I feel vaguely heretical saying this, but I think I’m glad that there’s a new Robin McKinley book coming out in the fall. I need some affirmation that she is in fact that writing god I have always held her up to be.
Dragonhaven isn’t a bad book. It’s a nice little story about family, and protecting things you care deeply about. Unfortunately, it’s also a Robin McKinley book that gives me a meh feeling, and her books don’t normally do that for me. Although, I supposed two meh books out of somewhere around a dozen is a pretty good track record.
I think the main thing that didn’t do it for me was the narrator’s voice. I’m not normally a huge fan of first person narrative, but McKinley is one of the few authors I automatically trust to do first person well. This book is narrated by Jake, who’s writing the story at the age of 17. I think she probably captured an 17-year-old boy pretty well. I just didn’t really need to go along for the ride.
So, though I feel a little bad saying it, I will probably not be buying this book, unless I find it used. It’s going down with Outlaws of Sherwood as books I’d rather not admit I know Robin McKinley wrote.