3/14/2012

Book Recommendation of the Week III: Eon by Alison Goodman

Eon (Two Pearls of Wisdom) by Alison Goodman

Eon, unlike the other two books recommended before, is not as directly related to the LGB part of LGBT. It deals more with gender identity and the duality (or lack thereof) between male and female.
Eona is in training to be a Dragoneye in a world where there are twelve dragons, each bonded to an Eye and his apprentice (It is he since all of the Dragoneyes are male). At the start of the novel, Eona is just days away from the ceremony where the Rat Dragon will appear and pick the next Dragoneye. Eona is not known to the public as Eona, though, but as Eon. Only males are allowed to become Dragoneyes, so she and her master conceal her sex from everyone. Making matters worse, she was also partially crippled by an accident. During the ceremony, though, the Mirror Dragon, lost for centuries, reappears and chooses Eona to be its Dragoneye. Eona balances her training, despite some serious setbacks, with her new life at court and the politicians who inhabit it, such as the Emperor and Prince Kyo.

Eona struggles with trying to be male while reconciling herself with her female side throughout the book. However, she is not the only one in an atypical situation. There is a courtier, Lady Dela, who is a Contraire, or a man with a woman's spirit. Her tribe considers her fortunate to have both male and female spirits within her, but Lady Dela is subject to some discrimination at court. In the modern world, she would probably be considered transgender, but such terms do not exist in the setting of the novel. Lady Dela is an excellent character, and her role is crucial to the plot. Also present is Ryko, Lady Dela's bodyguard whose feelings are not exactly platonic.

While the book is certainly not perfect, it is a captivating read, and Goodman's interpretation of the Chinese Zodiac makes for an interesting concept. Eon is followed by Eona, also an excellent novel. This is a young adult novel, but it can certainly be enjoyed by someone of any age.

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