I'll admit to being a sucker for dragons, and of these I want so much more. This first chapter really sucks you into the story right off the bat.

This book is my kind of fantasy! It instantly caught my attention with dragons and I'm so excited to see there are other books and it is a series.

Rachel Hartman writes in a surprisingly poetic way, This sample leads me to believe that Seraphina would be a tantalizing addition to any classroom or school (or personal) library. Hartman’s writing is both lovely and engaging.

<b> I was sent an excerpt of this via Netgalley for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.</b>


Did this just cure my High Fantasy block?

Why yes, I do believe so!

I haven't been able to pick up a new high fantasy series in MONTHS and i'm gonna be honest and say I've missed the genre.

This excerpt was interesting as well as captivating and now I gotta figure out how I'm going to finish reading this book.

I recommend

I enjoyed this well enough. The world-building is quite fantastic, the heroine is smart but realistically flawed, and I really appreciated the history slash political premise between humans and dragons. There is a sense of foundation here that helps the plot flourish, and I ended up really liking it.

I enjoyed reading the excerpt/sample of this book. It peeked my interest to continue & now I want to read the whole book to see what’s next.
It’s imaginative, descriptive & from what I can tell so far, we’ll written.

I really enjoyed the excerpt I read from Seraphina. It was just enough of a teaser for the reader to feel the need to continue the book to see what else happens. The author writes with beautiful and flowing description which makes the book is a pleasure to read. I will definitely be moving this up in my To Be Read list.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children.

The first chapter already has me sucked into the plot, and I need to know more. Also, dragons. The writing is beautiful, descriptive, and full of adventure. Adding this to my tbr list!

The last few years have brought us some amazing fantasy written by Canadians. Seraphina is devious, thrilling, filled with mystery and (of course) romance. I adored every minute of it!
Rachel Hartman's first book in her dragon (infested?) world is wonderful. Not only do we have a strong heroine to view the world from but she is surrounded by supporting characters that are well developed and could easily carry the story themselves. I especially adore the Prince and Seraphina's teacher.

Dragons Galore!
It seems that I've read a lot of books lately where there is one dragon or a rebirth of dragons. Instead of there being lots of dragons there are very few of them. So it was really nice to read a book in which there are lots of dragons and even two distinct different breeds of dragon! Of course giving a world many dragons presents it's own issues which Hartman addresses elegantly. From the issue of how do dragons and humans interact, to the destruction a dragon falling from the sky can create (never mind if they are looking to burn a town to nothing), to trying to hide a giant dragon. As our dragons can take human form many of these issues are easier to resolve but not all of them. And I adored how Hartman handled the challenges that a large dragon may have next to a teeny tiny human.

Inter-species Hanky-Panky
Yep, there is a huge focus all on when dragons get it on with humans. All these nuances are touched upon in Seraphina, and Hartman even gives us a selection of cross-species (not supposed to exist) characters whom are both human and dragon. It's really interesting how unique each of them is. And I will confess that I now really want scales hidden on my body somewhere. It'd be even better if those scales could match the patterns of my pet snakes (lol).
Seraphina herself is one of these born of a human and a dragon cross breeds and so we are able to experience the challenges of someone who is considered to be an abomination try to hide and exist in a world that is not at all understanding of their existence. I believe many who feel they don't fit into our society (be it due to race, culture, sexuality, physical appearance, etc.) will find this to be very relatable narrative.

The Music
Seraphina is an accomplished musician. There is a lot of talk in Hartman's series opener about how music is not just about hitting the correct notes; but also about being able to put soul and emotions into said music. Of course, our leading gal is the best around. It's wonderful to discover all the different (and unique) instruments Seraphina plays as well as what she thinks of when she is playing to create such emotion that resonates amongst the crowd of listeners with her music. If you are a lover of music I think you will really appreciate the amount of effort Hartman has put into the musical culture of this world.

The Prince
Royalty always brings in distinct elements to fantasy novels. Hartman has done a brilliant job of building a bridge to understanding her primary royal character the Prince. As a bastard the Prince is nearly as much of an outsider as Seraphina herself. Their interactions are just delightful, and the friendship that starts to form and subsequently become the possibility of something more is done with a gentle yet frustrated passion that I really appreciated. No insta-love or ridiculous admissions of lust or love early on here. Instead we are treated to a realistic (with dragons) picture of how love tends to evolve over time. While you may be attracted to someone that doesn't mean they are your immediate soulmate and I really appreciated the way Hartman treated this.

The Mystery
While at the beginning Seraphina seems to lack plot or a direction forward, this is resolved by the 25-30% mark when the mystery of a dragon, whom was thought to be dead, is discovered to probably be alive. It's not always apparent that this is our plot and mystery to focus on but by the end it's easily understood. And those moments in which there may not seem like a clear driving plot forward are some of my favourite as they are filled with character development and emotion that keeps me wanting more and more of our characters.

All the Other Things!
There are so many more elements to Seraphina that could be talked about. From the dragon slayers that are in hiding, to the politics of the dragon/human alliance, to the complex relationship between Seraphina and her father, to the treatment and intolerance of the humans towards the 'lesser' dragon species that has become a nuisance in their towns. I could probably go on and on about it all. Instead I'll just encourage you to read this book!

Overall
I cannot wait to dive into the second book of this series. What's especially exciting is that many people that I trust whom have read the second book say it's even better!!! Now I just need to find a gap to squeeze it into as I cannot stand to be one of the few who hasn't read it yet.
Overall, I regret that it has taken me so long to get to reading Seraphina. I should have read it a few years ago when it first came out! If you are a dragon or fantasy lover then you need to read this book. It's YA/Teen but the story and world are so wonderful that I believe even that high fantasy adult readers will still be enamored of it.
What's more is that this is a series unlikely to be made into a series or movie anytime soon as the production costs of the dragons would be very high. I'm always hopeful that we can keep a few 'special to the book community' series to ourselves. Not that I don't love the media created from books but it's nice to feel like us readers still share a few secrets from our non-reader counterparts. I believe Hartman may have created one of these, best kept to the written page, series. For that reason if nothing else this is a must read for all fantasy and dragon lovers.

This spoiler book is super fun, and makes me want to dive right in and take the leap! I'm definitely going to add this book to my to be read pile and maybe see if the Library has it!

Overall it's an imaginative idea with a well thought out structure. I find the characters amusing and the plot interesting. It was an easy read that I would recommend.

Enjoyed this first chapter, definitely made my Tbr list. Sounds like a good solid fantasy especially as it has dragons and nothing is better than a fantasy with dragons!

I really liked this excerpt from the book Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. It definitely held my interest and makes me want to read the full book when available from the library.

Oh my gosh, the beginning of this book is <i>amazing</i>. I think I fell in love with the writing in less than a second of reading. The characters seem fantastic and I especially love the way that Hartman captured the different characteristics of each being in such a wonderfully unique way. I'm already invested in the story and what happens to the main character, to the point that I'm positive I'll be reading this book soon.

I meant to read it a long time ago, however I never actually went out to get a copy and thus it ended up on the backburner for a long time. But after reading that excerpt I'm fairly certain that I'll be going out and picking <i>Seraphina</i> up from the store the very next moment that I have the time to do so.

Really loved this sample! Books with dragons are quite rare these days. The writing style was wonderful and I have no doubt that I'll love this story. Definitely going to pick the book up soon!

This sampler of Seraphina was just the kick in the pants I needed to finally decide to start this series. I love the writing style and world building I got in just this sampler. I look forward to reading the rest of this book (and series) soon!

An interesting start for the book, I'm excited to finish it, and maybe even continue on with the series.

It's hard to tell from such a short sample, but I think I'm going to like this book!

I loved this book, I love this whole series actually. This preview is just a little taste of the excellent adventure that awaits. I firmly suggest picking up the series if dragons and strong female characters are your thing.

Seraphina, a highly intelligent child and part dragon is an intriguing character from the start, in this book excerpt.

The medieval fairytale setting is beautifully constructed, and the author has a distinct voice, with a sharp edge and a soft glow. The story is young, but it isn't childish, and the clarity of speech and thought the author has add a level of intellect which was unexpected. Some of the descriptions are breathtaking, and the story itself is fascinatingly original.. I look forward to reading the full story one day!

It was a story which I've had on my shelf for months now and kept putting it off, and I am so glad I finally did pick it up decided to read it because it was so amazingly fantastic. Dragons and mysteries, a fine combination if down right and I can attest to this novel having done it right. I very much enjoyed this story, for it had me at the edge of my seat constantly awaiting what was on the next page. Devouring it in a matter of days, I became enamored with the new ways that dragons were presented in the story. An interesting factor to the story is the not so subtle American discriminatory and history aspect present in the story. Taking lands by force? Discriminating an entire species without trying to understand them? Sounds familiar? I easily immersed myself in this particular part of the story because there was just so much emotion to be felt, anger and pain and the strong desire to punch someone in the face. This is not just a young adult fantasy, it is a story that makes one think and ponder on serious matters that are present in the real world. Matters such as religion, war, love, music, and norms. Seraphina is an excellent read that everyone must read at least one in their lifetime.

Phenomenal, does not even come close to describing the astounding world building of Gorred. Set in the medieval times, dragons and human were attempting to coexist with each other with a treaty, but as real and fiction history will prove coexistence with diversity is not easily achieved. Nevertheless, Seraphina's world is an intricate contraption which was visually pleasing for my eyes to read and my mind to imagine.

Even though the story was told from the point of view of one person, the characters were so specific they felt real. I was able to connect and feel with each of them. It was a surreal experience which I liked very much. From the main characters to the side characters, everyone had their own weights which made each of them more visual in the book. Orma. Seraphina's uncle was my favorite. Because for some reason I kept visualizing him as a big teddy bear. He was just so simple-minded (not in an unintelligent way but the adorable way) and so forward.

A soft yet heart-pounding pacing that made me just want to flip to the end of the book to find out how it all ends. Spectacular usage of words and phrases which were beautifully intertwined with one another to create a masterpiece for my eyes to witness and ever so grateful am I for that. And, the use of formal language and diction was a fresh attraction for sore eyes. I advise the use of a dictionary because there some diction that is used that may be unfamiliar.
I recommend this story to everyone who has the ability to read or be read to.