Eon: Dragoneye Reborn

Written by Alison Goodman

Narrated by Nancy Wu

Read Alison Goodman's blogs and other content on the Penguin Community.

Eon—the award-winning crossover fantasy that soars!

Sixteen-year-old Eon has a dream, and a mission. For years, he's been studying sword-work and magic, toward one end. 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 twelve-year-old boy. 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Dec 26, 2008
• ISBN: 9781423379591

Alison Goodman

Alison Goodman is the author of the international bestselling and award-winning Eon/Eona duology and the Lady Helen series, as well as the acclaimed Singing the Dogstar Blues and the adult thriller A New Kind of Death (originally titled Killing the Rabbit). Alison lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband, Ron, and their adorable Australian Terrier mix, Buckley.  Visit her website at www.darkdaysclub.com

Reviews for Eon

[Carmen Elsa Lopez Abramson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love that it includes dragons and I really want a book 2 please?

[maureene87 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this one! So glad I took everyone’s recommendation and looked past the title. The worldbuilding and characters are spectacular; I felt like this is what Alanna could have been but wasn’t (sorry Alanna). Can’t wait to read the next one! [Mar. 2010]

[4everfanatical · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The basic plot can be summarised as follows...

The book is set in a Chinese imperial dynasty where Dragon Magic is very real and there are 12 energy Dragons which have a corresponding Dragoneye, a human link which can harness their power. Eon hopes to be selected as an apprentice to become a Dragoneye as he can see all 12 Dragons which is a very rare gift as usually only the corresponding Dragoneye can see his own dragon. But really Eon is a girl called Eona. Women are forbidden to practice Dragon magic and the whole story revolves around awakening lost dragons and Eon’s experiences trying to hide his true gender, whilst making enemies and saving the dynasty. Yadda, yadda, yadda. It’s a very boring plot.

A lot of people loved this book but I just did not find the world very believable. It’s supposed to be set in a Chinese imperial dynasty and often at times I would forget that; as the story and the way it is told feels very western. Maybe I have read too many better books that convey that particular setting very well, I don’t know. This book did not just do it for me at all. What made it worse was that I figured out the problem Eon was having calling his dragon and reading the red folio like a third into the book and I was getting very annoyed at how dumb he was in not getting it, I mean it was freaking OBVIOUS.

It wasn’t very immersive or that enjoyable, I can’t say I want to read the series further.

[fireweaver_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars (great FSM, I do this a lot...GR really needs a 10-point scale)

fast-paced, tensely-plotted adventure tale of a girl secretly living as a boy to gain apprenticeship to one of the 12 energy-wielding dragons that watches over this quasi-china. marred by a bit too much predictability and self-conscious "but I'm just a weak girl" faux-historical touches, it's still a compelling read, well worth going on to the sequel.

[gigisiriereads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is certainly unlike any book I've ever read and I'm at a loss at how to go about reviewing it. First of all I didn't have any expectations of how I would receive it but has it turns out I really enjoyed it. One of the things I really liked about it was the Chinese and Japanese influences in the story. I've always been interested in the Chinese Zodiac Animal signs. And this is basically the main angle of the book, young male contestants enter a yearly competition to become the Daragoneye Apprentice for the upcoming Animal sign.

Eon was a candidate for his Master Heuris Brannon, who put all his eggs in one basket hoping Eon would be chosen as the Dragoneye, and help him reclaim his position as a Lord and get in a position to hinder the corruption in the counsel trying to dethrone the emperor. But you see the thing about Eon is, he's not male and is older than twelve, the age of all dragoneye contestants. I guess being poor and laboring in the salt farm most of her life gave Eon a small frame. I liked Eon's strength on how she handled and accepted the burden of all her masters hopes that was put on her, even though continually living her life as a boy did cause her some confusion. Soon Eon would realize more than her master's hope would be on her shoulders.

There are so many elements to this story that made it very interesting and enjoyable. The different types of characters in the story for example, the Eunuchs, and the Contraires especially were an interesting facet. Eunuchs should be self-explanatory but the Contraires are said to have two souls, one male and one female. In the end for me, this was the epic story of Eon's journey to finding his or herself.

[jdifelice-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a great read! I really enjoyed the story, the world, the characters and everything - except that part where Eona got really annoying. The world was so well developed and had such a rich culture and setting. I loved how it was described and the way it was unraveled for us. I really enjoyed the characters and how they all played their part in the story. Eona's character development was great and well fleshed out, although throughout part of the book her lack of confidence was quite frustrating - yet believable because of the society she lived in and the circumstances. A really great read! Cannot wait to dig into the next one! :)

[shadrachanki · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is a refreshingly non-western culture fantasy with plenty of action and intrigue. The main character and narrator, Eon, provides an accessible voice for readers while still being fully a part of the Empire of the Celestial Dragons.[return]
[return]I did find myself wanting to shake Eon for stupidity on a couple of occasions, mostly when I had managed to piece something together before Eon did.

[Chantell Selph · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this set of books so much. It was a amazing book about a girl overcoming the oppression of her culture and rising above them all with grace and kindness while destroying evil!

[Lover of all tropes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simply amazing! Storytelling at its absolute best! I felt everything Eona felt and more!

[auroraceleste_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Everyone should read this book!!! It was so, so, so good! It's like the author crossed Avatar: the Last Airbender with Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness. Eon is a girl passing herself off as a boy to train to do DragonMagic, which is forbidden of girls. The book is about Eon's struggle with the training as well as her own identity. I think this book was very, very good about the internal struggle of being a woman in a male-dominated world: you not only have the external problems of people thinking you're a woman, but the internal issues of "maybe I really am a man. Is that what I want to be? Is that how I want people to think of me?" I'm very excited for the sequel, Eona, due out in April.

[byeol-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

龍龍龍 Review to come 龍龍龍

[sammelsurium-831072 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While a lot of crossdressing adventure stories deal with issues of gender and sexism in some way, very few acknowledge transgender people, let alone engage with the trans perspective on gender. This is a damn shame. Eon bucks the trend by accepting transgender experiences as central to its discussion of gender. The book does this in several ways: first, transgender experiences are acknowledged by having the main character discuss gender issues with a transgender woman. In addition, transgender experiences are acknowledged in the rules of the world's story: Eon has its main character perform a setting-appropriate equivalent of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), imbibing a substance that will help her emulate maleness in the same way that testosterone is used by real life trans men.*Most powerfully, the main character's arc echoes the emotional experiences of many trans people. Her crossdressing ruse is not merely a physical inconvenience, but also mentally taxing and spiritually painful. The experience almost destroys her in the same way that being forced to live contrary to one's gender often destroys the lives of trans people. And the pain of living at odds with herself combines with the main character's other struggles, such as her disability and internalized sexism, to create a tortured but realistic inner world.In spite of a few imperfections, Eon's portrayal of the transgender experience is both functional and sincere. My big question is this: why isn't the main character just a trans girl? It feels like all the groundwork for that choice is there. Sure, there's a lot more precedent for the crossdressing cis girl narrative than for what I suggest (especially in 2008, when this was published), but that disparity makes placing a trans protagonist into that narrative all the more powerful and groundbreaking. In fact, such a book would still be groundbreaking if it was published today. In many ways, Eon is ahead of its times, but I can't help feeling that it didn't go far enough.* While a lot of media attention outside of transgender circles is focused on surgery as the primary goal of those transitioning, quite a few trans people consider the hormonal changes caused by HRT a more significant part of their transition, showing that Goodman's knowledge of trans issues is more than surface level.

[fionaanne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Incredibly well done, immersive and enjoyable.

[sensitivemuse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this story which brings elements of Mulan and Asian mythology/astrology, I thoroughly enjoyed following Eon on the journey to self discovery. The plot was super good. The world building not that complex and complicated. Familiarity with the Chinese zodiac signs might help but not necessary. A lot of elements of Asian inspired mythology and the setting was also well done and fit the story well. Throughout the story, you follow Eon as she tries to hide her true identity, at the same time trying to please her household and achieving success in becoming the Dragoneye. The characters are well written and you quickly start to identify your favorites. I took a liking to Lady Dela and Ryko. Their loyalty and their willingness to help Eon to help adjust to higher society and to palace living played a large role throughout the book. Eon is likable albeit frustrating at times, but she's got a good character and a good heart for her friends. Ending does leave off on a semi cliffhanger. I hope the sequel will live up to this one as it sets the bar high. Those wanting a good fantasy YA with Asian elements and magic should dive into this one.

[dreamweaversunited · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's a young adult book. Don't expect extreme moral complexity, but hop on for an atmospheric world, some "fuck yeah, feminism!" moments, and a compelling ensemble of heroes. Any story that, at its core, is a tale of a young woman learning how powerful she really is, has a good chance of winning me over.

This is the only story about a woman masquerading as a man that actually addresses the dysphoria she might feel, the profound discomfort caused by living as a person she isn't. It's made all the more powerful by her mentor and friend Lady Dila, who is a trans woman and communicates the message that being a woman isn't necessarily about the body, but about a strong internal feeling of womanhood.

My major reservations are that the villain is a bit too cartoonish, and the Throwing Off the Disability trope at the end made me go "Nooooo!" It was such a good representation of disability until then, why did you have to take it away from me?

[kayis813-163108 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Usually when it takes me over a week to finish a book it's because I didn't like it or found it very boring. Fortunately with Eon that wasn't the case and it took me so long to finish it simply because last week had me in a near constant state of exhaustion and I couldn't focus on reading for very long.

Eon was such a good book! I absolutely love books with dragons and things based in Asian culture so I had high expectations for this book which isn't always a good thing but all of my expectations were either met or surpassed. This was EVERYTHING I've been wanting in a fantasy book for ages!

My favorite things about this book

The world building

The character development

Transgender people

Disabled main character

Mulan type main character

Identity issues the main character develops

The very subtle, barely there romance

All of the Asian culture

Things I didn't like:

Eona's disability gets healed at the very end. We need more main characters who are super powerful AND disabled. Not people who are cured/healed the second they get super powerful

This wasn't too big of an issue but I thought Eon transitioned into Eona a bit too seamlessly and quick in my opinion

In other words this is an amazing book and anyone who likes fantasy should read it.

[annieseiler-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Okay, so I can't describe just how much I loved this book. I'm going to read it at least twice more so I can go back and pick up some of the amazing details to the story that I missed. I couldn't put it down!

[bookscantgetenough · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was amazing. It kept me on my toes through the whole experience as i got deeper and deeper into the book. The culture in the book reminded me of Japanese and Chinese culture. I would recommended this book to anyone who is need of a good adventure. The twists that the author include made you see some very human aspects of each of the characters and made you cheer for Eon's side the more you read.

[clarerhoden · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My first comment is that I am really looking forward to reading Book Two - Eona. It feels like it took a long, long time for Eon to face up to her secret. In fact, this book is a perfect example of dramatic tension - every time I thought I saw a resolution coming, another chapter would keep me guessing. Made it very hard to decide where to stop reading for the night!
This is classy fantasy, well-grounded in a thoroughly believable and consistent oriental world. With dragons! What could be better!
If you love fantasy, conflicted protagonists who have to fight their way into their own shape and power, brilliant world-building, flawless dialogue and DRAGONS, then the Eon series is for you.

[whatsmacksaid · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I wish I could give this two and a half stars, because I really did enjoy great swathes of the story. The writing is solid, the characters are real and flawed and jump to incorrect conclusions and make mistakes, and the story really is one helluva ride.

I had a difficult time getting swallowed by the story, though. I'm still not sure why, though if I was to hazard a guess I'd say it had to do with the world building. It wasn't totally smooth, and there wasn't a whole lot the reader could infer intuitively. The foundation of Eon's world starts to crumble as he learns things aren't as everyone in the empire assumed they were--which is all well and good, but it happens before the reader has a clear enough view of what those foundations consist of.

HOWEVER: it is a good book. Please don't mistake two stars as a reason to not read this book or its sequel Eona. If you enjoy YA epic fantasy, you will undoubtedly enjoy Eon more than I did. It just wasn't for me.

[daffimere · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh my god. Eon drags you in by tooth and nail and won't let go. Appearances aren't always what they seem. Just as the gifts that one has, receives or even gets may take time to master. Coming to terms with what happens to ones family (whether it's your blood family or one of your choosing) is part of ones life. Eon is the first in a duo of books. Talk about a bloody cliff hanger at the end of Eon.

[ishanella · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Alison Goodman’s high fantasy, thrilling adventure, Eon, is easily a new favourite. Her world building in Eon is superb and her plot is engaging. I really want to say, “I loved it! Go buy it!” and be done with this review, but I will try to explain why I love it so.

Eona - disguised as Eon - is trying to become the Dragoneye apprentice for the Rat energy dragon, as apprentice she will learn to wield the power of the dragon and help bring prosperity to the land. Other than her gender - which her and her master have carefully hidden - Eon is also crippled and in the society she lives in, being crippled is a curse. With many things against her (her master is disliked by the current Rat Dragoneye) she attempts to become the new Rat Dragoneye apprentice, only, the results aren’t exactly what she or anyone else expected.

Intriguing; when you read a book and you can’t stop reading it, and you spend time obsessing about it when you’re not reading it. I whizzed through this story; it wasn’t only the plot that kept me hooked, but there is something about Alison’s writing that’s engrossing, and it allowed me to become lost in the pages.

With the amount of world-building that went into this book, I’m not surprised that it’s over 500 pages, but the good thing is that it doesn’t seem as thought its over 500 pages because it doesn’t drag or bog you down. For that matter, after reading the story, the world seemed so entwined in Eona and her role that it came alive in my mind and I can tell you, long after I shut the book, what the world is like. I love it when worlds stick with you after the end.

Eon is a flawed character, and there were times when I was frustrated with her, but never did I consider putting the book aside because I also found myself rooting for her, there is something hopeful about her character and you can’t help but cross your fingers and wish for the best outcome. All the characters were well rounded and three dimensional, even some of the minor characters were very interesting to me.

One of the appealing things about this book is the fantasy element. Alison Goodman did a great job integrating asian folklore and making it her own. It takes an impressive amount of work to build such a solid a world and keep the reader engaged, to strike a balance between world building and character development and Alison found that balance in Eon.

[anvity-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Eon is the first of two books about Eon who is supposed to be a 12 year old boy trying to be chosen as one of the 12 Dragoneyes- those who can see and control a dragon to prevent natural disasters and maintain peace etc. Eon is actually Eona, a 16 year old girl who was working at a salt farm when her master found her and decided to disguise her as a boy and train her to be one of the boys vying for the position as the next Rat Dragoneye. Women are not allowed to have anything to do with the dragons (or much else for that matter) and if anyone finds out she is female she will be put to death, alongside her master. The gamble pays off when she is chosen, however there's more going on than she realizes and soon she finds herself immersed in the politics of the empire and the Dragoneyes. I really enjoyed how this book focuses on the Eastern mythology of the zodiac and the empire. I don't read much in the way of eastern literature and I feel like these books are a nice gateway to get into that style of writing and storytelling. I enjoyed the politics at play as well as the dragons themselves. After reading the second book I have to say that I'd love to read a prequel and I think that would help flesh out some of the other dragons who aren't really mentioned. My biggest issue is that I found some characters to not be fleshed out enough. Eona has friends, but not really. She forms bonds with people, but they aren't concrete enough and I think the supporting cast suffers as a result. Dela and Ryko are fantastic but I found myself to know more about them. Even Chart and the new Rat Dragon apprentice who she knows pretty well are not really described adequately. I don't feel like I really know them with the bare bones explanations, descriptions etc. What was there was great, but it wasn't enough. I also was kind of disappointed with how predictable the story could be at times. I could see where the story was leading long before Eona, and some plot points were a bit too predictable for me. Maybe it comes from reading too much fantasy, but I would have been happy with a huge plot twist or even a little one. Overall, this was an enjoyable story and I will probably reread it. If I saw another book from the same author I would pick it up.

[itsbookishme · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is certainly unlike any book I've ever read and I'm at a loss at how to go about reviewing it. First of all I didn't have any expectations of how I would receive it but has it turns out I really enjoyed it. One of the things I really liked about it was the Chinese and Japanese influences in the story. I've always been interested in the Chinese Zodiac Animal signs. And this is basically the main angle of the book, young male contestants enter a yearly competition to become the Daragoneye Apprentice for the upcoming Animal sign.

Eon was a candidate for his Master Heuris Brannon, who put all his eggs in one basket hoping Eon would be chosen as the Dragoneye, and help him reclaim his position as a Lord and get in a position to hinder the corruption in the counsel trying to dethrone the emperor. But you see the thing about Eon is, he's not male and is older than twelve, the age of all dragoneye contestants. I guess being poor and laboring in the salt farm most of her life gave Eon a small frame. I liked Eon's strength on how she handled and accepted the burden of all her masters hopes that was put on her, even though continually living her life as a boy did cause her some confusion. Soon Eon would realize more than her master's hope would be on her shoulders.

There are so many elements to this story that made it very interesting and enjoyable. The different types of characters in the story for example, the Eunuchs, and the Contraires especially were an interesting facet. Eunuchs should be self-explanatory but the Contraires are said to have two souls, one male and one female. In the end for me, this was the epic story of Eon's journey to finding his or herself.

[yonitdm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great read. truly immersive world with fascinating characters and lore. I can't wait to read the sequel!

[lente_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What can I say about books like these? It wasn't that bad. It wasn't that good either. Had this been a book I had read when I just started out reading fantasy I might have been more positive about it. It wasn't and therefore I can only say it is a standard fantasy. Pretty boring.


Couple of things:

1) Why is the heroin suddenly rewarded with superpowers, status etc. This is so cliche. I'm not saying it can't be done, but if it is done it should be done masterfully, because anything falling short of that is just so boring. Unfortunatly it wasn't done masterfully, not bad either, but as I said...

2) The evil villan. For god-sake couldn't he have been less like a high-school bully and more like a real person.

3) The evil villan's prodigy. Why do we even need one?

4) The world could fit on the back of a post stamp. This is the feeling I get reading this book. It is not a good feeling.

5) Innocent girl get introduced to political intrigue. How often has this been done?

6) I'm willing to bet (I haven't read that far) she meets a boy and it is love at first sight, she doesn't want to fall for him, but she just can't help it. He happens to be from a powerful family. Together they have to defeat the evil lord/supernatural/army/etc.

[rosa.mill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Eona has spent the last several years of her life living as a boy named Eon, training to be a Dragoneye. Dragoneyes connect with mystical dragons and harness their power to keep the land safe. Eona becomes the mirror dragoneye, a dragoneye that hasn't been seen in 500 years.

The story is interesting and moves quickly, however about half way through the book I saw where the plot was going. It became obvious to me that the dragon was looking to connect with the female side that Eon was repressing and that the folio he was unable to read would be written in women's writing. Being able to figure out the plot so early on disappointed me, but the story was still interesting enough for me to continue reading. Looking forward to the sequel.

[glitzandshadows · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

God that was exactly what I've been needing. (Full review eventually)

[npjacobsen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is not the typical fantasy/dragon book in which the hero goes on a quest to save someone (or something.) This is a coming of age story in which Eon fights against the odds and attempts to change the world. This book is set somewhere in the far east (China?) and incorporates the twelve animal signs of the zodiac.In the world that Eon lives in, the dragons choose the person they will work with. The ascending dragon, the one the new year embraces, becomes the leader of the dragon council, a very powerful organization working with the Emperor and manipulating earth energies for the good of the Empire. The apprentice, who had worked for 12 years to learn their dragon's power, then becomes the Dragoneye, and the dragon chooses a new apprentice. Young boys, around age 12, had been training for years for the chance to become an apprentice. Since the year of the Rat was upon them, the rat dragon would choose its apprentice. Ido, the Rat Dragoneye, would be head of the dragon council. However, there were only eleven dragons present as the Mirror dragon had not been seen for over 400 years.Eon had a carefully guarded secret. Eon was really Eona, a woman. Women were treated as second class citizens in this society and forbidden to hold any position of power. Master Brannon, former Tiger dragoneye, chose to deceive everyone by training the 16 year old Eona as 12 year old Eon. The main reason he did so was that Eon had the rare dragon sight, allowing him/her to see all 12 dragons. Eon was passed off as a eunuch to mask the feminine traits. The penalty for such deception was death, and thus it was imperative that this remain a secret.Eon was also a cripple, having a broken hip that did not heal properly. Thus Eon was not able to perform some of the moves required in the dragon training. People of that time believed that misfortune was somehow contagious and most steered clear of the cripple. Some of the other dragoneyes were resentful of Eon for taking the place of someone who was whole. But, as stated earlier, the dragon chose it's apprentice and nobody knew what factored into the choice.The Emperor was suffering ill health and there were others waiting in the wings to fill the vacuum presented. Sethon, the Emperor's brother, was commander of the empire's armies. He was feared to have the best chance of taking over once the Emperor died. The Emperor also had a sixteen year old son who was in line to take over for his father, but it did not seem he had enough power to overcome Sethon. Lord Ido, the Rat Dragoneye, was outwardly backing Sethon, however Ido had his own designs on the throne.This book was full of intrigue and political machinations not usually associated with Dragon stories. I found myself rooting for Eon, who was not only a woman, but also a crippled woman. Thrust into the middle of a political fight she was not prepared for, Eon could not afford the luxury of learning by her mistakes. I also found it an interesting metaphor that Lord Ido was the Rat Dragoneye, as the rat brings very specific connotations. There are also several different sub groups portrayed: Eon as a woman playing a man; Lady Dela, who was a man playing a woman; Ryko, Lady Dela's bodyguard, was a eunuch; and Lord Ido, the Rat Dragoneye, who exhibited symptoms of excessive steroid use.Thus "Eon" was not the typical dragon story I was expecting. However, that turned out to be a good thing. Opening up a whole new world of fantasy, Allison Goodman weaved an interesting tale of perseverance and loyalty. The only negative was that the outcome was predictable and the ending contained little closure, setting the story up for a sequel. If you enjoy rooting for the underdog, then I think you will enjoy "Eon."

[ninelarks-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Eon is a cripple trying to become the next dragon apprentice. But he is hiding a bigger secret than anyone knows - and as he emerges as an unknown power in court, he will have to keep this secret hidden as many eyes watch his every move.

I like this book a lot. It hit all the right spots in my YA fantasy craving. It had solid moments, great action, and lovely characters to cheer on. Eon, or Eona really, is a great character. There is true strength in her character, not just the author telling us she is strong. The way she goes forward and tries to solve her problems without giving up is worth reading. I also appreciated how sensible she was. This is a first person point of view that doesn't grate on me at all.

I am completely in love with the way Goodman was able to write the exposure scenes when Eona had to reveal her secrets. I love the doubt and the anger of the side characters, and the angry defensive way Eona responded in kind. I felt angry reading it and just as frustrated - perfect translation of emotions from pages to the reader. It felt real. Where no character is perfect, everyone makes mistakes and judges other people on their own perceptions. The author writes subtlety so well. Like ahhmygosh this is beautiful, sort of subtlety. She can capture emotion between characters -hidden love, betrayal, disgust, fear, anger- in such simple ways. It is never heavy handed, never spoon fed to the reader. But we see it in the softness of the dialogue, the harsh commands, the body language. This book leaves me space to imagine, and I love it for that.

One thing, though, is that there are very limited characters in this book. I don't mind because it's a YA fantasy and if you introduced more major characters, it would end up being more of an epic high fantasy sort of book, which it definitely is not. But I'm just a little concerned for the sequel because a small character cast usually ends up with a shallow story and plot for the sequels...... But I'll just have to trust the author.

The world is rather interesting because even though it's set in this quasi-Eastern Asian world with analogues of the zodiac, dragons, emperors, the dichotomy of the Sun and Moon powers in people, and talk of foreigners, we can still see remnants of the modern world. Sun powder is obviously steroids. Little things like that. It manages to be different and familiar at the same time. But it is easy in its familiarity and makes it even easier for me to fall into this world.

The dragon powers are a bit amorphous at this moment. I am hoping Goodman will elucidate more about how it all works in the future books. Illusions and fighting techniques and swords that can hold emotions. Yes it is all interesting. But I want to know a little more of the rules that govern this type of magic. I am eagerly waiting. Also, I am not sold on the fact that one dragon can be so much more powerful.

The plot was absolutely fantastic. I just have all the highest praises for Goodman's writing. She doesn't give away the tension. She makes it harder for the main character, to let us see Eona's strength when the problems are finally resolved. The protagonist doesn't always win. And that is fantastic.

Although I only rated this book three stars, it's actually a very solid 3.5 stars. And if I ever reread this series, I will change the rounding from three to four. I am not sure it can last the test of a second read, so that's why I'm hesitating and rounding it down for now. 4 stars, for me, means I definitely will reread it. And right now, it's up in the air. But my gosh, I can tell I'm going to like this series already. And I will definitely be looking up other books from this author.

Highly recommended to YA fantasy readers.

-edit-
Read the sequel "Eona" and I would still recommend this book. But book one is better than the second. I probably won't reread this series though. It doesn't end as strongly as I would have liked.