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Qi
Thirteen-year-old uber-archer Samantha is thrilled to qualify for Xenith, the most prestigious -- and mysterious -- Olympic training facility in the world. Much more than an athletic camp, it's a fantasyland where living dolls and the Baba Yaga abound. Plus there's Dr. Nine, a master alchemist whose magical laboratory is very well guarded indeed. But not all that glitters is Olympic gold. When dangerous secrets begin to surface, Sam must fight to expose Xenith's dark underbelly to save her friends and family...if she survives herself.
- GenresYoung AdultFantasy
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2010
84 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 10, 2011
Written for a young adult audience, "Qi" is fanciful and engaging. I found Sam's character to be realistic, with real flaws and strengths, and I liked her. The rest of the characters were a little less developed, and not quite as engaging. The adults, in particular, were less complex and compelling than the children in the story. The adults are, in fact, secondary characters, which really serves to highlight the strength of the younger characters in the story. Nicely written, in fluid prose for this age level, this novel is quite appropriate for the middle grade or younger young adult set. The author sets the scenes with descriptive language that allows the reader to picture the events and characters.
The storyline is immediately engaging, and I was eager to find out more about Fletching and the Liffey family. A mysterious stranger is introduced right in the first few pages, and this infuses a nugget of expectation, which pulled me in further. Although the book is titled "Qi," I felt like not quite enough was done with this concept, and I would have loved for it to have come up a bit more than it did. When the magic doll, Will, was presented in the story, it became more clear what type of a fantasy story this was. Although this doll played a major role, I feel like I didn't really get a good sense of him. He seemed to be such an integral part of what goes on in Fletching, but, in his introduction, we find that he's been locked up for years. I wondered if he was the only creation of his sort, and how he might have come to be.
I found the ending of the book to be a little less engaging than the first half of the book had been. The ending seemed a little less relatable and almost like a different type of story than I had been expecting. It's hard to define exactly what I felt, but I found myself thinking "what??" on several occasions during the climatic scenes of the book. I like the way the ending wasn't completely tied into a neat package with a pretty little bow, but I was confused by just how much was left open to the imagination. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the book is titled "Book One of the Baba Yaga," so it seems there is much more to come in later installments. I hope that's the case, because one of the things I wanted most probed was the triangle between Dr. Dante and Sam's parents. I also wanted more about Jonah and his experiences, and what was in store for both Abby and Sam. There is a lot left to discover, and I look forward to seeing where this story leads.
Engaging and fun, this was a really nice start to a series that has the potential to be an exciting fantasy adventure for younger readers.
3.5 stars @ MotherLode blog
The storyline is immediately engaging, and I was eager to find out more about Fletching and the Liffey family. A mysterious stranger is introduced right in the first few pages, and this infuses a nugget of expectation, which pulled me in further. Although the book is titled "Qi," I felt like not quite enough was done with this concept, and I would have loved for it to have come up a bit more than it did. When the magic doll, Will, was presented in the story, it became more clear what type of a fantasy story this was. Although this doll played a major role, I feel like I didn't really get a good sense of him. He seemed to be such an integral part of what goes on in Fletching, but, in his introduction, we find that he's been locked up for years. I wondered if he was the only creation of his sort, and how he might have come to be.
I found the ending of the book to be a little less engaging than the first half of the book had been. The ending seemed a little less relatable and almost like a different type of story than I had been expecting. It's hard to define exactly what I felt, but I found myself thinking "what??" on several occasions during the climatic scenes of the book. I like the way the ending wasn't completely tied into a neat package with a pretty little bow, but I was confused by just how much was left open to the imagination. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the book is titled "Book One of the Baba Yaga," so it seems there is much more to come in later installments. I hope that's the case, because one of the things I wanted most probed was the triangle between Dr. Dante and Sam's parents. I also wanted more about Jonah and his experiences, and what was in store for both Abby and Sam. There is a lot left to discover, and I look forward to seeing where this story leads.
Engaging and fun, this was a really nice start to a series that has the potential to be an exciting fantasy adventure for younger readers.
3.5 stars @ MotherLode blog
March 12, 2011
Qi (Book one of the Baba Yaga) is a wonderfully entertaining book about the Liffey sisters’ magical and mysterious journey to Xenith, a prestigious Olympic training camp. The story follows the Liffey sisters, who find themselves in the presence of a magical doll who is the key to finding Xenith's secret entrance. What starts out as a dream to train for the Olympics soon turns out to be a fight for survival. The reader will easily be caught up in the descriptive imagery that Elizabeth Svigar uses throughout the books pages. Each character came to life right from the beginning. The details given were so specific that the reader will feel as though they personally know them. There are twists and turns around every corner where you receive a full emotional ride; suspense, intrigue, sadness and happiness, while nothing is ever how it seems. Hopefully I will have the chance to read more from Elizabeth Svigar. Qi is suitable for all ages; that being said, it is really a younger adult book or a book for the young at heart.
May 21, 2011
A fight for love and survival, for solving a mystery before time's running out. Qi by Elizabeth Svigar Stephen is a fantastic story that has it all: romance, mystery, paranormal elements that will keep the reader fascinated and spellbound.
When Sam enters Xenith academy, she doesn't know that her life will never be the same again. At Xenith's, she's supposed to be trained as an uber-athlete ready to win the Olympics, but what she encounters here is not what she ever expected. Xenith is a place of mystery, a place where something dark has snatched away Eli's brother, Jonah. As Sam and Eli try to solve the mystery of Jonah's disappearance, a romance between the two begins to blossom. But will their love survive when faced with such danger?
Qi was a great read through and through. Very real characters, a mysterious plot and good writing made this book enticing. I look forward to the sequel.
When Sam enters Xenith academy, she doesn't know that her life will never be the same again. At Xenith's, she's supposed to be trained as an uber-athlete ready to win the Olympics, but what she encounters here is not what she ever expected. Xenith is a place of mystery, a place where something dark has snatched away Eli's brother, Jonah. As Sam and Eli try to solve the mystery of Jonah's disappearance, a romance between the two begins to blossom. But will their love survive when faced with such danger?
Qi was a great read through and through. Very real characters, a mysterious plot and good writing made this book enticing. I look forward to the sequel.
December 25, 2010
Elizabeth A. Svigar's QI is a novel of hope, soul, and self-discovery. The mystery begins when Sam and her sister Abby attend Xenith, a prestigious Olympic training facility. Although they thought their test would be in their skills of fencing and archery for Sam and fencing for Abby, the two sisters will be tested in more dangerous and fantastical ways. Sam finds her character, her strengths and weaknesses, and family she didn't know she had. QI is perfect for lower young adult readers and adults alike. Ms. Svigar wrote a true testament to family and friends through Sam and her friends' adventures. My only critique is that the novel was too short. I wanted to savor the world and characters more.
January 6, 2025
Full circle
This book was a full circle moment for me. It was full of wonder, mystery, and self discover. Only through persecution is the real revealed. Life shifts at that moment and the weight of responsibility and life's call shifts you.
What a read!
This book was a full circle moment for me. It was full of wonder, mystery, and self discover. Only through persecution is the real revealed. Life shifts at that moment and the weight of responsibility and life's call shifts you.
What a read!
May 10, 2011
I loved Qi. It's one of those books that leave a life long impression and still haunt you a long time after reading it. So here's the story: Samantha and her sister, Abby, are accepted into the famous Xenith Academy, where only the best of the best athletes get to train for the Olympics. Abby is thrilled because she's the competitive type and wants to win at all costs. Samantha is thrilled also, but not for the same reasons as Abby. At Xenith, Samantha meets her mother, whom she hasn't seen for a long time. But there's something wrong with her mother. She's mysterious. Different. Not the woman Sam remembers.
At Xenith, Sam also gets reunited with Eli and their attraction to one another is rekindled. But Eli is haunted by his brother's disappearance and that the mystery was never solved. Everyone tells them to let it be and accept Jonah's disappearance, but Sam vows to find out what happened to him and where he disappeared that fateful night. And so Sam and Eli embark on a dangerous adventure, solving clue after clue that leads them to a dark and dangerous secret. One that shows them how dangerous Xenith really is, and that not everyone living there is who they say they are. And so Sam's life and strength is put to the test.
I absolutely adored Sam. She's such a strong and witty character. She's a fighter who isn't easily scared, but she also has a few weaknesses that make her endearing and easy to relate to, such as her hopes that her parents might reunite eventually, or her attraction to Eli and her fears that her archrival might just snatch his attention. I loved the chemistry between Sam and Eli, and rooted for her that he would choose her over her archrival. Her fears and insecurities made her real to me.
Sam’s sister, Abby, is a great character too and very different from Sam. She’s competitive and determined to succeed, but not at the cost of other people’s happiness. Her transformation throughout the book was portrayed amazingly real, but I won’t say whether it was in a positive or negative light.
The story had a few amazing twists that kept the suspense at an all time high. I was astonished at how the story turned out and never saw it coming. This was such a fantastic read and so unexpected for this price. I can only recommend it to readers of fantasy and paranormal literature, both young and mature, who’re looking for something different that hasn’t been done before.
At Xenith, Sam also gets reunited with Eli and their attraction to one another is rekindled. But Eli is haunted by his brother's disappearance and that the mystery was never solved. Everyone tells them to let it be and accept Jonah's disappearance, but Sam vows to find out what happened to him and where he disappeared that fateful night. And so Sam and Eli embark on a dangerous adventure, solving clue after clue that leads them to a dark and dangerous secret. One that shows them how dangerous Xenith really is, and that not everyone living there is who they say they are. And so Sam's life and strength is put to the test.
I absolutely adored Sam. She's such a strong and witty character. She's a fighter who isn't easily scared, but she also has a few weaknesses that make her endearing and easy to relate to, such as her hopes that her parents might reunite eventually, or her attraction to Eli and her fears that her archrival might just snatch his attention. I loved the chemistry between Sam and Eli, and rooted for her that he would choose her over her archrival. Her fears and insecurities made her real to me.
Sam’s sister, Abby, is a great character too and very different from Sam. She’s competitive and determined to succeed, but not at the cost of other people’s happiness. Her transformation throughout the book was portrayed amazingly real, but I won’t say whether it was in a positive or negative light.
The story had a few amazing twists that kept the suspense at an all time high. I was astonished at how the story turned out and never saw it coming. This was such a fantastic read and so unexpected for this price. I can only recommend it to readers of fantasy and paranormal literature, both young and mature, who’re looking for something different that hasn’t been done before.
December 15, 2010
Patricia Puddle said:
I absolutely loved this story. Samantha is an endearing character with a feisty and bold character. I liked that she had flaws, and that made her real to me. I adored Will, the funny talking doll, a bossy little character who keeps everyone on their toes. He made me laughed my head off.
It's easy to take a dislike to the antagonist, Bianca, and I loved the love triangle and jealousy between the two girls.
This story had so many twists and turns, it had me on the edge of my seat. I had to keep reading to the very end.
I don't want to give anything away, so I won't say too much, but the plots and twists were fantastic. I highly recommend this story. I've read it over and over.
Oh, I loved the house up in the tree and that weird old Baba Yaga - even if she did look like a wicked old witch.
A fantastic read.
Patricia PuddleVelvet Ball and The Broken Fairy
I absolutely loved this story. Samantha is an endearing character with a feisty and bold character. I liked that she had flaws, and that made her real to me. I adored Will, the funny talking doll, a bossy little character who keeps everyone on their toes. He made me laughed my head off.
It's easy to take a dislike to the antagonist, Bianca, and I loved the love triangle and jealousy between the two girls.
This story had so many twists and turns, it had me on the edge of my seat. I had to keep reading to the very end.
I don't want to give anything away, so I won't say too much, but the plots and twists were fantastic. I highly recommend this story. I've read it over and over.
Oh, I loved the house up in the tree and that weird old Baba Yaga - even if she did look like a wicked old witch.
A fantastic read.
Patricia PuddleVelvet Ball and The Broken Fairy
March 5, 2011
A lovely late middle reader/early young adult fantasy novel. It's a quick read, events happen fast. I am a fan of Eastern European folklore so it was nice to see Baba Yaga make an appearance in a modernization. Room was left at the end for a sequel and I hope one is forthcoming.
January 8, 2011
Excellent book! Review coming shortly!
May 21, 2011
Really liked it, a bit short :(
December 11, 2015
Lots of twists and turns!
May 30, 2014
Surprisingly good story with some twists and turns.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews