Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review Seraphina. I think Rachel Hartman nailed it with this book! We own this book and all three of my kids have read it and really enjoyed it.

I read <i>Seraphina</i> several years ago, so my review won't be as extensive as it would have been. It was an enjoyable read, with dragons done very differently from the way they're usually done (the gold-hoarding, fire-breathing giant lizards. The dragons in this story are very analytical creatures, and certainly at the beginning, they will often appear in their human form. They don't quite understand human emotions, and the peace between the two races is strenuous at best. Seraphina herself, though, is half-dragon, half-human--a strange mix that isn't supposed to exist in the first place.
The main plot is a murder mystery, laced through with quitea lot of political intrigue. It wanders sometimes, and the writing style is perculiar, in a way that I liked but might not be for everyone. I would definitely recommend it, with the caveat that you should not expect traditional dragons (really, they're more like Vulcans who occasionally turn into dragons), and that the style might not suit everyone (so it'd be a good idea to download a sample chapter before buying it).

A very interesting world, in which humans and dragons are trying to live next to each other in peace, their efforts of such soldified by a treaty as well. But of course no matter that the dragons can take up human forms and they have to wear bells to notify everyone of their species, most of humans are still very vary of dragons and hate them with a passion.

On the other side of this awkward equation is Seraphina, the half-blood, who's the child of a dragon and a human, so basically a monster, whose existence is denied not only by humans but by dragons as well. But Seraphina is a wonderful heroine and just her existence in itself makes the book a lot more enjoyable than it already is.

The book has a slow pacing and even despite that, I actually enjoyed it a lot. Mostly because it has such an amazing atmosphere that engulfs you right as you start reading the book. I hate slow-paced books, but this book kept me entertained from beginning to end and I'm pretty sure most of that is thanks to the great atmosphere and Seraphina herself. Hartman writes beautifully and her characters are very loveable. There's a hint of romance in the story, but it's not dominant and isn't like in any other YA books.

So I'm completely satisfied. I'm thrilled to read the next installment.

A small look into what seems to be a gigantic story of mysteries. I had heard things about this book for awhile but never got around to reading it. The small look was confusing and odd. It found me reluctant to go and find the book to read it. It was unclear who she was and why the book started with her in the womb. It felt odd and disjointed.

This was okay! It was really hard to understand some of it, because of all of the long and unfamiliar words. But the story itself was interesting! Would love to be able to read more of this book!

It's not often that I read YA or fantasy, but this book captivated my interest from the start. I loved how the author incorporated issues of race and identity into a story about dragons! Seraphina is a likeable character and I found myself rooting for her throughout. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I didn't quite feel closure at its end. Of course, there is a sequel and that book is clearly necessary to finish the story.

Seraphina is captivating. Humans and dragons co-exist (uncomfortably) in an Elizabethan-esque world, which has enough familiarity to avoid info-dumping, and enough magic to keep you fascinated to find out more about the workings of this world. Even in this first chapter, there are hints that Seraphina herself is more than she appears, as well as the beginnings of political machinations that will get much bigger and more important. The writing style is sophisticated and flowing - even though this is just a short excerpt, it had me hooked, and definitely makes me want to pick up the rest of the book. A lovely read.

❝ I remember being born.

In fact, I remember a time before that. There was no light, but there was music: joints creaking, blood rushing, the heart’s staccato lullaby, a rich symphony of indigestion. Sound enfolded me, and I was safe.

Then my world split open, and I was thrust into a cold and silent brightness. I tried to fill the emptiness with my screams, but the space was too vast. I raged, but there was no going back. ❞

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a sample of this book! All opinions are my own!

This mini-review is only for a sample of the book. I originally picked up this book because I saw other book bloggers speak highly of it and because I’d read her more recent book, Tess of the Road, which made me curious about her first series. With that said, let’s jump into this review.

I’m going to start off by saying her writing style is interesting, but it can be a little more formal than I may be used to for YA. Maybe formal isn’t the right word, it’s really hard to describe. I just know it’s one of those books that I can’t just read casually. I have to be paying attention because there’s so much detail and meaning put behind little things. There just tends to be little references to other characters, moments, etc. that I like to keep track off because it reveals their personalities. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just something I’m mindful of.

Then there was the history/worldbuilding. I can’t speak too much to it because I’ve only read such a small part, but I can say that I enjoyed what I saw so far. I liked the history of the war, the tentative peace between dragons and humans, and the religious aspects. I look forward to reading more when I do my full review and seeing how the worldbuilding continues to develop.

And then there was the main character, Seraphina. I actually enjoyed her character quite a bit because she seemed to be equal parts composed and awkward. She had a thing against being touched, she could understand dragons’ way of thinking, she was really observant. I’m curious to see how she grows and changes with the story into the woman we meet in Tess of the Road. And I’m also looking forward to seeing how the plot develops. Again, hard to make a judgment this early on from the sample, but I can tell it’s going to get interesting.

Overall, I think this is a very promising story!

This books is on my tbr list. I want to read this book and after reading the chapter sampler i want to read more.

A very good and entertaining read. I love Seraphina and her story, I love dragons and the world is a very interesting one, haha. The idea is good and after this ending I want to see how thing will go between them all

As I read Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman, I was really intrigued to know more about the world. especially about Seraphina. Unfortunately, only a sampler was available here on NetGalley, but it was enough to give me the vibes of the world and conflict it will be encountered. The writing was well executed, a bit complicated for me, to understand all the new names of places, dragons species, but it is ok, the author is building the world we are going to be into. It took more time to grasp it, that was all. Apart from that, I was very intrigued and I would definitely buy Seraphina to continue reading her story. I would not really like to judge the book only having read the first chapter, but it looks a little bit darker, gloomier than Tess of the Road. Maybe I am wrong and the atmosphere changes throughout the story. Thank you, Random House for letting me read the ARC of Tess of the Road and a sampler of Seraphina. I enjoyed it.

A great exert I am very much looking forward to reading more.

A great concept and one worth reading more off.

A complex introductory chapter with lots of world-building and sophisticated language. For teens.

Thanks so much for offering this chapter sample I think I might go out and buy the book for my niece. I think she would really enjoy it.

This sampler was great. The chapter from Seraphina hooked me right away. It made me excited to read the full version of the book. In fact, I wanted to read it so badly that I went to my library's website, and put a hold on it right away.

Seraphina's born in a world where humans and dragons co-exist but there's still fear and distrust. A talented musician, she kept a secret that's known by few including her father and his friend and her confidante Orma. I loved that the main character had close characters not just with males but with adults. Too often fiction sadly tries to depict men who are close to children as creepy or ill-intentioned. I even saw a list once that warned against writing stories with males holding girls or standing too close if they weren't family members. Seriously? I'm glad this book never took on that nonsense. In this brief excerpt you get a fantastic inside look at a fantasy world where a murder has taken place, humans and dragon kind are at odds and a girl with a secret might hold the key to solving or making things even worse, maybe both. The author wrote a vivid story that held me with every page. I have wanted to get this book but it kept falling off my radar. It won't again and I highly recommend this book.

i've read just the chapster sample of this book, but so far it's great!

Loved the prologue - might be my favorite section of the book, actually. It's gripping, strongly voiced, and raises the central mysteries.

Seraphina has been on my TBR list for a while now, but I somehow never got around to reading it. This little sampler gave just a tiny glimpse into the fantasy universe filled with dragons and all sorts of interesting things. I hope I'll get my hands on the actual book soon, because I'm very excited to read the whole story!

I've heard of Seraphina before but I've never read it and after this chapter sample I'm eager to pick it up. The worldbuilding seems a bit confusing at the moment, but fascinating, especially the way dragons are described. Dragons that can turn into humans? Sign me up.