Title: Seeker (Seeker #1)
Author: Arwen Elys DaytonPublished: 12 February 2015 by Random House
Source: Random House UK via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *** 1/2
My Review:
I said in my last review that I had been spoiled in the books I have had the privilege to read so far this year and I think that may well be true as I think it has coloured my vision of what I expect of an amazing read. However that being said, Seeker is definitely a good enjoyable read if not as amazing as I hoped it would be.
This book has an awesome premise. Quinn has trained all her life to be come a Seeker, a noble Hero that does legendary deeds or so the stories she has been raised on say. however on finally attaining her goal, she is shattered to find that what she has believed all her life is a lie.
I struggled a bit in the beginning with this novel and it took me a little while to get into the rhythm of the novel. There are a lot of characters and a lot of elements to this novel and whilst it was good to see the the story from the eyes of several of the main characters, there was always some chopping and changing between past and future which broke the story up a little even as it added to information we needed for the story to progress. As I got further into the story, the rhythm got a lot better and I moved through the second half of the tale much faster than the first.
There are a lot of threads that weave throughout this tale and each of the characters has story behind them and in front of them that weaves through and across the others creating conflict and tension and distorting their ideals and their sense of right and wrong and Ms Dayton does this well. Quinn, Shinobu, Joh and Maud are all trying to do the right things but their experiences have given them different ideas of what the right things is and each has to grapple with their own flaws and overcome them to get closer achieve their desires. Ms dayton paints an good picture of these character's inner conflicts, how they react to them and how it shapes what happens throughout the novel. There is also a lot of action in this novel, which also moves the story along nicely.
This novel does feel like a first in a series (which it is). We are given a lot of information and whilst there is a stand alone story in it, you can feel it is also setting up some intriguing arcs for the series. This is not a bad thing, the more I read of this novel the more I want to learn of this world and these characters and how it will all turn out. Whilst I didn't get all I was hoping for with this first instalment, I am reasonably confident I will find it in the remainder of the series.
An overall enjoyable read and a series I will be continuing. I give this story 3 1/2 half stars.
Sapphired Dragon xx
About The Book:
Quin Kincaid has been put through years of brutal training for what she thinks is the noble purpose of becoming a revered ‘Seeker’.
Only when it’s too late does she discover she will be using her new-found knowledge and training to become an assassin. Quin's new role will take her around the globe, from a remote estate in Scotland to a bustling, futuristic Hong Kong where the past she thought she had escaped will finally catch up with her.
