Rachel Hartman
Random House
Published in 2013
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Seraphina has lived a carefully unnoticed life. Even as a talented musician, she’s always avoided the spotlight in order to protect a terrible secret that, if discovered, will threaten her life and that of her family.
When a prince of Goredd is murdered, rumors circulate that a dragon is the culprit. These rumors threaten the uneasy peace between humans and dragons. Drawn into the murder investigation, Seraphina helps the handsome captain of the guard, Prince Lucien, to bring the killer to justice.
Seraphina’s quick thinking and easy lying has always protected her in the past. Now her friendship with the betrothed prince threatens to out her. When the investigation reveals a terrible plot jeopardizing the entire kingdom, Seraphina is forced to choose between her secrecy and the survival of all she loves.
Political intrigue. Murder. Fantasy. Romance. This story has it all. Unforgettable characters march across each chapter. Dragon culture is well-developed and very different from other dragon stories. Hartman does a great job throwing the human and dragon characters in situations in which the cultures clash, sometimes in humorous ways. The murder investigation keeps the tension high. This is one book you won’t want to put down until the last page.
No profanity.
Sexual Content
Brief suggestive comments.
Spiritual Content
Seraphina discovers she can use her mind to communicate with others. She also meets several others with varied unusual abilities.
It seems that the human population worship a large collection of revered saints at various shrines. One of the clever ways Hartman incorporates this into the story is through the use of colloquialisms based on different saints. “St. Daan in a pan!” someone might shout.
Violence
A prince’s body is found. He has been beheaded. No gory details.
Brief battles between human and dragon or dragon and dragon.
Drug Content
Seraphina consumes too much wine and nearly gives away her secret.
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