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Eon #2
Eona: The Last Dragoneye
Eon has been revealed as Eona, the first female Dragoneye in hundreds of years. Along with fellow rebels Ryko and Lady Dela, she is on the run from High Lord Sethon's army. The renegades are on a quest for the black folio, stolen by the drug-riddled Dillon; they must also find Kygo, the young Pearl Emperor, who needs Eona's power and the black folio if he is to wrest back his throne from the selfstyled "Emperor" Sethon. Through it all, Eona must come to terms with her new Dragoneye identity and power - and learn to bear the anguish of the ten dragons whose Dragoneyes were murdered. As they focus their power through her, she becomes a dangerous conduit for their plans. . . .
Eona, with its pulse-pounding drama and romance, its unforgettable fight scenes, and its surprises, is the conclusion to an epic story only Alison Goodman can create..
Eona, with its pulse-pounding drama and romance, its unforgettable fight scenes, and its surprises, is the conclusion to an epic story only Alison Goodman can create..
637 pages, Hardcover
First published April 19, 2011
About the author
Alison Goodman
18 books4,165 followersAlison is the author of seven novels so far including the award winning Dark Days Club trilogy (aka as the Lady Helen trilogy) and EON and EONA, a New York Times Bestselling fantasy duology. Her upcoming novel --The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies-- is book 1 in a new series, and will be published in the USA, UK and Australia at the end of May 2023.
Alison lives in Australia and has recently completed her PhD, so can now call herself Dr Al.
Alison lives in Australia and has recently completed her PhD, so can now call herself Dr Al.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,637 reviews
January 27, 2019
Before you can decide whether this book is your cup of tea, the first thing you need to ask yourself is what you look for in a book, what makes something a good read for you. For me, Eona ticked every single box. It was complex, well-written, and more than just your typical fantasy: it was about power, being a woman in a man's world, and what lengths it is right to go to in order to defend an empire, your loved ones, and yourself.
So, do you like books with:
Fantastic worldbuilding
Sick of books that plonk a few characters into some random society with a set of oppressive rules and no explanation? Me too. That's kind of why it's hard not to love this series from the beginning, with this colourful world that has been influenced by Chinese and Japanese culture and mythology but has also taken on a life of its own. This carefully-constructed world is built on power of different kinds - that of the imperial family and that of the Dragoneyes. Goodman's land is steeped in power struggles, magic and secrets. Who can you possibly trust in such a world?
Exciting and flawed characters
The flawed character is a particular literary love of mine. Why? Because no one is perfect. Maybe a lot of us would like to be heroes in a perfect world but this is far from a perfect world and we all have our limits, our breaking points, and most of us can be seduced at times by a dark alternative to the straight and narrow path. Eona is an excellent heroine who faces serious struggles with power and her ever-changing character (let's face it, who wouldn't be changed after what she's been through). Is she Kygo's Dragoneye? His Naiso? His lover?
Eona is smart but the lure of ultimate power occasionally compels her to make wrong decisions. She is, afterall, only a flawed human being - as we all are. But beyond Eona are other great characters too. Dela and Ryko, Kygo... and Ido. Ido was one great whopping surprise in this book, it's only a really good writer that can take you from seething hatred towards a character to pity to almost-kinda-liking him. Ido is one charismatic bastard, full of amusing quips but always looking for ways to manipulate a situation to get what he wants. Along with Eona, Ido was the other character I constantly looked out for, eager to see his progression and where he'd end up.
Fantasy
There's dragons, my friend, dragons. I never realised how cool they were until I read this. It's so strange that just a year ago I thought I didn't like high fantasy - you know, magical realms and whatnot - and now this book is easily making it onto my favourites list. This is such a vivid fantasy world that I couldn't help being sucked in. It's the perfect blend of magic and real-world problems stirred in with a little dragon drama to create a very exciting mix.
Romance
You like a little romance in between battles for the empire? Of course you do! Especially when the romance is complicated and both parties aren't exactly trustworthy. Eona tries to determine Kygo's motivations and whether he is being honest with her, and she in turn holds information back from him in fear of what he could do with it. It's a complicated relationship between two powerful people who are all too aware of each other's power. And what about Ido? Are his and Eona's destinies more inextricably linked than anyone could have foreseen? This book all comes back to power-- that between enemies, between friends, and between lovers. Goodman shows how easily power can be abused and how just a touch of it can fuel much bigger and darker ambitions.
Moral battles
In fantasy and sci-fi it's common to take the reader far away from the world and people they are used to, but in Goodman's land far far away, the moral conflicts Eona faces are something very real and easily applicable in our world. Ideas about power and war. For example, if you have the power to kill ten people to save yourself and your friends, should you? How about one hundred? One thousand?
A quick read
Nope, there's no point even trying. At a whopping 600+ pages this ain't no casual read-in-an-afternoon book. But, unlike some books I've read recently, I thought every page was necessary and it never felt too long. In fact, I wanted more.
...............................................................................................................
This is a BIG SPOILER and is meant as a discussion with people who have finished the book. You have been warned.
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So, do you like books with:
Fantastic worldbuilding
Sick of books that plonk a few characters into some random society with a set of oppressive rules and no explanation? Me too. That's kind of why it's hard not to love this series from the beginning, with this colourful world that has been influenced by Chinese and Japanese culture and mythology but has also taken on a life of its own. This carefully-constructed world is built on power of different kinds - that of the imperial family and that of the Dragoneyes. Goodman's land is steeped in power struggles, magic and secrets. Who can you possibly trust in such a world?
Exciting and flawed characters
The flawed character is a particular literary love of mine. Why? Because no one is perfect. Maybe a lot of us would like to be heroes in a perfect world but this is far from a perfect world and we all have our limits, our breaking points, and most of us can be seduced at times by a dark alternative to the straight and narrow path. Eona is an excellent heroine who faces serious struggles with power and her ever-changing character (let's face it, who wouldn't be changed after what she's been through). Is she Kygo's Dragoneye? His Naiso? His lover?
Eona is smart but the lure of ultimate power occasionally compels her to make wrong decisions. She is, afterall, only a flawed human being - as we all are. But beyond Eona are other great characters too. Dela and Ryko, Kygo... and Ido. Ido was one great whopping surprise in this book, it's only a really good writer that can take you from seething hatred towards a character to pity to almost-kinda-liking him. Ido is one charismatic bastard, full of amusing quips but always looking for ways to manipulate a situation to get what he wants. Along with Eona, Ido was the other character I constantly looked out for, eager to see his progression and where he'd end up.
Fantasy
There's dragons, my friend, dragons. I never realised how cool they were until I read this. It's so strange that just a year ago I thought I didn't like high fantasy - you know, magical realms and whatnot - and now this book is easily making it onto my favourites list. This is such a vivid fantasy world that I couldn't help being sucked in. It's the perfect blend of magic and real-world problems stirred in with a little dragon drama to create a very exciting mix.
Romance
You like a little romance in between battles for the empire? Of course you do! Especially when the romance is complicated and both parties aren't exactly trustworthy. Eona tries to determine Kygo's motivations and whether he is being honest with her, and she in turn holds information back from him in fear of what he could do with it. It's a complicated relationship between two powerful people who are all too aware of each other's power. And what about Ido? Are his and Eona's destinies more inextricably linked than anyone could have foreseen? This book all comes back to power-- that between enemies, between friends, and between lovers. Goodman shows how easily power can be abused and how just a touch of it can fuel much bigger and darker ambitions.
Moral battles
In fantasy and sci-fi it's common to take the reader far away from the world and people they are used to, but in Goodman's land far far away, the moral conflicts Eona faces are something very real and easily applicable in our world. Ideas about power and war. For example, if you have the power to kill ten people to save yourself and your friends, should you? How about one hundred? One thousand?
A quick read
Nope, there's no point even trying. At a whopping 600+ pages this ain't no casual read-in-an-afternoon book. But, unlike some books I've read recently, I thought every page was necessary and it never felt too long. In fact, I wanted more.
...............................................................................................................
This is a BIG SPOILER and is meant as a discussion with people who have finished the book. You have been warned.
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March 19, 2011
As seen on The Readventurer
If you liked Eon: Dragoneye Reborn and your eyes didn't glaze over every time you read about Eona uniting with her dragon, easing into her mind-sight, channeling her Hua and so forth, I don't see any reason for you to dislike this novel. I really don't.
I feel like every issue I had with the 1st book of this duology was successfully fixed or improved upon in this sequel.
Eona, unlike its predecessor, has no info-dumping. Instead, it is a quest-type adventure in which Eona attempts to save her home country and in the process learn to control her newly acquired immense power.
It is also a very personal story. The time is no longer spent on extensive world-building, but on Eona's exploration of her power as both a Dragoneye and a woman.
Of course, everything is messy. With great power comes great responsibility - how much violence is justified in war? what is the rightful cause to use one's power against another person's will? who can be trusted with limitless access to power? and what can power do to a person who possesses it?
The romance story line is no less complicated - romantic relationships are convoluted by mistrust, fear of deception, power imbalances, questions of morality, loyalty and honor.
Every decision Eona has to make is ambiguous and difficult and requiring serious sacrifices, just the way I like them.
But the best part of the book for me was the fact that when I started it, I was sure it would simply be about saving the Empire of Celestial Dragons from Sethon, but it turned out to be much more than that, sort of like in Shadowfever (Note: no other similarities! So don't hold this comparison against me later on, ok?)
I am thoroughly impressed by this intelligent, complex and thoughtful story. Highly recommend it, unless, of course, you can't stand fantasy, dragons and heavy world building.
Night Owl Reviews
If you liked Eon: Dragoneye Reborn and your eyes didn't glaze over every time you read about Eona uniting with her dragon, easing into her mind-sight, channeling her Hua and so forth, I don't see any reason for you to dislike this novel. I really don't.
I feel like every issue I had with the 1st book of this duology was successfully fixed or improved upon in this sequel.
Eona, unlike its predecessor, has no info-dumping. Instead, it is a quest-type adventure in which Eona attempts to save her home country and in the process learn to control her newly acquired immense power.
It is also a very personal story. The time is no longer spent on extensive world-building, but on Eona's exploration of her power as both a Dragoneye and a woman.
Of course, everything is messy. With great power comes great responsibility - how much violence is justified in war? what is the rightful cause to use one's power against another person's will? who can be trusted with limitless access to power? and what can power do to a person who possesses it?
The romance story line is no less complicated - romantic relationships are convoluted by mistrust, fear of deception, power imbalances, questions of morality, loyalty and honor.
Every decision Eona has to make is ambiguous and difficult and requiring serious sacrifices, just the way I like them.
But the best part of the book for me was the fact that when I started it, I was sure it would simply be about saving the Empire of Celestial Dragons from Sethon, but it turned out to be much more than that, sort of like in Shadowfever (Note: no other similarities! So don't hold this comparison against me later on, ok?)
I am thoroughly impressed by this intelligent, complex and thoughtful story. Highly recommend it, unless, of course, you can't stand fantasy, dragons and heavy world building.
Night Owl Reviews
September 4, 2013
"You have seen Lady Eona’s power and resolve," he said harshly. "Be thankful that you have also witnessed her compassion and restraint."I'm sure I'm not the only one who cheered after reading that.
I gave up on Eon: Dragoneye Reborn when I first attempted to read it because the beginning moved like molasses. I just wanted some action already, geez. Well, I got what I wanted in this book, a bit too much of it at times. Eona was nonstop action from the first page. This is not one of those series where you can plunge in with the second book and there will be some nice characters having a conversation about previous events and then BAM, you're all caught up within 3 pages and ready for more. Nope. The reader truly has to know what the heck went on in the first book or risk becoming hopelessly lost.
After the events in the first book, Eona is on the run with the resistance. Ryko is fatally injured, Dela is heartbroken, and Eona is feeling the sorrow of all the dragons as they mourn their dead. Lord Ido tried and failed to rebel against Lord Sethon and is now being imprisoned and tortured somewhere. The Pearl Emperor, Kygo, is on the run with his branch of the resistance, and they haven't a clue where he is. Oh, and everyone is out searching for Lord Eon, who may or may not be a woman or possibly an eunuch, and Dela, who is a man, or a woman. Yep. It's a mess and a half.
Eona is trying to decipher the mystery of the dragons with the help of Dela's translations; she knows she has had two female dragoneye ancestors, Charra, and the traitor Kinra. She is burdened with a mess of secrets that grow heavier as the book goes on. Much of the book is about concealment. Nobody really trusts anyone, and as a result, there's miscommunication and distrust even among the allies to the very end of the book.
In contrast to the previous book, Eona had a lot more character involvement. The previous book didn't really give us a glimpse of many personalities, since we were never really given a chance to get close to many of the characters. In this book, from the first, we are forced into close quarters with many characters, and as such, personalities are made clearer. A lot of characters made me pretty angry at how unreasonable they are, for example, those close to Eona, whom she healed. They know her, she did it to save them. They believe in her, otherwise they wouldn't be on her side, and yet they're upset because she has the power to compel them? I don't know about you, but if I were forced to be maimed my entire life or given to compulsion for a few moments, I'd choose the latter. Ingrates.
Ryko was so annoying to me in this book, but the relationship between him and Dela was so sweet, albeit frustrating at times. They're of the I-love-you-but-I'm-no-good-for-you school, but at least their love is straightforward, unlike the major players in this book.
Eona frustrated me at times, but then again, I'm a bloodthirsty little thing. I personally am of the "kill one to save many" school. Eona is not. She is powerful, she has destructive powers as well as healing ones, and each has its disadvantages. She is so reluctant to use her powers sometimes, and so distrusting of herself. Again, I think this is the fault of me, the reader, and not inherent of the character. Eona does need to learn to grow into herself and what she is comfortable with, after all.
I felt the mystery involving Kinra was well done, though so, so very dragged out. The clues were given in a believable manner, spaced out so that it doesn't seem like clue upon clue is forced upon us. The concept of the diary is a good one; the other book, the Black Folio and the accompanying Dillon frustrated me to no end. How hard can it be to wrestle a stupid cursed book from a 12-year old boy? Ugh. I've wrestled with my sister for a prized possession before. It's not easy, but it's definitely doable (especially with fingernails).
The love triangle is very well done. I couldn't decide who to root for, and I was torn between both men even as the book reaches its final pages. Both men, Lord Ido, and the Emperor Kygo, are such complex and flawed characters. They're both imperfect, they both love Eona in their own way, and they both seek power for different purposes, and I honestly could not tell whose heart truly loved Eona for who she is. I liked Ido a lot more in this book. He seems to be more in tune to Eona and more understanding of Eona's needs, in contrast to Kygo, who is compelled to keep his nation and people foremost in his mind, despite what his heart might be telling him. We are kept guessing throughout the novel; I've rarely been so torn between two characters. I hated Lord Ido in the first book, but my feelings for him in this book changed 180 degrees.
In summary: action-packed adventure, heroine who grows into herself, awesome love triangle, delicious bad boy, mystery that kept me guessing til the very end = EPIC BOOK.
June 24, 2024
I was so hopeful and the beginning was such a tease.
"A wise man once wrote: In war, truth is the first casualty."
Brilliant, intriguing, foreshadowing. I was pumped, i was so ready for a dragon novel with wizards, war, emperors, and some kicking some sexist-warlord ass.
I didn't really get it... ಠ_ಠ
It felt like no one really knew what was happening at any point or time. Like not even our main character !! despite being the chief advisor, Eona wasn't included on any major decisions within the war * Da fuq ??*
So she kept finding out stuff last minute and tried to take her own action but ended up ruining everything... horrible horrible cycle. I mean christ on a cracker, there was a grand total of TWO training scenes AND THEY WERE BOTH *FULL OF TEEN ANGST* I LITERALLY GAGGED ON IT.
“I know.” His head tilted; a smile quickly suppressed. “Of course, you have already punched me in the throat and tried to stab me with a sword, but I know you would never hurt me.”
So yah lame stuff happened but then ... there were these little moments of potential and greatness that tempted and teased me.
Small glimpses of brilliant world building, sassy teasing, interesting side characters and i swear to god, i really wanted to like this book, I tried dammit
"Four days with a mother I had not seen for ten years, two powerful men who hated each other, and friends who did not trust me"
That sounds pretty damn intriguing doesn't it?
Except Eona then spends the entire time in a *fucking* cabin just worrying about Ido the prisoner. IM SERIOUS !! She then tries to "save" the boat by making out with Ido in her bed...right....
Like with this single sentence there is SO much an author can do with it...but then didn't ლ( ಠ 益 ಠ )ლ
So then we have couple halfass battles and then and then and then...!!! The book just ends. I was just gutted when I got the end. I was legit confused, wondering and waiting, like no seriously where's the rest ??? Essentially the author was like 'good luck sorting out your entire fucking empire because everything was a lie and now most people are dead'
I think I just loved the idea of the book but the execution failed to live up to the expectations.
Our main character never really took an active role.
I can't remember a single one of the side characters so they were just background noise.
The great buildup. I'm gonna be honest, I'm not sure how to actually describe the plot now. This whole time has been building up Eon to Eona, and setting up the war situation.
But then it fell flat because it failed to develop the rest of the world. I wanted more dragons, more magic, more wizards, more character dynamics, more banter.... not a bunch of war- room arguments with no action. *smh*
"A wise man once wrote: In war, truth is the first casualty."
Brilliant, intriguing, foreshadowing. I was pumped, i was so ready for a dragon novel with wizards, war, emperors, and some kicking some sexist-warlord ass.
I didn't really get it... ಠ_ಠ
It felt like no one really knew what was happening at any point or time. Like not even our main character !! despite being the chief advisor, Eona wasn't included on any major decisions within the war * Da fuq ??*
So she kept finding out stuff last minute and tried to take her own action but ended up ruining everything... horrible horrible cycle. I mean christ on a cracker, there was a grand total of TWO training scenes AND THEY WERE BOTH *FULL OF TEEN ANGST* I LITERALLY GAGGED ON IT.
“I know.” His head tilted; a smile quickly suppressed. “Of course, you have already punched me in the throat and tried to stab me with a sword, but I know you would never hurt me.”
So yah lame stuff happened but then ... there were these little moments of potential and greatness that tempted and teased me.
Small glimpses of brilliant world building, sassy teasing, interesting side characters and i swear to god, i really wanted to like this book, I tried dammit
"Four days with a mother I had not seen for ten years, two powerful men who hated each other, and friends who did not trust me"
That sounds pretty damn intriguing doesn't it?
Except Eona then spends the entire time in a *fucking* cabin just worrying about Ido the prisoner. IM SERIOUS !! She then tries to "save" the boat by making out with Ido in her bed...right....
Like with this single sentence there is SO much an author can do with it...but then didn't ლ( ಠ 益 ಠ )ლ
So then we have couple halfass battles and then and then and then...!!! The book just ends. I was just gutted when I got the end. I was legit confused, wondering and waiting, like no seriously where's the rest ??? Essentially the author was like 'good luck sorting out your entire fucking empire because everything was a lie and now most people are dead'
I think I just loved the idea of the book but the execution failed to live up to the expectations.
Our main character never really took an active role.
I can't remember a single one of the side characters so they were just background noise.
The great buildup. I'm gonna be honest, I'm not sure how to actually describe the plot now. This whole time has been building up Eon to Eona, and setting up the war situation.
But then it fell flat because it failed to develop the rest of the world. I wanted more dragons, more magic, more wizards, more character dynamics, more banter.... not a bunch of war- room arguments with no action. *smh*
September 18, 2011
Three stars, but barely.
It is hard for me to hide my disappointment after reading this second installment of the Eon Duology. After so many reviews signing its praise, my expectations had soared high and I feel let down now.
I do love Alison Goodman's writing, her skill in creating atmosphere, making Eona a lush and sensual reading experience. Nevertheless, especially the second half of the book was a let down character-wise. I am sad to say that I lost my respect and admiration for Eona. Full of strength and courage as Eon, her union with her dragon and the power she has gained through it have made her weak and insecure. The way she treats her loved ones, the way she meets everyone around her with mistrust and suspicion were not necessarily unrealistic traits for someone in her situation, but they made it almost impossible for me to feel with her. The love triangle introduced did not make it any easier for me. It is one of those cases where you just know it'll end badly, and it made me think even less of the heroine. I have to admit, though, it is not necessarily only there for the sake of adding tension - it really illustrates the heroine being torn not only between two men, but also between two paths she can take - but one of the men is a total creep, and the other's intentions aren't clear either. Additionally, the relationship developed a bit too fast. All in all, I was just very surprised as the first book was romance free (for a change), but the second one was so heavy on it. Add all the trust and power issues – it was kind of painful, partly in a good way, but mostly in a frustrating way. I do like my portrayal of heroes realistic – they should always be complex characters, with strengths and faults. Here, I felt like everybody besides the main character was strong, but Eona herself failed to carry responsibility and power on her shoulders. She does redeem herself later, and chooses the path I wished she would take, but in the end, I felt like she hadn't earned the ending she got.
Still, I admire this story for its diversity, for the amazing side characters – especially Dela and Ryko – and for the atmospheric setting. I would recommend giving the books a try despite my disappointment in this second volume, they are excellently written and the cast of characters is definitely unique in the fantasy genre.
#7 Aussie YA Challenge 2011
It is hard for me to hide my disappointment after reading this second installment of the Eon Duology. After so many reviews signing its praise, my expectations had soared high and I feel let down now.
I do love Alison Goodman's writing, her skill in creating atmosphere, making Eona a lush and sensual reading experience. Nevertheless, especially the second half of the book was a let down character-wise. I am sad to say that I lost my respect and admiration for Eona. Full of strength and courage as Eon, her union with her dragon and the power she has gained through it have made her weak and insecure. The way she treats her loved ones, the way she meets everyone around her with mistrust and suspicion were not necessarily unrealistic traits for someone in her situation, but they made it almost impossible for me to feel with her. The love triangle introduced did not make it any easier for me. It is one of those cases where you just know it'll end badly, and it made me think even less of the heroine. I have to admit, though, it is not necessarily only there for the sake of adding tension - it really illustrates the heroine being torn not only between two men, but also between two paths she can take - but one of the men is a total creep, and the other's intentions aren't clear either. Additionally, the relationship developed a bit too fast. All in all, I was just very surprised as the first book was romance free (for a change), but the second one was so heavy on it. Add all the trust and power issues – it was kind of painful, partly in a good way, but mostly in a frustrating way. I do like my portrayal of heroes realistic – they should always be complex characters, with strengths and faults. Here, I felt like everybody besides the main character was strong, but Eona herself failed to carry responsibility and power on her shoulders. She does redeem herself later, and chooses the path I wished she would take, but in the end, I felt like she hadn't earned the ending she got.
Still, I admire this story for its diversity, for the amazing side characters – especially Dela and Ryko – and for the atmospheric setting. I would recommend giving the books a try despite my disappointment in this second volume, they are excellently written and the cast of characters is definitely unique in the fantasy genre.
#7 Aussie YA Challenge 2011
June 9, 2012
I'm not even done reading, and I already love this book!
Update:
How do I even begin with this review? *sigh* I guess it's time to bring my feelings out and "spill the beans" but I warn you, it will be a huge, jumbled up mess of emotion.
Okay, here we go.
I loved this book. But I hated it at the same time. At some parts, I would be cheering on the characters and at others, I would be rolling all over the place, screaming at the pages because I thought what was going on was crazy.
I hate that I loved this book so much, to be honest. It kept me up at night, made me an emotional wreck and took me away from my real life (which I loved, but now hate). While reading, I was so captured in the story, that my life didn't seem to matter until I finished the book. But now, that I finished the series, I don't know what to do with myself. Silly, I know. I keep thinking about the characters, and thinking about the story and what happened. I actually just finished the book, and I feel the same feeling I felt after I read Mockingjay: loss and emptiness. I feel as if my Hua was drained out of my body and soul. Eh? Eh? Get it? Get it? No? Okay, moving on. Basically, what I am trying to say is that I got way too attached, and now, it will take me a few days to recover from this emotional wreckage. *le sigh* C'est la vie.
The characters. What to say? I loved all of them, and to be honest (don't kill me, please) I loved Lord Ido in this book. In Eon, not so much because he was a total asshole, but throughout this whole story (except the end, I will be getting to that later) he was a sarcastic, funny character that I enjoyed reading about. I just really liked him, okay? On to the protagonist of the story, Eona. She was pretty kick ass, but humanly flawed and vulnerable at the same time. I admired that very much about her. She is kind of a hard character to like, but once you pass that
hard shell of hers, you seem to love her. Well at least I did. All of the secondary characters, I really cared about. I loved Rilla from the beginning, and Chart too. Kygo was a sexy beast and I just adored him.
The writing was fabulous! I loved the deep description and detail the author gave to almost everything. I loved it, and that was a huge part of what drew me in to continue reading, despite the fast paced plot and awesome characters. I just felt like I was there, and I haven't read a book in the longest time that had the ability to do that. I admire her for it.
Now, I shall spill out all of the glorious spoilers for my fellow Eona readers to see.
Overall, I loved this book, even though I hated it down to the core of my being.
Update:
How do I even begin with this review? *sigh* I guess it's time to bring my feelings out and "spill the beans" but I warn you, it will be a huge, jumbled up mess of emotion.
Okay, here we go.
I loved this book. But I hated it at the same time. At some parts, I would be cheering on the characters and at others, I would be rolling all over the place, screaming at the pages because I thought what was going on was crazy.
I hate that I loved this book so much, to be honest. It kept me up at night, made me an emotional wreck and took me away from my real life (which I loved, but now hate). While reading, I was so captured in the story, that my life didn't seem to matter until I finished the book. But now, that I finished the series, I don't know what to do with myself. Silly, I know. I keep thinking about the characters, and thinking about the story and what happened. I actually just finished the book, and I feel the same feeling I felt after I read Mockingjay: loss and emptiness. I feel as if my Hua was drained out of my body and soul. Eh? Eh? Get it? Get it? No? Okay, moving on. Basically, what I am trying to say is that I got way too attached, and now, it will take me a few days to recover from this emotional wreckage. *le sigh* C'est la vie.
The characters. What to say? I loved all of them, and to be honest (don't kill me, please) I loved Lord Ido in this book. In Eon, not so much because he was a total asshole, but throughout this whole story (except the end, I will be getting to that later) he was a sarcastic, funny character that I enjoyed reading about. I just really liked him, okay? On to the protagonist of the story, Eona. She was pretty kick ass, but humanly flawed and vulnerable at the same time. I admired that very much about her. She is kind of a hard character to like, but once you pass that
hard shell of hers, you seem to love her. Well at least I did. All of the secondary characters, I really cared about. I loved Rilla from the beginning, and Chart too. Kygo was a sexy beast and I just adored him.
The writing was fabulous! I loved the deep description and detail the author gave to almost everything. I loved it, and that was a huge part of what drew me in to continue reading, despite the fast paced plot and awesome characters. I just felt like I was there, and I haven't read a book in the longest time that had the ability to do that. I admire her for it.
Now, I shall spill out all of the glorious spoilers for my fellow Eona readers to see.
Overall, I loved this book, even though I hated it down to the core of my being.
March 21, 2012
How often does the sequel outdo its predecessor? Not often at all. EPICALLY good, in a way that kept me up late at night.
Review to come.
Review to come.
February 2, 2013
What the hell happened? I LOVED the first book and I absolutely HATE the sequel.
In the first installment, Eon was a crippled girl disguised as a boy struggling with identity while navigating the treacherous world of court politics. As Eona, she becomes an insecure and highly distrustful young woman caught in a control/power struggle [masquarading as a 'love' triangle] between two powerful men, the new emperor Kygo and the manipulative Ido. Meanwhile, they are being pursued by the vast army of would-be emperor Sethon, who is a one-dimensional and stereotypical evil villain.
Eon was both a character-driven and action-driven story. With Eona, the action completely overwhelmed character development and growth. They had no deep struggles about the consequences of their actions or the morality of their choices. Bizarrely, an erotic and sexual attraction develops between Eona and Ido the man who once tried to rape her! Eona's mirror dragon represents Truth but she is anything but truthful.
The more interesting secondary characters like Ryko, Dela, Tozay, Chart and his mother faded into the background. The wonderful world-building lost its appeal for me with this sequel's poorly developed storyline where an unlikely 'hero' turned into an unlikeable and unreliable heroine.
In the first installment, Eon was a crippled girl disguised as a boy struggling with identity while navigating the treacherous world of court politics. As Eona, she becomes an insecure and highly distrustful young woman caught in a control/power struggle [masquarading as a 'love' triangle] between two powerful men, the new emperor Kygo and the manipulative Ido. Meanwhile, they are being pursued by the vast army of would-be emperor Sethon, who is a one-dimensional and stereotypical evil villain.
Eon was both a character-driven and action-driven story. With Eona, the action completely overwhelmed character development and growth. They had no deep struggles about the consequences of their actions or the morality of their choices. Bizarrely, an erotic and sexual attraction develops between Eona and Ido the man who once tried to rape her! Eona's mirror dragon represents Truth but she is anything but truthful.
The more interesting secondary characters like Ryko, Dela, Tozay, Chart and his mother faded into the background. The wonderful world-building lost its appeal for me with this sequel's poorly developed storyline where an unlikely 'hero' turned into an unlikeable and unreliable heroine.
August 26, 2016
I liked the first book in this series, Eon, and the series ended okay, but MAN OH MAN did I want to throw this book across the room so many times! It was SO FRUSTRATING.
The bad guy from the last book who mercilessly killed and tortured her friends and tried to rape her is all of a sudden a love interest. All of a sudden he is just so HANDSOME that she can't resist him. And even though Eona has been a capable, strong character she is ready to let herself be manipulated because he's just so good looking. I would have been less frustrated if she had been tempted with the power he offered. That would have made sense, but I loathed the whole love interest idea.
Other things that bugged me:
She's a pathological liar the entire time. Even when it makes sense to tell the truth she doesn't do it.
The prince should be a little more politically capable. You would think he would be a little less trusting and a little more skilled in intrigue since that is what he was supposedly raised to do.
The first book was all about how everyone always had to respect people with a higher position. They couldn't even leave the room if the emperor was in it. But even though Eona is a Lady Dragoneye and the Niaso (the emperor's most trusted advisor) all of these people are always giving her crap. It was obnoxious. I didn't love Eona's character in this book - but the people who were supposedly her friends were jerks. And even if they weren't her friends anymore they should have at least pretended to defer to her - that's how the characters would have logically acted in the world that was presented.
So, in summary, I liked the first book and I was satisfied with how the series ended, but the level of frustration with the characters in this book almost made me kick my cat. And she shouldn't have to suffer for the misdeeds of others. Right?
The bad guy from the last book who mercilessly killed and tortured her friends and tried to rape her is all of a sudden a love interest. All of a sudden he is just so HANDSOME that she can't resist him. And even though Eona has been a capable, strong character she is ready to let herself be manipulated because he's just so good looking. I would have been less frustrated if she had been tempted with the power he offered. That would have made sense, but I loathed the whole love interest idea.
Other things that bugged me:
She's a pathological liar the entire time. Even when it makes sense to tell the truth she doesn't do it.
The prince should be a little more politically capable. You would think he would be a little less trusting and a little more skilled in intrigue since that is what he was supposedly raised to do.
The first book was all about how everyone always had to respect people with a higher position. They couldn't even leave the room if the emperor was in it. But even though Eona is a Lady Dragoneye and the Niaso (the emperor's most trusted advisor) all of these people are always giving her crap. It was obnoxious. I didn't love Eona's character in this book - but the people who were supposedly her friends were jerks. And even if they weren't her friends anymore they should have at least pretended to defer to her - that's how the characters would have logically acted in the world that was presented.
So, in summary, I liked the first book and I was satisfied with how the series ended, but the level of frustration with the characters in this book almost made me kick my cat. And she shouldn't have to suffer for the misdeeds of others. Right?
May 3, 2017
“Men were always quick to believe in the madness of women.”
Eona, the second and last instalment of Alison Goodman's duology very much exceeded my already high expectations. The ending left me shocked and breathless, sad but with a smile on my face.. If you loved her first novel Eon, you must read this book as well, because it's even better!
"You have seen Lady Eona’s power and resolve," he said harshly. "Be thankful that you have also witnessed her compassion and restraint."
Alison Goodman has one of the most amazing writing styles I have encountered, it's beautiful and descriptive, but not too flowery or tedious.
This instaltment has more romance then the first book, but it wasn't at all overwhelming or romance driven story. It's very much plot driven duology. There's even a very subtle touch of love triangle, but not to fear, it's almost nonexistent, very well done and complex. This, very subtle, triangle has a lot of distrust, politics and scheming between them, which makes the storyline even more interesting. And there's also beautifully done side-romance between Lady Dela (Alias: the best character from this duology) and Ryko.
“Watching my father plan and strategize for the resistance has taught me about trust.” She leaned forward. “Personal trust is very different from political trust, my lady. The first thrives on faith. The second requires proof, whether it be upfront or covert.” Awkwardly, she patted my hand. “His Majesty has always been a powerful man. Perhaps he has never had to distinguish between the two.”
The world author created is simply epic. Phenomenal. Full of magic and colorful descriptions, not just the world, but the story itself is so very much alive. Every building, every created landscape, almost flew from the pages to me.
Goodman's Chinese dragons almost breathed magic, the whole magical and mythological aspect of these books was very enchanting. In fact, the best aspect of this book. I was absorbed into this beautifully dark story.
“Too many doubts grow in the cracks of silence and separation.”
Eona is story about power, greed, politics, destruction, war, sacrifices, death, magic and life itself. And so much more!
I don't know what else to say, that will make you read this beautiful duology. Maybe one more thing - Magical Chinese Dragons and beautifully done Asian inspired culture! You're already hooked! Aren't you? Then let's give it a try.;)
“History does not care about the suffering of the individual. Only the outcome of their struggles.”
Eona, the second and last instalment of Alison Goodman's duology very much exceeded my already high expectations. The ending left me shocked and breathless, sad but with a smile on my face.. If you loved her first novel Eon, you must read this book as well, because it's even better!
"You have seen Lady Eona’s power and resolve," he said harshly. "Be thankful that you have also witnessed her compassion and restraint."
Alison Goodman has one of the most amazing writing styles I have encountered, it's beautiful and descriptive, but not too flowery or tedious.
This instaltment has more romance then the first book, but it wasn't at all overwhelming or romance driven story. It's very much plot driven duology. There's even a very subtle touch of love triangle, but not to fear, it's almost nonexistent, very well done and complex. This, very subtle, triangle has a lot of distrust, politics and scheming between them, which makes the storyline even more interesting. And there's also beautifully done side-romance between Lady Dela (Alias: the best character from this duology) and Ryko.
“Watching my father plan and strategize for the resistance has taught me about trust.” She leaned forward. “Personal trust is very different from political trust, my lady. The first thrives on faith. The second requires proof, whether it be upfront or covert.” Awkwardly, she patted my hand. “His Majesty has always been a powerful man. Perhaps he has never had to distinguish between the two.”
The world author created is simply epic. Phenomenal. Full of magic and colorful descriptions, not just the world, but the story itself is so very much alive. Every building, every created landscape, almost flew from the pages to me.
Goodman's Chinese dragons almost breathed magic, the whole magical and mythological aspect of these books was very enchanting. In fact, the best aspect of this book. I was absorbed into this beautifully dark story.
“Too many doubts grow in the cracks of silence and separation.”
Eona is story about power, greed, politics, destruction, war, sacrifices, death, magic and life itself. And so much more!
I don't know what else to say, that will make you read this beautiful duology. Maybe one more thing - Magical Chinese Dragons and beautifully done Asian inspired culture! You're already hooked! Aren't you? Then let's give it a try.;)
“History does not care about the suffering of the individual. Only the outcome of their struggles.”
January 10, 2023
I mean, if you thought a girl with dragons was cool ...
So ... now everybody knows Eon is Eona, and now she can kick ass!!!
And there is more Kygo ...
THIS IS A MUST READ NOW - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR - YOU WONT REGRET READING THIS - BOOK
IG @cafecitoxlibros
June 29, 2016
RTC...
July 17, 2018
Not only did I love Eon, also the majority of my personal Board of Reviewers were in agreement that the sequel is even better than its predecessor. As you see, it was not the case of high expectations, it was a case of high certainty that I am in for a real treat. Alas, as they say, nobody expected Spanish Inquisition. By the 200th page, I have changed into the grand Torquemada myself.
While I still admired the amazing world-building (so far I have only encountered something similar in Brian Staveley's The Emperor's Blades), you will agree that even the best scenery, artful props and magnificent and Oscar-worth visual effects will not save a film with bad cast and scenario. Eona suffers on both fronts. Plot-wise, the intrigue was exposed in the previous book, premised explained, all figures set in motion, the main lines drawn and the finishing line beckoned on the clouded horizon. Eona picks up promptly but it is just like a badly done pizza crust: not too long, but definitely longish, sometimes too thick to bite it, in other places so thin that the topping nearly falls through. In Eona some motifs were protracted to the boundary of pain (Kinra), some regurgitated in similar variants over and over again (Kygo), some heralded with great fanfare in order to have negligible effect on the overall story (mother), other just happen and are done with a one-liner (Chart). What is worse, a love triangle appears and the whole captivating story transmutes into a romance-driven drama.
Undeniably, most of these things would not have happened should Eona stayed who she was in the first instalment. Unfortunately, Eona is this kind of heroine whose behaviour depends not on her circumstances but rather on what she wears. The moment she is free to reveal her true identity, the ascendant Dragoneye changes into an insecure, whiny creature driven by an emotional tsunami. Oh of course, because she is wearing a skirt, so it is a must. Makes total sense.
For me the key quote from this book is "Eona why are you creating problem where there is none?" Half of everything that happens on the 600+ pages of this book happens because Eona behaves like a pregnant woman on steroids. Which is anything but the protagonist I came to love and admire in Eon.
Ido was by far the most interesting character in Eona, the most wholesome, credible and complex without becoming his own caricature (like Sethon). To the contrary, fans of Dela (count me in) will have reasons to complain as she is pushed into the shadow. Similarly fans of Kygo, who suffers because of the opposite shift, into the forefront, and becomes a dictionary version of an emperor-in-waiting.
Overall, 3 solid stars with a soft cinnamon sadness of a remembered bond.
Book 1: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn ★★★★★
While I still admired the amazing world-building (so far I have only encountered something similar in Brian Staveley's The Emperor's Blades), you will agree that even the best scenery, artful props and magnificent and Oscar-worth visual effects will not save a film with bad cast and scenario. Eona suffers on both fronts. Plot-wise, the intrigue was exposed in the previous book, premised explained, all figures set in motion, the main lines drawn and the finishing line beckoned on the clouded horizon. Eona picks up promptly but it is just like a badly done pizza crust: not too long, but definitely longish, sometimes too thick to bite it, in other places so thin that the topping nearly falls through. In Eona some motifs were protracted to the boundary of pain (Kinra), some regurgitated in similar variants over and over again (Kygo), some heralded with great fanfare in order to have negligible effect on the overall story (mother), other just happen and are done with a one-liner (Chart). What is worse, a love triangle appears and the whole captivating story transmutes into a romance-driven drama.
Undeniably, most of these things would not have happened should Eona stayed who she was in the first instalment. Unfortunately, Eona is this kind of heroine whose behaviour depends not on her circumstances but rather on what she wears. The moment she is free to reveal her true identity, the ascendant Dragoneye changes into an insecure, whiny creature driven by an emotional tsunami. Oh of course, because she is wearing a skirt, so it is a must. Makes total sense.
For me the key quote from this book is "Eona why are you creating problem where there is none?" Half of everything that happens on the 600+ pages of this book happens because Eona behaves like a pregnant woman on steroids. Which is anything but the protagonist I came to love and admire in Eon.
Ido was by far the most interesting character in Eona, the most wholesome, credible and complex without becoming his own caricature (like Sethon). To the contrary, fans of Dela (count me in) will have reasons to complain as she is pushed into the shadow. Similarly fans of Kygo, who suffers because of the opposite shift, into the forefront, and becomes a dictionary version of an emperor-in-waiting.
Overall, 3 solid stars with a soft cinnamon sadness of a remembered bond.
Book 1: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn ★★★★★
November 26, 2016
Well if anything this book is even better than book one! 637 pages of sitting on the edge of my seat fearing what might happen next. There was even a tolerable love triangle and I had no idea which way that was going to go.
Full marks for the world building, the characters, the tension and the great story. A gold star for the dragons, twelve beautiful, glorious dragons with amazing talents. And a bonus point for the great ending which tied up all the loose ends and still managed to surprise me.
Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys fantasy especially if you like dragons:)
Full marks for the world building, the characters, the tension and the great story. A gold star for the dragons, twelve beautiful, glorious dragons with amazing talents. And a bonus point for the great ending which tied up all the loose ends and still managed to surprise me.
Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys fantasy especially if you like dragons:)
July 16, 2011
Simply amazing.
April 29, 2011
Disappointing after the sweeping epic that was Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. I would have rated it lower, but I figured I wasn't being fair. My expectations were high after Eon, which was an extremely unique entry into the bloated YA fantasy/supernatural genre -- featuring dragons, Eastern influences, and subversive gender issues.
Eona concludes the story started in Eon. Goodman's prose and plot are rushed; I felt that the events would have been better spread out over two novels to make the saga a trilogy. What started as fairly epic high-fantasy in Eon got dumbed down to very "teen" romance, some of which really grossed me out. I felt that the romance was mostly unnecessary, or so poorly developed that it should have been left out. There's a really disgusting love triangle that involves a guy who tried to rape her in the first book; which is incredibly ill-conceived. All of the book, frankly, has humungous consent issues to the point it's a stomach-churning theme. Most of her main characters behave very badly -- the "good guys" include a man who's a murderer and rapist, a girl with some serious control issues, and a boy with hilariously (and not in a good way) self-defeating pride. So it's no wonder that the "bad guys" are parodies, detailed as even more unscrupulous rapists, power-mongers, and outright demons.
It's really disappointing that such a good set-up had to scrimp on the plot for developing characters I frankly didn't give a damn about -- because they all crossed the Moral Event Horizon five times and turned around to spit on it (oh, and she kills off the only "good guys" that do not do terrible things). Read it only if you've already read Eon and anxious to see how it ends. Otherwise, this is a train-wreck of everything terrible about teen fiction: anti-feminist stomach churning themes, poor character development, and more nasty unhealthy sex (this includes rape, prostitution, sexism, and coerced sexual activity, not to mention really unhealthy relationships based on lies and mutual lust for power) than anyone could really stand.
Eona concludes the story started in Eon. Goodman's prose and plot are rushed; I felt that the events would have been better spread out over two novels to make the saga a trilogy. What started as fairly epic high-fantasy in Eon got dumbed down to very "teen" romance, some of which really grossed me out. I felt that the romance was mostly unnecessary, or so poorly developed that it should have been left out. There's a really disgusting love triangle that involves a guy who tried to rape her in the first book; which is incredibly ill-conceived. All of the book, frankly, has humungous consent issues to the point it's a stomach-churning theme. Most of her main characters behave very badly -- the "good guys" include a man who's a murderer and rapist, a girl with some serious control issues, and a boy with hilariously (and not in a good way) self-defeating pride. So it's no wonder that the "bad guys" are parodies, detailed as even more unscrupulous rapists, power-mongers, and outright demons.
It's really disappointing that such a good set-up had to scrimp on the plot for developing characters I frankly didn't give a damn about -- because they all crossed the Moral Event Horizon five times and turned around to spit on it (oh, and she kills off the only "good guys" that do not do terrible things). Read it only if you've already read Eon and anxious to see how it ends. Otherwise, this is a train-wreck of everything terrible about teen fiction: anti-feminist stomach churning themes, poor character development, and more nasty unhealthy sex (this includes rape, prostitution, sexism, and coerced sexual activity, not to mention really unhealthy relationships based on lies and mutual lust for power) than anyone could really stand.
April 27, 2019
Mini review:
Minor spoilers!
Book 1 for Tome Topple Readathon challenge: Read a tome that is apart of a series.
DNF
Trigger warning: Mention of rape, misgendering a trans female, and mention of disability cured via magic.
I was so excited to read this! Eon left off on a huge cliffhanger and I so wanted answers! Tome topple gave me the perfect chance to dive back into this series. Unfortunately I didn't like it.
Lots of things started to erk me in the beginning. Particularly when Eona mentions how 'free' she feels now that she can use both of her legs. And her constant misgendering of Lady Dela. While this was present in Eon, I found it more annoying in Eona.
I set the book down and decided to read up on some reviews. I had for the most part made up my mind on DNFing. Though I could've gone back to it depending on what I gleaned from the reviews I was reading. I was so angry when I found out about Ido! I knew that Eona gave him some feelings but I still don't think it excuses him raping her. Apparently Eona felt that it did.
This new information really solidified my DNFing. I'm really surprised considering what a well loved series this is.
Overall I didn't enjoy this. I recommend the authors latest series rather than Eon.
Minor spoilers!
Book 1 for Tome Topple Readathon challenge: Read a tome that is apart of a series.
DNF
Trigger warning: Mention of rape, misgendering a trans female, and mention of disability cured via magic.
I was so excited to read this! Eon left off on a huge cliffhanger and I so wanted answers! Tome topple gave me the perfect chance to dive back into this series. Unfortunately I didn't like it.
Lots of things started to erk me in the beginning. Particularly when Eona mentions how 'free' she feels now that she can use both of her legs. And her constant misgendering of Lady Dela. While this was present in Eon, I found it more annoying in Eona.
I set the book down and decided to read up on some reviews. I had for the most part made up my mind on DNFing. Though I could've gone back to it depending on what I gleaned from the reviews I was reading. I was so angry when I found out about Ido! I knew that Eona gave him some feelings but I still don't think it excuses him raping her. Apparently Eona felt that it did.
This new information really solidified my DNFing. I'm really surprised considering what a well loved series this is.
Overall I didn't enjoy this. I recommend the authors latest series rather than Eon.
May 15, 2015
A couple of my favorite things to read about in fantasy (and UF, pnr, etc.) is:
When a bad guy -- a legit bad guy -- is written in a way that makes me hate him, but yet I’m also intrigued and charmed by him. It’s not an easy thing to do.
AND (and this is even harder to do), when he is written as a real, viable love interest.
And yes, I KNOW this particular guy has done some really fucked up things (I mean, come on, I did say legit bad guy, didn’t I?) but I’ve come up with a rationalization for all that in my head that works for me, so there.
This book had very many pages, but I totally flew through all of it. Well written, great characterization, good pacing -- I am a sucker for YA fantasy and this is a reason why. Much better than the first book!
When a bad guy -- a legit bad guy -- is written in a way that makes me hate him, but yet I’m also intrigued and charmed by him. It’s not an easy thing to do.
AND (and this is even harder to do), when he is written as a real, viable love interest.
And yes, I KNOW this particular guy has done some really fucked up things (I mean, come on, I did say legit bad guy, didn’t I?) but I’ve come up with a rationalization for all that in my head that works for me, so there.
This book had very many pages, but I totally flew through all of it. Well written, great characterization, good pacing -- I am a sucker for YA fantasy and this is a reason why. Much better than the first book!
February 2, 2013
After trying (and failing) to write a review for this novel for the past two months, I think it's time for me to just step back and admit that sometimes it really isn't possible to write down my thoughts for certain novels. From looking at the reviews my friends have written for this, ranging from lists to quick short sentences, it's evident that it seems to be a universal malady.
Nevertheless, Eona is a novel that deserves a review. As the sequel to Eon, a novel rich in its exploration of Asian culture and gender roles, I feel almost obligated to tell others why this book was such a success for me. Eona is different, yet inherently the same, as its predecessor. While both novels feature Eona coming to terms with who she is, Eona takes it all one step further. Now, as a woman, her quest is suddenly more tumultuous than ever, especially since her position is so blurred. Eona must now face the responsibility that comes with her powers, whether it be to innocent villagers whose lives are somehow sacrificed in the battle of politics or her own friend, Ryko, who she holds immense power over because of her Mirror Dragoneye abilities.
At the same time, there is a delicate balance between the game of love and the game of ambition that is being played between Kygo, Eona, and Lord Ido. Eona is attracted to both men for different reasons and for the first time, I can honestly admit to enjoying a love triangle; perhaps because the romance was never the main aspect of this novel and even more than romantic involvement, there was political involvement between the couples, which only further added to the complexity of this story. As with its predecessor, Eona continues to impress with the fusion of Asian culture that remains to be a large aspect of its world-building and the flashbacks to the past that Eona experiences of her ancestor all played into the tale remarkably well.
Overall, there isn't anything else I have to say about this one. It was incredible, fast-paced, swoon-worthy, and thought-provoking. All in all, Goodman is an author I desperately need more of and if you haven't already picked up this fantasy duet of hers, you definitely need to.
Nevertheless, Eona is a novel that deserves a review. As the sequel to Eon, a novel rich in its exploration of Asian culture and gender roles, I feel almost obligated to tell others why this book was such a success for me. Eona is different, yet inherently the same, as its predecessor. While both novels feature Eona coming to terms with who she is, Eona takes it all one step further. Now, as a woman, her quest is suddenly more tumultuous than ever, especially since her position is so blurred. Eona must now face the responsibility that comes with her powers, whether it be to innocent villagers whose lives are somehow sacrificed in the battle of politics or her own friend, Ryko, who she holds immense power over because of her Mirror Dragoneye abilities.
At the same time, there is a delicate balance between the game of love and the game of ambition that is being played between Kygo, Eona, and Lord Ido. Eona is attracted to both men for different reasons and for the first time, I can honestly admit to enjoying a love triangle; perhaps because the romance was never the main aspect of this novel and even more than romantic involvement, there was political involvement between the couples, which only further added to the complexity of this story. As with its predecessor, Eona continues to impress with the fusion of Asian culture that remains to be a large aspect of its world-building and the flashbacks to the past that Eona experiences of her ancestor all played into the tale remarkably well.
Overall, there isn't anything else I have to say about this one. It was incredible, fast-paced, swoon-worthy, and thought-provoking. All in all, Goodman is an author I desperately need more of and if you haven't already picked up this fantasy duet of hers, you definitely need to.
April 26, 2013
I apologize in advance: the romantic sap in me is showing in this one (or maybe it's just the sap that's showing.) Don’t judge me after all my admissions, I do so freely but still cringe at what I have to say: Yes, I was sheep-like in my reading choices when I first with YA. Yes, my fan girlyness was easily roused. And YES, my love for YA all started with a certain sparkly vamp. But I have changed, my tastes, I hope, have evolved, so my love for Eona and the triangle in it could be characterized as mere a relapse. Because right now? I'm feeling very much like a fan girl over the conflict brought about by the triangle in Eona (triangles, btw, are things I normally cannot abide in YA,) and I'm also all fan girly over the possibilities or the could-have-been’s over Eona's baddy.
My head is spinning! One, I was not expecting this! It went faster than Eon: Dragoneye Reborn (Eon #1) AND there was an emphasis on romance. Two, I enjoyed said emphasis- more than I expected. Completely honestly? I gobbled Eona up! After reading a couple of lukewarm reviews, I expected it to be another one of those not so stellar sophomore attempts, but apparently I’m of a different opinion: It was emphasis on the romance that did it. I do love a good romance. And it might even have been the triangle that came out of nowhere (for me at least.)
Please don’t judge me, but the first time I read Patch in Hush hush, I was all starry eyed and drooly (In my defense, I was new to the YA world at the time, and having just read Twilight was in search of another cute depressed hottie. Patch met all those requirements.) I think it's the same me then that's popping out now because I enjoyed EONA for the very same reasons. Wait! What’s the connection, you ask? Why, Ido! The definition of bad ass, the older guy who I had to figure out as either very into power or very into the girl. So here’s a confession from the romantic sap, (OK, just the sap,) that is Isa: I loved the idea that love would conquerall enough so that he would choose her over ambition. I'm cringing a little as I type this, but I was expecting her draw to him to have been strong enough to get him to change. I'm embarassed to admit all that, but I was/am thrilled by how the story went off in a more romantic tangent. I’m just in one of those moods, I suppose. Normally, I’d be “Blegh! Stop with the triangles and love can conquer all trope… Stop with the he loves me, but he really doesn’t but anyway there’s this other guy who loves me who might not really be in love me.” But right now? I’m OK with Eona, In fact, I’m more than OK with it… I loved it.
My head is spinning! One, I was not expecting this! It went faster than Eon: Dragoneye Reborn (Eon #1) AND there was an emphasis on romance. Two, I enjoyed said emphasis- more than I expected. Completely honestly? I gobbled Eona up! After reading a couple of lukewarm reviews, I expected it to be another one of those not so stellar sophomore attempts, but apparently I’m of a different opinion: It was emphasis on the romance that did it. I do love a good romance. And it might even have been the triangle that came out of nowhere (for me at least.)
Please don’t judge me, but the first time I read Patch in Hush hush, I was all starry eyed and drooly (In my defense, I was new to the YA world at the time, and having just read Twilight was in search of another cute depressed hottie. Patch met all those requirements.) I think it's the same me then that's popping out now because I enjoyed EONA for the very same reasons. Wait! What’s the connection, you ask? Why, Ido! The definition of bad ass, the older guy who I had to figure out as either very into power or very into the girl. So here’s a confession from the romantic sap, (OK, just the sap,) that is Isa: I loved the idea that love would conquer
May 13, 2012
Honestly, I really didn't like this book. I had been long looking forward to it, because lately I've been in the dumps about literature, and I liked the first one a lot, but instead it left me in a state of book depression for at least a few days- I couldn't think of anything or stop making refeances to the things that I didn't like. I couldn't stand the characters. As another reviewee put it, everyone but Eona was strong. And that sucked, because the actual plot was really good. But I couldn't connect to her at all, and I couldn't stand her relationships. I almost liked the fact that she was always dancing on the edge of going power-hungary, but the ramance is what my main beef was with.
I wish that the author had completely left the romance out. I think that it would have made the entire story better. Love triangles can be made to work, but the deciding factor if they're good or not, is that you eigther love both guys, or abosolutely love one and hate the other... But I hated both of her love interests. I never really felt that she loved the emperor. He didn't sneak into her thoughs, and I hated him. Everytime he kissed her, it was almost in a possessive, 'I have to have everything I want' kind of way. Which sucked. And I hate how everytime she was with Ido, then she went with the emperor and was all 'omg I love him!' in a really annoying teenage girl who wants to have her cake and eat it, too. Pick one! I actually disliked the emperor so much, that I was pulling for Ido. You should never be that person who is pushing for the bad guy. That's like saying (sorry for this horrible referance that I am ashamed to ever make) that you hated Edward so much, that you wish Bella would have been with James. Even though he wanted to kill her. And the emperor couldn't even be with her by law, cause he'll need to have royal wives, and a mountain of royal concubines! Then how in the while wide world do they end up together?! Is she always just going to be a mistress to him? 'Cause personaly, I wouldn't do that.
~ And Ido. I liked him. I actually liked the evil fool! There in the end he got a bit crazy, but so would you if the girl you thought was like you and that you trained, and that you loved, and you thought loved you, completely and totally betrayed you in the end! SERIOUSLY?! Because from the sounds of it, she was the only one he was sweet for. He used the only power he had, not for himself, but to help her before he even knew they were coming to rescue him? That seems a pretty nice thing to do to me. And she led him on. seriously. She led him on!!! And I kindda hate her for it. I feel like she made him think she was like him and wanted what he did, and I feel like she just used him. Just blatantly used him. And at least she knew that Ido was useing her. He told her the plan, and she went along with it knowingly. The emperor used her behind her back and manipulated her feelings to force her to do his bidding. The whole time. And her trust issues! I understand them, but then she got so hurt when people didn't trust her. Of course they didn't!! Who in their right mind would when she didn't trust you, you were manipulating her, and she could have totally killed you if she knew your secrets. I wouldn't tell the chick anything!!! And she just used everyone around her! A person with any self respect would not go from making out with a guy to kissing another and saying she only loved one, so it was alright. It. Is. Not. Alright. And then, after he dies, she realised that she really did actually love Ido a bit. REALLY?!?!? I've been pulling for this guy, and after you betray him, and don't stop him from destroying himself, you realise that the feeling was actually mutual...
Sorry for the rant, but I really did not have any charcters I liked, other than Ido. Which is just wrong. Because no matter how brilliant the plot, if the characters fall through, then it is nothing. But you can have a suck fest plot, and as long as the characters are good, you can plow through.
I wish that the author had completely left the romance out. I think that it would have made the entire story better. Love triangles can be made to work, but the deciding factor if they're good or not, is that you eigther love both guys, or abosolutely love one and hate the other... But I hated both of her love interests. I never really felt that she loved the emperor. He didn't sneak into her thoughs, and I hated him. Everytime he kissed her, it was almost in a possessive, 'I have to have everything I want' kind of way. Which sucked. And I hate how everytime she was with Ido, then she went with the emperor and was all 'omg I love him!' in a really annoying teenage girl who wants to have her cake and eat it, too. Pick one! I actually disliked the emperor so much, that I was pulling for Ido. You should never be that person who is pushing for the bad guy. That's like saying (sorry for this horrible referance that I am ashamed to ever make) that you hated Edward so much, that you wish Bella would have been with James. Even though he wanted to kill her. And the emperor couldn't even be with her by law, cause he'll need to have royal wives, and a mountain of royal concubines! Then how in the while wide world do they end up together?! Is she always just going to be a mistress to him? 'Cause personaly, I wouldn't do that.
~ And Ido. I liked him. I actually liked the evil fool! There in the end he got a bit crazy, but so would you if the girl you thought was like you and that you trained, and that you loved, and you thought loved you, completely and totally betrayed you in the end! SERIOUSLY?! Because from the sounds of it, she was the only one he was sweet for. He used the only power he had, not for himself, but to help her before he even knew they were coming to rescue him? That seems a pretty nice thing to do to me. And she led him on. seriously. She led him on!!! And I kindda hate her for it. I feel like she made him think she was like him and wanted what he did, and I feel like she just used him. Just blatantly used him. And at least she knew that Ido was useing her. He told her the plan, and she went along with it knowingly. The emperor used her behind her back and manipulated her feelings to force her to do his bidding. The whole time. And her trust issues! I understand them, but then she got so hurt when people didn't trust her. Of course they didn't!! Who in their right mind would when she didn't trust you, you were manipulating her, and she could have totally killed you if she knew your secrets. I wouldn't tell the chick anything!!! And she just used everyone around her! A person with any self respect would not go from making out with a guy to kissing another and saying she only loved one, so it was alright. It. Is. Not. Alright. And then, after he dies, she realised that she really did actually love Ido a bit. REALLY?!?!? I've been pulling for this guy, and after you betray him, and don't stop him from destroying himself, you realise that the feeling was actually mutual...
Sorry for the rant, but I really did not have any charcters I liked, other than Ido. Which is just wrong. Because no matter how brilliant the plot, if the characters fall through, then it is nothing. But you can have a suck fest plot, and as long as the characters are good, you can plow through.
August 1, 2011
The cover:
Is it just me, or is that girl NOT Asian? Yeah. Huh. Her expression also looks like one of those role-playing games, like the character was made in World of Warcraft or whatever. The pose is very nice -- the blade looks sufficiently dangerous -- but I can't tell at all what the background image is supposed to be.
The book:
A disappointing follow-up to Eon (2008), the opening begins with a display of dragon power and a hint about the fate of Lord Ido in Sethon's hands. After the first chapter, however, the pace is dropped considerably. (Travelling across the countryside does not make for interesting reading.) The clues as to the dragons' fate left in the Woman Script intrigue the most, while the Eona-Ido-Kygo love triangle is (barely) made tolerable by seeming fated. However, because the triangle is developed so, the twist ending of the relationship between Eona and Ido seems unrealistic, and the love between Kygo and Eona never seems rooted.
Eona's moral indecision becomes tiring and irritating, especially since she never seems sure of herself. She's never a fully likeable character, especially once she begins to focus more on power. I continously confused Kygo with Ryko -- the similar y and o and the number of letters kept me wondering whether I was reading about the emperor or the eunuch. After the love triangle and the dragons is resolved, a tie-in to Kinra's written message would've made for a more wholesome, circular feel.
from http://passthechiclets.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-eona.html
Is it just me, or is that girl NOT Asian? Yeah. Huh. Her expression also looks like one of those role-playing games, like the character was made in World of Warcraft or whatever. The pose is very nice -- the blade looks sufficiently dangerous -- but I can't tell at all what the background image is supposed to be.
The book:
A disappointing follow-up to Eon (2008), the opening begins with a display of dragon power and a hint about the fate of Lord Ido in Sethon's hands. After the first chapter, however, the pace is dropped considerably. (Travelling across the countryside does not make for interesting reading.) The clues as to the dragons' fate left in the Woman Script intrigue the most, while the Eona-Ido-Kygo love triangle is (barely) made tolerable by seeming fated. However, because the triangle is developed so, the twist ending of the relationship between Eona and Ido seems unrealistic, and the love between Kygo and Eona never seems rooted.
Eona's moral indecision becomes tiring and irritating, especially since she never seems sure of herself. She's never a fully likeable character, especially once she begins to focus more on power. I continously confused Kygo with Ryko -- the similar y and o and the number of letters kept me wondering whether I was reading about the emperor or the eunuch. After the love triangle and the dragons is resolved, a tie-in to Kinra's written message would've made for a more wholesome, circular feel.
from http://passthechiclets.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-eona.html
May 4, 2016
“In the end, power is always used to gain more power. That is the nature of the beast.”
I really should have DNFed this. I kept reading with the hope that it would get better… but it never did and the result was me struggling through a nearly 700-page book for months.
The plot dragged sooo much. It literally took around 300 pages just to rescue Ido before he could start training Eona. And the whole time I was thinking, Couldn't this have been shortened? The last half had more going on, but was still very dense - and not in a good way. All the information added about the fantasy world felt clunky and tedious.
Considering I really admired her in the first book, it's sad that Eona annoyed me in this one. She turned into a special snowflake. Unlike in Eon, where she was a lowly contestant and had to fight to survive, now that she's out as the Dragoneye, people are constantly saying things like this to her:
“You are the most powerful woman in the empire, Eona.”
This made it so I felt like there was no real conflict with her. Everything came easily for her, because everyone was so quick to please her.
There was a super annoying love triangle between Eona, Kygo, and Ido that took up so much of the plot. It was like a giant soap opera that I couldn't get into.
The only thing I found remotely interesting was Ido. He was my favorite character. Even though he's kind of evil, he was so interesting and clever and charming.
The first book kept me engaged with all kinds of intriguing politics and an awesome world of spirit dragons, but in this book it felt like Goodman lost her touch. I'd still recommend Eon, but would advise skipping the overly-long sequel.
June 17, 2011
This book. Mind = shot to hell and back. Eona is everything I expected to be and more. One of the best books I’ve read this year, no joke.
I could not stop reading, it was a fast paced action-packed blur that had twists and turns I wasn’t expecting and character developments that I swallowed up. The relationships in this book were fabulous, tension-filled, and had unresolved sexual tension just dripping off the pages. I loved all of it. Instead of that slow burn the first book had that took a while to build up into the climax, this jumps right away into the good stuff. We’re not trapped to the palace grounds this time, but explore many new areas of the world, making this for an exhilarating reading.
Eona, my god woman, how I loved and hated you. She was pretty aggravating and annoying for a lot of it with her selfish decisions and flippant attitude toward it. But then again, this is what makes her her. She wouldn’t be Eona without her flaws. You can hold yourself in a higher regard but I am quite sure a lot of people try to keep things a secret, or try to figure things out for themselves if they think whatever it is they’re dealing with would potentially hurt the other person. Spare their feelings and worry sort of deal. Not that this is the right thing to do, but it is realistic.
Ah, I loved the romance in this book. It’s captivating and even though there’s a love triangle in it, it’s quite obvious that the other guy has no shot. You’re set in your rooting for one of the guys. But, boy, some of those scenes were sizzling. I swear, I must’ve swooned like crazy a few times. And the best part about this romance is that it’s firmly a subplot and remains in the background. Not like other books were they make the romance the whole focus of the book.
Now that Eona has come out as a woman, she has to deal with behaving like one. A role she hasn’t played for quite a while and then also take control of her growing Dragoneye powers. I really loved the whole magical energy world and seeing her unleash a whole slew of bad ass on their enemies. Something she wasn’t able to do in the previous book.
The ending was everything I hoped for but there was something missing… I wanted MORE I tell you, MORE. I’m so sad this series is over because I really want to read about more of their stories. Like how the two characters are going to navigate the trials of their relationship and stuff likes. Gah! Damn. I miss this book already.
Read it now! It’s FABULOUS. (Although, I do recommend refreshing your memory with the previous book if you forgot stuff)
I could not stop reading, it was a fast paced action-packed blur that had twists and turns I wasn’t expecting and character developments that I swallowed up. The relationships in this book were fabulous, tension-filled, and had unresolved sexual tension just dripping off the pages. I loved all of it. Instead of that slow burn the first book had that took a while to build up into the climax, this jumps right away into the good stuff. We’re not trapped to the palace grounds this time, but explore many new areas of the world, making this for an exhilarating reading.
Eona, my god woman, how I loved and hated you. She was pretty aggravating and annoying for a lot of it with her selfish decisions and flippant attitude toward it. But then again, this is what makes her her. She wouldn’t be Eona without her flaws. You can hold yourself in a higher regard but I am quite sure a lot of people try to keep things a secret, or try to figure things out for themselves if they think whatever it is they’re dealing with would potentially hurt the other person. Spare their feelings and worry sort of deal. Not that this is the right thing to do, but it is realistic.
Ah, I loved the romance in this book. It’s captivating and even though there’s a love triangle in it, it’s quite obvious that the other guy has no shot. You’re set in your rooting for one of the guys. But, boy, some of those scenes were sizzling. I swear, I must’ve swooned like crazy a few times. And the best part about this romance is that it’s firmly a subplot and remains in the background. Not like other books were they make the romance the whole focus of the book.
Now that Eona has come out as a woman, she has to deal with behaving like one. A role she hasn’t played for quite a while and then also take control of her growing Dragoneye powers. I really loved the whole magical energy world and seeing her unleash a whole slew of bad ass on their enemies. Something she wasn’t able to do in the previous book.
The ending was everything I hoped for but there was something missing… I wanted MORE I tell you, MORE. I’m so sad this series is over because I really want to read about more of their stories. Like how the two characters are going to navigate the trials of their relationship and stuff likes. Gah! Damn. I miss this book already.
Read it now! It’s FABULOUS. (Although, I do recommend refreshing your memory with the previous book if you forgot stuff)
April 30, 2016
Excuse me I did not ask to experience the ending of Ruin and Rising all over again
May 26, 2011
If you, like me, loved Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, you can't possibly miss this sequel in which the epic story of The Empire of Celestial Dragons comes to a conclusion. - and YES! only two books, isn't it one more reason to read them?
On the GR synopsis up there it says this is a standalone but don't believe that, you can't possibly enjoy this book without all the background information from Eon.
I enjoyed this much more than the first one, many of the things that stressed me out in Eon were already taken care of in Eona.
First of all, the consistent amount of information about the world-building that I had to take in for this story, had already been digested: background info, protagonists' characterization, settings and so on and so forth. I was more relaxed and didn't have to pay as much attention as in Eon, where I had to build my knowledge of this world - which is quite articulated, believe me - from scratch.
Second, I was already acquainted with Eona. And since I don't like her, I knew pretty much that, as she had annoyed me before, she would annoy me in this book as well. She didn't disappoint. It is actually pretty amazing that I CAN like a story where I totally despise its main character. Well, maybe not TOTALLY but, in many instances, especially in Eon, I thought Eona was bordering on Too Stupid To Live. She sure was dense. In this one, she is still being a coward and a liar and, while being caught up in a love triangle where she shamelessly makes out with both other factors in the equation, she also acquires instant wisdom and is made the new Emperor's Naiso, responsible for advising His Majesty and being his truth bringer. Are you f***ing kidding me?
But, since I already knew her, I didn't spend my time wanting to throttle her and she was almost completely consistent with the person she was in Eon. I say almost because I was a bit disturbed by the sudden outbreak of hormones which took over her sanity after she "became" a woman. First she was a boy, then she was a nympho. Ok, I am exaggerating here but you get my point. Since she gets discovered, there is no more Eon, her past five years as a man are forgotten, if not for her outspokenness. Is this possible?
Dela, while acting as a man for the whole book, is still a woman inside, is always referred to as a "she" and I liked how Goodman kept the intrinsc difference in the Contraire. Actually, maybe I should quote:
"her head turned, stubbled cheek brushing mine."
Ok, this sentence sounds SO wrong. I laughed 15 minutes. But I digress.
The character that really came out and that I liked the most is certainly Ido. While Kygo is a pompous, childish, spoilt kid - true, he IS the Emperor but does he have to act all the time like everything is due to him? Eona included, I mean - Ido is the MAN in this. Consistent with his role in Eon he is a sly, snarky, handsome, cunning son of a b*itch with his own agenda. I loved the villain!
So truly, this book was stunning. The storytelling is superb, the plot is intricate with twists and turns that will keep you glued to the pages, the pace is breathless and the battles epic.
There is also a lot of violence and gore and they're very visual, so be warned: not for the squeamish.
I have just one last complaint. While the cover of Eon was simply gorgeous, this one I didn't like much. What's with the skinsuit? Eona could't possibly have worn that.
And most importantly: what's with the blue eyed, Caucasian Eona?
I hope Alison Goodman is planning to keep on writing fantasy so detailed, well plotted and original because if so, I am going to buy each and every of her books. For lovers of Eragon, you will be blown away by this.
On the GR synopsis up there it says this is a standalone but don't believe that, you can't possibly enjoy this book without all the background information from Eon.
I enjoyed this much more than the first one, many of the things that stressed me out in Eon were already taken care of in Eona.
First of all, the consistent amount of information about the world-building that I had to take in for this story, had already been digested: background info, protagonists' characterization, settings and so on and so forth. I was more relaxed and didn't have to pay as much attention as in Eon, where I had to build my knowledge of this world - which is quite articulated, believe me - from scratch.
Second, I was already acquainted with Eona. And since I don't like her, I knew pretty much that, as she had annoyed me before, she would annoy me in this book as well. She didn't disappoint. It is actually pretty amazing that I CAN like a story where I totally despise its main character. Well, maybe not TOTALLY but, in many instances, especially in Eon, I thought Eona was bordering on Too Stupid To Live. She sure was dense. In this one, she is still being a coward and a liar and, while being caught up in a love triangle where she shamelessly makes out with both other factors in the equation, she also acquires instant wisdom and is made the new Emperor's Naiso, responsible for advising His Majesty and being his truth bringer. Are you f***ing kidding me?
But, since I already knew her, I didn't spend my time wanting to throttle her and she was almost completely consistent with the person she was in Eon. I say almost because I was a bit disturbed by the sudden outbreak of hormones which took over her sanity after she "became" a woman. First she was a boy, then she was a nympho. Ok, I am exaggerating here but you get my point. Since she gets discovered, there is no more Eon, her past five years as a man are forgotten, if not for her outspokenness. Is this possible?
Dela, while acting as a man for the whole book, is still a woman inside, is always referred to as a "she" and I liked how Goodman kept the intrinsc difference in the Contraire. Actually, maybe I should quote:
"her head turned, stubbled cheek brushing mine."
Ok, this sentence sounds SO wrong. I laughed 15 minutes. But I digress.
The character that really came out and that I liked the most is certainly Ido. While Kygo is a pompous, childish, spoilt kid - true, he IS the Emperor but does he have to act all the time like everything is due to him? Eona included, I mean - Ido is the MAN in this. Consistent with his role in Eon he is a sly, snarky, handsome, cunning son of a b*itch with his own agenda. I loved the villain!
So truly, this book was stunning. The storytelling is superb, the plot is intricate with twists and turns that will keep you glued to the pages, the pace is breathless and the battles epic.
There is also a lot of violence and gore and they're very visual, so be warned: not for the squeamish.
I have just one last complaint. While the cover of Eon was simply gorgeous, this one I didn't like much. What's with the skinsuit? Eona could't possibly have worn that.
And most importantly: what's with the blue eyed, Caucasian Eona?
I hope Alison Goodman is planning to keep on writing fantasy so detailed, well plotted and original because if so, I am going to buy each and every of her books. For lovers of Eragon, you will be blown away by this.
December 1, 2015
Oh, man. This was agony. It ended really well, but the process of getting there was SO STRESSFUL.
Most of the way through this book, I wasn't sure where it was going, or what the point of it all was, but at the end it all came together, and the reasoning behind all the other stuff that had happened became clear. I know if I went back and re-read this now, I would feel much differently about it.
Eon (sometimes subtitled Dragoneye Reborn or Rise of the Dragoneye) was all about Eona learning to accept her identity as a woman *internally*. It was only after she did that that she was able to do what she needed to do. NOT accepting herself, trying to live a lie, was not only (literally) poisoning her, but also actively prevented her from doing things she needed to do for herself, her friends, and her country.
Eona: The Last Dragoneye is the natural outcome of that arc. Acceptance is only the first step for Eona. In this book, she has to learn how to navigate all kinds of new power dynamics. Her power as a woman, as a friend, as a lover. As a noble lady. As an advisor. And most importantly, as a Dragoneye, and furthermore, a Dragoneye with powers no other Dragoneye has had for 500 years, if ever. Eona's abilities are seductive and powerful. They also begin to cloud her judgment. She starts to have a hard time distinguishing between the power she actually holds over people, and the power she should hold over them.
She also has to deal with romantic and sexual feelings for the first time, which are complicated by
I am definitely glad I read this series, and if you have YA fatigue like I did, you should probably check it out, too. Having finished now, I can safely say it was refreshing to read a book with such a flawed heroine, the type of character who usually has to be male. I will for sure be checking out Alison Goodman's writing in the future, especially her newest book due to publish in January, which is tantalizingly billed as a cross between Jane Austen and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so sign me the hell up for that.
Most of the way through this book, I wasn't sure where it was going, or what the point of it all was, but at the end it all came together, and the reasoning behind all the other stuff that had happened became clear. I know if I went back and re-read this now, I would feel much differently about it.
Eon (sometimes subtitled Dragoneye Reborn or Rise of the Dragoneye) was all about Eona learning to accept her identity as a woman *internally*. It was only after she did that that she was able to do what she needed to do. NOT accepting herself, trying to live a lie, was not only (literally) poisoning her, but also actively prevented her from doing things she needed to do for herself, her friends, and her country.
Eona: The Last Dragoneye is the natural outcome of that arc. Acceptance is only the first step for Eona. In this book, she has to learn how to navigate all kinds of new power dynamics. Her power as a woman, as a friend, as a lover. As a noble lady. As an advisor. And most importantly, as a Dragoneye, and furthermore, a Dragoneye with powers no other Dragoneye has had for 500 years, if ever. Eona's abilities are seductive and powerful. They also begin to cloud her judgment. She starts to have a hard time distinguishing between the power she actually holds over people, and the power she should hold over them.
She also has to deal with romantic and sexual feelings for the first time, which are complicated by
I am definitely glad I read this series, and if you have YA fatigue like I did, you should probably check it out, too. Having finished now, I can safely say it was refreshing to read a book with such a flawed heroine, the type of character who usually has to be male. I will for sure be checking out Alison Goodman's writing in the future, especially her newest book due to publish in January, which is tantalizingly billed as a cross between Jane Austen and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so sign me the hell up for that.
October 13, 2012
Spoilers
After escaping Sethon and his army, Eona commits to helping Prince Kygo reclaim his throne. To have any chance of defeating Sethon and his army, Eona must free her once enemy, Lord Ido, so he can train her to use her Dragoneye powers.
-The story flowed a lot better than the first book, the writing and pacing felt more natural as there wasn't as much unnecessary detail or overly long inner monologues. The plot was pretty gripping for the most part, there were quite a few unexpected twists and turns that kept me hooked. The end felt a little abrupt though and I was left with a few unanswered questions in relation to the dragons and the land, Eona and her mum and also Eona's relationship with Kygo. Are the dragons still going to use their powers to help with natural disasters? Will Eona carry on as Kygo's Naiso? How was Kygo such a manslut when his status as prince meant that no-one was allowed to touch him? Is Kygo going to marry someone else and have a bunch of concubines as well as Eona as his lover? Will Eona just accept that Kygo will have dozens of lovers or will she leave him for someone else?
-The romance, love triangle and love interest were utterly disappointing. Eona suddenly starts getting hot for Kygo even though 1) He once almost killed her 2) She's scared of him 3) He doesn't treat her as an equal 4) He's a douche and a bastard 5) He lies to her and manipulates her and 6) He wants her powers more than he wants her. Their relationship wasn't romantic at all, it was cringey and disgusting. I hated that 1) Eona had to keep bowing down to him 2) Kygo had all the power in the relationship 3) Whenever Kygo got pissed at Eona he would treat her like a servant and 4) Eona had to keep acting submissive around him. What a fucked up relationship.
Don't even get me started on Rapey McRapey - Lord Ido. I actually ended up preferring Rapey Ido over Abusey Kygo because at least Ido and Eona were equals. There's something seriously wrong in a love triangle when I prefer the rapist over the other guy.
-I was pissed that everyone gave Eona a hard time over things she couldn't control, it fucked me off that Eona hardly stuck up for herself and instead took their shit. Dela, Vida, Kygo and Ryko kept having a go at her over every little thing and yet they thought nothing of their own questionable actions. That fucker Kygo killed a bunch of innocent people because he was angry his family died but his fucked up behaviour was excused because he was a guy and naturally he couldn't control his rage. Unlike women who don't feel as much as men and so have no excuse for doing anything bad. Eona was hung drawn and quartered when she was basically forced in to healing someone which led to her losing control of her powers and killing a bunch of villagers — it was an accident yet her so called friends don't support her, instead they bitch at her and make her feel even worse. They all acted like she was evul even though she was trying to save a life and was unaware her powers would get out of control. The double standards made me sick.
-I hated that Eona had to keep apologising for being powerful and for actually liking being that way. Why was it so bad that she enjoyed being powerful? The only answer seemed to be because she was a woman and 'good women' shouldn't be ambitious or want power..ugh.
-Eona's reaction to her mum was unrealistic. Her bitch mother sold her at age 6 yet Eona wasn't even bothered about it and instead she was chummy with her. I hate it when a huge betrayal is just brushed under the carpet because it's easier to write for the author.
Overall this was still an enjoyable read, even though the romance and double standards were unimpressive, Eona's inability to stick up for herself was beyond annoying and the ending didn't give me much closure.
After escaping Sethon and his army, Eona commits to helping Prince Kygo reclaim his throne. To have any chance of defeating Sethon and his army, Eona must free her once enemy, Lord Ido, so he can train her to use her Dragoneye powers.
-The story flowed a lot better than the first book, the writing and pacing felt more natural as there wasn't as much unnecessary detail or overly long inner monologues. The plot was pretty gripping for the most part, there were quite a few unexpected twists and turns that kept me hooked. The end felt a little abrupt though and I was left with a few unanswered questions in relation to the dragons and the land, Eona and her mum and also Eona's relationship with Kygo. Are the dragons still going to use their powers to help with natural disasters? Will Eona carry on as Kygo's Naiso? How was Kygo such a manslut when his status as prince meant that no-one was allowed to touch him? Is Kygo going to marry someone else and have a bunch of concubines as well as Eona as his lover? Will Eona just accept that Kygo will have dozens of lovers or will she leave him for someone else?
-The romance, love triangle and love interest were utterly disappointing. Eona suddenly starts getting hot for Kygo even though 1) He once almost killed her 2) She's scared of him 3) He doesn't treat her as an equal 4) He's a douche and a bastard 5) He lies to her and manipulates her and 6) He wants her powers more than he wants her. Their relationship wasn't romantic at all, it was cringey and disgusting. I hated that 1) Eona had to keep bowing down to him 2) Kygo had all the power in the relationship 3) Whenever Kygo got pissed at Eona he would treat her like a servant and 4) Eona had to keep acting submissive around him. What a fucked up relationship.
Don't even get me started on Rapey McRapey - Lord Ido. I actually ended up preferring Rapey Ido over Abusey Kygo because at least Ido and Eona were equals. There's something seriously wrong in a love triangle when I prefer the rapist over the other guy.
-I was pissed that everyone gave Eona a hard time over things she couldn't control, it fucked me off that Eona hardly stuck up for herself and instead took their shit. Dela, Vida, Kygo and Ryko kept having a go at her over every little thing and yet they thought nothing of their own questionable actions. That fucker Kygo killed a bunch of innocent people because he was angry his family died but his fucked up behaviour was excused because he was a guy and naturally he couldn't control his rage. Unlike women who don't feel as much as men and so have no excuse for doing anything bad. Eona was hung drawn and quartered when she was basically forced in to healing someone which led to her losing control of her powers and killing a bunch of villagers — it was an accident yet her so called friends don't support her, instead they bitch at her and make her feel even worse. They all acted like she was evul even though she was trying to save a life and was unaware her powers would get out of control. The double standards made me sick.
-I hated that Eona had to keep apologising for being powerful and for actually liking being that way. Why was it so bad that she enjoyed being powerful? The only answer seemed to be because she was a woman and 'good women' shouldn't be ambitious or want power..ugh.
-Eona's reaction to her mum was unrealistic. Her bitch mother sold her at age 6 yet Eona wasn't even bothered about it and instead she was chummy with her. I hate it when a huge betrayal is just brushed under the carpet because it's easier to write for the author.
Overall this was still an enjoyable read, even though the romance and double standards were unimpressive, Eona's inability to stick up for herself was beyond annoying and the ending didn't give me much closure.
February 2, 2020
Beni yine bir baydı ama sevdim.
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