4.5 stars 
 This was a glorious read. I have not read that many books pertaining to dragon lore, but I can say with conviction that Rachel Hartman has a unique and inspired take on dragons. 
 I believed in her like some people believe in Heaven. 
 Beautiful prose, world-building that lacked nothing and a plot that keeps you wondering. 
 I did not understand that I carried loneliness before me on a plate, and that music would be the light illuminating me from behind. 
 Seraphina's secret has kept her sheltered from normal life and friends. Unwilling to let life pass her by, she pursues her music and ends up working in the royal palace. There she meets the giggly Princess Glisselda, the honest and intriguing Prince Lucian Kiggs and many other musicians. 
 So dragons and humans were at war, the dragons wanted the humans land for hunting. There were many casualties on both sides and so they decided to negotiate a peace treaty. The dragons adopted human form and were not allowed to take dragon form. They are emotionally stunted, a board of censors monitors them to ensure that they do not experience emotions in more than minimal quantities. The mystery stems from this.... 
 I was drawn to his aloofness, the way cats gravitate toward people who'd rather avoid them.