Shadow Scale Blog Tour {review and giveaway}

I'm thrilled to have the Shadow Scale (Seraphina #2) stopping by today with my review and a giveaway...

Shadow Scale

(Seraphina #2)

by Rachel Hartman

3/10/15

Random House Children's Books

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?

goodreads / amazon / b&n 

Praise for the Seraphina Series

“In a young readers’ market dominated by sexy paranormal creatures, it’s refreshing to return to an epic fantasy about good old-fashioned dragons—although Seraphina . . . isn’t exactly old-fashioned. It’s 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

“Full of grace and gravitas, Seraphina’s first-person voice is a welcome change from today’s snark-infested YA novels. Readers loath to turn the last page of this lush, intricately plotted fantasy will rejoice in the knowledge of [a] sequel.”

—The Washington Post

“Her world-building is so detailed and well-integrated, each character and place so well-drawn, one wonders if they truly exist somewhere. . . . Endorsed by fantasy powerhouses such as Christopher Paolini and Tamora Pierce, Seraphina is an engaging and innovative fantasy that uses the plights of dragons and humans as an allegory for the real prejudices we all must face.”

—BookPage

“Passion and musicality—those are the qualities prized by Seraphina, the fiercely intelligent, headstrong half-human/half-dragon heroine in Rachel Hartman’s debut novel of the same name. They also emanate from every element—from prose to plot—in this beguiling YA fantasy.”

—National Post

“A beautifully written fantasy debut about a young girl’s journey to gain acceptance of herself.”

—SheKnows.com

“Seraphina makes dragons fascinating once again.”

—io9.com

“BookPeople children’s buyer Meghan Goel says [Seraphina, a] ‘wonderful new dragon fantasy,’ should be on your to-get list for July; it’s also snagged praise from the likes of Eragon bestselling author Christopher Paolini.”

—Austin American-Statesman

Seraphina, half human half dragon, once again finds herself in the middle of a terrible war between humans and dragons. She and her faithful companion, Abdo, set out to gather others like them and combine their powers to defeat their dragon opposition. But along the way, Seraphina discovers an unexpected enemy and startling truths that change her life forever.

In this sequel to the incredible Seraphina, Rachel Hartman brings readers back into her exquisitely rendered and masterfully crafted world full of dragons, science, adventure, and romance. Like its predecessor, Shadow Scale unfolds through gorgeous, lyrical writing and enthralling, smart storytelling. The lush, fascinating world we are introduced to in book one is expanded and laid out in even further captivating details in this sequel, as both readers and our heroine journey to lands far away from Goredd. The physical world-building is excellent, but the political, cultural, and religious world-building is simply breathtaking in its complexity, believability, and depth. Hartman does a wonderful job of combining different elements (intriguing science, dark whimsy, thrilling action, enchanting romance) to create such a unique and fully realized world.

I loved traveling with Seraphina, far and wide, in Shadow Scale! This journey is full of surprises, heart-stopping moments, exciting danger, amusing humor, and startling revelations and twists. Shadow Scale, at over 500 pages, is a long book, but it never feels slow nor are there any dull moments. There’s magic and adventure and action and romance in this fantasy, but Hartman also incorporates and explores topics (gender equality, class, LGBTQ issues, and more) that are very relevant to our world, but never feel out of place in Seraphina’s world.

The characters I fell in love with in Seraphina, continue to amaze, charm, and intrigue in Shadow Scale! From capable, complex Seraphina to endearing Abdo, charming Kiggs, the other half-human half-dragons, the compelling dragons, and more, Shadow Scale is brimming with engaging, interesting characters. And I must admit that I might have loved Glisselda the most in this one.

Shadow Scale does not conclude in the way I thought it would, instead it has a much more profound, thought-provoking, and totally satisfying ending than I expected!

my final thoughts: With its mesmerizing writing, compelling characters, and riveting story, Shadow Scale is a wonderful sequel in a truly spectacular series!

MY RATING

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As a child, Rachel Hartman played cello, lip-synched Mozart operas with her sisters, and fostered the deep love of music that inspired much of Seraphina. Rachel earned a degree in comparative literature but eschewed graduate school in favor of bookselling and drawing comics. Born in Kentucky, she has lived in Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, England, and Japan. She now lives with her family in Vancouver, Canada.

Win 1 of 2 copies of Shadow Scale!

Random House has generously offered two copies for two winners.

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-ends 3/21

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