Publication:
Eon: Dargoneye Reborn: December 26th 2008 by Viking Books for Young Readers
Eona:The Last Dragoneye:April 19th 2011 by Viking
GoodReads description for book 1 Eon: Dragoneye Reborn:
Also Known As: Two Pearls of Wisdom, Eon: Rise of the Dragoneye, and Eon (All the same book just published with different publishers)
Swordplay, dragon magic--and a hero with a desperate secret.
Twelve-year-old Eon has been in training for years. His intensive study of Dragon Magic, based on East Asian astrology, involves two kinds of skills: sword-work and magical aptitude. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye--an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune.
But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a boy for the chance to become a Dragoneye. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured.
When Eon's secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life.
My spoiler free thoughts:
Overall I think both Eon and Eona are enjoyable reads but I found
myself more interested in the second book. But I did have a few problems with both
books.
Book one is much slower paced than the second book because
there was a lot of world building. This can be positive thing or a negative thing depending on what you prefer. personally I like faster paced books. Eona on the other hand had a much faster pace
which I appreciated. There was a lot more action as the characters were moving
around and Eona was interacting with a lot more characters.
Both books are full of political intrigue which I found
interesting. I love reading about courts and all the rivalries going on within
them.
I found the magic system confusing at times. It wasn’t
really until the end of book one and second book that I felt I really
understood what the dragons where capable of. I have never read a book about
dragons that weren’t the stereotypical fire breathing type so it was
interesting to learn about theses ones that are so powerful. Essentially they
control the weather.
World building is more prevalent in book 1. The beginning of
the book really focuses on building up this world that was inspired by eastern
cultures but Goodman puts a spin on them and creates her own rich world. The
writing is great the descriptions are so vivid and detailed which I liked.
I loved that there was no romance in the first book it’s not
often I stumble across a YA book that doesn’t have a love story in it. And I’m
so glad there wasn’t because it wouldn’t have fit with the story and would have
felt forced. There is a romance in the second book Eona. I understand why it
was put in- it created a lot of tension and it really pushed the plot forward;
but I was frustrated with the characters because of how they were acting.
I really appreciated the themes introduced in the book. I do
think that these novels are for mature young adult fans because of the
situations and themes explored with transgender characters, eunuchs, forced
intimacy, and physical assault. There are also themes of gender, sexuality,
identity, and then deception and trust which are explored more in the second
book.
All the characters were so interesting and fleshed out. They
all have their own stories to tell and added to the story. I really like how
diverse the cast of characters was- there is a transgender character and a few
eunuchs.
I liked Eona, but at times I was frustrated with her because
she made some decisions I didn’t agree with. I did really like seeing her
struggle with this identity crisis, I found it so interesting that she feels
like she has to supress her femininity. She’s a bit hypocrite at times. She was
withholding information and being dishonest and then when she found out other
characters where doing the same she got upset. I found this irritating at
times. I think because I was frustrated with her a lot of the time particularly
in book two that hindered my enjoyment of the story. I really need to love the
main character to love the book.
I really enjoyed reading the side characters particularly
Lady Dela (she is probably my favourite character in the series), Rilla and
Chart.
my ratings:
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn: 3 stars
Eona: The Last Dragoneye: 3.5 stars
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