I never realised how cool they were until I read this. Along with Eona, Ido was the other character I constantly looked out for, eager to see his progression and where he'd end up.

Ido is one charismatic bastard, full of amusing quips but always looking for ways to manipulate a situation to get what he wants. Ido was one great whopping surprise in this book, it's only a really good writer that can take you from seething hatred towards a character to pity to almost-kinda-liking him. But beyond Eona are other great characters too. She is, afterall, only a flawed human being - as we all are. Is she Kygo's Dragoneye? His Naiso? His lover?Įona is smart but the lure of ultimate power occasionally compels her to make wrong decisions. Eona is an excellent heroine who faces serious struggles with power and her ever-changing character (let's face it, who wouldn't be changed after what she's been through). Maybe a lot of us would like to be heroes in a perfect world but this is far from a perfect world and we all have our limits, our breaking points, and most of us can be seduced at times by a dark alternative to the straight and narrow path. The flawed character is a particular literary love of mine. Who can you possibly trust in such a world? Goodman's land is steeped in power struggles, magic and secrets. This carefully-constructed world is built on power of different kinds - that of the imperial family and that of the Dragoneyes. That's kind of why it's hard not to love this series from the beginning, with this colourful world that has been influenced by Chinese and Japanese culture and mythology but has also taken on a life of its own.

Sick of books that plonk a few characters into some random society with a set of oppressive rules and no explanation? Me too. It was complex, well-written, and more than just your typical fantasy: it was about power, being a woman in a man's world, and what lengths it is right to go to in order to defend an empire, your loved ones, and yourself. Before you can decide whether this book is your cup of tea, the first thing you need to ask yourself is what you look for in a book, what makes something a good read for you.

Eon eona series