REVIEW: Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 1101931280

Format: Hardback, E-Book

Release Date: 27th February 2018


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Rating: 7/10


Synopsis:

In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can't make a scene at your sister's wedding and break a relative's nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy.
Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it's a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl--a subspecies of dragon--who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she's tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one.

Review:

**Thanks to Penguin Random House for sending me this book in return for my honest review**

Tess of the Road is a fantastically written novel full of adventure and magic. 

Having not read Seraphina or Dragon Scale, I wasn't sure what to expect but I really enjoyed this book. I do wish I had read those 2 books before jumping into this one though. Although not necessary, I do feel I would have benefitted greatly with understanding some characters as well as the world and lore. So, that's just something to keep in mind before you decide to jump into this book.

Our main character is Tess who (after her parents believe she has ruined her prospects) sets of on an adventure after helping her sister find her own suitor. She disguises as a boy and sneaks away starting her journey. Tess is a wonderfully flawed character and you cannot help but feel sorry for her after learning of her past. 

The book has a lot of flashbacks which I both enjoyed and didn't. At times the flashbacks confused me and I wasn't entirely sure if it was a flashback I was reading. However, I loved getting to know more about Tess and her past. I also found some parts of the story a little slow and I would have liked more action or some more fast-paced moments.

There is a lot of fantasy and lore to take in with this book though the main theme of the story is Tess finding herself. This book is very much a coming-of-age novel set within a fantasy-world setting.

It's a very long book and perhaps some parts could have been cut down. But the entire book was very cohesive and I appreciate the work put into building this fantasy world and the explanations of aspects readers wouldn't know if they hadn't read Hartman's other books. Each part of the story intersects beautifully and I definitely recommend this book.