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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be dazzled.
Wild, fantastically imagined and executed with dizzying panache, Stormdancer takes worldbuiling and character development to a level rarely (if ever) seen in YA fiction. This breathless, action-packed story is a seamless fusion of Japanese-inspired fantasy and steampunk. The end product is as stunningly beautiful and delicate as a sakura flower, and as razor sharp as a samurai's sword.
Set in Shima, an Imperium on the verge of environmental and political collapse, Stormdancer follows the adventures of one girl who is brave enough to fight for what she believes in - even if it means rebelling against the Shogunate.
The world is red, poisoned by the very same thing that brought about a technological revolution that energized the industry - the Blood Lotus. The lotus turned the simple (and backward) nation into an Empire - one of the most powerful nations in the world. It provided people with anesthetics, ropes and canvases, and - most importantly - fuel used in chainkatanas, motor-rickshaws, sky-ships and other cool devices. But it also caused drastic changes in environment - poisoning air, causing temperature to rise and painting skies blood red. People depend on it, some get addicted to it, and most of them fail to recognize it for what it really is - a curse, not a blessing.
Yukiko is the daughter of the imperial huntmaster, Kitsune Masaru. Like her father, she belongs to the Fox clan. One day, the Ninth Shogun of the Kazumitsu Dynasty, Yorimoto, has a dream in which he flies through the skies astride a thunder tiger, leading his armies to war overseas. He becomes obsessed with the idea of him becoming a Stormdancer of legends. Charged with the task of capturing the legendary beast is no one else but Masaru and his daughter. The problem is, all the mythical beasts are extinct, no one has seen any in thousands of years, and the mission to find one seems destined to fail. And failure equals death.
Stormdancer is a killer. I've never read (or even heard of) anything quite like it. It's an epic and magnificently entertaining tale filled with compelling characters, unforgettable visuals, and powerful messages. At the same time, though, it's not only a thoroughly entertaining story, but also a thoughtful and sensitive examination of honor and loyalty, loneliness and loss, bravery and perseverance. This novel is just as moving, heartbreaking and inspiring, as it is violent, spirited and infused with incredible energy and atmosphere. And its complexity and scope are almost overwhelming.
I'll be honest with you and admit that it took me nearly 70 pages to really get into the story. It's not because I found the beginning to be boring, not at all. It's because Jay Kristoff's writing style is so very different (BETTER!) from the usual oversimplified YA prose, I had a hard time getting used to it. I would often go back and re-read certain parts of the story, savouring their beauty. The language was lush and evocative, the characterization - stellar! The passages describing Yukiko and her power (Kenning, i.e. the ability to communicate with animals) were absolutely amazing. Her background story was touching and fascinating in general, but her memories of Buruu (her dog and childhood companion) were especially wonderful. I won't lie, I teared up a couple of times.
All the characters are quite extraordinary. They all have believable, unique personalities (often complete with unique skills and abilities), and some of them undergo noticeable revelations. Yukiko is a great heroine. She's fierce, tough, unstoppable, defiant and cheeky. And quite stubborn, but it's no surprise after what she's been through. Her brother died and her mother left her with her addict-father. She was forced to grow up too fast and be the responsible one. She spent her early teenage years taking care of her irresponsible, gambling father. Constantly worried and stressed. She's definitely a very mature girl, she managed to survive in a very harsh reality and I admired her for that.
I loved the setting Kristoff chose for his novel. The Japanese-inspired alternative world, filled with Samurais, Shoguns, Ronins and otherworldly creatures straight from myths and legends. The cultural and mythological backdrop was rich and flavorful, vibrant and colorful, and just absolutely mesmerizing. And the many Japanese words and phrases only enhanced the experience, magically transporting you to the Samurai Age of Japan (or rather it's steampunk sibling). It's a truly phenomenal, beautifully written story. I can't wait to read more!
___
Also posted at:
Wild, fantastically imagined and executed with dizzying panache, Stormdancer takes worldbuiling and character development to a level rarely (if ever) seen in YA fiction. This breathless, action-packed story is a seamless fusion of Japanese-inspired fantasy and steampunk. The end product is as stunningly beautiful and delicate as a sakura flower, and as razor sharp as a samurai's sword.
Set in Shima, an Imperium on the verge of environmental and political collapse, Stormdancer follows the adventures of one girl who is brave enough to fight for what she believes in - even if it means rebelling against the Shogunate.
The world is red, poisoned by the very same thing that brought about a technological revolution that energized the industry - the Blood Lotus. The lotus turned the simple (and backward) nation into an Empire - one of the most powerful nations in the world. It provided people with anesthetics, ropes and canvases, and - most importantly - fuel used in chainkatanas, motor-rickshaws, sky-ships and other cool devices. But it also caused drastic changes in environment - poisoning air, causing temperature to rise and painting skies blood red. People depend on it, some get addicted to it, and most of them fail to recognize it for what it really is - a curse, not a blessing.
Yukiko is the daughter of the imperial huntmaster, Kitsune Masaru. Like her father, she belongs to the Fox clan. One day, the Ninth Shogun of the Kazumitsu Dynasty, Yorimoto, has a dream in which he flies through the skies astride a thunder tiger, leading his armies to war overseas. He becomes obsessed with the idea of him becoming a Stormdancer of legends. Charged with the task of capturing the legendary beast is no one else but Masaru and his daughter. The problem is, all the mythical beasts are extinct, no one has seen any in thousands of years, and the mission to find one seems destined to fail. And failure equals death.
Stormdancer is a killer. I've never read (or even heard of) anything quite like it. It's an epic and magnificently entertaining tale filled with compelling characters, unforgettable visuals, and powerful messages. At the same time, though, it's not only a thoroughly entertaining story, but also a thoughtful and sensitive examination of honor and loyalty, loneliness and loss, bravery and perseverance. This novel is just as moving, heartbreaking and inspiring, as it is violent, spirited and infused with incredible energy and atmosphere. And its complexity and scope are almost overwhelming.
I'll be honest with you and admit that it took me nearly 70 pages to really get into the story. It's not because I found the beginning to be boring, not at all. It's because Jay Kristoff's writing style is so very different (BETTER!) from the usual oversimplified YA prose, I had a hard time getting used to it. I would often go back and re-read certain parts of the story, savouring their beauty. The language was lush and evocative, the characterization - stellar! The passages describing Yukiko and her power (Kenning, i.e. the ability to communicate with animals) were absolutely amazing. Her background story was touching and fascinating in general, but her memories of Buruu (her dog and childhood companion) were especially wonderful. I won't lie, I teared up a couple of times.
All the characters are quite extraordinary. They all have believable, unique personalities (often complete with unique skills and abilities), and some of them undergo noticeable revelations. Yukiko is a great heroine. She's fierce, tough, unstoppable, defiant and cheeky. And quite stubborn, but it's no surprise after what she's been through. Her brother died and her mother left her with her addict-father. She was forced to grow up too fast and be the responsible one. She spent her early teenage years taking care of her irresponsible, gambling father. Constantly worried and stressed. She's definitely a very mature girl, she managed to survive in a very harsh reality and I admired her for that.
I loved the setting Kristoff chose for his novel. The Japanese-inspired alternative world, filled with Samurais, Shoguns, Ronins and otherworldly creatures straight from myths and legends. The cultural and mythological backdrop was rich and flavorful, vibrant and colorful, and just absolutely mesmerizing. And the many Japanese words and phrases only enhanced the experience, magically transporting you to the Samurai Age of Japan (or rather it's steampunk sibling). It's a truly phenomenal, beautifully written story. I can't wait to read more!
___
Also posted at:
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2021 edit: obviously i rlly enjoyed this book when i read it over three years ago, but the recent discussions about kristoff's cultural appropriation and lack of research made me revisit the story with new eyes. because of that im lowering my rating, however i do still stand by my opinion that yukiko and buruu's relationship in stormdancer is really excellent, as is the explosive ending. just too bad it's tainted by a white man's uninformed and orientalist viewpoint
original review:
THAT ENDING THOUGH. THAT ENDING ALONE ALMOST PUSHED THIS BOOK TO A 5 STAR RATING, CAUSE GODDAMNNNNNNNNNNNN
Seriously though this book was gooooooooddd. One star deducted because of a slow beginning and writing that at times could be a little dense, but the world building and Buruu and the world building and Yukiko and the world building and the badassery of Aisha and her ladies and DID I MENTION THE WORLD BUILDING??? was just so amazing. This is such a bomb example of what steampunk should be, not just vague descriptions of trains and Victorian fashion. Hiiigghhhhhhhhlllyyyy recommend.
original review:
THAT ENDING THOUGH. THAT ENDING ALONE ALMOST PUSHED THIS BOOK TO A 5 STAR RATING, CAUSE GODDAMNNNNNNNNNNNN
Seriously though this book was gooooooooddd. One star deducted because of a slow beginning and writing that at times could be a little dense, but the world building and Buruu and the world building and Yukiko and the world building and the badassery of Aisha and her ladies and DID I MENTION THE WORLD BUILDING??? was just so amazing. This is such a bomb example of what steampunk should be, not just vague descriptions of trains and Victorian fashion. Hiiigghhhhhhhhlllyyyy recommend.
I specifically came back and found this book on goodreads over three years later just to lower my rating of it. It popped in my head this morning and I thought "I hate that book. I think I hate it now more in retrospect than I did when I read it. Better go change the rating."
A very slow start, which might have been my own attention span getting the better of me, but once they catch the Arashitora things really start to pick up.
My main issue with this book was the weeaboo usage of Japanese words. A lot of us have been there. You learn new words and you just have to use them as much as you can, no matter if they are used correctly or not. It felt like he was just throwing in these words for the sake of using Japanese words in a Japanese Steampunk setting (I'll get to the setting later.) This is the only thing keeping this book from a five star rating. Throwing a word or two in here or there is fine. But if you continuously do so and have to keep translating what you are saying, then just keep it simple. If you're already translating it, then why bother in the first place? There are exceptions, of course. Arashitora/Thunder Tiger is one of them. The two terms are used interchangeably throughout the book, and it makes sense, to me anyway. Same with Bushido and the gods (Amaterasu, Tsukiyomi, Susano-o, Raijin.) They are important not just to the story, but to the culture. But so many times the author would have word after word of Japanese phrases and it just got so confusing. I've been slowly teaching myself Japanese for the past few years, and I was having trouble keeping up. I'm just thinking about the average person who doesn't know any of the language. Imagine how lost they might be. It's best to keep things simple for the average person to understand unless what you are writing isn't meant for the average person. I assume a novel like this is meant for the average person, though.
PLOT
It all revolves on Yoritomos greed to have a supposedly extinct Arashitora in his possession to show the opposing side in the war he's boss and hopefully they'll surrender. So he sends Yukiko, her father, and their two comrades out on a mission to capture one. The Arashitora, being an offspring of the thunder god, Raijin, doesn't really like being captured, as you might expect. Despite being shot with tranquilizers, Raijin isn't happy one of his children has been captured and shoots the sky balloon down. It goes down in a burning inferno and Yukiko jumps and saves him. Wandering the mountains, they come across ronin Samurai (who are basically ninja) and she realizes that the world isn't at all what it appears and she does have a chance to change it. Despite a slow beginning, it was actually very fun to read and the second half was very hard to put down. I will read the next in the series when it comes out.
On to the setting.
Okay, I'll admit it. When I heard "Japanese Steampunk" I was excited. Very excited. Two of my favorite themes rolled into one. I had high hopes for it and I have to say that it was executed very well. It reminded me a lot of Samurai 7, which has a few similar plot points. I wouldn't be surprised if Samurai 7 or even the movie that was based on, The Seven Samurai, was inspiration for this book.
It was done very well. At some points you think it would be similar to an ancient Japan setting, but then you throw in all of the Steampunk mechanics and it really becomes an era of its own. So primitive, yet so advanced...it's something I really love about Steampunk. And mix that in with Samurai and Ninja and sword fights and explosions...man it was so great. Despite that, some of my favorite scenes were actually in the untainted lands of the Ishi Mountains. Everyone has to wear masks in the big cities because of all of the pollution from the lotus weeds and chi burning (their fuel), and everyone has goggles and respirators or a cloth over their face. But in the mountains everything is still pure, yet to be tainted by the poisonous plants. People hiding in trees, slaying of the oni, the imagery of the mountains and the rain, it was beautiful. I really hope we get to see more of it in the upcoming books.
Characters
Okay, Buruu the Arashitora is my favorite. I love him. He grows a sarcastic tone that is hilarious and I just have the urge to draw him. It pained me when they clipped his wings a second time. I really could she the beauty in the creature, and not just because he was featured on the cover. He's like a griffin, but instead of half lion, he;s half white tiger. The beauty in that is just mesmerizing. I want to paint it. When a character motivates me to draw as much as Buruu has, I know that it's like no other.
Yukino! A very strong female main character who, for the most part, has no boy trouble. Yay! Oh wait...except for that time she slept with her guard...twice. Because she was in utter despair and he looked at her funny but And let's not forget the other guy who has fallen for her but then . I think all of that takes place in less than a page. Over the course of the whole book. All of those encounters probably add up to less than a page. And on one hand, it's great. There's hardly any of it in there. On the other, it almost looks like it was just thrown in there last minute. Like the author stopped and said "Wait! THIS needs to happen! But how will they get there? I have no clue...I know! Lets throw in a love triangle and then that tension will explain the climax!" It's a bit sloppy, but hey, it works.
Yoritomo, the Shogun. Ugh. You know how in the fifth Harry Potter movie you hated Umbridge so much you wanted to smack her, but you loved the actress because that meant she was doing her job really well? Yoritomo is kind of like that. I can't stand him. He's a dick. A power hungry, teenage dickwad. But you know what? That's exactly how we're supposed to feel about him, so it works really well.
Hiro
I keep getting his name mixed up with Hideo...
Kin
One word: adorable. He's ultimately a craftsman, though they call them artificers, which looking that up means the same thing. They make things for the Shogun and for the war and are never to show their true face outside of their metal Samurai "skin". This was one main reason why I kept thinking of Samurai 7, the metal Samurai killing everyone and everything because they believe it was the right thing to do or because they were just dicks. Or, of course, because they were ordered to. Kin keeps to his honor, but slowly changes when he falls in love with Yukiko and he's just so gosh darn adorable I can't stand it <3 My love for him could also explain why I think Hiro is a dickwad...
I count everyone else as a pretty minor character at this point (if they aren't already dead, I assume they will return in later books.) All in all, the characters were really well developed and everyone had a purpose. The links between the different characters, whether in a romantic way or otherwise, were very well developed, even if you didn't realize it until someone died or was near death. That's another thing. Kristoff isn't afraid of killing off characters. Now, I hope he doesn't pull a J.K. Rowling on us and kill all of our favorite characters one by one and collect our tears in buckets (I love you, J.K. <3), but sometimes characters need to die in order to move the story forward and he's not afraid to do that.
Really, this was a great book. Despite being a bit slow in the beginning and the weeaboo use of Japanese, the characters were amazing and the plot was great. I do highly recommend this book, so long as people are wary of the language, and not just the swearing.
My main issue with this book was the weeaboo usage of Japanese words. A lot of us have been there. You learn new words and you just have to use them as much as you can, no matter if they are used correctly or not. It felt like he was just throwing in these words for the sake of using Japanese words in a Japanese Steampunk setting (I'll get to the setting later.) This is the only thing keeping this book from a five star rating. Throwing a word or two in here or there is fine. But if you continuously do so and have to keep translating what you are saying, then just keep it simple. If you're already translating it, then why bother in the first place? There are exceptions, of course. Arashitora/Thunder Tiger is one of them. The two terms are used interchangeably throughout the book, and it makes sense, to me anyway. Same with Bushido and the gods (Amaterasu, Tsukiyomi, Susano-o, Raijin.) They are important not just to the story, but to the culture. But so many times the author would have word after word of Japanese phrases and it just got so confusing. I've been slowly teaching myself Japanese for the past few years, and I was having trouble keeping up. I'm just thinking about the average person who doesn't know any of the language. Imagine how lost they might be. It's best to keep things simple for the average person to understand unless what you are writing isn't meant for the average person. I assume a novel like this is meant for the average person, though.
PLOT
It all revolves on Yoritomos greed to have a supposedly extinct Arashitora in his possession to show the opposing side in the war he's boss and hopefully they'll surrender. So he sends Yukiko, her father, and their two comrades out on a mission to capture one. The Arashitora, being an offspring of the thunder god, Raijin, doesn't really like being captured, as you might expect. Despite being shot with tranquilizers, Raijin isn't happy one of his children has been captured and shoots the sky balloon down. It goes down in a burning inferno and Yukiko jumps and saves him. Wandering the mountains, they come across ronin Samurai (who are basically ninja) and she realizes that the world isn't at all what it appears and she does have a chance to change it
Spoiler
and even avenger her mother, twin brother, and unborn brother/sisterOn to the setting.
Okay, I'll admit it. When I heard "Japanese Steampunk" I was excited. Very excited. Two of my favorite themes rolled into one. I had high hopes for it and I have to say that it was executed very well. It reminded me a lot of Samurai 7, which has a few similar plot points. I wouldn't be surprised if Samurai 7 or even the movie that was based on, The Seven Samurai, was inspiration for this book.
It was done very well. At some points you think it would be similar to an ancient Japan setting, but then you throw in all of the Steampunk mechanics and it really becomes an era of its own. So primitive, yet so advanced...it's something I really love about Steampunk. And mix that in with Samurai and Ninja and sword fights and explosions...man it was so great. Despite that, some of my favorite scenes were actually in the untainted lands of the Ishi Mountains. Everyone has to wear masks in the big cities because of all of the pollution from the lotus weeds and chi burning (their fuel), and everyone has goggles and respirators or a cloth over their face. But in the mountains everything is still pure, yet to be tainted by the poisonous plants. People hiding in trees, slaying of the oni, the imagery of the mountains and the rain, it was beautiful. I really hope we get to see more of it in the upcoming books.
Characters
Okay, Buruu the Arashitora is my favorite. I love him. He grows a sarcastic tone that is hilarious and I just have the urge to draw him. It pained me when they clipped his wings a second time. I really could she the beauty in the creature, and not just because he was featured on the cover. He's like a griffin, but instead of half lion, he;s half white tiger. The beauty in that is just mesmerizing. I want to paint it. When a character motivates me to draw as much as Buruu has, I know that it's like no other.
Yukino! A very strong female main character who, for the most part, has no boy trouble. Yay! Oh wait...except for that time she slept with her guard...twice. Because she was in utter despair and he looked at her funny but
Spoiler
then he betrayed her boo hoo he's a douche anyway :BSpoiler
she ends up ripping his heart out when he catches her with Mr. Guard boyYoritomo, the Shogun. Ugh. You know how in the fifth Harry Potter movie you hated Umbridge so much you wanted to smack her, but you loved the actress because that meant she was doing her job really well? Yoritomo is kind of like that. I can't stand him. He's a dick. A power hungry, teenage dickwad. But you know what? That's exactly how we're supposed to feel about him, so it works really well.
Spoiler
I wish he had a more gruesome death. If this gets made into a movie, I will watch it simply to see Buruu, and to see Yoritomo's death. Call be sadistic, but his death was pretty awesome and bloody....I just wish that Buruu could have torn him to pieces a bit more than he did.Hiro
Spoiler
Hideo is a dickwad Samurai. End of story. Okay, so I get it. Bushido, Way of the Warrior, live and die by the sword, honor, and all of that. But he's still a dickwad :XI keep getting his name mixed up with Hideo...
Kin
One word: adorable. He's ultimately a craftsman, though they call them artificers, which looking that up means the same thing. They make things for the Shogun and for the war and are never to show their true face outside of their metal Samurai "skin". This was one main reason why I kept thinking of Samurai 7, the metal Samurai killing everyone and everything because they believe it was the right thing to do or because they were just dicks. Or, of course, because they were ordered to. Kin keeps to his honor, but slowly changes when he falls in love with Yukiko and he's just so gosh darn adorable I can't stand it <3 My love for him could also explain why I think Hiro is a dickwad...
I count everyone else as a pretty minor character at this point (if they aren't already dead, I assume they will return in later books.) All in all, the characters were really well developed and everyone had a purpose. The links between the different characters, whether in a romantic way or otherwise, were very well developed, even if you didn't realize it until someone died or was near death. That's another thing. Kristoff isn't afraid of killing off characters. Now, I hope he doesn't pull a J.K. Rowling on us and kill all of our favorite characters one by one and collect our tears in buckets (I love you, J.K. <3), but sometimes characters need to die in order to move the story forward and he's not afraid to do that.
Really, this was a great book. Despite being a bit slow in the beginning and the weeaboo use of Japanese, the characters were amazing and the plot was great. I do highly recommend this book, so long as people are wary of the language, and not just the swearing.
4.5
The story is very immersive, the whole setting and the world building is really good even though I found there were some clichés and anime gimmick that I'm not sure are really representative of the culture (then again it is a fantasy world inspired by and not placed in a historical setting so... I guess that allows some room but given the author is not Asian himself... i don't know, I guess there's a debate there). Outside of that the mythology and the themes explored in this book are really interesting and cool, I really like the concept.
The characters are also quite nice even though they're not as much developed as the world itself I felt. They still all evolved in their own way and there was an obvious progression from their starting point to the last time we see them. I would say I found Yukiko to be a little too trusting and that her pivotal moment felt a bit too easy.
This is also my first Jay Kristoff but what I take from this book is that if it can wrong, it will XD
The story is very immersive, the whole setting and the world building is really good even though I found there were some clichés and anime gimmick that I'm not sure are really representative of the culture (then again it is a fantasy world inspired by and not placed in a historical setting so... I guess that allows some room but given the author is not Asian himself... i don't know, I guess there's a debate there). Outside of that the mythology and the themes explored in this book are really interesting and cool, I really like the concept.
The characters are also quite nice even though they're not as much developed as the world itself I felt. They still all evolved in their own way and there was an obvious progression from their starting point to the last time we see them. I would say I found Yukiko to be a little too trusting and that her pivotal moment felt a bit too easy.
This is also my first Jay Kristoff but what I take from this book is that if it can wrong, it will XD
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A character hands another character in the book you are reading a scroll. If you are the type of person who wants to know what sound the scroll made as it was unfurled, Stormdancer is a book for you.
If you are not, perhaps you are the type of reader who can stick it out through 10-13 chapters if it means there will be a payoff. If that is the case, then, yes. Stormdancer is for you.
Truth is, Stormdancer is good and somewhat unlike most of your typical YA Fantasy fare. The last 25% of the book was especially well done and included a revelation that literally had me clapping. Clapping. Alone. In my room. Plus: spills, thrills, tension, intrigue... well, you get the point.
It is not without its faults, however. I would be doing a disservice to Mr. Kristoff if I didn’t mention that these faults are a matter of style and preference rather than anything glaringly wrong with essentials.
It was slow going for me through the first 13 chapters of Stormdancer. There are two specific reasons why, and while these two things do settle as the story goes on, they are present throughout and are why this book is not five stars for me:
1.) An overabundance of descriptions. Kristoff is a gifted writer, and he crafts settings well. I didn’t have a problem with the way his descriptions were written but just that there were so many. It became too meaty and weighed down the momentum of the story. This was especially troublesome at the beginning, where there was no momentum. It all kept trying to take off, but how could it through a sea of too many words?
Kristoff settles well into the middle of the story, but there were still points where I felt things were dragging. It took me until after I finished to realize that the plot wasn’t dragging, it was again being slowed by too many superfluous details.
There were times, plenty of them, where this worked for Kristoff. One example is the description of the “blue-black” smoke of the lotus. I loved this small repetition, I loved the visual and I love the thread it created throughout the story.
For every one of those, however, you had things like an almost duplicate description of Shateigashira being given just pages apart. I stopped when I read about his childlike face again, to go back and see if I hadn’t just read this portion. When you are bringing your reader out of the story that way, regardless of how artful the description, you are crippling your narrative.
2.) Too much world all at once. Now, I can say that I love the world Kristoff built. It’s beautiful and ugly, savage and advanced, intriguing and intricate.
During the first chapters, however, it was too much information being thrown at the reader. I love when authors let the world build itself for the reader. You’ll find no awkward info dumps from Kristoff, which I appreciate. But really, it was too much at once.
I am not familiar with feudal Japan, I knew none of the terms and I clearly didn’t know any of the characters so early in the story. It was confusing. I couldn’t care what was happening plot wise because I was trying to remember the four clans, or what’s a Kitsune again? Or wait, what’s chi? Is it a lotus? Wait, wait, WHAT kind of weapon? And so on.
You cannot settle into a story when all you really want to do is Google every other word.
Unfortunately, this will mean that some readers will abandon Stormdancer before it comes into its own.
The characters in Stormdancer are done reasonably well seeing as how this is a plot driven story. There is a growth and definition, thankfully, but I came away feeling like I knew much of our heroine’s actions but little of her personality. And that’s okay. This story wasn’t the place for a deep character study.
Yukiko is a good heroine. I loved her strength and perseverance, I loved her skill, her talent and her ability to speak her mind. Of course her weakness comes in the form of a boy. Trust me, I groaned as loudly as anyone. Hiro the samurai was my least favorite character, the least developed and I did not like the set-up of the love interest from the get-go. I know, I know, Yukiko is 16, but is she REALLY dreaming about a guy she met ONCE while being CHASED BY DEMONS?
I hate the way this point undermined Yukiko's strength. She had a fine weakness in her naive world view, I just didn't think the whole "OMG BOY!" point was needed as well. Given how everything develops, I feel justified in disliking this plot point the way I do.
Kin, on the other hand, was a wonderful, slightly complicated character. I loved that his “conditioning” didn’t magically disappear. He grew up a certain way all his life and you see that in him even when he wants for more.
The rest of the supporting characters all brought something valuable to the table, in my opinion. The hardest part of the end was equally knowing what happened to some of them and not knowing what happened to some of them.
This is only the tip of it all. I didn’t touch on the thunder tiger or the politics or the gender roles or the back story, which are important additions in Stormdancer .
Essentially, Stormdancer is an onion. Peel away at the outer layers sort of deal, even if it is kind of smelly at first. I know- brilliant metaphor, but my point is that this proved to be worth the patience it required at first. At least for me.
I will be reading the second one.
PRO TIP: There is a glossary at the end. When I saw it I let out a, “AW MAN. FOR REAL? NOW I SEE THIS?”
If you are not, perhaps you are the type of reader who can stick it out through 10-13 chapters if it means there will be a payoff. If that is the case, then, yes. Stormdancer is for you.
Truth is, Stormdancer is good and somewhat unlike most of your typical YA Fantasy fare. The last 25% of the book was especially well done and included a revelation that literally had me clapping. Clapping. Alone. In my room. Plus: spills, thrills, tension, intrigue... well, you get the point.
It is not without its faults, however. I would be doing a disservice to Mr. Kristoff if I didn’t mention that these faults are a matter of style and preference rather than anything glaringly wrong with essentials.
It was slow going for me through the first 13 chapters of Stormdancer. There are two specific reasons why, and while these two things do settle as the story goes on, they are present throughout and are why this book is not five stars for me:
1.) An overabundance of descriptions. Kristoff is a gifted writer, and he crafts settings well. I didn’t have a problem with the way his descriptions were written but just that there were so many. It became too meaty and weighed down the momentum of the story. This was especially troublesome at the beginning, where there was no momentum. It all kept trying to take off, but how could it through a sea of too many words?
Kristoff settles well into the middle of the story, but there were still points where I felt things were dragging. It took me until after I finished to realize that the plot wasn’t dragging, it was again being slowed by too many superfluous details.
There were times, plenty of them, where this worked for Kristoff. One example is the description of the “blue-black” smoke of the lotus. I loved this small repetition, I loved the visual and I love the thread it created throughout the story.
For every one of those, however, you had things like an almost duplicate description of Shateigashira being given just pages apart. I stopped when I read about his childlike face again, to go back and see if I hadn’t just read this portion. When you are bringing your reader out of the story that way, regardless of how artful the description, you are crippling your narrative.
2.) Too much world all at once. Now, I can say that I love the world Kristoff built. It’s beautiful and ugly, savage and advanced, intriguing and intricate.
During the first chapters, however, it was too much information being thrown at the reader. I love when authors let the world build itself for the reader. You’ll find no awkward info dumps from Kristoff, which I appreciate. But really, it was too much at once.
I am not familiar with feudal Japan, I knew none of the terms and I clearly didn’t know any of the characters so early in the story. It was confusing. I couldn’t care what was happening plot wise because I was trying to remember the four clans, or what’s a Kitsune again? Or wait, what’s chi? Is it a lotus? Wait, wait, WHAT kind of weapon? And so on.
You cannot settle into a story when all you really want to do is Google every other word.
Unfortunately, this will mean that some readers will abandon Stormdancer before it comes into its own.
The characters in Stormdancer are done reasonably well seeing as how this is a plot driven story. There is a growth and definition, thankfully, but I came away feeling like I knew much of our heroine’s actions but little of her personality. And that’s okay. This story wasn’t the place for a deep character study.
Yukiko is a good heroine. I loved her strength and perseverance, I loved her skill, her talent and her ability to speak her mind. Of course her weakness comes in the form of a boy. Trust me, I groaned as loudly as anyone. Hiro the samurai was my least favorite character, the least developed and I did not like the set-up of the love interest from the get-go. I know, I know, Yukiko is 16, but is she REALLY dreaming about a guy she met ONCE while being CHASED BY DEMONS?
I hate the way this point undermined Yukiko's strength. She had a fine weakness in her naive world view, I just didn't think the whole "OMG BOY!" point was needed as well. Given how everything develops, I feel justified in disliking this plot point the way I do.
Kin, on the other hand, was a wonderful, slightly complicated character. I loved that his “conditioning” didn’t magically disappear. He grew up a certain way all his life and you see that in him even when he wants for more.
The rest of the supporting characters all brought something valuable to the table, in my opinion. The hardest part of the end was equally knowing what happened to some of them and not knowing what happened to some of them.
This is only the tip of it all. I didn’t touch on the thunder tiger or the politics or the gender roles or the back story, which are important additions in Stormdancer .
Essentially, Stormdancer is an onion. Peel away at the outer layers sort of deal, even if it is kind of smelly at first. I know- brilliant metaphor, but my point is that this proved to be worth the patience it required at first. At least for me.
I will be reading the second one.
PRO TIP: There is a glossary at the end. When I saw it I let out a, “AW MAN. FOR REAL? NOW I SEE THIS?”