Thursday, September 13, 2012

ARC Review: Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

Title: Stormdancer (The Lotus War #1)
Author: Jay Kristoff
Publication Date: September 18th, 2012
Genre: YA Fantasy - Steampunk
"A DYING LAND The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUESTThe hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger—a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.
A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GIRLYukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire." ~See it on Goodreads
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Have you ever read a book that was so amazingly wonderful that it just left you at a loss for words?? Well Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff did that to me. If you haven’t heard of it I suggest that you look it up immediately and add it to your TBR lists! And if you’ve already got it on your TBR lists DO NOT hesitate to buy this one, you won’t regret it by any means!

It’s no secret that I adore Fantasy, whether it’s YA Fantasy, Urban/Modern Fantasy, or High/Epic Fantasy, I love it all. And I’ve become slightly obsessed with Steampunk, it’s such a unique concept to me and I honestly just can’t get enough of it. Stormdancer combines the two so it was a no brainer for me to decide to read it. I was utterly and completely enthralled by the characters, the world-building, and the just story itself. And speaking of the world-building, can you say A-Freaking-Mazing!! I’m such a sucker for a beautifully crafted world and Kristoff does not disappoint!

As for the characters, they were just perfection. And even though there are a lot of different characters in this book they all have their own distinct and unique personalities. I know sometimes with books that have a lot of characters it can feel like you can’t keep up with them all, or they all start to blend together and become dull and flat throughout the story. When that happens it doesn’t make for the best reading experience because honestly, you’re not going to be very invested in a character when you can’t remember them from one chapter to the next. But I have to say; while I was reading this book I never once felt that way at all. I was able to remember each character because all really stood out and made an impression, so major kudos to the author for that. If I have to pick my favorite character, it’s Buruu hands down!

The writing itself was just gorgeous and lyrical, and you really felt the emotions through every word. I literally couldn’t put his book down and yes, there were quite a few tissues used in the process of reading this. I could honestly just go on and on about this book because it was that amazing. I think it would appeal to so many readers whether you’re a fan of YA Fantasy or not, you just have to give it the chance and you’ll be so glad you did.

This is one of the most unique, beautiful, and brilliantly written books I’ve read. It’s without question the newest addition to my list of absolute favorite books, and I WILL be buying myself a hardcopy of this to have on my shelf so I can re-read as soon as it comes out! This book is just a complete WIN, and if you’re even remotely intrigued by this book, read it. It. Is. A. MUST!

5 Huge Stars!

1 comment:

  1. Ah, the other one at the top of my list. I just love Steampunkery so this one is clearly high on my list. I'm so happy to see that you loved it!

    Mad Scientist @ Steampunkery & Book Reviews

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