#16 Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman
(Note: This book is also known as The Two Pearls of Wisdom, Eon: Rise of the Dragoneye and simply Eon) 
Every year, a group of twelve year old boys compete to earn the opportunity to work dragon magic. The winner will become an official apprentice to a Dragoneye master, and become the master themselves in another twelve years. Eon, permanently crippled, is viewed as unclean and is physically unable to do some of the competing tasks, but is allowed to compete due to his unique ability to see all of the dragon spirits. But Eon has a secret, he is not really twelve-year-old Eon, but sixteen-year-old Eona, female, and therefore forbidden to compete.
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is my second experience with Australian author Alison Goodman, the first being her sci-fi debut Singing the Dogstar Blues, which was one of my top fifteen reads of 2008. Although this book is a step down from Singing the Dogstar Blues due to some inconsistent pacing, there’s no denying that it’s a very enjoyable read. Set in a fantasy world resembling Imperial China and Japan, Eon is a very different book than Goodman’s first novel. The world building is detailed without feeling over the top. Eona is a likable heroine. Throughout the book, she is constantly put into situations where the odds are stacked against her, and it’s fascinating to watch her struggle to get out of them, even when she doesn’t end up making the best decisions. I found myself surprised with the secondary characters, as pretty much everyone ends up being much more complex than they seem at first, even the pushy villain. Although the initial set up is less than original (Eona hides her gender to join a profession solely for men) once we get into the real story, the book really stands on its own. It also asks the reader to question our opinions about what is male and female. This can be seen in the main character of Eona, who must hide her true gender, and the side characters of Lady Dela, a transgendered court lady, and Ryko, a eunuch.
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is a strong young adult fantasy novel set in a rich world inspired by Asian culture. Although there are some minor faults, once I got caught up in the characters and the story, they barely seemed to matter. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel once it is released.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 531 pages
Source: Library book sale (Tewksbury Public Library
Challenge: This book is part of the Young Adult Reading Challenge
Similar Books: For other books where the heroine must hide her gender, try the Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce (beginning with Alanna: The First Adventure), Girl in Blue by Anne Rinaldi, and The Tamir Triad by Lynn Flewelling (beginning with The Bone Dolls Twin), which is a much different look at this concept. For other Asian-inspired fantasies check out Little Sister ( my review) and The Heavanward Path ( my review) by Kara Dalkey.
Other books I've read by this author: Singing the Dogstar Blues ( my review)
xposted to bookish and temporaryworlds
Every year, a group of twelve year old boys compete to earn the opportunity to work dragon magic. The winner will become an official apprentice to a Dragoneye master, and become the master themselves in another twelve years. Eon, permanently crippled, is viewed as unclean and is physically unable to do some of the competing tasks, but is allowed to compete due to his unique ability to see all of the dragon spirits. But Eon has a secret, he is not really twelve-year-old Eon, but sixteen-year-old Eona, female, and therefore forbidden to compete.
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is my second experience with Australian author Alison Goodman, the first being her sci-fi debut Singing the Dogstar Blues, which was one of my top fifteen reads of 2008. Although this book is a step down from Singing the Dogstar Blues due to some inconsistent pacing, there’s no denying that it’s a very enjoyable read. Set in a fantasy world resembling Imperial China and Japan, Eon is a very different book than Goodman’s first novel. The world building is detailed without feeling over the top. Eona is a likable heroine. Throughout the book, she is constantly put into situations where the odds are stacked against her, and it’s fascinating to watch her struggle to get out of them, even when she doesn’t end up making the best decisions. I found myself surprised with the secondary characters, as pretty much everyone ends up being much more complex than they seem at first, even the pushy villain. Although the initial set up is less than original (Eona hides her gender to join a profession solely for men) once we get into the real story, the book really stands on its own. It also asks the reader to question our opinions about what is male and female. This can be seen in the main character of Eona, who must hide her true gender, and the side characters of Lady Dela, a transgendered court lady, and Ryko, a eunuch.
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is a strong young adult fantasy novel set in a rich world inspired by Asian culture. Although there are some minor faults, once I got caught up in the characters and the story, they barely seemed to matter. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel once it is released.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 531 pages
Source: Library book sale (Tewksbury Public Library
Challenge: This book is part of the Young Adult Reading Challenge
Similar Books: For other books where the heroine must hide her gender, try the Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce (beginning with Alanna: The First Adventure), Girl in Blue by Anne Rinaldi, and The Tamir Triad by Lynn Flewelling (beginning with The Bone Dolls Twin), which is a much different look at this concept. For other Asian-inspired fantasies check out Little Sister ( my review) and The Heavanward Path ( my review) by Kara Dalkey.
Other books I've read by this author: Singing the Dogstar Blues ( my review)
xposted to bookish and temporaryworlds