Eona: The Last Dragoneye

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.High Lord Sethon has declared himself Emperor after a coup, though the true Pearl Emperor Kygo has escaped. Eona, her identity as a woman revealed, Lady Dela, and islander rebel Ryko have also escaped and must find Kygo. He'll need Eona's power to take back his throne, but Eona can't control her power. Every time she tries to connect with her dragon, the ten dragons of the murdered Dragoneyes attack her. In need of training if Sethon is to be defeated, Eona and the resistance are forced to rescue Lord Ido, the murderous Rat Dragoneye and a power-hungry man. Torn in a million different directions by truth, power, loyalty, and more, Eona will have to make decisions that could save the empire or bring it to ruins.Finding the words to describe this book is difficult, so I apologize if I ever seem muddled or nonsensical.The mythos of the world Eona takes place in was carefully constructed and laid out in Eon--the twelve dragons and their relationships to the Dragoneyes, the purpose of the Imperial Pearl, and what the Dragoneyes can do with their power. In Eona, almost everything the reader knew is turned upside-down because nothing was what it seemed to be in the first book. All these reversals, especially in the relationships between the dragons and their Dragoneyes, make perfect sense in their execution and make the stakes even higher.It takes a good while for the story to get to its climax, but intense battles are throughout and don't make it feel like there's a long wait. In the meantime, Eona and the other characters get some development. Some of the decisions Eona made in the book and the sheer amount of lying/secret-keeping she does boggled my poor mind. Seeing what could have been if Eona had a moral compass like Lord Ido's basically nonexistent one is very easy and she does some seriously bad things without thinking much on it. Considering her situation, where she's come from, and the problems she could cause herself by dwelling on it, I'm tenuously okay with that.Romance takes a huge step up in this book, and it almost feels too sudden, like it's happening just because Eona is now known to be a woman. Eona's relationships with Kygo and Lord Ido are both refreshingly, wonderfully complex; while one is based on romantic feelings and troubled by trust issues, the other is mainly driven by attraction and power and is nowhere near healthy. For the first time in more than a few months, reading about love/lust-driven relationships sent a thrill through my system. I didn't even mind that there was a love triangle! I wish I could have seen more of Lady Dela and Ryko's relationship, though the latter put some serious effort into pushing Lady Dela away.This book had me so enraptured that I had my head in it for four out of six classes for three days straight, unable to put it away because Eona and her sometimes-slow, sometimes-rapidly-paced story wouldn't let me. (Don't worry about any neglected schoolwork; my grades will be fine.) I was so mentally exhausted in the very best way upon finishing the book that I put my head on my desk and sat like that for twenty minutes. For about an hour after that, I was all smiley and floating. I know you don't want to hear about any of that, but I'm detailing it for a reason: I've never a reaction like this to any book in my life. Sobbing like a baby? Yes. This? No.A day later, everything about this book is still bouncing around in my head, from the characters to the decisions Eona made that weren't always very ethical and were never easy. I felt that the preceding book Eon had its flaws, but Eona more than made up for them. There's no doubt I'll be coming back to this book (and maybe a few specific scenes) for a reread at a later time and enjoy the severe mental exhaustion all over again. This is a must for any fantasy or dragon fans looking for something new.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, so much so, I couldn't put it down. Alison Goodman did not pull back any punches; she went straight to the point, the story, the fighting and the drama! One thing I love so much about this book is that I didn't predict the problems that came with having so much power. In the first book when she finally understood her powers, you'd think it's going to be smooth sailing from there, she'll use it to defeat evil and then the end; happy ending. But you got it so wrong. With her new found powers, she did not know how to control them or what she's capable of, not to mention people are afraid of people with God-like powers. Look at Superman, you want a person almost immortal to handle your country?? Not to mention that in most cases, absolute power corrupts absolutely. That's the personal dilemma Eona is facing in book 2.The thing I find so profound is all her worries and doubts are so surreal, you find yourself asking what would you have done? From a nobody; a cripple, where everybody looked at you and wince as if her handicap was contagious, suddenly she's a powerful fighter, the infatuation of several men, people who cheer as she's a symbol of hope and peace. What does all this mean? It's good, isn't it?? But then you're also thrown into the battlefield of politics like a pawn on a chessboard. With so much power, people are looking for ways to manipulate you to use you to defeat the enemy which goes against the ultimate rule that Dragons are not used for war. Her torn between what's right and what's wrong becomes a blur and it just gnaws at you because I felt at a loss too, I had no idea what I would have done, who was telling the real truth? Whose intentions were pure? and that's what Goodman did so beautifully. Suddenly you find yourself pulling away from your friends, from the people you care about. They didn't believe your intentions were bona fide because your powers are capable of so much destruction. What is love when you had a duty to your country? To protect it's people. What is the weight of one person's desire compared to the millions that reside in it? So many times, I wished there was a hole she could crawl into and just imagined the world away but reality is hardly so easy.Especially when Goodman write it being a first person, you relate so much with Eona, the immersion was so smooth, it was all playing in my head like a movie, it was so surreal and beautifully written. One last thing that I found so interesting in her writing style is that, you've read stories of people being corrupted but the transition happens so fast that you can't relate and feel it all happening too fast, how were they corrupted? But I finally understood in this book, I felt Eona was doing things for the right reasons, even though her intentions were pure but were her actions right and just? From a first person's perspective, of course we would do it and justify our reasons but people will give you that frightened look and start doing an intervention around you but all you feel is being attacked by your peers and you get more defensive! Who's really doing the right thing here?

The dragoneyes are mostly dead and the Empire is in chaos, much like Eona herself as she tries to understand her powers and how best to use them. After having read Eon, it's hard not to want to see how it all shakes out.For me, the plot of Eona foundered at times; it's hard to say why, exactly, but there were points where my interest just wasn't fully engaged, unlike in Eon, which held my interest most of the way through. That's not to say that Goodman's writing isn't still of high calibre or that I felt like I lost the connection to Eona--the strongest suit of this book, like Eon, is Eona herself as a young woman out to do the best she can with what fate has dealt her. Still, the action at times seems a bit stalled, and the romantic elements border on the creepy as she contemplates homicide towards both of her love interests, neither of whom treat her all that well (although it's fair to say Kygo is far more tolerable than Ido). Ultimately, though, the conclusion of the story started in Eon is satisfying and what's good about this book outweighs what's not so good. I would recommend it, and Eon, for anyone looking for good fantasy with a Chinese rather than European flavor.

I read this book so fast, it was much more entertaining than the first. Goodman has created such a fascinating world that makes you hunger for more. Not to mention lovable characters and exciting romance. One of the best books I’ve read in a while!

After the explosive ending to Eon, I couldn't wait to dive into Eona! Carrying on straight from the first book, Eona now has to help the displaced Kygo reclaim his throne whilst reeling from the destruction of book 1, the unleashing of her own dragon powers, and to become comfortable and accepted in her unveiled female identity.There's plenty of action in Eona, and also a lot more romance this time round. There IS a love triangle between the young Kygo and the villain of book 1, Lord Ido. I'll admit I wasn't much of a Kygo fan and really loved Ido in this book; his redemption arc was interesting, and he offered a different perspective on the magical powers of the dragons.Again, I loved the world and lore but wish we had more of it. The ending was fantastic, but wasn't enough; I needed more, an epilogue, SOMETHING. The ending broke me in a way and I couldn't stop thinking about this book and the characters for weeks after. If you loved the first Eon, you MUST read this.

Oh dear......not again!Girl disguises herself as boy to ride horses, dragons, oops, sorry, it s pheonixes this time. Boring upper class love interest. Yawn......

Fantastic read, just as good as first book (Eon)! The story takes you on the journey and wraps you into their world. Eona now has to master her new life with no-one to guide her. It's full of ups and downs, will she won't shelve caught or betrayed. If you enjoyed the first then this won't disappoint. One thing tho, would have loved a ticket ending.

I read this book in a day. From the very beginning I was hooked. The suspense kept me reading on.The characters were well developed and intriguing.A thoroughly enjoyable read.