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2.9 AVERAGE
2.9 AVERAGE
Almost did not finish. The concept really sounded good and I had hopes I'd enjoy this. But the everything from the setting, to the plot, to the constantly shifting point of view, seemed disjointed. There seemed to be plot twists just for the sake of twists. None of the characters felt fully realized to me. The one bright spot for me was the action sequences.
I received a free copy of the book through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I received a free copy of the book through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Meh. It was okay, did not really care about the characters that much.. I really wanted to like this book!
In this intense mixture of fantasy and science fiction, Quin, Shinobu, and John are all on the precipice of change; after years of training it is finally time for these teenagers to take their oaths and become Seekers. John seems to know more than he’s telling, but Quin and Shinobu find out after their oaths that the career they’ve been trained for is not quite as noble as they were led to believe. The premise of this coming-of-age story is unique and creative! It takes some time for Dayton’s world to make sense and come together, but if you're willing to put in that time and be in the dark for a bit, the ending of the novel makes it worth it! Throughout the book the reader is questioning everyone’s motives and wondering what makes someone good or bad? Who gets to decides who is in the right? Is being a Seeker really an honor? I think both teens and adults who enjoy fantasy sagas with some mystery will enjoy the first book of this new trilogy!
- Michelle V.
- Michelle V.
Well where do I start, this is a YA novel in its own league. I don’t think I have read anything like this. The use of the Athame, the whipsword,the dreads, disruptors and Traveler? All I can say is wow! I was on a rollercoaster from the start to finish. The fight scenes were so descriptive that I could almost visualize it all when it was happening. I enjoyed reading the book from the different characters points of view. This allows you to have rounded view of the characters and the story. My favorite character was Shinobu, I thought Quin was a bit whiney, although others might argue that she has the makings of a ture Heroine. I liked Maud more, her wisdom provided the right balance for the story. I wanted to beat up Briac, that man is evil! But that’s enough from me, no spoilers…..
What didn’t I like? I felt like the story dragged on quite a bit especially with the flashbacks. I wish there were date stamps so I could have known we were flashing back. I was really hoping that this would be a one off book but my joy was short lived when it ended in a bit of a to be continued kind of way.
Although I was happy with most of the events that took place toward the end, and if I don’t read book 2 I wont really be fussed.
Truly a YA novel in its own league, its one of those that will linger with you for a little while.
What didn’t I like? I felt like the story dragged on quite a bit especially with the flashbacks. I wish there were date stamps so I could have known we were flashing back. I was really hoping that this would be a one off book but my joy was short lived when it ended in a bit of a to be continued kind of way.
Although I was happy with most of the events that took place toward the end, and if I don’t read book 2 I wont really be fussed.
Truly a YA novel in its own league, its one of those that will linger with you for a little while.
I wanted to like The Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton, I really did. I was intrigued by the premise: “Quin Kincaid has been put through years of brutal training for what she thinks is the noble purpose of becoming a revered ‘Seeker’. Only when it’s too late does she discover she will be using her new-found knowledge and training to become an assassin.”
There are brief glimpses of good writing. But the story is so splintered – Steampunk, Samurai, Fantasy – and the different elements fracture the story. Most of the characters are completely unlikeable. This is a story of cruelty and violence without humor.
The Seeker is set in our world, only with magic. Three young people are training to be Seekers on an estate in Scotland. Their trainers are the fathers of Quin and Shinobu, who are distant cousins. The third trainee, John, is on the estate without family, and Quin’s father Briac makes sure that John is dismissed without being able to take the Seeker oath. Quin and John are in a relationship, but Shinobu is secretly in love with Quin. (I don’t know about other readers, but I am pretty sick of the teenaged love triangle.)
After taking their oath, Quin and Shinobu discover that they have been lied to. They are not using their powers and magical items to do good. They are, in fact, cruel assassins. This breaks them both psychologically, in different ways. Meanwhile, John is determined to restore his family and reclaim the magical family heirloom that Briac possesses.
There are three characters called the Dreads who have a special role of oversight. The Young Dread, Maud, has lived for hundreds of years but because of a special ability to stretch through time she is still a fourteen-year-old girl. Maud was the most compelling character in the book and the only one whose future interested me.
I found most of the other characters underdeveloped and thoroughly despicable. John, who supposedly loves Quin, allows her and her mother to be hurt more than once as he tries to achieve his goals, and at one point Shinobu “felt a strong urge to slap her hard, to wake her up, but judging from the bruises coming in on her face, John and his men had already hit her several times.” (p. 199 of the advance reader copy) I could not like or relate to any of them, and addicts and drunks as characters are very boring if they stay addicts for long.
The writing can be clichéd. Shinobu thinks, “It wasn’t just her beauty he wanted. It was all of her: the girl who talked to him, the girl who would bite her bottom lip when she was concentrating intensely, the girl who smiled when they walked through the woods together.” (p. 23 of the ARC) Eyeroll at the biting of the bottom lip!
The writing can be very awkward. An athame is a stone sword, and athames are very important to the plot. “‘And what about the athame?’ he asked quietly, pronouncing the word ATH-uhmay.” (p. 26 of the ARC) Seriously, I do not need you telling me how to pronounce words.
At multiple places in the story I asked myself what the point was of so much violence. “The images were a parade of horror….Most were young in the pictures, dying in terrible ways – stabbed, shot, strangled, drowned.” (p. 143 of the ARC) Also at multiple places in the narrative I made a single note to myself – “what?!?”
When one character was an addict who spent time in opium clubs, he had ripped clothing and piercings. When he left that lifestyle behind, he “removed the piercings from his face, leaving his clean, perfect features unblemished.” (p. 298 of the ARC) I guess only creepy drug addicts have piercings.
The author has clearly put her heart and soul into this story, and I’m sure it will find some readers. I found The Seekers full of cruelty and violence and populated by thoroughly unlikable characters. Perhaps there will be redemption in a later book, but I won’t read it to find out.
I read an advance reader copy of The Seeker from Netgalley.
There are brief glimpses of good writing. But the story is so splintered – Steampunk, Samurai, Fantasy – and the different elements fracture the story. Most of the characters are completely unlikeable. This is a story of cruelty and violence without humor.
The Seeker is set in our world, only with magic. Three young people are training to be Seekers on an estate in Scotland. Their trainers are the fathers of Quin and Shinobu, who are distant cousins. The third trainee, John, is on the estate without family, and Quin’s father Briac makes sure that John is dismissed without being able to take the Seeker oath. Quin and John are in a relationship, but Shinobu is secretly in love with Quin. (I don’t know about other readers, but I am pretty sick of the teenaged love triangle.)
After taking their oath, Quin and Shinobu discover that they have been lied to. They are not using their powers and magical items to do good. They are, in fact, cruel assassins. This breaks them both psychologically, in different ways. Meanwhile, John is determined to restore his family and reclaim the magical family heirloom that Briac possesses.
There are three characters called the Dreads who have a special role of oversight. The Young Dread, Maud, has lived for hundreds of years but because of a special ability to stretch through time she is still a fourteen-year-old girl. Maud was the most compelling character in the book and the only one whose future interested me.
I found most of the other characters underdeveloped and thoroughly despicable. John, who supposedly loves Quin, allows her and her mother to be hurt more than once as he tries to achieve his goals, and at one point Shinobu “felt a strong urge to slap her hard, to wake her up, but judging from the bruises coming in on her face, John and his men had already hit her several times.” (p. 199 of the advance reader copy) I could not like or relate to any of them, and addicts and drunks as characters are very boring if they stay addicts for long.
The writing can be clichéd. Shinobu thinks, “It wasn’t just her beauty he wanted. It was all of her: the girl who talked to him, the girl who would bite her bottom lip when she was concentrating intensely, the girl who smiled when they walked through the woods together.” (p. 23 of the ARC) Eyeroll at the biting of the bottom lip!
The writing can be very awkward. An athame is a stone sword, and athames are very important to the plot. “‘And what about the athame?’ he asked quietly, pronouncing the word ATH-uhmay.” (p. 26 of the ARC) Seriously, I do not need you telling me how to pronounce words.
At multiple places in the story I asked myself what the point was of so much violence. “The images were a parade of horror….Most were young in the pictures, dying in terrible ways – stabbed, shot, strangled, drowned.” (p. 143 of the ARC) Also at multiple places in the narrative I made a single note to myself – “what?!?”
When one character was an addict who spent time in opium clubs, he had ripped clothing and piercings. When he left that lifestyle behind, he “removed the piercings from his face, leaving his clean, perfect features unblemished.” (p. 298 of the ARC) I guess only creepy drug addicts have piercings.
The author has clearly put her heart and soul into this story, and I’m sure it will find some readers. I found The Seekers full of cruelty and violence and populated by thoroughly unlikable characters. Perhaps there will be redemption in a later book, but I won’t read it to find out.
I read an advance reader copy of The Seeker from Netgalley.
When I first read the description I thought it would be an interesting story. But somehow I became a little bored with it trough the first part of the book. I did liked the way it was written, in all this different perspectives. In this way you could see the story through the eyes of all four main characters. But still, I began to really, really, REALLY hate John as I went further into the story. I couldn't understand that he kept on trying to win Quin over. Get back together and get the atheme, even though he burned her home, hurt her mother, almost killed her, and she couldn't remember him at all. And you are confused why she wouldn't get back together with you, jerk?! But somehow my bored mood changed at the end of the book. I always hoped Shinobu and Quin would get together, and my hopes weren't for nothing. I'm still very curious on how the rest of the story would develop. So, yes, I would read the next book too.
The beginning seemed promising. I liked the idea of whipswords and was ready to get immersed in this seemingly sci-fi/fantasy mashup. Unfortunately, the story felt vague and the characters weren't super compelling. I really only found John interesting as the potential villain (I love a good villain backstory) but it sadly wasn't enough to make the rest of the book intriguing. Disappointed at how much potential this book seemed to have.
bored. confused. dnf.
*edited*
Seeker seemed like a promising read, and it started off well with action. But then things started to get boring, unexplained, and just downright confusing. And I am not one to enjoy a book that doesn't explain things about the world or confuses me to the point of no return. I felt like I was reading the bare minimum, and given vague explanation in order to draw suspense, but really just left me confused on what in the world happened to these kids before taking their oaths. I felt left in the dark and no one was throwing me a damn match.
Another thing, Seeker just doesn't know what it wants to be--high fantasy, science fiction, futuristic--and it confused the hell out of me. One moment there would be castles and estates and the next everyone is fighting with weapons that can change at the turn of a dial, or there would be weapons that can render a person brain dead, and life support machines to keep them alive, and then anomalies that transport people like portals? and hover cars. My head was spinning for 60 or so pages.
I didn't feel very welcomed in the world of Seeker and I don't see myself giving this novel a second chance.
*edited*
Seeker seemed like a promising read, and it started off well with action. But then things started to get boring, unexplained, and just downright confusing. And I am not one to enjoy a book that doesn't explain things about the world or confuses me to the point of no return. I felt like I was reading the bare minimum, and given vague explanation in order to draw suspense, but really just left me confused on what in the world happened to these kids before taking their oaths. I felt left in the dark and no one was throwing me a damn match.
Another thing, Seeker just doesn't know what it wants to be--high fantasy, science fiction, futuristic--and it confused the hell out of me. One moment there would be castles and estates and the next everyone is fighting with weapons that can change at the turn of a dial, or there would be weapons that can render a person brain dead, and life support machines to keep them alive, and then anomalies that transport people like portals? and hover cars. My head was spinning for 60 or so pages.
I didn't feel very welcomed in the world of Seeker and I don't see myself giving this novel a second chance.
The book started out ok, with a premise that seemed slightly new and interesting, then the whole pace of the novel stopped. I did my very best to try to pull myself through the second part but by part three I had to give up and walk away. Dull, slow, and unimaginative. Do yourself a favor and read something else.