Fantastical moments, dragons, music and mystery.

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Seraphina (Seraphina #1) by Rachel Hartman

 A marvellous story! Insights into acceptance and belonging, racial tensions, hope and love. All set in a world where Dragons and Humans are trying to co-exist. Seemingly a long hard road to tread.
(How did I miss reading this! It was only after I saw it on a fantasy list on Goodreads that I rechecked and found that I had for some unknown reason skipped over this. Well, a couple of years later I read it. Now I have to find out when the next book is out. It may even be out now. I must investigate.)
 After a dreadful war a peace has been made. The rules of behaviour for dragons amongst humans are fiercely controlled by the dragon's Excision Censors and are controlled amongst humans by fear and tradition. It is near to the advent of the dragon leader's state visit by General Comonot Ardmagar of All Dragonkind. The designated visit to the city Lavondaville, the capital of Goredd is to celebrate forty years of the treaty's existence.     

Into this comes Seraphina Dombegh, a half dragon young woman who is hidden in plain sight. An abomination to her human kindred. A dangerous plight but even more dangerous would be the acknowledgement to the world at large of her ancestry.
A gifted intelligent musician, she has inherited her mothers musical ability. But wait, how strange, because dragons are known to not be musical and unable to express emotions! And yet Seraphina's mother was a dragon. Mmm!
Adhered to beliefs will be sundered and all will have their prejudices revealed. Some will accept change other will turn even more fiercely to protect their particular version of truth.
Prince Rupert had been murdered--apparently by a dragon. The city factions are in uproar.
Through circumstances Seraphina joins Prince Lucian Kiggs, captain of the guard, and illegitimate royal offspring, in the hunt for the killer. As they investigate an intrigue is uncovered. A cabal of dragon generals may be trying to have fractue the hard won peace and provoke both sides once again into war.
Seraphina not only discovers herself but her worth. Most importantly she who has felt so alone discovers that she is not. As Seraphina so eloquently says as she closes this chapter of her life, 'The future would come, full of war and uncertainty, but I would not be facing it alone...I had a place to stand.'

 A NetGalley ARC

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