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 her award-winning debut novel, Seraphina. Born in Kentucky, Rachel has lived in Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, England, and Japan. She now lives with her family in Vancouver, Canada. A New York Times bestseller, Seraphina won the William C. Morris Award, received eight starred reviews and was named to multiple "best of" lists. To learn more, please visit SeraphinaBooks.com or RachelHartmanbooks.com.
A New York Times Bestseller
An Indie Bestseller
An Amazon Top 20 Teen Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
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 Top 10 Kids' Indie Next List Selection
An ABC New Voices Pick
Nominated for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science
Fiction
Winner of the Cybil Award for Teen Fantasy and Science Fiction
A Publishers Weekly Flying Start Author
An ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book
An ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults Books
Winner of the William C. Morris YA Debut Award
A YALSA Teens Top Ten Nominee
Christopher Paolini, New York Times bestselling author of
Eragon
"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."
Naomi Novik, New York Times bestselling author of the Temeraire
series:
"A book worth hoarding, as glittering and silver-bright as dragon
scales, with a heroine who insists on carving herself a place in
your mind."
Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author of the Beka Cooper
series:
"Seraphina is strong, complex, talented--she makes mistakes and
struggles to trust, with good reason, and she fights to survive in
a world that would tear her apart. I love this book!"
Alison Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of Eon and
Eona
"A wonderful mix of thrilling story, fascinating characters, and
unique dragonlore. I loved being in Seraphina's world!"
Ellen Kushner, World Fantasy Award-winning author:
"Just when you thought there was nothing new to say about dragons,
it turns out there is, and plenty! Rachel Hartman's rich invention
never fails to impress--and to convince. It's smart and funny and
original, and has characters I will follow to the ends of the
earth."
The Washington Post, July 3, 2012:
"Full of grace and gravitas. Readers loath to turn the last page of
this lush, intricately plotted fantasy will rejoice in the
knowledge of next summer's as-yet-untitled sequel."
Entertainment Weekly.com, June 19, 2012:
"A novel that will appeal to both fans of Christopher Paolini's
Eragon series and Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown."
io9.com, September 21, 2012:
"Seraphina makes dragons fascinating once again."
SheKnows.com, June 19, 2012:
"A beautifully-written fantasy debut about a young girl's journey
to gain acceptance of herself."
Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2012:
"In Hartman's splendid prose debut, humans and dragons--who can
take human form but not human feeling--have lived in uneasy peace
for 40 years.
The dragons could destroy the humans, but they are too fascinated
by them. As musician Seraphina describes it, attempting to educate
the princess, humans are like cockroaches to dragons, but
interesting. As the anniversary of the treaty approaches, things
fall apart: The crown prince has been murdered, anti-dragon
sentiment is rising, and in the midst of it all, an awkward,
gifted, observant girl unexpectedly becomes central to everything.
Hartman has remixed her not-so-uncommon story and
pseudo-Renaissance setting into something unexpected, in large part
through Seraphina's voice. By turns pedantic, lonely, scared, drily
funny and fierce, Seraphina brings readers into her world and
imparts details from the vast (a religion of saints, one of whom is
heretical) to the minute (her music, in beautifully rendered
detail). The wealth of detail never overwhelms, relayed as it is
amid Seraphina's personal journey; half-human and half-dragon, she
is anathema to all and lives in fear. But her growing friendship
with the princess and the princess' betrothed, plus her unusual
understanding of both humans and dragons, all lead to a poignant
and powerful acceptance of herself.
Dragon books are common enough, but this one is head and talons
above the rest."
Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, June 6, 2012:
"In this complex, intrigue-laden fantasy, which establishes Hartman
as an exciting new talent, readers are introduced to a world in
which dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce, with dragons
taking human form, dwelling among their former enemies, and abiding
by a strict set of protocols. Sixteen-year-old Seraphina, assistant
to the court composer, hides a secret that could have her
ostracized or even killed: she's half-dragon, against all rules and
social codes. Along with the distinctive scales she keeps hidden,
she has a mind filled with misshapen personalities whose nature she
doesn't quite grasp. As Seraphina navigates the complicated
politics of a court where human-dragon relations are growing ever
more fragile following a royal murder, she has to come to terms
with her true nature and powers, the long-dormant memories her
mother hid within her, and her growing affection for charming
prince Lucian. There's a lot to enjoy in Hartman's debut, from the
admirably resourceful heroine and intriguing spin on dragons to the
intricately described medievalesque setting and emphasis on music
and family."
Starred Review, Shelf Awareness, July 13, 2012:
"Rachel Hartman's captivating debut novel explores the pains
16-year-old Seraphina suffers as an outsider as well as the rewards
of excelling in something she loves.
In medieval Lavondaville, an uneasy truce exists between dragons
and humans. Narrator Seraphina is the product of a dragon mother
and a human father. Dragons can disguise themselves as humans, so
everyone believes Seraphina to be entirely human. Only when
Seraphina's mother died in childbirth did Seraphina's father learn
her true nature. Her mother left Seraphina a gift of "mind-pearls,"
memories triggered by specific events, and also her talent for
music. Dragons are known for their technical skill, and that,
together with the empathy Seraphina gained from her human father,
makes her one of the finest musicians in the land. She has won a
coveted position assisting the court composer.
After the death of Prince Rufus, in a manner suspiciously like a
dragon's preferred means (decapitation), tensions run high between
humans and dragons. Seraphina's position at court exposes her to
aspects of both dragon and human societies. When she decides to
trust Prince Lucian with her suspicions about Prince Rufus's
killer, they embark on a journey that tests her loyalties and
strength, and also awakens Seraphina's feelings for him.
In this first of two planned books, Hartman creates a world
simultaneously strange and familiar. Her dragons are as magnetic as
her human characters. Teens will readily identify with Seraphina's
conflicting desires: to please her family or to make her own
future."
Starred Review, Booklist, May 15, 2012:
"Hartman proves dragons are still fascinating in this impressive
high fantasy. Equal parts political thriller, murder mystery,
bittersweet romance, and coming-of-age story, this is an uncommonly
good fantasy... An exciting new series to watch."
Starred Review, The Horn Book Magazine, July/August 2012:
"To the innovative concept and high action, add Seraphina's
tentative romance with Kiggs, rich language lively with humor and
sprinkled with an entire psaltery of saints and an orchestra's
worth of medieval instruments, and a political conspiracy aimed at
breaking the dragon-human truce, and what you have is an
outstanding debut from author-to-watch Hartman."
Starred Review, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books,
September 2012:
"The medieval-esque world, filled with saints and dragons, is as
deftly crafted as the characters themselves; Goredd has a distinct
history, fraught with struggle and survival, and its residents
reflect the conflicting ideologies and traditions that inform their
world. Seraphina's voice--passionate, wry, and wise--easily conveys
her internal battle as a half-breed: the nonchalance of her
self-loathing makes her struggle for identity even more
heartbreaking. Secondary characters are given just as much nuance,
and the romance between Seraphina and a bastard prince proceeds
with believable hesitation and wariness, given the complications it
will bring to both their lives... Readers will want to plan to
return to this richly developed world to see where this intricate
fantasy goes next."
Starred Review, Voice of Youth Advocates
"Reading this novel is like falling into Alice's rabbit hole and
never wanting to come out. Fans of fantasy will devour this book,
and with a little pushing, this novel could appeal to just about
anyone who appreciates a fantastic read."
Starred Review, School Library Journal, August 1, 2012:
"Hartman creates a rich story layered with intriguing characters
and descriptive settings. This unique novel will surely appeal to
fans of Christopher Paolini's "Eragon" books and wherever readers
enjoy fantasies."
Bookpage
"[Hartman's] world-building is so detailed and well-integrated, one
wonders if they truly exist somewhere. An engaging and innovative
fantasy that uses the plights of dragons and humans as an allegory
for the real prejudices we all must face."
Gr 7 Up-For nearly 40 years, the treaty between the humans of Goredd and the dragons of dragonkind has held strong. Humans must not enter dragonkind territory and dragons, upon entering human lands, must take their human shape, or saarantrai. In Goredd, Seraphina's human father, a high offical, needs her to stay anonymous. The dark secret that she must hide is that her mother was a dragon. Because of her musical talents, Seraphina becomes Goredd's music assistant, helping prepare for the anniversary celebration. Layers of clothing disguise the scales on her arms and stomach, but unlike dragons, her blood runs red, not silver. Also, to keep from having fainting spells in which she relives her deceased mother's experiences, Seraphina must clear her head each night. She calls the figures in her vision grotesques, and each night, she must ensure all is calm in her mind-garden. When the decapitated body of Prince Rufus is found just days before the anniversary festivities, many humans are quick to accuse a dragon of breaking the pact. Seraphina's grotesques begin acting strangely, and the whole court is investigating the murder. When the celebrations are in full swing, all hell breaks loose as the rogue dragon that killed the prince enters Goredd in his dragon form and attempts to take control. Seraphina must risk revealing her true identity (and that of her fellow hybrids) in an attempt to save the kingdom. Hartman creates a rich story layered with intriguing characters and descriptive settings. Seraphina is a complex and fully developed protagonist. Although long, this unique novel (left open for a sequel) will surely appeal to fans of Christopher Paolini's "Eragon" books (Knopf) and wherever readers enjoy fantasies.-Lauren Newman, Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School, East Columbus, NJ (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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