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ladygaga's review against another edition
1.0
Oh man, where do I even start?
I think this is possibly one of the worst books I have ever read. Let's take this one at a time:
Worldbuilding - A poorly drawn map with little dots and labels isn't going to cut it if you do not take any extra time to explain the world. Characters were using modes of transportation or going places that were either never explained or explained after they had been used/gone to that location several times. Nothing was descriptive, and the world was completely unimaginative.
Characters - It has been a while since I have read a book where I do not fall in love or feel any sort of possessive feelings about any of the characters in a novel, but this is 0ne of the first times I have strongly disliked every single character despite the author's attempt to make them appeal to the readers. All of them had very little personality, and what personality that they did show throughout the novel was odd and poorly developed. Shinobu has this weird fascination with his cousin that he refuses to drop even though he recognizes that it is incest, Quin loses all of her memories with her only explanation being "the past is the past so I am just going to completely forget anyone and everything that I have done in the last decade of my life," and John is literally just a manipulative piece of crap that likes to peek under Quin's clothes when she is not all with it. Seriously, what a piece of garbage. Ew. Also, half of the titles were never explained or were glossed over quickly, and that is pretty important for a fantasy novel since things like "Dreads" are not common titles in real life.
Dialogue - I think I laughed every time someone spoke in the novel. The grammar in Seeker made every line of dialogue seem out of place and did not align with what little personality the characters had. Half of it added nothing to the development of the plot or characters, and it distracted more than anything else.
If you pick up this book and you do not like the beginning of it, do NOT try to push through like I did. You will be wasting your time; there are so many other interesting novels with better characters and worlds to read about. There is so much more I could write about this book, but I have already wasted enough of my time fixated on how awful it is. Trust me--it doesn't get better.
I think this is possibly one of the worst books I have ever read. Let's take this one at a time:
Worldbuilding - A poorly drawn map with little dots and labels isn't going to cut it if you do not take any extra time to explain the world. Characters were using modes of transportation or going places that were either never explained or explained after they had been used/gone to that location several times. Nothing was descriptive, and the world was completely unimaginative.
Characters - It has been a while since I have read a book where I do not fall in love or feel any sort of possessive feelings about any of the characters in a novel, but this is 0ne of the first times I have strongly disliked every single character despite the author's attempt to make them appeal to the readers. All of them had very little personality, and what personality that they did show throughout the novel was odd and poorly developed. Shinobu has this weird fascination with his cousin that he refuses to drop even though he recognizes that it is incest, Quin loses all of her memories with her only explanation being "the past is the past so I am just going to completely forget anyone and everything that I have done in the last decade of my life," and John is literally just a manipulative piece of crap that likes to peek under Quin's clothes when she is not all with it. Seriously, what a piece of garbage. Ew. Also, half of the titles were never explained or were glossed over quickly, and that is pretty important for a fantasy novel since things like "Dreads" are not common titles in real life.
Dialogue - I think I laughed every time someone spoke in the novel. The grammar in Seeker made every line of dialogue seem out of place and did not align with what little personality the characters had. Half of it added nothing to the development of the plot or characters, and it distracted more than anything else.
If you pick up this book and you do not like the beginning of it, do NOT try to push through like I did. You will be wasting your time; there are so many other interesting novels with better characters and worlds to read about. There is so much more I could write about this book, but I have already wasted enough of my time fixated on how awful it is. Trust me--it doesn't get better.
highladyofbookdom's review against another edition
4.0
I am surprised how well this book is and also it is not YA. It is quite graphic and has some very adult content. I found myself invested quickly and trying to put all the pieces together. A new light came every time you turned the page. I am excited to read the second one of the series.
ikvindlezenleuk_mathilde's review against another edition
3.0
Het zou fijn zijn als ik dit zou overleven, dacht Quin. Ze dook naar rechts terwijl het zwaard van haar tegenstander langs de linkerkant van haar lichaam suisde en bijna haar arm afhakte. Quins eigen zweepzwaard lag opgerold in haar hand. Met een knal sloeg ze het uit tot een lang, stevig zwaard. Het zou echt zonde zijn als hij nu mijn hoofd kapotsloeg. Ik ben er bijna. De enorme man met wie ze vocht leek het een geweldig vooruitzicht te vinden dat hij haar misschien ging vermoorden.
De zon scheen in Quins ogen, maar in een reflex stak ze haar wapen omhoog om de volgende slag va haar belager af te weren voordat hij haar schedel doormidden kliefte. Zijn zwaard bonkte zo hard tegen het hare dat ze het gevoel had dat ze een boomstam op haar hoofd kreeg en ze zakte door haar benen.
‘Nu heb ‘k je!’ brulde haar tegenstander. Alistair MacBain was de grootste man die ze kende. Hij boog zich over haar heen en zijn rode haar lichtte op als een boosaardige Schotse halo in de stoffige zonnestralen die door het dakraam vielen. Hij was tevens haar oom, maar dat betekende op dit moment niets.
Quin schoof naar achteren. De enorme arm van Alistair zwaaide met zijn gigantische zwaard alsof het een dirigeerstokje was. Hij wil me echt vermoorden, besefte ze. (blz. 13)
Lees de rest van mijn recensie op mijn website Ikvindlezenleuk
De zon scheen in Quins ogen, maar in een reflex stak ze haar wapen omhoog om de volgende slag va haar belager af te weren voordat hij haar schedel doormidden kliefte. Zijn zwaard bonkte zo hard tegen het hare dat ze het gevoel had dat ze een boomstam op haar hoofd kreeg en ze zakte door haar benen.
‘Nu heb ‘k je!’ brulde haar tegenstander. Alistair MacBain was de grootste man die ze kende. Hij boog zich over haar heen en zijn rode haar lichtte op als een boosaardige Schotse halo in de stoffige zonnestralen die door het dakraam vielen. Hij was tevens haar oom, maar dat betekende op dit moment niets.
Quin schoof naar achteren. De enorme arm van Alistair zwaaide met zijn gigantische zwaard alsof het een dirigeerstokje was. Hij wil me echt vermoorden, besefte ze. (blz. 13)
Lees de rest van mijn recensie op mijn website Ikvindlezenleuk
tani's review against another edition
4.0
More properly, this was 3.5 stars, but I round up. Not a bad attempt. Felt a little on the older side of young adult. I liked that bad things legit happened. The characters messed up and made bad choices. There aren't any easy solutions, and things are complicated. The world-building probably could have been presented more smoothly, as it was pretty confusing at times. The characters tried to do right, but often did wrong. I did feel like the romance was kind of unnecessary. Still, a quite decent first book in a series.
amethystbookwyrm's review against another edition
1.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s Publishers UK for giving me this book to review.
In Scotland, Quin has been training her entire life to become a Seeker along with her two closest friends. However, the night she takes her oath, she discovers that the Seekers are not at all that she had been told. With everything she has known be to not true, will she be able to trust anyone.
Seeker sounded really good but I just could not get into it and I had to stop reading at 35%. I was expecting a fantasy novel based on the description but it is not. While there is a lot of implied action, none of it happened in the book, and nothing is explained, especially a major point in the book.
Quin is unlike most 15 year olds as she is not really curious about her future and did everything her father wanted her to do. I just could not the characters of John and Shinobu, as all John wanted to do was restore his family honour and nothing else, and Shinobu is in love with his cousin (although distant) and I found it a bit creepy.
Seeker seems to be a bit of a Marmite book, you either love it or hate it.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
In Scotland, Quin has been training her entire life to become a Seeker along with her two closest friends. However, the night she takes her oath, she discovers that the Seekers are not at all that she had been told. With everything she has known be to not true, will she be able to trust anyone.
Seeker sounded really good but I just could not get into it and I had to stop reading at 35%. I was expecting a fantasy novel based on the description but it is not. While there is a lot of implied action, none of it happened in the book, and nothing is explained, especially a major point in the book.
Quin is unlike most 15 year olds as she is not really curious about her future and did everything her father wanted her to do. I just could not the characters of John and Shinobu, as all John wanted to do was restore his family honour and nothing else, and Shinobu is in love with his cousin (although distant) and I found it a bit creepy.
Seeker seems to be a bit of a Marmite book, you either love it or hate it.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
jrandol7's review against another edition
5.0
This book gets complicated fast- but only in the best possible way. You really have to be able to devote continuous reading time to be able to dive into this story.
That said, this story is a great one, filled with imaginative twists and turns that the reader never sees coming. Ultimately a story of how to deal with betrayal and survive when your whole world turns against you, the characters are interesting and deep and make you want to keep reading.
That said, this story is a great one, filled with imaginative twists and turns that the reader never sees coming. Ultimately a story of how to deal with betrayal and survive when your whole world turns against you, the characters are interesting and deep and make you want to keep reading.
manoncremers's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 30 %
I have too many motives to quit reading. They range from unbelievable and cringe-worthy romance to a total lack of world building, along with little to none explications of terms. This book wasn't what I first expected it to be, and even managed to disappoint me on several levels. What could have been a great novel, turned out to be one I'd rather forget.
I have too many motives to quit reading. They range from unbelievable and cringe-worthy romance to a total lack of world building, along with little to none explications of terms. This book wasn't what I first expected it to be, and even managed to disappoint me on several levels. What could have been a great novel, turned out to be one I'd rather forget.
adelavmb's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally published on my blog: http://vanillamoonbooks.blogspot.ro/2015/01/review-seeker-seeker-1-by-arwen-elys.html
(e-book ARC received from NetGalley - this does not influence my review in any way)
Before I begin, let me just take a deep breath. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book.
Did I enjoy reading it? Definitely! It was different than what I usually pick up when it comes to the Fantasy genre. And I did expect that. The blurb, not revealing too much information, clearly suggested it (or I simply had a good instinct when I thought it would be an intriguing read and requested it from NetGalley.) However, there were some things about it that really frustrated me for all the right reasons.
Quin, John and Shinobu are training to be Seekers. They have been since they were kids, though John started later than he was supposed to because of reasons you'll find out later in the book. So, what are these Seekers you are talking about, you might ask. Well, you'll also discover this later in the book. Much, much later... towards the end. And it still isn't very clear.
The concept of the book is very interesting, however and I was very excited to learn more. The story is told in third person narrative, each chapter focusing on the perspective of a different character - Quin, John, Shinobu, Maud (or the Young Dread)... Which brings me to the most mysterious, intriguing characters - the Dreads. While at first it sounded weirded to me and I didn't get their purpose, it was a lot clearer with each action or explanation from the Maud chapters.
A little warning, there's a love triangle in there. Quin and John are supposedly a couple, but John turns out to be manipulative and abusive. Shinobu is a distant cousin of Quin's, though barely related to her since one of their relatives remarried and he was in love with her since the beggining. I personally didn't mind this particular love triangle because of how the author dealt with it. The only problem I had was with John actions - I hated him more and more with each chapter.
Seekers have their unique weapons - whipswords, which change their form at their will. There are also Disruptors, which are as scary as they sound, and are mostly used for this reason only: to induce fear. A hit from such a thing... destroys people; it doesn't kill - it's worse than that but I don't want to give you any spoilers. Each family also has its own athame (which I just now learned it is a Wiccan ritual tool) with a carving of an animal, and a lightning rod. They use it to get "There" - yes, another thing you will ache to know its meaning.
I like puzzles, I love being kept in the dark and introduced to bits of truths, and as much as I enjoyed being clueless when I started the book (heck, even when I passed half of it,) I wasn't pleased with the vague answers I was finally given. Imagine it like this: your friend tells you everyday how she is learning to make the best cake you could ever imagine from *insert-famous-chef's-name-here*. Okay? She tells you this thing over and over again, until you start drooling whenever you see her. Alright. So then she finally invites you over. She has made the cake. You see it for only a milisecond, and it's the most delicous deliciousness you have ever seen and you can practically taste it. You know it's gonna be good, you know there's a lot more to it. But you are just not allowed to take even the tiniest bite. Yet, I want it so bad. That's how I feel about this book. I am willing to risk it all and read the rest of the series, even if it turns out to be an average "cake". Are you? :)
(e-book ARC received from NetGalley - this does not influence my review in any way)
Before I begin, let me just take a deep breath. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book.
Did I enjoy reading it? Definitely! It was different than what I usually pick up when it comes to the Fantasy genre. And I did expect that. The blurb, not revealing too much information, clearly suggested it (or I simply had a good instinct when I thought it would be an intriguing read and requested it from NetGalley.) However, there were some things about it that really frustrated me for all the right reasons.
Quin, John and Shinobu are training to be Seekers. They have been since they were kids, though John started later than he was supposed to because of reasons you'll find out later in the book. So, what are these Seekers you are talking about, you might ask. Well, you'll also discover this later in the book. Much, much later... towards the end. And it still isn't very clear.
The concept of the book is very interesting, however and I was very excited to learn more. The story is told in third person narrative, each chapter focusing on the perspective of a different character - Quin, John, Shinobu, Maud (or the Young Dread)... Which brings me to the most mysterious, intriguing characters - the Dreads. While at first it sounded weirded to me and I didn't get their purpose, it was a lot clearer with each action or explanation from the Maud chapters.
A little warning, there's a love triangle in there. Quin and John are supposedly a couple, but John turns out to be manipulative and abusive. Shinobu is a distant cousin of Quin's, though barely related to her since one of their relatives remarried and he was in love with her since the beggining. I personally didn't mind this particular love triangle because of how the author dealt with it. The only problem I had was with John actions - I hated him more and more with each chapter.
Seekers have their unique weapons - whipswords, which change their form at their will. There are also Disruptors, which are as scary as they sound, and are mostly used for this reason only: to induce fear. A hit from such a thing... destroys people; it doesn't kill - it's worse than that but I don't want to give you any spoilers. Each family also has its own athame (which I just now learned it is a Wiccan ritual tool) with a carving of an animal, and a lightning rod. They use it to get "There" - yes, another thing you will ache to know its meaning.
I like puzzles, I love being kept in the dark and introduced to bits of truths, and as much as I enjoyed being clueless when I started the book (heck, even when I passed half of it,) I wasn't pleased with the vague answers I was finally given. Imagine it like this: your friend tells you everyday how she is learning to make the best cake you could ever imagine from *insert-famous-chef's-name-here*. Okay? She tells you this thing over and over again, until you start drooling whenever you see her. Alright. So then she finally invites you over. She has made the cake. You see it for only a milisecond, and it's the most delicous deliciousness you have ever seen and you can practically taste it. You know it's gonna be good, you know there's a lot more to it. But you are just not allowed to take even the tiniest bite. Yet, I want it so bad. That's how I feel about this book. I am willing to risk it all and read the rest of the series, even if it turns out to be an average "cake". Are you? :)
betwixt_the_pages's review against another edition
2.0
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. Quin's new role will take her around the globe, from a remote estate in Scotland to a bustling, futuristic Hong Kong where the past she thought she had escaped will finally catch up with her.
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: intriguing and unique ideas/world; very small amount of world-building; lots of unanswered questions/missed opportunities; cop-outs; nice cast of characters
I was so, SO excited about this book. I started hearing about it on tumblr, and I thought--I REALLY need to read that! I need to read that right now!
And then I started reading. I think it's safe to say this book fell a bit flat for me in the most important ways.
First off: I noticed, about the halfway point, that there were a LOT more questions about this world/its magic than answers for it. In my mind, at halfway through the book, we ought to know AT LEAST these things: 1. Who the characters are; 2. What their goals/dreams/destinies are; 3. What the world is like/how the magic of said world works/EVERYTHING TO DO with world-building.
The world-building of this book? Pretty much nonexistant. I made the following comment on a buddy read thread here about the halfway mark:
I feel as if...Arwen Elys Dayton has a lot of great ideas going on in this book...but they might be one too many to handle. Shes' trying to get a LOT done in just over 400 pages, and I don't think she quite hits the mark.
The prose is beautiful, the details we're given--particularly about the surroundings--do well to ALMOST bring this story to life. But. BUT. I didn't form a connection with the characters--not really--until about 100 pages from the end. Which is bad. I didn't SEE the characters really, either; I feel like she was striving so hard to make this story come to life for her readers, to make all the little details fit together just so, that she missed out on some of the finer points of writing. I don't know what the Dreads are, or where they come from, or why they exist, or how they do what they do, or...pretty much anything about them. I didn't really get a sense of "knowing" any of the other characters, either--save John, our antagonist.
The writing is so, so pretty, though, and while it took probably a smidge too long, I DID find myself rooting for the characters--particularly Quin and Shinobu, though seeing as they're related, this feels wrong to me on some level or other. I enjoyed the read...but it's not one of my favorites. Hopefully the second book will answer some of my questions...and perhaps be better at building this world for me to fall into.
Overall, I'm disappointed. On to other things.
Only when it’s too late does she discover she will be using her new-found knowledge and training to become an assassin. Quin's new role will take her around the globe, from a remote estate in Scotland to a bustling, futuristic Hong Kong where the past she thought she had escaped will finally catch up with her.
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: intriguing and unique ideas/world; very small amount of world-building; lots of unanswered questions/missed opportunities; cop-outs; nice cast of characters
I was so, SO excited about this book. I started hearing about it on tumblr, and I thought--I REALLY need to read that! I need to read that right now!
And then I started reading. I think it's safe to say this book fell a bit flat for me in the most important ways.
First off: I noticed, about the halfway point, that there were a LOT more questions about this world/its magic than answers for it. In my mind, at halfway through the book, we ought to know AT LEAST these things: 1. Who the characters are; 2. What their goals/dreams/destinies are; 3. What the world is like/how the magic of said world works/EVERYTHING TO DO with world-building.
The world-building of this book? Pretty much nonexistant. I made the following comment on a buddy read thread here about the halfway mark:
Spoiler
"I feel like there's a lot of world-building NOT going on in this book. We have the general gist...but what ARE Seekers? We still don't know. What do they DO (aside from...murdering people? What did they START with, when they first started out? What was their original design and how did it stray so far off that mark in the years?) What/who are the Dreads? What do THEY do (aside from oversee and decide justice?) How are they "stretched" through time? WHY are they stretched through time? They are meant to stand apart, but it seems they're doing a lot more in the way of helping Briac than of being distanced. There's a sense of magic to this world, but where does it come from? How is it used? I am just...really confused, and feel like we're missing large chunks of back story that we need to understand what's going on. I'm still not sure, also, what exactly athames and lightning rods do or how they work. Also, defusers or whatever that weapon is called--it shoots out sparks and "messes up" a person if they're hit with it, but...why? how? what IS it?!"I feel as if...Arwen Elys Dayton has a lot of great ideas going on in this book...but they might be one too many to handle. Shes' trying to get a LOT done in just over 400 pages, and I don't think she quite hits the mark.
The prose is beautiful, the details we're given--particularly about the surroundings--do well to ALMOST bring this story to life. But. BUT. I didn't form a connection with the characters--not really--until about 100 pages from the end. Which is bad. I didn't SEE the characters really, either; I feel like she was striving so hard to make this story come to life for her readers, to make all the little details fit together just so, that she missed out on some of the finer points of writing. I don't know what the Dreads are, or where they come from, or why they exist, or how they do what they do, or...pretty much anything about them. I didn't really get a sense of "knowing" any of the other characters, either--save John, our antagonist.
The writing is so, so pretty, though, and while it took probably a smidge too long, I DID find myself rooting for the characters--particularly Quin and Shinobu, though seeing as they're related, this feels wrong to me on some level or other. I enjoyed the read...but it's not one of my favorites. Hopefully the second book will answer some of my questions...and perhaps be better at building this world for me to fall into.
Overall, I'm disappointed. On to other things.