Shadow scale

Rachel Hartman, 1972-

Book - 2015

"Seraphina, half-dragon and half-human, searches for others like her who can make the difference in the war between dragons and humans in the kingdom of Goredd"--

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Young Adult Area YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Hartman Rachel Due Mar 9, 2024
Subjects
Published
New York : Random House [2015]
Language
English
Main Author
Rachel Hartman, 1972- (-)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
xii, 596 pages : illustration ; 22 cm
ISBN
9780375866579
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Despite a prolonged wait, Hartman's blazing sequel to her award-winning debut, Seraphina (2012), will appease her passionate (and patient) fans. With the kingdom of Goredd caught in the crossfire of a dragon civil war, Seraphina is tasked with finding her fellow ityasaari (human-dragon half-breeds), whose strange abilities may be able to protect the capital city. While the exiled dragon leader Comonot and his allies enact a risky plan to end the war, Seraphina travels as an emissary to the other kingdoms to gather those she thinks of as her family. As she makes contact with a host of rich, idiosyncratic characters, Seraphina is haunted by thoughts of the one she does not want to find: Jannoula, who invaded her mind as a child. Though barred from Seraphina's mind, Jannoula remains a threat, and her insidious diversion of Seraphina's mission is devastating, driving her to finally confront the shadow self that she has locked away. Aside from a few key moments, Hartman wisely relegates the larger war to the background in favor of Seraphina's story. Though the pacing occasionally lags across this lengthy, tangled novel, the intricate plotting, clever surprises (including the identities of Goredd's Saints), and lovely prose make this a worthy conclusion for all of Hartman's big-hearted characters. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Morris-winning Seraphina was a commercial and critical breakout. Major monthly promotions, school visits, and social media campaigns are planned.--Hutley, Krista Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In this strong follow-up to 2012's Seraphina, Hartman continues the adventures of that book's eponymous half-dragon, who is now assigned with finding and uniting her fellow "ityasaari" before the full-blooded dragons can resolve their civil war and mobilize to wipe out the southern human kingdoms. But some ityasaari don't want to be found, and one, who has the power to enter and control minds, would rather see them united for her own bitter purpose. With numerous factions jockeying for power and war on the horizon, Seraphina must unlock her own long-dormant potential and find a way to save everyone she loves. As the page count attests, Hartman's style is leisurely; she builds her epic fantasy carefully, with attention to detail and atmosphere, while letting the plot simmer and allowing just as much to happen off-screen as in Seraphina's presence. She juggles the large cast skillfully, balancing wide-screen action with intimate character development (including some deft, thoughtful treatments of gender identity), allowing for some subtle yet surprising revelations. This is a worthy and wholly satisfying continuation of Seraphina's tale. Ages 12-up. Agency: Writers House. (Mar) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up-To save Goreddi, Seraphina begins to search for other half-dragons in the hopes they can unite to stop dragons from damaging the fragile peace between humans and dragons. Her journey takes her to other regions in the Southlands, and some of the people she seeks prove to be malevolent. When her old nemesis, Jannoula, gains control of the other half-dragons' minds, it will be up to Seraphina to figure out a way to save her friends, her home, and her prince, before all are lost. She uncovers shocking, hidden secrets that can save her world, but she will suffer losses before the end. Hartman revisits her enchanting world and creates an unforgettable cast of characters. Mandy Williams's emotional narration weaves a spell on the audience, seamlessly creating different personalities and capturing the emotions and beauty of both the lands and their inhabitants. Listeners are drawn into the battles, the believable landscape, and the separate world inside Seraphina's head. VERDICT The extraordinary world-building and characters make this a natural fit for those looking for a creative fantasy tale.-Sarah Flood, Breckinridge County Public Library, Hardinsburg, KY © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

With the dragon civil war closing in on Goredd, Seraphina (Seraphina, rev. 7/12) begins an uncertain mission: she and Abdo, a fellow half-dragon, embark on a journey to recruit other ityasaari like themselves, hoping that if they can learn to thread their minds together, they will be able to defend Goredd by forming a trap to stop a dragon in flight. Seraphina has misgivings -- what if the attempt leads to another ityasaari taking over her mind? Jannoula, a half-dragon whom Seraphina contacted telepathically in a time before she knew there were others like her, once usurped Seraphina's consciousness, and it was only by great effort and luck that Seraphina managed to fight her off. However, as Seraphina and Abdo travel through the neighboring lands, they are horrified to learn that Jannoula already controls the other ityasaari. The author's generous and self-assured world-building effortlessly branches out to the different cultures the pilgrims encounter, unveiling fresh customs and new folklore with consummate ease. A subplot involving Seraphina's hopeless romance with Kiggs, the man affianced to her friend and monarch, Queen Glisselda, takes on a love-triangle twist that most won't see coming. From graceful language to high stakes to daring intrigue, this sequel shines with the same originality, invention, and engagement of feeling that captivated readers in Hartman's debut. anita l. burkam (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

Having come to terms with her own heritage, both dragon and human, Seraphina is back for more, following her eponymous first outing (2012). The dragon-dragon war continues to rage, and it seems a cohort of half-dragons might make a difference. The mental garden Seraphina built to control her visions of other half-dragons is a map to that cohort, and so she crosses kingdoms to raise a different kind of army in hopes of saving the world. Along the way, Seraphina uncovers the truth of the Goreddi Saints, searches for her missing uncle, navigates a complex relationship with a man she can't have and must come to terms with Jannoula, a powerful half-dragon who seems the shadow to Seraphina's light. Love, betrayal and sacrifice wind throughout, all narrated in Seraphina's appealing, slightly stiff voice. Every now and again, a book comes along that reimagines a familiar trope so magnificently it resets the bar, which is exactly what happened with Seraphina, Hartman's debut. Here, she continues to expand her world with enough history and detail to satisfy even the most questioning of readers, doing it all so naturally that it's hard to believe this is fiction. Dragon fiction has never flown higher. Seraphina's adventures may be over, but here's hoping there are more Goreddi tales to come. (map, cast of characters, glossary) (Fantasy. 13 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Queen Glisselda spotted the dragon first. It was a swift-moving patch of darker darkness against the night sky, obliterating stars and birthing them again. She pointed at it, shouting, "Singleton from the west, St. Ogdo save us!" in imitation of the knights of old. She spoiled the impression slightly by bouncing on her toes and laughing. The winter wind carried the cheerful sound away; far below us the city curled under a quilt of new snow, silent and thoughtful as a sleeping child. Trained spotters had once scanned the skies for dragon battalions from this selfsame place, atop Castle Orison's Ard Tower. Tonight it was only the Queen and me, and the approaching "singleton" was a friend, thank Allsaints: the dragon Eskar, erstwhile undersecretary at our dragon embassy. She'd helped my uncle Orma evade the Censors almost three months ago, just as the dragon civil war was breaking out. Ardmagar Comonot, the deposed leader of dragonkind, had expected Eskar to find Orma a safe haven and then return to us in Goredd, where Comonot had established his headquarters in exile. The Ardmagar had intended to make her one of his advisors, or even a general, but months had brought no Eskar and no explanation. She had contacted Comonot, via quigutl device, earlier this evening. Over dinner, Comonot had informed Queen Glisselda that Eskar would fly in after midnight. Then he had taken himself off to bed, leaving the Queen to wait up or not, as she saw fit. It was a very Comonot way of dealing with things. The Queen wearied of him. He'd said nothing about why Eskar had suddenly decided to come back, or where she'd been. It was possible he didn't know. Glisselda and I had been speculating about it to distract ourselves from the cold. "Eskar has decided the dragon civil war is dragging on too long, and means to end it single-handedly," was Glisselda's final assessment. "Did she ever glare at you, Seraphina? She could stop the very planets in their spheres." I hadn't experienced the glare, but I'd seen the way she looked at my uncle three months ago. Eskar had surely been with him this whole time. Glisselda and I each held a torch, intending Eskar to understand that she should land on the tower top. This was Prince Lucian Kiggs's idea--something about updrafts and a fear that she'd take out a window trying to land in a courtyard. He had left unspoken the fact that she was less likely to alarm anyone way up here. Goredd had begun to see full-sized dragons in the sky, as Comonot's allies came and went, but it would be an exaggeration to say people were used to it. Now that Eskar was approaching, she looked too large to land on the tower top. Maybe she thought so, too; flapping dark leathery wings with a rush of hot wind, she veered south toward the far edge of town. Three city blocks still smoldered there, sending the new snow up as steam. "What's she doing, checking out her countryman's handiwork? Some insomniac is going to see her," said Glisselda, pushing back the hood of her fur-lined cloak, her earlier merriment already dimming to fretfulness. Alas, this was her usual expression these days. Her golden curls gleamed incongruously in the torchlight. Eskar soared into the spangled sky and then plummeted back out of the darkness, diving toward the heart of the city like a falcon after a wren. Glisselda gasped in alarm. At the last second, Eskar pulled up short--a black shadow against the new snow--and skimmed along the frozen Mews River, cracking the ice with her serpentine tail. "And now she reveals how she might breach our defenses, flying so high our missiles and flaming pyria can't reach her. That's not how those houses were razed, Eskar!" called the young Queen into the wind, as if the dragon could hear her from such a distance. "He was already inside the walls!" He had been the third dragon assassin Prince Lucian had flushed out, sent after Comonot by the Old Ard. The saarantras had transformed into a full-sized dragon to make his escape. Comonot had transformed in turn and killed his assailant before he could flee, but five people had died and fifty-six lost their homes in the resulting inferno. All that destruction, caused by just two dragons. None of us dared to guess how awful the damage would be if Comonot's Loyalists failed to hold off the Old Ard and war came to Goredd in earnest. "Lars is designing new war machines," I said, trying to inject some optimism. "And don't discount the dracomachists training at Fort Oversea." The elderly knights of the Southlands and their middle-aged squires, hastily promoted to knights, had joined together in this endeavor. Glisselda snorted derisively, her eyes following Eskar's second circuit of the city. "Even when our knights were at full strength--and quickly trained dracomachists are not knights--this city was routinely burned to the ground. You and I have never seen the like, having been raised in peacetime." The wind gusted, making it hard to forget how high up we were; my palms sweated in my gloves. "Comonot's Loyalists will defend us." "I believe they will defend our people, but the city itself doesn't matter a jot to them. Lucian says we must focus on making the tunnels livable again. We survived there before, and we can always rebuild." She raised an arm and dropped it, as if she found it futile even to gesture. "This city is Grandmamma's legacy; it has blossomed in peacetime. I hate that I might have to let it go." Excerpted from Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.