The murder occurs on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the signing of a treaty that ended the war between humans and dragons.

In an interview with Suvudu, Hartman stated that she had difficulty drawing dragons and that she had chosen to make them transform into humans as an "easier way" to illustrate them.

[15] A reviewer for The Washington Post commented that Hartman was able to "infuse [the] tired trope [of fictional dragons] with fresh blood".

[20][21] Seraphina was a finalist for the Canadian 2012 Governor General's Award in the category of Children's Text.

[26] In the UK, Seraphina placed on the longlist for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2013, with the shortlist announced in March 2013.