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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
It is such a quick decision that i will not read this books trilogy in the future. I know the blurb is kinda interesting steampunk - Dystopian world setting in Japan/China. However i can't ignore such as grammatical error for "HAI" and "SAMA":
SAMA :
"That is more than fair." [...] "Ameterasu bless your kindness, sama."
"I want for nothing. Thank you, sama."
"He slew Boukyaku, young sama. The sea dragon who consumed the island of Takaiyama."
"Honor to you, great sama."
"What is Raijin song, sama?"
"Forgiveness, sama."
"Apologies, sama."
HAI :
"These cloudwalkers were men of the kitsune clan, hai?"
"I have no doubt of your success. The man who stood beside my father as he slew the last nagaraja of Shima will not be trouble by a simple thunder tiger, hai?"
"You must keep it secret." [...] "It is a gift, hai, but it is not one to be squandered..."
"The solitude is pleasant, hai?"
"I can get into the trees, hai."
"Just deck-hands on a sky-ship, hai?"
I am getting annoyed read that parts and There are other things that i don't like even before i read this books!
Q2. How much research did you have to do with regards to authenticity?
Less than people seem to think. It’s kinda odd – I’ve had people ask if I did a degree in Japanese studies, but the closest I’ve come is reading all six volumes of AKIRA in a week. Maybe I’d picked up a lot of detail through film and manga that I’ve consumed down through the years, but Wikipedia was really my go-to-guy. I have a friend who lives in Japan who I bounce ideas off too. I pay him with the promise of booze.
Source : https://dashcooray.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/an-interview-with-jay-kristoff-stormdancer/
I just wanna say thank you to Cyna since i can make a decision to put this one into my bookshelves as "Will-not-read"
SAMA :
"That is more than fair." [...] "Ameterasu bless your kindness, sama."
"I want for nothing. Thank you, sama."
"He slew Boukyaku, young sama. The sea dragon who consumed the island of Takaiyama."
"Honor to you, great sama."
"What is Raijin song, sama?"
"Forgiveness, sama."
"Apologies, sama."
HAI :
"These cloudwalkers were men of the kitsune clan, hai?"
"I have no doubt of your success. The man who stood beside my father as he slew the last nagaraja of Shima will not be trouble by a simple thunder tiger, hai?"
"You must keep it secret." [...] "It is a gift, hai, but it is not one to be squandered..."
"The solitude is pleasant, hai?"
"I can get into the trees, hai."
"Just deck-hands on a sky-ship, hai?"
I am getting annoyed read that parts and There are other things that i don't like even before i read this books!
Q2. How much research did you have to do with regards to authenticity?
Less than people seem to think. It’s kinda odd – I’ve had people ask if I did a degree in Japanese studies, but the closest I’ve come is reading all six volumes of AKIRA in a week. Maybe I’d picked up a lot of detail through film and manga that I’ve consumed down through the years, but Wikipedia was really my go-to-guy. I have a friend who lives in Japan who I bounce ideas off too. I pay him with the promise of booze.
Source : https://dashcooray.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/an-interview-with-jay-kristoff-stormdancer/
I just wanna say thank you to Cyna since i can make a decision to put this one into my bookshelves as "Will-not-read"
This is a great example of how NOT to write a fantasy book based on someone else's culture.
(3.5)
Originally posted on my blog Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf
I first want to thank the publisher for giving me a copy of this to preview from NetGalley!
This book has a lot of things going for it. I loved all of the Japanese themes, and all the myths and terms associated with a more feudal era were carried into this book perfectly. The steampunk element is still kind of new to me, and I did like it even though it took me some getting used to. Both of these actually work really well, more than I would have figured.
The people are ruled by the lotus. Not only can they smoke it and become addicted, but it serves many purposes like fueling their vehicles and airships, even used for rope. However it has turned the blue sky to red and many people suffer from being in its pollution after a while. Most citizens wear goggles and a protective mask of some sort to protect themselves.
The first chapter starts off with action and a battle, but then a good portion of the book slows down, and there’s lots of descriptive paragraphs. I understand that the world and all the elements had to be set up and built for the rest of the series, but I do have to admit that I was looking forward to a little more action and samurai-style fighting at the beginning. There was also a lot of depth to the bond between Yukiko and Buruu as the story went on, and there were definitely flashes of excitement and long secrets revealed.
The Shogun (kind of like the king) decided one day that he wants a Griffin (Thunder Tiger). Most of these creatures among many others have been extinct for ages, the only things that lie out there are the Oni (demons). He sends his Black Fox hunter and his comrades to go and fetch him one, even though they know it will be nearly impossible. The daughter of the hunter is Yukiko, part of the Kitsune (fox) clan. On a side note, there are currently 4 clans for Tiger, Dragon, Fox and Phoenix and all who hail from these clans has a tattoo on their arm representing it.
Anyway, off they go to find this creature, and do they find him or what. He’s awesome, proud and defiant, and he can make lightning. Eventually Yukiko and the Griffin end up on the ground, trying to survive so close to the Oni. With her ability to talk to creatures, they start to become friends, which helps with all that they have to go through in the wilderness, and when they get back to the city.
This was definitely a good book and it was hard to rate because I liked it, but at times it felt slow and I would have liked there to be more action and a faster pace. The writing was good and so was the story overall and it got really good closer to the end, the end being totally awesome! There is so much more that goes on in this book, but I don’t want to give too much away, so go read it! Also the cover looks amazing!
Recommended for fans of Steampunk and Japanese-styled stories.
Originally posted on my blog Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf
I first want to thank the publisher for giving me a copy of this to preview from NetGalley!
This book has a lot of things going for it. I loved all of the Japanese themes, and all the myths and terms associated with a more feudal era were carried into this book perfectly. The steampunk element is still kind of new to me, and I did like it even though it took me some getting used to. Both of these actually work really well, more than I would have figured.
The people are ruled by the lotus. Not only can they smoke it and become addicted, but it serves many purposes like fueling their vehicles and airships, even used for rope. However it has turned the blue sky to red and many people suffer from being in its pollution after a while. Most citizens wear goggles and a protective mask of some sort to protect themselves.
The first chapter starts off with action and a battle, but then a good portion of the book slows down, and there’s lots of descriptive paragraphs. I understand that the world and all the elements had to be set up and built for the rest of the series, but I do have to admit that I was looking forward to a little more action and samurai-style fighting at the beginning. There was also a lot of depth to the bond between Yukiko and Buruu as the story went on, and there were definitely flashes of excitement and long secrets revealed.
The Shogun (kind of like the king) decided one day that he wants a Griffin (Thunder Tiger). Most of these creatures among many others have been extinct for ages, the only things that lie out there are the Oni (demons). He sends his Black Fox hunter and his comrades to go and fetch him one, even though they know it will be nearly impossible. The daughter of the hunter is Yukiko, part of the Kitsune (fox) clan. On a side note, there are currently 4 clans for Tiger, Dragon, Fox and Phoenix and all who hail from these clans has a tattoo on their arm representing it.
Anyway, off they go to find this creature, and do they find him or what. He’s awesome, proud and defiant, and he can make lightning. Eventually Yukiko and the Griffin end up on the ground, trying to survive so close to the Oni. With her ability to talk to creatures, they start to become friends, which helps with all that they have to go through in the wilderness, and when they get back to the city.
This was definitely a good book and it was hard to rate because I liked it, but at times it felt slow and I would have liked there to be more action and a faster pace. The writing was good and so was the story overall and it got really good closer to the end, the end being totally awesome! There is so much more that goes on in this book, but I don’t want to give too much away, so go read it! Also the cover looks amazing!
Recommended for fans of Steampunk and Japanese-styled stories.
Japanese Steampunk!? What? That sounds awesome!
That's exactly what my initial reaction was when I first saw this book. Which is one of the big reasons why I decided to read it. That, plus my favorite author, Patrick Rothfuss, recommended it on. So it was hard for me to pass up.
The book was solid. It took a little bit to open up and become interesting for me. I even debated putting the book down and not reading it. I decided to give it one more reading session and it started getting good. I'm glad that I finished it because it was worth the read. I was hoping for a little bit better than it was, I mean Japanese steampunk, come on! But the book was good once it got to the story. 4 is a little high of a score. If it was possible I would probably give it a 3.5 if possible.
That's exactly what my initial reaction was when I first saw this book. Which is one of the big reasons why I decided to read it. That, plus my favorite author, Patrick Rothfuss, recommended it on. So it was hard for me to pass up.
The book was solid. It took a little bit to open up and become interesting for me. I even debated putting the book down and not reading it. I decided to give it one more reading session and it started getting good. I'm glad that I finished it because it was worth the read. I was hoping for a little bit better than it was, I mean Japanese steampunk, come on! But the book was good once it got to the story. 4 is a little high of a score. If it was possible I would probably give it a 3.5 if possible.
It's a Japanese steampunk book... in which the magic system is called "kenning." Some things just dump you out of the flow of the book, and this was one of them.
Al final, todas las preguntas se reducen a una sola: ¿A qué estás dispuesta a renunciar para conseguir lo que quieres?
Daría mi vida por cualquiera de vosotros.
Morir es fácil. Cualquiera se puede lanzar a la pira y descansar como un mártir feliz. Soportar el sufrimiento que acarrea el sacrificio es la verdadera prueba. Algún día comprenderás que a veces debemos hacer sacrificios por el bien de algo más grande.
Tormenta es el primer libro de una trilogía que tengo curiosidad, no sé cuando podré leer los otros libros pero definitivamente los pienso leer. Me ha fascinado todo el mundo creado por el autor y los personajes pero lo único malo y por eso le puse tres estrellas es que depende de que momentos me parecía demasiado lento y no lo sé, espero que los siguientes libros me gusten aún más por que creo que con estos personajes y este mundo se puede llegar a mucho más.
Daría mi vida por cualquiera de vosotros.
Morir es fácil. Cualquiera se puede lanzar a la pira y descansar como un mártir feliz. Soportar el sufrimiento que acarrea el sacrificio es la verdadera prueba. Algún día comprenderás que a veces debemos hacer sacrificios por el bien de algo más grande.
Tormenta es el primer libro de una trilogía que tengo curiosidad, no sé cuando podré leer los otros libros pero definitivamente los pienso leer. Me ha fascinado todo el mundo creado por el autor y los personajes pero lo único malo y por eso le puse tres estrellas es que depende de que momentos me parecía demasiado lento y no lo sé, espero que los siguientes libros me gusten aún más por que creo que con estos personajes y este mundo se puede llegar a mucho más.
Just didn’t care enough to continue I was a little interested in the world but felt like I kept waiting for the story to get started
Buddy Read with the Buddies Books and Baubles Group
AND because it's part of my August clean out challenge :)
For me, this is one of those books that's really good when you're reading it (info dumping aside). The story starts to pick up, the characters start developing, and you're thinking, "Wow! This is getting good!" But once you set it down, you promptly forget about it. Don't get me wrong, there's some good stuff here, but that is balanced out by the equally tedious stuff. I want to be swept away by the story, not bogged down by an over exuberance for non-essential details.
The Run Down:
This takes place in a rendition of Japan, where the lotus is everything. It's a highly addictive drug, it's a fuel source, it has invaded every aspect of life with its red stink. Crops no longer grow, animals are no longer found in the wild, the blood lotus has taken it all. The lotus leaves the land corrupted and dead so the people are ever in search of new ground upon which to cultivate this cursed crop. The usable land is becoming scarcer so something must be done.
The lotus must bloom.
The Shogun, in this case think crazy, despotic overlord, has a dream of leading his army to victory over their enemy while riding atop a beast supposedly long extinct: an arashitora, a thunder cat, a gryphon. To become a Storm Dancer and take his place in history. The Shogun takes this as a prophetic vision and enlists the help of the Master Hunter Masaru, Masaru's daughter Yukiko, along with thier fellow hunters Kasumi and Akihito. They are to hunt down this legend and return with him or else they risk forfeiting all that they own, all that they are. The Shogun will not be denied. What the Shogun did not expect, what he could not forsee, is that Yukiko is no ordinary girl. No, she can see into the minds of animals, she can communicate with them. She is impure. She is fox-touched. She is yokai-kin, and this changes everything.
So begins the story.
The Good:
►I love Buruu and the relationship he and Yukiko begin to develop. You know what they say about a girl and her thunder cat...
►Yukiko in general surprised me. I liked her for the most part. Yes, she acted like a 16 year old girl with an instalust infatuation for part of the book, but when it came time to make the tough decisions she didn't back down.
►Buruu is the best. I really like view points that come from the outside. In this case, he's not human and he was not raised in this society. He's about as outside as you can get. His voice reflects that too. It's just so honest. I love it.
►I really like the idea of the "blood lotus" as almost the villain of the story. I think it worked well.
►Kin was one of my favorite characters. He pulled at my heartstrings for a multitude of reasons.
► I thought the steampunk aspect, while not overly done, was fun. Masks in general can be pretty creepy, so the idea that there were these people, these Guildsmen, who walk around in these big clockwork suits, equipped with masks that forever conceal their identity, was unnervingly cool.
The Not So Good:
►The excessive use of Japanese terminology. I get it, this takes place in Japan. But for the first 25% or so of the book the reader is pelted from all sides as these terms are just thrown at them. They do taper off as you get further into the book. Well, it's either that or you begin to realize how non-essential most of the terms really are and just gloss over them. I think it's probably a mixture of both.
►The instalust and the not quite love triangle. Both are things that don't usually work well for me, and this was no exception. I did like there is a resolution on that front. Thank you for not dragging it out!
►I didn't like the some of the reasoning behind Masaru's and Yukiko's dysfunctional relationship. Masaru's justification for certain issues did not fully match his actions.
►I'm still ambivalent about the ronin. I loved the idea of them. A society of cast offs living outside the rule of the Shogun. Dubbed traitors for their treasonous stance against the Shogun. But I didn't really like the interactions that they had with Yukiko. It felt off to me. It's sort of how I feel about Masaru. Their actions and words didn't fully align in my eyes.
►It could have used more demons. Maybe in the next books.
►Overall, the book felt long and a little over done. I could put it down and not think of it until I opened my kindle again.
The Middle:
►I'm really only adding this caveat to address the issue that seemed to plague most other readers.
►I have little to no knowledge of the Japanese culture. That being said, I had no prior information on which to base any opinion as to the author's handling of said culture. I approached this like I approach any fantasy: I allowed my knowledge to come from the text as it was presented to me. Whether or not that's a good thing, I can't really say, I can only say it ended up working for me.
In Conclusion:
While I'm not dying to read the next installment, I actually do have higher expectations for it. I think, I hope, the information overload that plagued the first quarter of this book will be toned down in the next, and I know some of the relationship issues I had in this one will have been resolved by the second book.
I hope I end up reading and liking the next book. I really see some potential here and feel like great things could be in store for Buruu and his monkey child.
AND because it's part of my August clean out challenge :)
For me, this is one of those books that's really good when you're reading it (info dumping aside). The story starts to pick up, the characters start developing, and you're thinking, "Wow! This is getting good!" But once you set it down, you promptly forget about it. Don't get me wrong, there's some good stuff here, but that is balanced out by the equally tedious stuff. I want to be swept away by the story, not bogged down by an over exuberance for non-essential details.
The Run Down:
This takes place in a rendition of Japan, where the lotus is everything. It's a highly addictive drug, it's a fuel source, it has invaded every aspect of life with its red stink. Crops no longer grow, animals are no longer found in the wild, the blood lotus has taken it all. The lotus leaves the land corrupted and dead so the people are ever in search of new ground upon which to cultivate this cursed crop. The usable land is becoming scarcer so something must be done.
The lotus must bloom.
The Shogun, in this case think crazy, despotic overlord, has a dream of leading his army to victory over their enemy while riding atop a beast supposedly long extinct: an arashitora, a thunder cat, a gryphon. To become a Storm Dancer and take his place in history. The Shogun takes this as a prophetic vision and enlists the help of the Master Hunter Masaru, Masaru's daughter Yukiko, along with thier fellow hunters Kasumi and Akihito. They are to hunt down this legend and return with him or else they risk forfeiting all that they own, all that they are. The Shogun will not be denied. What the Shogun did not expect, what he could not forsee, is that Yukiko is no ordinary girl. No, she can see into the minds of animals, she can communicate with them. She is impure. She is fox-touched. She is yokai-kin, and this changes everything.
So begins the story.
The Good:
►I love Buruu and the relationship he and Yukiko begin to develop. You know what they say about a girl and her thunder cat...
►Yukiko in general surprised me. I liked her for the most part. Yes, she acted like a 16 year old girl with an instalust infatuation for part of the book, but when it came time to make the tough decisions she didn't back down.
►Buruu is the best. I really like view points that come from the outside. In this case, he's not human and he was not raised in this society. He's about as outside as you can get. His voice reflects that too. It's just so honest. I love it.
►I really like the idea of the "blood lotus" as almost the villain of the story. I think it worked well.
►Kin was one of my favorite characters. He pulled at my heartstrings for a multitude of reasons.
► I thought the steampunk aspect, while not overly done, was fun. Masks in general can be pretty creepy, so the idea that there were these people, these Guildsmen, who walk around in these big clockwork suits, equipped with masks that forever conceal their identity, was unnervingly cool.
The Not So Good:
►The excessive use of Japanese terminology. I get it, this takes place in Japan. But for the first 25% or so of the book the reader is pelted from all sides as these terms are just thrown at them. They do taper off as you get further into the book. Well, it's either that or you begin to realize how non-essential most of the terms really are and just gloss over them. I think it's probably a mixture of both.
►The instalust and the not quite love triangle. Both are things that don't usually work well for me, and this was no exception. I did like there is a resolution on that front. Thank you for not dragging it out!
►I didn't like the some of the reasoning behind Masaru's and Yukiko's dysfunctional relationship. Masaru's justification for certain issues did not fully match his actions.
►I'm still ambivalent about the ronin. I loved the idea of them. A society of cast offs living outside the rule of the Shogun. Dubbed traitors for their treasonous stance against the Shogun. But I didn't really like the interactions that they had with Yukiko. It felt off to me. It's sort of how I feel about Masaru. Their actions and words didn't fully align in my eyes.
►It could have used more demons. Maybe in the next books.
►Overall, the book felt long and a little over done. I could put it down and not think of it until I opened my kindle again.
The Middle:
►I'm really only adding this caveat to address the issue that seemed to plague most other readers.
►I have little to no knowledge of the Japanese culture. That being said, I had no prior information on which to base any opinion as to the author's handling of said culture. I approached this like I approach any fantasy: I allowed my knowledge to come from the text as it was presented to me. Whether or not that's a good thing, I can't really say, I can only say it ended up working for me.
In Conclusion:
While I'm not dying to read the next installment, I actually do have higher expectations for it. I think, I hope, the information overload that plagued the first quarter of this book will be toned down in the next, and I know some of the relationship issues I had in this one will have been resolved by the second book.
I hope I end up reading and liking the next book. I really see some potential here and feel like great things could be in store for Buruu and his monkey child.
adventurous
fast-paced
Really enjoyed the first half but lost me a little in the the second