Eon

By: Alison Goodman

Narrated by: Nancy Wu

Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's Summary

Twelve-year-old Eon has been training for years. His intensive study of Dragon Magic, based on Oriental astrology, involves two kinds of skills: sword-work and magical aptitude. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye - an apprentice to one of the 12 energy dragons of good fortune.

But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a 16-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a 12-year-old boy for the chance to become a Dragoneye.

Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured. When Eon's secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life.

©2008 Alison Goodman (P)2008 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

I was hooked

I had my doubts about whether or not I would like this book, but shortly into it I was hooked. It was so good I found myself wondering, how has this book not received more attention?! Why didn’t I read this book sooner? With awe inspiring dragons, formidable characters, a vivid setting, and a skillfully crafted story, this epic first book in a duology is now one my favorite books of all time. Alison Goodman made me a fan for life.

Strongly influenced by ancient Asian cultures, Eon is set in a detail rich world ruled by an imperial family but balanced by the powerful Dragoneyes. Through a bargain with the twelve energy dragons, the Dragoneyes connect with their spirit dragon to wield power, control the elements, and much more.

In training to become an apprentice to the Rat Dragon, Eon has the odds stacked against him. His broken hip makes him walk with a limp making it difficult for him to walk let alone practice the dragon art of fighting. To top it off, Eon is really Eona, a girl and therefore forbidden to practice the dragon art. An act punishable by death. The one thing working in her favor is her dragon sight, the rare ability to see all the energy dragons. She can only hope that the Rat Dragon chooses her as his apprentice.

Eon/a is a complex heroine. She is strong and intelligent yet flawed by her inclination to be dishonest and her lack of trust in others. She weaves a dangerous web of lies in her fight for survival and, at times, this is very frustrating. There are many moments where I wanted to yell at her to snap her out of it. While at the same time, you understand her situation and her reasoning. That being said, in the end, Eona became one my favorite heroines.

Eon is technically considered a young adult book but, to me, the story reaches beyond young adults to older audiences as well. Goodman’s world is exceptional and you will find yourself captivated by the rich culture and unique mythology. I enjoyed this book so much that once finished it, I immediately (the same day) bought the next book, Eona: The Last Dragoneye.

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

Great Story

This book has very well-developed, yet human characters. The author has crafted the story so well, that I became involved with the story. As a listener, I felt drawn to, or repelled by every character. They are all real, well-rounded people.
The story builds very nicely. The final 1/3 of the book is so intriguing that I had to listen to the final hours nonstop.

The only flaw in this book is that the main character seems a little dense--she should have figured out the clues earlier in the plot. The book leaves opening for the sequel to wrap up the loose threads left dangling.
This is a great book!

I recommend this book and look forward to the publication of the sequel in 2010.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

A Fun Ride

While this is billed under Audible Kids. It's far more than that. Eon Dragoneye Reborn Is a story about the quest for identity. The story itself is an excellent listen and The Narrator does an excellent job coveying the myriad of emotions experienced by the characters. There are themes about sexuality and gender that may be more mature for younger listeners without being vulgar. Older kids will enjoy the adventure itself, younger kids may have questions. Several characters are likable especially Eon. Eon is surrounded by allies and enemies who all have their own quirks and problems. One of the stand out characters Lady Delia(?), is a mystery all to her own self. Eon while likable is frustratingly dense and makes you want to listen to see if she gets it and what'll happen next. Well worth the purchase and hopefully Audible will pick up the sequel.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

so so...

I too agree that it was very frustrating to get through. I was hoping to get swept up into the thrill of this new (?) author and her story, but the fact that the main character simply refused to pay attention and put the very obvious pieces together kept me from enjoying it to the fullest. I sincerely hope the sequel is better.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

engrossing story

I listened to the first chapter of this and liked the story and narrator well enough to download the book. This book was so engrossing that I found myself listening to it when I should have been doing other things, and thinking about the story when I was not listening. I was disappointed to discover that this was not a long series of books; I was looking forward to working my way through it!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Awesome

Started out slow, but as the story unfolded became descriptively enrapturing. Colorful and bold. A delight and engrossing read. Had kind of a predictable plot but a very entertaining. I can't wait for the sequel.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Eon Book 2

I really enjoyed this series and I am sorry to finish the last book. I wish there were more to hear! Great narration by Nancy Wu.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Whiny Self-Doubting Protagonist Undermines Story

Pros: Interesting Asia-based setting, where the author skillfully incorporated customs, culture and hierarchy.

Cons: Everything else. Half of the book is spent on the protagonist doubting herself. She is constantly thinking out loud about how she is not good enough and why she does not deserve anything.

The values that would normally be propagated in a story with a female lead are missing. Rather, the book propagates backward values. The protagonist loves and is loyal to her master - notwithstanding the fact that he beat and crippled her. The author portrays his abuse as being for the protagonist's own good - and the protagonist likewise adopts this viewpoint.

"I knew he was right. A woman could not have power. Or if she did, it was from the shapeliness of her body, not from her spirit and certainly not from her mind."

Worse yet, the protagonist is dumb. There are a ton of "clues" about why things are how they are, and she just happens to not understand any of it. Worse, it is not that she does not understand and ignores the clues; she instead picks the path that directly contradicts them. It is very frustrating that the protagonist is portrayed as such a stupid and incompetent character.

I did not enjoy the narrator's performance. Ultimately, I would not recommend this book to a person of any age.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

A Fantasy for all Ages

A friend of my seventeen yr old son suggested this story to me, and how very pleased I am that he did. As in Harry Potter, this is a fantasy story for all ages. Vibrant with deatail, I could so easily imagine walking amongst the bustling lanes of this exotic setting. As a huge fan of scifi/fantasy, it was actually very nice to find myself away from the typical setting of castles, Elves and the numerous array of usuall characters found within a fantasy story. Very likeable characters, with plenty of intrigue, adventure and just enough magic as not to overwhelm the story.. I can highly suggest this to any fan of fantasy of all ages..

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A Fresh Change of Pace

If you could sum up Eon in three words, what would they be?

Fun, Unique, Excellent.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Eon?

Eona and her dragon Eona finally making their union.

Have you listened to any of Nancy Wu’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listen to any of Nancy's other performances however I enjoyed what she did with Eon so i will be looking for more of her later on.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Main extreme reaction was what happened to the dragoneyes at the hand of the Rat Dragoneye.

Any additional comments?

I recommend this book, in audio and paper form. A good read.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful