Book Review: Eona by Alison Goodman

Eona by Alison Goodman
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Publication date: April 2011
ISBN: 9780670063116
Source: Purchased

*Some spoilers for the first book, Eon, are inevitable - read at your own risk!*

Eona is no longer the girl masquerading as a boy, she is the first female dragoneye in centuries and she is powerful. But after witnessing the murder of all the other dragoneyes, she is overwhelmed with all she is responsible for and unable to draw on that power fully. She and her friends are on the run from the evil Lord Sethon and must find the black folio before it falls into the wrong hands. In addition to all of these things, Eona also must choose between two very different kinds of love. Will all of these things pull her apart or simply make her stronger?

Things I Liked:
This book was just as fascinating and action-packed as the first one.  The world Goodman has created is so vivid, colorful, and real that you feel like you are living in it.  The history and the dragons and the dragonlore are just beautifully rendered.  Not to mention the twisting story filled with hints and surprises that will keep you reading just to know where Eona will end up.  I love this book with its gorgeous Asian-inspired culture and heroine who is battling with herself, her motives, and what is right vs what she wants.  Some of the secondary characters are really well-drawn, particularly Kygo and Ido.  An excellent sequel and everything I hoped it would be.

Things I Didn't Like:
It did seem to drag on just a bit too long.  I felt like, while there was a lot of action, there could have been a few things cut to keep us moving the story along.  And I got mad at Eona again, for doing things that you really wished she'd think through and just not seeing what was plain to see.  Just as frustrating and fascinating as last time. 

Read-alikes:
Read Eon: Dragoneye Reborn first
Reminds me of Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
I was too involved in reading to notice, but there were probably at least a few

mrg-factor: XX
some innuendo and it has some sensual parts, nothing explicit

v-factor: ->->->
lots of fighting, lots of action, plenty of description

Overall rating: *****

I've seen mixed reviews of this one - what are your feelings?

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