Eon, a review by Matthew

Title: Eon
Author: Allison Goodman
Format: paperback
Length: 531 pages
Price: borrowed from a friend

This book is set in a land based on the cultures of ancient China and Japan. The land is ruled by the Emperor, but the keepers of order in the country are the Dragoneyes. The Dragoneyes are a group of men trained to channel the power of the dragons of the twelve year cycle. Over 500 years ago the most powerful dragon of them all, the mirror dragon or the dragon dragon, disappeared and has never been found.   
  
Every year a handful of boys is chosen to be trained, until they turn twelve, to show their skill and power to the Dragon of that year. If the dragon chooses him he becomes apprenticed to the current Dragoneye. But not just anyone can be chosen, they must have the power to go into the energy world to see and channel their dragon.

Eon is one of the boys chosen to show his skill to the dragon. But he is also at a disadvantage; he is crippled in his left leg. He also has a secret, he is really a she named Eona. Being a female Dragoneye and hiding it is punishable by death. At the choosing ceremony for the Rat Dragon Eon is chosen. Not by the Rat Dragon though. Eon was chosen by the Mirror Dragon!!! 

Eona becomes apprentice in a very dangerous year; the emperor has fallen ill to a deathly disease. His throne will be taken by the emperor's general, Lord Sethon, unless Eon joins the resistance against him.

I really liked the way Goodman wrote the book because the characters were vividly described.  She created a really good mind-picture of everything.  I could envision the mirror dragon.  The book is set in a mixture of ancient China and Japan to make the fictional world, and it is very realistic.  The book was also really suspenseful all of the time.

If you want to find out if Sethon take the throne or why the mirror dragon chose Eona you must read this outstanding five chocolate bar book. I guarantee you will love it as much as I did. This is a Y.A. book and has some scenes that may be inapropriate for younger or less mature audiences.