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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Note : I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press for sending me a free e-galley via NetGalley.
Review also posted on my blog :
http://cheerfulreviews.blogspot.com/2012/08/stormdancer-by-jay-kristoff-review.html
Nitty Gritty
This book was so unique.. this is my first experience reading a japanese steampunk novel so it took me a while to get into it but once I did I really started to enjoy it!
So in the beginning Yukiko- who is the main character- and her father- Masaru - have to go in search for a Griffin for their Shogun (sort of like.. a dictator dude. Think Hitler.), which is an animal known to be extinct. So, they take an air ship (I know, cool right ?) and have to go through this very dangerous area in search for this animal. Of course everyone thinks it's a useless trip and they won't find one but they do! So they capture him and Yukiko's father clips his wings so he won't get away but he makes so much ruckus he brings the whole ship down. Now while everyone is trying to get off without dying, the griffin is locked up and Yukiko just can't leave him so she lets him out and they both pretty much jump ship and end up in the wilderness stuck together.
While in the wilderness together Yukiko and Buruu (the name she gave the griffin) begin to form this bond with one another and protect each other- which is so cute by the way! C: Anyway, they come across this group living in the forest and secrets are revealed to Yukiko that she never dreamed of possible and so she has to make a hard decision- to take down the Shogun, and this is when all the action and adventure take place. Okay so this book was really great. Like I said before it took me some time to really get into it because of the writing style but once I got used to it, I really really enjoyed this.
I loved the plot, I thought it was so interesting and different which I really appreciated. I adored the connection between Yukiko and Buruu. The way they grew together and had this love for each other was truly beautiful. I did have a couple things I didn't really like- and one was the romance. I just didn't really enjoy reading those parts which is crazy because romance is usually one of my favorite parts of a book but it just didn't feel real to me. I felt like Yukiko was acting foolish and moving way too fast with the love interest. Spoiler : ---- Other than that & the slow start it had, I really loved this book!
Characters
Y u k i k o : Yukiko was so bad ass. (When she rode Buruu and fought with him was like- woah) I honestly truly liked her- she seemed very selfless and kind but she wasn't a push over. As the story progresses she really starts to become a strong warrior who will do anything for what she believes in.
B u r u u : Favorite character, hands down. I loved him sooo much. He was lovely, I never once got annoyed with him or thought he was doing something wrong. He was so loyal to Yukiko and truly loved her.
O t h e r s : Kin was really obnoxious in the beginning.. but in the end he was okay- I liked how faithful he was to Yukiko no matter what happened between them. Masaru (Yukiko's dad) wasn't my favorite character in the beginning but like others- he grew on me. He made mistakes and he grew from them which is something not a lot of people can do. The Shogun ( his name slips my mind.. ) was absolutely awful, I honestly wished I could have gone in that book and stabbed him for Yukiko so it could just be done, such an awful man. );
In all
This book was great! I really enjoyed it, the plot was very original and different from what I usually read which was a nice change. I thought it was very fast paced and didn't have many dull moments in it at all. Yukiko was a very nice character to follow and I really enjoyed reading about her journey & how she grew as a person. It was a bit of a slow start and a little hard to get used to the writing but once you get used to it- it was absolutely stunning. The romance lacked a bit but the rest of the story was great so it wasn't that big of a deal. (: I would recommend this to fantasy/steampunk lovers- or someone who just wants to try something new!
Review also posted on my blog :
http://cheerfulreviews.blogspot.com/2012/08/stormdancer-by-jay-kristoff-review.html
Nitty Gritty
This book was so unique.. this is my first experience reading a japanese steampunk novel so it took me a while to get into it but once I did I really started to enjoy it!
So in the beginning Yukiko- who is the main character- and her father- Masaru - have to go in search for a Griffin for their Shogun (sort of like.. a dictator dude. Think Hitler.), which is an animal known to be extinct. So, they take an air ship (I know, cool right ?) and have to go through this very dangerous area in search for this animal. Of course everyone thinks it's a useless trip and they won't find one but they do! So they capture him and Yukiko's father clips his wings so he won't get away but he makes so much ruckus he brings the whole ship down. Now while everyone is trying to get off without dying, the griffin is locked up and Yukiko just can't leave him so she lets him out and they both pretty much jump ship and end up in the wilderness stuck together.
While in the wilderness together Yukiko and Buruu (the name she gave the griffin) begin to form this bond with one another and protect each other- which is so cute by the way! C: Anyway, they come across this group living in the forest and secrets are revealed to Yukiko that she never dreamed of possible and so she has to make a hard decision- to take down the Shogun, and this is when all the action and adventure take place. Okay so this book was really great. Like I said before it took me some time to really get into it because of the writing style but once I got used to it, I really really enjoyed this.
I loved the plot, I thought it was so interesting and different which I really appreciated. I adored the connection between Yukiko and Buruu. The way they grew together and had this love for each other was truly beautiful. I did have a couple things I didn't really like- and one was the romance. I just didn't really enjoy reading those parts which is crazy because romance is usually one of my favorite parts of a book but it just didn't feel real to me. I felt like Yukiko was acting foolish and moving way too fast with the love interest. Spoiler : ----
Spoiler
{{ I mean... she slept with the guy 2 times and 1.) she's only sixteen... 2.) she has a lot of other stuff going on than dealing with boys. & 3.) I just didn't like how random it was.}}Characters
Y u k i k o : Yukiko was so bad ass. (When she rode Buruu and fought with him was like- woah) I honestly truly liked her- she seemed very selfless and kind but she wasn't a push over. As the story progresses she really starts to become a strong warrior who will do anything for what she believes in.
B u r u u : Favorite character, hands down. I loved him sooo much. He was lovely, I never once got annoyed with him or thought he was doing something wrong. He was so loyal to Yukiko and truly loved her.
O t h e r s : Kin was really obnoxious in the beginning.. but in the end he was okay- I liked how faithful he was to Yukiko no matter what happened between them. Masaru (Yukiko's dad) wasn't my favorite character in the beginning but like others- he grew on me. He made mistakes and he grew from them which is something not a lot of people can do. The Shogun ( his name slips my mind.. ) was absolutely awful, I honestly wished I could have gone in that book and stabbed him for Yukiko so it could just be done, such an awful man. );
In all
This book was great! I really enjoyed it, the plot was very original and different from what I usually read which was a nice change. I thought it was very fast paced and didn't have many dull moments in it at all. Yukiko was a very nice character to follow and I really enjoyed reading about her journey & how she grew as a person. It was a bit of a slow start and a little hard to get used to the writing but once you get used to it- it was absolutely stunning. The romance lacked a bit but the rest of the story was great so it wasn't that big of a deal. (: I would recommend this to fantasy/steampunk lovers- or someone who just wants to try something new!
One of the best steampunk books I've read this year, and overall. The usual steampunk qualities, as well as the Japanese aspects, and the wide well-developed cast of characters made the novel extremely interesting. There was also immense detail, both in descriptions and in the plot itself. I can't wait to read the sequel!
After attempting to read this book all year I finally did it! Not to say it was a bad book or that it's a difficult read I just have the belief that sometimes you are not ready to read certain books. This time I was and I was glad I did. If you like steampunk you will enjoy it with this unique Japanese twist. I can't wait to read the next two books.
A young woman and a legendary monster fight against an all-consuming empire in this dystopian steampunk fantasy.
The Shõgun of the Shima Isles has a vision of an Arashitora, a storm-tiger, and dreams of becoming a legendary Stormdancer. At his command, the hunter Masaru and Masaru's daughter Yukiko set off with a flying ship to capture the beast. What follows is a detailed description of an empire on the brink of total environmental and social collapse because of the consumption of the polluting lotus flower that fuels everything. Yukiko and the Arashitora meet the resistance to the Empire and see just how depraved the Shõgun is and end up setting themselves against him and his people.
This is an early work from Kristoff and it really shows. It's nowhere near as polished as some of his later stuff, and it clearly has other flaws besides. The setting is clearly Japanese-inspired, but it's a very superficial lifting of elements and not particularly consistent. There's also the railroading of characters that I've come to expect with work from this author (choices that make little sense from the point of view of the character, but have to be made for the plot to work).
All that being said, I still enjoyed it, and despite some slower sections, it did keep my attention.
The Shõgun of the Shima Isles has a vision of an Arashitora, a storm-tiger, and dreams of becoming a legendary Stormdancer. At his command, the hunter Masaru and Masaru's daughter Yukiko set off with a flying ship to capture the beast. What follows is a detailed description of an empire on the brink of total environmental and social collapse because of the consumption of the polluting lotus flower that fuels everything. Yukiko and the Arashitora meet the resistance to the Empire and see just how depraved the Shõgun is and end up setting themselves against him and his people.
This is an early work from Kristoff and it really shows. It's nowhere near as polished as some of his later stuff, and it clearly has other flaws besides. The setting is clearly Japanese-inspired, but it's a very superficial lifting of elements and not particularly consistent. There's also the railroading of characters that I've come to expect with work from this author (choices that make little sense from the point of view of the character, but have to be made for the plot to work).
All that being said, I still enjoyed it, and despite some slower sections, it did keep my attention.
This book was absolutely incredible. The beginning was slow and it wasn't until about a fourth of they way through that it really starts to get good. Jay Kristoff's writing is so eloquent AND elegant. He has a way of describing things that make them come to life in your mind. This novel is truly unlike anything I've ever read before and that's really saying something considering I spend an unholy amount of my time reading. Yukiko is such an incredible character, she starts off as a young stand off-ish teenager and turns into an amazing Amazonian warrior. I absolutely cannot wait until I can get my hands on the next novel in this series. These are definitely books worth reading.
Sadly DNF for now... felt like it started with a bang...then left me with a lot of world building when I really just wanted the "bang" back...
In this small amount of pages:
- first page had the FMC get 'distracted' during a fight with two oni because she was thinking about a man's green eyes (which she vocally berates herself for)
- page ten has a line about 'exotic women'
- first page had the FMC get 'distracted' during a fight with two oni because she was thinking about a man's green eyes (which she vocally berates herself for)
- page ten has a line about 'exotic women'
- page twelve has:
Akihito prayed aloud, promising to preform several implausibly acrobatic feats on Lady Luck's nether region if she delivered.
- page sixteen (my personal breaking point):
"Well, I want a woman who can touch her ears with her ankles, cook a decent meal and keep her opinions to herself. But they don't fucking exist either, do they?"
I do not have the care or will to read more then this to find out if the characters are 'redeemable' or learn from these viewpoints
Wow, no puedo negar que este libro ha sido una completa locura, tiene de todo, una sociedad increíblemente bien esctructurada y detallada, una protagonista capaz de todo, una criatura mitológica que se creía imposible, ciertos toques de drama, humor, una originalidad que desborda por sus páginas y una amistad súmamente preciosa.
Primero de todo no puedo negar que las primeras 150 páginas fueron un suplicio, avanzaba sin demasiadas ganas y con pesadez, no entendía qué estaba pasando y, aunque a la vez quería estar enganchada porque la aventura en la que se ven envueltos los personajes al buscar una criatura que se cree extinta me interesaba, pero es TAN introductorio que pensaba que no iba a llegar a ningún sitio con este argumento, pero luego LUEGO, todo llega de pronto y me dejó completamente sin aliento. Buruu lanza la chispa y el resto de la historia sencillamente comienza a arder y mis ganas de avanzar también crecieron con ímpetu.
No estoy segura de qué opino sobre los personajes, ninguno ha llegado a disgustarme, pero por otra parte tampoco han llegado a encandilarme, ni siquiera la protagonista, Yukiko. Hay tantos detalles en la trama y las aventuras que viven los protagonistas que no da tiempo a conocer realmente a los personajes, es más, incluso las relaciones que se crean entre ellos son rápidas y extrañas, al inicio no me di cuenta de la velocidad del cambio en la amistad entre Yukiko y Buruu, pero más tarde pasa con otros personajes igual y es un poco molesto que no se dé una transición lenta y necesaria, sino que lo deja caer como un saco de patatas y de pronto todos tienen una relación consolidada al poco de conocerse. Pero sí, me ha enamorado la amistad con Buruu, el hecho de que sus diálogos estén en mayúsculas me hacen verle como un gruñón entrañable y me encanta la imagen.
La acción se reparte perfectamente, con sus momentos de tensión, de dudar de los personajes, de traiciones encubiertas, de planes que pueden salir mal... Básicamente una vez pasada esa introducción inicial me he visto en un no parar y no querer parar. Aunque, finalmente, el desenlace me ha sabido a poco, me esperaba más drama, entiendo que han sido una expectativas que yo misma me he creado sin un fundamento, pero jo, quería más drama del que me he encontrado; aún así esta primera entrega ha sido una pasada, PA-SA-DA.
Primero de todo no puedo negar que las primeras 150 páginas fueron un suplicio, avanzaba sin demasiadas ganas y con pesadez, no entendía qué estaba pasando y, aunque a la vez quería estar enganchada porque la aventura en la que se ven envueltos los personajes al buscar una criatura que se cree extinta me interesaba, pero es TAN introductorio que pensaba que no iba a llegar a ningún sitio con este argumento, pero luego LUEGO, todo llega de pronto y me dejó completamente sin aliento. Buruu lanza la chispa y el resto de la historia sencillamente comienza a arder y mis ganas de avanzar también crecieron con ímpetu.
No estoy segura de qué opino sobre los personajes, ninguno ha llegado a disgustarme, pero por otra parte tampoco han llegado a encandilarme, ni siquiera la protagonista, Yukiko. Hay tantos detalles en la trama y las aventuras que viven los protagonistas que no da tiempo a conocer realmente a los personajes, es más, incluso las relaciones que se crean entre ellos son rápidas y extrañas, al inicio no me di cuenta de la velocidad del cambio en la amistad entre Yukiko y Buruu, pero más tarde pasa con otros personajes igual y es un poco molesto que no se dé una transición lenta y necesaria, sino que lo deja caer como un saco de patatas y de pronto todos tienen una relación consolidada al poco de conocerse. Pero sí, me ha enamorado la amistad con Buruu, el hecho de que sus diálogos estén en mayúsculas me hacen verle como un gruñón entrañable y me encanta la imagen.
La acción se reparte perfectamente, con sus momentos de tensión, de dudar de los personajes, de traiciones encubiertas, de planes que pueden salir mal... Básicamente una vez pasada esa introducción inicial me he visto en un no parar y no querer parar. Aunque, finalmente, el desenlace me ha sabido a poco, me esperaba más drama, entiendo que han sido una expectativas que yo misma me he creado sin un fundamento, pero jo, quería más drama del que me he encontrado; aún así esta primera entrega ha sido una pasada, PA-SA-DA.
This authors gratitude “take” on Japanese culture was something I found grossly racist, from the random out of context words to the over sexualisation of the young female main character to the weird fetishization of coloured eyes (white traits). It made the book really unpleasant to read despite having interesting characters and plots.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism
A great story that combines Japanese mythology with steampunk fantasy and a strong female protagonist with a struggle to overthrow a corrupt empire in a dystopian world.