Review: Dragonfly by Julia Golding

                Title: Dragonfly

                Author: Julia Golding

                Published by: Skyscape

                Published on: October 20th 2009

                Format: Paperback

                Rating: 3.5 Stars

Summary:

"Princess Taoshira of the Blue Crescent Islands is appalled when she is ordered to marry Prince Ramil of Gerfal. And he's not too pleased, either. She is used to a life of discipline, ritual, and splendor. He is used to hunting and carousing. They hate each other on sight. But both of their countries are under threat from a fearsome warlord, and the only chance of peace is to form an alliance.
When Tashi and Ram are kidnapped, they fear there's no escape--from their kidnappers or from each other. Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive ambush, unarmed combat, brainwashing, and imprisonment? And will the people they meet on their adventure--including a circus strongman, a daring rebel leader, a sinister master of spies, and the best female fighter they have ever seen--help them or betray them to the enemy?"

While reading this book all I could think of was my childhood memories, how my mother use to tell me Indian children stories when I use to be sick in bed. Just like this, stories of distant prince's and princesses who had to leave their homeland and marry some else who they have never met just so that they can save their land from war through an alliance. And then they meet and hate each other at first sight.
Then something happens, chaos ensues, they go on a adventure. Their faith begins to waver, they grow as a character, love happens. They experience new culture, new places. Save their country and also defeat the villain. All in all, an end to happy day. The plot is something I have read thousand of times but the only distinction I could find was the different culture created.
That being said, sometimes the old cliches sticks out to us, because inwardly we love them.