Animist

by Eve Forward

Young Alex is a slave. But recognized for his potential as an Animist, he is bought by his college and begins rigorous training. Now, Alex must begin his quest for his Anim-the animal with whom he will bond.

Alex hopes it will be an extraordinary creature that will help him earn the money he needs to buy his freedom. Unfortunately, his Anim turns out to be . . . well, not nearly what he had hoped. But as Alex finds himself caught in one misadventure after another, he will learn-and learn to appreciate-that there is more to his Anim than meets the eye.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction, Adult

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[James Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent, unfocused read. Alex, the main character, is a good guy who can’t seem to make any real difference. He's a student of magic, learning to be an animist, on a quest to find his animal companion. His quest goes horribly wrong when he bonds with a rat.

However, Alex’s bond with his rat (named Mote) needs to have more importance. It’s easy to forget he’s an animist because he has this great magical connection with an animal, but seldom uses it. It only comes in handy once, maybe twice in the whole book. Otherwise it's a huge liability. What’s the point being an Animist at all if it has no impact on the story?

There seem to be many ideas and themes, but it’s unclear what it’s supposed to be about. In fact, events contradict each other. Such as, this is a world of magic, but certain scenes imply there is no magic and that science is taking over. It ruins the feeling that this is a fantasy story because the evidence disproves it. What are we supposed to believe?

Then there's the face-off with the villain. It finds Alex helpless and in need of bailing out, like every time he tries to do anything. Alex doesn’t really do anything over the whole book. Things happen around and to him but he does not affect anything. (Can you say Harry Potter?) Why is he the main character?

Overall though, Ms. Forward’s style keeps the story interesting and fun. Not many books can make me laugh out loud, but this one had a few scenes that did. I loved the insane king. I got to the point where I understood his nonsense dialogue without the interpreter. The dining hall scene is absolutely hilarious, but I wish its purpose had been clearer.

It is a very good read, but the story never decides what it wants to be about, Alex is way too passive to be the main character, and the whole idea of his magical connection with an animal has next to zero impact on the story.

With another draft or two, I believe this could’ve been great.

[Liutauras Elkimavičius · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eridanas vidada pasižymėjo šizofreniška atranka savo verstom knygom (nuo šedevrų iki WTF). Ir atsainiu požiūriu į vertėjus. Turiu dar keletą neskaitytų Eridano knygų ir ši, surinko visą kas blogiausia. Vladą Baubonienę, kuri drąsiai įsiveržė į mano blogiausių vertėjų topą. Ir Eve Forward - inbecilų rašytoją, be idėjų, be talento, be jokio supratimo kas yra fantastika. Mulkis ir biezdarius. Nekenčiu, kad sugaišau jam kelias dienas. Nea. #LEBooks #EveForward #Animist

[Mary Frances]

The Animist was a good book, that deserves a sequel. I was enamored enough with the world building and characters that I would have liked the story to continue on.

[Matthew Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Villains by Necessity, I was thrilled when Animist came out. At first I was a bit confused... it seemed weak, but the writing was intact. After a few chapters, however, I realized what Eve was doing - making a parody of common fantasy cliches of the time, but creating an awesome story in the process.

I was sad that she only ever published two books, especially because Animist ends with so much room for expansion; something that will probably never come about.

[Hannah Weeger · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars… rounding up because the premise is great, but I think things could have been developed better over the course of a couple books. I just feel like I needed more character development?

[Megan]

This is a pragmatist's talking-animal story, more like what I imagine vet school to be than like The Golden Compass. It's animals aren't romanticized; indeed, if an Animist accidentally bonds with an animal destined for the dinner table, euthanizing the creature is considered the kindest thing to do. Reading the reviews, I find that I'm undecided on whether this is not so much a parody as a sort of politicized anti-Pullman. It mixes magic with science in a world where a few people are wising up to the concept of germs and cancers, while others use zombies and curses. As a story, the fairy-tale tone keeps things light, but some plot threads go nowhere. Perhaps because this will be the second book (the first being The Dragonet Prophecy) I've read recently in which protagonists fall out of the frying pan and into the fire with no Rivendell respite in between, I kept hoping for a more positive perspective on the magical world, but didn't find one. Despite the anthropomorphic, feathered Utahraptor (!) and other talking-animal denizens, the book never romanticizes its world. Reading it was not unpleasant, but mostly varied from dull to amusingly odd.

Points for one of the most bizarre, hilarious endings I've ever read. I'd happily read Forward's take on the new status quo.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally I don't much like and don't usually read the magic/sorcery or sentient animal species variety of fantasy. (The exception, of course, being Tolkien.) Since this novel combined both, it wasn't something I would have ever chosen for myself. The best thing about BookCrossing, however, is being exposed to books outside one's normal comfort zones. And when a fellow BookCrosser sent it to me as a surprise, well, of course I had to give it a try.

This book surprised me. I actually enjoyed it. And although I'm not overwhelmed with appreciation for nor am I inclined to pursue more of Ms. Forward's work, she writes with an engaging, entertaining style - her scenes are well-detailed, her characters well-realized, and her plotting, while confusing from time to time, moves along at a brisk pace. I liked Alex and his Anim, Mote, a great deal, and gasped out loud at one scene near the middle of the book, when Mote and Alex are duelling with a powerful magician with apparently tragic consequences.

[Laura Baugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this had been better.

I very much enjoyed Eve Forward's book Villains By Necessity and was glad to receive this one as a gift. I was even more pleased to see that Forward had done some research on animal training, setting true behavior science and operant/instrumental conditioning in a less-advanced fantasy world. As a professional OC trainer myself, I was thrilled to see it being used well in fiction.

Unfortunately, the plot wasn't enough to sustain this book. There were moments of excellence, but other scenes needed more editing. Parts were sadly predictable. While the premise offered great possibilities, in the end the book didn't quite deliver.

Not bad, but not great. The author is capable of better.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son loaned me this book, since he enjoyed it. It's an interesting fantasy world, where Alex, the protagonist, has been trained to link with a magical animal to see the "oether". He is not exactly a magician, but can use his senses to advise or protect when magic is being wielded by others.

Alex links with a mouse, which is disappointing to him, as he was hoping for a more impressive animal but has many adventures as he travels, trying to make his way in the world. It takes numerous unexpected turns, rather than taking a straight path like many fantasy novels. He rides a dolphin like creature, who rescues him from a storm at sea; he befriends those of another sentient race, rather like large rodents who he helps escape from danger; he is placed into service by an eccentric king and helps to defeat a tyrant...only to find at the end that the villain is not who he thought it was.

[Rebecca Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle school appropriate. The author does some really interesting world building. The story includes a subtle retelling of a popular children’s fable/fairytale but I won’t say which one because I appreciated how it played into the story naturally and wasn’t immediately obvious. Many characters were immediately easily identifiable as good or evil but some of the outcomes were less predictable. The development of the character of Chernan was intriguing. The writing style does seem to be more indicative of the 80’s and 90’s with more focus on telling than showing but this is mostly at the beginning of the story—it becomes more immersive the further one reads. A promising start to what could be an interesting world.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Animist to be an enjoyable read, though, in retrospect, it lacks any truly standout qualities. The narrative is competently constructed, and Forward lays out the foundation of an imaginative world. The magic system introduces some intriguing concepts, which, with further development, might have contributed more to the world's originality. However, the geopolitical landscape feels wholly underwhelming. It seems clear that Forward had much more to say about the former over the latter. Forward's characters are likeable and believable, but they don't offer much in terms of distinctiveness. Overall, Animist is a solid, if somewhat unexceptional, work from beginning to end.

[Crystal V. Morillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Longtime fan

I’ve enjoyed Eve’s previous book, “Villains by Necessity”, and was looking forward to another story. I found “Animist” and was quite pleased that it was just as interesting, twisty, and satisfying as her earlier work.
Ms. Eve, I realize you haven’t written anything in a while but, I do look forward to your next work!

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old-school, classic fantasy. Nothing special, definitely not as good as Eve Forward's other book, Villains by Necessity (which is a must read).

['Nathan Burgoine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet Alex, an "animist." He has abilities to sense into the magickal Oether, and see spirits and magick all around him. He has graduated from the Animism college, and is going out into the world to find his "Anim," a specific animal he will bond with and with which he can open up his full potential of magickal ability. He was sold to the college as a slave, and as such, has to earn money to pay them back to earn his freedom.

Alex is a delightful character, an innocent and rather naive kid who has no concepts of some of the bad things that are out there. His adventure is remarkably funny, and I was laughing aloud at many sections of this poor kid's life. Alex bonds with a rat, Mote, near the beginning of the story, and the tale runs at a decent pace thereafter.

Forward does, however, tend to "over-fantasy" her book. There are races and bits and pieces of the world that at times make you blink in confusion, and it sometimes borders on too much. Raptor-people, rat-people, lemur-people... it starts to confuse.

It's a book I can only describe as "cute," and if you like Tanya Huff's "Summon the Keeper," the tone is similar and you'd likely enjoy "The Animist."

[MarsianMan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid story about a young slave that must go on a quest to find his animal partner and then come back to work off his purchase price. The mishaps start when he accidentally bonds to a short-lived and unintelligent rat.

I kind of want to give this 4 stars because I liked certain atypical story elements. A good example is the style of ending. I will not give up the ending, but I will say I liked the way it ended. It was a merely satisfactory (a not unhappy, but not a happy) ending that showed the mistakes the main character made during his journey.

I think this novel could have been better, but the story was not quite grand enough (maybe far more believable). It was just not as interesting a read as I think it could have been giving the basic premise. Part of that might have to do with my indifference to Forward's writing style. I liked it and I have a great interest in reading her other book Evil by Necessity.

[Brian Jeffreys · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was well crafted and enjoyable to read, but the story was obtuse and the bungling, main character lacked that certain charm that makes you care whether or not they succeed. I am a huge fan of Eve's earlier novel, Villains by Necessity (which is in my top 5 books of all time--I cannot recommend that one enough!) But this one was merely so-so, because of the twin city story arcs that were convoluted and just not that enteraining. It did have some cute and humorous plot twists, such as how to swap consciousness with his rat when the need arose. However, I did finish the story to see what would become of the evil magician, the combustible Princess Celine, and the somewhat interesting Rodeni characters.

[Aelvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked it up at the last library sale because I've seen it in bookstores and liked the cover, and it sounded interesting. It was not what I expected, but most of that was in a good way. Watching how one fresh college grad can destabilize two nations was amusing, and the fight scenes were generally well-done. The autopsy at the end had me howling with laughter. But there were a few things I thought were rather unneeded: the main villain's reason for going insane and killing everything he could is really just... *drumroll* ... brain cancer. And the one chick should've died, though I suppose that would've caused problems too. It's a pity this author hasn't written many books and doesn't seem likely to get a sequel out soon, if at all. Still, I can always hope. Recommended.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Villains by Necessity, I was on the hunt for another Eve Forward book. I finally just had to buy my own copy, as they're now so rare.
As it's her first book, I understand that it's not quite as polished as later ones. The beginning just held a lot of new world information that was hard to absorb all at once. I did however enjoy her character development and the views on discrimination.
It was nice to see Alex turning a burden into a benefit. He made mistakes, as does everyone, but in the end did what was best for everyone. The ending was realistic in that not everything will end up in a neat little ball of perfection. But it can end on the path to better times.
Planning to re-read soon and find more meanings that I've missed.

[Caroline Maguire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I waited for the sequel to this book after the first time I read it in 2002, and eventually forgot about it. I found it in a box of books waiting for sorting and reread it. I liked the retelling of a popular children's tale reframed in a sci-fi/fantasy world. I can definitely see where the appeal to this book was to me 12 years ago. However, some of the plot lines were a little thin, and I ended up not really liking the main character -- maybe because I am not a teenager anymore. If Ms. Forward ever deigns to write a sequel, I will probably read it. But as a standalone, Animist needs some reworking.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Villains by Necessity, but this book was really disappointing and all over the map. I struggled to connect with the characters, and then I would, but then they would do something dumb, and it was just a frustrating experience over all. There were definitely some moments towards the end of the book that were fantastic, but the plot was so inconsistent throughout. The writing style in book also bugged me a lot of the time (again it was very different from Villains) and while that shouldn't have been a bad thing, I found it didn't always hold my concentration. Sad face!

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting idea, but it fell flat at the end and kind of had a weak beginning too. there were characters you thought you would get to see again and then didn't and plot points that were tied up in a haphazard manner. I loved that he got an uncommon animal for a anim, very confused as to why she wasn't pictured on the cover.

[Meaghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Going into this book I did not know what to expect, based off the back cover I thought it was a interesting concept. I found however, that it was lacking. Certain parts of the story seemed choppy and filler while other sections were drawn out. I still think the idea of the book is interesting and it could have been expanded upon because it lacked the magic that it was about.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good. It was interesting in that it showed the hero not always doing the right thing, but only what the best thing was that he could do at the time, and then having to live with what he had done. It gets a bit odd and hard to follow in parts but is overall well worth reading.

[SBC · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the premise but I didn't enjoy the book. I thought the main character, Alex, was unlikable (inconsistent, unengaging, bland, uninteresting) and the style of writing was unconvincing and awkward at times.

[SFReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.a...

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An pied-piper story. Interesting, but I got a bit bored.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of my favorites.

[Lindig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could be considered a YA.

[LaDawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun!

[Marsha Valance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex, an animal-bonded empath, is the only available person on the island of Mariposa who can prevent the war being fostered by powerful mage Chernan. A Science Fiction Book Club selection.