I was pleasantly surprised by this short fantasy novel. It starts out like most dragon rider academy stories, but veers off and becomes something totally different, with a wonderfully unexpected twist at the end that I definitely didn't see coming. The world building is very good and definitely added a lot to the backdrop of the story, and I quite enjoyed Eldwin's character. It's unusual for the main character of a fantasy novel to be so reticent and constantly considering what's "safe" and following the rules. At first, I felt it was a little overdone, but as the story progressed and the character developed, it actually added a lot, because it made his decisions and the times when he did, in fact, break the rules, far more powerful moments. Maren is a fun side character, who is more in line with the quintessential Harry Potter style rule-breaking student, and I enjoyed how she kept getting Eldwin into trouble, and also showed him how to live a little. Her getting into trouble also forced Eldwin to make some of those all-important decisions to take matters into his own hands and do what was right. That said, he's far from perfect, which made him into a well-rounded character, and the fact this story doesn't have the expected HEA of ultimate success adds a lot to the story. This is the start of Eldwin's journey and I'm glad he's not the typical fantasy hero who gets everything right.
I did feel the disability representation could have been handled better. There was a lot of attention placed on the "freak show" element from other people around Eldwin, while focus on how it affected his day to day life and was a simple part of his existence, not to mention the backstory of how it happened, were mostly ignored. I feel, if I'd actually been able to connect with that part of the character's existence, it would have made the story pack a more powerful punch and gone from interesting to unforgettable.
A good book. Definitely worth a read for those who enjoy dragon rider fantasy and want something a little different.
Comments