Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Review: Eon by Alison Goodman


Title: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn (Eon, #1)

Author: Alison Goodman

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Every so often the time will come when you will finally read that elusive novel that has been on your TBR-Shelf for what seems like forever. You know what novel I'm talking about - it's the one all your friends have been recommending to you, time and time again; it's the one the library never has whenever you stop by; it's the one you always forget to pick up from the bookstore; but, it's also the one you just know you're going to love. Needless to say, Eon has been on my shelves for at least the past three years now and while I knew, even before I had cracked open the spine, that I would love this one, nothing could quite prepare me for the masterpiece I would find inside its covers.

In a world where the people rely on the powers of twelve spirit dragons, each of which represent a different animal, to protect them and their land from natural disaster, sixteen-year-old Eona possesses a rare gift - she can see the spirits of all twelve dragons, not just one. Thus, despite the cripple that mars her figure, Eona has been training to become a Dragoneye Apprentice and eventually a Dragoneye, one whose spirit is connected with that of the dragons, and restore her Master to an influential position on the Dragoneye Council. Eona, however, is forced to mask her true nature and live her life as Eon, a boy, for only men are allowed to become Dragoneyes and if her secret were found, it would lead to imminent death. On the day the apprentices are chosen, Eona must display her skills in front of the spirit dragons themselves and to her surprise, she is chosen by the Mirror Dragon, a spirit who has not been seen in over a hundred years. Yet, as she will soon come to learn, her dragon is the seeker of truth and for Eona, whose entire life has been lived as a lie, there will come no greater challenge than accepting the truth within.

In all honesty, the overarching plot of Eon brings nothing new that we haven't seen before in tales such as Mulan or numerous dragon adventures from before; yet, Goodman manages to make her take on this classic story as creative and unique as possible. For one, the world she creates is rich with Japanese and Chinese cultural influences, making it both authentic, real, and original by its own right. While I loved (and greatly appreciated) the research Goodman put into this novel, what truly amazed me was the depth of the world-building. Goodman's descriptions of her world go beyond the landscape, rituals, and overall cultural beliefs, it extends also to the politics of this vibrant nation. I love nothing better than a complex political scheme and the one that Eona found herself in was nothing short of brilliant. It perfectly blended together corruption, greed, and an age-old thirst for power along with fantasy lore, spirit dragons, and, at the heart of it all, societal mores.

Yet, no matter how brilliant the world-building in this story was, what truly shone through about this novel was its depiction of gender and women in society. It is evident from the synopsis itself that the world in which Eon lives is dominated by men, thus, it comes as no surprise that she feels as if she is most in power as Eon, not Eona. In fact, Eona is so taken with this belief that when she meets Lady Dela, Eona's transgender mentor who is a man living as a woman, she cannot understand why Lady Dela would chose a life in which she must succumb to servitude. Nevertheless, as the novel progresses, Eona slowly comes to realize the power that lies in being a woman.
You are wrong when you say there is no power in being a woman. When I think of my mother and the women in my tribe, and the hidden women in the harem, I know there are many types of power in this world...I found power in accepting the truth of who I am. It may not be a truth that others can accept, but I cannot live any other way (Goodman, 245).  
While Eon is a diverse novel in its honest appraisal of characters who are eunuchs and transgenders, its true strength lies in Eona's own thoughts as she contemplates how different her life is as a woman and her life spent as a man. I have come to admire Alison Goodman immensely for her deep and provocative portrayal of gender, its differences, and its liabilities through her novel and believe that the messages she brings across and the truths she uncovers are those that deserve to read by everyone.

Nevertheless, for all my praise of Eon, it is, quite unfortunately, not a perfect novel. Throughout the course of the story, Eona struggles to communicate with the Mirror Dragon; consequently, she resorts to a variety of schemes in order to find a way to do so. While Eona is, by no means, an unintelligent character, the solution to her problems is quite obvious to the reader, thus, it is rather frustrating to see Eona try fruitlessly to come up with a way to speak to her dragon. Yet, despite this, I found that I was still cheering on Eona and hoping with all my heart that she succeeded. In Eona, Goodman has created such a complex character that I am confident everyone can find a bit of themselves within her, making it impossible not to love her and admire her bravery and courage as a character.

Overall, Eon is a remarkable adventure filled with rich fantasy lore, intriguing court politics, and compelling gender themes. If that isn't enough to make your fingers itch to get your hands on it, it also contains a kick-ass heroine and an equally heart-pounding adventure. Eon is not only one of the best fantasy novels I've read this year, but it is also one of the most thought-provoking and complex stories as well. I'm not just recommending this novel to you, I am virtually shoving a copy of it into your unsuspecting hands and demanding that you read it - it is simply that that good.

29 comments:

  1. This sounds so great Keertana! I especially love the Chinese culture and the focus on a woman's role in society, I think that would be fascinating to read about and I'd be able to overlook some of her antics to try and communicate with the Mirror Dragon. You write such beautiful reviews, I'm so glad I found your blog!

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    1. Aww, thank you so much Jenny! I think that has definitely got to be one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me and I'm so flattered that you enjoy my reviews so much! :) I really loved this novel and I'd love to see what you have to say about it! I really hope you give this a try sometime soon! :D

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  2. Love this review -- you and I seem pretty much in step with our books and reviews lately. This review says it sooo much better than I ever could. If you liked this, I predict you'll love Eona. It's a much stronger book and Eona is much more.... decisive than here.

    Great review!

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    1. Thanks Jessie! Yes, we do seem to be reading the same books these days! We're going to have to do a readalong sometime! ;) I'm really looking forward to reading Eona! I've heard it's much better than this one, so I'm truly excited about it! :D

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  3. Wow! That's amazing that a book you have been waiting for forever turned out to be amazing. I like the sound of this world and how it deals with gender identity and issues.
    Really amazing, detailed review!!!!!
    Rachel

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    1. Thanks Rachel! I looved this one and its discussion about gender identity was truly marvelous! I hope you decide to pick this one up! :)

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  4. Oh, man, I feel so awful for not reading this sooner! I'm glad Goodman managed to make a same old story interesting, it's proof of a good writer, if you ask me (which you don't, hah). I'm also thrilled to read that the worldbuilding is so exciting, but most of all, I love that she explores the positiion of women in society. It makes me think I should read this together with my sister, she has a master's degree in gender studies and we're both very fond of readalongs.
    I'm glad this worked out for you. I just love how amazing your reviews are. I mean, they were always great, but like Sam, you just keep getting better and better.

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    1. Gosh, thank you Maja! I'm so glad you enjoy my reviews and I'm thrilled to know I'm getting better! It really means a lot to have you say that to me, especially since you're such an experienced and fantastic book blogger yourself, so thank you! :D

      I really hope you decide to pick this one up Maja and I think it's a great readalong novel! Leanne and I read this together and it definitely provided for some great conversation! Plus, it's so provocative and compelling that you can't help but fall in love with it! I can't wait to see what you think of it yourself! :)

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  5. Yes! Eon is excellent and I wish more book bloggers would read it, even though it's very long, I thought it was completely absorbing and complex and engaging.

    I hope you go on to read Eona!

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    1. I'm definitely planning on reading Eona soon, April! I loved this one and like you, thought it was so complex and engaging! I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!(:

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  6. I must have been living under the rock as this is my first time hearing about this book, but it sounds truly AWESOME! Keertana, thanks for sharing a review that makes me wanna find this book now and read it :)

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    1. Yay, I'm so glad you were able to learn about this book from me! I loved it and I can't wait to see what you think of it yourself!(:

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  7. It's funny, but Eon is exactly that book for me. It's been recommended to me countless times and I'm almost certain I will enjoy it, but I still haven't picked it up yet. :) I love your review, Keertana! Eona sounds like a fantastic character - one that you can really root for as a reader. The world-building, the writing, everything about this book sounds great. I really hope I can read it soon. :)

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    1. Thanks Sam! Eona truly is a fantastic character and this book is marvelous! I've been meaning to read it for awhile now too, so I hope you're able to get around to it much sooner than I was! ;)

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  8. After reading the synopsis of Eon, I immediately thought of Mulan, which I really loved! ;) Anyways, the world-building sounds like it's wonderfully intricate and deep. It's pretty rare to get such good world-building these days, which is what I really love about dystopia. It's good to hear Eon isn't lacking in that department. =) I also like how it talks about woman and power- that's always been a subject I've loved reading about/watching movies about. So I think I'll really love Eon!! I'll be pushing it up on my TBR list. =) Fabulous review Keertana! <3

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    1. Thanks Aneeqah! I hope you get to read this one soon - I'd love to hear what you think of it! It is definitely rare to find such good world-building, let alone such important themes about sexuality, so I was pleasantly surprised and moved by this story. I really loved it and can't wait to read the sequel!(:

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  9. This is such a wonderful review, Keertana! I love being surprised by the book I've had for a long time! I'm not a big fantasy reader but I think I'll make an exception for Eon!

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    1. Yay! I really think you'll enjoy this one, Mandee, so I can't wait to see what you'll think of it! :D

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  10. I read this book when it first came out and loved it. My only complaint was that I could feel towards the end of the book where the author was just setting up the next book. But I bought Eona as soon as it came - -- and it's still on my TBR pile. :)

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    1. I felt that way towards the end too, but I'm excited to read Eona. I hope you get to read it soon and I'm definitely planning on reading it before this month is over! ;)

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  11. I adore your review, Keertana! It is as brilliant and well-written as the book itself. :) And I think our opinions of this are almost identical too. :)

    I unexpectedly watched Mulan yesterday and it was just as good as I remembered it being! Did you find your VCR player yet? :)

    This readalong was fun- I hope for another in the near time future! :)

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    1. I loved our readalong too, Leanne! Perhaps we can do one for Eona too? :)

      I did find my VCR Player and had so much fun watching it again! It's such a classic movie and one of those you can watch again and again without ever getting bored of! :D

      Anyway, thanks Leanne! I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on this novel too!

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  12. I love it when I finally get to a book on my shelf and it dazzles me! I don't read a lot of fantasy because it usually doesn't appeal to me but this sounds wonderful. Great review Keertana. :)

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    1. Thanks Rachel!(: I think this is one of the best fantasy novels out there and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this if you decided to pick it up! I absolutely adore the feeling of reading a book which has been on my shelf for awhile and winds up being really good, so I was impressed by this story a loot! :D

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  13. Great review! I love what you said about women and gender in society...sounds well worth a read.

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    1. Thanks Katja! Yes, I'd definitely recommend this novel - it's amazing! I love the role gender played in this story, so you should definitely check it out! :D

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  14. Lovely review Keertana (as always)! :P

    Yes, this is one of THOSE books that I feel everyone but me has read, and everyone has said I should, and I know when I read it I'll enjoy it, but still I haven't picked it up. Hopefully I will soon. I feel like I've been heavy on the Eastern influenced Fantasy/Sci Fi this year with books like Shadows on the Moon, Cinder, House of Shadows, and Stormdancer, but does that mean I don't want more? NOPE! The only thing that makes me hesitate is Eona's inability to figure things out. You're not the first person I've seen mention this, and as that's one of those things that drives me insane, I'm going to have to be in a tolerant mindset going in.

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  16. "Eon" is an fantastic story full of thrilling developments, fascinating characters and a heroine that I enjoyed following on every step of her dangerous journey. Add to that Alison Goodman's wonderful way with words that makes the world she created come alive and you have a fantastic book that you shouldn't miss.

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