Review: #641
Title: Dragonfly Song
Series: N/A
Author: Wendy Orr
Read Before: no
Comments: Dragonfly Song tells the story of Aissa, a cursed child who was cast away from royalty to be brought up by a farmer’s family. However, fate is cruel and she ends up being the lowliest of slaves and being called the cursed one, most hated of all. The plot is based upon the Greek myths of the Minotaur as Aissa is on a island where every year, a twelve year old boy and girl are offered as tributes to the Bull-King and if they survive as bull-dancers, they can bring freedom to the island. Naturally, Aissa will be the chosen one but the novel takes a very long time to get to that point. Instead, we see all the suffering and injustice Aissa has to endure. Even when you think Aissa’s tables will be turned, it defies your expectations. After all the focus on bull-dancers it is a bit disappointing when the mystery of what happens is revealed. Nonetheless, there is a happy ending if a little bit contrived and you never feel that Aissa has gotten what she deserved for all the suffering of her childhood. The author also had a peculiar writing style in which half of the story is told in a poem-like format which is annoying and is not good storytelling. Nonetheless, Dragon Song is surprisingly engaging and you’d root for Aissa the whole way through.
Rating: 6.5/10