Audiobook Review: Eon, Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

Title:  Eon, Dragoneye Reborn
Author:  Alison Goodman
Series:  Eon
Publisher:  Brilliance Audio
Publication Date:  December 28, 2008
Links:  Audible | Goodreads
Rating: 

From Goodreads:

Twelve-year-old Eon has been in training for years. His intensive study of Dragon Magic, based on East Asian astrology, involves two kinds of skills: sword-work and magical aptitude. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye – an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune.

But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a boy for the chance to become a Dragoneye. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured. When Eon’s secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne.

Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life.

Review:

I had been told that Eon was a great fantasy novel, but that it was mostly history and back-story for the first half of the book and didn’t get really good until the second half. If you don’t like a rich history and spectacular world-building, then this is probably true for you. I’m not reading YA novels for an intense history lesson, and I don’t know if it is the result of the fabulous narrator (Nancy Wu), but I didn’t find the first half (or any other part, for that matter) at all tedious or unnecessary to the story. Quite the opposite, actually. Miss Wu’s performance was captivating.

That’s not to say that the book itself can’t stand on its own. This story is ripe with adventure, betrayal, and magic. Once the action starts, so much happens in such a small span of time. I was often parched while listening to this book, as my mouth was constantly hanging open in a state of awe. Eon is intense and clever and everything I want in a high-fantasy novel.

If the story itself won’t keep you entertained, the characters sure will. What a motley crew Eona has surrounded herself with. Eona is far from simple, but her allies in this exploit all lead some rather interesting lives, as well.

The descriptive elements in this novel are beyond reproach. Not only are you able to perfectly envision each character’s physical appearance, but also the emotions they wear on their faces and the secrets in their hearts. The depiction of the dragons and their movements and gestures are unequivocally realistic; if there was a dragon in the room with me right now, I bet he’d react and emote in just the way the author describes.

Eon is brilliantly written and beautifully told. This novel was such a fantastic adventure and Eona is a truly unique heroine. If you enjoy a kick-a$$ girl-on-a-mission story, this book is right up your alley.

Labels: audiobooks, eon, reviews