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Shiloh #2
Seeker
Evander is beloved by his people. He leads his band of hunters into the foothills, snatching food from the mouths of the Shadow Wolves. He rides out against the dragons that descend from their lairs in the Pallid Peaks. He shelters an orphaned girl who escapes the wolves and appears on his doorstep in the heart of winter. The people of Holt would follow him anywhere. Or so it seems. His mother's visions of a great light called "the sun" have driven her mad. But they've shaped her son's mind and invaded his heart. He begins to think it possible that a sunlit world could indeed lie somewhere over the mountains. He begins to hope, to plan. But many in the prosperous village of Holt think Evander's notion of the sun is no more than a child's tale. The fate of his people rests on his choice. And the Shadow is watching.
298 pages, Paperback
Published February 15, 2019
38 people are currently reading
387 people want to read
About the author
Helena Sorensen
5 books231 followersHelena Sorensen grew up outside Tampa, Florida in a little backwater called Fort Lonesome. She is not making this up. As a child, she went exploring in the orange groves, searching for empty shotgun shells and fragments of broken glass. Since then, she has performed in show choirs and chamber choirs, received a degree in Music Education, written songs and poems, and traveled to Italy and Ireland. She never saw any of this coming.
She also had no idea of becoming either a mother or a writer, yet here she is, living in Nashville with two kids and four published books to her name. She ponders the humor of the divine and the strange adventure of living while she drinks kombucha on the porch and reads everything from Ursula Le Guin to Dave Barry to Betty MacDonald.
You can find her essays on her Substack, "Filaments."
She also had no idea of becoming either a mother or a writer, yet here she is, living in Nashville with two kids and four published books to her name. She ponders the humor of the divine and the strange adventure of living while she drinks kombucha on the porch and reads everything from Ursula Le Guin to Dave Barry to Betty MacDonald.
You can find her essays on her Substack, "Filaments."
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 2, 2016
Seeker is the second book in the series but can be read without reading the first one just fine. If you live dragons, mystical adventure, determination of the underdog then you will like this. A land where the idea of the sun once shined is a myth and a brave few want to find it but many find that this is a ravings of a mad man. A girl in is love with a man that doesn't love her but has the guts to do what no one will do. A place that never sees the light of the sun, a woman that is considered mad due to her visions and a woman that loves her husband but doesn't believe in him. A small village tormented by dragons and large man-eating wolves. Surprises, twists, girls kidnapped by dragons, shape shifters, and so much more. Well developed plot and characters. I loved the first story, Shiloh, so I had to read the second one. It was just as good. Can't want to see what the third book brings.
January 4, 2024
WARNING!! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THIS BOOK, AND POSSIBLY FOR SHILOH AS WELL. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
(Are you gone yet?)
Ok.
So.
I enjoyed this book, but it definitely had some issues, to say the least. This is going to be a bit of a rant.
I found the characters hard to connect to, possibly because the book was pretty short, but Shiloh was just as short if not shorter, and I liked the characters a lot more than the characters Seeker. In Shiloh, I felt Amos’ pain and anger. I felt Phebe’s grief. I felt for Simeon and Isolde, too. I just wanted them to win. I was emotionally invested in them.
In Seeker, I wasn’t very invested in Evander, Valour, nor any of the side characters. The only character I really connected to at all was Mina. Evander was selfish and the way he treated Valour made me even angrier at him. Valour herself was alright, until a little over halfway through the book. Then she married Evander and lost all her spine and good character traits. She was reduced to a weeping mess. Speaking of marrying Evander, they had a very problematic relationship. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MARRY SOMEONE YOU BARELY KNOW! By the way, the author was in now way saying that Evander and Valour’s relationship is what a healthy marriage should look like. But it still bothers me. Like, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU TWO?!?!? I liked you both decently until you had to go and get married. Sigh…
My lack of emotional investment in the characters meant that when they were all SLAUGHTERED MERCILESSLY at the end (actually, I can’t remember if Evander died or not. But essentially everyone else did) I felt irked and kind of annoyed at the ending, but I wasn’t crushed. If a book I had been emotionally invested in had ended like that, I would have been utterly CRUSHED. I would’ve been crying and my chest would feel hollow. But no, instead I felt like, ‘Oh. And… they’re all dead now.’
I also guessed very early on that Maeve was going to die. I also suspected that Grey was not as she appeared.
when I was reading Shiloh, I was like, ‘I really need a good map.’ Well this one had a map! Except it was largely unhelpful and was pretty much useless. But I mean seriously. As far as maps go, it was one of the worst I’ve ever seen.
Now that I’ve read Seeker, I don’t understand why Isolde was referred to as a ‘true daughter of Valour’ or something like that. I’m too lazy to actually go check. Valour did basically nothing that was worthy of being remembered for, what, over a thousand years, right? Wait, in Shiloh wasn’t something also said about Valour and a dragon? That was Mina. Maybe somehow in the stories they blended Valour and Mina together into one person…? That’s the only way I can make any sense of it.
I don’t believe that this book was necessary. I don’t think that we needed to know Evander’s story (we kind of already knew how it went, too). But perhaps Songbird will prove me wrong.
I’m almost done. I just want to add a disclaimer. I know this review has been pretty negative and I’ve sort of ripped this book to shreds. That’s on me. I’m apparently really good at ripping books to shreds. It’s not actually a bad book. I actually enjoyed it quite a lot, and it did have some good parts. Mina and Valour’s relationship was really nice, and like I said earlier, Mina’s character as a whole was good.
(Yikes, that was super long and ramble-y!)
(Are you gone yet?)
Ok.
So.
I enjoyed this book, but it definitely had some issues, to say the least. This is going to be a bit of a rant.
I found the characters hard to connect to, possibly because the book was pretty short, but Shiloh was just as short if not shorter, and I liked the characters a lot more than the characters Seeker. In Shiloh, I felt Amos’ pain and anger. I felt Phebe’s grief. I felt for Simeon and Isolde, too. I just wanted them to win. I was emotionally invested in them.
In Seeker, I wasn’t very invested in Evander, Valour, nor any of the side characters. The only character I really connected to at all was Mina. Evander was selfish and the way he treated Valour made me even angrier at him. Valour herself was alright, until a little over halfway through the book. Then she married Evander and lost all her spine and good character traits. She was reduced to a weeping mess. Speaking of marrying Evander, they had a very problematic relationship. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MARRY SOMEONE YOU BARELY KNOW! By the way, the author was in now way saying that Evander and Valour’s relationship is what a healthy marriage should look like. But it still bothers me. Like, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU TWO?!?!? I liked you both decently until you had to go and get married. Sigh…
My lack of emotional investment in the characters meant that when they were all SLAUGHTERED MERCILESSLY at the end (actually, I can’t remember if Evander died or not. But essentially everyone else did) I felt irked and kind of annoyed at the ending, but I wasn’t crushed. If a book I had been emotionally invested in had ended like that, I would have been utterly CRUSHED. I would’ve been crying and my chest would feel hollow. But no, instead I felt like, ‘Oh. And… they’re all dead now.’
I also guessed very early on that Maeve was going to die. I also suspected that Grey was not as she appeared.
when I was reading Shiloh, I was like, ‘I really need a good map.’ Well this one had a map! Except it was largely unhelpful and was pretty much useless. But I mean seriously. As far as maps go, it was one of the worst I’ve ever seen.
Now that I’ve read Seeker, I don’t understand why Isolde was referred to as a ‘true daughter of Valour’ or something like that. I’m too lazy to actually go check. Valour did basically nothing that was worthy of being remembered for, what, over a thousand years, right? Wait, in Shiloh wasn’t something also said about Valour and a dragon? That was Mina. Maybe somehow in the stories they blended Valour and Mina together into one person…? That’s the only way I can make any sense of it.
I don’t believe that this book was necessary. I don’t think that we needed to know Evander’s story (we kind of already knew how it went, too). But perhaps Songbird will prove me wrong.
I’m almost done. I just want to add a disclaimer. I know this review has been pretty negative and I’ve sort of ripped this book to shreds. That’s on me. I’m apparently really good at ripping books to shreds. It’s not actually a bad book. I actually enjoyed it quite a lot, and it did have some good parts. Mina and Valour’s relationship was really nice, and like I said earlier, Mina’s character as a whole was good.
(Yikes, that was super long and ramble-y!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2023
I remember really loving this book, a lot more than the other two in this series.
October 23, 2015
So this is what it feels like to love fantasy!
This book has been described as "sad, but beautiful" by many readers. While I understand that perspective, I was consistently overwhelmed with hope. A number of times, I was overcome with emotion to the point of tears. And it was the hope in the midst of trial that surprised me.
This is entirely too short a review to do Seeker justice. But I'm short on words. Read it! Be encouraged and comforted.
This book has been described as "sad, but beautiful" by many readers. While I understand that perspective, I was consistently overwhelmed with hope. A number of times, I was overcome with emotion to the point of tears. And it was the hope in the midst of trial that surprised me.
This is entirely too short a review to do Seeker justice. But I'm short on words. Read it! Be encouraged and comforted.
May 2, 2025
In my opinion, I think Seeker is the strongest in the Shiloh trilogy.
Whether you've read the first book or not, the story will punch you in the gut emotionally. The story establishes the lengths the shadows will go to to keep the people of Shiloh trapped. Sorensen left plenty of clues that pointed out how the shadows were moving against Evander and his clan and yet when the inevitable attack comes it still caught me off guard. I think her pacing helped. Having so many chapters of the day-to-day made it easy to forget that there was an enemy waiting for them. It also adds to the fast pace of the last few chapters of the story.
Whether you've read the first book or not, the story will punch you in the gut emotionally. The story establishes the lengths the shadows will go to to keep the people of Shiloh trapped. Sorensen left plenty of clues that pointed out how the shadows were moving against Evander and his clan and yet when the inevitable attack comes it still caught me off guard. I think her pacing helped. Having so many chapters of the day-to-day made it easy to forget that there was an enemy waiting for them. It also adds to the fast pace of the last few chapters of the story.
March 20, 2022
Beautiful and moving second book in the Shiloh Trilogy.
This is my second read. I tend to try to write a review of this series but I never can.
The book gives me all the feels and I can never put it into words.
Just read the trilogy!
This is my second read. I tend to try to write a review of this series but I never can.
The book gives me all the feels and I can never put it into words.
Just read the trilogy!
January 8, 2023
“But to imagine a light beyond this darkness, well, that is hope indeed.”
Beautifully encouraging.
Beautifully encouraging.
April 18, 2022
This book was hard. Not hard to read–far from– but emotionally hard. The prologue sets the tone, saying it’s the story about the ‘Lost Clan of the Sun’, but then you get into the telling and invested in the characters and their life and love and struggles and dreams and you want so bad for everyone to find hope and make it out of the darkness. Then you get to the end and remember. It’s about the ‘lost’ clan. A sad story, sprinkled with flecks of hope and light that just make your heart ache.
Sorensen tells a gripping tale of a people living under literal shadow, a darkness ruled by evil powers that squelches all goodness until the very sun has become nothing but legend. But legends have to come from somewhere, and our primary MC stirs up his people to hope in its reality. Mina–dear, sweet, courageous Mina–braves the dragon infested mountains on her own quest and makes her own discoveries about it. #minaforever
It’s a story about daring to hope for more than striving in darkness, to dream about a light that Shadow cannot overcome, and to persevere in the face of heavy opposition not only from the enemy, but from within one’s own home. I was captivated, and even caught myself praying for one of the characters! It’s heart wrenching and hopeful, a poignant metaphor to the lives we live ourselves–captive under the prince of darkness until we grab hold of the promise of the Son.
Sorensen tells a gripping tale of a people living under literal shadow, a darkness ruled by evil powers that squelches all goodness until the very sun has become nothing but legend. But legends have to come from somewhere, and our primary MC stirs up his people to hope in its reality. Mina–dear, sweet, courageous Mina–braves the dragon infested mountains on her own quest and makes her own discoveries about it. #minaforever
It’s a story about daring to hope for more than striving in darkness, to dream about a light that Shadow cannot overcome, and to persevere in the face of heavy opposition not only from the enemy, but from within one’s own home. I was captivated, and even caught myself praying for one of the characters! It’s heart wrenching and hopeful, a poignant metaphor to the lives we live ourselves–captive under the prince of darkness until we grab hold of the promise of the Son.
June 15, 2018
I will eventually write a coherent review. For now, excuse me whilst I clutch the book and sob in a corner...
Know what, no, I'm going to try and write it now.
Another Tolkien-esque instalment of the Shiloh series. Only, this story is part of the mythos behind Shiloh, and is a bit more...hmm, gritty than the ballads and tales we heard in the first book ("Shiloh"). Shadow wolves, dragon attacks, failed hunting parties, starved hope. I loved it. <3
Multiple POVs were shown, and made it a tad difficult to keep track of names at times, but it wasn't so bad that I had to stop and skim past pages; the characterization was shown well enough that I figured it out myself.
And the characters...*sob* They were lovely and driven and determined (in the case of Cormac, sad/creepy). All of them had quite a few moments that made me lament my lack of artistic skill, Mina in particular. I think, next to Evander, she's my favorite. In the words of Valour: "Is there anything she can't do?" <3
I'm really glad I bought the whole series, because now I can start book 3 without that despair between books. :D
Know what, no, I'm going to try and write it now.
Another Tolkien-esque instalment of the Shiloh series. Only, this story is part of the mythos behind Shiloh, and is a bit more...hmm, gritty than the ballads and tales we heard in the first book ("Shiloh"). Shadow wolves, dragon attacks, failed hunting parties, starved hope. I loved it. <3
Multiple POVs were shown, and made it a tad difficult to keep track of names at times, but it wasn't so bad that I had to stop and skim past pages; the characterization was shown well enough that I figured it out myself.
And the characters...*sob* They were lovely and driven and determined (in the case of Cormac, sad/creepy). All of them had quite a few moments that made me lament my lack of artistic skill, Mina in particular. I think, next to Evander, she's my favorite. In the words of Valour: "Is there anything she can't do?" <3
I'm really glad I bought the whole series, because now I can start book 3 without that despair between books. :D
January 16, 2021
I had considered not finishing this series (yet), because the first book was so dark. Not only does it take place in a world covered by the Shadow, everything about it seemed so hopeless. But I decided to continue, and I am so glad I did!
This book, too, takes place in the world covered by the Shadow. But it’s a prequel to the first book and tells the story of the lost Sun Clan and the legends – of Evander and Valour who believed there was a land with a sun – who were mentioned in the first book. And even though events are often dire in this, there was a continued thread of hope throughout.
I most loved the character of Mina in this book. She, as well as Evander and Valour, seemed so real in their loneliness and desire for belonging. Mina was a complete surprise: she was a loner – constantly escaping the harsh realities of life by spending time alone in the woods, but she ended up being braver than the fiercest warrior. And the descriptions of the beautiful Fayrewood, a colorful oasis in the dark land, and the attacks by dragons and Shadow Wolves on the small village of Holt were written with such wonderful detail.
This book, while second in the series, could easily be read on its own. I almost wish I’d read it first, so I would’ve had a better understanding of the tales told in the first book. I even enjoyed this more than the first, and now I have exceedingly high expectations for the final book. If you love fantasy and especially dragons, I highly recommend this!
This book, too, takes place in the world covered by the Shadow. But it’s a prequel to the first book and tells the story of the lost Sun Clan and the legends – of Evander and Valour who believed there was a land with a sun – who were mentioned in the first book. And even though events are often dire in this, there was a continued thread of hope throughout.
I most loved the character of Mina in this book. She, as well as Evander and Valour, seemed so real in their loneliness and desire for belonging. Mina was a complete surprise: she was a loner – constantly escaping the harsh realities of life by spending time alone in the woods, but she ended up being braver than the fiercest warrior. And the descriptions of the beautiful Fayrewood, a colorful oasis in the dark land, and the attacks by dragons and Shadow Wolves on the small village of Holt were written with such wonderful detail.
This book, while second in the series, could easily be read on its own. I almost wish I’d read it first, so I would’ve had a better understanding of the tales told in the first book. I even enjoyed this more than the first, and now I have exceedingly high expectations for the final book. If you love fantasy and especially dragons, I highly recommend this!
Read
May 28, 2020With trilogies, you often have a darker, sadder 2nd part. This book is no exception. That is not a mark against it. It is very good. It leaves me wanting to read the 3rd, but I need to take a break from the series.
Sorensen is an excellent writer. Each page and word has weight. Nothing is wasted. The story gave me a longing for hope, but it was hard to find hope. I knew it was there. A few characters knew it was there. Those characters had power from that hope, both in the story and to me as the reader.
Sorensen is an excellent writer. Each page and word has weight. Nothing is wasted. The story gave me a longing for hope, but it was hard to find hope. I knew it was there. A few characters knew it was there. Those characters had power from that hope, both in the story and to me as the reader.
October 31, 2022
I normally love the slow pace, abrupt ending, and darkness of Sorensen's books, but I didn't love this one. I can't quite put my finger on why. The ending did feel very abrupt and rushed with wrapping up so many people's journeys so quickly. It was still a good, hope-infused story that's worth reading.
June 12, 2024
The story was decent, but I wanted to care about the characters and I just… didn’t. And having a prequel for a second book in a trilogy is just weird… especially when it takes place like a thousand years earlier. I’m going to read the third book because I’m a finisher, but I can’t say I’m looking forward to it.
December 5, 2017
This was a bit difficult to get into at first — like the first book, a lot of different characters unfolding. But then it flew. WOW. The characters and the story had me hooked by the end, and I raced through the final book in the trilogy.
April 3, 2020
a good'un. #minaforever
These books make me appreciate the sun more.
These books make me appreciate the sun more.
July 18, 2022
Ages 15 and up.
October 31, 2019
I thought this one better than the first, Shiloh. But like the first, the ending was abrupt and overly sad. The romance wasn't developed well, and the whole "Mina going after the lantern, happening to find it, escape from the dragon, find the sun, and then come back without meeting the Immortals (which happens to everyone else in the books who finds the sun) and then die without getting to explain anything" felt a bit pointless and therefore frustrating. Overall decent writing, but some things didn't make much sense. I have now finished book three, and I must admit that I still don't get the significance of this lantern. ? Also Valour's glass is magically made at the end with almost no explanation. I mean, I understand that it's important in Shiloh, but why not important anywhere else, and how did that happen anyway? Oh well, a good book overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2016
I enjoyed this book almost as much as I did the first. Unfortunately, I can't say why I would give it a slightly lower rating (a lot of it is plot based...hate spoilers), but I will say that it was still very good.
This is a prequel to the first book, which was kind of fun. It is unusual to have a prequel be the second book in a series and I was interested from the beginning.
The Good:
The plot was good and the characters were also fine, but none of it was as strong as the first for me. Now that I know the "now" (first book) and the "then" (second book), I am REALLY looking forward to the conclusion!
The Bad:
Just like the first novel, the ending was very abrupt. I guess this is just this author's style. Unlike the first book however, it took me much longer to get into this novel. I didn't love any of the characters like I did in the first, and some of them, I even found myself getting annoyed with.
The Ugly:
There is no content in this book that I would warn a reader about. There is one scene where a married couple does what married people do, but it is not directly/clearly mentioned and the couple just "gives themselves to each other" and the scene is over.
This is a prequel to the first book, which was kind of fun. It is unusual to have a prequel be the second book in a series and I was interested from the beginning.
The Good:
The plot was good and the characters were also fine, but none of it was as strong as the first for me. Now that I know the "now" (first book) and the "then" (second book), I am REALLY looking forward to the conclusion!
The Bad:
Just like the first novel, the ending was very abrupt. I guess this is just this author's style. Unlike the first book however, it took me much longer to get into this novel. I didn't love any of the characters like I did in the first, and some of them, I even found myself getting annoyed with.
The Ugly:
There is no content in this book that I would warn a reader about. There is one scene where a married couple does what married people do, but it is not directly/clearly mentioned and the couple just "gives themselves to each other" and the scene is over.
July 28, 2016
I liked this one even better than the first. Reading a prequel set loads before the original can be a little sad, especially when you think you already know the ending. And I HATE sad endings. I always want things to wrap up perfectly and for everyone to live happily ever after. So reading the beginning of this book where it lets you know this is NOT going to be a happily ever after kind of ending, I was honestly reading just to say I had read it. I was so incredibly surprised all throughout the book. I loved every minute of it. It's hard to describe, but this world has such a thickness to it, and I truly felt as though I was there. And I couldn't escape the world in my dreams either. I just wanted to jump right back in. I am very happy to give this book 5 stars because I was definitely not expecting to.
February 9, 2015
Seeker tells the story of the Sun Clan, a tribe that lived many years before Amos and Simeon of Shiloh. Seeker is about what happened to that tribe to make it disappear, as well as the heroic adventures of various members of the tribe, whose stories became the legends which inspired Amos' family to hope. Hope is a most mysterious human habit. There's no predictor for who will turn out to be a hopeful person, yet sometimes people in the worst circumstances turn out to be the ones with the most powerful hope. Seeker showed me character after character who refused to give up hope, no matter how dark the circumstances got, and it I found it completely inspiring.
August 13, 2015
I love these books. They move me from beginning to end. These fictional stories are full of truth: beautiful, daring, not sugar-coated, hopeful. The thoughts and emotions of the characters resonated with me. Even though the physical realities of our worlds are very different, I related to the personal challenges of the characters' relationships and communities. I will reread this book and every other book in the series. My only complaint is that I wish it were longer. The ending was wrapped up quickly, and I would've loved to have journeyed on with the characters, enjoying more details of the final events.
November 21, 2015
I was just as captivated with this edition as I was with the original one, although I did get the sense that this version is a tad more "fine-tuned."
The main differences for me were the overall layout of the chapters and the map of the fascinating world Sorensen has created. Both are improvements over the first edition, in my opinion.
Sorensen continues to grow as a writer, which makes me all the more eager to devour the final book in this series, Songbird.
The main differences for me were the overall layout of the chapters and the map of the fascinating world Sorensen has created. Both are improvements over the first edition, in my opinion.
Sorensen continues to grow as a writer, which makes me all the more eager to devour the final book in this series, Songbird.
June 10, 2017
This richly imagined prequel to Shiloh is quite an engaging tale in its own right. Sorensen does a fine job of fleshing out her characters in a way that gives them a dimension that keeps the pages turning just as much as the plot does.
Tolkien influenced with its heroic themes and other-world adventure, all the while remaining wholly original, this novel is definitely worth a read.....and this recommendation comes from a reader who is not naturally drawn to the fantasy genre.
Tolkien influenced with its heroic themes and other-world adventure, all the while remaining wholly original, this novel is definitely worth a read.....and this recommendation comes from a reader who is not naturally drawn to the fantasy genre.
January 22, 2015
Helena Sorensen's sequel (prequel) to Shiloh is a delightful read. The story centers on Evander, a man's man, leader on the hunt, leader in the village. Evander grows up with a mother who sees visions. Are they true? Is she crazy? Of course, Sorensen's world is as big as it was in Shiloh. A broad cast of characters brings the village of Holt to life. An equally broad cast of baddies keep the story from ever feeling safe. Is there any escape from life under the shadow? You will enjoy this read.
December 11, 2016
Some really good writing here but the story is soooo sad. Definitely read the last volume to wrap it up!
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