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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I think this one is a not for me book or at least a not for me right now book. I so busy with other things that reading is taking a bit a backseat and if it doesn't grab me I won't make time for it. It is due at the library and since someone else is waiting for it I will let them enjoy it.
Out of Ten: 7/10
Review: This was a book where I liked the idea a lot more than I liked the execution. Jay Kristoff sets up a vivid Japan-inspired fantasy-steampunk world, the concept of which I quite enjoyed, and the worldbuilding was fairly strong. For me, the story was somewhat weakened by parts of the plot and characters, which I didn't like nearly so much as I did the world. The romance (if one can call it that) was something that, for me, the story would have been more enjoyable without. Yukiko was a character whom I couldn't always understand, but I admired her growth, and especially that of her bond with Buruu, the thunder tiger. Whlie I overall enjoyed this book, I didn't find myself pulled in, and wasn't completely engaged in the story. At some point, I plan on picking up the sequel, and I would like to see where Yukiko's journey takes her next.
Review: This was a book where I liked the idea a lot more than I liked the execution. Jay Kristoff sets up a vivid Japan-inspired fantasy-steampunk world, the concept of which I quite enjoyed, and the worldbuilding was fairly strong. For me, the story was somewhat weakened by parts of the plot and characters, which I didn't like nearly so much as I did the world. The romance (if one can call it that) was something that, for me, the story would have been more enjoyable without. Yukiko was a character whom I couldn't always understand, but I admired her growth, and especially that of her bond with Buruu, the thunder tiger. Whlie I overall enjoyed this book, I didn't find myself pulled in, and wasn't completely engaged in the story. At some point, I plan on picking up the sequel, and I would like to see where Yukiko's journey takes her next.
This took me a while to get into, but about halfway through it got really good!
Best Bits: Kristoff has a gift for prose. The description was decadent...it was basically the book equivalent of chocolate cake. This is one of those books that I had to go through slowly, because I wanted to savor it. Skyships, and thunder tigers, and atmos-suits. Oh, my. Stormdancer is certainly unique, and even within the steampunk genre this felt fresh. I haven't read a large number of books that fall into this category, but when I do they seem to always contain the same few elements to classify it as such. Not here. One major reason that I enjoyed this book so much was Yukiko. I always talk about strong characters, and Yukiko is forced to be. She's suffered major losses in her life, and deals with the loss that comes with someone who is both living and addicted to a substance. How can you not root for her to come into her own? This book is also one that comes with a message. Kristoff paints a portrait about a society that is addicted to the lotus, and it's destroying them. It has a variety of uses, and the dependance on it is ruining the environment, and the lives of all citizens. One can definitely draw parallels to our society and dependance on things like oil. I'm grateful for a chance to read a fantastic book while making connections to our society.
Nit Picks: While this book is beautifully written, there are quite a few words that I was unfamiliar with. There is a glossary in the back, which will certainly help in hardcover/paperback, but I was reading this on Adobe Digital Editions, so I couldn't go back and forth. Luckily, I have a general understanding of some of the terms, but I have a feeling that those who snag an e-book copy are going to have the same issue. I feel like full disclosure is important here. I love a book that has tons of description, but I know that there are a number of people who don't. A good chunk of the beginning of the book is exposition. It contains descriptions of the characters, clothing, weapons, and setting. Those that are looking for an insta-action read are going to have to remember that this book builds slowly.
Nit Picks: While this book is beautifully written, there are quite a few words that I was unfamiliar with. There is a glossary in the back, which will certainly help in hardcover/paperback, but I was reading this on Adobe Digital Editions, so I couldn't go back and forth. Luckily, I have a general understanding of some of the terms, but I have a feeling that those who snag an e-book copy are going to have the same issue. I feel like full disclosure is important here. I love a book that has tons of description, but I know that there are a number of people who don't. A good chunk of the beginning of the book is exposition. It contains descriptions of the characters, clothing, weapons, and setting. Those that are looking for an insta-action read are going to have to remember that this book builds slowly.
I originally picked up this book, because I loved Nevernight so much. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed with this book and it didn't live up to my expectations.
I enjoyed the story but for some reason it dragged a bit and I had trouble getting into it. The world and the plot are interesting enough concepts, but the execution for me is a bit lacking and maybe this is because as I'm reading I'm subconsciously comparing it to my read of Nevernight.
Set in a world where progress is destroying the planet and people can no longer safely breath the air without a breather/face mask as the very air is poisonous. Our main character has an ability she has to hide as it could mean she is imprisoned or even killed.
Still enjoyable and rated 3 1/2 stars.
I enjoyed the story but for some reason it dragged a bit and I had trouble getting into it. The world and the plot are interesting enough concepts, but the execution for me is a bit lacking and maybe this is because as I'm reading I'm subconsciously comparing it to my read of Nevernight.
Set in a world where progress is destroying the planet and people can no longer safely breath the air without a breather/face mask as the very air is poisonous. Our main character has an ability she has to hide as it could mean she is imprisoned or even killed.
Still enjoyable and rated 3 1/2 stars.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON LIBRARYTHING; RECEIVED AS LIBRARYTHING EARLY REVIEWERS PROOF
Long story short, I really did enjoy this book. I think the concept of [culture other than English] steampunk is neat, and while I didn't find the female character extraordinary by any means, she was at least an interesting character to follow throughout the plot.
But it wasn't without its flaws. In order to set the scene, Kristoff made an effort to make EVERYTHING Japanese. Now, this wouldn't be a problem if his answer to the question "How much research did you do?" was anything other than the following (http://dashcooray.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/an-interview-with-jay-kristoff-stormdancer/):
"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."
Wikipedia is not a good source. Manga is not a good source. The only people who think he did a degree in Japanese studies must be studying similar sources, because my limited Japanophilia picked up on some distinctly off things about his research. Frankly, Kristoff ought to be ashamed at the shoddy research he did, not trumpeting about it in interviews.
"Sama" and "san" are honorifics, attached to a person's name, and are never used by themselves to mean "sir" or "my lord" as Kristoff seems to think they are. (Even Wikipedia should tell you this! I would be amazed if it didn't.) Weapons and clothing are given in straight-up Japanese in the text, with a brief glossary at the end. Unfortunately, I would be surprised if a lot of people found the glossary unless they were specifically looking for one, but it does exist, and it doesn't really matter to the story that I didn't know what a "wakaizashi" was, much less a "chainwakaizashi". (That it didn't matter to the story is, of course, another issue entirely—I get that fight scenes can get a little tedious to write, but when the characters are using weaponry and what precisely they're using is mentioned, IT SHOULD MATTER.) Kimonos are/were not actually everyday wear.
The lead character, so Patrick Rothfuss blurbs on the front cover, is strong and female. When we talk about strong female leads, I expect something more along the lines of Tamora Pierce's female leads, not some cold, mopey girl who's good at fighting and is instantly softened and easily tricked by the guy she has a crush on/is sleeping with. Uh, no. Being a good fighter does not make a strong female lead (because I doubt they were talking about her musculature when they said "strong"); a strong female lead should not be reliant on male characters for fighting, for satisfaction, for saving her, and certainly should be canny enough to not trust some guy who she just met and who has access to both her room and her body.
The pacing is a little strange throughout the book—the first quarter and last quarter went by quickly, but the middle half was so slow I had to justify it to myself that this is the first in a trilogy, so maybe nothing extraordinary happens until Book Three. (I was wrong. What does he have left to write in the next two books now?) The middle seemed to be the best thought out and planned section of the book, while the beginning was only being used as a setup and to get to the middle/end, and the end happened as if Kristoff got a little too excited and let the entirety of his plot wrap up in the final 30-40 pages... which is not ideal, for the author or the reader. I think he lucked out in having a lot of action at the end; without that, the reader would notice that they had to make some leaps of faith to follow the plot.
This book has potential, though. It's painfully obvious that this is a debut novel, but the series should be an interesting one. Kristoff is very good at writing engaging action scenes and at coming up with an interesting plot, so in spite of all this, I did enjoy the book and am looking forward to the next. If he does some proper research and the lead character grows, then he should have some excellent books coming up in the future.
Long story short, I really did enjoy this book. I think the concept of [culture other than English] steampunk is neat, and while I didn't find the female character extraordinary by any means, she was at least an interesting character to follow throughout the plot.
But it wasn't without its flaws. In order to set the scene, Kristoff made an effort to make EVERYTHING Japanese. Now, this wouldn't be a problem if his answer to the question "How much research did you do?" was anything other than the following (http://dashcooray.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/an-interview-with-jay-kristoff-stormdancer/):
"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."
Wikipedia is not a good source. Manga is not a good source. The only people who think he did a degree in Japanese studies must be studying similar sources, because my limited Japanophilia picked up on some distinctly off things about his research. Frankly, Kristoff ought to be ashamed at the shoddy research he did, not trumpeting about it in interviews.
"Sama" and "san" are honorifics, attached to a person's name, and are never used by themselves to mean "sir" or "my lord" as Kristoff seems to think they are. (Even Wikipedia should tell you this! I would be amazed if it didn't.) Weapons and clothing are given in straight-up Japanese in the text, with a brief glossary at the end. Unfortunately, I would be surprised if a lot of people found the glossary unless they were specifically looking for one, but it does exist, and it doesn't really matter to the story that I didn't know what a "wakaizashi" was, much less a "chainwakaizashi". (That it didn't matter to the story is, of course, another issue entirely—I get that fight scenes can get a little tedious to write, but when the characters are using weaponry and what precisely they're using is mentioned, IT SHOULD MATTER.) Kimonos are/were not actually everyday wear.
The lead character, so Patrick Rothfuss blurbs on the front cover, is strong and female. When we talk about strong female leads, I expect something more along the lines of Tamora Pierce's female leads, not some cold, mopey girl who's good at fighting and is instantly softened and easily tricked by the guy she has a crush on/is sleeping with. Uh, no. Being a good fighter does not make a strong female lead (because I doubt they were talking about her musculature when they said "strong"); a strong female lead should not be reliant on male characters for fighting, for satisfaction, for saving her, and certainly should be canny enough to not trust some guy who she just met and who has access to both her room and her body.
The pacing is a little strange throughout the book—the first quarter and last quarter went by quickly, but the middle half was so slow I had to justify it to myself that this is the first in a trilogy, so maybe nothing extraordinary happens until Book Three. (I was wrong. What does he have left to write in the next two books now?) The middle seemed to be the best thought out and planned section of the book, while the beginning was only being used as a setup and to get to the middle/end, and the end happened as if Kristoff got a little too excited and let the entirety of his plot wrap up in the final 30-40 pages... which is not ideal, for the author or the reader. I think he lucked out in having a lot of action at the end; without that, the reader would notice that they had to make some leaps of faith to follow the plot.
This book has potential, though. It's painfully obvious that this is a debut novel, but the series should be an interesting one. Kristoff is very good at writing engaging action scenes and at coming up with an interesting plot, so in spite of all this, I did enjoy the book and am looking forward to the next. If he does some proper research and the lead character grows, then he should have some excellent books coming up in the future.
More like 2.5 stars
Nothing new here, just the same old, angry 16 yo heroine, who can't focus on her mission, because of the samurai with "the sea-green eyes".
Nothing new here, just the same old, angry 16 yo heroine, who can't focus on her mission, because of the samurai with "the sea-green eyes".
When a book makes me cry, gasp, and get so pissed off that I slam it onto the table and have to walk away... it gets five stars. I had to leave this book at times, to compose myself. I loved it so much!!! Yukiko and Buruu have a relationship that is so amazing, and the way they are written when they are one is perfect. I’m still in hangover mode at the moment so words are failing me for this review but I truly loved it and look forward to reading the next two books in the trilogy!