A DYING LANDThe Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.
AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.
A HIDDEN GIFT
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the 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.
Author: Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Acquired Via: Personal Collection
Release Date: September 18, 2012
My Review
Me: Well, well, well, you FINALLY read Stormdancer.
Myself: You knew that I would! I just had to get around to it.
Me: Oh, please, you're the biggest procrastinator ever!
Myself: Whatever, I read the book, marveled at the epic world-building, basked in my crush on Yukiko, and cried like a bitch at the end.
Me: I hate that you use such a cliche word like "epic" to describe the novel. Why not use the less tired word "magnificent"? I mean, this man created this whole other world (yet similar to ours) that is undergoing the effects of horrible pollution and heinous government that we can all likely look forward to if we don't straighten up.
Myself: I'm going to stop you before you go too far on that. You know we get tired if we start thinking too hard about such things as environmentalism in fantasy and science fiction. And then you'll start making Dune references, and people will get bored...
Me: Okay, I'll leave Dune out of it, but the perfect balance of politics, environmentalism, and writing is pretty damn close to Frank Herbert. We'll see how the world history does in the next books.
Myself: *rolls eyes* No one reads Dune anymore. Can we please talk about the state of things in Shima and Yukiko?
Me: I tell you what, I wouldn't be booking any vacations there. It's a scary thought that the primary fuel source can also be used as a drug, and 99% of the population is addicted to it. Think of the situation that we'd be in if we could smoke gasoline.
Myself: Well, there are people who huff it, but thankfully folks tend to outgrow that after they turn twelve.
Me: Don't bring your pets with you to Shima, either.
Myself: Can we talk about Yukiko now, please?
Me: Buruu was cooler.
Myself: I liked Yukiko, and he wouldn't have been what he was without her. She had this feisty, rebellious personality, and she did not take shit off of anyone.
Me: She was harsh and close-minded. If you had even the smallest fault, she wrote you off and was cold.
Myself: Yes, but she was loyal to her loved ones and friends. She was also very trusting once she let a person in.
Me: She also let her panties be her guide in the middle of a revolution like the silly teenage girl that she was.
Myself: Please, that was barely referred to, and you should be the last person making disparaging remarks about where panties have been followed.
Me: Buruu felt the same as I did. Go to page 216:
Yukiko could barely hear his voice over the sound of her heart pounding in her chest.Myself: That took up maybe 1/90th of the story.
RAIJIN, TAKE ME NOW.
She shot Buruu a withering glance as he rolled over on his back and pawed at the sky.
HAVE MERCY ON ME, FATHER. TAKE MY WINGS. CHAIN ME TO STINKING EARTH. BUT THIS TORTURE I CANNOT ENDURE.
Me: No, Buruu being awesome took up all of the story.
Myself: Pssh, you loved Yukiko, too.
Me: I loved what she did in one of the last fight scenes.
Myself: *sniggers* I figured that you would like that.
Me: She and I are of one brain when it comes to that. Do you remember what I did to —
Myself: Spoilers.
Me: Blah.
Myself: I have a little bit of a crush on Kin.
Me: You would. Sprinkle a little nerd powder on the man, and your heart is pounding like Yukiko's.
Myself: Whatever.
Me: I wonder if the title of book two is prophetic at all...
Myself: Can we just talk about the fight scenes in the book?
Me: Fights? Umm, battle, blood, gore, mercy, betrayal, death...
Myself: You're impossible.
Me: What?! Everything was vital to the story, and it wasn't overdone. It was just beautiful destruction that gave Yukiko the opportunity to grow. You're just saying I'm impossible because you sobbed in the break room at work as you finished the book.
Myself: You cried, too! We're the same person, genius.
Me: Yes, but you're the crazy one.
Myself: I'm not the one that started talking to Myself. *smirks*
Me: You responded.
Buy Links
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You are going to put words in my box?! *squeezes you* Now I shall stalk YOUR blog!