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Seeker #1
Seeker
The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor.
As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world.
And she’ll be with the boy she loves–who’s also her best friend. But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes.
Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought. And now it’s too late to walk away.
As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world.
And she’ll be with the boy she loves–who’s also her best friend. But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes.
Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought. And now it’s too late to walk away.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published February 10, 2015
585 people are currently reading
13906 people want to read
About the author
Arwen Elys Dayton
9 books691 followersArwen Elys Dayton is best known for her 2012 novel Resurrection and the YA Seeker trilogy. She began her career as a teenage staff writer at a foundation that produced Peabody Award-winning educational shows for PBS. Soon afterward, she began writing novels.
She spends months doing research for her stories. Her explorations have taken her around the world to places like the Great Pyramid (which she explored by flashlight when researching Resurrection), Hong Kong and its many islands, lots of ruined castles in Scotland, and the cold cities around the Baltic Sea. She enjoys creating complete worlds inhabited by characters who charm, frustrate or inspire.
Arwen lives with her husband and their three children on the West Coast of the United States. You can visit her at arwenelysdayton.com and follow @arwenelysdayton on Instagram, or reach her by email at arwenelysdayton@gmail.com.
She is represented by Jodi Reamer at Writers House.
She spends months doing research for her stories. Her explorations have taken her around the world to places like the Great Pyramid (which she explored by flashlight when researching Resurrection), Hong Kong and its many islands, lots of ruined castles in Scotland, and the cold cities around the Baltic Sea. She enjoys creating complete worlds inhabited by characters who charm, frustrate or inspire.
Arwen lives with her husband and their three children on the West Coast of the United States. You can visit her at arwenelysdayton.com and follow @arwenelysdayton on Instagram, or reach her by email at arwenelysdayton@gmail.com.
She is represented by Jodi Reamer at Writers House.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,624 reviews
November 11, 2025
To My Fellow YA Readers:
Can we all collectively agree that love triangles involving your third cousin will NOT be the latest YA trend?
"Quinn, we're only third cousins, you know?"I'm sorry but the MOMENT there's any familial relationship - I don't care how perfect he is or whatever excuse you want to use but it's gross. So gross.
"Half third cousins." She whispered, her lips close to his ear, "Hardly related at all."
"Did you want you kiss me in the basement?"Am I the only one with my skin crawling?
"Yes." She breathed, "So much."
... and then he kissed her lips, very slowly and tenderly.
Anyway, this review is gonna be short because good lawd. I may have read the book but I did NOT know what was going on.
It was some weird historical steampunk pseudo scifi mix that worked as well as you can imagine.
So many characters, so many perspectives, so many time jumps that I was disoriented and apathetic throughout.
I honestly don't even have a good summary of the book other than:
- Quin joins a secret society who turned out to be evil in olden days Scotland.
- Daddy doesn't like her boyfriend, and her third cousin likes her.
- She does evil things in the society and her boyfriend brings it down (I think)
- Then Quin dies (but not really cause they jump to future Hong Kong for medical treatment).
- She also chooses to lose her memory.
- 1.5 year time jump. Third cousin becomes an opium addict in Hong Kong and spends his time dredging the ocean. Finds a mysterious weapon that should not be there.
- Third cousin is magically healed from addiction because Quinn has super powers now?
- ExBF comes back for weapon but Quinn must battle memory loss and hide it.
- Big battle at the end on a spaceship, sacrifices were made. Blah blah blah.
There was so much page space DEVOTED to finding the weapons, hiding the weapons, keeping them safe but the point of them are never really explained.
And that's not going into the myriad of subplots that ultimately didn't add to much but apparently were important enough to write chapters on.
So much of the book is setting up mysterious things but without any sort of payoff for the audience.
The whole book just left me asking "why" and "what's the point" after every new intricate thing is revealed.
This may have worked if the book was split into a series and the author dropped the COUSIN LOVE thing - thus there would enough time to develop all these wild concepts and it wouldn't be trying to make incest sexy... but as it stands - just a confusing mess.
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March 3, 2015
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton
Book One of the Seeker series
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 10, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
For readers of A Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games comes an epic new series.
The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor. As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world. And she'll be with the boy she loves--who's also her best friend.
But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes. Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought.
And now it's too late to walk away.
What I Liked:
I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting by the time I got around to reading this book. I heard various things from other bloggers that deterred me a bit, not from reading the book altogether, but from reading it sooner. As with all of my review books, I have every intention of reading and reviewing those I request and/or receive. I was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed this book, after putting it off (unnecessarily, in the end).
Quin and her companions John and Shinobu are so close to taking their Oaths to become Seekers. Quin and Shinobu are ready - their fathers trained them well for this. Quin's father, Briac Kincaid, and Shinobu's father Alistair McBain, are ruthless Seekers, training them hard. John is somewhat of an outcast - sent to train with Briac at an "old" age (twelve, versus eight). Briac does not allow John to take his Oath, claiming he is not yet ready. But Quin and Shinobu take their Oaths... and discover that the idea of a Seeker is quite different from the actual life of one.
Quin is fifteen at the start of the book, and sixteen by the book's end. There are several parts to this book. Quin, Shinobu, and John are close to taking their Oaths. Quin and Shinobu take their Oaths, but Briac does not allow John to do so. John is sent back to his grandfather. But John is on a mission to recover something of his family - something that Briac has. So John comes back to the mission and attacks Briac. Shinobu and Quin escape, but Quin is shot, wounded. Shinobu takes her to Hong Kong, where Quin is healed, but loses all of her memories. Shinobu leaves her with Fiona, Quin's mother. Months pass... and then John reappears. Shinobu goes back to Quin, one way or another. And Quin slowly starts regaining memories.
The first half of the book seemed a bit slow. This was everything before Quin loses her memory. Usually, I'm not a fan of books which feature a protagonist losing his/her memory, especially for so long (usually, the character gets their memory back), but I think it worked well as a plot device in this book. The first half really set up the world and conflict in the book, but it was a bit slow. Just a note.
I thought it was interesting and kind of cool how the author withheld things from the reader, until the end of the book. This book is written in third person, but there are many different perspectives featured. Quin, Shinobu, John, and another character are featured. But the book is completely in third person. So the author CAN withhold information. An important part of the Oath ceremony thing is not revealed until later in the story, for example. I was so curious as to what happened, and when it was finally revealed, I was like OHHH. Makes sense.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the story. Despite the initial lag, I couldn't find myself putting this one down. I told myself I'd only have time to read half of the book on one day, and the other half the next day. But I ended up reading the entire book when I started it. Always a good sign.
I liked Quin. She is a great fighter and totally meant to be a Seeker. In the beginning, she (and Shinobu) follow their fathers blindly. John is working under his own agenda, so he always knew better. Quin runs, hides behind her shield of no memories, but eventually becomes a determined warrior. Shinobu is similar - he runs, hides behind the lure of drugs, but eventually, fights back.
Johns is an... intriguing character. Like I said, we get his (and several other characters') perspectives. He may come across as the story's "villain", given the synopsis, but if you look at his motives, his intentions are true. He wants to restore his family's honor - what's wrong with that? I really sympathized with John, though I questioned his ways about doing things.
Okay, okay, the romance. John has been in love with Quin since they met. Quin has been in love with John since they met. Childhood love is beautiful, but if there is one thing that I've learned, from YA books, it's that if there is love in the beginning of the series, there will almost always be another love interest introduced. Shinobu has always been there, and has always loved Quin, but she never paid him much attention. But they're running from John, and then Shinobu leaves her memory-less. Confusing, eh? Quin doesn't remember anyone, but comes to know that John is not really a good guy, and Shinobu is trying to help her.
So, love triangle verdict: yes. Yes, this book (and probably, the entire series) has a love triangle. It's not bothering me so much at the moment, because the lines have been drawn (especially after reading the very last paragraph of the book), but I can see how the author COULD potentially mix things up.
Anyway, the romance wasn't the whole story. The romance isn't a driving factor in this book... maybe for John, but not really. I really enjoyed the story, the world, the high stakes that Dayton has created. I'm excited to read book two, Traveler!
What I Did Not Like:
See what I said above, about the love triangle. It's there. It exists. I don't like love triangles at all, but this one isn't bothering me too much at the moment. I actually like all three protagonists (Quin, Shinobu, John), despite one of them being the "villain" in the book, and one of them being a total drug addict. But... love triangle. Grrr.
I think this will come later in the series, but I wanted more in terms of the Seeker business. There was a lot going on in this book, and I hope that the true nature and duty of a Seeker is exposed more in book two.
Would I Recommend It:
Despite the love triangle, I liked this book a lot. I can see why it has so much attention surrounding it, especially with the movie deal occurring before the first book is published. I'd recommend this one to epic fantasy readers who don't mind a more sophisticated kind of fantasy story. I'd almost say that this book resembled an adult fantasy fiction novel more than YA, but the age level is YA.
Rating:
4 stars. So glad I decided to read this one - and so glad I ended up enjoying the book! I'll definitely be catching the next book in the series, Traveler. And I'll be watching the movie, whenever it is available in theaters!
Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton
Book One of the Seeker series
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 10, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
For readers of A Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games comes an epic new series.
The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor. As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world. And she'll be with the boy she loves--who's also her best friend.
But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes. Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought.
And now it's too late to walk away.
What I Liked:
I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting by the time I got around to reading this book. I heard various things from other bloggers that deterred me a bit, not from reading the book altogether, but from reading it sooner. As with all of my review books, I have every intention of reading and reviewing those I request and/or receive. I was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed this book, after putting it off (unnecessarily, in the end).
Quin and her companions John and Shinobu are so close to taking their Oaths to become Seekers. Quin and Shinobu are ready - their fathers trained them well for this. Quin's father, Briac Kincaid, and Shinobu's father Alistair McBain, are ruthless Seekers, training them hard. John is somewhat of an outcast - sent to train with Briac at an "old" age (twelve, versus eight). Briac does not allow John to take his Oath, claiming he is not yet ready. But Quin and Shinobu take their Oaths... and discover that the idea of a Seeker is quite different from the actual life of one.
Quin is fifteen at the start of the book, and sixteen by the book's end. There are several parts to this book. Quin, Shinobu, and John are close to taking their Oaths. Quin and Shinobu take their Oaths, but Briac does not allow John to do so. John is sent back to his grandfather. But John is on a mission to recover something of his family - something that Briac has. So John comes back to the mission and attacks Briac. Shinobu and Quin escape, but Quin is shot, wounded. Shinobu takes her to Hong Kong, where Quin is healed, but loses all of her memories. Shinobu leaves her with Fiona, Quin's mother. Months pass... and then John reappears. Shinobu goes back to Quin, one way or another. And Quin slowly starts regaining memories.
The first half of the book seemed a bit slow. This was everything before Quin loses her memory. Usually, I'm not a fan of books which feature a protagonist losing his/her memory, especially for so long (usually, the character gets their memory back), but I think it worked well as a plot device in this book. The first half really set up the world and conflict in the book, but it was a bit slow. Just a note.
I thought it was interesting and kind of cool how the author withheld things from the reader, until the end of the book. This book is written in third person, but there are many different perspectives featured. Quin, Shinobu, John, and another character are featured. But the book is completely in third person. So the author CAN withhold information. An important part of the Oath ceremony thing is not revealed until later in the story, for example. I was so curious as to what happened, and when it was finally revealed, I was like OHHH. Makes sense.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the story. Despite the initial lag, I couldn't find myself putting this one down. I told myself I'd only have time to read half of the book on one day, and the other half the next day. But I ended up reading the entire book when I started it. Always a good sign.
I liked Quin. She is a great fighter and totally meant to be a Seeker. In the beginning, she (and Shinobu) follow their fathers blindly. John is working under his own agenda, so he always knew better. Quin runs, hides behind her shield of no memories, but eventually becomes a determined warrior. Shinobu is similar - he runs, hides behind the lure of drugs, but eventually, fights back.
Johns is an... intriguing character. Like I said, we get his (and several other characters') perspectives. He may come across as the story's "villain", given the synopsis, but if you look at his motives, his intentions are true. He wants to restore his family's honor - what's wrong with that? I really sympathized with John, though I questioned his ways about doing things.
Okay, okay, the romance. John has been in love with Quin since they met. Quin has been in love with John since they met. Childhood love is beautiful, but if there is one thing that I've learned, from YA books, it's that if there is love in the beginning of the series, there will almost always be another love interest introduced. Shinobu has always been there, and has always loved Quin, but she never paid him much attention. But they're running from John, and then Shinobu leaves her memory-less. Confusing, eh? Quin doesn't remember anyone, but comes to know that John is not really a good guy, and Shinobu is trying to help her.
So, love triangle verdict: yes. Yes, this book (and probably, the entire series) has a love triangle. It's not bothering me so much at the moment, because the lines have been drawn (especially after reading the very last paragraph of the book), but I can see how the author COULD potentially mix things up.
Anyway, the romance wasn't the whole story. The romance isn't a driving factor in this book... maybe for John, but not really. I really enjoyed the story, the world, the high stakes that Dayton has created. I'm excited to read book two, Traveler!
What I Did Not Like:
See what I said above, about the love triangle. It's there. It exists. I don't like love triangles at all, but this one isn't bothering me too much at the moment. I actually like all three protagonists (Quin, Shinobu, John), despite one of them being the "villain" in the book, and one of them being a total drug addict. But... love triangle. Grrr.
I think this will come later in the series, but I wanted more in terms of the Seeker business. There was a lot going on in this book, and I hope that the true nature and duty of a Seeker is exposed more in book two.
Would I Recommend It:
Despite the love triangle, I liked this book a lot. I can see why it has so much attention surrounding it, especially with the movie deal occurring before the first book is published. I'd recommend this one to epic fantasy readers who don't mind a more sophisticated kind of fantasy story. I'd almost say that this book resembled an adult fantasy fiction novel more than YA, but the age level is YA.
Rating:
4 stars. So glad I decided to read this one - and so glad I ended up enjoying the book! I'll definitely be catching the next book in the series, Traveler. And I'll be watching the movie, whenever it is available in theaters!
February 24, 2015
Originally at The Fictional Reader
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
When I read the synopsis of this book on Netgalley, I requested it immediately. I’m a huge fan of fantasy and this seemed right up my alley. It took me 6 days to read this, which is quite a long time for me. However, I’m pretty sure that if it had been any other book it would’ve taken me twice that amount. I’ve been so busy lately with university and I’ve been sick too. Yet every time I had to put this book down, it made me feel a bit sad. I loved it so much!
First of all, the plot. This book’s plot is insane -in a good way! It spans over about 2 years and so much crazy stuff happens. It starts when Quin takes her oath as a Seeker and discovers that being a Seeker is not as noble as she’d been taught. But what can she do about it? She’s taken her Oath so she’s marked as a Seeker and there’s no way to escape. That’s when things start going crazy. I never knew what to expect! I got swept up by the story and didn’t want to come back down.
Not only was the plot incredible, so were the characters. Because the story spans over such a long time, there is a lot of character development. I can honestly say that by the middle/end of this book, you wouldn’t recognize half of the characters. My favorite ones? Shinobu and Maud/the Young Dread. Those two characters were the most fascinating to me. I fell in love with Shinobu’s character and story!
I have to give a warning: there is a love triangle in this book. When I realized that, the first thing that went through my mind was “Oh no, there’s going to be drama”. To be honest, this is probably one of the first love triangles that didn’t bother me. It wasn’t that Quin was like “I can’t choose between the two, I love them both, who will I pick…”. Because of the events that happened, the relationships between every character shift so much and not just the love-aspect. In my opinion, the love triangle doesn’t take away from the awesomeness of this story.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book! I can’t wait to read the sequel, The Traveler, which apparently will be released in 2016? That’s WAY too long!
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
When I read the synopsis of this book on Netgalley, I requested it immediately. I’m a huge fan of fantasy and this seemed right up my alley. It took me 6 days to read this, which is quite a long time for me. However, I’m pretty sure that if it had been any other book it would’ve taken me twice that amount. I’ve been so busy lately with university and I’ve been sick too. Yet every time I had to put this book down, it made me feel a bit sad. I loved it so much!
First of all, the plot. This book’s plot is insane -in a good way! It spans over about 2 years and so much crazy stuff happens. It starts when Quin takes her oath as a Seeker and discovers that being a Seeker is not as noble as she’d been taught. But what can she do about it? She’s taken her Oath so she’s marked as a Seeker and there’s no way to escape. That’s when things start going crazy. I never knew what to expect! I got swept up by the story and didn’t want to come back down.
Not only was the plot incredible, so were the characters. Because the story spans over such a long time, there is a lot of character development. I can honestly say that by the middle/end of this book, you wouldn’t recognize half of the characters. My favorite ones? Shinobu and Maud/the Young Dread. Those two characters were the most fascinating to me. I fell in love with Shinobu’s character and story!
I have to give a warning: there is a love triangle in this book. When I realized that, the first thing that went through my mind was “Oh no, there’s going to be drama”. To be honest, this is probably one of the first love triangles that didn’t bother me. It wasn’t that Quin was like “I can’t choose between the two, I love them both, who will I pick…”. Because of the events that happened, the relationships between every character shift so much and not just the love-aspect. In my opinion, the love triangle doesn’t take away from the awesomeness of this story.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book! I can’t wait to read the sequel, The Traveler, which apparently will be released in 2016? That’s WAY too long!
May 8, 2015
An advance copy of this novel was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts are my own.
This review can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.
Gah, can we stop with the comparisons already? I really hate it when summaries include these because it really tends to muck up the way a reader goes into a story, as well as what they take away from it. To me, this book was like no other I've read. It's told in third person omniscient from four different perspectives, and it's incredibly fast-paced, which leaves some of the novel feeling as if it's lacking a coherent connection to previous events in the story. But, it all rights itself in the end and the story becomes quite cohesive, meaning everything comes around full circle and you're left with a mind-blowing, WTF conclusion. Or, at least, I was.
I've seen a lot of DNF and not-so-pleasant reviews of Seeker, and I can see where some readers would have trouble with this novel. Myself, I couldn't stop reading it. Every time I tried to put the book down, something else would happen and I'd have to see how that aspect would play out. The pacing is a bit disjointed, especially when the reader is taken from the present and then sent back to the past in an interlude that lasts several chapters and several perspectives. And then plunged head-first into the story a solid year-and-a-half later. It's intense, that's for sure. But it makes for one crazy story that kept me captivated to the very last page.
The characters make this story what it is; they're all so intriguing with all their questionable and underlying motives. Some of the characters I thought I would love in the beginning of the book became characters that I could barely tolerate in the end, while others who were barely a blip on the map at the start became favorites and I couldn't get enough of their stories. I loved the reversal of fortune that occurs within the pages of this book and how each character reacted to such a fate.
I expected a shifty turn in the romance, based on the summary of the novel, but I honestly had no idea what to expect. And I don't want to ruin it for anyone else. But it was pretty unexpected, considering the circumstances...though I was REALLY hoping the author would take the romance in a certain direction. And I'm pretty pleased with where it left off.
The setting became a character itself at the hands of the author. Or maybe I should say settings, since half of the story occurs in Scotland, while the other half takes place in Hong Kong. These locations were beautifully described, and although I've always had a soft spot for Scotland, with its castles and all of that green, green land, I actually preferred the story once it landed in Hong Kong. If I thought the first part of the book was intense, I was woefully unprepared for what was to transpire in the latter sections of the story.
I really don't know how to describe this novel except to call it intense over and over again. It's the kind of story that you have to be willing to give a chance, knowing that you're going to be confused for a majority of the book but that all will be revealed in the end. Personally, I can't wait to see what's next for these characters in Traveler!
GIF it to me straight:
This review can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.
Gah, can we stop with the comparisons already? I really hate it when summaries include these because it really tends to muck up the way a reader goes into a story, as well as what they take away from it. To me, this book was like no other I've read. It's told in third person omniscient from four different perspectives, and it's incredibly fast-paced, which leaves some of the novel feeling as if it's lacking a coherent connection to previous events in the story. But, it all rights itself in the end and the story becomes quite cohesive, meaning everything comes around full circle and you're left with a mind-blowing, WTF conclusion. Or, at least, I was.
I've seen a lot of DNF and not-so-pleasant reviews of Seeker, and I can see where some readers would have trouble with this novel. Myself, I couldn't stop reading it. Every time I tried to put the book down, something else would happen and I'd have to see how that aspect would play out. The pacing is a bit disjointed, especially when the reader is taken from the present and then sent back to the past in an interlude that lasts several chapters and several perspectives. And then plunged head-first into the story a solid year-and-a-half later. It's intense, that's for sure. But it makes for one crazy story that kept me captivated to the very last page.
The characters make this story what it is; they're all so intriguing with all their questionable and underlying motives. Some of the characters I thought I would love in the beginning of the book became characters that I could barely tolerate in the end, while others who were barely a blip on the map at the start became favorites and I couldn't get enough of their stories. I loved the reversal of fortune that occurs within the pages of this book and how each character reacted to such a fate.
I expected a shifty turn in the romance, based on the summary of the novel, but I honestly had no idea what to expect. And I don't want to ruin it for anyone else. But it was pretty unexpected, considering the circumstances...though I was REALLY hoping the author would take the romance in a certain direction. And I'm pretty pleased with where it left off.
The setting became a character itself at the hands of the author. Or maybe I should say settings, since half of the story occurs in Scotland, while the other half takes place in Hong Kong. These locations were beautifully described, and although I've always had a soft spot for Scotland, with its castles and all of that green, green land, I actually preferred the story once it landed in Hong Kong. If I thought the first part of the book was intense, I was woefully unprepared for what was to transpire in the latter sections of the story.
I really don't know how to describe this novel except to call it intense over and over again. It's the kind of story that you have to be willing to give a chance, knowing that you're going to be confused for a majority of the book but that all will be revealed in the end. Personally, I can't wait to see what's next for these characters in Traveler!
GIF it to me straight:
February 28, 2015
DNF around 20% because it's not just bad, it's fantastically nonsensical and dull. And there's probably going to be a love triangle.
There's some weird steampunk fantasy dojo shit going on and I can't be fucked to find out what the mystery is.
There's some weird steampunk fantasy dojo shit going on and I can't be fucked to find out what the mystery is.
November 19, 2014
4 stars! A good story! This is hard to review! I was expecting fantasy from the description and the cover. But it's not fantasy. Well it is but, not like the fantasy I was expecting. It has aspects of fantasy as well as some sci-fi, steampunk, and even a bit of historical. It definitely is in a category of its own.I really liked that it was told in multiple POV's the beginning was slow but I was really wrapped up in the story by the end and I look forward to the next book, Traveler.
January 23, 2015
I wasn't entirely sure when I requested Seeker if I was going to like it, since it was clear there was gonna be a love triangle, but it sounded like a very interesting fantasy so I decided to give it a try!
When I started reading I got rather confused at first because the world seemed to be a mix of fantasy and science fiction and it was a bit disconcerting at first. The change of POVs at first also didn't work too well for me, because I had no idea what kind of world this was, what the heck was going on or why we kept on changing POVs. When I thought I was getting the hang of Quin's voice, then we'd switch to John and his jaded attitude and secrets will confuse me yet again.
That kept on going on during the first half of the book when I kept on reading because I was intrigued but felt that the pacing was rather slow and we were getting too many pieces without a clue of how to put them together, but then the second half picked up speed in a BIG way!
Things change quite a lot, John seems to turn against his previous friends, Quin loses her memory and Shinobu turns to drugs to avoid is memories and his guilt. Then as Quin starts recovering her memories we start getting much more informationa and all the pieces we had for the puzzle start getting together and we seem to understand what is going on with the Seekers, really, learn more about their history, even if there are still many holes.
I was glad when the POV of the Young Dread was included because through her we got more background history for the Seekers and the Dreads, and it was really interesting. And adds quite a lot to the grey areas of the book, because in this one you are never sure who is in the right. John might be the bad guy, but if you think of his past and what's going on, his behaviour is more understandable.
The love triangle was something that bothered me a bit, but strangely enough not as much as I would have expected, but I'm not entirely sure of what will happen in the next book. I'm not particularly pro or against any of the two guys, but maybe I might be a bit more pro Shinobu than John.
Disconcerting at first but then quite fascinating, I am looking forward to more answers in the next book! 3.5 stars to this one!
When I started reading I got rather confused at first because the world seemed to be a mix of fantasy and science fiction and it was a bit disconcerting at first. The change of POVs at first also didn't work too well for me, because I had no idea what kind of world this was, what the heck was going on or why we kept on changing POVs. When I thought I was getting the hang of Quin's voice, then we'd switch to John and his jaded attitude and secrets will confuse me yet again.
That kept on going on during the first half of the book when I kept on reading because I was intrigued but felt that the pacing was rather slow and we were getting too many pieces without a clue of how to put them together, but then the second half picked up speed in a BIG way!
Things change quite a lot, John seems to turn against his previous friends, Quin loses her memory and Shinobu turns to drugs to avoid is memories and his guilt. Then as Quin starts recovering her memories we start getting much more informationa and all the pieces we had for the puzzle start getting together and we seem to understand what is going on with the Seekers, really, learn more about their history, even if there are still many holes.
I was glad when the POV of the Young Dread was included because through her we got more background history for the Seekers and the Dreads, and it was really interesting. And adds quite a lot to the grey areas of the book, because in this one you are never sure who is in the right. John might be the bad guy, but if you think of his past and what's going on, his behaviour is more understandable.
The love triangle was something that bothered me a bit, but strangely enough not as much as I would have expected, but I'm not entirely sure of what will happen in the next book. I'm not particularly pro or against any of the two guys, but maybe I might be a bit more pro Shinobu than John.
Disconcerting at first but then quite fascinating, I am looking forward to more answers in the next book! 3.5 stars to this one!
January 29, 2015
I'm DNFing this sucker.
This book could have been so very good. Great premise and the characters aren't bad. It's that I can't figure out what the hell is going on. You have the main character Quin that is training to be a Seeker. What is a Seeker? Who the hell knows. I thought at first it was something good..then it seemed like it was something bad. I never got my answers..so I'm a shallow gal and it pissed me off. Then her love interest John knew what was in store for her..Did he tell her? Nope, Nada, Nil. I don't like that John. *insert mean look*
Then the author decide to tell you during the story how to pronounce words...Does she think we (readers) are complete dumbasses? My flying monkeys will not like that shit.
Then the world-building..At first I think it's Medieval Scotland..then there are cars, and flying thingies..I'm so frigging bored and confused..and I'd rather be that way when I drink than when I read.
So I just can't finish this one. My kindle is getting tired of the mean looks I'm giving it because I know I have to read this book.
I received an arc copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book could have been so very good. Great premise and the characters aren't bad. It's that I can't figure out what the hell is going on. You have the main character Quin that is training to be a Seeker. What is a Seeker? Who the hell knows. I thought at first it was something good..then it seemed like it was something bad. I never got my answers..so I'm a shallow gal and it pissed me off. Then her love interest John knew what was in store for her..Did he tell her? Nope, Nada, Nil. I don't like that John. *insert mean look*
Then the author decide to tell you during the story how to pronounce words...Does she think we (readers) are complete dumbasses? My flying monkeys will not like that shit.
Then the world-building..At first I think it's Medieval Scotland..then there are cars, and flying thingies..I'm so frigging bored and confused..and I'd rather be that way when I drink than when I read.
So I just can't finish this one. My kindle is getting tired of the mean looks I'm giving it because I know I have to read this book.
I received an arc copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 15, 2015
Cast off your belief in things you can touch, taste, see or feel, use your young adult mind, where everything is possible and you do not need to be spoon-fed every single page.Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton is an epic fantasy tale that sprinkles a little sci-fi and steampunk into the mix of dimension travel, time travel and the ever-present battle between good, evil and even the questionable intent!
Three young warriors have trained to be Seekers, protectors of humanity against evil. John, a talented warrior, skilled, strong, alone in the world, Quin, the daughter of the powerful, yet dark leader, and her ½ 3rd cousin, Shinobu, all make up a close knit trio as skilled trainees ready to take their oath as a Seeker. They also make up a loosely knit romantic triangle that will cause pain to all three.
An ancient artifact is in the hands of Quin’s father, who covets power over kindness, brutality over love and much to Quin’s horror, has been keeping his distorted view of Seekers buried deep, until the time for Oath taking arrives. For reasons as yet unknown, the most skilled of the three, John is not allowed to take his oath and from here, the story begins in earnest as the battle for control of the ancient artifact begins that will transcend dimensions, time and place, all while turning allies into deadly foes. Has John turned his back on all they have been taught or will the truths he reveals make for a type of outlaw justice and retribution that he will seek? Who is the true enemy? Who are the Dreads and what is their connection to the Seekers?
What better way to help a young reader learn the joy of imagination, than by giving them a tale that is not instant gratification, but a journey to a final end that cannot be seen? Ms. Dayton has given great attention to her characters, leaving just even unknown to allow her readers to come to their own conclusions about them. Her world has moment so tremendous world building and moments of more vague scenes, but each comes alive by building on previous ones in the reader’s mind. Not weighing heavily on the romantic triangle as a spotlight, but more as an emotional pull, these teens felt real, confused, afraid, yet determined to finish what has been started. Will they? What land will they go to next? Will the power of the artifact prove too unpredictable?
Epic tales change up pacing; they build their world in teasing bites, the slower pacing helps to grasp the enormity of the situation going on. The rapid-fire pacing invokes action, danger and intrigue, all the elements of a good tale! Epic fantasy from start to finish!
I received an ARC edition from Random House Children's Books in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: February 10, 2015
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
ISBN-13: 9780385378574
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Print Length: 448 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Three young warriors have trained to be Seekers, protectors of humanity against evil. John, a talented warrior, skilled, strong, alone in the world, Quin, the daughter of the powerful, yet dark leader, and her ½ 3rd cousin, Shinobu, all make up a close knit trio as skilled trainees ready to take their oath as a Seeker. They also make up a loosely knit romantic triangle that will cause pain to all three.
An ancient artifact is in the hands of Quin’s father, who covets power over kindness, brutality over love and much to Quin’s horror, has been keeping his distorted view of Seekers buried deep, until the time for Oath taking arrives. For reasons as yet unknown, the most skilled of the three, John is not allowed to take his oath and from here, the story begins in earnest as the battle for control of the ancient artifact begins that will transcend dimensions, time and place, all while turning allies into deadly foes. Has John turned his back on all they have been taught or will the truths he reveals make for a type of outlaw justice and retribution that he will seek? Who is the true enemy? Who are the Dreads and what is their connection to the Seekers?
What better way to help a young reader learn the joy of imagination, than by giving them a tale that is not instant gratification, but a journey to a final end that cannot be seen? Ms. Dayton has given great attention to her characters, leaving just even unknown to allow her readers to come to their own conclusions about them. Her world has moment so tremendous world building and moments of more vague scenes, but each comes alive by building on previous ones in the reader’s mind. Not weighing heavily on the romantic triangle as a spotlight, but more as an emotional pull, these teens felt real, confused, afraid, yet determined to finish what has been started. Will they? What land will they go to next? Will the power of the artifact prove too unpredictable?
Epic tales change up pacing; they build their world in teasing bites, the slower pacing helps to grasp the enormity of the situation going on. The rapid-fire pacing invokes action, danger and intrigue, all the elements of a good tale! Epic fantasy from start to finish!
I received an ARC edition from Random House Children's Books in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: February 10, 2015
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
ISBN-13: 9780385378574
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Print Length: 448 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
January 24, 2015
I got this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not too sure at first since it is fantasy but it is a YA fantasy and most of the time I do ok with YA Fantasy. I have to say that I really enjoyed this book and found it to be very engaging with a solid plot of good vs. evil.
In this book we have Quin who has undergone years of training to become what she thought was a very noble and honorable position, a Seeker. She later discovers that her skills were going to be used in a less than noble manner. For years she was lied to and no one appears as they seem. Quin sets out to make things right as she travels to many places in very magical ways.
I have not read a book like this before and it was very refreshing to me. Then again I don't read much fantasy so maybe this is just new to me. I was engaged with the story from the beginning and found it hard to put the book down. It is chock full of greed, revenge, betrayal and even love. I found it amazing that even though there was somewhat of a love triangle, there was not any of this insta-love going on that we find in so many YA novels.
I found the world building and the plot beautifully written with great imagery. Most of the time I could imagine myself there at the estate in Scotland or even on the bridges of Hong Kong, amazing. I also loved the air of mystery there was in the book from the very start. Readers will find themselves trying to make sense of things right along with the characters. I loved that. There was non stop adventure and excitement throughout the book and I find it had a good ending to make room for the next book.
Our characters are very well created and very realistic imo. I also must say that they are also pretty relatable. I love that the author added an interlude about 35% into the story. It had plenty of backstory on our characters which made them even more realistic to me and made me feel such raw emotion for them in each of their situations. Quin and Shinobu are definitely my favorite characters, but I also have to say Maud made her way to that list as well. I loved how they fought for a better purpose even when they were pushed back every step of the way. Made them really likable. They evolved well through the story. For me, that is one of the most important elements for a character to achieve trough a story.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves a different kind of fantasy story with plenty to keep the mind of a reader totally engaged. I am giving this book a 4.5 star rating.
In this book we have Quin who has undergone years of training to become what she thought was a very noble and honorable position, a Seeker. She later discovers that her skills were going to be used in a less than noble manner. For years she was lied to and no one appears as they seem. Quin sets out to make things right as she travels to many places in very magical ways.
I have not read a book like this before and it was very refreshing to me. Then again I don't read much fantasy so maybe this is just new to me. I was engaged with the story from the beginning and found it hard to put the book down. It is chock full of greed, revenge, betrayal and even love. I found it amazing that even though there was somewhat of a love triangle, there was not any of this insta-love going on that we find in so many YA novels.
I found the world building and the plot beautifully written with great imagery. Most of the time I could imagine myself there at the estate in Scotland or even on the bridges of Hong Kong, amazing. I also loved the air of mystery there was in the book from the very start. Readers will find themselves trying to make sense of things right along with the characters. I loved that. There was non stop adventure and excitement throughout the book and I find it had a good ending to make room for the next book.
Our characters are very well created and very realistic imo. I also must say that they are also pretty relatable. I love that the author added an interlude about 35% into the story. It had plenty of backstory on our characters which made them even more realistic to me and made me feel such raw emotion for them in each of their situations. Quin and Shinobu are definitely my favorite characters, but I also have to say Maud made her way to that list as well. I loved how they fought for a better purpose even when they were pushed back every step of the way. Made them really likable. They evolved well through the story. For me, that is one of the most important elements for a character to achieve trough a story.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves a different kind of fantasy story with plenty to keep the mind of a reader totally engaged. I am giving this book a 4.5 star rating.
October 24, 2015
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
My mother and I were at constant loggerheads when I was growing up, and the reason for that was simple: she hated being questioned as much as I hated being expected to blindly follow orders.
It was a problem.
Stubbornly, she'd rail at me, demanding I do things "b/c I said so" (<------not a reason), and equally stubbornly, I'd demand to know why . . . and despite her having all the power, and my stubbornness resulting in constant groundings, I never stopped demanding to know why I should or shouldn't do a thing.
NEVER.
Am I comparing my mother to the particularly nasty breed of mercenary that Quin (our MC)'s father Briac is?
No . . . well, maybe a little bit . . .
I'm kidding! *whispers* Kind of . . .
But I am explaining why I have a hard time being sympathetic to Quin and Shinobu (her cousin . . . sort of . . . )'s situation.
As hard as I tried to walk in their shoes, being "raised to obey Briac's word as law," was never going to be a circumstance I could empathize with.
Add to that the willful memory loss of one, and the rampant drug use/general recklessness of the other as coping mechanisms, and . . . yeah . . . REALLY not feeling these characters.
But there's a reason for that: the more a work of fiction resembles reality, the less I am likely to enjoy it.
I know that about myself. It's not a good thing or a bad thing, it's just a thing. So if you like grittier plot lines where the characters behave disreputably, either b/c they are in fact disreputable and embrace it, or b/c they are weak, and deal with their guilt in realistic, vice-filled ways, then you might really like this book.
I didn't have the same problems with Seeker that a lot of other readers had. As brief as the synopsis is, I actually read it (for once), and I thought it explained the situation fairly well. Quin has been trained all her short life to be a Seeker. She's been told countless stories detailing the noble exploits of past Seekers. But when she actually becomes a Seeker herself, she discovers that she has been misled (<------gross understatement).
What exactly is a Seeker?
Well, I'll grant you that it was never said outright, but it was pretty obvious to me that a Seeker was a member of an organization of highly trained warriors whose purpose was to objectively right wrongs (whatever that means).
BUT.
Over time, that organization has become corrupt, and they are now nothing more than an unscrupulous band of assassins. This transpired without intervention from the leadership, b/c, as is often the case with supremely long-lived beings, the person in charge is almost completely removed from the world, trusting his younger (though still very, very old) mentees to alert him to anything warranting his attention. BUT the elder of the two mentees is clearly corrupt himself.
Another complaint I've seen a lot is poor world-building, and it was definitely not a strength. However, as the world pretty clearly resembles our own, I didn't find the lack of explanation too upsetting. I just assumed it was 100(ish) years in the future. The end. *shrugs*
Doesn't sound so bad, does it?
And yet . . .
Seeker is pitched as a book that defies genres. And that's true. But unlike other genre-defying books, for example, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, the various genres didn't really mesh together well. DoS&B is part urban fantasy, part fantasy, and it works b/c it takes place in two separate worlds. In comparison, Seeker tries to be both science fiction and fantasy in the same world . . . and it's a house divided against itself.
The problem with trying to write a traditional "high" fantasy-type book, but having it take place in the modern (or slightly in the future) world is that who cares about a magic ATH-uh-may that cuts through space (like a . . . knife *rolls eyes*) when you could just take an airplane like a normal assassin? I mean, there are "air cars" that presumably fly, and I'm pretty sure they still have normal airplanes in addition to the weird airship thing that one of the characters lives on (and if they don't, that's stupid). And yeah, a magical cuts-through-space-like-a-Stargate-wormhole-knife is slightly more convenient . . . but only slightly. *shrugs*
Modernity kind of steals fantasy's thunder . . .
And then there's John. John is also an MC, but he's a bit separate from Quin and Shinobu, b/c his main goal is vengeance. So focused is he on restoring his family to its former glory, and avenging his ancestors, including, but not limited to his mother (whom he watched die at the hands of a rival Seeker when he was child) that he justifies the basest of tactics to achieve his goal.
So the best bet of a sympathetic character becomes as disgusting and pathetic as all the others.
Overall, I had too many objections to enjoy Seeker. The writing was mediocre at best, the mashup of genres made the individual elements less compelling, and the MCs behaved abominably, either b/c they didn't have the strength of character to disobey a clearly treacherous leader, or b/c they're so fixated on retribution that they willfully become that which they hate. Not recommended.
My mother and I were at constant loggerheads when I was growing up, and the reason for that was simple: she hated being questioned as much as I hated being expected to blindly follow orders.
It was a problem.
Stubbornly, she'd rail at me, demanding I do things "b/c I said so" (<------not a reason), and equally stubbornly, I'd demand to know why . . . and despite her having all the power, and my stubbornness resulting in constant groundings, I never stopped demanding to know why I should or shouldn't do a thing.
NEVER.
Am I comparing my mother to the particularly nasty breed of mercenary that Quin (our MC)'s father Briac is?
No . . . well, maybe a little bit . . .
I'm kidding! *whispers* Kind of . . .
But I am explaining why I have a hard time being sympathetic to Quin and Shinobu (her cousin . . . sort of . . . )'s situation.
As hard as I tried to walk in their shoes, being "raised to obey Briac's word as law," was never going to be a circumstance I could empathize with.
Add to that the willful memory loss of one, and the rampant drug use/general recklessness of the other as coping mechanisms, and . . . yeah . . . REALLY not feeling these characters.
But there's a reason for that: the more a work of fiction resembles reality, the less I am likely to enjoy it.
I know that about myself. It's not a good thing or a bad thing, it's just a thing. So if you like grittier plot lines where the characters behave disreputably, either b/c they are in fact disreputable and embrace it, or b/c they are weak, and deal with their guilt in realistic, vice-filled ways, then you might really like this book.
I didn't have the same problems with Seeker that a lot of other readers had. As brief as the synopsis is, I actually read it (for once), and I thought it explained the situation fairly well. Quin has been trained all her short life to be a Seeker. She's been told countless stories detailing the noble exploits of past Seekers. But when she actually becomes a Seeker herself, she discovers that she has been misled (<------gross understatement).
What exactly is a Seeker?
Well, I'll grant you that it was never said outright, but it was pretty obvious to me that a Seeker was a member of an organization of highly trained warriors whose purpose was to objectively right wrongs (whatever that means).
BUT.
Over time, that organization has become corrupt, and they are now nothing more than an unscrupulous band of assassins. This transpired without intervention from the leadership, b/c, as is often the case with supremely long-lived beings, the person in charge is almost completely removed from the world, trusting his younger (though still very, very old) mentees to alert him to anything warranting his attention. BUT the elder of the two mentees is clearly corrupt himself.
Another complaint I've seen a lot is poor world-building, and it was definitely not a strength. However, as the world pretty clearly resembles our own, I didn't find the lack of explanation too upsetting. I just assumed it was 100(ish) years in the future. The end. *shrugs*
Doesn't sound so bad, does it?
And yet . . .
Seeker is pitched as a book that defies genres. And that's true. But unlike other genre-defying books, for example, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, the various genres didn't really mesh together well. DoS&B is part urban fantasy, part fantasy, and it works b/c it takes place in two separate worlds. In comparison, Seeker tries to be both science fiction and fantasy in the same world . . . and it's a house divided against itself.
The problem with trying to write a traditional "high" fantasy-type book, but having it take place in the modern (or slightly in the future) world is that who cares about a magic ATH-uh-may that cuts through space (like a . . . knife *rolls eyes*) when you could just take an airplane like a normal assassin? I mean, there are "air cars" that presumably fly, and I'm pretty sure they still have normal airplanes in addition to the weird airship thing that one of the characters lives on (and if they don't, that's stupid). And yeah, a magical cuts-through-space-like-a-
Modernity kind of steals fantasy's thunder . . .
And then there's John. John is also an MC, but he's a bit separate from Quin and Shinobu, b/c his main goal is vengeance. So focused is he on restoring his family to its former glory, and avenging his ancestors, including, but not limited to his mother (whom he watched die at the hands of a rival Seeker when he was child) that he justifies the basest of tactics to achieve his goal.
So the best bet of a sympathetic character becomes as disgusting and pathetic as all the others.
Overall, I had too many objections to enjoy Seeker. The writing was mediocre at best, the mashup of genres made the individual elements less compelling, and the MCs behaved abominably, either b/c they didn't have the strength of character to disobey a clearly treacherous leader, or b/c they're so fixated on retribution that they willfully become that which they hate. Not recommended.
July 10, 2015
This book was amazingly bad.
Is that even possible? For a book to be SO bad that it's actually amazing???
This gem gave me a migraine like no other. I mean, check out my status updates to see its horrific beauty.
Recommendation: stay the fuck away.
Is that even possible? For a book to be SO bad that it's actually amazing???
This gem gave me a migraine like no other. I mean, check out my status updates to see its horrific beauty.
Recommendation: stay the fuck away.
February 7, 2015
Initial reaction: I have a feeling I'm being very (scratch that: EXTREMELY) generous with this rating. At a certain point, in the second half of the book, the book started flowing more smoothly and once I got into it, I couldn't stop reading. But that was over 70% into the novel, and that vexed me to no end. That was too long, and half of the questions I had about the (read: very, VERY vague) worldbuilding and realm this book established weren't even halfway answered. Timelines and style of dialogues kept jumping every which way but loose, and the characters were thinly drawn up to a certain point. It was terribly convoluted, more than it had to be, and I have a feeling that people with less patience than I will not see this book through until the end. It's a shame, because there are some good moments to be had here, even if it's peppered with really problematic stuff (which made me cringe).
Game of Thrones meets Hunger Games, though, this is not. High fantasy this is definitely not. Terribly false advertising and more of a measure that people need to stop making high expectation comparisons like this when they don't even halfway meet the book's actual establishment. I will actually tell you what this book is about when I have the chance to write the full review.
But it was something of a decent read in its better moments. I just hope the next book isn't so darned hard to get through.
Full review:
So this reflection took more than a day for me to think about writing a review about. More like a week (two weeks?) Oy vey.
Dayton's novel has to be one of the most convoluted written debuts of a YA fantasy novel I've ever read. I'm not going to say it didn't have some genuine moments of interest for me, but they were far and few between, not to mention the read was a long slog that frequently frustrated me. (I can only imagine what it might be like for a teenager picking up this book).
If a novel can't even answer the basic thematic of/question posed by its title, there's a SERIOUS problem there. The question posed by this novel in particular: What is a Seeker? That simple. You would be surprised by how long it actually takes to get to something close to resembling a true answer for that. Even then, the question isn't really addressed.
The story revolves (primarily) around three trainees: Quin, Shinobu, and John. These three are in training to become "Seekers." The very vague definition given is that Seekers are meant to defend those who are weak. It's classified as a very honorable position. That I could work with because at least there's a promise to develop what those roles are. Quin and Shinobu are on their respective track to fulfilling this role, training with swords and magic in the midst of Scotland. John is considered the elder and one who will not fulfill the role he's supposed to play because of his age and distractions. Yet Quin and John are in a secret (well...not so secret) relationship, and Shinobu is the cousin (who's claimed to not really be that close) that pines for Quin in this proposed love triangle.
The blatant love triangle angle made me wince because of its implications, but I figured I'd follow the read to see where it lead. I think the very first sign of problems I had with the novel happened when Shinobu and Quin discover the "truth" about what their Seeker role is supposed to entail.
Apparently they are aware of some grave situation attached to their role that's supposed to be earth shattering, mind blowing, and completely making them question everything they know about the people around them. Unfortunately, the reader is never made aware of what this horrible thing is.
I kept reading this actively thinking: "I'm missing something huge here, what happened?" Even hoped I wasn't the only person who felt like chunks of the story were missing.
It then becomes this odd venture of students turning against their teacher/trainer (Briac, who is Quin's father) and then becoming separated by time and place for different reasons: Quin, Shinobu and John all go different paths. My understanding of the story (even though this wasn't made all that clear) was that Seekers had the ability to wield a weapon called an athame, and that there were several different types of athame throughout the world. John became preoccupied with wanting to learn how to wield it and spent all this time trying to find Quin in order for her to show him how to use it (which, dude, really? And while he doesn't want to use force and urges people not to hurt her, somehow he has people trying to find her and attacking her in order to restrain her? And he claims he loves her in a really creepy way? In case it isn't clear, I hated John's character. At least what little flesh was there to pinch of him.)
Quin wants nothing to do with her respective role of wielding the athame. During a fallout and escape in which she's wounded, she loses her memory and it isn't until she finds herself in the crosshairs of people trying to find and use her for her abilities that she begins to put he pieces together and stand up and fight/use what abilities she has. Except it feels hollow, because you're not really 100% certain what she's fighting for or against.
Shinobu was the character I liked the most in this novel because 1. he was humored well in some spaces of the novel and 2. He had a more palpable backstory (between hearing the story about his conflicts with family and his feelings of helplessness, I was like - okay, I can identify with him a little, but the development comes so late in the novel, I don't know if many people will latch on to him. Plus there's the whole odd insinuation that he really likes Quin even though they're supposed to be related down the line...even a really distant line as cousins? It's weird. Just weird.)
There's a fourth character in this novel named Maud who has a destiny to fulfill herself, something like a soothsayer or some concious being that has to do with the Seeker roles, but it's so threadbare that I had a hard time connecting exactly what her role was to the overarching conflict.
The story has some decent action sequences and moments of peril. I will give it that much. It worked much better in the latter part of the novel than it did in the first. But it's hard to connect to the characters when their roles are so thin in definition (even to the point where by the end of the novel, a Seeker's role is still quite undefined for overarching scope).
I won't spoil the rest of the events of the novel for anyone who wants to read it, but I am going to summarize what I think the biggest problems with this novel were - and it was progressive throughout the entire novel despite harrowing action sequences and moments where the characters clashed and confronted each other.
This book did not have a strong central sense of time, place, or conflict. At all.
You would think this story was high fantasy with the amount of sword training and prophecy recitations within it, but the moment guns came into the weaponry for fighting, I became really confused (so what was the point of those characters training with swords and daggers again?)
You would think this story took place (at first) in a place in the past, but when televisions among other technologies are mentioned, that also threw the time measure out the window. Is this some sort of alternate dimension? When is this taking place? This is never really answered through the novel at all. Even if it's a dimension that's parallel and unlike our own, the development of this world is so threadbare that it's hard to put your foot in it and become immersed. Mostly because it's very convoluted and confusing for descriptors.
You would think this novel would have a very cultural backdrop given that it takes place in areas like Scotland and Hong Kong, but the development there is threadbare too. Some characters who had accents later didn't have them, the environment was thinly drawn - there was very little tying it together for place or even transitions from place to place. I think the environment of Hong Kong was a little more palpable than the drawing of Scotland in the beginning, but my biggest question was HOW DID THEY GET THERE? There were so many gaps of time span that were unexplained or unvetted that it really didn't do a good job of sequencing with the story.
This story sequenced itself through four different characters in a third-person omniscent perspective. I found that I moved through the POVs fine, but the vague descriptors and establishment of the characters made it hard to connect, so the cast was never really defined enough to make their perspectives pop more. I could very well see people getting lost in this novel because of the POV switches, though, and for the way it was done.
And we're not even going to talk about the comparison to Hunger Games and Game of Thrones. There's none to be had, I think the story had interesting threads, but there was really no direction or linking that would suggest it was anything like the aforementioned stories.
In other words, this book had a lot of misdirection and false advertisement. It had some great ideas, but felt like they needed to be vetted out and smoothed for transition. It's a novel with a lot of bark, but not a whole lot of bite.
I'll give the sequel a chance, but it's gotta step it up from this point. Because what I saw here were some interesting moments that never had any measure of direction or structure to help them, and that had me in the role of playing "Seeker" for answers that were never provided than following the journeys of the Seekers.
Overall score: 2.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Random House Delacorte BFYR.
Game of Thrones meets Hunger Games, though, this is not. High fantasy this is definitely not. Terribly false advertising and more of a measure that people need to stop making high expectation comparisons like this when they don't even halfway meet the book's actual establishment. I will actually tell you what this book is about when I have the chance to write the full review.
But it was something of a decent read in its better moments. I just hope the next book isn't so darned hard to get through.
Full review:
So this reflection took more than a day for me to think about writing a review about. More like a week (two weeks?) Oy vey.
Dayton's novel has to be one of the most convoluted written debuts of a YA fantasy novel I've ever read. I'm not going to say it didn't have some genuine moments of interest for me, but they were far and few between, not to mention the read was a long slog that frequently frustrated me. (I can only imagine what it might be like for a teenager picking up this book).
If a novel can't even answer the basic thematic of/question posed by its title, there's a SERIOUS problem there. The question posed by this novel in particular: What is a Seeker? That simple. You would be surprised by how long it actually takes to get to something close to resembling a true answer for that. Even then, the question isn't really addressed.
The story revolves (primarily) around three trainees: Quin, Shinobu, and John. These three are in training to become "Seekers." The very vague definition given is that Seekers are meant to defend those who are weak. It's classified as a very honorable position. That I could work with because at least there's a promise to develop what those roles are. Quin and Shinobu are on their respective track to fulfilling this role, training with swords and magic in the midst of Scotland. John is considered the elder and one who will not fulfill the role he's supposed to play because of his age and distractions. Yet Quin and John are in a secret (well...not so secret) relationship, and Shinobu is the cousin (who's claimed to not really be that close) that pines for Quin in this proposed love triangle.
The blatant love triangle angle made me wince because of its implications, but I figured I'd follow the read to see where it lead. I think the very first sign of problems I had with the novel happened when Shinobu and Quin discover the "truth" about what their Seeker role is supposed to entail.
Apparently they are aware of some grave situation attached to their role that's supposed to be earth shattering, mind blowing, and completely making them question everything they know about the people around them. Unfortunately, the reader is never made aware of what this horrible thing is.
I kept reading this actively thinking: "I'm missing something huge here, what happened?" Even hoped I wasn't the only person who felt like chunks of the story were missing.
It then becomes this odd venture of students turning against their teacher/trainer (Briac, who is Quin's father) and then becoming separated by time and place for different reasons: Quin, Shinobu and John all go different paths. My understanding of the story (even though this wasn't made all that clear) was that Seekers had the ability to wield a weapon called an athame, and that there were several different types of athame throughout the world. John became preoccupied with wanting to learn how to wield it and spent all this time trying to find Quin in order for her to show him how to use it (which, dude, really? And while he doesn't want to use force and urges people not to hurt her, somehow he has people trying to find her and attacking her in order to restrain her? And he claims he loves her in a really creepy way? In case it isn't clear, I hated John's character. At least what little flesh was there to pinch of him.)
Quin wants nothing to do with her respective role of wielding the athame. During a fallout and escape in which she's wounded, she loses her memory and it isn't until she finds herself in the crosshairs of people trying to find and use her for her abilities that she begins to put he pieces together and stand up and fight/use what abilities she has. Except it feels hollow, because you're not really 100% certain what she's fighting for or against.
Shinobu was the character I liked the most in this novel because 1. he was humored well in some spaces of the novel and 2. He had a more palpable backstory (between hearing the story about his conflicts with family and his feelings of helplessness, I was like - okay, I can identify with him a little, but the development comes so late in the novel, I don't know if many people will latch on to him. Plus there's the whole odd insinuation that he really likes Quin even though they're supposed to be related down the line...even a really distant line as cousins? It's weird. Just weird.)
There's a fourth character in this novel named Maud who has a destiny to fulfill herself, something like a soothsayer or some concious being that has to do with the Seeker roles, but it's so threadbare that I had a hard time connecting exactly what her role was to the overarching conflict.
The story has some decent action sequences and moments of peril. I will give it that much. It worked much better in the latter part of the novel than it did in the first. But it's hard to connect to the characters when their roles are so thin in definition (even to the point where by the end of the novel, a Seeker's role is still quite undefined for overarching scope).
I won't spoil the rest of the events of the novel for anyone who wants to read it, but I am going to summarize what I think the biggest problems with this novel were - and it was progressive throughout the entire novel despite harrowing action sequences and moments where the characters clashed and confronted each other.
This book did not have a strong central sense of time, place, or conflict. At all.
You would think this story was high fantasy with the amount of sword training and prophecy recitations within it, but the moment guns came into the weaponry for fighting, I became really confused (so what was the point of those characters training with swords and daggers again?)
You would think this story took place (at first) in a place in the past, but when televisions among other technologies are mentioned, that also threw the time measure out the window. Is this some sort of alternate dimension? When is this taking place? This is never really answered through the novel at all. Even if it's a dimension that's parallel and unlike our own, the development of this world is so threadbare that it's hard to put your foot in it and become immersed. Mostly because it's very convoluted and confusing for descriptors.
You would think this novel would have a very cultural backdrop given that it takes place in areas like Scotland and Hong Kong, but the development there is threadbare too. Some characters who had accents later didn't have them, the environment was thinly drawn - there was very little tying it together for place or even transitions from place to place. I think the environment of Hong Kong was a little more palpable than the drawing of Scotland in the beginning, but my biggest question was HOW DID THEY GET THERE? There were so many gaps of time span that were unexplained or unvetted that it really didn't do a good job of sequencing with the story.
This story sequenced itself through four different characters in a third-person omniscent perspective. I found that I moved through the POVs fine, but the vague descriptors and establishment of the characters made it hard to connect, so the cast was never really defined enough to make their perspectives pop more. I could very well see people getting lost in this novel because of the POV switches, though, and for the way it was done.
And we're not even going to talk about the comparison to Hunger Games and Game of Thrones. There's none to be had, I think the story had interesting threads, but there was really no direction or linking that would suggest it was anything like the aforementioned stories.
In other words, this book had a lot of misdirection and false advertisement. It had some great ideas, but felt like they needed to be vetted out and smoothed for transition. It's a novel with a lot of bark, but not a whole lot of bite.
I'll give the sequel a chance, but it's gotta step it up from this point. Because what I saw here were some interesting moments that never had any measure of direction or structure to help them, and that had me in the role of playing "Seeker" for answers that were never provided than following the journeys of the Seekers.
Overall score: 2.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Random House Delacorte BFYR.
January 7, 2015
DNFed at about 40% …
So first of, if you advertise something as “for readers of A Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games” then you are setting a book up for failure. Nothing can compare to one of the best epic fantasy and the most successful dystopian series there currently are. It’s simply disappointing if Marketing and PR people feel the need to be so unimaginative and unoriginal. I don’t understand why you have to compare a new book at all?
Secondly the book itself is not written well. I had a hard time coming to terms with the story. What exactly is a Seeker? What world are the characters living in? Those are questions that remain mostly unanswered. Apparently, a Seeker seeks the truth and protects, but how and from what? Quin doesn’t know either, her teachers (which are her father and her uncles) are misleading her, the one who knows and could have told her, refrains from doing so because of selfish reasons. And then comes the moment when she takes her oath as a Seeker and is being sent on her first mission. The scene begins, there is a meadow, a house, she is scared, end of scene. Next Quin is horrified and vomiting, she’s covered in blood, skin and brain from her “prey”. Her mission as a Seeker is apparently to assassinate men, women and children, to murder for money. She is nothing more than a mercenary. Since this was set up to be such an earthshattering experience for our main character, I would have liked to know what exactly happened. Because as it is written, I was not horrified. To be honest, when I was reading this scene(s) I was like: wait what? I really thought that I must have skipped some pages. But they were not there. I felt duped. Hinting at something by omission is a stylistic element that works fine in movies but just doesn’t work as well in books.
The world building in general is rather minimalistic. We start of somewhere in Scotland on a private estate surrounded by forest. From the descriptions it could have been everything from Middle Ages to Regency to Futuristic Simple Life folks. We are never told anything about this world or the time. Later Quin is somewhere in Tokyo and learning the art of a ying/yang healer. This Tokyo also is something out of a fairy tale. No real time/history references either. There are mentions of movie stars, flying ships over London, corporations next to magically changing weapons and mystical beings. All this is very confusing and somehow misleading for a reader.
The world lacks depth and detail in mythology and background history. The story features some very crass plot holes and a love triangle. And not even the decently interesting characters could elevate my rating. I simply did not like reading it, I did not finish it and I can not be compelled to read the next book in the series. "Game of Thrones" or "Hunger Games" this is really not.
So first of, if you advertise something as “for readers of A Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games” then you are setting a book up for failure. Nothing can compare to one of the best epic fantasy and the most successful dystopian series there currently are. It’s simply disappointing if Marketing and PR people feel the need to be so unimaginative and unoriginal. I don’t understand why you have to compare a new book at all?
Secondly the book itself is not written well. I had a hard time coming to terms with the story. What exactly is a Seeker? What world are the characters living in? Those are questions that remain mostly unanswered. Apparently, a Seeker seeks the truth and protects, but how and from what? Quin doesn’t know either, her teachers (which are her father and her uncles) are misleading her, the one who knows and could have told her, refrains from doing so because of selfish reasons. And then comes the moment when she takes her oath as a Seeker and is being sent on her first mission. The scene begins, there is a meadow, a house, she is scared, end of scene. Next Quin is horrified and vomiting, she’s covered in blood, skin and brain from her “prey”. Her mission as a Seeker is apparently to assassinate men, women and children, to murder for money. She is nothing more than a mercenary. Since this was set up to be such an earthshattering experience for our main character, I would have liked to know what exactly happened. Because as it is written, I was not horrified. To be honest, when I was reading this scene(s) I was like: wait what? I really thought that I must have skipped some pages. But they were not there. I felt duped. Hinting at something by omission is a stylistic element that works fine in movies but just doesn’t work as well in books.
The world building in general is rather minimalistic. We start of somewhere in Scotland on a private estate surrounded by forest. From the descriptions it could have been everything from Middle Ages to Regency to Futuristic Simple Life folks. We are never told anything about this world or the time. Later Quin is somewhere in Tokyo and learning the art of a ying/yang healer. This Tokyo also is something out of a fairy tale. No real time/history references either. There are mentions of movie stars, flying ships over London, corporations next to magically changing weapons and mystical beings. All this is very confusing and somehow misleading for a reader.
The world lacks depth and detail in mythology and background history. The story features some very crass plot holes and a love triangle. And not even the decently interesting characters could elevate my rating. I simply did not like reading it, I did not finish it and I can not be compelled to read the next book in the series. "Game of Thrones" or "Hunger Games" this is really not.
April 28, 2019
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Perhaps I would have rated this book a 4.5; however, after reading so many unfavorable reviews, I decided to rate it a 5.5 because I think that this book has been somewhat misrepresented. If you are a fantasy fan and you are willing to stick to the book until the end, be patient, pay attention to details and remember what you are reading, you will really enjoy this book. The answers are there if you will only stick around long enough to find them.
I've also seen this book being compared to other popular novels and stories like The Hunger Games... This book is very different. It should stand on its own merit and one should read this book without expectations of finding similarities with other popular novels. This book is awesome in its own right.
Does the story progress in a straight line? No, absolutely not. Does the author provide the reader with answers to all unknowns? No, absolutely not (after all a second book is being written). Is the book engaging, entertaining, and full of action? Yes, yes, yes... Absolutely.
I, personally, think that this book was written with much planning and thought. The continuous change of point-of-view provided me with a greater in-depth understanding of the world I was reading about, the characters that were part of it, and the struggles that the Seekers were dealing with. Some of the readers could not understand who the Dreads were - well, if they would have finished reading the entire book and paid close attention to the details, that question would have been, at least partially, answered. Patience in a good book is a critical requirement...and, I definitely feel that this was a great book. It's a fantasy book where the reader can allow his/her imagination travel to the limits.
Usually, when I read a story, I like to guess what will happen next. Many times, my gut feelings are accurate and I can tell what's coming next. In this book, I thought I knew what was coming, but the ending had an amazing twist to it and threw me a curve ball in a few instances. I love being wrong about the ending of a book, especially when the ending comes at me with a positive outlook on the future. I can't wait to read the next book and to find out how the story progresses.
This book is not an easy read, but if you are willing to take the challenge, I definitely recommend it. I loved it!
Perhaps I would have rated this book a 4.5; however, after reading so many unfavorable reviews, I decided to rate it a 5.5 because I think that this book has been somewhat misrepresented. If you are a fantasy fan and you are willing to stick to the book until the end, be patient, pay attention to details and remember what you are reading, you will really enjoy this book. The answers are there if you will only stick around long enough to find them.
I've also seen this book being compared to other popular novels and stories like The Hunger Games... This book is very different. It should stand on its own merit and one should read this book without expectations of finding similarities with other popular novels. This book is awesome in its own right.
Does the story progress in a straight line? No, absolutely not. Does the author provide the reader with answers to all unknowns? No, absolutely not (after all a second book is being written). Is the book engaging, entertaining, and full of action? Yes, yes, yes... Absolutely.
I, personally, think that this book was written with much planning and thought. The continuous change of point-of-view provided me with a greater in-depth understanding of the world I was reading about, the characters that were part of it, and the struggles that the Seekers were dealing with. Some of the readers could not understand who the Dreads were - well, if they would have finished reading the entire book and paid close attention to the details, that question would have been, at least partially, answered. Patience in a good book is a critical requirement...and, I definitely feel that this was a great book. It's a fantasy book where the reader can allow his/her imagination travel to the limits.
Usually, when I read a story, I like to guess what will happen next. Many times, my gut feelings are accurate and I can tell what's coming next. In this book, I thought I knew what was coming, but the ending had an amazing twist to it and threw me a curve ball in a few instances. I love being wrong about the ending of a book, especially when the ending comes at me with a positive outlook on the future. I can't wait to read the next book and to find out how the story progresses.
This book is not an easy read, but if you are willing to take the challenge, I definitely recommend it. I loved it!
February 12, 2015
Seeker was definitely one of the novels that made me lose time & engage in the story of Quin, Shinobu, and John. Although with starting out somewhat slow, I loved the history that was held behind it & the great research that author did in order to tell us the story that went on in Scotland and Hong Kong. I'm pretty curious about how the author chose these two places because I cannot think of any other places that could have been more different.
Story begins when Quin, her cousin Shinobu, and childhood friend John are in the middle of a fight. They have been training to take their oath as Seekers since young age and their whole life have been leading up to that moment. When John freezes up during training, Quin's dad sends him back. But one thing that he didn't know if that Quin and John have been in love for years and tried to keep their relationship away from the family. With following events, Shinobu takes Quin to Hong Kong & with her memory loss, she tried to remember everything that happened.
This was interesting. One thing that I really wish was established in the book more is the explanation of what the Seeker really is. It slightly grazes over it but I really wish it would tell us more about it. Third-person POV was good to read because we could see the different sides of the story and I really liked the characters. There was also some love-triangle going on. At some point you think that every one of character is a "villain" of the story and Quin goes between John and Shinobu. I understand how John could be in this but Shinobu was her cousin and I just thought that was a little weird.
Overall, this novel really turned out to be intense. I loved the story and cannot wait to see what happens next! Oh & YES! There will be a movie coming out based on this book! #fangirling
Story begins when Quin, her cousin Shinobu, and childhood friend John are in the middle of a fight. They have been training to take their oath as Seekers since young age and their whole life have been leading up to that moment. When John freezes up during training, Quin's dad sends him back. But one thing that he didn't know if that Quin and John have been in love for years and tried to keep their relationship away from the family. With following events, Shinobu takes Quin to Hong Kong & with her memory loss, she tried to remember everything that happened.
This was interesting. One thing that I really wish was established in the book more is the explanation of what the Seeker really is. It slightly grazes over it but I really wish it would tell us more about it. Third-person POV was good to read because we could see the different sides of the story and I really liked the characters. There was also some love-triangle going on. At some point you think that every one of character is a "villain" of the story and Quin goes between John and Shinobu. I understand how John could be in this but Shinobu was her cousin and I just thought that was a little weird.
Overall, this novel really turned out to be intense. I loved the story and cannot wait to see what happens next! Oh & YES! There will be a movie coming out based on this book! #fangirling
February 21, 2015
Received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
SEEKER is EPIC--a truly imaginative and entertaining YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi novel. Talk about some serious world building and a fascinating mix of genres. There was a little bit of everything going on here: high fantasy, science fiction, maybe even steampunk...? I'm in awe. Arwen Elys Dayton, you made it work girl!
I normally don't care for novels with more than one or two narrators, but it was fun to see 4 very different and surprisingly empathetic voices to move the story along. The lines between good and evil were blurred--I felt myself rooting for Quin, John, Shinobu, Maud... everyone except Briac (obvi). Although, having gotten to know the author's voice... maybe there's something more interesting lurking in his backstory for future reads? I sort of hope not because I feel like there always has to be a big bad... I'm a fan of one truly evil villain. Briac is a total evil dick. Not a spoiler... Anyway...
Arwen Elys Dayton is one to watch. Perfect for fans of Graceling. Not so sure I'd go so far as to compare it to Hunger Games or Game of Thrones... come on marketing people. Those are two very different books and audiences. But yes, there were elements in this story that would appeal to a wide variety of audiences. Also not sure what's up with the mixed reviews--but at least it's starting conversations. Highly recommend giving this one a shot!
SEEKER is EPIC--a truly imaginative and entertaining YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi novel. Talk about some serious world building and a fascinating mix of genres. There was a little bit of everything going on here: high fantasy, science fiction, maybe even steampunk...? I'm in awe. Arwen Elys Dayton, you made it work girl!
I normally don't care for novels with more than one or two narrators, but it was fun to see 4 very different and surprisingly empathetic voices to move the story along. The lines between good and evil were blurred--I felt myself rooting for Quin, John, Shinobu, Maud... everyone except Briac (obvi). Although, having gotten to know the author's voice... maybe there's something more interesting lurking in his backstory for future reads? I sort of hope not because I feel like there always has to be a big bad... I'm a fan of one truly evil villain. Briac is a total evil dick. Not a spoiler... Anyway...
Arwen Elys Dayton is one to watch. Perfect for fans of Graceling. Not so sure I'd go so far as to compare it to Hunger Games or Game of Thrones... come on marketing people. Those are two very different books and audiences. But yes, there were elements in this story that would appeal to a wide variety of audiences. Also not sure what's up with the mixed reviews--but at least it's starting conversations. Highly recommend giving this one a shot!
May 13, 2015
DNF at 84%
Do you have any idea how bad a book has to be to quit at 84%? How little fucks you have to give about anything happeing? Here is the deal, I was chugging along with a mild distaste but considering my lack of reviewing and reading decided to just keep at it. I put it down for some reason, and never thought about it again. In fact, if it weren't for this being on my GR updates, I would have forgotten it entirely. My mind has already erased so much of this story... their names? Delete. The other worldy weird beigngs? Delete. Stupid, ill thought out plot? Delete.
Let me share with you what I do remember. Let's think... hm. Shiny stone knife thing. Distant cousin love triangle. Abusive murderous father. Whore mother.
...
That's about all I got. Complete grabage. Trust me, just pass on this one.
Do you have any idea how bad a book has to be to quit at 84%? How little fucks you have to give about anything happeing? Here is the deal, I was chugging along with a mild distaste but considering my lack of reviewing and reading decided to just keep at it. I put it down for some reason, and never thought about it again. In fact, if it weren't for this being on my GR updates, I would have forgotten it entirely. My mind has already erased so much of this story... their names? Delete. The other worldy weird beigngs? Delete. Stupid, ill thought out plot? Delete.
Let me share with you what I do remember. Let's think... hm. Shiny stone knife thing. Distant cousin love triangle. Abusive murderous father. Whore mother.
...
That's about all I got. Complete grabage. Trust me, just pass on this one.
February 21, 2015
1 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/02/21/y...
When I requested this book from NetGalley, this was in the description: “For readers of A Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games comes an epic new series.” I realize similar claims get thrown around a lot. Still, even in cases where I don’t agree, most of the time I can at least understand why a comparison to ______ might be made.
When it comes to this book though, I’m mystified. This is nothing like Game of Thrones OR The Hunger Games. Not even a little bit. I knew an ambitious declaration like that should have immediately put me on my guard, and I guess I really should have trusted my instincts. “Epic” is also debatable. While we have a story spanning the globe, from the highlands of rural Scotland to the bustling streets of Hong Kong, the scope of the narrative is actually quite limited. Most of what we get is personal drama revolving around just a handful of characters.
Needless to say, Seeker wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. It always pains me to write a negative review, so rather than expound on all the things that didn’t work for me, I’ll just list and briefly talk about them.
- First, I’m not in the habit of DNFing. I read this whole book from beginning to end, but even now I would be hard-pressed to tell you what a Seeker is exactly, or even what they do, beyond the very generic fact that they should be “fighting evil”. That it’s never explained in detail just seems like a gross oversight to me. When most of the characters are Seekers and the ACTUAL TITLE of the book is Seeker, you’d think something like that would be at the forefront. Instead, there is very little to no “Seeking” going on in the book…or whatever it is that Seekers do.
- What exactly are the Dreads? I know they’re supposed to be witnesses, mediators or judges (Judge Dreads?) but how do they fit into this picture? Where do they come from and what is their history? How did they get involved with the Seekers? I. Have. Absolutely. No. Idea.
- Unsurprisingly, I found world-building to be sorely lacking, practically non-existent. You have to understand, I’m not asking for info-dumps or to have my hand being held through the whole book, but I do need a starting point, SOMETHING to anchor me. I felt like I was thrown into this world and the author just expects me to know everything and doesn’t see the need to provide any background information.
- The writing is simplistic and contrived. There are a couple chapters where things aren’t so bad, but most of the prose feels clumsy. The dialogue feels forced. There’s a lot of telling, and not enough showing. Many strange quirks in the writing, like poorly executed time jumps (I actually thought I missed a few pages) which probably relates back to the lack of world-building.
- Speaking of time jumps, just when exactly are we supposed to be? One moment it seems like we’re in medieval Scotland and the next, BOOM, we’re in present day (or futuristic?) Hong Kong. If you’re going to have your characters jump back and forth through portals, you should establish both time and place!
- The characters are pretty bland and unengaging. Quin is a far cry from the kickass heroine she’s meant to be; instead, it feels like her whole purpose is to be a trophy for the two boys who are in love with her. It was so frustrating to watch John and Shinobu fight over her like she’s a piece of meat. The plot thread that involves her losing her memory also makes me understand now why some readers hate amnesia storylines. So she spent more than a year essentially suppressing her own memories? And she’s suddenly a healer? All that “brutal training” she supposedly received didn’t seem to amount to much.
- The romantic side plot is unimaginative and I wasn’t convinced of any of the relationships. I think this is partly due to the awkward writing style, and unnatural dialogue (especially when the characters were discussing their feelings for each other, I couldn’t help but cringe).
- This probably comes as no surprise, but for most of the book, I felt like I had NO IDEA what was going on. More than a few times, I wondered to myself if my ARC was missing huge chunks of the story, as so much of it made no sense. I’m sure there’s a good overall premise in here somewhere, but it was not well executed. Instead, we are left with a whole lot of confusion.
In general I don’t like to DNF, and not only because I’m a completionist. Sometimes a book can be weak in the beginning, but then redeem itself with a strong conclusion. There have been times where I almost put down a book, only to end up absolutely loving it when I finish. I admit it doesn’t happen often, but now I’ve developed a habit where when book that don’t blow me away at first, I always hold out in the hopes that it will get better. But unfortunately, this just didn’t happen with Seeker.
I did hear that there is talk of a movie adaptation for the book. Thing is, I actually think the book would work better as a live action film with its exotic settings, bombastic action sequences, and young attract protagonists. It would make a great cinematic experience, but to achieve a similar awe-inspiring feeling, I’m afraid large swaths of the book would have to be more rigorously edited and perhaps rewritten. There are lots of interesting ideas in here, with an intriguing mix of science fiction and fantasy, and it’s really just a shame that the book falls short of its full potential. I will not be continuing this series, sadly.
When I requested this book from NetGalley, this was in the description: “For readers of A Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games comes an epic new series.” I realize similar claims get thrown around a lot. Still, even in cases where I don’t agree, most of the time I can at least understand why a comparison to ______ might be made.
When it comes to this book though, I’m mystified. This is nothing like Game of Thrones OR The Hunger Games. Not even a little bit. I knew an ambitious declaration like that should have immediately put me on my guard, and I guess I really should have trusted my instincts. “Epic” is also debatable. While we have a story spanning the globe, from the highlands of rural Scotland to the bustling streets of Hong Kong, the scope of the narrative is actually quite limited. Most of what we get is personal drama revolving around just a handful of characters.
Needless to say, Seeker wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. It always pains me to write a negative review, so rather than expound on all the things that didn’t work for me, I’ll just list and briefly talk about them.
- First, I’m not in the habit of DNFing. I read this whole book from beginning to end, but even now I would be hard-pressed to tell you what a Seeker is exactly, or even what they do, beyond the very generic fact that they should be “fighting evil”. That it’s never explained in detail just seems like a gross oversight to me. When most of the characters are Seekers and the ACTUAL TITLE of the book is Seeker, you’d think something like that would be at the forefront. Instead, there is very little to no “Seeking” going on in the book…or whatever it is that Seekers do.
- What exactly are the Dreads? I know they’re supposed to be witnesses, mediators or judges (Judge Dreads?) but how do they fit into this picture? Where do they come from and what is their history? How did they get involved with the Seekers? I. Have. Absolutely. No. Idea.
- Unsurprisingly, I found world-building to be sorely lacking, practically non-existent. You have to understand, I’m not asking for info-dumps or to have my hand being held through the whole book, but I do need a starting point, SOMETHING to anchor me. I felt like I was thrown into this world and the author just expects me to know everything and doesn’t see the need to provide any background information.
- The writing is simplistic and contrived. There are a couple chapters where things aren’t so bad, but most of the prose feels clumsy. The dialogue feels forced. There’s a lot of telling, and not enough showing. Many strange quirks in the writing, like poorly executed time jumps (I actually thought I missed a few pages) which probably relates back to the lack of world-building.
- Speaking of time jumps, just when exactly are we supposed to be? One moment it seems like we’re in medieval Scotland and the next, BOOM, we’re in present day (or futuristic?) Hong Kong. If you’re going to have your characters jump back and forth through portals, you should establish both time and place!
- The characters are pretty bland and unengaging. Quin is a far cry from the kickass heroine she’s meant to be; instead, it feels like her whole purpose is to be a trophy for the two boys who are in love with her. It was so frustrating to watch John and Shinobu fight over her like she’s a piece of meat. The plot thread that involves her losing her memory also makes me understand now why some readers hate amnesia storylines. So she spent more than a year essentially suppressing her own memories? And she’s suddenly a healer? All that “brutal training” she supposedly received didn’t seem to amount to much.
- The romantic side plot is unimaginative and I wasn’t convinced of any of the relationships. I think this is partly due to the awkward writing style, and unnatural dialogue (especially when the characters were discussing their feelings for each other, I couldn’t help but cringe).
- This probably comes as no surprise, but for most of the book, I felt like I had NO IDEA what was going on. More than a few times, I wondered to myself if my ARC was missing huge chunks of the story, as so much of it made no sense. I’m sure there’s a good overall premise in here somewhere, but it was not well executed. Instead, we are left with a whole lot of confusion.
In general I don’t like to DNF, and not only because I’m a completionist. Sometimes a book can be weak in the beginning, but then redeem itself with a strong conclusion. There have been times where I almost put down a book, only to end up absolutely loving it when I finish. I admit it doesn’t happen often, but now I’ve developed a habit where when book that don’t blow me away at first, I always hold out in the hopes that it will get better. But unfortunately, this just didn’t happen with Seeker.
I did hear that there is talk of a movie adaptation for the book. Thing is, I actually think the book would work better as a live action film with its exotic settings, bombastic action sequences, and young attract protagonists. It would make a great cinematic experience, but to achieve a similar awe-inspiring feeling, I’m afraid large swaths of the book would have to be more rigorously edited and perhaps rewritten. There are lots of interesting ideas in here, with an intriguing mix of science fiction and fantasy, and it’s really just a shame that the book falls short of its full potential. I will not be continuing this series, sadly.
January 23, 2015
Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 4 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Publisher & NetGalley
Reviewer: Ariel
Seeker is the first book in a new series by Arwen Elys Dayton. Advertised towards fans of The Hunger Games and A Song of Ice and Fire, Seeker is a unique fantasy novel, one that shows a promising start to a new series. I, myself, still have not read The Hunger Games or A Song of Fire and Ice, so I can’t say if the book will actually appeal to fans of either of those series’, but I certainly enjoyed it for the most part.
Quin Kincaid has trained her whole life to become a Seeker, along with her third cousin Shinobu, and John, the man she loves. However, the night Quin takes her oath, she discovers that being a Seeker is not at all what she thought it would be, and the people she trusts the most are the people she should be trusting the least.
Starting with the things I liked about this particular novel, the concept was something I hadn’t really heard of before. Seekers use an athame, in combination with a lightning rod to travel to any specific set of coordinates they wish. In their travels, they are to help those who have been wronged and to help out people who may be weak and in need. I enjoyed the plot of the novel and I was really excited to find out what it is these Seekers do.
Another thing I enjoyed was the characters. The novel is told from four different perspectives: Quin, John, Shinobu, and Maud, the Young Dread. I think multiperspectival novels are really interesting when they’re done well and confusing when they’re done poorly. This one was done well, and it was nice getting so many different takes on what was going on. I think my favorite person to hear from was Maud, who doesn’t become a narrator until part two of the book, I believe.
Some things that I didn’t like as much… It was very difficult for me to pin down a time period for this book. When I’m reading, I want a set date in my mind, or at least a general idea. I started the novel thinking it took place somewhere in the medieval times, but at one point in the book, a cell phone is mentioned, as well as electricity, so it must be a lot more modern than I had originally thought. So, that was really confusing and took away some of the enjoyment out of the read.
Another issue I had was the fact that the novel felt really slow. And it made me sad, because by all accounts, it shouldn’t have felt slow at all. It isn’t as though things weren’t happening. There was definitely a lot of action going on; it just took a while to get through.
Also, Quin as a character I didn’t care for so much. I liked her a lot at the beginning of the novel, and then after that I just had a hard time with her as the lead. I was much more interested in the other side characters than I was in Quin.
All of this being said, however, I would still give Seeker 4 out of 5 controllers. It’s a unique concept with an interesting plot, and it is still just the first in the series, so I’m interested to see what happens next.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Publisher & NetGalley
Reviewer: Ariel
Seeker is the first book in a new series by Arwen Elys Dayton. Advertised towards fans of The Hunger Games and A Song of Ice and Fire, Seeker is a unique fantasy novel, one that shows a promising start to a new series. I, myself, still have not read The Hunger Games or A Song of Fire and Ice, so I can’t say if the book will actually appeal to fans of either of those series’, but I certainly enjoyed it for the most part.
Quin Kincaid has trained her whole life to become a Seeker, along with her third cousin Shinobu, and John, the man she loves. However, the night Quin takes her oath, she discovers that being a Seeker is not at all what she thought it would be, and the people she trusts the most are the people she should be trusting the least.
Starting with the things I liked about this particular novel, the concept was something I hadn’t really heard of before. Seekers use an athame, in combination with a lightning rod to travel to any specific set of coordinates they wish. In their travels, they are to help those who have been wronged and to help out people who may be weak and in need. I enjoyed the plot of the novel and I was really excited to find out what it is these Seekers do.
Another thing I enjoyed was the characters. The novel is told from four different perspectives: Quin, John, Shinobu, and Maud, the Young Dread. I think multiperspectival novels are really interesting when they’re done well and confusing when they’re done poorly. This one was done well, and it was nice getting so many different takes on what was going on. I think my favorite person to hear from was Maud, who doesn’t become a narrator until part two of the book, I believe.
Some things that I didn’t like as much… It was very difficult for me to pin down a time period for this book. When I’m reading, I want a set date in my mind, or at least a general idea. I started the novel thinking it took place somewhere in the medieval times, but at one point in the book, a cell phone is mentioned, as well as electricity, so it must be a lot more modern than I had originally thought. So, that was really confusing and took away some of the enjoyment out of the read.
Another issue I had was the fact that the novel felt really slow. And it made me sad, because by all accounts, it shouldn’t have felt slow at all. It isn’t as though things weren’t happening. There was definitely a lot of action going on; it just took a while to get through.
Also, Quin as a character I didn’t care for so much. I liked her a lot at the beginning of the novel, and then after that I just had a hard time with her as the lead. I was much more interested in the other side characters than I was in Quin.
All of this being said, however, I would still give Seeker 4 out of 5 controllers. It’s a unique concept with an interesting plot, and it is still just the first in the series, so I’m interested to see what happens next.
February 10, 2017
*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
I loved this book and here's why:
1. Unpredictable plot. I had no idea what was going to happen and when I thought I did, I was wrong. I don't want to say much more because I don't want to spoil it, but the book spans a few years, there's violence and betrayal, and it's set in a world that is basically like ours, but you would never know it. In the beginning, it seems like it's set in a different world, like a fantasy, but then you get hints that it's sort of like our world (at one point one of the characters is watching a TV, and then the second part, there are futuristic elements). Fascinating and engrossing plot and setting.
2. Character development. The three main characters evolve and change so much in this book, and in unexpected ways. They are also very complex, with shades of gray. No one is innocent, but no one is necessarily evil either. It makes you think about what horrible things you would do if you thought you were doing them for the right reason. Is the villain really a villain?
3. The love story. There are two love stories, but I wouldn't call this a love triangle. So for those of you that are anti-love triangle, don't let the fact that there are two guys and one girl keep you from reading this book. It's complicated. Characters change. A lot of time passes. It's not a matter of two guys like me and I have to choose which one. Not at all. Just when I thought I knew what was happening when it came to the relationships, there was a twist I didn't see coming. So well done.
An amazing read, I can't wait for the next one!
For more reviews see (YA) Escape from Reality
I loved this book and here's why:
1. Unpredictable plot. I had no idea what was going to happen and when I thought I did, I was wrong. I don't want to say much more because I don't want to spoil it, but the book spans a few years, there's violence and betrayal, and it's set in a world that is basically like ours, but you would never know it. In the beginning, it seems like it's set in a different world, like a fantasy, but then you get hints that it's sort of like our world (at one point one of the characters is watching a TV, and then the second part, there are futuristic elements). Fascinating and engrossing plot and setting.
2. Character development. The three main characters evolve and change so much in this book, and in unexpected ways. They are also very complex, with shades of gray. No one is innocent, but no one is necessarily evil either. It makes you think about what horrible things you would do if you thought you were doing them for the right reason. Is the villain really a villain?
3. The love story. There are two love stories, but I wouldn't call this a love triangle. So for those of you that are anti-love triangle, don't let the fact that there are two guys and one girl keep you from reading this book. It's complicated. Characters change. A lot of time passes. It's not a matter of two guys like me and I have to choose which one. Not at all. Just when I thought I knew what was happening when it came to the relationships, there was a twist I didn't see coming. So well done.
An amazing read, I can't wait for the next one!
For more reviews see (YA) Escape from Reality
January 10, 2015
On one hand, it's great to see a neat modern sci-fi/fantasy hybrid for the YA set. On the other, with a handful of unnecessarily weird sexually-charged scenes that don't match up with the book and an ending that more peters toward a sequel than moves full-blast into the next book, this ends up being just a good, interesting read as opposed to the great one with excellent promise I thought it was about a fifth of the way in.
The book basically follows three teens training to be "Seekers," some of the last in their lines. There's history behind the Seekers, a lot of mystery, and daggers seemingly infused with magical energy of some sort that are of great power and value. This, of course, tears families apart, and while the first bit of the book is largely about this fallout, the second part (which is a more modern Hong Kong tale) strives to try and put the story back together. Oftentimes strange (in a good way) and epic feeling, the story keeps running along these lines through the end.
I do wish the climax was more climactic. The book is violent, but not exploitatively so. The couple of questionable scenes don't even seem to fit in with the writing style of the book, so I don't know why it's there, especially given how basically chaste the book is in comparison. There's a lot of early reviews saying this is like The Hunger Games or Game of Thrones, but it's really more like The Testing with familial intrigue mixed in.
Again, very good, could be great if it were fixed up in a few places. I'll look out for the sequel, but this is probably closer to a 3.5 for me.
The book basically follows three teens training to be "Seekers," some of the last in their lines. There's history behind the Seekers, a lot of mystery, and daggers seemingly infused with magical energy of some sort that are of great power and value. This, of course, tears families apart, and while the first bit of the book is largely about this fallout, the second part (which is a more modern Hong Kong tale) strives to try and put the story back together. Oftentimes strange (in a good way) and epic feeling, the story keeps running along these lines through the end.
I do wish the climax was more climactic. The book is violent, but not exploitatively so. The couple of questionable scenes don't even seem to fit in with the writing style of the book, so I don't know why it's there, especially given how basically chaste the book is in comparison. There's a lot of early reviews saying this is like The Hunger Games or Game of Thrones, but it's really more like The Testing with familial intrigue mixed in.
Again, very good, could be great if it were fixed up in a few places. I'll look out for the sequel, but this is probably closer to a 3.5 for me.
January 30, 2015
ARC from Netgalley.
DNF @ 59%
I'm sad about giving this book such a low rating, because I actually like the concept. The idea is good, the execution was horrible.
It wasn't so much that the writing was bad, there was just way too much going on, one moment we are in old world Scotland with child warriors about to be inducted into a medieval brotherhood of revered knights, then one character betrays another - even though he totally loves her, the seekers fall and bang! we are in Hong Kong, where dead characters are miraculously alive, one of our main characters is a drug addicted gang member and the other has lost her memory - or is avoiding her memories. Also, instead of being a badass warrior, she is now a simpering idiot. And a healer.
Confused? So was I. Hell, I don't even know who the bad guy was.
The characters were weak, I hated them almost instantly. And, the changing POVs were not fluid, but confusing.
DNF @ 59%
I'm sad about giving this book such a low rating, because I actually like the concept. The idea is good, the execution was horrible.
It wasn't so much that the writing was bad, there was just way too much going on, one moment we are in old world Scotland with child warriors about to be inducted into a medieval brotherhood of revered knights, then one character betrays another - even though he totally loves her, the seekers fall and bang! we are in Hong Kong, where dead characters are miraculously alive, one of our main characters is a drug addicted gang member and the other has lost her memory - or is avoiding her memories. Also, instead of being a badass warrior, she is now a simpering idiot. And a healer.
Confused? So was I. Hell, I don't even know who the bad guy was.
The characters were weak, I hated them almost instantly. And, the changing POVs were not fluid, but confusing.
February 26, 2015
Seeker starts with the beginning of a new phase of life for three childhood friends. As they make the decision that will change their lives forever, a secret is unveiled.
The main characters in this story, Quin, John, and Shinobu, were very enjoyable. While John got on my nerves some times, I was empathetic to him because of his rough childhood. Quin was my favorite character during the beginning and end of the story because of her strong sense of self and purpose. The plot of this story was interesting, and I really look forward to the sequal.
The main characters in this story, Quin, John, and Shinobu, were very enjoyable. While John got on my nerves some times, I was empathetic to him because of his rough childhood. Quin was my favorite character during the beginning and end of the story because of her strong sense of self and purpose. The plot of this story was interesting, and I really look forward to the sequal.
March 3, 2015
Great read. A really great read!
February 20, 2015
Great fantasy adventure! The author put a lot of thought and detail into developing the characters. Quin, the female lead, was very relatable to me and the theme of turning deception into motivation for making things right is one that resonated. After the first few pages I found myself anxious to keep going.
I definitely recommend this to any young adults that enjoy fantasy and like twists and turns throughout - can't wait to see where the author takes us in the sequel!
I definitely recommend this to any young adults that enjoy fantasy and like twists and turns throughout - can't wait to see where the author takes us in the sequel!
January 26, 2015
Seeker was a fun and quick read for me. I started it one evening and planned on reading for an hour or so. Well, I stayed up and finished the whole thing. I could not put it down.
I enjoyed the characters in this story. Some of them I liked and some I didn't, but I found them all interesting and felt invested in understanding their motivations.
Even though the last thing I need on my reading list is another YA series, I look forward to seeing where the story continues in Traveler.
I received an ARC of the novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the characters in this story. Some of them I liked and some I didn't, but I found them all interesting and felt invested in understanding their motivations.
Even though the last thing I need on my reading list is another YA series, I look forward to seeing where the story continues in Traveler.
I received an ARC of the novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2015
I started reading Seeker very late last night. OMG!
Could not stop.
Read to pg 91! Maud! Had to tear myself away.
ARGHHH! Can’t wait to find our what happens. Great set up.
LOVE your book! LOVE your writing. Love your weaving.
Great suspense and tension and angst and longing.
HUGE.
So want them to be together. Love the love story and their ages.
Love the cool weapons.
Your ability to get into the head, thoughts, feelings, fears and longings of each character and take us there is fantastic.
Thanks and congratulations.
This is a Huge MOVIE!
Could not stop.
Read to pg 91! Maud! Had to tear myself away.
ARGHHH! Can’t wait to find our what happens. Great set up.
LOVE your book! LOVE your writing. Love your weaving.
Great suspense and tension and angst and longing.
HUGE.
So want them to be together. Love the love story and their ages.
Love the cool weapons.
Your ability to get into the head, thoughts, feelings, fears and longings of each character and take us there is fantastic.
Thanks and congratulations.
This is a Huge MOVIE!
February 11, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a complete cover and impulse request but I loved this so much.
I was quite impressed by the concept and I appreciated the effort the author put into blending the past and present for the world building. The world building blended steam-punk and futuristic settings as well as bringing magic into the mix.
I thought this book had fantastic pacing and I'm really interested in the direction the author is taking the series.
The characterization and development was phenomenal; every character felt distinct and had their own separate goals and desires as well as their flaws. This distinctness made the different perspectives interesting and necessary for the story development.
I will definitely on the look out for the next book in the series.
I would recommend this book for fantasy readers and young readers interested in getting into fantasy.
This was a complete cover and impulse request but I loved this so much.
I was quite impressed by the concept and I appreciated the effort the author put into blending the past and present for the world building. The world building blended steam-punk and futuristic settings as well as bringing magic into the mix.
I thought this book had fantastic pacing and I'm really interested in the direction the author is taking the series.
The characterization and development was phenomenal; every character felt distinct and had their own separate goals and desires as well as their flaws. This distinctness made the different perspectives interesting and necessary for the story development.
I will definitely on the look out for the next book in the series.
I would recommend this book for fantasy readers and young readers interested in getting into fantasy.
March 1, 2015
Seeker was an extraordinary read. It cannot be compared to anything else it simply must be experienced on its own. I don't need a vacation... I was transported reading this book! The characters were so engaging- I cannot wait for the 2nd book so I can reconnect with them. I have recommended this book to my entire family young and old and they are all thanking me. I would start listing my favorite parts and favorite characters but I realize there are just too many. The book is perfect. I look forward to seeing what they do with the film! Kudos to Arwen Elys Dayton!
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