Review: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

Power. Glory. Honor. Reliability. Trust. Strength. Are these traits simply attributed to our gender? Does our gender determine who we are as people or who we can become as a person? For centuries women have struggled to pry themselves from underneath man’s suppressive boot to claim their equality. For centuries being a woman was thought to mean you were weak, unable to defend yourself, better off in the kitchens.

This is the world 16 year-old Eon(a) lives in.

She lives in an Asian culture where women can never hope to strive for the same position as a man: Dragoneye. Yet, that is exactly what she does. On the outside she is a 12 year-old boy named Eon, masquerading in a world she barely understands. not only is she working against her sexuality, but she also has a lame leg, a symbol of bad luck.

When I first started the novel, it started off slow for me. However, the world building was excellent. I can not help but to sit back and admire the amount of research Alison Goodman had done to describe Eons world. From the descriptions of the clothing, buildings, and mannerisms, I could completely visualize everything. After I got to know Eona more, I started having a better appreciation for the book.

I really loved Eona and her determination to become a Dragoneye despite her limitations her culture had bestowed upon her. She believes that her femininity hinders her. As a result, she does her best to suppress it at every given opportunity by taking drugs to stop her menstrual cycle. She finds that she has been trusted into a world of
politics with people depending heavily on her power. A power she has no idea how to manifest.

And that my goodreader friends brings us to the bad parts.
Oh, c’mon. You knew it was coming.

Eona, Eona, Eona…Why are you so slow? Why must you frustrate me so? I had long figured out the secret behind how to call your dragon. Yet, you were up the creek without a paddle or just a lost little kitten.

Find your brain while you’re at it, m’kay?

However, all was not lost with Eona’s slow uptake. Once people started finding out her secret, the book moved along way faster. And by the end of the novel, I felt myself very excited for the sequel.

Eona had tremendous growth in this book. She went from suppressing her womanhood to embracing it. This book had the feminist in me crying out and squealing like a wittle fan girl. It was awesome.

And for some strange reason Annie Oakley and Frank Butler sang to me the entire time I read this book.

Anything you can do,
I can do better.
I can do anything
Better than you.

No, you can’t.
Yes, I can. No, you can’t.
Yes, I can. No, you can’t.
Yes, I can,
Yes, I can!

I can’t wait to see what Eona CAN do in the next book!