"Men were always quick to believe in the madness of women."

My Pre-Reading
Paul's Review

When I finished reading Eon, I was really excited that there would be a sequel so that we could find out what happens once Eona reveals her true identity and learns that her dragon is the queen of all the dragons. I figured it would mostly be about defeating High Lord Sethon and finding Emperor Kygo. If the book ended after about the first two chapters, I would have been right.

As it was though, Eona was so much more. I loved learning more about the dragons, and their relationship with the Dragoneyes. I thought that the way they were connected with the Earthly realm was so creative, and was not at all what I was expecting. The way Eona handles the information she receives is very commendable, and I was glad she didn't follow Lord Ido's advice regarding her power. I did find myself liking Lord Ido somewhere in the middle of the book, but I wasn't surprised by his actions at the end.

Eona really struggles with who she is and what her responsibilities are supposed to be throughout this novel, and I think Goodman deals with it very well. She has the power to communicate with and control the all-powerful dragons, and yet she still deals with the same issues that most teenage girls deal with. She starts to fall in love with someone who shouldn't love her back, she doesn't know how she should behave, she's lied to nearly everyone and needs them to trust her, and she still has no way to communicate with her dragon without being ambushed. But through all of that, she's still very courageous, quick-witted, and down to earth.

Like Eon, this book has very long chapters. I really think they could have been split up more, but I kind of got used to it by the end. The long chapters caused some of the pacing to be slow at times, and I think some parts were too detailed. Other parts though had the perfect amount of detail and I love how Goodman is able to build the world. The map in the beginning of the book definitely helped with the world building, and I love when maps are included.

For anyone who read Eon, this is a must read! For anyone who hasn't read Eon and enjoys YA fantasy novels, you should go read both Eon and then go read Eona! I think that fans of books like the Graceling series would really enjoy this series as well. I rated this book a 4.5/5. 


--Ashley

Paul's Missing Eona Review

I can not believe I did this. Apparently, I completely forgot to write a review for Eona. Now, I read this a few weeks, or maybe even months, ago. I hate when I have these very short and vague reviews, but I feel obligated to write something. I have to thank Ashley for letting me know I forgot to do this. 

Title: Eona
Author: Alison Goodman
Year Published: 2011

I really enjoyed this book. It has big chapters, like Eon, but I was used to them. It is interesting how Goodman deals with gender. I really Like Lady Dela. I found her relationship very interesting. 

I always enjoy sequels more when the world is so vast and interesting as it is in this duology. I enjoyed seeing new regions that were not in the first book. 

I really enjoyed how the mythology of the Dragons and the Dragoneyes was expanded upon. It was very interesting.

If you read Eon, you MUST read Eona! If you haven't read Eon yet, go pick it up. It's a wonderful story that deals with gender, magic, and epic fantasy!

I give this novel a 5/5.

Eona

Title: Eona
Author: Alison Goodman
Year Published: 2011

Synopsis:   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....

Why?: I read the first book in the duology, Eon: Dragoneye Reborn a while back. I was interested in how the story continues, and have been waiting for Paul to this book so we could finish the series.

Expectations: I expect this book to be more epic than the first. Eona is trying to embrace her womanhood, and I expect her to have some issues dealing with that and trying to overcome everything she was taught. I think there will also be some problems with the dragons, since most of the Dragoneyes are dead. I also expect the story to be wrapped up in this novel, since there aren't any more books in the series. Oh, and long chapters. Even though I hope they aren't as long as they were in Eon, I think they'll still be longer than I like.

Judging a book by its cover: A girl, who I assume to be Eona, stands facing an entire army with just two swords. I feel like there will be an epic battle, and only Eona will be able to fight. Perhaps she can summon her dragon to help her (although it's said that Dragoneyes cannot use their power for war), or maybe she can only use those two swords to fight. Either way, the cover is epic and I expect the story to be epic as well.


--Ashley