Eon by Alison Goodman

Eon by Alison Goodman
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: August 1, 2008

Eon has been studying the ancient art of Dragon Magic for four years, hoping he'll be able to apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But he also has a dark secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been living a dangerous lie for the chance to become a Dragon-eye, the human link to an energy dragon's power. It is forbidden for females to practice the Dragon Magic and, if discovered, Eon faces a terrible death. After a dazzling sword ceremony, Eon's affinity with the twelve dragons catapults him into the treacherous world of the Imperial court, where he makes a powerful enemy, Lord Ido. As tension builds and Eon's desperate lie comes to light, readers won't be able to stop turning the pages...

My Review:

I am often distracted by beautiful, shiny objects while browsing any store, and while browsing a bookstore, beautiful, shiny covers catch my attention very often. And this one was definitely no exception with the exquisite design of the dragon along with a figure posed with two very sharp swords. Not to mention the font of the title. Yes, I was mesmerized indeed.

This book was such a nice breath of fresh air. If I didn't have finals the same time I read this book, I may have finished it within a day. One of the strongest points in the book were the characters, and the diversity of the characters. The main character, Eon, was a female crippled disguised in order to train as a Dragoneye apprentice. Some supporting characters are a full-body disabled and a man crossdressing as a woman who is in love with a eunuch guard. The characters were simply superb, with a decent amount of development to accompany them.

I admit that during the second part of the book, the plot felt like it slowed down considerably as Eon adjusted to life in the palace, but once the pace picked back up, it was exciting once more with dragons galore, epic sword fights, and an ending that left me begging for the sequel. The novel definitely has a level of maturity I did not expect from a young adult novel, which left me pleasantly surprised.

Overall? Buy this book. Now. And relish in a beautifully told story weaved from Chinese and Japanese mythology with plenty of action dashed in.

Verdict: Five out of five

Kiss of Night by Debbie Viguié

Kiss of Night by Debbie Viguié
Publisher: Faithwords
Publication Date: October 7, 2011

Centuries ago, Raphael was a blasphemous knight who fought in the Crusades purely for his own mercenary benefit, and to satisfy his taste for killing. Now, condemned for his evil passions and hypocrisy, he wanders the earth a vampire, cursed with first-hand knowledge of the supernatural world he once denied existed. The powerful relic he still possesses from his days as a Crusader has been stolen by a rival vampire who has recruited an army of soulless underlings to aid him in spreading evil. At the time he learns this, Raphael has been hunting this vampire for nearly a century, and it seems the final battle is destined to take place in Prague. For help in this quest, Raphael must enlist the aid of two humans, David and Susan, who suddenly find themselves immersed in a world they never imagined, entangled with supernatural forces they can't control. Susan, in particular, finds herself conflicted as she struggles with her inexplicable attraction to Raphael. In the end, both Susan and Raphael will be called upon to exercise courage and faith, and in the process, the question, "What would happen if a vampire truly accepted God?" is answered

My Review:

It was an accident that I picked up this book to read. I was simply scanning the fiction bookshelf at my local bookstore, when the cover caught my eye. And the title to be honest. I was craving something with a heap of romance in it, and what's better than a paranormal romance? I stressing over finals, so I thought this would be a great way to get my mind off of the tests.

Kiss of Night is labeled as paranormal Christian fiction, although I didn't realize that when I first bought it, and as I read it, I myself would have classified it as only paranormal romance. But that's not important.

The characters in general were alright, but I felt a little something lacking. Especially with Raphael. I definitely would have been happier with a little more character development, such as Raphael and why he was so evil. The humans, Susan, David, and Wendy felt bland and one-dimensional at times. Since this is only first in the series, I'm hoping that there's more development down the line.

Overall, I thought the plot was decent, given that this is a first in a trilogy, but I'm still debating whether or not to purchase the next in the series. Not a good sign, in my opinion.

Verdict: 3 out of 5