go quicker. There are also adult comments that are not not horrible, but just something to be mindful of.
There is also a man that feels he was born with female energy and lives his life as a women.