Dragonfly

Golding, Julia ~ Dragonfly ~ Marshall Cavendish, 2008 ~ 21 chapters , 527 pages ~ Audience: older children, tweens, teens, some adults ~ Rating: Very Good.

Opening:

“The Fourth Crown Princess of the Blue Crescent Islands had sixteen rituals to observe from the moment of waking to when she broke her fast.“

Publication History:

While a sequel is possible, this appears to be a stand-alone novel.

Setting:

The “known world” consists of the Crescent Islands, the Southern Desert, Kandar, Holt, Brigard, and Gerfal. Holt, with its bloody warrior religion and an ambitious leader, has conquered Kandar and Brigard. Gerfal is next. The Islands, lead by four female princesses, are aloof from the wars, but do have a substantial and vigorous navy.

The Islands also have a notably different religion from the mainland and worship the Goddess. Their culture is very specific about rituals, dress, and the appearance of the women. The Princesses have their faces painted white with decorations. On the mainland, they are considered to be witches although they have no magical ability. Technology is medieval although the islanders do have rifles. Little is said about the economy, but culture, especially religious values receive considerable attention. 

Plot:

Since Gerfal appears likely to be defeated by Holt’s much larger army, the King hopes to marry his son to one of the four princesses and gain access to the Islands' outstanding navy and marines. Unhappily, Prince Ramil is more than reluctant and behaves in a crude and insulting way to Princess Taoshira. Tashi is determined to do the right thing, but is affronted by Ramil’s action and decides to cancel the proposed wedding.

When Ramil takes Tashi on a wild ride, perhaps to scare her, both are abducted by agents from Holt. Fergox Spearthrower proposes to marry Tashi and control the Crescent Islands while Ramil will be his client on Gerfal’s throne.

Ramil and Tashi, plus new found friends, will attempt to escape from those who captured them and somehow block Fergox’s plans. Considerable action follows. In particular, Tashi’s religious beliefs and trust in her god will be severely tested.

Characters:

The Crescent Islands’ other Princesses receive some attention as does King Lagan of Gerfal. Fergox plays an important role but we learn little of this background and he, and his sister, are stereotypical villains. Of the companions who aid Ramil and Tashi, Gordoc, the gentle giant, is the most interesting.

There is a good variety to the characters. The tensions between Ramil and Tashi are well done as is Tashi’s gradual discovery of the larger world beyond the islands as well as her true self.

A bit more background on the major characters would substantially strengthen the story and provide more perspective for their actions. This is especially true of Tashi and Ramil.

Physical Book:

As a children’s book, at least in the U.K., print is large enough to be easily read and there is good white space. See-through is average, but is not a problem. An overview map is in the front matter, showing the journey taken. Jacket art shows a beautiful dragonfly pendant. The dragonfly is Tashi’s icon or symbol. 

Recommendation:

After reading so many multi-volume series, it is good to read a solid adventure story that concludes in one volume.  Since this is a fantasy setting without magic, Dragonfly should also appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction with a bold young prince and a sheltered young woman [she is 16] who must find herself in a difficult and changing environment.

The story is well written with enough action to keep the pages turning, strong characters who grow through the story, and enough religious/cultural [in the broad sense] issues to warrant thoughtful discussion

A solid selection for most YA collections. Should appeal to both sexes and adults too [if promoted].