I bought this book at a library book sale.

I really enjoyed this book a great deal. It took me on an adventurous ride with both adventure and intrigue. The characters grew and matured throughout the story. While the plot was somewhat predictable, that did not detract from the experience. I will be looking for more stories from this author, including any that might continue the story of these characters.

I give this book an A-. ( )

Young Reader Reaction: Golding excels in painting scenes with vivid details and skillful word choices that reveals tone, character, and imagery very precisely. The story rotates among a few characters, each of whose distinctive personality comes through. Readers get the impression that amid the action of the main plot, there are multiple individual stories unfolding, as well. Rami and Tashi's personal struggles enhanced the story and give readers a deeper understanding of the characters that give their actions more meaningful. The few flaws focus on a rushed scene or two. Dragonfly is categorized as a fantasy, but it also has qualities for realistic fiction, with historical and cultural content. Dragonfly is probably more suited for teens, but I highly recommend this book to anyone with a soft spot for adventures with romance.

Pros: Well developed characters and cultural themes create an intriguing, meaningful novel for teens and young adults.

To read our full review, go to The Reading Tub®.

I'm testing this out, this is my first review so it might not be very good:

I love this book!! I didn't really like the religious part of it but it was still good. It was a good mix of romance, religion, and adventure. ( )

Figured I had to tick 'fantasy' even though there aren't any fantastical elements per se - it's got a map in the front, ferchrissakes, and it's set in a world not dissimilar from ours, but seemingly stuck in a mediaeval-style sword-and-feudalism society. Which can work very well but I must say I don't entirely know why she didn't set it in yer actual proper mediaeval times - probably so that she could make the lead female character into a strong character who grows into a leadership role and, yes, gets the guy.

I was a bit weirded out by the way the Blue Crescent islands are clearly very strongly influenced by Shogunate Japan (elaborate courtesy and ritual in particular, plus the names) and yet Tashi is pale white with long flowing golden hair; beautiful in a classic English Rose way. Hmm. Either be more original in your world-building or acknowledge it without making it into a Mary-Sue-usage, please. (Contrast Tamora Pierce's classy job in this area in the Lady Knight series, where she uses Japanese culture as the strong influence on her Yamani country, but without making the Mary Sue type mistake.)

(I did enjoy reading it, though, and it's better than the mythological creatures series.) ( )

Arranged marriage to seal alliances may not be the way things have traditionally been done in the Blue Crescent Islands, but if they want to stay independent, that's going to change. For Fourth Crown Princess Taoshira (Tashi), meeting the people of her bride to be is traumatic enough. But just as she's come to the bitter conclusion that her intended is a fatuous ass and the alliance will have to be made some other way, she and her husband to be are kidnapped, thrown in a tiger cage and smuggled out of the kingdom. If they're to escape and reach safety Tashi and Crown Prince Ramil of Gerfal will have to work together - and they may both just learn a few things.

This would have been a fantastic adventure story if the telling of it was a bit less wooden. I kept remembering I was reading. ( )