F. C. Yee

the Shadow of Kyoshi

Avatar, the Last Airbender

Kiran Aftab

It wasn’t as good as the first book, but I still enjoyed reading it

** spoiler alert **
           i am here and i am happy!!!!!! lets go rangshi nation. there’s something so personal about that scene where kyoshi asked rangi if hei-ran knew about them and rangi going “duh”. i just want them to be happy. my beloveds :( now that i’ve finished this book i need to stop thinking about the things that have happened. kyoshi literally lived for more than 200 years so… what happened to rangi? 😀 we’re not gonna talk about it.

britt

dawg i’m not going to lie the first quarter of this book had wishing i wasn’t reading it. like until kyoshi fucked up on who the firelord was, i was so fucking bored. but! after that i was eating this shit UP. 

i wish i could’ve seen zoryu’s pathetic ass when kyoshi outlived him. also the justice kuruk received in this book >>>

lastly, i have to leave one of my favorite quotes from this book which is: 

“But there was no more fear in Kyoshi’s heart. She would be her own miracle this time.” 

like yes bitch! be your own avatar!

Ayla Hawthorne

** spoiler alert **
           The first 3/4 of this book were SO frustrating, but the last 1/4 made up for it. The imagery of Kyoshi painting her eyelids with blood is going to haunt me forever. YUN. Yangchen, Zoryu and Lao Ge, all of it wrapped up pretty well. I love Kyoshi and Rangi with my whole heart 😭

Michael Dante DiMartino

An instant USA Today and New York Times bestseller! F. C. Yee’s The Rise of Kyoshi delves into the story of Kyoshi, the Earth Kingdom–born Avatar. The longest-living Avatar in this beloved world’s history, Kyoshi established the brave and respected Kyoshi Warriors, but also founded the secretive Dai Li, which led to the corruption, decline, and fall of her own nation. The first of two novels based on Kyoshi, The Rise of Kyoshi maps her journey from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar.

Avatar, The Last Airbender: The Rise of Kyoshi (The Kyoshi Novels Book 1)

kyoshi yun rangi the trio that we lost 💔💔

Lia Yuliana

Eva Bailey

4.5 stars, loved this duology. If we could have more canon series' for past avatars that would be great tysm.

Mia Kern

"Honor cannot be coveted too dearly, young lady. Sometimes it must be laid down for the good of others." p. 230


Refer back to my review for The Rise of Kyoshi for all my thoughts about Yee's expert storytelling in a world that me and so many others have already come to love. This review might contain some minor spoilers for the first book, but I'll try to keep it fairly general.

The Shadow of Kyoshi felt very distinct from its first book, in the way that each season of Korra was a self-contained story of conflict and personal growth. However, despite the raised stakes and the introduction of several new cast members, it delivered a really wonderful continuation of Kyoshi's journey. One benefit of the novel format, too, is that Yee could deliver punishments and consequences that wouldn't have been acceptable for a children's cartoon, allowing these books to become even darker and more realistic, and they're all the better for it. But throughout it all, it still felt very much like an Avatar book, as it contained loads of humor and warmth as well.

There were creative decisions that I didn't think Yee and DiMartino would take the plunge on, but that made the book so much better than I expected. It's not as fast-paced as its precursor, and some might not like the political conflict that this book focused on, but I thought it worked well to show all the things the Avatar needs to navigate and master. (This also includes Kyoshi's foray into spiritual matters!) It was interesting seeing the comparisons between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom (from the perspective of both Kyoshi and Rangi), going into customs and culture as well. It all served to breath new depth into an already well-established universe. I have to say, though, I'm a little disappointed we won't get a continuation of these books, I'd read anything Yee put out in this franchise.

Also #JusticeForKuruk. That is all.

Noah Warner

i really enjoyed reading these novels as a new avatar fan.
Both of these novels are very good, and I enjoyed the worldbuilding as well as the characters.
I wish there was more depth to some characters, as well as more denouement.

Dilayra Verbrugh

I liked this even more than the first book! I was shocked by everything that happened and it was interesting to see the other avatars.
However, I miss the comic relieve which I’m used to because of the TV show. Still, I loved kyoshi and I LOVED Rengi

Madalyn Walters

Really great story! Definitely fast-paced and addictive. 

The world building is a great addition to the original series, and I fell in love with a lot of the characters. 

Sam Pulliam

This book is the sequel to The Rise of Kyoshi which I read over the summer. This book follows Avatar Kyoshi and picks up pretty immediately after the first book. I don't want to spoil anything but I particularly enjoyed the political intrigue and character growth that took place in this book. Kyoshi is really tested and it's interesting to see her struggle and make the best decision as the Avatar. I definitely recommend this duology if you're a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Becca Prinn

This book was amazing! An interesting origin story for Avatar Kyoshi. Full of amazing characters, relationships, and Avatar world building. 
I cannot wait to read the new instalment!

damla

can netflix please cancel the live action and make these books a show please? i know they wont because of their money hunger but i still have a little bit of hope, because i need more kyoshi and rangi in my life. the only reason im not giving this 5 stars is because i didnt like the way the fire nation problem was handled. i was expecting something better. but anyway, these books are amazing and i love both kyoshi and rangi. i would die for them.

Jara

The Shadow of Kyoshi is, in my opinion, even more amazing than The Rise of Kyoshi. After finishing this I'm immediately tempted to go back and re-read the duology, because I feel there's a lot of foreshadowing and little hints I can pick up now that I know the full story.

The only downside to this book is that it doesn't have a sequel! I really feel there could've been more to Kyoshi's story. The ending felt a bit abrupt, but that might just be my own disappointment in finishing the series.

All in all, I think the Kyoshi duology is going down as one of the series I enjoyed reading most in 2021.

Katheryn Haskell

I like this one more and less than the first for various reasons, but it is very well written and I think it develops Kyoshi more into what the Avatar show made her out to be. Having seen her develop into the Avatar was cool, but also seeing her AS the Avatar and developing as a character was equally as cool. I only wish there were more of them, because Kyoshi deserves literally all of the screen/book time.

Julia Unterstraßer

** spoiler alert **
           "She would be her own miracle this time." 

I loved seeing Kyoshi's character development into such a strong woman. I loved seeing her as a flawed character who is aware of these flaws but still makes bad decisions sometimes. It's what made her feel so much more real, at least for me.

I am sad to see this story come to an end, I would happily read 5 more books in this series. These books definitely broaden the horizon of the Avatar universe and give you a new point of view. Loved all the backstories and especially that we got to know more about Avatar Kuruk. I really want to read about his story now!

Avatar, the Last Airbender the Shadow of Kyoshi

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