Seraphina

Seraphina (2012), a young adult fantasy novel by Rachel Hartman, centers on a court musician who finds herself embroiled in a royal murder mystery when the Crown Prince dies, apparently killed by a dragon. Seraphina must uncover the plot against the crown without revealing that she is half-dragon herself. The novel is Hartman’s first; she previously wrote the comic book series Amy Unbounded, featuring the same kingdom of Goredd as this novel.

Seraphina, a fifteen-year-old court musician has a secret: she’s half-human, half-dragon. Humans and dragons, who can take on human forms if they wish, coexist in this world; a treaty to ensure peace exists between the species but their relations are tense. Dragons are emotionless, logical creatures unable to understand human feelings. Human-dragon hybrids like Seraphina are unheard of; human-dragon relationships are frowned upon, and it’s thought to be impossible for dragons and humans to have offspring. Seraphina must hide the dragon scales that appear on her body and avoid showing signs of the telepathic connection she possesses to the other hybrids who exist. She also has a telepathic link to her dead mother’s memories.

Crown Prince Rufus dies. He is found decapitated, his head missing; his manner of death leads people to suspect he was killed by a dragon. Seraphina plays music at his funeral. Her outstanding talent, enhanced by her dragon heritage, draws tears from the crowd. Seraphina’s Uncle Orma, a full dragon, receives a mysterious coin belonging to his father, Imlann.



A group of humans begins to harass the young dragon Basind; Orma and the Royal Palace Guard, led by Prince Lucian Kiggs, the bastard son of Queen Lavonda go to intervene. Kiggs recognizes that Orma is a dragon, even though he is in human form and not wearing the bell that dragons in human shape are normally required to wear. As a scholar, Orma is exempt from wearing the bell. Seraphina is frightened at Lucian’s shrewdness. She is afraid he might discover her secret as well.

Seraphina has a vision in her “mental garden,” her framework for communicating with the seventeen other hybrids. One hybrid, whom she visualizes as a fruit bat, tries to communicate something to her, but she refuses.

The next day, Seraphina resumes giving music lessons to Princess Glisselda, Lucian’s fiancée. The topic of the treaty between dragons and humans comes up: its fortieth anniversary is approaching. Glisselda believes the treaty was a result of humans subduing and taming dragons, but Seraphina corrects her: the treaty was the result of dragons recognizing humans as intelligent.



Later, Seraphina buys a small figurine from a quig, a small lizard-like creature similar to a dragon. She faints and has a vision of a woman from Porphyria, another country, speaking to Fruit Bat’s real-life counterpart, Abdo. He appears able to see her as well. A man named Thomas Broadwick tends to her, but threatens her when he discovers the quig-made figurine in her purse, calling her a “quig-lover.”

In her rooms, Seraphina enters her mental garden and communicates with Abdo, who now resembles his real self, not a fruit bat. She asks him not to send her any more visions without her consent because it’s dangerous for her. Then, she contacts Orma and tells him everything. He is fascinated by her powers.

Later, at a royal salon, she sees several other hybrids in person. She hears Josef, a noble, talking about how a dragon was responsible for Rufus’s death; she argues that his death was planned to stir dracophobia before the treaty’s anniversary. Lucian appears and agrees with her. The two bond, but she inadvertently insults him by asking him what it’s like to be a bastard.



Two exiled knights report a rogue dragon, and Lucian and Seraphina investigate together. They confirm that the dragon in question is Imlann. They are on their way back to the palace when Imlann appears and threatens them. Seraphina activates the earring she uses to contact Orma, lying to Imlann, telling him she has a dragon-made device in her tooth that will explode if he kills her. Imlann leaves them with a threat and flies away. Lucian confronts Seraphina, reminding her it’s illegal for humans to possess a dragon-made device. She tells him she was bluffing, but the earring is also dragon-made, and when Orma shows up, Lucian knows she does have an illegal device. He arrests both her and Orma.

Queen Lavonda grants Seraphina a pardon, but Comonot, the dragon leader, is not pleased with Orma and orders his emotions removed. Rumors are beginning to mount that Seraphina herself is a dragon, and two women of the court, Lady Corongi and Princess Dionne, attempt to attack and bleed her.

Seraphina has a vision from her mother’s memory showing Imlann plotting against Comonot. She tries to warn him, but she is stabbed by a priest before she can. She had seen the priest talking to Josef and suspects Josef is Imlann in disguise. She tells Lucian and Glisselda what she suspects, and they agree to watch out for Comonot during the Treaty Eve celebration. During the celebration, Seraphina notices Princess Dionne is not there. She, Lucian, and Glisselda go to the princess’s chambers and find Josef has poisoned her.



When they go to find the rest of the royal family and inform them, they find the others about to enjoy a toast of wine with Josef. Josef reveals Lady Corongi gave him the wine. Seraphina’s lizard figurine becomes animate and calls Lady Corongi an imposter; Lady Corongi reveals herself as Imlann, snatching Glisselda in her claws. Seraphina uses her mental link to the other hybrids to save Glisselda, while Orma fights Imlann in dragon form. Orma is injured, but a number of other dragons join the fight and kill Imlann.

Seraphina confesses to Lucian and Glisselda that she is half-dragon. Glisselda accepts her identity, but Lucian has more difficulty with the idea. A group of generals demands that Comonot be sent to them and tried for his alleged crimes against dragons. The queen is ill from the poisoned wine, so Glisselda must act in her place. She refuses to turn Comonot in and is willing to battle the generals to preserve the treaty.

Seraphina confesses to Lucian that she has fallen in love with him. He loves her in return, but he says they must wait to pursue a relationship. The war is just beginning and Glisselda needs their support.



Seraphina became a New York Times bestseller upon publication and won the William C. Morris Award for best YA debut. In 2015, Hartman published a sequel, Shadow Scale, and in 2018, a novel, Tess of the Road, set in the same world.