At the heels of an imperial takeover, Eona has been revealed as a female Dragoneye and flees with her rebel friends for her life. Determined to put Kygo, the rightful heir, back onto the throne, Eona and her friends must do all they can to understand her Dragoneye powers, which so far are nearly impossible for her to control. To help Eona gain control over her powers, the Rebels reluctantly rescue Lord Ido, the Rat Dragoneye who murdered the other Dragoneyes in a selfish quest for ultimate power, who is to help her learn.
However, Eona finds herself torn between her love for Kygo and her undeniable pull towards Ido. She struggles to be true to herself in a world where telling the truth can mean losing her free will. Eonas eventual decision will not only alter the political landscape of the land, but also the Dragoneyes very connection to the mystical and powerful dragons themselves.
I was dying for this sequel. Absolutely dying. Two years of distracting myself by reading other books, waiting for EONA to finally, finally be released. And even though I didnt enjoy it as much as I did Eon, it is still a towering accomplishment in fantasy literature that should satisfy most fans of the first book.
Alison Goodmans world-building is as astonishing as ever. Whereas Eon largely takes place within the walls of the castle grounds, EONA traverses various landscapes, cultures, and attitudes in a dizzying array of information to keep track of. And it doesnt entirely succeed. The bulk of the story remains close to Eona, Kygo, Ido, and their various plans for overthrowing the traitor Emperor Sethon; supporting characters who come in and out of the story dont feel grounded within the world, and thus I found it extremely difficult to keep track of the goings-on and their importance.
Perhaps I shouldve reread Eon before starting EONA, because I found that EONA went in an entirely different direction than I had expected. For instance, whereas Eon emphasizes personal growth and court tensions, the majority of EONA felt like it toyed with a disappointingly more conventional YA love triangle between Kygo, Eona, and Ido. Neither of these people are truly likable: turns out that all three are power-hungry and mistrustful in their own ways. I actually appreciate this complexity of character. Here are three very different people, all thrust into an inescapable game of political and magical push-and-pull; it would be next to impossible that theyd come out of their experiences untouched.
So I really enjoyed reading about their flaws, but it made the fact that the love triangle seemed to be such a large part of EONA a little unbearable. I wasnt particularly a fan of either leg of the triangle, and it felt a little like giving in to YA conventions, in my opinion, detracting from the action-packed, conspiracy-oriented feel of Eon.
Nevertheless, EONA is an impressive conclusion to a marvelously complex world that was introduced in Eon, and therefore has to be read by anyone who read and enjoyed the first book. The focus of EONA shifts, but still ends on a note that will likely leave you nodding and smiling.
However, Eona finds herself torn between her love for Kygo and her undeniable pull towards Ido. She struggles to be true to herself in a world where telling the truth can mean losing her free will. Eonas eventual decision will not only alter the political landscape of the land, but also the Dragoneyes very connection to the mystical and powerful dragons themselves.
I was dying for this sequel. Absolutely dying. Two years of distracting myself by reading other books, waiting for EONA to finally, finally be released. And even though I didnt enjoy it as much as I did Eon, it is still a towering accomplishment in fantasy literature that should satisfy most fans of the first book.
Alison Goodmans world-building is as astonishing as ever. Whereas Eon largely takes place within the walls of the castle grounds, EONA traverses various landscapes, cultures, and attitudes in a dizzying array of information to keep track of. And it doesnt entirely succeed. The bulk of the story remains close to Eona, Kygo, Ido, and their various plans for overthrowing the traitor Emperor Sethon; supporting characters who come in and out of the story dont feel grounded within the world, and thus I found it extremely difficult to keep track of the goings-on and their importance.
Perhaps I shouldve reread Eon before starting EONA, because I found that EONA went in an entirely different direction than I had expected. For instance, whereas Eon emphasizes personal growth and court tensions, the majority of EONA felt like it toyed with a disappointingly more conventional YA love triangle between Kygo, Eona, and Ido. Neither of these people are truly likable: turns out that all three are power-hungry and mistrustful in their own ways. I actually appreciate this complexity of character. Here are three very different people, all thrust into an inescapable game of political and magical push-and-pull; it would be next to impossible that theyd come out of their experiences untouched.
So I really enjoyed reading about their flaws, but it made the fact that the love triangle seemed to be such a large part of EONA a little unbearable. I wasnt particularly a fan of either leg of the triangle, and it felt a little like giving in to YA conventions, in my opinion, detracting from the action-packed, conspiracy-oriented feel of Eon.
Nevertheless, EONA is an impressive conclusion to a marvelously complex world that was introduced in Eon, and therefore has to be read by anyone who read and enjoyed the first book. The focus of EONA shifts, but still ends on a note that will likely leave you nodding and smiling.
I confess I was a bit disappointed by this book. I enjoyed "Eon" and thought there was a lot of potential for "Eona", but for me it never quite got there.
The pacing of the story felt off. A lot of things happen to and around Eona in very quick succession. As you'd expect everything builds towards a big climactic battle but then the story ends a page later.
After all the buildup to the bonding/union in the first story, Eona spends relatively little time actually working with her dragon in this book and I found it disappointing that none of the revelations come as a result of the interaction between Eona and her Dragon. Most of the forward momentum to the plot comes from Eona being told things by others, not from anything she learns herself.
Further more I don't really feel like Eona experienced true character growth. Yes, she does a lot of new things, but there doesn't seem to be any of the internalization, acceptance, understanding that I would consider to be indicative of actual character growth. In fact almost every time someone points out that she's changing, Eona stubborn rejects the idea.
I don't mean to say that the book isn't worth reading; it is, if Eon left you curious. I suppose its more to say that I'd recommend borrowing it from the library or a friend over buying it yourself in hardcover.
The pacing of the story felt off. A lot of things happen to and around Eona in very quick succession. As you'd expect everything builds towards a big climactic battle but then the story ends a page later.
After all the buildup to the bonding/union in the first story, Eona spends relatively little time actually working with her dragon in this book and I found it disappointing that none of the revelations come as a result of the interaction between Eona and her Dragon. Most of the forward momentum to the plot comes from Eona being told things by others, not from anything she learns herself.
Further more I don't really feel like Eona experienced true character growth. Yes, she does a lot of new things, but there doesn't seem to be any of the internalization, acceptance, understanding that I would consider to be indicative of actual character growth. In fact almost every time someone points out that she's changing, Eona stubborn rejects the idea.
I don't mean to say that the book isn't worth reading; it is, if Eon left you curious. I suppose its more to say that I'd recommend borrowing it from the library or a friend over buying it yourself in hardcover.
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
Eona has finally shed her false identity. Now, she must look to setting the kingdom to rights after High Lord Sethon took control. All the Dragoneyes are dead, with the exception of the traitorous Lord Ido.
Eona, Ryko, and Lady Dela attempt to find their Emperor - the young son with ties to the throne. Indeed, Kygo is the true Pearl Emperor. When they find him, they must attempt to take the throne back from his uncle.
Regaining control of the land won't be easy. Death and destruction will come. Without their Dragoneyes, dragons are disappearing from the world. Now more than ever, Eona needs Lord Ido alive, so that he can share his knowledge. In the past, Lord Ido only wanted power. Could he have changed? Eona isn't putting all her hopes in Ido sharing his knowledge; she's also working on translating a folio left by her ancestors.
The knowledge and power she gains from the folio scare her beyond belief. Could her destiny already be chosen for her?
The stunning conclusion to EON: DRAGONEYE REBORN was an intense, emotional read. I loved reading about the union between the Mirror Dragon and Eona. I loved the twists and turns of this read. I loved the relationship between Eona and Kygo. Honesty, I just loved the book. It was heartbreaking, frustrating, horror-filled, sweet, satisfying, romantic, and vastly entertaining.
Eona has finally shed her false identity. Now, she must look to setting the kingdom to rights after High Lord Sethon took control. All the Dragoneyes are dead, with the exception of the traitorous Lord Ido.
Eona, Ryko, and Lady Dela attempt to find their Emperor - the young son with ties to the throne. Indeed, Kygo is the true Pearl Emperor. When they find him, they must attempt to take the throne back from his uncle.
Regaining control of the land won't be easy. Death and destruction will come. Without their Dragoneyes, dragons are disappearing from the world. Now more than ever, Eona needs Lord Ido alive, so that he can share his knowledge. In the past, Lord Ido only wanted power. Could he have changed? Eona isn't putting all her hopes in Ido sharing his knowledge; she's also working on translating a folio left by her ancestors.
The knowledge and power she gains from the folio scare her beyond belief. Could her destiny already be chosen for her?
The stunning conclusion to EON: DRAGONEYE REBORN was an intense, emotional read. I loved reading about the union between the Mirror Dragon and Eona. I loved the twists and turns of this read. I loved the relationship between Eona and Kygo. Honesty, I just loved the book. It was heartbreaking, frustrating, horror-filled, sweet, satisfying, romantic, and vastly entertaining.
I got an ARC of this book through Librarything's Early Reviewers program. I enjoyed Eon and was excited to read the conclusion to the story that started in that book. I actually "read" Eon on audio book and wasn't all that impressed with the reader; so I was hoping I would enjoy reading Goodman's writing even more than the audio book. Luckily I did; this book was absolutely excellent. You definitely should read Eon before reading this book.
This books starts with Eona fleeing the capital and on her way to join the Resistance. She is hoping to find the Emperor and help bring him back to power. Of course Eona is having to deal with learning how to be a woman in this book (after spending so much time dressed as a boy in the last book). She is also having trouble merging with her Mirror Dragon; every time she does she is attacked by the other dragons who have lost their Dragonseyes. The only one who can train her in the use of her dragon is Ido, and he is being held captive by Lord Sethon back at the capital. Eona may have to rescue Ido and combine forces with her enemy if she is ever going to help return the true Emperor to power.
This book was very well done. Goodman has a way with description that really makes the world come alive. The characters she's created here have a lot of depth and are easy to engage with. Eona struggles with a number of issues and goes through a lot of hardship; she also matures a lot in this book and that was wonderful to see. The plot moves quickly and takes a lot of twists and turns, it really kept me on my toes and engaging. It was a very hard book to put down.
Of course Eona and Kygo (the Emperor) end up having a bit of a thing for each other; you could predict this based on events that happened in Eon. It was nice to have this thread of romance woven through all the politics and killing that go on in this book. The only thing I wished throughout this book was that there was a little bit of humor woven in it. All the characters take themselves deadly serious and they never really learn to laugh at their mistakes or have any fun at all.
The story ends up being somewhat epic in proportions. There are battles both in the physical and spirit world; these battles never get too graphic. In general this book is well-suited to the young adult or older age group. The wrap up is well done and I enjoyed it. Although I would have enjoyed seeing what our characters did after the conclusion of the end battle; you don't really get to see that here.
Overall an excellent conclusion to this series. Wonderful description, wonderful characters, and twisty turny plot that really keeps the reader engaged and makes the book hard to put down. Definitely something you should read if you read and enjoyed Eon. If you are a fan of historical fantasy, especially Japanese based historical fantasy I definitely recommend picking up both Eon, along with this book.
This books starts with Eona fleeing the capital and on her way to join the Resistance. She is hoping to find the Emperor and help bring him back to power. Of course Eona is having to deal with learning how to be a woman in this book (after spending so much time dressed as a boy in the last book). She is also having trouble merging with her Mirror Dragon; every time she does she is attacked by the other dragons who have lost their Dragonseyes. The only one who can train her in the use of her dragon is Ido, and he is being held captive by Lord Sethon back at the capital. Eona may have to rescue Ido and combine forces with her enemy if she is ever going to help return the true Emperor to power.
This book was very well done. Goodman has a way with description that really makes the world come alive. The characters she's created here have a lot of depth and are easy to engage with. Eona struggles with a number of issues and goes through a lot of hardship; she also matures a lot in this book and that was wonderful to see. The plot moves quickly and takes a lot of twists and turns, it really kept me on my toes and engaging. It was a very hard book to put down.
Of course Eona and Kygo (the Emperor) end up having a bit of a thing for each other; you could predict this based on events that happened in Eon. It was nice to have this thread of romance woven through all the politics and killing that go on in this book. The only thing I wished throughout this book was that there was a little bit of humor woven in it. All the characters take themselves deadly serious and they never really learn to laugh at their mistakes or have any fun at all.
The story ends up being somewhat epic in proportions. There are battles both in the physical and spirit world; these battles never get too graphic. In general this book is well-suited to the young adult or older age group. The wrap up is well done and I enjoyed it. Although I would have enjoyed seeing what our characters did after the conclusion of the end battle; you don't really get to see that here.
Overall an excellent conclusion to this series. Wonderful description, wonderful characters, and twisty turny plot that really keeps the reader engaged and makes the book hard to put down. Definitely something you should read if you read and enjoyed Eon. If you are a fan of historical fantasy, especially Japanese based historical fantasy I definitely recommend picking up both Eon, along with this book.
I recieved this as an ARC from Librarything and I have to say after reading EON I was excited to read this next installment but I wasn't as please with it as I was EON. There was much to be left wanted. I'm not saying I didn't like it I'm just saying that I like the first book better. I did like the little romance twist she added it gave the book a very Mulan feel.
Loved it! I love everything from Alison Goodman writes, the story grabs you from the start and hangs on to you till the end.
