Robin McKinley's Dragonhaven would have come in handy back when my brother told me that, because McKinley proves him wrong. Okay, it actually fits in a genre called "science fantasy," but it is indeed a hybrid of science fiction and fantasy.
Dragonhaven is about dragons, yes, but they are approached scientifically. Its premise is that dragons are an endangered species protected inside three national parks across the world. That being the case, they aren't magical so much as an unusual animal the public is fascinated by.
I would not have pegged it as being written by the same author who wrote Beauty, which is great. It means McKinley is versatile, that she isn't stuck in one voice, era, or even genre. The writing is good in a not-good way -- it is written in first person by someone who is not a writer, so there are mistakes here and there which are common and, I'm convinced, intentional.
My one problem with the book was it dragged. Understandably, the narrator is obsessed by certain details, but the result is a book which could be better paced. It was interesting, and enjoyable, but I would not recommend this book to someone who is not addicted to reading. Okay, maybe if they were addicted to dragon literature, I would.
Sometimes when authors tackle environmental themes, it feels preachy and didactic, but this book wasn't, which was a relief. I'd like to keep the didacticism in my nonfiction reading, thanks.
So there you go. Oh, and this may be the first book I've read for this blog so far that had me checking online to see if there was a sequel (there isn't), so I guess that means it was good, right?
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