Review: Eona by Alison Goodman

Title: Eona
Author: Alison Goodman
Published: March 29, 2012
Publisher: Firebird
Series: Eon #2
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Pages: 637
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5 stars
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*Warning: This book review contains spoilers for Eon*

“Men were always quick to believe in the madness of women.”
― Alison Goodman, Eona

Synopsis
Eon has been revealed as Eona, the first female Dragoneye in hundreds of years. Along with fellow rebels Ryko and Lady Dela, she is on the run from High Lord Sethon's army. The renegades are on a quest for the black folio, stolen by the drug-riddled Dillon; they must also find Kygo, the young Pearl Emperor, who needs Eona's power and the black folio if he is to wrest back his throne from the selfstyled "Emperor" Sethon. Through it all, Eona must come to terms with her new Dragoneye identity and power - and learn to bear the anguish of the ten dragons whose Dragoneyes were murdered. As they focus their power through her, she becomes a dangerous conduit for their plans. . . .(Goodreads)

My Thoughts
I have absolutely no regrets in having read this duology. After enjoying Eon immensely, I was a bit nervous that Eona wouldn't live up to its predecessor. There was no need to worry. Eona was just as impressive, and I enjoyed every single page. I was tempted to just read this book straight through, never putting it down, while I forgot all of my responsibilities. If only...le sigh.

Eona was rich in detail, and I savored every word. I loved Goodman's vivid descriptions of the Asian inspired architecture. Even the simplest of buildings gained a certain beauty thanks to Goodman's skilled writing. You can tell she knows her stuff. The world building, once again, left nothing to be desired. The culture, religion, rituals, and just everything was spectacular. Obviously, I could rave on and on about this book.

The characters are endlessly complex, and Goodman definitely took some risks in Eona's progression. In Eon, we connect with Eona and admire her strength and fortitude (or at least I did). But in Eona, Eona has to overcome so many obstacles, including her own character flaws. Suddenly, her desire for power has corrupted her, and she is left with some difficult choices. But I applauded Goodman for developing such a 3-dimensional character. It was more realistic than having a main character the reader always likes, and while I didn't always agree with Eona, I found her development convincing. Plus, she can be kickass. And, of course, other beloved characters return. I loved reading about Ryko, Dela, and Kygo again. Ryko was not always my favorite person in this book, but I still loved him. And Dela is such a fierce woman. While Kygo tends to be up in people's faces about his manliness and emperor status, I still loved him and the romance was sweet. It was very realistic, considering his position and their struggle to gain each other's trust.

I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that the reentering of Lord Ido really upped the drama and made this book extra enjoyable. Lord Ido is such a fascinating character. I just want to enter his mind, and find out his childhood trauma.

While there were some predictable plot developments in Eona, they did not decrease my enjoyment of the book. Plus, there were some unexpected twists and delightful little mysteries to unravel. Overall, the plot was phenomenal and there were some epic moments. How could there not be when there are dragons and Dragoneyes? And the ending made me smile and tear up all at the same time. It was a perfect end.

The ending of a beloved series is bittersweet. I'm happy that I found such a wonderful series to read, but I'm also sad to have finished it. This series made me wish I could start again fresh, not remembering anything. I would recommend Eona to everyone who loved Eon. If you have yet to read Eon and you love fantasy, you should definitely pick up this book ASAP.