Dragonfly by Julia Golding

Dragonfly by Julia Golding
Buy Dragonfly by Julia Golding at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Reviewer: Loralei Haylock
Summary: An epic novel of politics, religion, war and love that will leave you wanting to read everything Julia Golding is capable of writing.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 416	Date: May 2008
Publisher: Oxford University Press
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-0192727602
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The Fourth Crown Princess of the Blue Crescent Islands, Taoshira, or Tashi to her friends, is used to a life of suffocating ritual. Never allowed to show emotion, always dressed in intricate ornamental robes with her hair covered, and her face painted white, with sixteen rituals to observe before she can even eat breakfast, Tashi finds her life a challenge, but accepts that it is the Goddess's will. However she cannot accept when her three fellow Princesses decide to marry her off to the 'uncouth' Ramil ac Burinholt in order to unite their lands against their common enemy, Fergox Spearthrower.

Prince Ramil is none too pleased either, wishing to marry for love rather than politics, as his father did. A clash in cultures leads to misunderstanding between the betrothed, and they quickly come to despise one another. But Ramil is not without a sense of duty towards his guest, and when they are captured by Fergox's spies, he endeavours to escape and get Tashi to safety.

Their trials and torments take them all around the known world, as prisoners, escapees, rebels and slaves. Tashi is forced to question everything she once believed so unerringly, and as Ramil tries to protect her faith and innocence he starts to see her in an entirely different light.

I can't really find anything to fault in this latest novel from Julia Golding. It has everything a good adventure story should have – fighting, narrow escapes, near misses and chases on horseback – along with a great cast of characters who move in a world so thoroughly imagined it's hard to believe you've never been there before. From the rigid culture of the Blue Crescent Islands to the barbarous and bloody land of Holt, the backdrop is a vivid as the action taking place at centre stage.

The adventure story in the foreground is made all the richer by the politics going on in the background. I've never been particularly interested in politics, nor do I really understand much of it, but Golding weaves it into her story so effortlessly it doesn't feel like a burden to read. In fact, the way the battle strategies and allegiances play out like a game of chess around Tashi and Ramil makes the whole story much more intense and exciting.

Golding also touches on many current issues, including racism, the fear of and prejudices against cultures and religions we do not fully understand. Though the world is fantastical, it is paralleled with our own in many ways, and it's easy to draw comparisons between the prejudices Tashi faces from Ramil and his people to the prejudices faced by many people within our own society.

These elements lift this story from being a good yarn about two ill-suited teenagers trying to work together to survive, into a category reserved for stories that are simply sublime. There's just so much going on that as soon as I finished reading (and I really raced through it, reading it in one night) I wanted to go back to the beginning and read it again. As avid a reader as I am, I usually wait a few weeks before reading something for the second time.

Dragonfly is a deeply satisfying read that left me wanting to read everything else Golding has written, and everything she ever will write. Waterstones were well justified in picking her as one of their '25 Authors for the Future'.

My thanks to the publishers for sending a copy of this book.

If you've enjoyed this book then we think that you might also enjoy Anila's Journey by Mary Finn.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Dragonfly by Julia Golding at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Dragonfly by Julia Golding at Amazon.com.

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Lima said:

wow

you summed up the book really well

From the first chapter of "Dragonfly" I was totally hooked. I loved every single part of the book and its one of my top ten faves

This is one of my first books I've read by Julia Golding and its one of the best books I've read aswell.

I'm trying to read some of her other books but they aren't in my library's

Well I hope Julia writes a Sequel to "Dragonfly" (please write a sequel!)

All the best

Lima xox

Amelia Retter said:

I LOVED this book and I thought you might like to know that there is going to be a sequel/companion novel.

It’s on Julia Golding’s website.

Milli

xxx

Madison Messics said:

Thank you for the review! It was very well stated! I read it for my English class and needed an example of a great review. This was the best I ever found! After I read the book, I noticed you reviewed it perfectly with detail and all but enough so people who want to read it can without a big plot showing through. Thank you!