Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

Shadow Scale (Seraphina, #2)

by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina took the literary world by storm with 8 starred reviews and numerous “Best of” lists. At last, her eagerly awaited sequel has arrived—and with it comes an epic battle between humans and dragons.
 
The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways.
 
As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?
 
Praise for Seraphina:
 
A New York Times Bestseller
An Indie Bestseller
Winner of the William C. Morris Debut Award
Winner of the Cybil Award for Teen Fantasy and Science Fiction
An Amazon Top 20 Teen Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Library Journal Best Young Adult Literature for Adults Selection
A Booklist Editors’ Choice
An ABA New Voices Pick
A Publishers Weekly Flying Start Author
An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book
An ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults Book
Recipient of 8 Starred Reviews
 
“Beautifully written, well-rounded characters, and some of the most interesting dragons I’ve read in fantasy for a long while. An impressive debut novel; I can’t wait to see what Rachel Hartman writes next.”
—Christopher Paolini, New York Times bestselling author of Eragon
 
“A novel that will appeal to both fans of Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series and Robin McKinley’s The Hero and the Crown.
Entertainment Weekly

Reviewed by layawaydragon on

2 of 5 stars

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TW: Rape, Mind Control/Invasion, Attempted Suicide

Starts with a male narrator recapping Seraphina like a history teacher. After finishing the book, the question he asks seems all the more misguided. He totally askes about the wrong person.

Then there's a prologue that's a flashback to Ulma telling Seraphina about a creation myth and helping with her garden and dealing with Genula.

After this, the story finally starts off 3 months after Seraphina ends.

It started off well, then went off the rails. The last several hours I was frustrated and pissed off. Seraphina made a good showing for investigating, being resourceful, and making moves in the first book. This time around she's saved by Abdo, slow to pick up the obvious, and moved like a pawn. It's like she burned up all her agency and brain power in the beginning.


Notes:
->No idea why it's called Shadow Scale.
->Plague and Plague doctors.
->More interesting history
->Doesn't explain how Northern P-country (sorry can't spell b/c audiobook) was able to treaty so well with the dragons.
-> Northern P-country language sounds AMAZING.
->Trans* woman character!
-> Viva la Revolution!
->Okay, now I'm loving Eska.
-> Where is Millie? I miss her.
-> The old knights are funny.
-> Fucking Kiggs. I am disappoint.
-> Fuckity fuck Jannoula.
->Go Team Free Will!! Why you so passive? FFS, get it done!
->Selda is basically a disembodied voice this whole time and it's awful.
->Seraphina WHY ARE YOU BEING SO DAMN FUCKING SLOW??!

The rest of my notes were counting down the hours while Seraphina ghosts around mopping and lamenting "I just can't think of what to do!"while ITS SO OBVIOUS!!! I was so tired of her pacisism, dragging her feet, and just being so damn dull and annoying. It really could've and should've been shorter. HOURS SHORTER.

Then, it finally ends and it doesn't even mesh well. The kumbiaya and saving the worst while sacrificing the great for token sadness is bullshit. Should've just made it all happily ever to match the stupid resolution.

The Surprise Sapphric Love:
There is not enough foundation to just believe this. There should have been more of THAT, more moments between them, more on the page. Being private? FINE. But don't have a heterosexual relationship dominate and then throw a scrap in at the end. No pat on the back for this shit.

I am so fucking disappointed in Shadow Scale.

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  • 29 April, 2018: Reviewed