Jay Kristoff

ONE GIRL AND A GRIFFIN AGAINST AN EMPIRE: A DYING LAND The Shima Imperium verges on collapse. Land and sky have been poisoned by clockwork industrialisation, the Lotus Guild oppresses the populace and the nation's Shogun is lost to his thirst for power. AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST Yukiko and her warrior father are forced to hunt down a griffin at the Shogun's command. But any fool knows griffins are extinct - and death will be the price of failure. A HIDDEN GIFT Disaster strikes and Yukiko is stranded in the wilderness with a fabled griffin, now furious and crippled. Although she hears his thoughts and saved his life, Yukiko knows he'd rather see her dead than help her. And discovery of the talent allowing them to communicate would mean her execution. Yet together, the pair will form an indomitable bond, and rise to challenge an empire.

Stormdancer

Stormdancer is a very complex world and book. It took me a while to come to terms with everything that was going on and fully understand the world, characters, and Yukiko's hidden abilities. But once everything clicked in place (we're talking 150ish pages here!), I honestly couldn't anticipate how much this story would grow on me!

The star of the show has to be Buruu. He's all pent up frustration, anger, and sassiness talking straight into Yukiko's head, and I loved every word he said! He constantly reminded me of Eclipse from Godsgrave, which explains why I loved him so much.

In true Jay Kristoff style, we're going to be brutal with our characters, never let things go smoothly, and leave an ending that sets up the rest of the series nicely but annoys as all until we have finished reading the sequel. Fortunately, I don't have to wait years to dive back into this world (finally a bonus to my procrastinating reading books!).

Victoria Justice

Well, that was a ride! 

Stormdancer is a very complex world and book. It took me a while to come to terms with everything that was going on and fully understand the world, characters, and Yukiko's hidden abilities. But once everything clicked in place (we're talking 150ish pages here!), I honestly couldn't anticipate how much this story would grow on me!

The star of the show has to be Buruu. He's all pent up frustration, anger, and sassiness talking straight into Yukiko's head, and I loved every word he said! He constantly reminded me of Eclipse from Godsgrave, which explains why I loved him so much.

In true Jay Kristoff style, we're going to be brutal with our characters, never let things go smoothly, and leave an ending that sets up the rest of the series nicely but annoys as all until we have finished reading the sequel. Fortunately, I don't have to wait years to dive back into this world (finally a bonus to my procrastinating reading books!).

The first in an epic new fantasy series, introducing an unforgettable new heroine and a stunningly original dystopian steampunk world with a flavor of feudal Japan. 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 QUEST The hunters of Shima's imperial court are charged by their Shogun 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 Shogun is death. A HIDDEN GIFT Yukiko 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 Shogun'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.

The Lotus War Book One

Cross-posted on Knizhnitsa

Originally I was intrigued by the steampunk Japan-inspired setting and the gorgeous cover. What I found was one of the most interesting settings in the genre, accompanied by an entertaining plot and characters that I quickly grew attached to. In other words, I did not expect to love “Stormdancer” as much as I did but to be honest, it is now one of my favourite series.

“Stormdancer” is the story of one of the most interesting friendships that fiction has to offer - that of a young girl and the griffin she is sent to hunt down for the Shogun. Yukiko and her father embark on a dangerous mission to capture a creature that is supposed to be extinct. In the process of tracking the griffin, the girl and the beast wound up separated from Yukiko’s father’s crew. On their journey back, they discover a bond that neither of them expected.

The adventures that follow meet them with Kin, one of the Guildsmen of the machine-powered Lotus Guild, and the Kage, an organisation preparing a rebellion against the cruel Shogun ruling Shima. One by one, Yukiko and Buruu uncover the Shogun’s crimes and Shima’s secrets.


The Plot

The plot is a bit slow at the beginning. However, this gives the author the much needed opportunity to fully introduce us to the world of the novel. Once we have enough context to navigate this world on our own, the novel kicks off and turns into an action-packed, interesting and truly engaging page-turner.


The Setting

The setting is definitely one that you don’t see a lot in the genre. Steampunk Shogunate? Sign me up. However, I am aware that this could potentially be culturally appropriative - I, unfortunately, am not educated enough to point any inaccuracies. For what is worth, Kristoff manages to paint an unique, morbid world, where a constant feeling of dread reigns over the characters.

This feeling is emphasized by the amount of blood and gore described in the novel (and it is so gory), as well as Yukiko’s POV. She is a very introverted person, who has experienced a lot of unhappiness; she is guarded and aloof. Her silence and uncommunicativeness serve as a tool to sharpen the morbid atmosphere of the novel.


The Characters

Speaking of Yukiko, I loved her character. She is hands down one of my favourite leading ladies. Her sullenness, her introversion are something I could recognise in myself. She does not need to be bubbly and optimistic in order to pull herself through all the terrible things that happen to her - she is she and she is just doing her best to survive and keep on going.

I think this is what makes her and Buruu’s relationship so interesting and charming. They are two personalities who, due to their circumstances, don’t open up to just anyone. Seeing them gradually grow closer and develop this deep, platonic affection for each other is truly satisfying and one of the novel’s strongest points.

Buruu himself, as a character, is as lovable as Yukiko. He is the most refreshing presence in the novel. His dialogue, his POV, his sarcasm - they always remind us that he is not human, he is otherworldly - a truly masterful navigation of character.

Yukiko’s relationship with her father and his gang is also very interesting to see. I love the found families trope and this is what they are - a giant dysfunctional family that works together and learns to survive together and despite each other. Makes me root for them and for their happiness.

Yukiko’s two main love interests - Hiro and Kin, however, are not particularly interesting on their own. Their respective exchanges with her are nice to read about (as long as their relationships lasted) but they are always secondary to Yukiko’s and Buruu’s relationship which is rightfully the main focus of the novel.


The Verdict

“Stormdancer” is an amazing read that takes an interesting concept and tries to explore it to its full potential. It is interesting and engaging and overall brilliant. Even if it may seem hard for you at the beginning, I would recommend not to skip over those introductory pages - because, in retrospect, you would want to stay in the world of “Stormdancer” as long as possible.

篠田美月

(That's more like 3,5 stars, actually, but oh well.)

Up until around 20% of this book I absolutely hated it. It made me want to throw my Kindle through a window, it was just so boring — and the biggest crime was that it sounded so perfect! The world in Stormdancer is beautiful but instead of easing the reader into the reality the story takes places in, we are dump into a middle of it, with weird words and zero explanation. Zero explanation in the text itself, I mean, because sorry, but reading on an ebook I just can't be bothered to go look into the glossary five times a page. 

But after a quarter or so, the story sucked me in, and all of a sudden I loved Yukiko and couldn't get myself to stop reading. The world-building is much smoother too, which helps tremendously.

Crystal A.

Technically rating this 2.5 out of 5 stars. Rounded to 3 because there's no half stars on here.

This book was recommended to me a long time ago nearing the time of it's release. I read the synopsis and thought, "Great! This book sounds like it's right up my alley!" I was so excited to read it. I bought it and never got around to reading it until now. So my excitement has dissipated along with my high expectations for this book. The book was really slow in the beginning. Mostly because there were pages and pages and pages of descriptions of silly things that I didn't need to know about. Usually, I don't notice things like that, but I did this time because the book was THAT descriptive. At times they felt like filler pages.

Things don't start to get interesting until Yukiko, our main character, finds the Griffin. His name is Buruu. He had some comical moments. The way his relationship with Yukiko developed so quickly was a bit puzzling yet interesting.

There is a bit of a romance...well...I shouldn't even call it a romance. It's more of a fling. There's a fling between Yukiko and a Samurai that made me roll my eyes every now and again. I found it hard to deem the relationship genuine.

Also, the attempt at including Japanese terms in the book was...eh... I liked it, but at the same I didn't because I didn't understand what the Japanese terms meant. There's a glossary in the back of the book with definitions, but I felt like it interrupted my reading too much with going back and forth between chapter and glossary since I'd quickly forget what the Japanese term meant.

The ending was really good and I quite enjoyed it. I don't think this book/series is for me though, but maybe people who like their books to be very descriptive might like this read. I was gifted the second book by the same person who recommended this one, so we'll see if I like the second one better.

I just feel like this book didn't do a very good job of pulling me into the world and the story.

Maria

книжка довольно наивная, и использует просто все штампы, которые попадаются под руку. да и не только штампы, но и все японские слова, которые автор мог вспомнить. надели герои хакаму и уваги, подпоясались оби, на ноги натянули таби, обулись в гэта, за оби заткнули танто, и пошли ёкаев рубить. и так реально всю книжку, особенно первую треть (потом автору то ли надоедает, то ли он переключается на сюжет). только в середине есть относительно оригинальный кусок, где наша героиня пытается подружиться с грозовым тигром (который, правда, скорее грифон), а остальное будто списано из учебника "как написать ваш первый янг-адалт роман"

"What's that? You say you've got a Japanese Steampunk novel with mythic creatures, civil unrest, and a strong female protagonist? I'm afraid I missed everything you said after "Japanese Steampunk." That's all I really needed to hear." –Patrick Rothfuss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear Stormdancer is the first in the epic new fantasy series The Lotus War, introducing an unforgettable heroine and a stunningly original dystopian steampunk world with a flavor of feudal Japan 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. When hunters of Shima's imperial court are charged by their Shogun to capture a legendary griffin, they fear their lives are over. Any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shogun is death. Accompanying her father on the Shogun's hunt, the girl Yukiko finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima's last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled griffin 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. "An intoxicating joyride into steampunklandia with a magical dose of mythology, the supernatural, violence, dystopian themes, and a top-notch brassy heroine who rivals Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games." –Huffington Post "With airships, demons, and lashings of revolutionary swordplay, this chi-fueled vision of a steampunk feudal Japan will blow your split-toed socks off." -Scott Westerfeld, New York Times bestselling author of Leviathan "Kristoff is the master of unique and intense plots and huge twists. This book has it all — and a nice little bow to tie it all up with. There are swords, action, friendship, a conspiracy, grief and hope. It's going on my "Amazing Reads" shelf, and I urge you to pick it up." –USAToday.com "[A] fast-paced, fantastical adventure...sharp as a Shogun's sword." –The LA Times

Chloe 

Ahaana Bhargava

j*y kr*stoff, a white author, really said the most amount of research he did before basing his book on asian aesthetics was eating pocky until his eyes bled.

read my post on this book, and it's problematic aspects here. i also include recommendations, and #ownvoices substitutes you can check out! :)

Ally Wagner

I’m giving this book a 4 (4.25?) It’s no secret I love Jay Kristoff and I’m so happy my friends and I decided to read this as part of our January TBR. 

I know this is his earlier work and his writing has only become better since this book, but it was a little hard to grasp the world in the very beginning. I had to re-listen to a few parts to understand what he was describing, but I never lost interest in the book. If anything, my interest only grew the more the story went on.

By the end, I fell in love with this book. It was like a steampunk Japan with a healthy dose of the country’s lore. Also, reminded me a bit of anime, but I’m also an avid anime fan (and have seen so many) so that may just be me.

Katerina Thorson

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
BOOKSTAGRM

While it did take me awhile to finish this book, there was no terrifying reason except life getting in the way. After reading the first book in the Illuminae Files, I found myself captivated with the writing of Jay Kristoff and man was I wrong when I thought Illuminae covered his writing style. Stormdancer is written so detailed and intricately that you need to always be paying close attention to the world around the characters, not just the characters themselves. This book is a continuous world building phenomenon, AND I LOVED IT! 

THE CHARACTERS: One small issue that I found was there were SO many characters to keep track of. I struggled a little bit with secondary characters and not mixing them up or their position in the book. It also didn't help that character POV would change fairly quickly and it would take a paragraph for me to know who it was. However, the more I delved into the book and got a clearer sense of each character, it became easier. 

The strongest, and most well developed character in my eyes, had to be the main character - Yumiko. She truly was a badass in every form and not just in character development. A young girl, while slightly against the empire, still finds herself questioning her own beliefs especially when she gets entangled with Baruu the Arashitora . It truly is amazing to read. Also, don't get me started on the mythical creatures in this book...oh.my.god. are they amazing. GIVE ME ALL THE ARASHITORA! Literally in love! 



THE WRITING & PLOT: As I stated earlier the writing is absolutely amazing and is what pulled me into finding ALL of Jay Kristoff's books. He has such an interesting way of writing that I can honestly say is perfect, confusing, and makes you think. His style is very unique to himself as Tolkien's writing was to Tolkien. Let me put it to you this way...his writing is like gold at the end of the fucking rainbow, and I want to devour it all - yah not weird AT ALL! 



On a serious note, when it came to the plot, the part I found lacking...was the beginning. I am in agreement with a lot of my bookish friends with the beginning being slow as hell. I want to devour this book; however, with how slow the beginning was it took me awhile to not only get accustomed to the book but also to actually give a shit to what was going on in the world development. Once I was through those 100 pages or so...then the real fun began and I am happy I kept pushing even when I wanted to stop or give up! 

If you are a Jay Kristoff fan or new to his work definitely pick Stormdancer up and give it a read. For a new reader to Kristoff this book is perfect to get acclimated to his writing, world building, and character development. As for my reoccurring Kristoff fanatics, this book is amazing to tide you over until Darkdawn releases, and all of his other amazing works coming out in the next year!

Lauren James

Japanese Steampunk. That is all you need to know. That and a Griffon. Yep. You should read it!

Monicap

Melissa Railey

Sent by a murderous Shima Isles Shogun to capture a believed-extinct griffin, Yukiko embarks on her mission and is soon stranded in the wilderness with an injured griffin, with whom she makes a stand against corrupt authorities.

Stormdancer

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