Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for SEEKER by Arwen Elys Dayton! Today I'll be sharing my review of the book and don't forget to enter the giveaway! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.
Seeker (Seeker#1)
Author: Arwen Elys Dayton
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 448
Formats: Hardcover, ebook, audiobook
Description:
#SeekerSeries
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 is 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.
“Fans of Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Marie Lu’s Legend, and Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games series: your next obsession has arrived.” —School Library Journal
“[A] powerful beginning to a complex family saga . . . Dayton excels at creating memorable characters.” —Publishers Weekly
“A tightly woven, action-packed story of survival and adventure, Seeker is perfect for fans of Game of Thrones.” —Tahereh Mafi, author of the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series
“Secrets, danger, and romance meet in this unforgettable epic fantasy.” —Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures and author of Unbreakable
Seeker is the fascinating first book in a poignant new young adult fantasy series. The story follows our three main characters - Quin, John, and Shinobu - as the end of their Seeker training approaches and the decision of their worthiness to join the ranks of the other Seekers. Quin and Shinobu are ready to finally take the oath they've been working towards almost their entire lives. John, who came to the estate later in his life, hasn't had as much training or experience - and he doesn't get chosen to join. The day of the oath that will make officially make her a Seeker is the most important day in Quin's life. She will finally join the ranks, inherit her legacy, and fight for those who are weak or have been wronged in some way. At least that's what Quin believes - until she actually takes the oath. Everything turns upside down in Quin's world after she pledges to be a Seeker - and not in a good way. It turns out that her entire life - what a Seeker actually does, her family, and even the boy she's been in love with for years - aren't what she thought they were. Now that Quin knows all the secrets that have been hidden from her - there's no turning back or running away. She's taken the oath and is now a Seeker - no matter what.
First of all, I have to get this off my chest before I can even think about doing my review of the book. There has been a ton of hype over this book for months now, which is great. The description sounded original and interesting, which made me want to read it. Since the beginning of the book's campaign, there have been lots of comparisons between it and other various books, movies, and TV shows. I, personally, don't read any of these statements - or any other reviews of the book - before I have had a chance to read it myself. I don't want to be influenced by what other people think or judge the book based on a comparison to a different bestseller. I believe it's unfair to the author and the story itself, because it's already beginning to get judged before the cover has even opened. If it doesn't compare enough or match up to whatever comparison is made - that tends to lead to disappointed reactions and negative reviews. I fully believe in giving every book it's own chance - to read it without any prejudice or expectations. Any other way is cheating yourself and the book out of something that may have been spectacular if given the chance. I'm not quite sure why I went on a small rant there, but it's been frustrating me how a lot of the books being released lately are compared to other well-known books or series - and then the reader is highly disappointed by what they read, because they don't think it was anything like said book or series. My philosophy is to not read any other reviews of the book and try to avoid all the hype about it until after I've finished reading it and have formed my own opinions. I believe that every book deserves at least that and it's unfair to do or think otherwise.
This book was definitely an original blend of genres - specifically fantasy, action, adventure, and romance - with an incredibly detailed setting and completely realistic characters. There are technically three main characters in the book - Quin, John, and Shinobu - but Quin, in my opinion, is the dedicated main character. She's a fantastic female lead for the book. She's smart, a great fighter, devoted and loving daughter and friend, and is incredibly dedicated to becoming a Seeker so she can help those who need it. I easily related with her from the very beginning of the book and only got to know her character better throughout the story. John and Shinobu play important parts in the novel as well - in their own specific ways. The plot was highly unique and I loved learning all about the Seekers as well as the world that Quin and the others live in. The author uses vivid imagery and detailed descriptions of everything in the book - from the setting and the characters to each situation and even the dialogue. I felt like I slipped into this world from the first pages of the story and didn't come back out until I was finished. Because the plot contains twists, deceptions, and lies - it was pretty fast paced and kept me eagerly reading to see what would happen next. The smaller story lines that are threaded into the main plot intertwine nicely to create an honestly unique novel. A lot happens in the book, but since I don't do spoilers in my reviews, I'll just say that a ton of stuff happens - things you don't see coming and others that knock you on your butt. There is a great amount of character growth throughout the story, especially for Quin. She has to mature very quickly in order to survive and to keep one step ahead of the rest. I loved watching her grow from a young teen in love and training for her dream of being a Seeker to having the truth shoved in her face and learning how to deal with it all - while remaining true to what she believes in. There were some slow parts in the story, but they were filled with backstory, details, and ways of getting to know and understand the characters and circumstances - so they served a purpose and weren't just to bore the reader. I'm glad that this is just the beginning of the series, because there's so much more to be told and a million ways to go with the story. I can't wait to find out where the author will take the plot and to find out what happens next. I definitely recommend this book to fans of fantasy, high fantasy, and action/adventure novels - along with readers who are looking for something different to try.
First of all, I have to get this off my chest before I can even think about doing my review of the book. There has been a ton of hype over this book for months now, which is great. The description sounded original and interesting, which made me want to read it. Since the beginning of the book's campaign, there have been lots of comparisons between it and other various books, movies, and TV shows. I, personally, don't read any of these statements - or any other reviews of the book - before I have had a chance to read it myself. I don't want to be influenced by what other people think or judge the book based on a comparison to a different bestseller. I believe it's unfair to the author and the story itself, because it's already beginning to get judged before the cover has even opened. If it doesn't compare enough or match up to whatever comparison is made - that tends to lead to disappointed reactions and negative reviews. I fully believe in giving every book it's own chance - to read it without any prejudice or expectations. Any other way is cheating yourself and the book out of something that may have been spectacular if given the chance. I'm not quite sure why I went on a small rant there, but it's been frustrating me how a lot of the books being released lately are compared to other well-known books or series - and then the reader is highly disappointed by what they read, because they don't think it was anything like said book or series. My philosophy is to not read any other reviews of the book and try to avoid all the hype about it until after I've finished reading it and have formed my own opinions. I believe that every book deserves at least that and it's unfair to do or think otherwise.
This book was definitely an original blend of genres - specifically fantasy, action, adventure, and romance - with an incredibly detailed setting and completely realistic characters. There are technically three main characters in the book - Quin, John, and Shinobu - but Quin, in my opinion, is the dedicated main character. She's a fantastic female lead for the book. She's smart, a great fighter, devoted and loving daughter and friend, and is incredibly dedicated to becoming a Seeker so she can help those who need it. I easily related with her from the very beginning of the book and only got to know her character better throughout the story. John and Shinobu play important parts in the novel as well - in their own specific ways. The plot was highly unique and I loved learning all about the Seekers as well as the world that Quin and the others live in. The author uses vivid imagery and detailed descriptions of everything in the book - from the setting and the characters to each situation and even the dialogue. I felt like I slipped into this world from the first pages of the story and didn't come back out until I was finished. Because the plot contains twists, deceptions, and lies - it was pretty fast paced and kept me eagerly reading to see what would happen next. The smaller story lines that are threaded into the main plot intertwine nicely to create an honestly unique novel. A lot happens in the book, but since I don't do spoilers in my reviews, I'll just say that a ton of stuff happens - things you don't see coming and others that knock you on your butt. There is a great amount of character growth throughout the story, especially for Quin. She has to mature very quickly in order to survive and to keep one step ahead of the rest. I loved watching her grow from a young teen in love and training for her dream of being a Seeker to having the truth shoved in her face and learning how to deal with it all - while remaining true to what she believes in. There were some slow parts in the story, but they were filled with backstory, details, and ways of getting to know and understand the characters and circumstances - so they served a purpose and weren't just to bore the reader. I'm glad that this is just the beginning of the series, because there's so much more to be told and a million ways to go with the story. I can't wait to find out where the author will take the plot and to find out what happens next. I definitely recommend this book to fans of fantasy, high fantasy, and action/adventure novels - along with readers who are looking for something different to try.
Arwen lives with her husband and their three children on the West Coast of the United States. You can follow her @arwenelysdayton on Twitter and Instagram.
Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
Giveaway: (5) Winners will each receive a finished copy of SEEKER - US Only!
I can't wait to read this one! As far as how I would seek redemption for, it depends on what I would be seeking redemption for. If I had done something wrong to someone, I would genuinely apologize and take all of the steps I could to make it right. Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteI love your little blog! Mind checking out mine? So cute.
ReplyDeleteKate xo
www.becomingkate.co.uk
retail: icedlemonade.co.uk
See the #Seek Image? Yes! What would you do to seek this particular thing? sll the steps needed to get there.
ReplyDelete