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2.9 AVERAGE
2.9 AVERAGE
Not sure how I finished this book. I was about to give up after the first 100 pages because of how slow it began; luckily I really hate giving up on books. The story gets interesting after the time skip but it was extremely difficult to follow. I feel as if this book was a rough draft of how the real book was supposed to be. I kind of wish it flowed a little better and had more explanation of certain things. It had a lot more potential to be a really good book. I liked it but I didn't love it.
The description of this book on Amazon's site sounded great. A girl called to become a Seeker, fighting "to protect the weak and the wronged". Taking her oath with her best friend and the boy she loves. Big letdown when it turns out to be nothing like what she expected. It seemed a bit scifi/fantasy and a bit medieval at the same time. Quin sounded like a kickass heroine. It should be right up my alley but, despite being fascinated with some aspects of the book, it generally disappointed.
There is some great stuff in this book. I liked the characters quite a bit and enjoyed hearing the story from many different perspectives. The emotional content was pretty good too. I understood the motivations of each of the narrators quite clearly even if I didn't always agree with their choices. Quin really was just as kickass as I'd hoped! The action scenes were exciting and the weaponry interesting. Unfortunately, the world-building here was really frustrating. It was clear Quin had been groomed and desperately wanted to become a Seeker. She finally takes her Oath only to find she's been lied to and they are glorified assassins rather than selfless dealers of justice. Yet at no point does the author go into what a Seeker should actually be doing. There is reference to other Seeker families, fights and murder between them, misdeeds of all kinds but never any explanation or example of what the purpose of the Seeker used to be in any concrete way. I still have no idea what the heck Quin thought she'd be doing as a Seeker. And even though I simply hate info dumps it was even more frustrating to have major explanations of concepts or character history dropped into the storyline long after the information would really have been helpful. The book is divided into three parts but the there's also a section called Interludes which include various important pieces of plot or character development that it seemed the author didn't know how to structure in otherwise. I found myself just shaking my head at the weirdness of it all.
This type of book is so frustrating for me as a reader since the concept and characters were so good in some parts and then so very bad in others. There was a complete lack of coherent world-building and the structure of the narrative was disjointed and choppy. I think I'd have to be in a real reading drought to pick up the next book in the series.
There is some great stuff in this book. I liked the characters quite a bit and enjoyed hearing the story from many different perspectives. The emotional content was pretty good too. I understood the motivations of each of the narrators quite clearly even if I didn't always agree with their choices. Quin really was just as kickass as I'd hoped! The action scenes were exciting and the weaponry interesting. Unfortunately, the world-building here was really frustrating. It was clear Quin had been groomed and desperately wanted to become a Seeker. She finally takes her Oath only to find she's been lied to and they are glorified assassins rather than selfless dealers of justice. Yet at no point does the author go into what a Seeker should actually be doing. There is reference to other Seeker families, fights and murder between them, misdeeds of all kinds but never any explanation or example of what the purpose of the Seeker used to be in any concrete way. I still have no idea what the heck Quin thought she'd be doing as a Seeker. And even though I simply hate info dumps it was even more frustrating to have major explanations of concepts or character history dropped into the storyline long after the information would really have been helpful. The book is divided into three parts but the there's also a section called Interludes which include various important pieces of plot or character development that it seemed the author didn't know how to structure in otherwise. I found myself just shaking my head at the weirdness of it all.
This type of book is so frustrating for me as a reader since the concept and characters were so good in some parts and then so very bad in others. There was a complete lack of coherent world-building and the structure of the narrative was disjointed and choppy. I think I'd have to be in a real reading drought to pick up the next book in the series.
I received the Seeker in return for an honest review from the publisher via Netgalley. Quin knew she was going to be a seeker her whole life and at eight she started training to be a seeker. While Quin and Shinobu take their oaths as seekers John is kicked out and sent back to his grandfather. Growing up Quin always saw the seeker as an honorable future but after taking her oath it’s not what she expected and now she’s locked in. After her first night Quin plans to leave but instead she sticks around because that’s what is expected.
When John shows up intent on claiming the athame which belongs to his family things go horribly wrong from Quin’s home burning to the ground to Shinobu’s father being shot with a disruptor. Fleeing from the only home she’s known with her mother and Shinobu she leaves her father with the Dreads running from John Quin uses the athame to travel to Hong Kong but before they can travel though the doorway she’s hit by a stray bullet from John. Given the chance to forget the past Quin takes in embarking on a new life without the past to get in the way. Shinobu also takes off on his own but while Quin becomes a healer he falls deeper and deeper into the dark world of opium. Will they be able to live their lives free of John who is desperate to get his hands on the athame or will Quin be forced to remember her past she desperately wants to forget.
I like Quin she’s a character who has a good heart but let the fact that she’s spent her whole life following her father lead her down the wrong path. She’s a kick ass character which is one of the qualities I love in a heroine. I wasn’t sure about John in the story he has a tragic past which kind of explains why he is so intent on getting the athame. I’m torn on Shinobu as a potential for Quin because they are cousins but 3rd by marriage I think but there is a potential romance blossoming between them even though she was prior in love with John before she became a seeker. We also get an insight into Maud who is the young dread who I really liked her addition to the novel.
I’ve been dying to get my hands on a copy of the Seeker it’s one of my most anticipated novels of 2015. My partner in Crime Stormi over at Books, Movies, Reviews agreed to buddy read this one with me. Seeker is a mix of high fantasy with modern futuristic elements. The story starts out in Scotland than moves to Hong Kong even London in the near future with flying cars floating ships and one of a kind weapons. The author has created this unique little world where are characters live, it’s interesting to see the modern day features like a cell phone in Hong Kong but in Scotland they live on a estate without electricity. The overall concept for Seeker is an interesting one that I found captivating right from the start I wanted to know more about the Seekers. However I don’t think it was executed smoothly we have moment where I felt like something was missing and other parts are skipped to come back in a flashback. Overall I enjoyed the novel the characters are great with their own individual stories all woven and intersecting together. It did feel like a slower read and I found myself struggling because it is disjointed but after the last 50% I finished in one afternoon. Basically I loved the story but wish it was a little smoother and plan to read the next one because I want to know what will happen next.
When John shows up intent on claiming the athame which belongs to his family things go horribly wrong from Quin’s home burning to the ground to Shinobu’s father being shot with a disruptor. Fleeing from the only home she’s known with her mother and Shinobu she leaves her father with the Dreads running from John Quin uses the athame to travel to Hong Kong but before they can travel though the doorway she’s hit by a stray bullet from John. Given the chance to forget the past Quin takes in embarking on a new life without the past to get in the way. Shinobu also takes off on his own but while Quin becomes a healer he falls deeper and deeper into the dark world of opium. Will they be able to live their lives free of John who is desperate to get his hands on the athame or will Quin be forced to remember her past she desperately wants to forget.
I like Quin she’s a character who has a good heart but let the fact that she’s spent her whole life following her father lead her down the wrong path. She’s a kick ass character which is one of the qualities I love in a heroine. I wasn’t sure about John in the story he has a tragic past which kind of explains why he is so intent on getting the athame. I’m torn on Shinobu as a potential for Quin because they are cousins but 3rd by marriage I think but there is a potential romance blossoming between them even though she was prior in love with John before she became a seeker. We also get an insight into Maud who is the young dread who I really liked her addition to the novel.
I’ve been dying to get my hands on a copy of the Seeker it’s one of my most anticipated novels of 2015. My partner in Crime Stormi over at Books, Movies, Reviews agreed to buddy read this one with me. Seeker is a mix of high fantasy with modern futuristic elements. The story starts out in Scotland than moves to Hong Kong even London in the near future with flying cars floating ships and one of a kind weapons. The author has created this unique little world where are characters live, it’s interesting to see the modern day features like a cell phone in Hong Kong but in Scotland they live on a estate without electricity. The overall concept for Seeker is an interesting one that I found captivating right from the start I wanted to know more about the Seekers. However I don’t think it was executed smoothly we have moment where I felt like something was missing and other parts are skipped to come back in a flashback. Overall I enjoyed the novel the characters are great with their own individual stories all woven and intersecting together. It did feel like a slower read and I found myself struggling because it is disjointed but after the last 50% I finished in one afternoon. Basically I loved the story but wish it was a little smoother and plan to read the next one because I want to know what will happen next.
slow-paced
2.5 -- 3 stars
Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton is one of those books that I think people will either really love or really not love. I myself am middle of the road on this book which is why I have it rated a 3 star.
I love the idea behind this book. The main character is a girl who has grown up wanting to become a Seeker and follow in the footsteps of her family. The challenge I had was that the Seeker legacy was never really explained. They “alter the world for the better” but there was never any real explanation around what that meant. Instead, we are dropped right into the story of these characters wanting something that we don’t really have a meaning around.
Quin as a main character was interesting. There were times I liked her and times that she drove me crazy. She did not have an easy life but it was one she chose –I don’t know that she truly understood the full story and had it been me, I would have been asking questions along the way instead of relying only on stories shared by my father and uncle. Also – around this….we are never really told what the heck happens that turns Quin and Shinobu from their fathers and the life of a Seeker…I needed this to better understand what really was going on. Instead I was made to guess and infer things based on the feelings they had about it.
I also wish she would have talked to John and pushed him to answer her questions about his background regardless of how he felt about it. She knew he was hiding something and it upset him but she let him push her back when she asked and in the end, it hurt them both.
The two boys were interesting. John and Shinobu are both very close to Quin and there is a bit of a love triangle here. In the beginning it doesn’t really play into the story but once things get moving, it definitely does.
John has a good story and the only thing I can say here without ruining the story for anyone is that he has reason to believe he has a right to the things he fights for. If he had been up front with Quin they probably would have avoided what ends up happening and things might have ended up differently for everyone.
Shinobu was curious. Yes, he has feelings for Quin but instead of acting on them, he decides that he is going to walk away…to a life of drugs and who knows what else. It is only by chance that he ends up back in Quin’s world but when he does, he jumps back in to help her out. As they become friends again, Quin realizes there is more to Shinobu than she originally thought and of course, this changes their relationship.
The creation of the worlds was something I found intriguing. During one section the characters are in Scotland and another section takes them to a futuristic Hong Kong. Somehow it all seemed to flow together but I do wish we had gotten more about how things fit together and some descriptions to link them.
I’m not really sure what else to write on this as I don’t want to give anything away but on top of that, I don’t know that I could truly provide a clear synopsis of what the book is truly about even though I have read it. I don’t mean this to be taken in a bad way…I just didn’t think that as a reader, I closed this book truly knowing what the life of a Seeker is and how Quin is different. The issues seemed to arise from her father more than the actual role of a Seeker but we didn’t get any background on how/where things turned and went wrong.
This one just didn’t grab me like I thought it would and it could just be a case of "it's not you, it's me" so please keep that in mind. I will most likely keep book two on my radar to see what happens next in this series…perhaps I will get some of the information there that I didn’t get in book one.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the review copy!
Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton is one of those books that I think people will either really love or really not love. I myself am middle of the road on this book which is why I have it rated a 3 star.
I love the idea behind this book. The main character is a girl who has grown up wanting to become a Seeker and follow in the footsteps of her family. The challenge I had was that the Seeker legacy was never really explained. They “alter the world for the better” but there was never any real explanation around what that meant. Instead, we are dropped right into the story of these characters wanting something that we don’t really have a meaning around.
Quin as a main character was interesting. There were times I liked her and times that she drove me crazy. She did not have an easy life but it was one she chose –I don’t know that she truly understood the full story and had it been me, I would have been asking questions along the way instead of relying only on stories shared by my father and uncle. Also – around this….we are never really told what the heck happens that turns Quin and Shinobu from their fathers and the life of a Seeker…I needed this to better understand what really was going on. Instead I was made to guess and infer things based on the feelings they had about it.
I also wish she would have talked to John and pushed him to answer her questions about his background regardless of how he felt about it. She knew he was hiding something and it upset him but she let him push her back when she asked and in the end, it hurt them both.
The two boys were interesting. John and Shinobu are both very close to Quin and there is a bit of a love triangle here. In the beginning it doesn’t really play into the story but once things get moving, it definitely does.
John has a good story and the only thing I can say here without ruining the story for anyone is that he has reason to believe he has a right to the things he fights for. If he had been up front with Quin they probably would have avoided what ends up happening and things might have ended up differently for everyone.
Shinobu was curious. Yes, he has feelings for Quin but instead of acting on them, he decides that he is going to walk away…to a life of drugs and who knows what else. It is only by chance that he ends up back in Quin’s world but when he does, he jumps back in to help her out. As they become friends again, Quin realizes there is more to Shinobu than she originally thought and of course, this changes their relationship.
The creation of the worlds was something I found intriguing. During one section the characters are in Scotland and another section takes them to a futuristic Hong Kong. Somehow it all seemed to flow together but I do wish we had gotten more about how things fit together and some descriptions to link them.
I’m not really sure what else to write on this as I don’t want to give anything away but on top of that, I don’t know that I could truly provide a clear synopsis of what the book is truly about even though I have read it. I don’t mean this to be taken in a bad way…I just didn’t think that as a reader, I closed this book truly knowing what the life of a Seeker is and how Quin is different. The issues seemed to arise from her father more than the actual role of a Seeker but we didn’t get any background on how/where things turned and went wrong.
This one just didn’t grab me like I thought it would and it could just be a case of "it's not you, it's me" so please keep that in mind. I will most likely keep book two on my radar to see what happens next in this series…perhaps I will get some of the information there that I didn’t get in book one.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the review copy!
Originally at The Fictional Reader
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
When I read the synopsis of this book on Netgalley, I requested it immediately. I’m a huge fan of fantasy and this seemed right up my alley. It took me 6 days to read this, which is quite a long time for me. However, I’m pretty sure that if it had been any other book it would’ve taken me twice that amount. I’ve been so busy lately with university and I’ve been sick too. Yet every time I had to put this book down, it made me feel a bit sad. I loved it so much!
First of all, the plot. This book’s plot is insane -in a good way! It spans over about 2 years and so much crazy stuff happens. It starts when Quin takes her oath as a Seeker and discovers that being a Seeker is not as noble as she’d been taught. But what can she do about it? She’s taken her Oath so she’s marked as a Seeker and there’s no way to escape. That’s when things start going crazy. I never knew what to expect! I got swept up by the story and didn’t want to come back down.
Not only was the plot incredible, so were the characters. Because the story spans over such a long time, there is a lot of character development. I can honestly say that by the middle/end of this book, you wouldn’t recognize half of the characters. My favorite ones? Shinobu and Maud/the Young Dread. Those two characters were the most fascinating to me. I fell in love with Shinobu’s character and story!
I have to give a warning: there is a love triangle in this book. When I realized that, the first thing that went through my mind was “Oh no, there’s going to be drama”. To be honest, this is probably one of the first love triangles that didn’t bother me. It wasn’t that Quin was like “I can’t choose between the two, I love them both, who will I pick…”. Because of the events that happened, the relationships between every character shift so much and not just the love-aspect. In my opinion, the love triangle doesn’t take away from the awesomeness of this story.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book! I can’t wait to read the sequel, The Traveler, which apparently will be released in 2016? That’s WAY too long!
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
When I read the synopsis of this book on Netgalley, I requested it immediately. I’m a huge fan of fantasy and this seemed right up my alley. It took me 6 days to read this, which is quite a long time for me. However, I’m pretty sure that if it had been any other book it would’ve taken me twice that amount. I’ve been so busy lately with university and I’ve been sick too. Yet every time I had to put this book down, it made me feel a bit sad. I loved it so much!
First of all, the plot. This book’s plot is insane -in a good way! It spans over about 2 years and so much crazy stuff happens. It starts when Quin takes her oath as a Seeker and discovers that being a Seeker is not as noble as she’d been taught. But what can she do about it? She’s taken her Oath so she’s marked as a Seeker and there’s no way to escape. That’s when things start going crazy. I never knew what to expect! I got swept up by the story and didn’t want to come back down.
Not only was the plot incredible, so were the characters. Because the story spans over such a long time, there is a lot of character development. I can honestly say that by the middle/end of this book, you wouldn’t recognize half of the characters. My favorite ones? Shinobu and Maud/the Young Dread. Those two characters were the most fascinating to me. I fell in love with Shinobu’s character and story!
I have to give a warning: there is a love triangle in this book. When I realized that, the first thing that went through my mind was “Oh no, there’s going to be drama”. To be honest, this is probably one of the first love triangles that didn’t bother me. It wasn’t that Quin was like “I can’t choose between the two, I love them both, who will I pick…”. Because of the events that happened, the relationships between every character shift so much and not just the love-aspect. In my opinion, the love triangle doesn’t take away from the awesomeness of this story.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book! I can’t wait to read the sequel, The Traveler, which apparently will be released in 2016? That’s WAY too long!
szczerze to ta książka zasługuje na 0.5/5⭐ ale niestety Goodreads mnie ograniczył w tej kwestii
a więc co jest z tą książką nie tak że dostaje tak niską notę?
otóż wszystko proszę państwa
zacznijmy od fabuły
(wtrącę jeszcze że znalazłam na angielskim odpowiedniku Poszukiwaczki recenzję która idealnie wypunktowała jej największe grzechy, i nią się będę też posiłkować, oraz że mogą się pojawić spoilery, jednak uważam że bez nich nie umiem oddać rozgoryczenia, rozczarowania i odradzenia tej książki)
pani Dayton do końca nie była pewna, w jakich klimatach chcę osadzić historię - mamy więc istną mieszankę wybuchową złożoną z elementów sci-fi, urban fantasy, high fantasy, romansu, młodzieżówki, steampunku, średniowiecza i wielu, ale to naprawdę wielu innych gatunków, które razem - jak to mieszanki wybuchowe mają w naturze - grożą eksplozją przesytu.
Może i utalentowany autor zdołałby sklecić z tego logiczną całość, ale niestety panią Dayton wyposażono wyłącznie w zapalnik, a ona podpaliła lont. Okropnie się to czyta, a jeszcze paskudniej próbuje poskładać się zasady panujące w świecie przedstawionym.
Bo nie ma ż a d n y c h zasad.
Nic nie przeszkadza autorce we wrzuceniu w środku książki nadludzkiej mocy głównej bohaterce, który potrzebna jest tylko dla jednego wątku fabularnego, do którego później nawiążę, a następnie zapomnieniu o jej istnieniu. Nie wspominając o braku jakichkolwiek podstaw do posiadania jej przez Quin, żadnych wskazówek ani racjonalnych powodów.
Akcja skacze niczym młody zajączek w okresie godowym, tylko po to by pokazać zmiany zachodzące w bohaterach, które de facto nie mają żadnych podstaw by w ogóle zaszły.
Shinobu ze spokojnego, trochę wycofanego chłopca w jednym momencie staje się bezdusznym niewdzięcznikiem, odmawiającego skończenia cierpień własnego ojca, który poświęcił mu całe życie, dbał o niego zawsze, nawet gdy syn tego nie wiedział bądź nie rozumiał, tylko po to, by chwilę później zostać pierwszym ćpunem w mieście ™ i dalej spieprzać sobie życie.
John cierpi na paranoję albo na manię, jego postać nie ma większego sensu niż reszta, ale jednocześnie jest tak nijaką postacią, której jedynymi cechami są chęć zemsty i obsesja miłosna na punkcie Quin, że jakkolwiek zmiana w nim zachodząca nic nie wnosi.
Quin. Główna bohaterka. Jak wspomniałam, jej przemiana polega na dorzucaniu różnych mocy czy specjalnych umiejętności tylko w celu 'progresu' fabuły.
Wiecie czym jest ten progres?
WĄTKIEM ROMANTYCZNYM Z WŁASNYM KUZYNEM
nie wspominając że w zasadzie to mamy tu do czynienia z trójkącikiem między dziewczyną z bardzo wyraźnym zaburzeniem osobowości (z posłusznej córki skacze do uzdrowicielki, potem do przerażonej panienki w opałach by skończyć jako piąta woda po kisielu z Katniss Everdeen czy jakiejkolwiek innej rewolucjonistki), a zdrajcą i jej własnym kuzynem.
Najgorsze chyba w tym wątku jest fakt, że próbują ukryć swoje pokrewieństwo powtarzaniem co dwie strony 'w sumie to jesteśmy kuzynami dopiero w trzeciej linii'
'a gdzieś po drodze ten członek rodziny nas łączący ożenił się drugi raz'
'wiec w sumie to jesteśmy tylko kuzynami trzeciego stopnia pół krwi'~
stop
god no please stop stop STOP
Tej książce brakuje sensu, logiki, bohaterów na których by nam zależało, dobrej reprezentacji innych kultur (ponieważ mamy tu mieszankę Szkocji, Chin, Japonii, Anglii i magicznych wymiarów, co ku kompletnego braku zdziwienia nie wypada dobrze), fabuły z rękami i nogami oraz motywacji do czytania innych tomów.
Ponieważ jeżeli wątkiem, który miał sprawić, że powstanie z tego trylogia, miał być fakt odgrodzenia Johna od artefaktu przez Quin i Shinobu, co stanowi 3/4 fabuły Poszukiwaczki, oraz trójkąt miłosny (1/4 fabuły), to równie dobrze mogę przeczytać ten tom jeszcze raz i wymęczyć się tak samo.
mam nadzieję, że w trzecim tomie świat stanie w płomieniach i wszyscy zginą
a więc co jest z tą książką nie tak że dostaje tak niską notę?
otóż wszystko proszę państwa
zacznijmy od fabuły
(wtrącę jeszcze że znalazłam na angielskim odpowiedniku Poszukiwaczki recenzję która idealnie wypunktowała jej największe grzechy, i nią się będę też posiłkować, oraz że mogą się pojawić spoilery, jednak uważam że bez nich nie umiem oddać rozgoryczenia, rozczarowania i odradzenia tej książki)
pani Dayton do końca nie była pewna, w jakich klimatach chcę osadzić historię - mamy więc istną mieszankę wybuchową złożoną z elementów sci-fi, urban fantasy, high fantasy, romansu, młodzieżówki, steampunku, średniowiecza i wielu, ale to naprawdę wielu innych gatunków, które razem - jak to mieszanki wybuchowe mają w naturze - grożą eksplozją przesytu.
Może i utalentowany autor zdołałby sklecić z tego logiczną całość, ale niestety panią Dayton wyposażono wyłącznie w zapalnik, a ona podpaliła lont. Okropnie się to czyta, a jeszcze paskudniej próbuje poskładać się zasady panujące w świecie przedstawionym.
Bo nie ma ż a d n y c h zasad.
Nic nie przeszkadza autorce we wrzuceniu w środku książki nadludzkiej mocy głównej bohaterce, który potrzebna jest tylko dla jednego wątku fabularnego, do którego później nawiążę, a następnie zapomnieniu o jej istnieniu. Nie wspominając o braku jakichkolwiek podstaw do posiadania jej przez Quin, żadnych wskazówek ani racjonalnych powodów.
Akcja skacze niczym młody zajączek w okresie godowym, tylko po to by pokazać zmiany zachodzące w bohaterach, które de facto nie mają żadnych podstaw by w ogóle zaszły.
Shinobu ze spokojnego, trochę wycofanego chłopca w jednym momencie staje się bezdusznym niewdzięcznikiem, odmawiającego skończenia cierpień własnego ojca, który poświęcił mu całe życie, dbał o niego zawsze, nawet gdy syn tego nie wiedział bądź nie rozumiał, tylko po to, by chwilę później zostać pierwszym ćpunem w mieście ™ i dalej spieprzać sobie życie.
John cierpi na paranoję albo na manię, jego postać nie ma większego sensu niż reszta, ale jednocześnie jest tak nijaką postacią, której jedynymi cechami są chęć zemsty i obsesja miłosna na punkcie Quin, że jakkolwiek zmiana w nim zachodząca nic nie wnosi.
Quin. Główna bohaterka. Jak wspomniałam, jej przemiana polega na dorzucaniu różnych mocy czy specjalnych umiejętności tylko w celu 'progresu' fabuły.
Wiecie czym jest ten progres?
WĄTKIEM ROMANTYCZNYM Z WŁASNYM KUZYNEM
nie wspominając że w zasadzie to mamy tu do czynienia z trójkącikiem między dziewczyną z bardzo wyraźnym zaburzeniem osobowości (z posłusznej córki skacze do uzdrowicielki, potem do przerażonej panienki w opałach by skończyć jako piąta woda po kisielu z Katniss Everdeen czy jakiejkolwiek innej rewolucjonistki), a zdrajcą i jej własnym kuzynem.
Najgorsze chyba w tym wątku jest fakt, że próbują ukryć swoje pokrewieństwo powtarzaniem co dwie strony 'w sumie to jesteśmy kuzynami dopiero w trzeciej linii'
'a gdzieś po drodze ten członek rodziny nas łączący ożenił się drugi raz'
'wiec w sumie to jesteśmy tylko kuzynami trzeciego stopnia pół krwi'~
stop
god no please stop stop STOP
Tej książce brakuje sensu, logiki, bohaterów na których by nam zależało, dobrej reprezentacji innych kultur (ponieważ mamy tu mieszankę Szkocji, Chin, Japonii, Anglii i magicznych wymiarów, co ku kompletnego braku zdziwienia nie wypada dobrze), fabuły z rękami i nogami oraz motywacji do czytania innych tomów.
Ponieważ jeżeli wątkiem, który miał sprawić, że powstanie z tego trylogia, miał być fakt odgrodzenia Johna od artefaktu przez Quin i Shinobu, co stanowi 3/4 fabuły Poszukiwaczki, oraz trójkąt miłosny (1/4 fabuły), to równie dobrze mogę przeczytać ten tom jeszcze raz i wymęczyć się tak samo.
mam nadzieję, że w trzecim tomie świat stanie w płomieniach i wszyscy zginą
Seeker is a story of a young woman, her cousin, and another boy about to join the elite Seekers, following in her father's footsteps.
Unfortunately I got the bulk of the narrative structure from the back of the book instead of the book itself. "Seekers" and what they're intended to do (or even what they actually do) is barely explained except in vague and watery brushstrokes so you know that originally they were the hand of justice and have since been warped. Beyond that, their purpose is a mystery.
You are dropped into a romance that feels...forced isn't the right word. But it certainly doesn't feel natural or realistic at all. The foundation is quickly set up and it lasts for too short a time (for the reader) to justify the characters' motivations later.
Speaking of motivations, none feel genuine and all are told to the reader instead of shown. And that is probably my biggest complaint about the book. The villain feels forced and lacking motivation, the internal struggles are shallow and don't warrant the amount of time spent on them, and the bulk of Shinobu's story line feels erratically unexplained and chaotic.
Had the sections of the book been flip-flopped (the 18 months later been the beginning of the book, the interlude, the first big story arc and back story, and then the finale) I would have enjoyed it so much more. That and a little more time spent developing the world surrounding them (the purpose of the seekers, the motivations both internal and external of the characters) and this would have been a compelling sci-fi, with a dash of steampunk (loved the flying blimp/aircraft/ship headquarters), love-triangle story.
Oh, and stop pushing the distant cousin thing. Please. Come up with some other hurdle for their relationship than distant (very very distant, we get it) cousins, Cassandra Clare already pulled that one and even that was poorly done.
Unfortunately I got the bulk of the narrative structure from the back of the book instead of the book itself. "Seekers" and what they're intended to do (or even what they actually do) is barely explained except in vague and watery brushstrokes so you know that originally they were the hand of justice and have since been warped. Beyond that, their purpose is a mystery.
You are dropped into a romance that feels...forced isn't the right word. But it certainly doesn't feel natural or realistic at all. The foundation is quickly set up and it lasts for too short a time (for the reader) to justify the characters' motivations later.
Speaking of motivations, none feel genuine and all are told to the reader instead of shown. And that is probably my biggest complaint about the book. The villain feels forced and lacking motivation, the internal struggles are shallow and don't warrant the amount of time spent on them, and the bulk of Shinobu's story line feels erratically unexplained and chaotic.
Had the sections of the book been flip-flopped (the 18 months later been the beginning of the book, the interlude, the first big story arc and back story, and then the finale) I would have enjoyed it so much more. That and a little more time spent developing the world surrounding them (the purpose of the seekers, the motivations both internal and external of the characters) and this would have been a compelling sci-fi, with a dash of steampunk (loved the flying blimp/aircraft/ship headquarters), love-triangle story.
Oh, and stop pushing the distant cousin thing. Please. Come up with some other hurdle for their relationship than distant (very very distant, we get it) cousins, Cassandra Clare already pulled that one and even that was poorly done.
The world building was rather awful, and I wasn't a fan of any of the characters (why the hell didn't John tell Quin what being a Seeker really entails if it's so goddamn terrible? He's got no damn oath keeping him back). Plot is also strangely vague in an attempt to keep up the mystery. Isn't the whole point of a plot is to uncover the mystery to the fullest? Sigh.
2021 Thoughts
2.5/5 Stars
Sometimes books are good but they just don't make it into the hands of the right readers. Such is this case. I think this is a really solid premise with good writing and that some lovers of science fiction will enjoy this new portal-esque story.
However, I did not enjoy the cringy love triangle with distantly related cousins and insane teenage boys. And since that feels like a primary motivation for much of the book? It ain't for me.
I was rereading this to see if I wanted to continue with the series but I think I knew from the very first chapter that I would be putting it to rest. Thanks for the memories.
2015 Thoughts
4/5 Stars
Worth It
Honestly I chose this book because it was shiny and I am a judgemental person who picks books based on covers. But I gotta say it works... sometimes.
To begin with, I was incredibly scared of reading this because it was so big and I thought it would put me behind in my reading schedule. And it did. It was kinda worth it though. I really enjoyed the main idea of the book with these people who were meant to do good only to find out that they aren't. Even if I was mislead into thinking this would be more of an assassin book. Mislead, probably, by myself.
At the beginning I had a hard time figuring out some setting details. For instance, I didn't realize we were in somewhat present times until they were talking about tv's and electricity. All that confusion really took away from the overall experience I had with the book. Also it didn't amaze me. It was just another book.. wooh. And I found the author doing this thing where you repeat a certain phrase. I notice things like this too much. The author would say "as though" a lot and it wasn't as repetitive as I'm making it out to be. I mean like a few instances in a span of 4 pages. But to the point where it was noticeable for me.
I really need to stop getting excited for books and just go into them blind because I find myself getting disappointed. But let's be real. I would recommend this book to a number of my friends. The level of fantasy is just wow, yeah, love. And it made me want to give up sleep to finish it. This is a good sign and had I not had a test the next day maybe I would've. I just ended up finishing it after the test and I finished and I didn't want to do anything else. The author is also really good at creating vivid scenes. The action was beautifully depicted and I want to go watch a Marvel movie now because the action was like watching one of those. Personally, I really like when we get multiple view-points because you see what everyone else is thinking and doing. I think the author did a good job of creating different characters that when they would write in that character's POV you could tell it was another person.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes adventurous fantasy with some romance mixed in. Don't be scared by the size and length of the book just go ahead and dive in. Once you get into it the book doesn't seem as long as it actually is. I mean I read it over the week and was able to finish it. Some chapters run longer than others but all of it is worth it for a really good read.
2.5/5 Stars
Sometimes books are good but they just don't make it into the hands of the right readers. Such is this case. I think this is a really solid premise with good writing and that some lovers of science fiction will enjoy this new portal-esque story.
However, I did not enjoy the cringy love triangle with distantly related cousins and insane teenage boys. And since that feels like a primary motivation for much of the book? It ain't for me.
I was rereading this to see if I wanted to continue with the series but I think I knew from the very first chapter that I would be putting it to rest. Thanks for the memories.
2015 Thoughts
4/5 Stars
Worth It
Honestly I chose this book because it was shiny and I am a judgemental person who picks books based on covers. But I gotta say it works... sometimes.
To begin with, I was incredibly scared of reading this because it was so big and I thought it would put me behind in my reading schedule. And it did. It was kinda worth it though. I really enjoyed the main idea of the book with these people who were meant to do good only to find out that they aren't. Even if I was mislead into thinking this would be more of an assassin book. Mislead, probably, by myself.
At the beginning I had a hard time figuring out some setting details. For instance, I didn't realize we were in somewhat present times until they were talking about tv's and electricity. All that confusion really took away from the overall experience I had with the book. Also it didn't amaze me. It was just another book.. wooh. And I found the author doing this thing where you repeat a certain phrase. I notice things like this too much. The author would say "as though" a lot and it wasn't as repetitive as I'm making it out to be. I mean like a few instances in a span of 4 pages. But to the point where it was noticeable for me.
I really need to stop getting excited for books and just go into them blind because I find myself getting disappointed. But let's be real. I would recommend this book to a number of my friends. The level of fantasy is just wow, yeah, love. And it made me want to give up sleep to finish it. This is a good sign and had I not had a test the next day maybe I would've. I just ended up finishing it after the test and I finished and I didn't want to do anything else. The author is also really good at creating vivid scenes. The action was beautifully depicted and I want to go watch a Marvel movie now because the action was like watching one of those. Personally, I really like when we get multiple view-points because you see what everyone else is thinking and doing. I think the author did a good job of creating different characters that when they would write in that character's POV you could tell it was another person.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes adventurous fantasy with some romance mixed in. Don't be scared by the size and length of the book just go ahead and dive in. Once you get into it the book doesn't seem as long as it actually is. I mean I read it over the week and was able to finish it. Some chapters run longer than others but all of it is worth it for a really good read.