The Seeker: The Obernewtyn Chronicles

By Isobelle Carmody

New from acclaimed fantasy author Isobelle Carmody comes The Seeker, an omnibus edition of the first two books in the dystopian fantasy the Obernewtyn Chronicles—Obernewtyn and The Farseekers!

Discover the adventure! Elspeth Gordie has a secret: she's a Misfit, born with mental powers that would mean her death if discovered. But she's not alone, and her exile to the mysterious compound known as Obernewtyn is just the beginning....

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jul 26, 2011
• ISBN: 9780307974341

Isobelle Carmody

Isobelle Carmody wrote the first book in the Obernewtyn series over twenty years ago. Since its publication this series has consistently been on the Australian bestseller list. Isobelle divides her time between Australia and Prague.

Reviews for The Seeker

[liscarey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a fantasy adventure set in a near-future world with some impressive advanced technology. It's also clearly the first of a series, and though the immediate storyline is resolved, there's a greater storyline for which there is simply a huge cliffhanger.

Quin Kincaid is fifteen, and has grown up on a Scottish estate being trained in the use of ancient, modern, and futuristic weapon. She's been taught that the purpose of this is to become a Seeker, a noble fighter for truth and justice, who brings down tyrants and protects the innocent. On the night that she has completed her training and is taken on her first assignment, after which she must take her oath, she discovers the awful truth. Under the leadership of her father, Briac, the Seekers have become hired assassins, with precious little concern about who they kill as long as they get paid. She hates it, but she sees no way out. Her father seems impossible to evade, and he's already made it clear he's willing to kill even her.

Meanwhile, one of the two other apprentices who had trained with Quin, John Hart, has been rejected and sent away by Briac. John has a much larger grievance than that against Briac, though: the murder of his mother, and the theft of a rather critical tool, the athame, that is key to the Seekers' ability to travel rapidly and secretly. He's determined to get it back, and to avenge his mother's death. John is convinced he'll do the right things with the athame, only kill the right people...

Both Quin and John have a great deal to learn about their families' histories, the history of the Seekers, and their own real values. It's a pretty interesting world, and there's quite a bit of action. There is, for me, a problem with how likable any of the characters really is, though some are clearly better than others, and some improve as the story progresses.

Enjoyable, as long as you remember not to take it too seriously.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

[mrnattania · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a great story once the exposition was explained. The once I knew the characters the action and scenes flew by with twists and deception. Loved Thai book cannot what for the sequel.

[cheriereads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Seeker is quite the thrill-ride. It's an action packed fantasy with some steampunk-ish elements and a touch of mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it but there were a couple of issues that kept this from being a 5 star read for me. From the start, Seeker is exciting. There are great fight scenes and there's always something happening. We jump right from one event to the next at a fast pace which definitely kept me reading. I had to see what would happen next. There's nothing overly graphic, but there's quite a bit of violence.I loved these characters! I think it's refreshing to see characters who react to crazy situations in realistic ways. Without giving anything away, these characters all find out some horrible things about their families and about what being a Seeker really means. As a result, they each turn to various forms of self-destructive behavior to cope. They're all strong characters but are still vulnerable teens trying to figure out what it is they want and how to deal with what their reality is. The book is split into three parts. The first is about Quin, Shinobu and John training and testing to become Seekers and the direct aftermath. The second is an "Interlude" in which we are shown flashbacks that fill in some of the back story. The third is set a year and a half after the first part. Many reviews I've read have had a problem with this. For many readers, it felt disjointed and hurt the flow of the book. While I can see their point, I would encourage readers to give it a chance and push through it. While it does slow the pace a little bit, by the end of the book you'll realize that you have all the pieces you need to get to that "Aha!" moment when everything fits together. My biggest problem with this book is in the world-building. It really needed so much more to flesh it out and make it seem completely real. If asked when this book was set, I don't know that I could give you a good answer. Maybe sometime in the future? Maybe an alternate present-day? I'm not really sure. I wanted to know so much more about the history of the Seekers and why they were started to begin with. We're told it's such an honor and about these special families who are Seekers, but we don't really know anything else. We're shown hints here and there about the history but nothing is explained enough for me to be satisfied. I'm holding out hope that these hints were just seeds and that they'll grow into more as this series continues. Overall, I really enjoyed this. Tons of action, realistic characters that I loved and an interesting plot that kept me guessing. I wish there was more detail in the history and general world-building but it didn't bother me enough to take away from my general enjoyment of the book and I suspect we'll learn more in the next book. I do not agree with the comparisons to The Hunger Games and A Game of Thrones, but I still think it's worth a read if you're looking for some adventure with family drama and fantasy elements. Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[neftzger · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The best way to describe this book is as a modern tale of knighthood, with the added twist of vying for power and position. Seekers are a special group of individuals who are supposed to work for the good of humanity, but Quin quickly learns that not all the protectors of the truth are actually protecting it and some are out for personal gain.What's great about this fantasy book is the way that the author incorporates human interest through the power struggles and search for truth. The mission of the Seekers has obviously been distorted, but determining absolute truth proves more difficult than anticipated. This is a creative modern fantasy that kept my interest during the entire read with lots of action, some great plot development, and interesting/ likeable characters.I'm hooked and happy to read more when the sequels are released.Note: I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Let me state that the publisher compared the book to The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones. I'm not sure that these are the best comparison books, as it is neither dystopian nor historical. So if you're looking for something in the vein of these two books, you may find your expectations unmet. It is, however, a unique adventure tale in it's own right and very enjoyable.

[cynrtst · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quin is about to take the oath as a Seeker, an ancient group of honorable fighters. She, John, and Shinobu, have trained and longed for this day for years. Her father Briac, a hard taskmaster, has pushed and punished her, making her ready for this honor. But John wasn't going to be allowed to take the oath with Shinobu and Quin. Her father, for his own reasons, has denied him the chance. She and Shinobu take the oath, becoming what the have always dreamed of becoming. But nothing will ever be the same again.

This is a roller coaster of a YA Fantasy novel. It is thrilling, I galloped through it, staying up far too late at night. Since downloading it from Netgalley I have read in all my spare time to the end of the first volume of this series and can't wait till the next one in the series, Traveller, due out next year. The characters are well defined, even those whose motives are ambiguous. I really liked this book., even though it's not my usual choice, there is more than a small share of violence. It will be released on February 10th. Go get it!

[m0vingon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The first half of The Seeker was good enough to get me to "buy in". I admit that some of the fantasy concepts were impossible for me to visualize (the whip sword), but having read a lot of sci-if and fantasy, I didn't fixate on that. The story moves along nicely in the first half of the book, but begins to falter after that. The main female character was a disappointment. That is always an annoyance and I wonder what conspiracy there is to feed the minds of adolescent girls with sub-par models. In the end, the forced nature of the emerging relationship between the two most primary characters was what killed it for me. I pushed through to the end, but I'm not compelled to read the sequel.

[mckait · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quin Kincaid was raised to be a Seeker. A noble profession, she has trained for with her cousin Shinobu and John, who she has come to love, and planned to marry. But first, there was only the training. The ruins of an old Scottish estate that their training took place. Her Uncle Alistair and her father, Briac have assured the trio that they are the last of the Seekers. That when their training was finished their true lives would begin.The story begins during a training session, one that ends with the promise of an Oath taking that would take place that night. It was finally here, and Quin was ready. Even her love for John could not displace her eagerness for the oath taking. This is what she has wanted with all of her heart, mind and body for years.It's all she knows. She was ready to begin doing great and wonderful things. She was ready, eager and even a last minute opportunity to take a different path did not sway her.Before the time of the oath taking there was one final test. She repeated her oath in her mind, focusing on "Evildoers beware", then stepped forward into the unknown to perform her task. Her life did indeed change forever in that moment, but in ways she never imagined. Before she knows what is happening, she finds herself in the midst of battles, and soon, in a struggle to possess the athame that is the birthright of her family. She fights to save parts of herself she thought had been lost. Can she get past the lies and the horror that she experiences throughout place and time? Can she do it alone? Will she have a choice?This is the first book of a new YA trilogy. It has been optioned for a film by Columbia Pictures.

[cherylk_44 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I was looking forward to reading this book because it was promoted as being like Hunger Games. Which is a really big thing. I saw some promise to this book but it seemed liked it needed to be developed more. The author did not do any justice by not explaining what a "seeker" is or what type of world the story took place in. So these details did not help in that I was trying to wrap my brain around the concept of this book. Then there is the matter of the characters. I don't know if the author wanted me to hate the characters or like them. Because I felt more like hate or indifference to them. I got to page 140 or chapter 20 and gave up. I was bored with the book. It seems I was not the only reader to feel this way either. There are many.

[janarose1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

After a lifetime of training, Quin takes her oath, officially becoming a Seeker. Seeker's are able to travel through time and space. Once the Seeker's were a noble and honorable group, but Quin's father, the leader, uses his tools to murder and destroy for profit.I really disliked this book. I thought Quinn was such a weak character. John, a strong character was continually making poor decisions. The only character that was even remotely interesting was Maud. Overall, a bust.

[libstaff2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 StarsA YA adventure novel that includes some Sci-fi/fantasy and a bit of romance. The settings jump from Scotland to Hong Kong to London. The plot is interesting and most of the characters grow on you (Maud and Shinobu are by far my favorites), but don't look for all the answers in this first book. The pace picks up by the second half of the novel and the weapons are pretty cool.Net Galley Feedback

[eyes92c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

...interesting!Ok at first I admit I thought, 'Ho Hum, whipswords that reform themselves to be daggers or even claymores and disrupters that unmake.' Then I was caught up in the melee of the harsh lives of the trainees, in their ambitions. No time to think, just act. It's all cold and calculated, lightening directed chaos, programmed survival. It's about trying to stay alive even if your practice partner is your father. It's about attaining the goal. Quin Kincaid has been training since she was eight years old to be a Seeker.A Seeker, a guardian of truth and justice. All that Quin has dreamed of. When the dream turns to ashes one can choose to retreat or advance, to go with the status quo or to turn aside. You may try to escape, but can you? Three young people training to be Seekers; Quin, John and Shinobu. What theses three choose is core to all. As the action continues our understandings mutate. We are cognizant of families vying for power, families regrouping to strike again, of justice becoming muddied by greed, where avarice, ambition and revenge can lead.Secrets are many and deep. Secrets that gradually unfold. The greatest just maybe the secret of the athame, it's purpose and use, or misuse. When the action shifts to Hong Kong in the 'here and now' I found that completely believable. I could see the action being played out in the parkland behind Victoria Peak and along Victoria Harbour, down crowded lanes and alleyways. That's when the story came alive for me. I didn't really become 'hooked' until about here. That being said, once hooked I found myself wanting more.And then there's the Dreads! Young Dread, Maud, must also choose. A character of interest. Indeed, I'd go as far as to say that there's a touch (just a touch, not a comparison!) of Mazalan about her. Obviously she's more than first observed. In fact Maud fascinated me right from the beginning. Way more than our trainee seekers.Betrayal--of love, of secrets, of oaths, of sacred trusts are central. And really (as others have said), enough already with the Hunger Games etc. comparisons! This is a very different work. A NetGalley ARC

[acargile-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton ends really well. This fantasy novel has potential; you just need some patience.The novel takes place in a few locations, but it begins in Scotland. Quin, John, and Shinobu train to be Seekers, those who right wrongs. It's a noble goal. When Quin and Shinobu succeed in their training, they discover that their parents, Briac and Alistair, have been corrupted and the Seekers have lot their honor and kill anyone if paid enough. John trains well and is strong, but Briac has no intention of letting him become a Seeker. He swears to return and force them to train him with his family's athame to right what has been done wrongly to his family. Although he claims to love Quin, John puts his family's revenge ahead of her.John returns home to London only to discover that his grandfather is unwell and the family is in dire circumstances. John knows he must return to Scotland and force what belongs to his family from Briac. When he arrives with his men, there is a battle. Quin and Shinobu escape to Hong Kong through a portal, so to speak. Quin is severely injured; Shinobu is bitter and angry, leaving Quin and her mother in the hands of a healer. The story finally gets interesting here after eighteen months pass.I am looking forward to book two because that seems to be the story. Book one felt like an introduction until John finds Quin and Shinobu in Hong Kong. I kept thinking that the introduction and "world building" was finished, but it kept going. There isn't much depth to the characters, but the author is trying. John is very surface, but Shinobu is a bit more dynamic. There is another character I haven't mentioned, Maud, the Young Dread. She's very interesting--the most interesting character in the book with more depth of character. Her role begins to take shape at the end as well, so we'll have to wait to see what's in store for her. For those of you who are die-hard readers and have the patience to read a very long introduction, you will like the book when you finish it. There's amazing potential for the second book, where I assume we'll start moving the plot along.

[cosimas-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Quin, Shinobu, and John all have a couple of things in common: for years the teens have been training to become sacred guardians of mankind called Seekers, and they've also all been betrayed by the same person. Each one deals with the aftermath of the betrayal in a different way while one misunderstanding after another fractures their secret group.

I really liked Part 1 of this book. There's a lot of action right away and the characters are interesting. Not to mention, "Seeker" has one of the strangest love triangles I've ever seen (it's not really *that* out there, but the way it's explained and justified is weird). The story is told from 3rd person POV of 4 characters: John, Quin, Shinobu, and a little later on, Maud. Shinobu's intro was awkward but I just went with it. The author always held back just enough to make me want to keep going and there are a lot of surprises. Part 1 was about 4.5/5 stars.

The Interlude section builds on what is already known about the characters. It was about 3.5/5 stars. Maud's back-story made little sense and I still couldn't understand how her and her companions came to be the way they are.

The last two sections are where it goes downhill. Part 2 was basically the end of Part 1 on repeat; Part 3 accomplishes some things that should have been accomplished earlier but it's choppy at the very end. Shinobu devolves into such a pathetic character, and static Quin and John keep doing and thinking the same things over and over. Inconsistencies throughout, especially those pertaining to the setting, were distracting. The method of travel used by Seekers becomes even more unbelievable. Yes, it's a fantasy world and people can do whatever they want, but make me believe it. 2-2.5 stars.

By the end I had a hard time liking any of the characters, especially self-righteous Quin and sprung Shinobu. Most of the problems in this books seem to stem from a severe lack of communication. I just wanted to scream at them to get some therapy. The beginning is definitely the best part. Since "Seeker" has already been picked up for a film adaptation, maybe the screenwriters can clear up the inconsistencies. Despite my issues with this book, I'll be looking out for the next book in the series.

[shetreadssoftly · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton is a recommended start to a new series for younger YA readers. It's not recommended for adult readers.

Three teens, Quin Kincaid, Shinobu MacBain, and John Hart, have been training on a Scottish estate for years to be Seekers by Quin's father, Briac Kincaid. A Seeker is supposed to use their training for the good of humankind and all the teens have been told it is a noble calling. They have had extensive training to fight with the whipsword, and to avoid the dreaded disruptor. They are told the secrets to using the athame, a stone dagger that can slice through time and transport the user to almost any destination. When they are finally ready to take the oath of a Seeker, they learn that John won't be included. John, however, is harboring a secret of his own. He needs to bring down Briac and take back his family's stolen athame.

Once they have taken their oath, Quin and Shinobu learn the bitter truth: what they are required to do by Briac is not honorable work. The two take advantage of a destructive raid on the Kincaid estate by John and his forces and escape to another time and place in Hong Kong. But John still wants his family's athame back and he won't stop looking for it and Quin.

I think a YA reader will be satisfied by the action, the deceptions, the conflicting loyalties of the teens, the rather oblique love triangle, and the complicated, emotional family loyalties. While I think a younger reader, 14, will enjoy this new series, I'll have to admit that it was a struggle for me to finish it. The worldbuilding is somewhat lacking and Dayton never establishes her settings clearly for the reader. The background information on a Seeker was incomplete. The writing felt disjointed to me. BUT, I am sure that all the points that make it a not recommended novel for me, an adult well above the targeted age range, will likely not matter at all to a 14 year old reader.


Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Random House Children's Books for review purposes.

[weisser4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book started out well enough but I became bored easily when reading. Good premise, three friends in training to become Seekers learn that their roles are not what they have been told. Many who are seen as good or worthy turn out not to be and others who may have started out as bad are not. Good plot twists. It feel like the author wanted to make it a little darker than it came across which would allow for younger readers but I believe the story needed to be a bit darker in order to keep my interest. Middle to lower high school aged kids will enjoy it but older teens and young adults may get bored.

[anyaejo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I listened to Seeker on audio and highly recommend the narration! I can only think that the narrator is what made me enjoy the start of Seeker more than others and I'm very happy I stuck with it. The world is confusing at first, but it really is a great blend of fantasy and sci-fi elements. Seeker takes place mostly in the near future, perhaps an alternative Earth all together though, where a select group have the power to teleport using a special tool. The reason the genre blending works well is that the main characters don't know how the tools work, so what is science to someone who understands it is magic to another. While there is a love triangle technically, very little emphasis is placed on the romance and the focus is more on friendship and betrayal. The narrator brings wonderful voice to the many different characters, including Scottish and Chinese accents. If you like audiobooks, definitely give Seeker a listen.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

SEEKER wasn't quite what I was expecting but I enjoyed it anyway. This story is told from the viewpoint's of four young people. Quin, John, Shinobu, and Maud. Quin, Shinobu, and John are being trained by Quin's father and Shinobu's father to be Seekers. They are taught that they will be righting wrongs and ending injustice once they have finished their brutal training and taken their oaths. John is an outsider because he is from another Seeker family and because he didn't begin his training until he was twelve. Quin and John are falling in love despite parental disapproval. Shinobu has loved Quin since they were young but Quin sees him as a cousin and not a love interest. Maud is the real outsider. She is known as the Young Dread. Dread's are observers who are supposed to keep the Seekers on the right path. While she admires the Old Dread who picked her to train, she hates the Middle Dread because she sees that he is corrupt. He also abuses her. Maud looks to be about fifteen but was born in the 1400s. Periods of time in the There have stretched her life.Things take a turn for the unexpected when Quin and Shinobu go on their first mission and find that they are just killers who kill for gain. Their noble calling isn't real. This traumatizes both of them but they are too used to obeying Quin's father to leave. John had been sent home after failing to be made a Seeker. But John has revenge on his mind. This story travels from Scotland to Hong Kong to London as the kids try to come to terms with their lives. They all use different ways. Shinobu turns to drugs and Quin has her past buried when she almost dies. She is learning to be a healer as her way of making up for being a killer. John is determined to regain the athame that was stolen from his family and determined to learn to use it. He will do any evil thing to regain control of it. It is the athames that allow the Seekers to enter the There and to travel to different places. Each family has one. The Dreads also have their own athame.This was a fascinating story. I especially liked the way each of them dealt with the consequences of their actions.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quin is ready to be a Seeker, the calling of her family for generations to do good deeds and topple tyrants. She and Shinobu and John have been training for this for years under her father, Briac, and her uncle Alistair; but the night she takes the oath, everything changes.Some people are calling this science fiction, and to back that up there's the epigraph taking a line from Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe about multiple, curled dimensions in string theory. I lean more on the fantasy/adventure side myself. The action takes off immediately with the three teenagers' training, and explanations about the exact nature of what they're doing don't appear until over 100 pages in. Though the narration is third-person, the perspective shifts between Quin, Shinobu, and John primarily, with other characters having some appearances as well. The plot was stronger than character development and I kind of missed having the first-person thoughts of each character I'm used to with many young adult books. I enjoyed how complex the world itself is and how I had to figure out what was going on with minimal explanation, which gave it a richness and faster pace that wouldn't have worked if there were too much at the beginning. I'll be looking for Traveler when it comes out next year.

[lauraodom-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I got an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This one was a little slow to start, and it wasn't what I expected. About half-way in, the flow got better and it was easier to finish than it was to get into. It's sort-of sci-fi, but not heavy. The author was descriptive and did a good job of depicting the people and places so that I could picture them easily. The characters were likeable/hatable as they should be. My favorite was Maud. I appreciated the lack of profanity, but there is some drug use in the book (specifically opium) and a minor character resorts to becoming an "escort", so if you're looking at it through parent-goggles, those are the things to look out for.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I would read the sequel.

Would I recommend this to my fellow booklovers? Sure, if they liked the genre where youth are trained as assassins. It's nothing like hunger games, though... so don't think quite like that.
Would I recommend this to my teenage daughter? Probably not.

[foggidawn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quin, John, and Shinobu have trained for years for this. Soon, they will take the Oath and become Seekers, guardians of an ancient magical artifact called an athame, defenders of truth, warriors of justice. But when John fails to perform well in their last training fight, Quin's father Briac, the training master, informs John that he will not be taking the oath with the others. John's journey is over before it had a chance to begin. As it turns out, this may have been for the best, as Quin and Shinobu are about to discover: you see, Seekers may once have been defenders of truth and justice, but now they are little more than hired killers. Now, on one side are Quin and Shinobu, sick with regret over what they have become, on another side is Briac, determined to enforce the young Seekers' oath, and on a third side is John, nursing a grudge for more than just his recent bad treatment at Briac's hands and determined to do whatever it takes to gain control of the athame. It's a volatile combination, and the ensuing action will range from the Scottish highlands, to downtown Hong Kong, to an airship floating over London. Who will prevail?This book's publishers have hyped it so much that it can't possibly live up to its reputation. However, if you've somehow missed out on the hype and can take it at face value, it's not a bad story. Quin's character could stand to be a little more fleshed out, but many of the secondary characters are satisfactorily complex. The premise is interesting, and I will probably continue reading the series to see where it goes. Readers who like young adult fantasy with plenty of action should take a look at this book.

[mrnattania72 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a great story once the exposition was explained. The once I knew the characters the action and scenes flew by with twists and deception. Loved Thai book cannot what for the sequel.

[bookslesstravelled · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Loved the beginning and the end, but the middle was super weird and confusing. Not sure if I'm going to read the next one yet or not. I really enjoyed this story, but some things that happened in the middle were pretty hard to follow, and didn't interest me at all. We'll see...

[jennybeast · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting story where the dark hints become reality as Quinn is swept into a destiny far different than she thought. Love triangle, steampunky elements, some time travel and a lot of questions about power and morality. A good read.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.

[stefferoo · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

When I requested this book from NetGalley, this was in the description: “For readers of A Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games comes an epic new series.” I realize similar claims get thrown around a lot. Still, even in cases where I don’t agree, most of the time I can at least understand why a comparison to ______ might be made. When it comes to this book though, I’m mystified. This is nothing like Game of Thrones OR The Hunger Games. Not even a little bit. I knew an ambitious declaration like that should have immediately put me on my guard, and I guess I really should have trusted my instincts. “Epic” is also debatable. While we have a story spanning the globe, from the highlands of rural Scotland to the bustling streets of Hong Kong, the scope of the narrative is actually quite limited. Most of what we get is personal drama revolving around just a handful of characters.Needless to say, Seeker wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. It always pains me to write a negative review, so rather than expound on all the things I didn’t work for me, I’ll just list and briefly talk about them.-First, I’m not in the habit of DNFing. I read this whole book from beginning to end, but even now I would be hard-pressed to tell you what a Seeker is or what they do, beyond the fact that they should be “fighting evil”. Just seems like a gross oversight, when most of the characters are Seekers, and the actual title of the book is Seeker. There is very little to no “Seeking” going on, or whatever it is that Seekers do. All I got was a whole lot of infighting between all the Seeker characters.-What exactly are the Dreads? I know they’re supposed to be witnesses, mediators or judges (Judge Dreads?) but how do they fit into this whole context? Where do they come from and what is their history? How did they get involved with the Seekers? I have no idea!-Unsurprisingly, I found world-building to be sorely lacking, practically non-existent. You have to understand, I’m not asking for info-dumps or to have my hand being held through the whole book, but I do need a starting point, SOMETHING to anchor me. I felt like I was thrown into this world and the author just expects me to know everything and doesn’t see the need to provide any background information.-The writing is simplistic and contrived. There are a couple chapters where things aren’t so bad, but most of the prose feels clumsy. The dialogue feels forced. There’s a lot of telling, and not enough showing. Many strange quirks in the writing, like poorly executed time jumps (I actually thought I missed a few pages) which probably relates back to the lack of world-building.-The characters are pretty bland and unengaging. Quin is a far cry from the kickass heroine she’s meant to be; instead, it feels like her whole purpose is to be a trophy for the two boys who are in love with her. The plot thread that involves her losing her memory makes me understand now why some readers hate amnesia storylines. All the “brutal training” she supposedly received seems pretty pointless. -The romantic side plot is unimaginative and I wasn’t convinced of any of the relationships. I think this is partly due to the awkward writing style, and unnatural dialogue (especially when the characters were discussing their feelings for each other, I couldn’t help but cringe). -For most of the book, I felt like I had NO IDEA what was going on. More than a few times, I wondered to myself if my ARC was missing huge chunks of the story, as so much of it made no sense. I’m sure there’s a good overall premise in here somewhere, but it was not well executed. Instead, we are left with a whole lot of confusion.In general I don’t like to DNF, and not only because I’m a completionist. Sometimes a book can be weak in the beginning, but then redeem itself with a strong conclusion. There have been times where I almost put down a book, only to end up absolutely loving it when I finish. I admit it doesn’t happen often, but now I’ve developed a habit where when book that don’t blow me away at first, I always hold out in the hopes that it will get better. But unfortunately, this just didn’t happen with Seeker. I did hear that there is talk of a movie adaptation for the book. Thing is, I actually think the book would work better as a live action film with its exotic settings, bombastic action sequences, and young attract protagonists. It would make a great cinematic experience, but to achieve a similar awe-inspiring feeling, I’m afraid large swaths of the book would have to be more rigorously edited and perhaps rewritten. There are lots of interesting ideas in here, with an intriguing mix of science fiction and fantasy, and it’s really just a shame that the book falls short of its full potential.

[strider66_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pros: realistic characters, interesting plot, interesting background, fast pacedCons: don’t see the scene the entire book revolves around, Alastair’s accent comes and goesFor Parents: some non-graphic violence, minor sexual content, drug abuseFifteen year old Quin is nearing the day when she, her cousin (well, third cousin but one of their relatives remarried so they’re really only half third cousins), and John, the boy she loves, are initiated as Seekers. They’ve been training for this for years, learning how to fight to make the world a better place. But John knows that Quin’s father is more brutal than she understands. And the Seekers are no longer the noble warriors that she’s been taught they are.The book is split into 3 parts. The first segment deals with the teens’ hopes before the initiation and the immediate aftermath of the ceremony. The second segment deals with events some time later, as the protagonists have tried to move on from what’s happened. The third brings the players together again to decide whether their futures will be determined by the choices of their past.I loved the characters. As events unfold each protagonist makes decisions that deeply affects the rest of their lives. Subsequent decisions aren’t necessarily good ones, even though each does their best to move on. I especially liked learning more about Maud and the history of the Dreads. I hope more of this history will be revealed in future books.Quin starts off fairly naive, but ended up going in directions I hadn’t expected. At first I thought she was wrong about John and how he would deal with the knowledge he was looking for, but as the book progressed I slowly realized that she was right and that his quest was destroying him. At the same time, I liked John, sympathizing with his plight, as a youth. But time and decisions make him less noble. Shinobu has the most startling transformation between the first and second sections of the book. Here too, his reasons for his actions are completely understandable, even if his decline is not pleasant to read. This is brought up by a character in the book, but it seemed bizarre that both Quin’s mom and Shinobu’s dad try to warn them away from their initiation but refuse to explain why. It’s impossible to make an informed decision without information and these two know for a fact that their children don’t understand what they’re making an oath to do. Similarly, lightly warning the kids off only made the kids more determined to take their oaths.Alastair, Shinobu’s father, is a big, red-headed, Scottish man. Sometimes he speaks with a Scottish accent (cannae, etc.), and sometimes he doesn’t. There doesn’t appear to be a reason why his accent comes and goes.My main complaint with the book is that the pivotal moment of the book, the scene the entire book turns on, the scene where Quin and Shinobu go on their first mission to become Seekers, is never properly described. We’re given a few glimpses, enough to know it was horrible, but not enough to properly understand what Quin and Shinobu actually did on the mission. And this knowledge is essential to understand and sympathize with their following actions. Their despair, depression, Quin’s bout of OCD, their extreme hatred of her father (but not so much Sinobu’s) all come down to what happened in that scene. I think retaining this scene would have increased my emotional attachment to Quin and Shinobu as well as made John’s mission more sympathetic, but I also understand that the scene would have been dark and bloody and the author probably wanted to keep a younger rating for the book. Ultimately I really enjoyed the book. It’s well written, fast paced and at times thought provoking. It’s got an interesting magic element underlying how the Seekers can do what they do. It’s got some characters who really go through the wringer. Can’t wait for the next book.

[eduscapes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

SEEKER by Arwen Elys Dayton is the first book in a new science fiction trilogy. The story revolves around three friends that have been trained to become Seekers. Instead of becoming the noble protectors they envisioned, the teens get caught up in a world of family lies, deceit, and assassination.With sword fights and ancient artifacts alongside airships and a disruptor weapon, the novel blends medieval, steampunk, and dystopian elements together for a bizarre, but fascinating near-future world. While many readers will enjoy the “mash-up,” others may dislike this unusual approach to world-building.The fast-paced story is told from four different perspectives making it somewhat confusing at times as readers shift among characters and between the present, the past, and the future. However, the plot elements come together in the end for a satisfying conclusion that sets up the next book in this young adult trilogy.Readers are likely to make comparisons with their favorite science fiction and fantasy works, however the novel is distinct enough to hold its own. With a hint of romance along with action-adventure segments, both girls and boys will enjoy the story.A movie based on this book is already in development, so it’s likely to draw teen readers. Librarians should be prepared for increased interest in the trilogy over the next several years.Available February 10, 2015 and published by Random House Delacorte BFYR, a NetGalley ARC was used for the review.

[isisunit · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I would like to thank Delacorte BFYR & NetGalley for granting me a copy of this e-ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review.Goodreads Teaser:"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."A story of adoration, fear, betrayal, murder, love, and above of, justice. Quin, Shinobu, and John are all trainees - taught by Briac and Alistair, full Seekers. But of the three only Quin and Shinobu take their oaths and become Seekers. And nothing is ever the same between the three friends, or even for each of them individually. Personal transformation is probably the strongest theme, with Quin, Shinobu, and Maud all making great leaps forward. It takes each of them varying amounts of time to reach their tipping point and decide what is just and right, but decide they do. Unfortunately those decisions clash with the choices others in their lives make, putting them at odds with family and friends. The other theme is justice, and each person must decide what that means to them, for it has been corrupted by many who were sworn to uphold it. The Dreads exist to judge the Seekers, yet they to have suffered from internal corruption. So who decides what is right and just for another? What gives them the right? Is it a matter of physical power? Or financial power? Maybe of education? And who judges the judges? Where does it stop? Is there an ultimate judge? Should there be? These are some of the questions facing the main characters, questions we all face daily. And while the answers in the book are provided for us, the questions are ones every person alive should actively be asking. And once the answer is known, how is it enforced? What will the characters do, to what lengths will they go, to get justice? Some of those questions are answered, and some are left out there as food for thought. Yet when all is said and done there is plenty of room left for a sequel, for there are loose ends that need to be tied off still. The question is, who will be left standing? And whose version of justice will prevail?

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Too much world-building, narrative and alternating points of view made this a depressingly tedious read.Opening Sentence: It would be nice to make it through alive, Quin thought.The Review:As this is the first book in the series, I expected a fair amount of world-building but not so much that it bored me, which unfortunately is exactly what this book did. As much as I tried to give it the benefit of doubt, I did not enjoy this read and I can’t imagine myself wanting to read the subsequent books in the Seeker series.The story is told through the points of views of Quin, John, Shinobu, Maud and I’m sure there were a few others too. I usually like different perspectives to a story but here I felt like I was jumping from one event to another as opposed to the story flowing through but being seen from different angles.Don’t get me wrong, the characters were interesting enough, there was a teensy bit of humour too but the story was so dull and depressing. From the start there just seemed to be an ominous atmosphere and it really did not improve. Quin has trained her whole life to be a seeker but she has no idea what she has gotten into until there’s too much blood on her hands to wipe off.“I don’t want to bring you any more trouble,” she whispered, leaning her head nearer to his. “If you get me off the Bridge, you’ll be rid of me. I promise.”“I’ve been trying to get rid of you a long while,” he told her, looking away. “You won’t stay gone.”Quin appeared to be a strong enough girl to begin with, but her depression after she’s committed her seeker assignments and then her eagerness to have her memory erased so she can start a new life was pure cowardice. Adding to that, her ridiculous obsession with John was pathetic. How could she possibly believe she was in love with him when he had been keeping humongous secrets from her the entire time?John irritated me with his quest to avenge his family but I can see why he might be mentally disturbed since as a child he witnesses his mother being tortured and killed. That kind of thing must have had addled his brain, which semi-explains his craziness and the way he justifies killing people for the greater good.The only characters I did like were Shinobu and Master Tan, probably because they’re the only ones that added a bit of humour to the story. The book would have been far easier to read if there were more chapters with them around.“You make a good punching bag, Sea Bass,” Shinobu told him as he pulled the big fellow to his feet. “But she’s not my girlfriend.”“Whatever you say, Barracuda. I’m always getting into knife fights for girls who are just good friends.”“She’s my cousin-third cousin. Well, half third cousin.”Brian groaned deeply as he managed to get fully upright. “What’s a third cousin?”“It’s a… barely related kind of person, Sea Bass, who still thinks of herself as your relative.”“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”Overall, I was not impressed and I don’t imagine wanting to continue this series.Notable Scene:Silence fell between them, until the Young Dread finally dared to ask, “Were you a great mind, Master?”A real smile crossed his face. “You don’t ask if I am a great mind, child? Because I speak gibberish now? Let me tell you-I once thought I was a great mind.”“And now?”“Now it does not matter. Great minds are not what’s wanted. Only good hearts. Good hearts choose wisely.”“How does one find a good heart?”“It is luck, child. Always luck. With you, I have been very lucky.”FTC Advisory: Delacorte Press/Random House provided me with a copy of Seeker. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[nbmars · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

In Book One of the Seeker series, we meet Quin Kincaid, 15, who has been training since age 8 along with her cousin Shinobu and another boy John, to become “a Seeker, a protector of the weak and the strong arm of justice.” The training has been conducted by Quin’s father Briac along with Shinobu’s father Alistair. At the time of choosing, Briac tells John he will not be initiated into the fold. Quin, who thinks she is in love with John, believes this exclusion of John will only be temporary, and that soon he can join them in their quest for justice. John runs off, and Quin and Shinobu take the oath, administered by two mysterious characters known as Dreads. Immediately thereafter, Quin and Shinobu discover that what they really will be are hired assassins, with victims including obviously innocent children. They carry out these missions with the help of an “athame,” a mysterious stone dagger than lets them move through time and space.Quin and Shinobu seem to feel they have no choice but to follow the orders of Briac, and even eschew the opportunity to run off, and keep on killing. Meanwhile, John returns with a group of followers intent on vengeance.Discussion: This book is a mixture of steampunk, fantasy, and science fiction. As such, you would think there would be a lot of explaining to do, but the world-building is very sketchy. What are Seekers? What are Dreads? Where do they come from and why? Where does the athame come from? We never find out, at least not in this volume.Briac turns out to be absolutely evil, but it doesn’t seem credible to me that no one figured this out before the oath-taking. And the reluctance of Alistair and Fiona (Quin’s mother) to tell the teens what they really will be doing - even if they don’t want that for them, and even if they have taken an “oath” of some kind not to tell, also stretches the imagination. The story posits something of a love triangle among Quin, Shinobu, and John, but John is unlikeable, Shinobu is weak and wishy-washy, and Quin has such an immature idea of love it’s hard to care at all about what she feels (which vacillates in any event). And the parts about the Dreads were, well, dreadful, in every sense.Evaluation: I can’t see continuing on with this series.