Book One, Stormdancer: The Lotus War

DNF. There was nothing too incredibly wrong with this one, it just wasn't good.

In chapter one, we start with a girl named Yukiko being attacked by an oni (a demon) and the prose is just... bleh. It's not bad, but it's an action scene and it's just boring to read. Then in chapter two, we get a different character talking to a shogun (*cue Japanese speakers heaving a collected sigh at the author's weeaboo Japanese, including having all the characters address each other as "sama," which is an honorific that never appears by itself and always appears at the end of a name, and having multiple characters saying "hai" at the end of the sentence even though it's really annoying, unnatural, and there's already a particle "ne" that does the exact same thing.*)

Then in chapter three we get another character in another situation, and meanwhile I'm trying to figure out what the hell happened to Yukiko, the girl we met in Chapter One. Oh, there she is. We get about a half-page of description of her clothes and hairstyle (totally unnecessary) and then she gets ready to go into the hotel where these other characters currently are.

But wait, we last saw Yukiko fighting the oni and getting knocked unconscious against the tree. How did she escape that? What's going on here?

I kept reading past that point, but I just couldn't get into the story, and by chapter six, I still DGAF about any of the characters or any of the convoluted plot, so I threw up the DNF flag for this one. It's just way too hard to follow what's going on, there's too many characters, and the plot is all over the place. This is basically Game of Thrones, but worse--at least in GoT, you can keep each character and relevant plot straight and don't get confused as much.

Favorite Quote:

"Dying is easy. Anyone can throw themselves onto the pyre and rest a happy martyr. Enduring the suffering that comes with sacrifice is the real test."
This book made my inner anime nerd glow in happiness. This is a book with Japanese tones and setting done right. A bit overdone perhaps but still compared to the books I've read, a vast improvement. Now I can see how people without any prior knowledge of Japanese culture could get severely lost. He throws in a metric f-ton of words, practices, beliefs, gods, clothing, weapons, folklore, you name it it was probably in there. I won't lie, Kristoff is very wordy. Overly descriptive. Almost to the point of screaming "THIS IS SET/BASED IN JAPAN IN CASE YOU DIDN'T NOTICE YET" in your face while your reading. Yet I still enjoyed it so much.

And oh is it wordy. I definitely caught myself re-reading paragraphs a few times and it got so descriptive I may have skimmed a bit a few times. Now I think with trying to convey so much of the Japanese culture it can be taken three ways. You're already a fan and enjoy it (This was me), you roll with the punches and try to get by on the context or check back in the glossary, or you try to research every word/thing you don't understand and rip your hair out because you're constantly confused. I personally suggest just rolling with it. I feel the context wasn't THAT hard to grasp (perhaps I'm biased), there WAS a glossary and while there are SO MANY (there really are) potential unknown terminology thrown in that aren't normally understood, see how it goes after a while. It's just how you read I suppose. Do you feel the need to understand every single thing? Maybe this isn't for you. I plan to recommend this book to my best friend, she has been living in Japan for about 7 years and I'm curious to her thoughts on this. Too much? Does it scream trying too hard? It depends on your view.

The idea of Japanese steampunk is so unique. I adored it. While I admit I rolled my eyes at chainsaw katanas (I mean come on) I loved adding in the clockwork gear to Japanese armor and goggles being worn due to all the lotus steam polluting the air. The airships, and did I mention the lotus steam killing the planet? Love it. The steampunk element wasn't overdone and I think it really added to the descriptions making it a lot of fun.

I loved so many of the characters. Yukiko grew on me as she developed and realized she wasn't aware of everything in the universe and she was being a douche-canoe in the beginning. I LOVED seeing that development. Kin also grew on me. I wasn't sure how I would feel about him for a good portion of the beginning. I loved Kasumi (argh Yukiko you treated her like crap! But I guess I forgive you) and OMG Michi. I know she was a relatively small side character but she was one of my favorite characters in the whole novel. SHE HAD BETTER HAVE A MUCH BIGGER PART IN BOOK TWO. PERIOD. I NEED MORE MICHI. Of course we had Buruu. I love him so much. I want a Buruu. I need a Buruu. Gimme. Want want want.

While a bit slow moving (more so in the beginning) I really enjoyed this ride. The plot is thick with multiple layers. We had the main villain, the Guild which is a major faction just waiting to pounce from the background, The Kage, and Yukiko not knowing where to stand. This book had so much incorporated into it and I loved a few of the themes that were delved into. I had such a hard time coming up with a favorite quote because so many stuck out to me! Yet they were all from Buruu haha. Another one I was ready to use until near the end was:

"Change is seldom bloodless. Some eyes wish to remain closed. Sometimes they must be cut open."

BURUU I ALWAYS AGREED WITH YOU. Seriously this thunder tiger knows what is what. It also had a few sprinkles of humor tucked inside. I knew I'd have a good time by page 6.

"It was on a sweltering morning two weeks earlier when Yoritomo-no-miya, Seii Taishogun of the Shima Isles, emerged from his bedchamber, yawned and declared that he wanted a griffin."

I believe this also proves my earlier point of how this book reads, and trust me. That ain't nothing compared to other paragraphs.

I loved the incorporation of Japanese gods, of the thunder tiger, the over-arching plot. It was a lovely mix of so many things that I love so much. Japanese culture is something I have researched and loved for over 10 years and reading this really was a lot of fun.

After reading Illuminae last year and falling in love, I knew that I had to read this series too! I am so very glad that I did! This book is like nothing I've ever read. There is Feudal Japanese culture mixed with mythical Japanese creatures, steampunk elements, and a science fiction/dystopian hybrid feel. All of the Japanese elements are very authentic. All the elements that are brought together for this story are incredible.

Simply put, I am going to be honest and say that I didn't connect with this book in the beginning. But by the time I finished this book I was entranced by this story. Some books just start off slow or confusing, but end up being a book that you love. I rarely ever stop reading a book before it is finished for this very reason. With this book, there is a lot of Japanese terminology to get used to. Once you do, things start flowing nicely. I went back and read passages more than once because I was confused and I wasn't used to the Japanese culture displayed in the book. At first, I thought that this would negatively impact the way I felt about this book, but it didn't. The story really speaks for itself. By the time you get to the end you are in love.

One of the best things about this book is how involved the world building is. There is just so much in this world. There are so many elements of this story. This world is complex and unique. I have seriously never read about a world quite like this one. I just love it!

The characters are very interesting. Each character has secrets and they have their own agendas. I also love that one of the main characters in this book is a mythical creature! How cool is that? His name is Buruu. The way that he connects with Yukiko, the heroine of the story, is amazing. At first Buruu despises Yukiko, but they have to depend on one another to survive. This leads them to become like siblings by the end of the book. It is such a growth for each of them. The other characters are just as involved. Kin was a character that I think I loved most. He is a young man that was born into a world that he is bound to, but does not want to be a part of. I really felt for him. And while I couldn't figure out Masaru, Yukiko's dad, at first, I really felt for him by the end of the book.

The diversity of this book really spoke to me. In the world of young adult books filled with Caucasian heroines and fantastical lands overwhelmed with elves and magic and the like, this book is a breath of fresh air.

This is just one of those books that you have to experience for yourself. I highly recommend this unique story. Don't let the Japanese terminology discourage you. After you get a hang of the words and the meanings, this book is one of the most original stories that you will ever read.

After reading Jay Kristoff's Nevernight (his latest novel), I had high hopes for this one, "Stormdancer," his first novel. Alas, it was not to be. I've got a few problems with it. First, Kristoff's world-building is deeply flawed. The whole story is predicated on the main culture's use of "chi" (a fuel) and it's subsequent destruction of the environment. It's not well explained, but what the author did say is "chi" is some kind of mixture of hydrogen and lotus. It's the lotus that killing everything. The trouble is that if they can produce hydrogen in mass quantities, why mix it with a substance that pollutes? It's clean-burning all by itself. Next, the pollution is so bad that people are dying, almost all wildlife is dead, and most crops won't grow without major help. It's not a subtle problem. Yet, everyone keeps marching on to the same tune. Third, the story is themed around what's supposed to be a Japanese-Steampunk motif. Kristoff tries to stick as much Japanese stuff into the story as possible. Yet, it's only window-dressing. For instance, Bushido supposedly drive everything. Honor is all. Yet, the main character, a 16 year old girl, basically acts like a 16 year old Western girl. It's extremely jarring. And, finally, the main character IS a 16 year old girl and, much of the time, ACTS like a 16 year old girl. It's definitely off-putting. I guess if you consider the book to be a Young Adult book, it would be tolerable. But, for me, all of that adds up to a rating of a Not Very Good 2 stars out of 5.

I love this author…I CANNOT emphasize this enough. He’s way too wordy and sometimes tiresome, but he builds indescribable worlds and characters that I don’t stumble upon very often. Also, he throws in a sassy quadruped for you to fall in love with. Honestly, these are what dreams are made of! ❤
In the Lotus war series we get alternate, steam-punk Japan… HOW COOL DOES THAT SOUND?!? Very cool to me, which is why I picked it up. Immediately I was transported onto the decrepit docks of a port overlooking a poisoned ocean and sky--> this is when I knew it was going to be good (pg 1). 4 chapters in- BOOM- the main character can talk to animals and she’s trapped with an angry griffin! WHAT?!?!?! Omg… there’s no going back now. What kind of shenanigans are these two crazy kids going to get into?... well you’ll have to read and find out cuz it gets wild. Kristoff superbly weaves humor and drama into his stories that adds so much depth and sincerity to both the relationships and conflicts. When I read one of his novels I know it’s going to be like watching a marvel movie, I’ll laugh, I’ll cry, and I’ll be waiting with bated breath for news on the next installment.

Oh yeah…his main characters are usually butt-kicking women with brains and wicked skills. K.O.!
What are you waiting for? Start reading!

I’ve heard nothing but great things about this series. A Japanese steampunk with a kick-ass heroine and a griffin? Sign me up! So when I saw this series on sale on Bookoutlet, I had to pick up all three books.

Even with all the great things I’d heard about this book, I had no idea of the depth and breadth of this world. Kristoff’s world is a poisoned world for which the sake of progress has destroyed everything else. The technology runs on the fumes of lotus, but the lotus fumes are poisonous to humans and other animals. The sky had turned red from pollution, and animals and plants have slowly died off in this world. But any rebellion or unhappiness with the lotus is quickly quashed by the Guild, a religious organization that has the secret of lotus, and the Shogunate, whose government rules with an iron fist. Yukiko’s father, Masaru, is the Master of the Hunt for the Shogun, which is a somewhat useless position now that most animals and mythical creatures are dead due to the lotus. However, one day, the Shogun orders Masaru to go hunt the arashitora, a legendary griffin thought to be extinct.

I love the concept and the background of the story, and the world in general. However, this was a very slow book to get through. It was very very heavy on descriptions, which I tend to skim over. It’s all great to read about the sky-ships and all, but when those descriptions take up more than half of the book, I just want to get to the story. I don’t need the author to describe to me where every piston is on the flying ships. Another thing is there were a lot of characters that got introduced, who had interesting motivations, but Kristoff killed them before they can be much of anything. For example, the Shogun’s sister, Aisha, could’ve been such a strong force in the series, and had such potential (I have a weakness for strong female characters at Asian courts), but no, let’s just get rid of her like an afterthought. That really disappointed me.

To be honest, the only character I liked in the entire book is Buruu, the arashitora. He’s a griffin! How can you not like him? However, his character softened up way too much during the book. In the beginning he was this wild beast ready to destroy anything and everything. But near the end he began rolling on the ground like a dog for Yukiko’s affection. I know that’s because of the growing bond between Yukiko and Burru, but it makes it harder to take him seriously as a beast of legend.

Yukiko was an OK character for me. I sympathized with her because her dad is pretty much a drug addict. Oh, did I mention that humans can smoke lotus and it is pretty much what opium was to China in the 1800s. Anyway, she had to take care of her dad because of his addiction. Among other things, it makes her a bitter main character, who still had a strong sense of morals. Yet, at times she hesitates too much. I don’t know, I had strong feelings about what she should’ve done, but her constant back and forth and guilt about her actions just annoyed me. I guess you can call it her growth throughout the book, but I wasn’t really that impressed with her.

Overall, I’d finish the rest of the series, because Kristoff has set up a world that held my interest. I hope there is less tedious description and more action happening though. I just wish I had been able to care more about the characters. Still, it was an OK book, as seen by the 3 stars rating.

Originally reviewed at http://www.shaelit.com/my-reviews/2012/12/review-stormdancer-by-jay-kristoff/

When the story opens, the heroine Yukiko is running for her life from some monstrous demon things called oni. It’s fast-paced, exhilarating, and made me pump my fist like a frat boy. But then Mr. Kristoff bumps the narrative back two weeks so we can watch as the shogun orders the hunt for the fabled arashitora or “thunder-tiger.” Then, just as quickly, we’re pushed to Yukiko’s father and then back to Yukiko herself.

I was displeased. I didn’t want a multi-narrative story. I wanted Yukiko’s tale and no one else’s. Worse, Mr. Kristoff’s world is very authentic and therefore very confusing initially. Like a tourist stepping foot in a new country, I found myself reeling, buffeted on all sides by strange common nouns such as “kouka,” “yakuza,” “hakama,” “obi,” “tabi,” etc. They were words that meant nothing to me, flitting around my eyes like pesky gnats. I felt lost and overwhelmed by the sheer foreignness of it all.

If you should pick up Stormdancer and find yourself lost in the kudzu of shifting narratives and unfamiliar words, don’t fret. I made it, and you can, too. Go slowly, take deep breaths, and relax. Once you’ve settled into your new home, you’ll find that Mr. Kristoff has created a fantastic world populated with some of the more memorable characters I’ve ever read.

Yukiko’s lands are dying. Everything in the pseudo-Japanese steampunk society is powered by a plant called the blood lotus. The lotus powers the ships and is the key ingredient in nearly every industry on the isles. But lotus comes at a high price. It kills the fields where it is grown, scorching the soil. The fumes from the plants poison the air so that everyone must wear rebreathers to filter out toxins and goggles to block out the damaging rays of the blood-red sun. The animals died long ago. The people die more slowly, choked by black lung plague, lulled by intoxicating lotus fumes, or starved by crushing poverty.

Yukiko, in a small way, feels these injustices. She despises the shogun for making her father move to the capital city and away from her mountain home. She fears the Lotus Guildsmen who raise the lotus and keep the populace in check by destroying those who are deemed Impure. And yet she does nothing. What can she do? She is only a girl. So she hides her own impurities, keeps her head down, and shuffles on.

But then Yukiko meets the arashitora, the thunder-tiger she names Buruu, and everything changes.

I loved Yukiko and Buruu. Yukiko is fiery, clever, and often wrong. She feels deeply and is probably one of the more impressively fierce female protagonists I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. Yukiko is also blessed with the ability to reach into the minds of animals. Through her, we are able to meet Buruu, the growling, majestic thunder-tiger. Stranded by a terrible storm and separated from the rest of the hunting party, Yukiko and Buruu form a fragile truce to survive the demon-riddled forest.

Unlike most animal buddy stories, Buruu doesn’t merely distrust humans. He despises them. He calls them monkeys, pests, and despoilers. Yukiko’s kind have ruined the land, plucked him from the skies, and clipped his wings. He even tries to kill Yukiko before reluctantly saving her from the oni. Distinctly unhuman, Buruu is a fully realized character who delighted me with his ferocity, his wit, his valor, and even his humor. (Page 216 made me cackle out loud.)

Buruu and his kind are part of the larger mythology that Mr. Kristoff weaves through the story. Yukiko and her father both tell stories within the narrative, and these tales were my entry into the world that previously baffled me. Some, such as the story of the great Stormdancers, were (as far as I could tell) unique to Yukiko’s world, while others were reimagined versions of familiar Greco-Roman myths. All of them were beautiful.

Once the myths allowed me to gain footing, my initial culture shock quickly wore off and morphed into amazed curiosity as the parallels between our world and Yukiko’s became more apparent. The blood lotus, for instance, reminded me strongly of the opium that plagued 19th century China. Of course, it’s not merely enough for Mr. Kristoff to riff of history; instead, he takes the base of something familiar and continually layers on twist after horrifying twist. Let me just warn you all now, this lotus stuff is messed up.

Another parallel that was woven throughout the entire novel is the gaijin. In Yukiko’s world, the gaijin are the foreigners. Barbaric and savage, their skin color and oddly shaped eyes set them apart from the shogun’s people. They live across the sea in a land begging to be tamed. In fact, in the middle of the narrative explaining the current war against the gaijin, it’s mentioned that the gaijin need to simply give in and let themselves “be civilized.” Oh, did I mention that the gaijin are also called “round-eyes”? As someone who intellectually understands racism, it was a jolt for me to be able to truly feel it for the first time. The whole underlying thread was brilliant, and I have a feeling the gaijin will have a role to play in the next book.

I regret for possibly the first time ever that I’ve graduated and therefore no longer need to write analytical essays. As I said previously, Stormdancer is a tale that should be read slowly, if only so all the different threads can be unpacked. Mr. Kristoff deals with family, forgiveness, sacrificing the one for the sake of the whole, individuality and community, vengeance, and the high cost of revenge. Amid all of the deeper concerns are surface twists that will delight the reader. I can’t tell you the last time I read a book that seemingly dealt me the foul hand of insta-love AND a love triangle only to subvert both tropes by the end.

Best of all is that while Stormdancer wrestles with loss and love, friendship and family, all displayed by a dazzlingly large cast, it lets each character have his or her moment to shine. I still can’t spell each character’s name without consulting my notes, but I know each of them the moment they reappear on the page. From the smallest beggar girl to the mightiest shogun, each character is given a life with all its heartaches and triumphs.

I look forward to Stormdancer‘s sequel, not merely to read the continuation of Yukiko’s story, but to read the continuation of everyone’s story and to enter Mr. Kristoff’s vibrant world once more. Also, I think I may need to visit Japan now.

Points Added For: Excellent world-building, a great premise and execution, Yukiko and Buruu’s friendship, twists, the blood lotus, the mythology, all of the many characters that I didn’t have space to mention. (You’re my guy, Kin!)

Points Subtracted For: Unnecessary language, confusing me in the beginning, making me cry. (We all know this is actually a sign of good writing, but crying makes me cranky.)

Good For Fans Of: Fresh dystopians, pseudo-Japanese culture, vivid mythology, kick-butt heroines.

Notes For Parents: Language, drug use, nudity via the viewpoint of a peeping Tom, incest, fade-to-black sex, genocide, murder, animal death, violence, dismemberment (in a fight scene).

I picked up this book for the same reason everyone else did: the unusual Japanese steampunk theme. I can see why some people said it was hard to get into. The scenery descriptions are very atmospheric but also a bit long-winded and potentially off-putting. As a child, I imagined detail in a book, but as an adult I sometimes brush through things and don't want to bother, especially if I don't know if the book is worth the time yet. A book like this benefits more from the in-the-moment, detail-oriented child's view. However, if you can accept that, the arashatori and the battles and the relationship twists more than make up for it, I felt. The first encounter with the thunder tiger and the oni were probably my favorite scenes.

I enjoyed the book but chose to take a star off for the following reasons:
-------mild spoilers, lacking specific detail------
-the relationship between Yukiko and Buruu developed too quickly, with too few hurdles. It was kind of binary: from hate to love with little in between.
-I didn't like what Yukiko did in the climax. I didn't know that was in the book's range of possibilities, first of all, and it seemed too easy. There were other things I would've rather seen happen.
-some descriptions, while worded well, ran on a bit long, as mentioned.

Still, I will probably get the next book.

Stormdancer, ah where do I even begin. Okay, I admit that I had a hard time adjusting myself to the terminology vomit which is why it took me more than a month to finish it. Also, I just wasn't ready for it when I started reading it, I guess. However, once I got determined to continue reading Stormdancer, I was quickly absorbed into the story and what a story it turned out to be! Jay Kristoff does like to tear readers into pieces and leave them an emotionally unstable mess. I got teary eyed twice while reading it which hardly ever happens. Emotionally overwhelmed like you don't even know (or maybe you do if you've read Stormdancer).

In the wounded land of Shima, it's hard to find a soul who hasn't been touched by the impurity of the blood lotus. If it's not addiction to smoking the wretched weed or slaving in a field of the blood lotus, it's getting choked by the chi exhaust. There is no wilderness save for the arashitora and the war has made everyone bitter, poor and tired to the bone. It seems like it's an end of the Shima Isles but the hunt for a thunder tiger is a game changer.

Yukiko is my home girl. She's such a striking combination of brave and weak and broken and whole that I just couldn't help but admire her from page one. She's lived such a difficult life and the pain never ends, not for her. She's a rebel at heart and never the one to ever back down from a challenge because her will is made of steel. Yet she's still young and has flaws and makes mistakes that are so human, it's heartbreaking. Never have I ever been so glad that she found a friend in a thunder tiger.

Buruu is a myth made flesh and blood, a son of the thunder god Raijin; an unconquerable arashitora with equal amounts of sarcasm and loyalty. My heart bled for him, his despair, his crippled self, and his wounded heart. How he went from a ragey beast to a purring thunder tiger is so, so moving to read about because 'feathers grow back, sisters do not.'

Stormdancer is all-encompassing in that it has equally captivating characters and a complex, solid plot. The dirty dealings of the Shōgun and the Lotus Guild are something to read about from the disgraceful actions of Yoritomo to the horrifying mindset of an Artificer. Moreover, the secondary characters are fleshed out so well. Yukiko isn't the only appealing female character (though, she's the best) because there's the exotic Kasumi, the beautiful Kaori, the flawless Lady Tora Aisha and a playful Michi. In terms of the male characters, I found Akihito to be a gift for Masaru and Daichi for Yukiko, Kin is so fine, and Hiro ended up complicating matters for me. And oh, Yoritomo. Let me count the ways how I loathe thee. His villainy is commendable though so, kudos to Jay Kristoff for making me feel this way about yet another evil character.

Stormdancer is pure bliss of a book for a fantasy lover. From the terrible oni to the majestic arashitora, from the red skies of the Kigen City to the endless rain of the Iishi Mountains, from the grief stricken Masaru to the rebellious Yukiko, Stormdancer is an absolute joy and utterly miserable book to read. Joy because there's so much grandeur and utter misery because it's just such a moving story. Stormdancer starts out complicated, there are moments of mirth and there are moments of all-consuming rage and in between it all lies a truly invincible friendship and that's where all the beauty lies.

To introduce you to the (for me) very different world of Stormdancer a bit, we have to go back to feudal Japan, take those concepts and plop them down amongst a land devastated by the poison from the Blood Lotus, which provides fuel for just about everything, including the machines that pillage the land and the trains that traverse it. It’s that whole poison thing that’s the big issue. It’s ruining the land, poisoning its people and has created addicts out of the percentage of the population that smokes it. As in most dystopian, there is a huge divide in the haves and have-nots and on this note, enter the Shogun of Shima, Yoritomo: young, impetious, very powerful and perhaps most important of all, ten shades of crazy. Batshit crazy. About 10 cards short of a deck. You get the point. He has tasked 16 year old Yukiko and her father to capture a griffin (arashitora, or, stormtiger). Yep, big man baby wants a griffin, and dammit, if he doesn’t get one, he’s gonna stomp his feet and well, kill people (it’s pretty much one of his favorite past-times and for the most part, is a great motivator on the part of his underlings.) The magnificent arashitora has the head, forelegs and wings of an eagle, and the hindquarters of a tiger. They’re also called thundertigers, and as you’ll discover, there’s a good reason for that. So, Yukiko, her father Masaru, and loyal friend Akihito set out on an airship (along with a particular Guildsman that will be very important to the story) on what what they consider a fools journey, but to refuse, or to fail, is to die. Of course, as you have probably already guessed, they find what they’re looking for, and this is when the really good stuff starts.

Yukiko, as we come to find out, has a little something extra extra, and the bond she develops with the griffin, who she names Buruu, forms the basis of what I thought was a superb series start. I’ll admit that it took me about 50 pages or so to get into Stormdancer. The reason for this is, for me, Jay Kristoff has created such a rich, different world in Shima, its people, and its contraptions and getting used to some of the Japanese terminology took me a bit. Don’t let that scare you away, however! In fact, there’s a handy glossary in the book, and I’d actually urge you to look it over before you read. Anyway, so yes, there’s Yukiko and Buruu, and you didn’t actually think she was going to just hand him over to Yoritomo, did you? He’s a determined fellow, though, and always gets what he wants. Too bad for him that there are seeds of rebellion being planted all over Shima and beyond, and Yukiko will become a huge part of this, starting with a group of dissidents that call themselves Kage and have made a place for themselves in the dense, beautiful woods beyond Shima called the Iishi.

I am not a seasoned reader of fantasy, but reading Stormdancer was a singular experience for me. It reduced me to emotional rubble on more than one occasion and the ending left me a mess (hence the reason I was glad I had Kinslayer on hand.) I’ve seen a couple of people point out that it was jarring to see a nearly devastated ecological system within a culture that traditionally reveres nature, and that’s fair, but keep in mind, this is a fantasy, and a big part of the story is how to put a stop to, and reverse, the damage that’s been done. But that aside, Yukiko is a wonderfully sympathetic and fascinating creation, and of course Buruu…just…amazing. Yes,the author’s writing is beautiful, he has created a scarily detailed and rich dystopian world, and characters to both loathe and root for and love (and some action that kicks such serious ass it’s not even funny), but it was the bond between Yukiko and Buruu that completely did me in (in a good way) and made me want to sit down and bury myself in this book until it was over. When a book resonates with me in such an emotional way, I consider it a complete win.

Stormdancer: The Lotus War Book One, by Jay Kristoff, has been on my to-read or listen-to list for a long time. Prior to the book's release, the book cover illustration caught my eye and I read the description. The idea of Japanese steam punk intrigued me in many ways. I've never pre-ordered a book because my list of books to read is already too long, but I did put it on my wish list.

After the book was released, I kept coming back to it but never quite found the time with so many other things going on—family, work, reading, writing, and getting through life in general. Anyone familiar with my blog or my reviews will know that I'm a big proponent of audiobooks. Part of the reason I like to listen to books is convenience, but I also just really enjoy the medium of storytelling. (Voice actors rock.) So I purchased my audiobook copy and began to listen, even though I was in the mood for crime fiction. I had just finished an excellent novel in that genre.

So when I began to listen to Stormdancer, the story was starting with a couple of disadvantages. The newness of the idea and my first impression of the book cover had worn off and I was really in the mood for a murder mystery or crime drama of some sort. The extended courtship of this book definitely paid off. Stormdancer is one of the best books I've listen to or read in a long time. It fulfilled my expectations and surpassed them.

As with many books of fantasy and other types of speculative fiction, I am often overwhelmed in the beginning by scene setting and world building. Perhaps it is because I read so many books that I have less and less patience for description. Now, that makes it seem like the description wasn't good in Stormdancer, which is definitely not the case. Storm dancer is a vivid world that is built carefully and thoroughly. It meets one of my main criteria for fiction, in that I feel I can daydream there for extended periods of time. For this to work, there must be interesting and dangerous characters in addition to the world description.

Early in the story, the characters take life and the stakes they face increase steadily. Jay Kristoff kept up the pressure until the end of the book, and I found myself lost in the fictive dream. I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series and hope it can match the quality of the first.

To introduce you to the (for me) very different world of Stormdancer a bit, we have to go back to feudal Japan, take those concepts and plop them down amongst a land devastated by the poison from the Blood Lotus, which provides fuel for just about everything, including the machines that pillage the land and the trains that traverse it. It’s that whole poison thing that’s the big issue. It’s ruining the land, poisoning its people and has created addicts out of the percentage of the population that smokes it. As in most dystopian, there is a huge divide in the haves and have-nots and on this note, enter the Shogun of Shima, Yoritomo: young, impetious, very powerful and perhaps most important of all, ten shades of crazy. Batshit crazy. About 10 cards short of a deck. You get the point. He has tasked 16 year old Yukiko and her father to capture a griffin (arashitora, or, stormtiger). Yep, big man baby wants a griffin, and dammit, if he doesn’t get one, he’s gonna stomp his feet and well, kill people (it’s pretty much one of his favorite past-times and for the most part, is a great motivator on the part of his underlings.) The magnificent arashitora has the head, forelegs and wings of an eagle, and the hindquarters of a tiger. They’re also called thundertigers, and as you’ll discover, there’s a good reason for that. So, Yukiko, her father Masaru, and loyal friend Akihito set out on an airship (along with a particular Guildsman that will be very important to the story) on what what they consider a fools journey, but to refuse, or to fail, is to die. Of course, as you have probably already guessed, they find what they’re looking for, and this is when the really good stuff starts.

Yukiko, as we come to find out, has a little something extra extra, and the bond she develops with the griffin, who she names Buruu, forms the basis of what I thought was a superb series start. I’ll admit that it took me about 50 pages or so to get into Stormdancer. The reason for this is, for me, Jay Kristoff has created such a rich, different world in Shima, its people, and its contraptions and getting used to some of the Japanese terminology took me a bit. Don’t let that scare you away, however! In fact, there’s a handy glossary in the book, and I’d actually urge you to look it over before you read. Anyway, so yes, there’s Yukiko and Buruu, and you didn’t actually think she was going to just hand him over to Yoritomo, did you? He’s a determined fellow, though, and always gets what he wants. Too bad for him that there are seeds of rebellion being planted all over Shima and beyond, and Yukiko will become a huge part of this, starting with a group of dissidents that call themselves Kage and have made a place for themselves in the dense, beautiful woods beyond Shima called the Iishi.

I am not a seasoned reader of fantasy, but reading Stormdancer was a singular experience for me. It reduced me to emotional rubble on more than one occasion and the ending left me a mess (hence the reason I was glad I had Kinslayer on hand.) I’ve seen a couple of people point out that it was jarring to see a nearly devastated ecological system within a culture that traditionally reveres nature, and that’s fair, but keep in mind, this is a fantasy, and a big part of the story is how to put a stop to, and reverse, the damage that’s been done. But that aside, Yukiko is a wonderfully sympathetic and fascinating creation, and of course Buruu…just…amazing. Yes,the author’s writing is beautiful, he has created a scarily detailed and rich dystopian world, and characters to both loathe and root for and love (and some action that kicks such serious ass it’s not even funny), but it was the bond between Yukiko and Buruu that completely did me in (in a good way) and made me want to sit down and bury myself in this book until it was over. When a book resonates with me in such an emotional way, I consider it a complete win.

Stormdancer: The Lotus War Book One, by Jay Kristoff, has been on my to-read or listen-to list for a long time. Prior to the book's release, the book cover illustration caught my eye and I read the description. The idea of Japanese steam punk intrigued me in many ways. I've never pre-ordered a book because my list of books to read is already too long, but I did put it on my wish list.

After the book was released, I kept coming back to it but never quite found the time with so many other things going on—family, work, reading, writing, and getting through life in general. Anyone familiar with my blog or my reviews will know that I'm a big proponent of audiobooks. Part of the reason I like to listen to books is convenience, but I also just really enjoy the medium of storytelling. (Voice actors rock.) So I purchased my audiobook copy and began to listen, even though I was in the mood for crime fiction. I had just finished an excellent novel in that genre.

So when I began to listen to Stormdancer, the story was starting with a couple of disadvantages. The newness of the idea and my first impression of the book cover had worn off and I was really in the mood for a murder mystery or crime drama of some sort. The extended courtship of this book definitely paid off. Stormdancer is one of the best books I've listen to or read in a long time. It fulfilled my expectations and surpassed them.

As with many books of fantasy and other types of speculative fiction, I am often overwhelmed in the beginning by scene setting and world building. Perhaps it is because I read so many books that I have less and less patience for description. Now, that makes it seem like the description wasn't good in Stormdancer, which is definitely not the case. Storm dancer is a vivid world that is built carefully and thoroughly. It meets one of my main criteria for fiction, in that I feel I can daydream there for extended periods of time. For this to work, there must be interesting and dangerous characters in addition to the world description.

Early in the story, the characters take life and the stakes they face increase steadily. Jay Kristoff kept up the pressure until the end of the book, and I found myself lost in the fictive dream. I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series and hope it can match the quality of the first.

Stormdancer had two great things going for it: alternative universe Japan and steampunk. And if you had never been introduced to either of those worlds, then you likely would have been fascinated by the 'wealth' (read: truckload) of info dumping done to describe them. But as a long time Otaku and steampunk aficionado, I'm not impressed by the mythology or worldbuilding any more - I know it already. I want a great story first, not tell and never show. But it was all tell and I was bored to tears by this simplistic plot.

Plot: selfish jerk of a Shogun wants to show he's powerful and orders his chief beastmaster to go capture a griffin. Beastmaster and daughter (main character, Yukiko) set out on what is a hopeless task but they run into one. Griffin escapes, Yukiko uses her 'demon' powers to communicate and placate beast, they return to main City, and set out to kill evil emperor Shogun.

Right off the bat, the pace was slow, with lots of descriptions and info dumps, and the characters were very flat. There was so much loving descriptions going on about the world that it was almost annoying to have characters in that pretty place. I loved the entire concept of Lotus plants powering a steampunk type of world. And there were some great chances to really interject horror elements into the plots - demons and sacrifices and ritual deaths. But the author never stayed with the story and kind of meandered through the plot so he could show off his knowledge. This was a book that felt 600 pages long - I kept stopping and it was nearly impossible to want to return to the drudgery of endless mythology descriptions, Japanese history descriptions, societal ranking descriptions, blah blah. Especially since I was so well aware of it already anyway.

I know many will rail against how the author has portrayed Japan; but hey, it is an alternate universe. I don't mind the way he set it up at all and was fascinated by the things that were NOT authentic Japanese history. But the characters really need to live and breathe in that world and no one in the story did that. Everyone talked the same, acted the same, in very simplistic manners. There really was no subtlety or subterfuge, complexities or nuances. And that's where the story really started to drag with me. If the speaker wasn't named, it could have been ANY character that was speaking, male or female. The Achilles heel of this book was the lack of action and pace.

I listened to the Audible version and the author did a decent job, though there were some irritating tics in there. But she made it easy to differentiate between the different characters, giving them much more personality than the writer did.

On the positive side, this book has crossed a dystopian steampunk story with a fantasy novel and it actually works. Quite well, in fact. The basic plot is excellent and the cast of characters is varied and interesting.

The problem for me, and the main reason for the 3 star review, is that I really disliked the author's writing style. Here is a sentence taken from the book: "A five-sided fist of yellow stone amidst a growth of hunchbacked, abandoned slaughterhouses, the great nest of pipes and tanks and vomiting chimneys that must be the refinery, a rusted length of intestine spilling from its bowels and leading off north toward First House." Now, picture page after page of sentences just like that one and you can understand why, at one point, it took a whole chapter just to describe a walk across town. I completely understand that this is a matter of personal preference. Some people enjoy this style of writing and some don't. I just happen to be one who does not.

I had a few other minor quibbles. Many of the characters were too one-dimensional. The author often chose to describe in great detail things that I didn't really care that much about, while completely skipping over events I wanted to know more about. The story left me with some unanswered questions that may, or may not be addressed in future books - both the subtitle, "The Lotus War Book One," and the the store description indicate that this is intended to be the first in a series.

Do I recommend this book? Maybe. As I said, the basic premise and plot are great. If the idea of a feudal Japanese dystopian steampunk fantasy novel appeals to you and you aren't bothered by the writing style, with its long, descriptive, adjective-overloaded sentences, then you will probably enjoy this book. However, I didn't like it enough to read any future books in the series.

Japanese steampunk. Those are the two magic words that have put Stormdancer on many a readers TBR pile/bookshelves. Jay Kristoff has created a world to rival the best Epic Fantasy ones, and writing so beautiful that I had the urge to highlight almost every sentence. Unlike most EF titles the war and conflict of the nation is actually developed, the war isn't for the sake good action scenes. It's road to revolution and hopefully freedom. How a single person, a group, and an idea can better the world.

~They will win. Though it take a hundred years, they will topple your Shôgun. Burn his fields and cities. Fade away into shadow. Into places his armies cannot reach. More than flesh, they are an idea.~

The steampunk mixed into the Japanese (Japan called Shima here) culture is well done. The technology didn't feel over the top and it's pollution of the world is authentic. For those not used to Japanese culture and terms there's a handy-dandy glossary in the back. The gryphon's or Arashitora (trans. Thunder Tiger) is really wonderful and I love the connection that a Stormdancer can have with one. Very Valdemar-ish. The myths and living legends are beautiful and haunting.

~The city's broad cypress-bark roofs were desiccated and gray, stripped of paint by the merciless sun and polluted black rains that fell in Shima's winter months.~

The goggles that are standard issue for pretty much every steampunk have a use besides eye protection while flying in the sky. Everyone needs them to protect there eyes from the sun. Pollution and the death of the world is a big issue here. It's amazing seeing the portrayal of people simply accepting that it. There's no food, animal or plant kind, as the technology's advancement kills nature. Every field of lotus used to make the fuel powering the technology sterilizes the land, and the cure to prolong the use of the land is a shocking revelation. There's prisoners of war used as slaves, child labor, disease caused by the pollution.

~"One day you will understand, Yukiko. One day you will see that we must sometimes sacrifice for the sake of something greater."~

Stormdancer isn't simply about the story of a kingdom gaining it's freedom from a mad tyrant. The people realizing that they are the power of the nation. It's about Yukiko's journey from the innocence of youth to adulthood. To being able to see the truth and confront and deal with it. Growing up out of the self righteousness of youth. There is a love triangle here, with a point behind it. The romance shows the ramifications of being in love with an idea of someone and the reality of love.

Yukiko is a wonderful leading lady for the youths to look up to. She's responsible and can take care of herself. While still accepting that she is a child. Her interactions with the gryphon and the people around her felt so real. Her kindness to a beggar girl in the streets, to the hardness she shows her farther develops and evolves.

As always, there were a few things I have to knit pick. The red lotus is never explained. Ever thing is called lotus: lotus flies, lotus rats . . . Is it because they are some how created by the lotus? Or because lotus is so influential they just need to add it into everything because it's shaped it? Plus, how is this lotus different from other lotuses and how was it developed? The immediate love interest over a pair of green eyes was beyond annoying. Kristoff created an interesting coming of age story around it, but it was still naive. Maybe. That was the point. (I'll go with that.)

~"Each of you must decide where you stand," she called. "All we ask is that you refuse to kneel. You are the people. You have the power. Open your eyes. Open your minds. Then close the fingers on your hand."~

Stormdancer isn't just a story of a woman growing up. Or the revolution of a nation. It's both, and much more. Showing the horrors of tyranny, the price of rebellion and taking a stand, the toll of simply ignoring the world around you, death and loss, and the gift of choice. Kristoff blends aspects of many genres to create a complex tale. This is for readers who have interest in steampunk, epic fantasy, Japanese culture, action, political intrigue, and those craving a unique and different world. Ah, perfection.

Sexual Content: There are geisha in this tale. There is some sex, but very mild no full on bedroom scenes. Sexual humor and some peeping toms.

5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession

Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.

I should have known better, since Stormdancer's own cover blurb praises the idea of the book rather than its actual quality. But I was intrigued by the description, and didn't realize that the book is much more appropriate for teenage anime/video game fans than for a general adult fantasy audience.

To start with something positive: the dystopian/steampunk elements of this book are pretty cool, and I like that it deals with environmental and social issues. And I didn't feel the urge to throw it at a wall. It does get a little bit better as it goes, and finishes strong (relatively speaking--I was never moved, but the end is the best part). And, in fairness, I am not a teenager and have never been very interested in anime; I don't melt at the phrase "chainsaw katana"; and so I'm not in the target demographic for this book.

Now the plot. Teenage Yukiko accompanies her father on a supposedly impossible mission to capture a "thunder-tiger" (part eagle, part tiger, essentially a griffin) for the evil Shogun, but winds up teaming up with the thunder-tiger to fight the Shogun instead. Here's where my problems with Stormdancer begin. The plot drags, especially but not exclusively in the first third of the book, weighed down by a ponderous style. Rather than building great imagery through well-chosen details, Kristoff dumps enormous amounts of detail on the reader in a pedestrian writing style, such that almost nothing happens for the first 50 pages. Here's a sample:

"She wore an outfit of sturdy gray cloth, unadorned save for a small fox embroidered on the breast, cut simply for the sake of utility. An uwagi tunic covered her from neck to mid-thigh, open at the throat, long, loose sleeves with folded cuffs rippling in the feeble breeze. An obi sash of black silk was wrapped tight around her waist, six inches wide, tied in a simple bow at the small of her back. A billowing pair of hakama trousers trailed down to her feet, which were covered by a pair of split-toed tabi socks. Long hair flowed around her shoulders, midnight black against pale, smooth skin. A gray kerchief was tied over her mouth, polarized glass lenses trimmed with thin brass and black rubber covering her eyes."

As for the characters.... they and their interactions have all the depth and verisimilitude of a video game. Which isn't to say they can't be enjoyable--I very much enjoyed the stories in games like the Final Fantasies and Skies of Arcadia as a kid--but as an adult reading a novel, forced exchanges like this one set my teeth on edge:

" `Are you . . . kami? A spirit?' [. . .]
`Not at all,' he shook his head. `I am no spirit, Yukiko-chan.'
`Then what are you?'
`Alone.' He shrugged again. `Like you.'
The boy gave a deep bow, lowering his eyes to the varnished floor. He straightened with a frail smile, nodded his head, then turned and wandered away. [. . .]
Yukiko watched him disappear down the stairs, loose strands of hair caught in the wind and flailing at her eyes.
Well, that was odd. . . ."

Meanwhile, characters' thoughts and emotional reactions are as hackneyed and predictable as if they'd been handed flashcards with their personality, backstory and motivations right before walking on for their scenes. In fact, even with Yukiko, not only do we get no reason for her inclusion in the mission, we don't learn what her life was beforehand or where it was going: was she in school, working, keeping house? Planning for a career, for marriage? Or just running constant errands for her father? We hear about all the traumatic parts of her Tragic Past, but nothing about her actual life. Works in a role-playing game, not so much in a novel.

The book is told from a limited third-person perspective, mostly from Yukiko's POV, but being in her head actually confuses her personality further, especially since the male gaze is so pervasive. On meeting another woman, Yukiko describes her as follows: "possessed of the kind of beauty that inspired poets; the kind a man might happily murder his own brother to taste for a single heartbeat. Porcelain skin, high cheekbones, full lips, waves of blue-black velvet falling past her chin...." and so on. Which doesn't sound much like a heterosexual 16-year-old girl; in fact, the guy she actually lusts after doesn't get nearly so much loving description. The talk about his beauty is limited to the color of his eyes, which are "sea-green," even though he's Asian.

For that matter, the book suffers from a lack of attention to detail throughout, from the half-tiger character alternatively displaying the mannerisms of a dog and of a housecat, to characters taking off the goggles they need to protect their eyes from the sun in order to raise their eyebrows at someone (wouldn't this society have developed a way to express skepticism that's less awkward and doesn't expose one to environmental hazards?), to the use of the term "one-percenters"--straight from our current political discourse--to describe the elite. All minor in themselves, but these sorts of things kept throwing me out of the story.

Finally, there's the setting. Kristoff has candidly stated in interviews that his "research" was primarily Wikipedia and anime. And it shows, even to someone with little knowledge of Japan, because the details never add up to a true sense of place, and the misuse of Japanese words is rampant. Even I know that "sama" is a suffix, not the equivalent of "sir." Since it's fantasy, Kristoff had the option of inventing his own culture and using made-up words, but instead he chose to market it as "Japanese steampunk," using Japanese names, clothing, weapons, titles, concepts (samurai, geisha, etc.), even a familiar-looking map. Unfortunately, this starts to look like cultural appropriation. (Several reviews on Goodreads discuss this in more detail than I'm qualified to, so check those out for more information on this point.)

On its own terms, the culture also isn't that well-developed, although the dystopian elements are decent and I did enjoy the steampunk aesthetic. For instance, one character states that women are oppressed and can't even own property, but you'd never know it from the way Yukiko is actually treated throughout the book.

So, in the end I saw little of the appeal that many others have apparently found in this book. And now I hope you will all go read Fudoki, a truly beautiful historical fantasy set in 12th century Japan, and one that deserves all the hype this book is mistakenly getting.

Read from December 17 to 23, 2012

Stormdancer was a very interesting ride. You get your fix of adventure, fantasy and beautiful descriptions. The world Jay Kristoff created is something you'll carry even days after you finish the book (and still think about it).

Meet Yukiko a wonderful, powerful and loyal heroine who will introduce you to an Asian-layered-steampunk-Epic-like ride into the lotus fume lands trying to bring back to her Shogun a mythical being: a griffin who will change her life completely. Meet Buruu a beautiful mythical half tiger/eagle who is loyal and richly portrayed.
Travel into the lands of the Shima Imperium and the Clans of Fox, Tiger, Phoenix and Dragon. Visit mythical creatures and lands. Explore the machinery of the Lotus Guild and the Blood Lotus barren lands. Where the skies are red and the air is toxic. Imagine tattoos come come to life, and katana-like-chainsaws that need blood as fuel. Yeah, you'll have an unforgettable visit to a very strange place!

This book reads like puzzle pieces clicking together with snippets thrown here and there that wonderfully connect with each other. It felt like reading layers of a comic book, with more hidden meanings and thoughts. Nothing is simple. Things are left for the reader to digest and your imagination will slowly fill any wholes you think you're missing (which by the end you'll be happily surprised they weren't).
It's funny that when I first started this book, by chapter 2 I was telling my husband how much I wished there was a dictionary/glossary of sorts to help me out to keep up with all these names! They get very confusing! And so silly of me to belatedly find this Glossary was here ALL THE TIME, but only when I finished my book! Yeah, I'm one of those readers who try to avoid table of contents since they tend to become a spoiler feast. So this is a friendly reminder for all of you e-readers out there, when facing confusion, check the last pages before finishing, as you may be pleasantly surprised :)

It is understandable this book is not for everyone. So give it a test read. If by when you met Buruu you're not hooked. Just let it go. But try to at least stay for his introduction! I promise, you won't regret it.

And if the above does not convince you, perhaps this will: Buruu is a Griffin! This book has a GRIFFIN!!! Yes, a mythical creature, with soft wings and tiger feet. With a beak and a cat's tail and best of all Yukiko will ride it! Who won't enjoy reading about riding a Griffin? I want to ride one! But I will be contempt just by reading about it in Stormdancer (for now, just until I find mine).

The big selling point of Stormdancer is evidently its inventive Japanese Steampunk setting, with Iron Samurai in piston-driven armour with combustion engines and the Shogun's forces going to battle against foreign gaijin forces in airships powered by chi from the all-important blood lotus crop, but Jay Kristoff's unique spin on the fantasy genre goes quite a way beyond that, drawing from Japanese tradition and mythology and integrating it credibly and thrillingly into a fully-formed worldview that promises to have depths worth following up in subsequent volumes of this new series.

What's great about Stormdancer then is how the Japanese setting works so well within the usually Nordic mythology inspired fantasy template. Yes there are mythical creatures, forces of good and evil and other familiar trappings of the genre, but Jay Kristoff's book relies more on traditional Japanese mythology, legends and folktales, with 'oni' demons arising out of the Yomi pits of Hell as more convincing than battling against generic hordes of evil that you usually find in swords and sorcery, dungeons and dragons material. There are however also more human types of evil involved in the planting and harvesting of the blood lotus that the author relates to more familiar modern atrocities, motivations for war, human greed and ecological disaster, making this "real" without over-emphasising the connections.

Motivations are the strong point of Stormdancer then and the author goes to pains to make both his main characters and the forces of evil that they eventually oppose credible creations, tied to Japanese traditions of honour and duty, as well as to clan loyalty, but also having deeper personal motivations that drive them - while the civil unrest that develops is likewise well-grounded and developed. It takes a little while to get used to all the Japanese names and the workings of the society depicted here, but it's revealed in a gradual and refreshing way, through the hunt on an airship for an Arashitora, a mythological flying thunder-tiger believed extinct - if it ever existed in the first place - that the Shogun has dreamed of riding into battle against the gaijin.

The concept isn't as original as some might think - the Japanese animation filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki's 'Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind' has a strong 'flying' female lead character who can 'emphasise' with creatures, and it depicts a similar society under threat of ecological disaster with airships and Steampunk warriors with (moreso in Miyazaki's own manga version) a complicated hierarchy of clans and religious classes in conflict with one another - but Jay Kristoff has a vision and an agenda of its own. It's well thought-through, creating strong situations with a wealth of ideas and mythology that wraps up well in Stormdancer as a standalone book, while at the same time opening up further possibilities for the series to develop further.

This novel is incredibly hard for me to review without giving away spoilers, but I will do my best.

Set in steampunk Japan, Stormdancer follows Yukiko on her journey with her father to capture an Arashitora, an legendary eagle/tiger hybrid that is long believed to be extinct, for their insane Shogun. Why set out on this impossible journey? It's either achieve the impossible or be put to death because the Shogun gets what he wants. Yukiko thinks this whole endeavor is nuts, but dutifully goes along with her father and is shocked when they actually find the creature. Then their world spins out into chaos as the sky-ship catches fire sending them all plummeting to their doom.

I was truly impressed with the writing style. Sometimes it felt like they went into a too much detail on inconsequential things, but it was so beautifully described that I almost didn't care. This steampunk world fueled by black lotus was fascinating and reminded me just a little bit of Stardust by Neil Gaiman because it weaves fantasy elements into the story so well. Yukiko is an outstanding heroine who I fell instantly in love with. In YA, you get to read a ton of male characters written by a woman, but it's rare to read through the perspective of a female character written by a man, so I was super excited about that. I must say, he did a great job with it. My favorite character, though, would have to be Buruu. The further into the story you get, the more his character develops and the more in love I feel with this thunder tiger.

This really was a thrill ride of with everything going wrong at the worst possible moment and I loved seeing how Yukiko worked her way out of all the hard situations. It gets 4 stars instead of 5 because of all the deaths. Yes, I know they are starting a war and that people will die, but I did not enjoy seeing half of my favorite characters get butchered. I was hoping for a happy ending. It was a hopeful ending, but I definitely wouldn't call it happy. I greatly look forward to the next novel in this series and more of Yukiko & Buruu's story.

****Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review****

I knew I wanted to read Stormdancer from the moment I first saw the cover, I can't even decide if I prefer the UK or US version - I actually want to buy both just so I can sit and stare at them! This is one of those books that had so much hype surrounding it that it had taken the blogosphere by storm well before it had even been released so I have to admit that I felt nervous when I first picked it up in case it didn't live up to my expectations. Then when I started reading it took me a long time to get into, Jay Kristoff has a beautifully descriptive writing style but I found the beginning particularly heavy going. This was probably because a lot of the Japanese terms used were so unfamiliar to me but I did find it off putting. In fact I got about 80 pages in and decided that the book just wasn't for me and gave up on it. Thankfully a few of my friends on Goodreads persuaded me to give it another try, they assured me that it was worth the effort of pushing through and that once the story clicked I would be hooked and am very happy to say that they were right.

By the time I'd got around 130 pages into the book I was well and truly addicted and I didn't want to put it down for a second. I don't give up on books often but once I do I never go back to them so Stormdancer was an unusual exception that turned into one of my favourite fantasy reads of the year so far. I don't want to go into too much detail regarding the storyline (there are plenty of other reviews out there that already do that) but I do want to tell you that this is a book that shouldn't be missed. It has something in there to appeal to fantasy fans of all ages - a futuristic dystopian world that is on the verge of apocalypse thanks to human pollution; a steampunk feel to it with airships, face masks and samurai with chainsaw katanas; a wonderful mixture of mythology and fantastic creatures and last but by no means least a collection of well drawn characters who you will come to both love and hate - sometimes at the same time!

The main character is sixteen year old Yukiko and the story follows her as she is sent along with her father on an impossible mission. They are tasked with capturing a griffin and bringing it back for the Shogun but everyone knows that griffins are long extinct. The Shogun will accept no failure though - they either bring back his prize or their lives are forefit. When they finally manage to capture a griffin Yukiko finds she has a bond with him that is stronger than anything she could have dreamed of. Without a doubt the griffin (also known as a thunder tiger) Buruu was my favourite character in the story, from the moment he flies onto the page I couldn't get enough of him. I loved the relationship that slowly develops between Buruu and Yukiko, separately they are great but put the two of them together and they become unforgettable. The way they influence each other through their psychic bond was wonderful to see and I adored the conversations between them.

Stormdancer may get off to a relatively slow start as we are introduced to the complex and detailed world that Jay Kristoff has created but once the pace picks up it quickly gains momentum and the action doesn't stop until the heart wrenching end. The author certainly isn't afraid to take risks with his characters and there were times I was genuinely terrified for Yukiko and Buruu's safety. It's been a long time since I was quite so captivated by a story and to say that Stormdancer is an impressive debut would be an understatement - my only complaint is that I now have to wait a year for the next instalment. I'm so relieved that I gave this book a second chance and I would urge anyone else who finds the beginning a bit heavy going to stick with it - I promise you it is more than worth the effort.

From my blog On Starships and Dragonwings

Kristoff has blasted onto the fantasy scene with Stormdancer, a steampunk, japanese fantasy. Stormdancer tells the story of young Yukiko whose life has been filled with tragedy and a deadly secret. This secret, however, is just what she needs to befriend the legendary griffin she and her father are sent to hunt down by a corrupt emperor.
I started seeing reviews for Stormdancer a while ago, and quickly found Jay Kristoff's blog because he is just a hilarious blogger. I've never been caught by the steampunk bug, and so I figured this could be a good book to ease into those waters. I had some pretty high expectations for Stormdancer due to all the hype and Kristoff's obvious awesomeness, and it didn't quite meet those expectations. I'm really looking forward to watching how Kristoff's grows as a writer, however.

Title: Stormdancer
Author: Jay Kristoff
Pages: 322 (hardcover) pages
Genre-ish: Japanese Steampunk Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★☆ - interesting premise and characters, flat delivery
Setting: Stormdancer occurs in a steampunk/fantasy world inspired by Japan, with balloon carried skyships and mechanized armor for the rich. The land has been horribly polluted by the overfarming of the only fuel source: chi. The sky is red, the rain black, the land dying, and yet the emperor and Guild do nothing to fix it. Legendary creatures such as naga, sea serpents and griffins are in living memory, but suspected to be completely extinct due to overhunting.
Premise: When the young emperor wakes up from a "vision" of him flying on a griffin against the armies his empire is waging war against, his greed compels him to have this impossible desire. He orders Yukiko and her father to go find this legend for him to ride. They set out on the suicide mission with a number of loyal companions, but soon crash into the last wilderness in the empire. However, before crashing, they see the legend in the flesh, and Yukiko is able to communicate with it....
Strengths:
First and foremost, I have never heard of a setting like in Stormdancer. The fresh ideas of the book fueled a lot of my interest in it, and Kristoff definitely delivers on awesome new ideas.
I love tattoos, so the idea of an entire culture being symbolized by the tattoos that people adorned themselves with was pretty darn awesome.
Anytime a strong female overcomes tragedy and can communicate with legendary animals, there will be awesomeness. The action scenes that Kristoff is able to write when Yukiko and Buruu fight alongside each other are stunning.
Weaknesses:
Let's start with the subject of some very negative Goodreads reviews. Apparently Stormdancer fails on the Japanese culture thing, though I'm not enough of an expert to really know. If you are informed about Japanese culture, apparently this book might piss you off a lot.
On a similar note, all of the japanese terms sprinkled in lead to a headache for people not used to them. I had a very poor visualization of the characters throughout the book because I had trouble remembering what different outfits and weapons looked like. When writing for an English speaking audience, it's usually best to avoid needing to constantly info dump just to keep your reader knowledgable about what you're talking about.
The setting was super depressing. Due to all the pollution, everyone is dying of cancer, and I mean everyone. This is fine to start with if things get less depressing, but I was just never happy when reading Stormdancer because I was being constantly reminded how much everything sucks. This is certainly useful to drive tension and plot sometimes, but there needs to be resolution as the main characters make things better. Maybe there will be in the later books, but Stormdancer was less exciting to read than I had hoped.
Summary:
While there are a number of things that make it clear that Kristoff is a new author, Stormdancer is still a very interesting book. The setting and ideas in it are captivating, and I hope that the rest of the trilogy improves on the flaws of the first book. I think people who like steampunk more than me will probably be more captivated by the various technologies, but apparently people with an interest in japanese culture cringed a lot while reading Stormdancer. Whether or not you like Stormdancer, though, I really think you should check out Kristoff's blog because it is hilarious.

2012 didn’t look like a impressive year for debut authors. I mean sure, I saw a few that peeked my interests, but nothing that made me excited for the year ahead. Nothing that made me nearly pee my pants with anticipation and wonder if this new book was any good. So I just floated around, trying to find that certain book, and then all of a sudden I found myself gawping at the one and only Stormdancer. I was looking through one of the many book blogs I follow, and I came across the cover in one of those countdown widgets at the side of the blog.

Now, I have mentioned in many reviews my undying hatred for insta-love. But as soon as I saw it, my heart went a flutter and my stomach flipped and yadda yadda yadda and all that sort of lovey-dovey crap. I was completely smitten with it. I went searching for it, knowing I had to find this beautiful book. I searched like my life depended on it! As out it was easy to find as it was quite the anticipated read. I read the blurb, and fell deeper in love with it.

I mean, Japanese steampunk involving griffins.

No one can mess up that.

But my heart smashed when I saw the release date. It was six months away. Sixth months of waiting! That was what I had to endure. And throughout those sixth months, I complained. I complained so much I’m pretty sure everyone in both real life and on the internet thought I was hitting an extremely early menopause. Hell at this stage I was complaining to Jay Kristoff himself (who is awesome by the way). Everyone tried to cheer me up but no matter what they did I still wanted to hit my head in frustration.

My poor mother got the worst of the lashing. She’d always tell me, “Oh cheer up will you? It’s only a book.” Naturally I’d go berserk and return to smashing my head. She should have known better, though. If you tell a bibliophile something like that you’re just asking for the apocalypse.

Spring turned into summer, summer turned into winter, and Christmas came. The book was out by this stage, but I still didn’t have it. Why? Simply because of the coast. I swear it’s like they wanted me to give up a royal child for a copy. My complaining got worse, people were frightened to even speak to me, and I was in a permeate state of grouchiness. But I just couldn't help myself! I wanted that book SO BADLY, and while the wait nearly killed me the fact that it was out but not in my hands was pure torture. I nearly lost my mind over it.

Some random old guy in a red suit must have understood my pain, for on Christmas morning I climbed out of bed, went down into the sitting room, and found a present. A book-shaped present. Admittedly next to a lot of other book-shaped presents. But what else would I like? Like the little savage I was I ripped it open just to find the thing I had been craving for for months. There it was; Stormdancer.

You have no idea how overjoyed I was. I was nearly crying when I saw it. I hadn’t wanted a book like that since Skulduggery Pleasant: Kingdom of the Wicked (which released that summer). I was lying around just staring at the book while my mother and sister shared looks of deep concern. I went to bed and prepared for my nightly reading period which can wager to mere minutes or until dawn with book in hand, and lid down with utter glee. Of course I was happy! I had fawned over this book for half a year. I had every right to be excited for it. But as soon as I opened the first page, this awful, ugly, and horrifying thought occurred to me; what if this was just a load of crap?

Until this point I never even considered that it was horrible. So far it had everything I could ever want – cool author, awesome cover, great concept. But that’s not what makes a blurb, is it? It’s all about the story.

After a moment’s hesitation, I carried on reading.

It is an extremely rare thing for me to finish a book in one sitting. It is ever rarer for me to turn the last page and actually think, “Wow.” That’s it. That’s all you can think of. And after several hours of only “wow” going through my head, another thought cropped up. And it was this; “You know what? I have no criticism for this book. Nada. Zilch. Not a thing.”

Jay Kristoff is not only a lovely guy, but he is a gifted author. He is so detailed, so precise – it is so obvious that he cares about his work. Each word and each point in his world building is so carefully made that is awes me. I saw everything that was happening – whether it be good or bad, beautiful or ugly, gory or funny. It was simply divine! And I know this may not be the case for some, but for me I soaked up all the information thrown at me and remembered it. I understood it all. Hell, I didn’t even know there was a Glossary until I reached the back. I felt like I was already a citizen of the Shima Isles. I felt like I was a part of this world.

Throw in a few samurai’s with chainsaw katanna's and a clockwork army, and you’ve got a bowl of beauty topped off with awesomeness, the perfect desert for a grand evening. Now that I think of it, I’d love one of those chainsaw-katannas… I could rule the world with something like that… Dear Santa…

The characters were phenomenal. The main ones, the secondary ones, or even the ones with no names. All of them were magnificent. Not only was Yukiko (the main character) an independent, smart, honest, and brave, she had such a real and wise voice. Her father, and his fellow Hunters were also very colourful and bright, they all had very different personalities and likes/dislikes. Even the villain – the Shogun – was elaborate and complex. Buruu, the Thunder Tiger/Arashitora/Griffin stole the show. Not only was he humorous, but he was just so lovely. I don’t even need to explain his loveliness or his absolutely heart-warming relationship he shares with Yukiko, because this one line says it all;

“FEATHERS GROW BACK. SISTERS DO NOT.”

And look! He talks in all caps! Who couldn't love that?

Like I’ve said many times before, I love violence. My mother does not. Actually she saw Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 and then turned to me and said, "Dear that was awfully violent. I'm quite shocked over it!" I on the other hand freaking love watching/reading fight scenes. I don't even know why since I'm not a violent type of person. I don't resolve to punching and kicking things. I describe myself as pretty peaceful. Yet I can't help but feel exhilarated when someone is trying to kill someone else. So this filled my appetite for battles quite soothingly, as every fight scene was choreographed excellently. Once again Jay Kristoff's writing comes into play marvelously.

But not only is this book epic and filled with action and great characters, it has such emotion in it. It’s so raw, so powerful. Every punch the author throws hits you right in the gut where all your feels are kept. It would sometimes be hilarious – so funny in fact that I’m on the floor laughing like a hyena. Then the next moment (particularly at the second-last chapter) I’d be on that same floor and I would not laughing but crying instead. Other moments I’d be frightened for the safety of our heroes, and then I would feel rebellion fire in me as Yukiko or anyone else fought clockwork samurai (with chainsaw katanna) or evil oni. But isn’t that such a wonderful gift? For an author to make you feel such things? Isn’t that the reason we read in the first place? For me it is the reason why I read, and I know everyone won’t adore the book I did, but I am so glad that despite the hesitation I did end up reading this and realizing just how much I love reading.

So like I said there was not a single moment I didn’t enjoy. Not one. I loved everything about Stormdancer; the world building, the plot, the characters, the action, the romance, the pacing, the emotion – everything.

Thank you, Mr. Jay Kristoff. You've written a truly beautiful, awesome, and stunning novel. It is my greatest honour to be one of your fans. Keep up with the good work for the sequel, will you? I will be eagerly awaiting it.

This was the third time I read Stormdancer. As, you know, it takes a whole year between sequels. And my memory fails me. But that's okay. Because this re-read was pretty awesome. And I'm glad I read this book again, because I feel like I had forgotten much. And I need to be ready for Endsinger. Yesss. Will re-read Kinslayer next. <3 Which I'm beyond excited about, but also nervous. Because I remember how much it broke me a year ago. I remember how heartbreaking it is. But also how very good it is as well.

I'm not sure how to talk about my love for Stormdancer. And I won't talk too much about it, so this post won't be all that long. Just wanted to share with you all how much I love this book. And that you all need to start this series. <3 The writing is stunning. Though there are a lot of words, and it takes forever to read it, it is worth it. Because the story is beautiful. But beyond heartbreaking. There is so much heartbreak and sadness and betrayals and death. It is all kinds of amazing. I just adore this book.

There is so much I could say about this book. But I won't. I will say a few short things. Like how amazing Yukiko is. She is just sixteen years old yet so brave and strong. My heart broke for her all the time. Her twin brother, that died eight years ago. Her mother, gone. Her father, a drunk. Ah. Her father. I hated him. Yet I loved him too. He does so many stupid things. Yet he do it all out of love for Yukiko. And he has lost so much. So yeah. I cannot fully hate him. Sigh. And his friends were pretty awesome too.

The part I loved the most in this book was Buruu. A thunder tiger. And oh. He was perfect. Fierce. Angry. Beautiful. I couldn't help but love him. And love his relationship with Yukiko, how it grew from hate to love. So amazing to read about. Sigh. But oh. There are so many things happening in this book. It is all so heartbreaking. Yet so honest and real and all kinds of perfect. I love this series. Yet I hate it too, because it ruins my heart. But I'm okay with that. Because yeah. It's awesome. But so horrible too.

Though my love for Stormdancer is huge, I also have a little bit of anger in my heart. I had forgotten a bit how much Yukiko hurt Kin. How she sort of plays with his feelings. And I don't approve of that at all. It broke my heart. Because I love Kin. So much. And I adore Yukiko as well. I just thought she could have handled it better. Which she didn't. Grrr. And then the ending. This is a spoiler. She left him. I can't. That will bother me so much in Kinslayer as well. Sobs. I just. So much heartbreak. Yet so good too.

Oh. And there is romance in this book. I mustn't forget to mention that. Though I did not like the romance. I did not approve of Hiro. Or how close Yukiko were to him. I did not like him. Hmph. And I loved Kin. Sob. Whom Yukiko does not love. But who loves her. And oh. It breaks my heart a little. Okay, sure, it may never be anything between Yukiko and Kin. But I want it. I want it so much. Because Kin is so sweet and kind. He deserves to get what he wants. And they would be so sweet together. <3 Sniffs.

"There is nothing in this world I would not do for you, Yukiko."

There is so much I want to say. But I will not. I cannot. You all just need to read this book. Right away. If you haven't read it already. <3 Stormdancer is a stunning fantasy book. And I'm so glad to have read it so many times, hih. I will be starting Kinslayer in a moment, though if my heart can take it again, I do not know. Still. I am excited. Anyway. This book is awesome as is the author, Jay. He's pretty cool too. And omg. The covers. They are the most beautiful. I love them to death. They are all very stunning.

---

I first read Stormdancer on July 22nd 2012. My review can be found here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2012/09/review-stormdancer-by-jay-kristoff.html
I read Stormdancer for the second time from September 16th to 18th 2013. My book recommendation can be found here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2013/09/book-recommendation-stormdancer-by-jay.html
I read Stormdancer for the third time from September 7th to 8th 2014. My new post can be found here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2014/09/stormdancer-by-jay-kristoff.html

One of the many things I loved about Stormdancer was the protagonist herself, Yukiko. She struck me as a girl who was both fragile and fierce at the same time. She was exactly what I was looking for in my female protags. Mostly in YA, the female protags are either the smartass-kickass with one best friend or the non-smartass girls who can't fight and have only one friend, so Kristoff's take on his protag was definitely a breath of fresh air.

Yukiko was a solid and a well-rounded character who had deep compassion. Her bond with Buruu was the most heart-warming. If you've been reading my reviews for some time now, you'd know that I have a soft spot for protagonists with adorable animal companions. While Buruu wasn't exactly a pet, but rather, a huge beast capable of killing humans with a single strike of his talons, the effect was the same. Or more so because their bond was extremely tight, they didn't treat the each other as master and pet, instead they viewed each other as siblings. You could also see the development of their relationship from indifference on Buruu's part until they formed a solid unbreakable bond. The way they protected each other tugged on my heartstrings. It was one of the most beautiful things I've read about, the type that can beat the best of romances.

Stormdancer was told from third person point of view, so being the first book with the said POV I've read all year, it took me a little while to get used to it. But once I did, the book suddenly became unputdownable. The addition of Japanese mythology was a uniquely wonderful treat. Apart from adorable pets, I also have a thing for stories about deception and politics. The type where you have to guess who're the good guys and bad guys. Stormdancer has both of that and it was one of the things that made this book even more brilliant. And the gore? Oh, I love!

Stormdancer is set in a wildly imaginative world of feudal Japan, filled with complex characters who have interesting backstories. The plot was unpredictable; it oozed with pleasant surprises. At first, I thought that the description of the author about this book was overkill, but upon reading it I found that it was hardly that. The book had lots of complicated elements that gave this the tendency to become messy, but the author handled all of that really well and instead, turned this into a book of pure awesomeness.

I got chills at the end of STORMDANCER. Powerful is the best word to describe this novel that gives readers an incredibly unique, thoroughly fleshed world the likes of which I have never seen. Pairing feudal Japan with steampunk details was a work of genius. When we meet Yukiko, my love for the book only grew. She's an introspective, thoughtful and strong, rebellious young woman that has a gift for communicating with animals, and in particular, the mythological arashitora. Her strength, determination, and her own idea of honor are shown with no pomp and flash, and all substance. While there is a fantastic cast of characters,it is Yukiko and her arashitora that compel you to read on and experience this world that she is set on changing. Kristoff has captured me and won't let go.

The Shima Imperium has left the isles on the verge of environmental extinction. The industrialization of the islands has polluted land, air and water as the powerful Lotus Guild worships the lotus that fuels the sky ships, but poisons the soil making it useless and pollutes the water with run-off and turns the air into smog from the ship's exhausts. The four clans feel hopeless as the spirit animals are becoming extinct and their mad Shogun Yoritomo-no-miya expedites the Shima Isles turning into a wasteland.

Yoritomo tasks a team to capture an arashitora, a creature part-eagle and part-tiger. Sixteen year old Kitsune Yukiko and her father know the mission is impossible, but failure means execution in a horrific way. In the last wilderness, her father maims Buruu the arashitora. When Yukiko and Buruu meet, both are shocked that they understand each other. As they team up, the pair meets enemies of the Shogun and the Lotus Guild while battling to survive against underworld demons and the might of the Shima Imperium.

Young adult and older readers will appreciate this excellent feudal Japan steampunk fantasy starring a vivid dying landscape serving as a reminder of the long term impact of pollution and a strong cast trying to survive or thrive in the dying isles. Although the Shogun is not developed beyond being a malevolent mega maniac, fans will enjoy the coming of age adventures of a teen girl and an injured mystical spirit animal.

Harriet Klausner

Stormdancer has been one of the few books for which I didn't have cover lust. Well, at least not until I saw the USA version of the cover. That cover was truly lust worthy and it was so much more detailed and spot on than the UK version, but that's just my opinion. I actually wanted to read this book from the moment I saw the review/overview written by the author. I will not go into a plot summary since he explained it better than anyone ever could. If you still haven't read it, you can do so here. Now that I've said this...

I had already posted that my reading experience was like a rollercoaster and now I'll go into details.

When I read the first chapter I thought it was awesome! It was that very high point from which you start and I wanted more. Then chapter two happened and I realized chapter one was a prologue chapter kind of thing to get the readers hooked. However, that was alright because it accomplished its mission. The following chapters go through the introduction of the other characters: Masaru, Akihito, Yoritomo, and so on, and the description of the steampunk, dystopian world we are going to be visiting while reading this book. And that is when the drop comes.

Why? Well, there was so much description being thrown my way that I might have gone into sensory overload once or twice before I got used to it and started to fully enjoy it. It was around chapter ten, possibly eleven, when I was finally totally immersed in the story. It was also when the "ashitora", later known as Buruu, made his entrance. Now, this does not mean, in any way, the writing in the book is horrible, it is quite the contrary. I dare say it's a curse and a blessing since I did feel overwhelmed, but at the same time I wanted to know more about the world he was building.

Some of the plot events were predictable, like the object of her infatuation. I mean, he did have a chapter named after him and she did keep dreaming about him. But others really caught me by surprise, to the point I literally went "Oh...". And that's how the twists and turns happened.

I really liked the way the characters in this book are written. The author introduces us to a few amazing women and men. All of them strong in different ways.

Yukiko was badass. She had always had moments when she didn't believe in the "system" and even questioned it; still, those had always been internal monologues. So, when she was confronted with the option of actually doing something, she was a little bit apprehensive about it. And that was totally understandable. It's not easy to try to change the world when you are still a teenager. I also loved the fact that she didn't turn into a lovesick puppy who loses all sense of self-preservation like so many YA "heroines" do when they fall in love or are around a guy. She knew what she had to do and why she had to do it, even when she was presented with hard choices.

Lady Aisha was oh-so-very-smart. She knew how to move the pieces in the chess board to her advantage. She might have also been a surprise, for a few, since why would she, the most powerful female in Shima, want to leave her comfortable and opulent life? Honestly, I can think of one, just one, very good reason from a few lines dropped here and there in the story. BUT! Jay Kristoff, what happened? I was disappointed with what happened with this character. She showed such great potential and could have been used in so many other great ways. Did she really...? Just like that? I am still finding that a little hard to believe...

I loved Kin, since the first time he appeared. Yes, I knew who he was all along. And yes, even after imagining how he looked like as a result of his...accident. I think these three characters show how different sections, even within the government, are unsatisfied with the way things are. They wanted change to one day have a better way of life.

Buruu, was great! I thought the way he evolved as time passed was very well portrayed. He was also grumpily cute.

I have to mention Yoritomo. I have given him an endearing nickname: Yoritomo, the psychotic brat. He can go right ahead and add it to the rest of his titles. He was cruel and a few screws short up there. Because of this every one of his temper tantrums ended in blood and tears or lots and lots of begging, if he was in a good mood.

There were a few things that made me raise my eyebrows, literally...

For starters, I'm assuming, even though the book is in English, that the characters are speaking Japanese. It didn't even cross my mind they would be talking in any other language since foreigners to them are savages. Yet, every so often, a "hai" pops up. If the characters are speaking Japanese, there really wasn't any need to incorporate that. Unless the characters were actually speaking in English and the author wanted to show a particular character's ethnicity. I've read books which are set in English speaking countries and there's a, let's say, Hispanic character. In that case, it is totally understandable why the author would incorporate a Spanish word, or phrase, here and there in the dialogue.

Secondly, the use of "-sama" all by its lonely self. I want to make clear, that I am in no way well acquainted with the Japanese language. I probably know the meaning of, and how to say from the top of my head, a grand total of five words, possibly a few more than that. But I don't remember the honorific ever being used by itself in all the anime and Japanese dramas that I've watched. So, that was a bit surprising.

Thirdly, Hiro, specifically the color of his eyes. Wouldn't he have become an outcast, or worse, because of that, or was it because of the people he "knew" in high places that he was running around freely? I decided, at some point in the story, to let all of that go and just went along for the ride.

The moments leading to the ending of the book were action and surprise filled and emotionally charged. So much happened and I was eating it all up. Also, the way Kristoff used that girl in the epilogue was very good. It showed how Yukiko's past actions will, very possibly, help her gain supporters in her future endeavors .

I actually had a hard time deciding whether to rate this 3.5 or 4 stars. On one hand, there were those chapters that didn't really do anything for me. On the other, there were those when I thought, "Wow, this is really good!". At the end, the latter chapters won and I rated it a four.

So...when is the second book coming?

I received a review ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity!

I have been wanting to read this book forever. When I got the second book for review, Kinslayer, it was the perfect incentive to go pick up the first book from the library. The beginning of this book was incredibly difficult to get through and then the rest of the book was more interesting.

Yukiko and her father are given the impossible quest of hunting down a thunder tiger for the Shogun. It is impossible because thunder tiger’s no longer exist. Still Yukiko and her father either must return with a Thunder Tiger or forfeit their lives. So they go hunting. During their hunt they do find a Thunder Tiger, but after capturing it their airship is struck down by lightning and destroyed. Yukiko finds herself alone in the Shima wilderness with only an angry and hurt Thunder Tiger for company.

The premise behind this book sounded awesome. It was described as a Japanese steampunk dystopia, which I guess it is. Still it sounds a lot cooler than it turned out. The only steampunk element in here really are the airships, there really isn’t a steampunk flare to the story or talk about inventions.

The first 80 pages or so of this book are a major drag. There is just so much info dumping about the history, religion, terminology and world itself that it is overwhelming. Tons and tons of names are thrown at you as well and all of them are very foreign and hard to keep straight. With so much thrown at the reader out of context it makes it very hard to engage in the story. The writing is very dense and I constantly found myself having to go back and reread portions of the writing over and over. The writing flowed very poorly.

After that we are mostly following Yukiko and the story becomes more engaging. When we are in the wilderness with Yukiko and the Thunder Tiger we actually get a chance to meet our characters in more detail and the story gets more engaging. The Thunder Tiger is very sardonically humorous and I enjoyed the dialogue between him and Yukiko.

Even though the last 2/3rds of the book were much better than the first part, a lot of the elements were hit or miss for me. Yukiko is obsessed with a green-eyed samurai that she sees on the street. She thinks and fantasies about him constantly. I thought it was a bit weird and awkward, since this obsession doesn’t really mesh well with the rest of her characteristics. Also it’s a strange idealization of a caucasian attribute in a proudly asian culture.

Also there were inconsistencies. For example a big deal is made about the Thunder Tiger not being able to understand what humans say out loud. Then all of the sudden he can understand everything everyone around him is saying. I think we are meant to believe he is growing in ability? But that is never really made clear and adds more confusion to an already confusing world.

The last portion of the book is all politics, as Yukiko gets involved with a rebel group. This all takes place back in the main city. So again there is a ton of unexplained terminology and lots of names to keep track of. It wasn’t as bad as the first portion of the book, but it still wasn’t all that well done.

The idea behind this story and world is interesting; I just didn't felt it was executed as well as it could have been. I do have Kinslayer to review as well, I am hoping that that book flows better than this one.

Overall interesting, but could have been done much better. There are just too many problems with how the writing flows, not enough description, and too much info dumping in the beginning. The beginning was very hard to read. The characters are okay but I never really engaged all that well with them, there are just too many distractions. There are also some inconsistencies throughout the story that added to the confusion. I personally wouldn’t recommend this as a great steampunk or a great dystopian read. I have Kinslayer to review, so I will read it...hopefully it will be better than this book.

Most of the steampunk written in this day and age use British and American settings, characters and worlds.

Stormdancer, billed as the first book in The Lotus War, aims to strike at the heart of that limitation. Set in Shima, a secondary world nation whose culture and society borrow from feudal-era Japan, Stormdancer features a Shogun, and several powerful Clans, named after spirit animals, who scheme and plot for power and influence, and samurai, who follow the bushido code. Plus steampunk chainsaw weapons, firearms, powerful armor, environmental armor, airships, and more. The melding of the feudal Japanese political situation with steampunk technology is impressive. The steampunk in this world is based on a toxic flower called the blood lotus; the nastiest sort of plant imaginable, poisoning the very ground that it grows upon. This results in a continual deforestation and turn over of land to the lotus, to fuel an expansionistic imperialistic war effort against an unseen and unspecified overseas gaijin antagonist. Lotus has other uses as well, including being the base of a powerful and addicting drug. "The Lotus must bloom" is the motto of the guild that sees to the care and growth of the Lotus, and they mean it at all costs. And those costs to the health and well being of the people and land of Shima are unflinchingly shown.

This exploration of themes and the costs of a society dominated by Steampunk are some of the best things I found in the novel. Stormdancer itself is the story of Yukiko, daughter of a hunter under the auspices of the Shogun. She winds up accompanying her father on a quest to find an arashitora, a griffin, long believed extinct. The Shogun has had a vision of leading the final victory against the gaijin on the back of one, and despite the fact that wild animals of any kind are scarce, the penalty for failing is extremely high. So Yukiko travels into the wild in search of the impossible, and finds it, but that is just the beginning of the problems for herself and those she loves.

Yukiko as a character is the other highlight of the novel for me, which develops her well. A `coming of age' story, she grows from being the daughter of a hunter to a powerful force in her own right. The different enviroments we see her in, ranging from an airship to the intrigues of the Shogun's court, nicely show off, grow and develop different aspects of her personality. Some key flashbacks fill in the gaps and slowly reveal a complete picture. Her bond with Buruu, too, showing how her relationship with the griffin grows and changes, is another highlight of the novel as well.

However, this is a first novel and the inexperience does show in some key respects. The nuts and bolts writing of Stormdancer, in my opinion, needs some polish and working. Plus, some of the character beats feel underdone. Just why Yukiko gets to go on such a crucial mission is not really explained that well. T Also, a few characters beyond Yukiko are a bit too much caricature for my taste, especially the antagonists. Some key bits of the worldbuilding remain somewhat unexplained as well.

Even flawed, it's a worthy effort, and the novel was entertaining for the ride it provided.

A longer version of this review appears at SF Signal

What's not to like about a dystopian, steampunk, book in feudal Japan? Well, really there's not a whole lot in this book that isn't good, but for some reason, I just had a hard time getting into it. As a side note, my cat is named Arashi, so I got a little smile out of the name used for the griffin in this book.

Yukiko is the daughter of the great hunter for the Shogun (ruler) of their country. In a land filled with toxins produced by the blood lotus, a flower that is a hallucinogen and can be used to make fuel, things have slowly gone from bad to worse. Now, the Shogun has decided he wants an Arashitora (griffin), the only problem is, no one has seen any for hundreds of years. But Yukiko and her father have no choice, they must go hunting for one or risk their lives, and when they do find one, capturing it isn't going to be easy. Through a series of events the griffin and Yukiko must rely on each other and learn more about what kind of world they want to live in.

Yukiko is a good character. She's strong, brave, and manages to get herself into quite a bit of trouble; enough to keep it interesting anyway. But she can also be incredibly naive and wishy-washy. Buruu is a much cooler character. He's a griffin, so that's a little strange, but I really liked his personality. Even the way the author had him "talk" in the book was kind of neat and seemed completely fitting for how a Griffin should speak. I did think the bad guy, while supposed to be menacing, just didn't really make my blood run cold. Some of the side characters did a better job of that because while he talked the talk, he never really did too much where you could read about it. We were just told after of his actions.

The book's pace is kind of slow through the first couple chapters. There's a lot of world building, and while that's important, it made it hard for me to keep with it. Finally, I made myself sit down and really start reading the book and it started getting more and more interesting and the pace improved to where I had to finish it, I couldn't set it down. So at least it ended on a good note. The premise is very unique. While there's all sorts of elements used from other books, they're an odd mix that somehow the author uses very well. I liked how there were fantasy creatures mixed in with steampunk elements. It was unusual. The language was a little strange, not something I'd expect to read for a society set in Japan, it was more American, and slang. And there was even some cursing. I guess I just expected more formal language.

An interesting book, and worth sticking through the slow beginning for. I look forward to the next in the series.

Stormdancer
Copyright 2012
324 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2012

Stormdancer is a book that took me by surprise. I thought it sounded like a cool premise, but I was unprepared for just how awesome it is. Jay Kristoff takes traditional fantasy tropes, puts them in a setting that's sort of like feudal Japan, and then makes the world steampunk.

The corrupt (and kind of crazy) Shogun of the Shima Isles hears news of an Arashitora, a griffin-like creature also known as a thunder tiger, and he sends his hunt master Masaru in search of the creature. Masaru is joined on this fool's errand by his 16-year-old daughter, Yukiko. To everyone's surprise, they actually find the creature, but disaster strikes on their way home, and Yukiko is left alone in the wilderness with the temporarily crippled creature. Because she can communicate with animals through her mind, she and the Arashitora, who she calls Buruu, form a close bond. This bond will lead them on a fascinating journey, making them both into rebels.

The world-building is what really makes this book stand out. So many fantasy novels are set in quasi-medieval European settings, and Stormdancer's Asian setting makes for a welcome change of pace. There are many traditional fantasy elements here, but the steampunk elements take the world to an unexpected place (and it's cool to have a non-Victorian steampunk setting). The country may be feudal, but the Shogun is in an uneasy alliance with the Guild, who control lotus crops, which provide both the fuel that powers the Guild's machines (like airships) and the drug that keeps much of the population from thinking too clearly about the mess their society is in. There are also some dystopian elements. This society seems prosperous and advanced at first glance, but poverty and disease are rampant, and the lotus crops are decimating the environment. The Shogun is a corrupt megalomaniac, and the Guild is made up of religious fanatics who put people to death for perceived impurities (like being able to communicate with animals).

Yukiko is a great protagonist. She's a tough, smart, strong young woman. She's not perfect, and she makes her share of mistakes, but she's a character you'll find yourself rooting for. There's a love interest for Yukiko, but it's her relationships with Buruu and her father that are far more engaging. The supporting characters are interesting as well, and I particularly liked Kin, a young and very conflicted member of the Guild.

I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it for fantasy and steampunk fans, particularly if you're looking for something a little different. It's not technically a young adult novel, but the main character being a teenager gives this book some crossover appeal, and mature teens may enjoy it.

Originally Reviewed At:Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: NetGalley
Reviewer: AimeeKay

Finally finished reading Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff. *whew* What a really phenomenal book! Can't wait for the rest of the Lotus Wars series to come out.

As the quote on the cover says Stormdancer is a Japanese Steampunk. But even if you're not a fan of steampunk, don't let that keep you from picking this one up. While reading, I did realize the Steampunk elements are there, but they are so well woven into the rest of the story that they don't become overbearing. As for the Japanese portions there is a glossary in the back for the less well explained terms. However, most phrases and terms that are used are also described within the pages themselves so I didn't feel a need to check the glossary.

I will admit that it took me a bit to really get into the story. I really didn't become attached until a few chapters in. But like the Lotus smoke in the book, the story itself slowly crept into my head. Before I knew it I couldn't put the book down and just had to see what happened to Yukiko and Buruu. I even became attached to some of the supporting characters and I can't wait to see if they will be in the next book in the series. Also the author turned the land of Shima itself into a character. The descriptions were amazing. I could picture the desolation and grimness of the city and the lotus fields, yet at the same time see the beauty of the Iishi.

This isn't a romance. This novel is action and adventure through and through. I definitely recommend it for fantasy fans out there. I give it 5 out of 5 controllers. Even with the slow start, it turned into an amazing book!

Great read. Nothing life changing, but one of the funnest reads I've had in a long time. Love the world, the relationship between characters and a noble cause all coming to life. Best part is that the next two books in the trilogy are already out, so I don't have to wait.

If you like steampunk, if you like fantasy, get it. You won't regret it.

Really fun, if light, read set in an original world. Good writing, with a pathos that arises mostly from real-world similarities. The dialogue is sometimes a bit too modern, but at other times it really resonates quite powerfully. And I found myself caring more than I should have for Buruu, who is a terribly cool character.

My gripe is that it's trying to be YA: the characters aren't terribly complex, the plot is mostly linear, and though it's slight, the love-triangle seems unnecessary. If it had been less dumbed-down, this would be an all-time favorite.

As it is, it's one that I will recommend to friends and probably re-read in a few years. I just wish it had been more perfect.

When I first looked at this book, the words "Japanese Steampunk" made me giddy with joy. The seamless blend of mythology and technology along with a more traditional coming of age tale sets the stage for an epic fantasy series. It also made for an engrossing and enjoyable read.

For those readers who desire more magic in their stories, the islands of Shima are rich with legends, gods, oni, thunder tigers (griffins) and more. For those who crave more tech in their tales, there are the mechanical contraptions created by the insectoid-like suited Guildsmen along with the ecological and societal consequences of industrialization run amok. If you are an action fan, Kristoff has you covered here too.

Within this world we follow Yukiko, a young woman older than her years whose father is tasked with a seemingly impossible mission by the cruel, tyrannical Shogun. This task takes them from the poisoned skies of Kigen City to the mysterious, lush Iishi Mountains. I am not going to go over a plot synopsis. Most of my enjoyment came from immersing myself in the world, the characters, and the rising stakes and I won't spoil it for you. Although Yukiko is young, I would not call this a young adult book.

Stormdancer is very much a set-the-stage book, like most book 1's in a series. While there is a conclusion (no cliffhanger in case you were worried), there is plenty here to populate a series. From the first chapter I was enthralled, and reading the last words made me eager to start the next installment.

https://bigpapageek.wordpress.com/2015/02/28/book-review-stormdancer-the-lotus-war-1-by-jay-kristoff/

I'm gonna be straight up with you, OK? Because I respect you, and I don't want you to waste your time. If you don't like,

A. Steampunk

B. Japan

C. Ninjas

D. Griffins

or E. Fun

you probably won't like Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff. But honestly, even if you don't like steampunk...there's still a REALLY good chance that you will love Stormdancer.

Stormdancer leans heavily on what are typically seen as steampunk tropes. I mean it's got them all; goggles, airships, industrialization, chainsaw katana...

Ok, so it's safer to say that it takes those tropes as a jumping off point, as the rest of the book is full of both original ideas and riffs on classic steampunk tropes.

One of the most unexpected (and surprisingly refreshing) elements is how Kristoff weaves surprisingly strong social commentary about war, imperialism, the environment, and the oppression of the working classes throughout the story. This puts it squarely in the tradition of steampunk (or "Victorian adventure") authors, from H.G Wells and Jules Verne, to K.W. Jeter and William Gibson, all of which feature varying degrees of commentary (and criticism) of science and colonialism run amok. There is a strong case to be made that "true" Steampunk must bring this social consciousness to bear, otherwise it's just "Gaslamp Fantasy" (which is fine, if that's what you are looking for).

Yukiko, who serves as our window into this world, is a16 year -old girl, struggling with the traumas of her past and present. She is really quite a good protagonist; she is distinctly feminine, but the story doesn't overly rely on her being so; she feels like a teenager, and makes some stupid, bad decisions, but also discovers hidden strengths and competencies; she falls in love, but never loses her head.

She also kills demons with a tanto and rides a griffin, so make no mistake. This book is pulpy as hell. And I loved every page of it.

While I have read criticisms of the book's use of Japanese imagery, misuse of honorifics, cultural appropriation, etc. I didn't find it personally to be a problem (but take that with a grain of salt, as I am neither Asian, nor female). I'm simply happy that writers are branching out into more diverse cultural and geographical settings.

I am thoroughly looking forward to the sequel, Kinslayer (The Lotus War #2). Stay tuned, good readers.

Originally published on Bookluvrs Haven Blog.

Jesus! Look at that cover. I can stare at it all day, salivating profusely. I LOVE IT!

I clicked the request button at Netgalley, and crossed my fingers. When I finally got the notification that I was approved to read this ARC.... holy crap Happy Dance!

This is officially my first 'Steam Punk' novel. Frankly, I wasn't even sure what Steam Punk is. But I really, really, really wanted to read this novel.

On to the thoughts on the story itself.

The author did a great job in implementing lots and lots... and lots of Japanese terms into this novel. I guess it set the mood; identified the culture/people... but it also made things a little challenging for me for the first 20% of the novel. There IS a glossary, which would have been so helpful to me had it not been a pain in the you-know-what to get to on my kindle. This was definitely a book I wished I had on hardcopy copy for that issue alone. And I will be honest! I really wasn't sure if I was going to love this, or even like it, because I didn't really understand what the majority of the terms meant without going through this frustrating exercise of going to the glossary, then finding my way back to my current page (trust me, it was a pain!)... so I gave up on the glossary, and tried to continue on.

However.....

20% in, and our girl Yukiko is on an air ship with her father, and other characters on this seemingly impossible quest to find and capture a amazing creature thought to be extinct.. a thunder tiger (basically a griffin).. for their Shogun, who I found to be quite mad and a nasty little shit of a person.

Amazingly, they glimpse the creature soaring in and out of a brewing storm... and I was insanely hooked on this novel from that moment on.

They successfully capture it, but the storm causes havoc on their air ship, and it ends up going down. But not before Yukiko risks her life in order to save the thunder tiger, and they both survive the crash, finding themselves in the middle of a wilderness.

As their journey continues, they slowly form a friendship and deep connection aided by Yukiko's secret gift.. being able to connect and communicate with animals.

The glossary then failed to be a thought in my brain. It no longer mattered. I was fully invested from that moment on to continue on this epic journey with them both, as they faced adversaries, and made allies.

The action scenes in this novel were OUT OF THIS WORLD! Completely cinematic and so fluent I could see every move in my head as if I was watching a movie on the big screen. I LOVED LOVED LOVED how both Yukiko and Buruu (what she named the thunder tiger) fought together as a team, like a perfectly choreographed dance of death. They melded together, almost becoming one entity, and when Buruu roared, and Yukiko yelled along with him, I swear my heart palpitated.

Yukiko was by far my favorite character. A young girl brought up in a harsh, poisoned world. Strong and intelligent, but with a young heart that yearned and dreamed of a green eyed warrior. She was mature beyond her years who seemed to carry the world on her shoulders. Her shoulders were wide. She also seemed to carry her father, who slowly poisoned himself with his addiction for the lotus smoke that dulled the voices of the demons of his past. She was the true warrior in this novel. She was stunning.

And Kin... oh sweet Kin. Man... I always feel bad for the third wheel in the romance triangle. Poor Kin loved Yukiko from afar, but his feelings were far from being returned. My heart went out to him and hope it changes for him in the later novels! Because, yes, I like the underdog best in this love triangle.

There wasn't a dull moment. Once this novel sucked me in, it refused to let me go. In fact, I can see myself reading this again and again. It took me on a ride through twists and turns, betrayals and sacrifices that were both stunning and unpredictable.

This novel ended up being pretty magical, and I really can't wait for the next book. But since I have no choice in that, I may just have to read Stormdancer again, to help me through the agony of the waiting process.

As with most books that come with much hype, people seem to either love or hate Stormdancer. I knew that my personal tastes in books made for a high likelihood that I would be of the former group, but you just never know. I should trust my intuition more often, however, as I thoroughly enjoyed Stormdancer for many different reasons. I've seen the lauds and the complaints, but I have some of my own perspective that best explains why I had such a great time reading this book. I just hope I can fully capture my thoughts in this review space.

Stormdancer is comprised of a cast of characters that I found to be utterly fantastic. From Yukiko, the determined girl with a bitter past to Buruu, the grumpy, wise-cracking griffin (known as thunder tigers in the book), it is impossible to not be absorbed into the tale. Each character has their own distinct personality, voice, and motive, all of which serve to fully form them within the reader's mind. There is enough humor, emotion, and passion to keep a reader fully entertained. These characters are more than capable of taking you along on their journeys.

When it comes to the way in which Stormdancer is written, there seems to be much difference of opinion between readers. I can't speak for others, but I can share my observations and what I came away from the book with. The way in which the story is laid down and the characters speak may be a bit difficult to grasp, at first, but I did notice that soon a certain rhythm began to emerge that made a lot of sense due to the type of story being told. The way in which Yukiko and Buruu communicate is fascinating and I had a nice little pondering session to myself wondering whether Buruu actually understood the words being said by those around him or whether the two were speaking their own language, as it were. I know what I think, but in the end, it is up to you to decide. The setting is so completely vivid that I could easily picture every inch of this desolate country in my mind. The descriptions given for the damage done to the land is conveyed very, very well. It is difficult not to be affected by such a thought.

To sum it up, Stormdancer is one of those books that, when you put it down, makes you say, "Whoa." I won't tell you how many surprises Jay Kristoff has embedded in Stormdancer, nor will I tell you at what part of the books these surprises occur. Suffice it to say that I absolutely didn't see it coming, which is always so much fun. If I'm not able to guess what will happen by the half-way point, I'm a very happy reader. If you want a book full of action, awesome characters, writing that is almost lyrical in its narration, and one bad-ass griffin, then you definitely NEED this book. Go. Pick up Stormdancer. You know you wanna.

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

This review originally appeared on my blog, Starting the Next Chapter, on October 12, 2012.

Quote:
"One day you will see that we must sometimes sacrifice for the sake of something greater."

Stormdancer is an epic journey of a book that follows a young Japanese girl on an amazing adventure in a steampunk version of feudal Japan. This is one ambitious book - and it totally blew me away! With all the hype surrounding this book (a to-die-for cover and an exciting synopsis) I was afraid it could not live up to my hopes for it, but I was wrong. I loved everything about Stormdancer and even days later I find myself still thinking about all the twists and turns I encountered and the rollercoaster of emotions I experienced while reading.

The setting and blur of genres here is what excited readers well before the book's release date. Steampunk is a new and popular genre but until recently it was mostly held captive in turn-of-the-century London. Kristoff mixed some steampunk into feudal Japan and came away with a seamless mesh. The samurai carry chainsaw katanaas and their armor consists of metal plating and clockwork gears. Citizens of the big city Kigen wear respirator masks that vary in complexity according to cost to avoid the horrible smog in the air. Guildsmen wearing metal suits with all sorts of tools and weapons (and even tubes that are attached to their bodies) roam the streets. Long-distance travel is accomplished through the use of sky ships, which I imagined to be kind of like a clockwork motorized hot air balloon. Its a well-created and creative setting that I loved being in while reading.

The story centers on Yukiko, a sixteen year old girl whose father is the Shogun's head hunter master. Yukiko is a sympathetic character that I could relate to, but still one seriously tough chick. She knows how to wield a sword well but doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut. She was just the right combination of loyal, hard ass, and sensitive. Her growth during the book was incredible and I am SO excited to see where she goes in the next book.

Buruu, the thunder tiger (or arashitora) that everyone wants to tame and keep for their own, is an amazing character.....even though he never says one single word. As he and Yukiko grow closer throughout their time together I grew to absolutely adore him. His wise 'words' and fierce loyalty to Yukiko even through his personal tragedy was so touching. He had quite the character arc as well and it was great to see the affect Yukiko had on him as the story went on.

Quote:
"Our troubles are but mayflies, rising and falling between the turn of dawn and dusk. And then they are gone to the houses of memory, you and I will remain, Yukiko."

There is some romance in this book.....and heartbreak, and betrayal and all that wonderful stuff. You have to wait until the second half of the book to get to all the romance and heartbreak so don't be dismayed when you start reading and its not there yet. In fact, much of the first one-third of the book is setting us up for the rest of the story. While not exactly boring, this portion of the story is definitely not as amazing as the rest of the book. I liked the first one-third a lot.....I was rabid with my obsession for the last two-thirds.

At the heart of the plot is this terrible Shogum and the horrible condition of the island of Shima, Yukiko's home and where the book takes place. Through the over industrialization of the lotus plant, Shima has gained new steampunk-esque technology but at the same time suffered from pollution, famine, a corrupt government, a never ending war, etc. As the book goes on you start to feel the revolution building and sides being chosen as people finally start to wake up and see what is happening around them. This element is in the background throughout the story, but a constant part of the plot that drives the story forward and motivates several different characters' decisions. Since this series is called, "The Lotus War" I expect that the next book will lead us closer to that revolution and I am seriously ready to jump into the fight!

There's so much to this story - so many unexpected twists, secrets revealed, betrayals, location changes, ups and downs - that I just don't know what else to say about it! I was thoroughly engaged in this book and am highly recommending it!!!

I do want to note that although this book is technically Young Adult, it did not read like a typical YA book in any way, shape, or form. There is sex mentioned, although not at all explicit, and there is a lot of violence (hello...chainsaw katana swords.....).

Quote:
"You walked into this village with a thunder tiger beside you. You have slain demons with your own hands. Are the old myths really that hard to believe?"

"They wouldn't be myths otherwise, would they?"

"Then have a care, Yukiko-chan," Daichi smiled. "Keeping the company of the last arashitora in Shima sounds like an excellent way to become a myth yourself."

Recommended for fans of: Japanese fantasy, steampunk, strong female protagonists, mythical creatures, crying, swords, and complex characters.

As with most books that come with much hype, people seem to either love or hate Stormdancer. I knew that my personal tastes in books made for a high likelihood that I would be of the former group, but you just never know. I should trust my intuition more often, however, as I thoroughly enjoyed Stormdancer for many different reasons. I've seen the lauds and the complaints, but I have some of my own perspective that best explains why I had such a great time reading this book. I just hope I can fully capture my thoughts in this review space.

Stormdancer is comprised of a cast of characters that I found to be utterly fantastic. From Yukiko, the determined girl with a bitter past to Buruu, the grumpy, wise-cracking griffin (known as thunder tigers in the book), it is impossible to not be absorbed into the tale. Each character has their own distinct personality, voice, and motive, all of which serve to fully form them within the reader's mind. There is enough humor, emotion, and passion to keep a reader fully entertained. These characters are more than capable of taking you along on their journeys.

When it comes to the way in which Stormdancer is written, there seems to be much difference of opinion between readers. I can't speak for others, but I can share my observations and what I came away from the book with. The way in which the story is laid down and the characters speak may be a bit difficult to grasp, at first, but I did notice that soon a certain rhythm began to emerge that made a lot of sense due to the type of story being told. The way in which Yukiko and Buruu communicate is fascinating and I had a nice little pondering session to myself wondering whether Buruu actually understood the words being said by those around him or whether the two were speaking their own language, as it were. I know what I think, but in the end, it is up to you to decide. The setting is so completely vivid that I could easily picture every inch of this desolate country in my mind. The descriptions given for the damage done to the land is conveyed very, very well. It is difficult not to be affected by such a thought.

To sum it up, Stormdancer is one of those books that, when you put it down, makes you say, "Whoa." I won't tell you how many surprises Jay Kristoff has embedded in Stormdancer, nor will I tell you at what part of the books these surprises occur. Suffice it to say that I absolutely didn't see it coming, which is always so much fun. If I'm not able to guess what will happen by the half-way point, I'm a very happy reader. If you want a book full of action, awesome characters, writing that is almost lyrical in its narration, and one bad-ass griffin, then you definitely NEED this book. Go. Pick up Stormdancer. You know you wanna.

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

This review originally appeared on my blog, Starting the Next Chapter, on October 12, 2012.

Quote:
"One day you will see that we must sometimes sacrifice for the sake of something greater."

Stormdancer is an epic journey of a book that follows a young Japanese girl on an amazing adventure in a steampunk version of feudal Japan. This is one ambitious book - and it totally blew me away! With all the hype surrounding this book (a to-die-for cover and an exciting synopsis) I was afraid it could not live up to my hopes for it, but I was wrong. I loved everything about Stormdancer and even days later I find myself still thinking about all the twists and turns I encountered and the rollercoaster of emotions I experienced while reading.

The setting and blur of genres here is what excited readers well before the book's release date. Steampunk is a new and popular genre but until recently it was mostly held captive in turn-of-the-century London. Kristoff mixed some steampunk into feudal Japan and came away with a seamless mesh. The samurai carry chainsaw katanaas and their armor consists of metal plating and clockwork gears. Citizens of the big city Kigen wear respirator masks that vary in complexity according to cost to avoid the horrible smog in the air. Guildsmen wearing metal suits with all sorts of tools and weapons (and even tubes that are attached to their bodies) roam the streets. Long-distance travel is accomplished through the use of sky ships, which I imagined to be kind of like a clockwork motorized hot air balloon. Its a well-created and creative setting that I loved being in while reading.

The story centers on Yukiko, a sixteen year old girl whose father is the Shogun's head hunter master. Yukiko is a sympathetic character that I could relate to, but still one seriously tough chick. She knows how to wield a sword well but doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut. She was just the right combination of loyal, hard ass, and sensitive. Her growth during the book was incredible and I am SO excited to see where she goes in the next book.

Buruu, the thunder tiger (or arashitora) that everyone wants to tame and keep for their own, is an amazing character.....even though he never says one single word. As he and Yukiko grow closer throughout their time together I grew to absolutely adore him. His wise 'words' and fierce loyalty to Yukiko even through his personal tragedy was so touching. He had quite the character arc as well and it was great to see the affect Yukiko had on him as the story went on.

Quote:
"Our troubles are but mayflies, rising and falling between the turn of dawn and dusk. And then they are gone to the houses of memory, you and I will remain, Yukiko."

There is some romance in this book.....and heartbreak, and betrayal and all that wonderful stuff. You have to wait until the second half of the book to get to all the romance and heartbreak so don't be dismayed when you start reading and its not there yet. In fact, much of the first one-third of the book is setting us up for the rest of the story. While not exactly boring, this portion of the story is definitely not as amazing as the rest of the book. I liked the first one-third a lot.....I was rabid with my obsession for the last two-thirds.

At the heart of the plot is this terrible Shogum and the horrible condition of the island of Shima, Yukiko's home and where the book takes place. Through the over industrialization of the lotus plant, Shima has gained new steampunk-esque technology but at the same time suffered from pollution, famine, a corrupt government, a never ending war, etc. As the book goes on you start to feel the revolution building and sides being chosen as people finally start to wake up and see what is happening around them. This element is in the background throughout the story, but a constant part of the plot that drives the story forward and motivates several different characters' decisions. Since this series is called, "The Lotus War" I expect that the next book will lead us closer to that revolution and I am seriously ready to jump into the fight!

There's so much to this story - so many unexpected twists, secrets revealed, betrayals, location changes, ups and downs - that I just don't know what else to say about it! I was thoroughly engaged in this book and am highly recommending it!!!

I do want to note that although this book is technically Young Adult, it did not read like a typical YA book in any way, shape, or form. There is sex mentioned, although not at all explicit, and there is a lot of violence (hello...chainsaw katana swords.....).

Quote:
"You walked into this village with a thunder tiger beside you. You have slain demons with your own hands. Are the old myths really that hard to believe?"

"They wouldn't be myths otherwise, would they?"

"Then have a care, Yukiko-chan," Daichi smiled. "Keeping the company of the last arashitora in Shima sounds like an excellent way to become a myth yourself."

Recommended for fans of: Japanese fantasy, steampunk, strong female protagonists, mythical creatures, crying, swords, and complex characters.

Background: Yukiko is a girl of sixteen who has been on missions with her father since she was young, her father is the Master Hunter to the Shogun of Japan. Set in a steampunk version of Feudal Japan, the Master Hunter is given the mission to return with the legendary Storm Tiger, a beast that has not been seen in centuries. The story follows Yukiko as she sets off with her father on their mission, which they deem as ridiculous and impossible. All the while there is a war brewing, the government has been aiding in the harvest of lotus, which has polluted the world to the point of no return, and some of the citizens are not happy about it. Can Yukiko and her father find a Storm Tiger, and if they do what will that mean for society and the war?

Review: love love loved it! I was surprised when I received this book at the length, not that is was bad, just a little daunting at about 400 pages. It started out very slow, there was a lot of flipping to the glossary (yea I know, a glossary? how cool and helpful) for me since the Japanese terminology was unfamiliar, but after about 150 pages I was hooked.
Yukiko is one of the best female lead characters I have encountered in a long time, she is independent, clever, and uses her brain...quite a bit. I found myself wanting to be more like her, strong and resistant towards nay-sayers.
The setting was beautifully done and very convincing in the adaptation of the steampunk aspect. I could picture the landscapes and pollution without trying, but that was mostly due to the slower set up in the beginning of the book...which obviously was worth the wait.
I don't want to spoil this book too much for anyone, but the interaction between Yukiko and Buruu was by far the best element. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I beg you, GO GET THIS BOOK! and then tell Jay how he is the most awesome of awesome!

What first caught my attention when I was looking for books to buy, was the cover for Stormdancer! It was so pretty and unique! I literally spent two minutes just oohing and ahhing over it! The name Stormdancer, caught my attention as well. It didn't really make sense to me in the beginning because I had no idea what a Stormdancer was, maybe someone who dances in storms? but after reading the novel, It finally clicked! There aren't nearly enough YA Asian mythology/culture novels out there! I've probably read about two dozen Greek Mythology books, but Stormdancer is only the third Asian related book I've read so far! The other two I've read are Eon and Eona which is more based off of Chinese Mythology, rather than Stormdancer's Japanese Mythology.

The main character, Yukiko, was a sixteen year old girl with a deadly secret. Out of all the reviews I've read, every single one of them gushed about a strong female protagonist, and I mean come on, who wouldn't want to read about that? Yukiko didn't just stand by idly and pretend that everything in her world was fine, when the rain was black, the land was contaminated, and the people were dying off from pollution faster than they were born. When no one else would speak up against the Guild members and Royalty, she did. She stood up for what she believed in, even when it might have costed her her life. Yukiko was also very intelligent and cunning. She didn't let pride stand in her way, in fact she would push it down and play the act of a subservient woman, even when she was raging inside. She did whatever it took to accomplish her goals, and never wavered from it.

The Arashitora (Stormtiger), Buruu, was my favorite character out of the whole book. When he was first caught by Yukiko's father, he was angry, terrified, and in disbelief that something as great as he could be caught. One thing I loved about Buruu, was that his actions were realistic, and that he didn't build some instant bond with Yukiko that other YA novels what have put in just to move the novel along quicker. Instead, they built a slow and steady bond, that sprang from disdain and distrust, to affection for each other's company, and finally to a unbreakable bond that was held together by a love for each other. Another thing I loved was that Buruu grew as a character throughout the book. As their friendship flourished, Buruu started adopting Yukiko's tone of voice and turned from an impulsive creature, into a intelligent and perceptive soul with a human mind.

The action in this novel, was at times a little slow paced and tedious. Jay tends to be a little extensive and overzealous with his descriptions. I had trouble getting into the novel at first, because all of the Japanese sayings, terms, and similar names were a bit confusing to me. I kept picking up the book, setting it back down, then picking it up again because I was hoping it would get better. I was so happy that I did! There was one certain scene that the author created, that had tears dripping from my eyes and emotion clawing up my throat. When Buruu and Yukiko trusted each other with their lives and fought as one being, one entity. It was so beautiful, inspiring, and heart wrenching!

The worldbuilding was amazing as well! I saw that Stormdancer was described as a Steampunk novel many times. Although I have heard of the term before, I have never knew what it actually meant. I kind of guessed that it had something to do with machinery, because steam comes from machines. Finally, I just googled it online. Turns out I was right, to an extent. The official definition of Steampunk from Wikepedia is a genre that incorporates science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror, and speculative fiction. Sounds interesting right? I still had no idea what that meant so I just decided to see for my self! After reading Stormdancer, it kind of became obvious to me. Basically it's just Japanese culture and mythology mixed in with machinery like cars and trains and stuff. This kind of left me with a funny mental picture throughout the novel. People wearing kimonos and airplane goggles. Weird....but unique. xD

Overall, if you enjoy reading about Japanese Mythology, machinery, kick ass and cunning protagonists, cool animal sidekicks, betrayal, defiance, or all of the above, you'll love what Stormdancer has to offer!

Heroine- 4.5/5
Romance- 1/5
Action- 4/5
First 70 to 80 pages of Stormdancer was a little too slow paced for my taste.
Comedy- 4.5/5
Overall- 3.5/5

Daphne @ Readinguntildawn (dot) blogspot (dot) com

Well, this was a huge disappointment. I was really excited about this book, because I've been in love with Japan and its culture and history since I was 12 and seeing it in a YA novel mixed with steam punk sounded AWESOME! But instead it was a lot of misuse and poorly done research of Japan and it's history/culture/language. The application of the language and culture just felt very awkward, sometimes lazy, and frequently just not correct. It didn't really feel like Kristoff worked very hard, and he name drops a ton of words with Japanese origins (like weapon names or clothing) but he doesn't always explain what it is, so most people would be like wtf?? Even I had to flip to the back for the glossary a few times like "what are you talking about?". And man, geishas and prostitutes are mentioned so often. I get it, geisha/prostitutes because it's based on Japanese culture. You're sooooo clever. Stop. Just stop.

I did really like Buruu, the Arashitora. His character was literally the best part of the whole novel. I also liked the idea of the bond between Yukiko and Buruu and I feel like this book had SO MUCH POTENTIAL if the use of Japanese culture had been used with more respect and more research.

The land of Shima is choking under the Imperial need for the Blood Lotus plant, both as a fuel and an intoxicant that most of the population are addicted to. The Shogun sends out his most famous hunter, Masaru, along with his party and young daughter Yukiko on a perilous mission - to capture a thunder tiger, an arashitora. When their airship crashes during a storm over the mountains, Yukiko forms a strange bond with their captured thunder tiger. Together they learn the meaning of sacrifice for a greater good, as they do what they can to try to bring the Shogun's destructive rule to an end.

The world that Jay Kristoff has created in Stormdancer is so richly detailed that it felt like the descriptions were projecting right out of the pages in all their beauty or horror. The story is a delight to read, painting vivid pictures of Shima, the Iishi Mountains and the city with its opulent palace.

It's not just the settings that are amazing though - I was a little overwhelmed by all the descriptions of types of weapons and arrangements of clothing that are included in the story. I'm really not familiar with many aspects of feudal Japanese society or Samurai weaponry, but there's a helpful glossary at the back to help you tell your Nagamaki from your Tanto. The chi-powered suits worn by the councilmen and all the other steampunk-ish touches were quite fascinating as well.

The relationship between Yukiko and Buruu is just gorgeous - I loved how it developed from deep fury and distrust into true friendship and more. Those two are really the highlight of this story to me - I can't wait until the next book so we get to hear more of their banter and Buruu's shrewd insights.

The supporting characters are also fantastic! I loved the banter between Masaru, Kasumi and Akihito. I was a little wary of the Kagé sympathisers in the palace though - I kept expecting them to turn out to be working for the Shogun all along.

As it's known that Jay is not a fan of happy endings, he does like to heart out your heart and break it into many pieces - be careful where you read this, the lunch room at work is no place for sobbing!

Thankfully there's no huge cliffhanger in this book - I just need to read what's going to happen next in the story! Fans of Fantasy, Steampunk and/or Anime, get your hands on Stormdancer as soon as you can!

At first, I thought the unthinkable. "I'm not going to like this book." I kept looking at Stormdancer's gorgeous cover, dismayed that I just wasn't enjoying the first sixty pages or so. Where was the civil unrest and strong female protagonist I was promised?! But then I met an arashitora, felt it's song reverberate through my bones and the plot took off like a rocket, twisting and turning and gaining speed until its explosive finish, leaving me breathless!

I only had two real issues with Stormdancer. Firstly, I found the initial set-up to be excruciatingly dull. The same imagery was repeated over and over to convey just how diseased/tepid/stained the landscape was. I liked that it was continued throughout Stormdancer, as it made for nice continuity and a constant reminder that the land was almost damaged beyond repair, but it also got slightly monotonous and I found myself skimming some sections where the same words were used in abundance to describe Yukiko's surroundings. Secondly, the random switch of PoV was sometimes jarring. Some characters were give mere pages, and then their PoVs were never used again. It seemed like they were given the spotlight to make it easier to explain something, versus having Yukiko learn about it secondhand through someone else and at times, I found it to be a little lazy.

Those small issues aside, I loved everything else about Stormdancer. The Japanese culture was all-encompassing, infiltrating every character and every scene. I loved that it wasn't mentioned and then forgotten, but that it was quite often highlighted and used to explain various characters' motivations. Kristoff's obvious handle on their mannerisms and traditions was flawless. I also loved how seamlessly he infused steampunk elements into such a traditional culture. The ingenuity required to build the Guildsmans' machines, and the grace and elegance with which they functioned, speak to their Japanese heritage, and the mix of the old traditions with steampunk elements - like chainsaw katanas and chi-powered air ships - was fantastic.

Yukiko was a brillant protagonist. Her sullenness early on showed her young age, but it also made her accomplishments in Stormdancer that much greater. Her growth is astounding, yet subtle. It is only through time and experience that she begins to doubt everything she has been taught, that she begins to question those who would see her dead for even daring to think about questioning them. It is with the understanding that everything is not always as it seems where we see her learn to forgive. And it is with the knowledge of true sacrifice where we see her shine.

"Dying is easy. Anyone can throw themselves onto the pyre and rest a happy martyr. Enduring the suffering that comes with sacrifice is the real test."

Her relationship with Buruu is heartbreaking in its genuineness. Watching Buruu's gradual acceptance of his "monkey-child" turn into a relationship akin to siblings was an absolute privilege to read. Their ability to work as one was awe-inspiring to witness and the depth to which they felt each others joy or despair was tangible; I felt Yukiko's angst over Buruu's clipped wings, and I felt Buruu's fear for Yukiko's life when she was held at knife-point.

And I absolutely loved how Kristoff handled Stormdancer's romance, or lack thereof. Yukiko chides herself for dreaming of the boy with jade eyes when she should be focused on finding her missing friends. When she's reunited with this boy - Hiro - she feels guilt for enjoying their time together, when she could be planning on how to rescue her father. She never once let's her feelings for Hiro interfere with her plans, and when she realizes a hard truth, she doesn't lament over love lost. She takes the time to enjoy love when she can, but while it does help motivate some of her actions, it never becomes the thing that defines her.

Stormdancer has everything: a strong female protagonist, mythical beasts, Japanese Steampunk!, civil unrest, adventure, love, loss, betrayal. While I found it started off slow, it quickly picked up the pace and took me on a journey I won't soon forget! And let's be honest. I'm dying to get my hands on an arashitora, even if it's only a mechanical miniature.

I didn't hate STORMDANCER, but it certainly was not as fantastic as I wanted it to be. The first hundred pages or so are slow. There's a lot of worldbuilding set-up, and it's not skillful worldbuilding. It's not info-dumping per se, but Kristoff doesn't hold back on the descriptions of various elements of the world, and I found it tedious. If you do enjoy paragraphs of description, Kristoff's are quite lovely; I just prefer more to be left to my imagination. Additionally, Kristoff uses the occasional Japanese term; there's a glossary, but I'd imagine that flipping back and forth between the novel and the glossary would quickly get annoying. Fortunately, I knew enough about Japanese culture for the glossary to be unnecessary. Unfortunately, this means that I also knew enough to be annoyed at the misuse of some basic Japanese words. This is a fictitious world, but if you're going to use actual words, you ought to use them correctly. Otherwise, make up your own similar words. Really, part of me wants to say that the world just never came alive for me and other part of me wants to yell BEST FANTASY WORLD EVER. I know that this isn't historical fiction, but this world is so clearly based on feudal Japan with steampunk elements, and yet it just all feels very Western in its mindset, and I would have liked it to feel more Japanese and less Westernized Japan. The characters are nothing special, with the exception of Buruu, the thunder tiger, who speaks in capitals, suggesting the vastness of his anger and power. He's funny and angry and yet caring and loyal, and seeing his relationship develop with Yukiko was fun, but Yukiko herself is your typical teenage female protagonist. She's pretty and capable with a weapon and fairly intelligent, although she can make mistakes and dwell on a handsome face, with a touch of rebelliousness and anger that comes in handy when the plot starts rolling. Her hunt master father is a drug addict, simultaneously hardened and destroyed by the cost of serving a ruthless shogun who cares only about his own glory. None of the characters have surprising motivations or alliances. They're not annoying or anything; they serve the plot well, and later books could bring more growth or introduce new, more intriguing characters. Actually, considering where this one left off, I'm looking forward to book two.

Because the thing is, once the novel gets rolling (basically around the time Yukiko and Buruu start teaming up), STORMDANCER is really entertaining. Once Kristoff's set up his world, there's less description to bog down the plot, and not that STORMDANCER has the most creative plot, but the world (despite my problems with it) is different and actually, so freaking cool that I kind of want to declare it the best fantasy world ever. So at the end of the day, STORMDANCER is worth reading. I'm not surprised that it's finding its audience and getting good reviews. I'd just recommend not going in with your hopes too high. Disappointment is what turned a four-star book into a three-star book.

A steampunk story unlike any I've read before. I thoroughly enjoyed this story with the environmental concern approach that it took. With vast pollution, the Shima Empire's environment is dying. The lands where the blood lotus is grown are dying. We join our heroine on a hunt for a Thunder Tiger (half tiger, half eagle), at the behest of the Shogun. An enjoyable read with fantastic settings and characters, I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys steampunk or anime.

Stormdancer was tough to get into, the writing was complex and detailed and it took a while to get used to the terminologies. But through a slow beginning, Stormdancer managed to prove that it can hold its own and pack a punch of feels right where it hurts the most. It's a wonderful tale that showcases the bond between Yukiko and Buruu and standing up to what is wrong when you possess that power. The world that Jay Kristoff has created is mesmerising as he intertwines steampunk with Japanese culture and is a book I will never hesitate to recommend.

Yukiko is probably one of the toughest heroines I've ever come across, she is fearless and there is little that she is intimidated by. She's a hard nut to crack and has this cold exterior, her past has caused this and although she won't admit it, she's unhappy with the way things are. Everything changes though when she meets Buruu, an arashitora, a creature long thought to be lost. We see another side of Yukiko who is awed and terrified by this fantastic creature and eager to work together with him to survive. They form a bond like no other and become one. I remember there was this one line in the book where it was something along the lines of not knowing where she started and where he ended. I feel that's a perfect way to describe Yukiko and Buruu, they become one whole being that it becomes hard to define one without the other.

Buruu is no doubt one of the most unique characters I have ever read about. His personality is blunt, straight-forward and he is so perplexed by the actions of humans. He makes capslock look fantastic and I loved the impression he gave like he was constantly shouting, it just fits in so well with who he is. No doubt you might be chuckling at some parts because Buruu's inability to understand human attraction is hilarious. I did have one problem with Yukiko and Buruu and that was I felt the development between them just went by so fast. I liked the end product but just wish we got more of what happened in between.

The writing is hard to take in, I was quite taken aback by how detailed and painstaking it was to piece together one simple scene that was basically a few paragraphs long. No doubt the writing is heavy and not light and it makes the book hard to get into but it is all worth it. I gained such an appreciation for it as we reached the interesting parts. The beginning, as people warned me, was hard to get through. It was slow and I found it very hard to get used to the entire story and every character, it just felt so unfamiliar and strange and like I was being constantly hit with new things to understand before I even started to just understand what was going on. But rest assured, once you get to the good part, you won't look back at all. Stormdancer will take you on a ride that will just blow your mind.

Kristoff does a terrific job at intertwining Japanese culture with his own interpretation of Japan. Before I read the book I had heard how inaccurate it was but for Stormdancer I think it's important to remember this is Japanese-inspired, this is not Japan in a steampunk setting. It's a story about a land that is similar to Japan and in a steampunk setting. It is difficult to get used to the terminologies because there are so many new things to learn but you will definitely get used to it, no matter if you're completely new to Japanese culture or you already have an idea of it. What is important you will soon understand fast enough.

The ending had me on the edge and oh my goodness it was so amazing and epic. Even though I unwittingly got myself spoiled by what happened, it was still so shocking and just so many feels and emotions. After the book I was going "Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god," while staring into blank space, clutching the book. That was one heck of a book hangover.

You just have to get this book, I'm not kidding it was amazing and I've read the sequel which is even more mindblowing than this one. You will not regret this at all, the beginning will be hard but trust me, once you get through the first 100 pages, you won't even want to tear yourself away from the book.

Verdict: You should already be at the bookstore buying this book.

A crazy alternate steampunk Japan that will ensnare you!

I find it really hard to portray just how radtastic of a read Stormdancer is. Steampunk is certainly all the rage right now but I haven't seen anyone do it the way Kristoff has managed. He didn't glorify the machines, instead he showed us the gritty dirty side to what a crazed machine age could do to the once beautiful and lush country of Japan. Cue the blood red bleeding skies, with air so choked with filth the populace can't even go about daily life without wearing a breathing apparatus. To bad the poor are stuck with just a rag over their mouths and noses. Who doesn't like a little grime and misery?

There are the expected airships and goggles that most people have come to identify steampunk with. However, what might not be expected was the awesome mechanized full body armor suits and chainsaw like weapons.

Yukiko and Buruu (the gryphon) were excellently crafted characters. Both of them displayed solid personal growth through the entirety of the book. Yukiko went from a young girl concerned mostly with her own feelings to a woman ready to fight for the good of the people. Buruu was just as interesting. He seemed very angry and closed minded in regards to humans but the way he thinks and feels changes gradually until he trust his very life to Yukiko. I've rarely seen the development of a relationship done so well with the slow progression of trust.

I don't want to give anything away but I must say there were a lot of twists in Stormdancer that I didn't see coming. I absolutely love it when I can't predict what is going to happen in a book. It has me foaming at the mouth to know what is going to happen next.

As a book blogger, I sometimes read lots of reviews prior to reading or deciding to review a book. Before I got my hands on Stormdancer, the reviews were more on the positive side with some mixed ones thrown in. Despite any hesitance, my desire to read a Japanese influenced read won.

But my desire for Stormdancer quickly faded. To be honest, I got a few chapters in before calling it quits.

As a person who loves the Japanese culture, reading Stormdancer was hard. Jay Kristoff creates beautiful imagery. But the constant beating over the head with the smallest details were just too much for this reader. Instead of simply introducing a character and maybe a brief description, Kristoff would detail almost everything that could be detailed and its history. Not to say that these details are useless. They usually are not. But the flow of the story did not mesh with the over-description of virtually everything. And usually, this description did not happen only once. I found many times were a full description of an object was repeated over and over again. After about the third repeat explanation with still very little story plot to speak of, I just had to give up on this read.

This book is a combination of Japanese mythology, steampunk and a little dystopian thrown in. If that isn't curious enough to get you to read this, may I say that I was enchanted with this unusual tale. I so love something different and imaginative and I do think it filled that title nicely.

I do have one criticism. It was with the beginning. I admit I had a hard time getting into this world at first, but when Yukiko, our heroine, was fully on her adventure, all doubt and slowness melted away and I could hardly put down this book. The adventure and the plot was interesting enough to keep my attention, but I have to admit I absolutely fell in love with the arashitora, or "storm-tiger". All I can say is that my snark quota was fully filled by this creature. Oh I really enjoyed this character!

I also loved the way Yukiko thought. She questioned everything including what was not encouraged to question by anyone. She not only examined others behavior and motivations, but she examined her own. How many people, let alone characters do that? This made me root for her even harder than I would have normally. I really think she earned the title of heroine.

In the end I give this unique and thrilling tale 4 1/2 stars. I am so glad I got to read this book and heartily recommend it to anyone looking for something different in an older YA. I also recommend it to those that like dystopian and steampunk.

A japanese steampunk novel involving mythical creatures, a young girl with a sword, and skyships throughout the sky? Need I say more? Jay Kristoff's Stormdancer is a thrill of a ride. While this is his first novel, he manages to capture a world consisting of an intriguing mix of technology and mythology. And having the setting in Japan is was not a bad decision.

Firstly, the setting: the novel features a shogunate in the fictional Isles of Shima that borrow a lot of culture from Japan, but I also noticed a few things that were Chinese. Kristoff also throws a lot of Japanese terms into his writing and, thankfully, includes a glossary at the back. This really gives it a lot of taste. The fact that mythical creatures existed but became extinct because of the pollution from the steampunk machines adds a layer of realism that reflects our own. Yet these extinct animals are still semi-present in the novel and thus provides a taste of fantasy along with the sci-fi. Overall its an interesting depiction of a Japan-like nation with mythical creatures and in a steampunk setting. Plus a samurai with power armor and a chainsaw katana is a pretty sweet idea.

The plot is where I find some faults though. While Kristoff does a good job introducing the setting and characters, the story takes some time to actually get started, giving the novel a slow pace. Much to the dismay of the protagonist, the Shogun decides that he wants a griffin and sends his beast tamer after it. Failure means death. And seeing that griffins are supposed to be extinct, well, you can see why the crew sent after it is worried. With this adventure set up, we are given a journey into the Shima Isles. This is all good except things end up being too predictable. Even the romantic subplot has no surprises.

The characters are interesting and entertaining yet also a bit generic. Masaru, shogun's beast tamer and leader of the crew sent after the griffin, is presented to us as a drunkard getting into a brawl in a gambling den, with his loyal daughter Yukiko arriving to fetch him. This dysfunctional father figure is something out of an anime. The main protagonist Yukiko, while portrayed as a strong, independent young girl, has that whole infatuation for the handsome bad boy we mostly associate with young, naive girls. Aside from her, I noticed most women were prostitutes or some other stereotypical role. Even our strong Yukiko has a moment of vulnerability where she is peeped on.

While there were things that made me think Kristoff was just an anime lover who wrote a novel, the whole thing together ties up nicely. The story progresses, albeit slowly and predictably in some places, into a solid narration of this entertaining journey. The end really does make me want to read the sequel of this upcoming trilogy. The characters do have a certain memorable hold despite being characters straight out of anime. Maybe that's a plus and not a flaw. But the world: mythical creatures that aren't totally extinct, samurai with crazy steampunk armor and weapons, skyships that run on lotus fuel, a shogun bent on conquest and glory. If this doesn't get anyone hooked on steampunk, I don't know what will.

~Thank you to the publisher for this eARC!~

There are some times that you have great, high hopes for a book and then you are disappointed.

This is not one of those times.

For the most part. Let's get those parts over first.

It is undeniable that this is a fantastically written book. I mean, holy moly Jay Kristoff. It isn't often that you find that level of prose in a YA book. Every sentence was written with complex visuals that left you able to image the scene or object being discussed right down to the smell. Kristoff remembers there is five senses to deal with. However, while I enjoyed this as I tried to understand his equally complex world, I found this to be a problem in action scenes. Often, a section of the book would be bogged down with flowery language that, while impressive, just isn't what I like to read. I prefer my books to go FAST. It's strange to explain but the point of this convoluted paragraph is: while I am amazed at the level of prose, it slowed down an otherwise fairly action heavy plot.

While we're discussing words, let's talk terms. Japanese terms. Made up terms. Technical terms. There are a LOT of terms in this book. When you pick up a copy of this (which you will, and I'll explain why in a minute), please remember that there is a glossary in the back. If you're reading this as an eARC PDF, as I was, there is no easy way to skip between the glossary and the part you're currently reading. In the first chapter, especially, my mind was BLOWN by all the terminology and I continued to struggle to wrap my head about it for a large portion of the book.

Both those two things are what caused the book to be hard for me to settle into. I was, at the same time, skimming and rereading to try to understand all the terms, but to also have the book move forward in some way. The beginning of the book isn't very fast (and I don't like books that start with a chapter and then begin the second chapter with "X amount of time previous"). However, this betrays the rest of the book, especially the entire second half. The second half of the book MOVES.

Despite (and sometimes because of) the way the book was written, I felt that the world building was very solid. I may not have understood every facet, but Kristoff has this down watertight. Despite the crazy premise-I mean, JAPANESE STEAMPUNK?-I never once felt like the world was imaginary. Everything felt real, from most of the characters to all of the settings.

It should be said that this book included two personal pet peeves: unneccessary POV switches and a love triangle. Several, actually. (Some of which occurred in the past but were still prevalent for reasons I didn't entirely understand.) (And no, the love triangle isn't a spoiler because it's really obvious really fast. All of them.)

The POV switches were TOTALLY unnecessary, that is why they irk me. I don't mind them if they have a purpose, but for me the entire book could have been told by Yukiko and nothing would really have changed. I mean, the book is third person anyways. It was further annoying that the switches could happen over a paragraph break with no warning. If you are going to switch POVs all over the place, please at least use chapter breaks.

Absolutely none of the love triangles in this book were ever fleshed out. There was simply not enough time in this complicated plot. Given that they didn't really serve a purpose either in the overarching plot, they annoyed me even more than usual.

Alright, alright, I know that's a lot of negativity right there. But remember, ALL THAT only made me dock ONE STAR from my review. That's it. All that, just one. Trust me, there is a reason.

For one, I HAVE to admire Kristoff's prose. I'll have to return to this when I'm in the mood to really focus on a book, because there will still be so much more new information I can read. I've used complex and complicated a lot in this review for a REASON. Stormdancer is, at the very least, ambitious beyond belief in terms of the world-building, the vocabulary and the plot structure. It is then even more impressive that Kristoff manages to present all of it with watertight confidence. I also really enjoyed the characters. Yukiko is my kind of girl (though I'm not sure all that swearing was necessary; I get that she's tough). Even better, the thunder-tiger's voice popped off the page and really grew throughout the book. He was probably my favorite character of them all.

Oh dear, this review is getting way longer than I like mine to be. Oh dear. Uh. I'll try to wrap this up quickly. Basically, here's the deal: a lot of things that annoyed me in this book were personal preference and require the right mood from me. The important thing to remember is that even though there WERE all those things, I'm still giving this book 4 stars. It was SO GOOD it overcame all the annoying parts. It was SO GOOD that I slapped my keyboard when I realized Goodreads has neither a title nor a release date for book 2. Was it perfect? No. But it was pretty darn close.

Readers, step into the world of Stormdancer, and feast your eyes into a fantastical realm like no other!

Yukiko, proud descendant of the Fox clan, and daughter of the great hunter, Masaru, stands witness to the environmental destruction brought by humans to the land of Shima. While the once rich and beautiful land achingly dies from the treacherous, toxic Lotus plant; as the sky bleeds red from all the pollution; while men continue to create diabolical machines, and as the rich and powerful thrive and the poor starve and die, the empire's Shogun, driven by greed and ambitiousness, sends Masaru and his company, along with Yukiko, to capture a thunder tiger. Thunder tigers have long been known to be extinct, along with all the other great spirit animals that once roamed the lands. Although knowing that the task at hand is impossible, defiance and failure of the Shogun's orders only mean death, and so the hunters go forth.

Goodness, have they been blessed to seize one, in spite of all the odds! But Yukiko has just about run out of luck. She finds herself stranded in the wilderness with the crippled thunder tiger. And here is where Yukiko uncovers something within her, something she has kept secret for fear of her own life. Now she must use it to save herself, to save her loved ones, to save a friendship she has just earned, and most of all to save an empire...

Before anything else, I would first like to apologize to Mr. Jay Kristoff, to Yukiko, Masaru, the rest of the Stormdancer characters, and most especially to Buruu (I love you by the way), for having doubts about this book when I started reading it. I'm sorry. I was just too confused with the lore, names, and whatnot that I thought this was going to be bad. Add the fact that I was having trouble loading the copy I got from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. I wanted to read the map so badly but damn it, it won't open properly, and my ereader was hanging. In my defence that was not my fault, but please do accept my sincere apology, because this was, without a doubt, so freakin' awesome!!!

The Shima world was incredibly vivid and outstanding; hats off to Jay Kristoff for creating a world that, although brutal and disturbing, brought about a great story with a solid historical foundation, and a very interesting mix of mythological creatures. The juxtaposition of Japanese culture with dystopian and steampunk genus is truly remarkable. Even though I had difficulty settling into such a world, I was completely drawn to it once I got the hang of it. I couldn't get enough of Yukiko's world!

The characters are well established. They're very distinct, even though I had a hard time keeping up with their names; I'm horrible when it comes to remembering names so I guess you can see where I come from. I won't go into details about each and every one of them anymore, but let me tell you how much I valued the kind of relationship Yukiko and Buruu had developed. Now, I know Buruu isn't a pet to Yukiko but I can kind of see their relationship build into something similar. The bond of a master and his/her animal friend is really strong and deep. I should know I have four dogs after all. And knowing what Buruu is and what Yukiko is capable of only makes that kind of bond run deeper and more meaningful. Seriously, every pain these two characters felt was like slowly driving a knife to my heart. Yes, I was crying; like that's a surprise! Hello? Bleeding heart here. LOL. I felt like I was part of the gang all throughout their journey, I laughed with them, cried with them, and I relished each moment. That's how much Buruu touched my heart. I wish I can find one like him. Ha, ha!

Jay Kristoff's writing may be a bit too descriptive but he makes up for it through breath-taking action scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Once Yukiko goes bad ass, and joins forces with Buruu, I couldn't put the book down. Also, I have to note that you have to be patient when the narratives come along, because in spite of how long it may seem, it all falls into place at some point. You'll be happy you stuck through it since a lot of things will make sense once the pieces are all put together.

Love, action, betrayal and a whole lot more - this book has it all, definitely my kind of fantasy book. Although this is a series, I'm glad this part of the story came to a fitting ending, and not the annoying cliff-hanger type. There are more adventures to come for Buruu and Yukiko, and I can't wait to see them!

Now then, Japanese Steampunk. It sounds awesome from the word go and it does throw up a beautiful world to play in. The classic parts of the country are all there. The out of touch insane Emperor, who only has the throne because of his bloodline. The Samurai who value honour and duty above all else, the Bushido code and servitude their main focus in life. And the common people who grease the wheels of privelege and does all the damn work who are so used to the world being like this that rebellion is the unthinkable.

Throw in a power-hungry guild who supplies the country with all it's power and innovation, wrap them in sealed armour, make them seem otherworldly and then you have a story! Oh, and chainsaw Katanas, which is just too awesome for words. And the Samurai's are basically tanks.

It says quite a lot about Mr. Kristoff's skills that the world he envisaged and built is so unique and special. The worldbuilding is done damn well, and since it is based on a culture that I'm not really familiar with, he explained it well without misusing the dreaded info-dump or through too much spoon feeding.

The first third of the story is what is explained in the blurb. It was an easy introduction into a world on the edge of environmental collapse. You got a sense of how the main characters think and got comfortable with them and Mr. Kristoff's writing style, and of course you know that Yukiko will meet the Thunder-Tiger. It didn't make it any less enjoyable to read.

The story from there is fast paced, with the back and forth between Yukiko and the Thunder-Tiger a highlight as the story commences. They develop and change as they get to know each other, and that sense of growth and love is a very nice touch.

The tale isn't without death and misery, but it's not the overriding theme in the book. The world is dying and the common people are being abused, but the overall feeling for me was one of hope and trust, not misery.

The story isn't perfect, but of course no story can be. I felt the pacing was a bit tricky to get used to, especially in the opening few chapters. There are enough twists and turns to keep the overall arc interesting, but the ending wasn't a huge shock. It was very well done though.

Overall, this is a stunning debut by a very talented writer. The world he constructed here is unique and brilliant, but it does not overshadow the story itself. The characters are strong and interesting enough to live within this wonderous world without being swallowed by it.

Buy it. Read it. If only for the Chainkatanas.