Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Warning: The following review contains copious amounts of fangirling and may not be suitable for the reading community. Viewer discretion is advised.
THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ THIS YEAR! ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE READ. PERIOD! AHGAHDJSHGISNGKHDIFASJGHSFHSGDHJDKHJMKJS OMG IT IS SOOOOOO GOOD!!! AHSGHFUSDHGJDHYU
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Now that that's out of my system, I can try to talk about why I love this book so much.
I went to the library, as usual, to find some books with fantasy in them. I've been reading a lot of books lately that really weren't that great and I remember that fantasy was always a genre that I enjoyed. I rarely ever find a book in that genre that I do not like. So, here I am at the library, browsing the shelves when I stumble upon Seraphina. I've been hearing a lot of good things about it so I was curious. Plus, it had two things I love to have in a book: fantasy and dragons. So I read it... AND LOVED IT!
This book has everything! From action to adventure to magic to romance done right! Do you know how rare it is to have a book that actually contains GOOD romance? Most of the romance written today is about dumb love triangles, instalove, and girls who demean themselves in order to "get the guy." But this book has romance that takes its time and develops in a way that is not forcing its way down the reader's throat, which I appreciate seeing as how I am not really into romance at all.
Rachel Hartman is a fantastic author! I cannot begin to describe how much I love her writing! Her writing is not simple. It's so complex and heavy; everything tightly woven together to create a world unlike any I have ever seen before. She has an amazing vocabulary and once you read it, you might feel slightly intimidated by some of the words she uses. However, don't let that deter you from reading her novel. Hartman includes a glossary at the back of the book that helps you along the way and the book is just too amazing for you to give it a pass just because she has a much stricter writing style than most. I know I loved that she didn't downplay her writing just to make it simpler to understand.
The characters, and I mean all of the characters, were just phenomenal! I rarely like ALL the characters in a book. There's always that one character that gets under my skin. However, in Seraphina, I didn't hate anyone! Or rather, I didn't find them to be a horrible character. There are the characters that you are supposed to "hate" and trust me, I did, but it's one of those cases where you "loved to hate" them. I found Seraphina, the main character, to be strong and intelligent. She had her flaws but that's what made her loveable. Lucian and Glisselda supported her in every way friends should. Orma, Seraphina's uncle (and my favorite character ever), plays such a huge role in her life and is just the coolest ever. Lars was just a sweet teddy bear! And the list goes on. There are just so many great characters that I just can't get enough of but can't mention, otherwise, I will be here forever!
What does all my rambling sum up to? Read. The. Book. Trust me. You won't regret it. It has great action, beautiful world-building, fantastic lore, amazing characters! I mean, what's not to love about this book? There really aren't that many downsides to the book. Her writing, as beautiful and skilled as it is, might intimidate the average reader but try to not let that bother you. It's still a great read regardless. If you like fantasy, great world-building, and well-developed characters, I think you are going to enjoy this book. If none of this appeals to you, then I suggest trying something different. However, you should read it... for reasons. Delicious reasons. Mmmm~
