Givenby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 10 This review is of an Advanced Readers Copy. The book launches January 21, 2020, and you definitely want to pre-order or mark your calendar! Especially if you like stories about dragons, and even more especially if you like dragons with human forms! And beyond all of that, it has a leading lady who is a PoC and she's a smart, strong, sexually attractive tribal warrior princess. Do you even need a review after knowing that? It. Is. AMAZING!Yenni Ajani goes on a year-long sojourn to the Empire of Cresh to learn of their magic in the hopes of finding a cure for her father's sickness. But Cresh (a land of lighter-skinned, arrogant, "intellectual" conquerors) and its magical school is also home to dragons -- dragons with the ability to take human form. One dragon in particular, Weysh, says Yenni is his Given, his destined mate and future mother of his dragonling. Yenni is a strong, independent woman, and she has no time for these games. But Weysh may be the one who can help her find the answers she seeks. I can't stress enough how much I love this story, this world, and these characters. Okay, so Weysh doesn't make the best first impression, but he matures and becomes more understanding and respectful of women as the story progresses. It helps that even his friends call him out on his behavior and comments. He, in particular, is used to great effect to subvert some harmful tropes common in YA romance. Weysh's backstory and current family situation give him a lot more depth and show that he's struggling on multiple fronts, without making excuses for his behavior and words. It's nice to see how his interactions with Yenni improve him on all fronts. This story is not afraid to put some uncomfortable things front and center. Like the way the people of Cresh view the "savage", darker-skinned islanders and their "untested" Runelore. There are obvious ways to show that feeling of being "other", but it also explores this and how it can be difficult to put your finger on it (which is how Yenni feels), in smaller ways. It's not a perspective that's really explored in a lot of stories, especially in such a realistic way, so it's refreshing to see it as a pivotal part of Yenni Ajani's experience. And yes, it can make some readers uncomfortable (in a good, learn-from-it way) because of how realistic it is. This includes pronouncing names, respecting cultures / religions, and touching hair, as well as those complements that are somehow demeaning at the same time -- you'll recognize them along with Yenni. I am so glad we are introduced to Yenni first as a hunter on a hunt, then as a princess in a loving family (and one feeling the weight of responsibility with an arranged marriage for political reasons in the works). We are introduced to her gods and her magics (Runes, painted on the skin). All of this is our baseline. The picture then broadens to show this as one tribal nation among others that successfully defended against the conquering / invading Cresh, and between here and there are more tribal islands that were conquered. The world of Cresh and its magic is more familiar / typical -- more English -- for magic fantasy stories. The magic is all spoken-word based, and there are dragons. The dragons expand to a completely different culture and appearance (and their own sense of being "other", even though they're more accepted than those from Yenni's home), as they retain their unusual colors (red, green, blue, etc.) in human form. It's truly amazing world building that is fascinatingly realistic but skewed by the magic / fantasy elements. The fight scenes (human and dragon) are amazing! They are heart-pounding and dangerous, and each offers something different to try characters in new ways. The fight scenes also show us strengths and weaknesses of magic and Runes, dragon form, and the characters themselves. As terrible as it is, one of the most powerful scenes is the terrible thing that happens to Weysh (no spoilers!). And my favorite fight scene is the final one, which combines two things never before combined! The book ends in a good place, but many things are still unresolved, and it's set to dive into a second volume; I can't wait to see how this new combination continues to be worked in. Yenni's fight scenes really show off both her skills as a warrior and her skill with Runes, pitting her against multiple attackers and later against a mysterious assassin using her own skills against her! It's truly excellent writing! I absolutely adore how the dragons are presented, including their three forms (dragon, human, and in-between). Most of the dragons are fire-breathers and the typical Western style with four legs and wings, but there's one main supporting character that's a wingless (still flying), serpentine water-spitting dragon! And she's such a badass at fighting and magic that she helps as the opponent in all training sessions! I love the thought put into how the dragons "talk" in dragon form (this especially made me happy right down to my core), and communicate through body language, including when someone is riding them. I also like and appreciate the slight differences in personality between dragon and human form, which helps Yenni adjust to certain individuals, like Weysh, better. The whole concept of "Given" is interesting. I appreciate the backstory and how it maintains a ten percent of the world's population. However, there's mention about there being rare instances of gay and lesbian Given, which does not make sense with the whole point being to produce a single dragonling per dragon (whether dragon / human or dragon / dragon). It's mentioned as the exception to the unacceptance of gay and lesbian relationships, with regard to one of Yenni's friends struggling with the fact that she's bisexual. I'm glad this character exists for a few reasons, one of which being this (mostly in the background) discussion of this topic amidst all the other acceptance topics going on in this book. Why not have being gay or lesbian be accepted in certain cultures instead of putting it with the one rare case where it literally doesn't work? (Though Weysh is also an example of how a dragonling can rarely be born from mating with someone who isn't your Given, as well as "severed" dragons that never find their Given, so there's some workarounds to the ten percent thing). I am so glad this story found its way into the world (and my hands). I'm better for reading it, and it is a story I enjoyed so immensely I can't adequately describe it. This story, world, and characters, have inspired by own imagination! There is more story to be told, and I'm here for every word of it. Written: December 15, 2019
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