BOOK REVIEW - STORMDANCER by JAY KRISTOFF - LOTUS WAR # 1 - BLOODY BRILLIANT!!

By : Jay Kristoff
Published By : Pan Macmillan Australia
Releases : September 2012
Details : Paperback, Proof Copy, 438 Pages

RATING : 5 BLOODY BRILLIANT STARS!!

Book Blurb : Taken From Goodreads

A DYING LAND

The Shima Imperium is verging on the brink of environmental collapse; decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshippers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, land choked with toxic pollution, wildlife ravaged by mass extinctions.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST

The hunters of the imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger—a legendary beast, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows thunder tigers have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL

Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a hidden gift that would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle :

Tiger proudly roars. 

Dragon dives and Phoenix soars. 

Fox gets the chicken. 

I’ve wanted to read this book for a while, I mean, come on, steampunk , dystopian, fantasy, Japanese flavour , I knew I was going to be impressed. Then Charlotte from Pan Macmillan, the little goddess, dropped the book in my lap.

Knock me over with a feather.....stunning, incredible, and a whole bag of words that mean all things spectacular. *waves the Australian flag in the air* Yes, Jay Kristoff is Australian and a debut author. Boy did he arrive with a smashing entrance.

Holy mac and cheese, there is absolutely nothing I don’t adore about this book. Jay is up there with the big guns in writing. Stormdancer is a most outstanding read. Jay Kristoff’s writing is breathtaking. Your mind just washes over each page and like a paintbrush dipped in water and brushed over one of those books with the invisible picture, his words reveal amazing, beautifully painted scenes, to your minds eye. The attention to detail is impressive. The colourful use of words to describe, is stunning.

Costume designers would have a freakin’ awesome time with the characters clothing and gear in this book. I think they would be like kids in a candy store.

'Stormdancer' will play through your mind as you read it, like you are watching a movie. A 3D one. It really does come alive.

You, the reader will be gasping, gripping your book at the sheer terror you will feel with the villain Yoritomo the Ninth Shogun of the Kazumitsu Dynasty. Before you know it you will be face planting it in the dirt , shaking in your boots hoping to the Gods you don’t have to commit seppuka. Yoritomo, he evokes that much respect/terror, in those he commands an audience with. I felt like he was commanding an audience with me as the reader. He is a fierce villain. Jay will make you ‘feel’ Yoritomo’s power.

“If you defy me again, I will take everything you have left . Everything.” A low growl. “ And I will hurt it first.”

Jay’s words will bring a tear to your eye, your hand will lay over your heart, you will know when that moment is, and he will make you want to fight. I was in my own virtual world fighting alongside Yukiko. It was a bit safer with those epic chainsaw katanas in action. I was pretty kickass , I must say. * wipes sweat off the brow * I did want to do one of those arm held straight out, hand palm up, upside down waves that tells my opponent , ‘bring it on’ in my fighting power stance.

Frightening, yet awesome!!

Yukiko is very mature for her age. Her father Masaru, the legendary Black Fox of Shima, Master of Hunters gets on the lotus pipe a bit too much and likes to drink and gamble. Yukiko is straight down the line, a strong character, she is only sixteen years old. She will make mistakes that will cost her dearly. I love her to bits.

Yoritomo wakes up to announce that he wants a thunder tiger aka a griffin aka an arashitora. They have been extinct for years. You will die if you fail to bring him what he requests, so either way it isn’t looking good. This is where the story takes its direction. Masaru, Akihito, Kasumi and Yukiko must find this beast and bring him to Yoritomo.

Let the adventure begin. Bring on the Thunder Child.

The title of this book, and the series title , ‘The Lotus War’ have great meaning in this first book. The blood lotus, and it’s various uses, are sucking the life out of the planet. The air is clogged with poison, the sun too bright to not wear a pair of awesome goggles. Breathers are needed, if you can afford them, to breathe easier. Not everybody is willing to sit by and watch the planet die for the sake of power.

“The Thunder Child ploughed north through the fields of burgundy cloud, buffeted by the gentle hands of the summer breeze. Its propellers hummed, gears and pistons singing a metallic dirge as it vomited streams of poison into the Shima Skies.”



“What the hells are you doing out here?” Yukiko yelled.
“Being alive!” he shouted over the rolling thunder. “Alive and breathing!”


I love the sub characters, Kin the Artificer the engineer, and Hiro the Iron Samurai. Jay you played with my heart in all kinds of wrong....lol!! Michi, Aisha, Kaiji, Kaori, wise Daichi and the oni....yes, I shall include them, are all characters playing awesome roles.

I love all the names of Jay’s characters. They really do roll off the tongue. This book really grasped the Japanese influence and held on, you never forgot these characters were Japanese...hai!  In some books you know the character is Japanese, but you can forget, the influence doesn’t stay with the story. This felt very real, not fictional at all. These characters really come to life. The world Jay has built for us, feels very ever present.

US COVER

The Glossary, I didn’t realise was in this book until I got half way through the book and I went to see how many pages were in the book and then I was like ‘oh lookie, here you are’ tucked at the back of my proof copy. To be honest I had been reading and enjoying and thinking, ‘I need to google this word’, but no, it is all there, simplified terms broken up into ‘General Terms’, ‘Clothing’, ‘Weapons’, and ‘Religion’. I personally would like to see it in the front of the book so that readers give it a read before they start the book. It really is worth a preread.

The steampunk is visually fantastically detailed. Think more...much, much, more than the steampunk you are accustomed to. In one part I think Jay even goes a little sci-fi steampunk, dare I say that?? Jay really does take it a step further with his Artificer and Guildsmen.

I actually got myself into quite a frazzle when it came to writing this review, I swear Raijin , the God of Thunder and Lightning zapped my brain. My words feel too simple for the beauty of the outstanding writing Jay has filled Stormdancer’s pages with, although I do have to thank Raijin for creating the thunder tigers.

So now I come to Buruu. I absolutely adore Buruu. Jay has written a very special character who will win the hearts of everybody. Yukiko and her arashitora, it is a very special bond. You could wipe me with the floor with how much I loved these two and wring me out.

“We will endure.” 

A final message to Jay, you sir, have brought the picnic basket to the table for us to savour the flavour of this most awesome reading experience. I have devoured and am licking my fingers for more.

Yes, I do now hold these words in my hand , yes, it has now become a fist.

Dude, you can write! 

GOODREADS

MISTER KRISTOFF'S PAGE

Michelle