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The Seeker Chronicles #2
Dark Heart
Having fled the tyrannical rule of her father, sixteen year old Kat now lives among her mother's people - a society that is joyful and caring, as well as conformist and bound by superstition. Kat has lived her whole life by the sea, but this new world is all stone and sky. It is bare and spare and high, ringed by mountains.
Kat has spent one year dutifully preparing for her initiation rite, a ceremony that involves a live bear. Kat is frightened and uncertain, but only by completing the ritual can she be accepted into the circle of women.
But what of the young blind man she feels herself drawn to, who is handsom and artistic but also belligerent and scornful? And what of gentle Nall, the man she left behind?
265 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 6, 1992
87 people want to read
About the author
Betsy James
55 books27 followersAward-winning author-illustrator Betsy James has written and/or illustrated more than a dozen books for children and young adults. She lives in New Mexico where she hikes, grows corn, and shares the shade of a cottonwood tree with one small ground squirrel and several toads.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 20, 2020
"Everything comes out of the dark."
Wind cracked the hems of Kat's culottes.
"Everything returns to the dark," said Raím. "Sooner or later."
OMG. RAÍM.
I had no idea this series was set in the same world as Roadsouls, but when Raím appeared on the page, it was an absolute gift. Blind Raím is damaged, outcast, surly, proud-- and loveable, dangit. And when they meet, he and Kat find they are something of the same.
"This world's small, it's dark," he said. "I don't want to weave the same cloth forever. This whole pattern-- if I could let it go!"
"You couldn't live without patterns. It would be like having no bones."
"I just want to change them. There must be a place where you can change them. The place all patterns came from, before the world was made."
If Long Night Dance was about Kat learning how to be on her own-- to break out of the box of society and oppression and allow herself to be free-- Dark Heart is about Kat allowing herself to stay out of that box. She goes to live with her mother's people, as different from her upbringing as anything, and immediately feels pressure to be who they say she should be. She's tried to live like her father, now she wonders if she's more like her mother.
She discovers that she's like herself.
She discovers she doesn't have to follow the patterns that are set before her. She can change them. She can choose new ones.
"Creek's like that. The pattern's set up before you're born, and there's nothing left to do but beat it into place."
I think if I had read this before reading Roadsouls, I may have been a bit disappointed with the ending and where it's leading. But I know how Raím's story ends and it's perfect. Now I hope Kat gets her perfect ending in Listening at the Gate. (It's Betsy James, I won't be disappointed.)
Wind cracked the hems of Kat's culottes.
"Everything returns to the dark," said Raím. "Sooner or later."
OMG. RAÍM.
I had no idea this series was set in the same world as Roadsouls, but when Raím appeared on the page, it was an absolute gift. Blind Raím is damaged, outcast, surly, proud-- and loveable, dangit. And when they meet, he and Kat find they are something of the same.
"This world's small, it's dark," he said. "I don't want to weave the same cloth forever. This whole pattern-- if I could let it go!"
"You couldn't live without patterns. It would be like having no bones."
"I just want to change them. There must be a place where you can change them. The place all patterns came from, before the world was made."
If Long Night Dance was about Kat learning how to be on her own-- to break out of the box of society and oppression and allow herself to be free-- Dark Heart is about Kat allowing herself to stay out of that box. She goes to live with her mother's people, as different from her upbringing as anything, and immediately feels pressure to be who they say she should be. She's tried to live like her father, now she wonders if she's more like her mother.
She discovers that she's like herself.
She discovers she doesn't have to follow the patterns that are set before her. She can change them. She can choose new ones.
"Creek's like that. The pattern's set up before you're born, and there's nothing left to do but beat it into place."
I think if I had read this before reading Roadsouls, I may have been a bit disappointed with the ending and where it's leading. But I know how Raím's story ends and it's perfect. Now I hope Kat gets her perfect ending in Listening at the Gate. (It's Betsy James, I won't be disappointed.)
April 8, 2011
What a beautifully written book about a young girl coming into womanhood. This book is not for younger readers unfortunately it has very adult language and themes. Their are a couple of swear words and religious ceremonies that reminded my of the American Indians. The whole book has that kind of theme where the first book was more like a culture that keeps their women hidden and silent. This book is so powerful it tugs at me the whole way threw I just wish I could help the main character. Their is just a hint of some fantasy where the first book had a little more with the Selkie legend, the third book promises to be great!
January 24, 2022
An absolute masterpiece of feminine identity, cultural world-building, and coming of age or initiatory experience/ceremony. Happy to read it as a stand alone, even though it's a second in a series.
September 19, 2018
This is the second book in the young-adult trilogy, "The Seeker Chronicles." I was startled but delighted to see that one of the supporting characters is Raim, whom I had loved in Betsy James's wonderful book "Roadsouls." For me, Raim was the best part of this book. Whilst I liked the protagonist, Kat, she was less vivid, less striking. Raim is angry and hurt and yearning, all at the same time.
Betsy James writes well, sometimes beautifully. The setting of her stories is convincingly imagined, complete with details of weaving and pottery and different invented communities. Although I didn't care for the culture of the Creek people, it felt real. I note that I don't think this book would work as well as a stand-alone volume. The prequel, "Long Night Dance," helps establish Kat's character, and the ending of this book leaves her story still unfinished.
In summary, I liked this book, but Raim's parts I loved.
Betsy James writes well, sometimes beautifully. The setting of her stories is convincingly imagined, complete with details of weaving and pottery and different invented communities. Although I didn't care for the culture of the Creek people, it felt real. I note that I don't think this book would work as well as a stand-alone volume. The prequel, "Long Night Dance," helps establish Kat's character, and the ending of this book leaves her story still unfinished.
In summary, I liked this book, but Raim's parts I loved.
September 2, 2014
Kat has run away from her father and left behind her love, Nall, to live with her mother's people. She has spent the last year learning the customs, language, and tradition of these people, and is desperate to be accepted as a woman and one of these people. However, she struggles with understanding who and what she truly wants to be, not easy when so many people compare her with her mother. She is also challenged by some new relationships.
I think this series grows more likable as you continue. Although I found the main character, Kat, to be a little naive for her age (16, I think?) I still found her character likable. In this book, she was put in a new environment that I found refreshingly different. The first book centered mostly on her relationship with Nall, the "Rig." I felt that this book allowed us to see more of who Kat is on her own, although there were relationships in this book as well.
The culture and traditions of the people of Creek were very interesting to me, although I felt not 100% original. I enjoyed reading about their different culture, including how the men- and only the men- were allowed to know the "secrets" of weaving, and likewise with the women and pottery. I also felt the people's fear of change or deviation from tradition was well described and handled. People were afraid of change, but not so much that they weren't able to cope with some differences. All in all, a good read, and I look forward to the next and final chapter in the series.
I think this series grows more likable as you continue. Although I found the main character, Kat, to be a little naive for her age (16, I think?) I still found her character likable. In this book, she was put in a new environment that I found refreshingly different. The first book centered mostly on her relationship with Nall, the "Rig." I felt that this book allowed us to see more of who Kat is on her own, although there were relationships in this book as well.
The culture and traditions of the people of Creek were very interesting to me, although I felt not 100% original. I enjoyed reading about their different culture, including how the men- and only the men- were allowed to know the "secrets" of weaving, and likewise with the women and pottery. I also felt the people's fear of change or deviation from tradition was well described and handled. People were afraid of change, but not so much that they weren't able to cope with some differences. All in all, a good read, and I look forward to the next and final chapter in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2010
I thinkk that the author started out with a really cool idea for a socity, but never explained it fully to her readers. The story seems like she had a lot of fun writing it, but didnt comb over the finer points as much as she should have. Betsy James never told us how these customs started, why they started, what purpose they had adn when they were applied. I found myself even more confuzed than the main character, who was also a newcomer to their way of life.
August 29, 2007
Possibly post apocalyptic, I'd probably have to read the other two books in the series to find out for sure. It has a strong interesting setting and a cool take on spiritual ideas and knowing oneself. I don't know that the characters were interesting enough to read the other books, but it's quite a good story, I may well come back to it.
October 14, 2007
it's a great book for light reading. the way betsy james wrote was very touching. the characters are great. you could just fall in love with any of them .^_^.i suggest you read it to understand what i wrote.
November 27, 2010
Just as good if not better as the first book and i love the characters. Raim is so dark and mysterious and on the other hand his brother Set is flamboyant and flirtatious. Very well done and i cant wait for the last one!
March 5, 2012
This book was really good and interesting, I am sure I will read it again! I have been so intrigued by the Seeker Chronicles that I am reading the third book in the series: Listening at the Gate right now!
December 15, 2014
Beautiful book. A spiritual coming-of-age story about choosing your own path, and the difficulties of being different and accepting that. Fantasy-set with a believable culture for Kat's mother's family.
August 25, 2007
LOVE this series.
December 31, 2008
this book was really good and i loved it a lot this series is really good!!!!!!!!
January 20, 2009
I have reviewed this series as a whole on my blog here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2010
The second book in the Seeker Chronicles. As enjoyable as the first!
August 15, 2010
I think this one was better than the first book. We got to see much more of Kat's mother's village and I thought that their culture and way of living was really fascinating.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews