Review: Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
35) Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
Rachel Hartman's sequel to Seraphina took longer to arrive than most YA sequels, many of which seem to be cranked out of a factory using a stock love triangle template. Shadow Scale is most definitely not formulaic, and if its success is any indication, all sequels should take this long and be this good. Hartman begins with a recap of what happened in Seraphina from a fictitious historian. It's a literary device that is helpful if you've forgotten all the details of the first book during the wait for the sequel, or if you never read the first. The initial chapter reads like a dry history, and is the only minor bump in an otherwise beautifully written story. Once the narrative switches back to Seraphina a chapter into the novel, Hartman finds her stride and we're back in the richly detailed world of Goredd.
A dragon civil war is looming, and Queen Glisselda has charged Seraphina with finding and recruiting her fellow ityasaari, half-dragon half-humans, throughout the kingdom in the hope of providing a safety net of protection from invading dragons. Seraphina brings Abdo, a mute half-dragon who can speak to Seraphina telepathically, along on the long journey through neighboring kingdoms. Seraphina has an indication of who the half-dragons are because she's seen visions of all of them in her mind, and as a child she learned to tend the garden of her beasts daily. However, Seraphina finds a nasty surprise on her journey to find the physical ityasaaris she's tended so long in her mental garden. Janoula, a possessive half-dragon who had once taken over Seraphina's mind, is on the loose. As a child, Seraphina thought she had locked Janoula safely away. Yet Janoula has not only found a way out, she's begun taking over the minds of the half-dragons Seraphina is recruiting.
Shadow Scale uses the threat of an impending dragon war as a backdrop, but the primary conflict is internal. Seraphina must battle her own inner demons, including Janoula, in order to provide the protection her kingdom requires. Fans of the first novel won't be disappointed. They might, in fact, find a few surprises in the end. Highly recommended for fantasy fans grades 7 and up. This is a wonderful romp through a complicated and well drawn world.
Rachel Hartman's sequel to Seraphina took longer to arrive than most YA sequels, many of which seem to be cranked out of a factory using a stock love triangle template. Shadow Scale is most definitely not formulaic, and if its success is any indication, all sequels should take this long and be this good. Hartman begins with a recap of what happened in Seraphina from a fictitious historian. It's a literary device that is helpful if you've forgotten all the details of the first book during the wait for the sequel, or if you never read the first. The initial chapter reads like a dry history, and is the only minor bump in an otherwise beautifully written story. Once the narrative switches back to Seraphina a chapter into the novel, Hartman finds her stride and we're back in the richly detailed world of Goredd.
A dragon civil war is looming, and Queen Glisselda has charged Seraphina with finding and recruiting her fellow ityasaari, half-dragon half-humans, throughout the kingdom in the hope of providing a safety net of protection from invading dragons. Seraphina brings Abdo, a mute half-dragon who can speak to Seraphina telepathically, along on the long journey through neighboring kingdoms. Seraphina has an indication of who the half-dragons are because she's seen visions of all of them in her mind, and as a child she learned to tend the garden of her beasts daily. However, Seraphina finds a nasty surprise on her journey to find the physical ityasaaris she's tended so long in her mental garden. Janoula, a possessive half-dragon who had once taken over Seraphina's mind, is on the loose. As a child, Seraphina thought she had locked Janoula safely away. Yet Janoula has not only found a way out, she's begun taking over the minds of the half-dragons Seraphina is recruiting.
Shadow Scale uses the threat of an impending dragon war as a backdrop, but the primary conflict is internal. Seraphina must battle her own inner demons, including Janoula, in order to provide the protection her kingdom requires. Fans of the first novel won't be disappointed. They might, in fact, find a few surprises in the end. Highly recommended for fantasy fans grades 7 and up. This is a wonderful romp through a complicated and well drawn world.
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