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tough_cookie 's review for:
Stormdancer
by Jay Kristoff
The first book in the Lotus War trilogy does not disappoint in terms of reader engagement. Set in an alternate feudal Japan where machines are commonplace, the sky is a rust-colored red with polluted air, and magical creatures are believed to be extinct, the dying country is ruled by a cruel Shogun, who wakes up one morning demanding an arashitora - a griffin. Thought to be gone, the Shogun sends his best hunter, the Black Fox, and his team of hunters on what they believe to be a fruitless mission that will surely end in failure (and their deaths). The Black Fox's daughter, Yukiko, accompanies them, doing her best to hide a secret that could get her killed: she can hear what animals think. This becomes especially useful when the impossible happens and the group discovers an arashitora high in the mountains. However, disaster strikes and Yukiko is separated from her father and the rest of her friends. Stranded in a forest full of frightening creatures with only an angry griffin for company, she must try to find her way out. But along the way, she discovers the truth about her family's past and becomes swept up in a political struggle that could topple the empire.
I really enjoyed this book. Yukiko is a dynamic character who starts off as a child full of anger and hurt, but grows into a strong, confident woman willing to endure for a greater cause. My favorite part of the book was the growing relationship between her and the arashitora, whom she names Buruu. However, I wasn't a big fan of the second half of the book: it felt rushed, especially her relationship with Hiro, and while I understand why this was done, it simply didn't appeal to my tastes. The author did a great job of portraying a truly wrathful and despicable enemy in the Shogun, Yoritomo, but secondary characters like his sister, Lady Aisha, her handmaid, Michi, and even Yukiko's friend, Kin, were sorely lacking in development. All of this, combined with the precedents set by the deaths that occurred at the end of this first book, have encouraged my decision not to pursue the rest of this trilogy. It is a very good book, but not for everyone.
I really enjoyed this book. Yukiko is a dynamic character who starts off as a child full of anger and hurt, but grows into a strong, confident woman willing to endure for a greater cause. My favorite part of the book was the growing relationship between her and the arashitora, whom she names Buruu. However, I wasn't a big fan of the second half of the book: it felt rushed, especially her relationship with Hiro, and while I understand why this was done, it simply didn't appeal to my tastes. The author did a great job of portraying a truly wrathful and despicable enemy in the Shogun, Yoritomo, but secondary characters like his sister, Lady Aisha, her handmaid, Michi, and even Yukiko's friend, Kin, were sorely lacking in development. All of this, combined with the precedents set by the deaths that occurred at the end of this first book, have encouraged my decision not to pursue the rest of this trilogy. It is a very good book, but not for everyone.