Novel Ink: ARC Book Review | Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

ARC Book Review | Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

Posted on Monday, February 2, 2015 12:00 AM

Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 10, 2014
My Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

For readers of A Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games comes an epic new series.

The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor. As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world. And she'll be with the boy she loves--who's also her best friend.

But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes. Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought.

And now it's too late to walk away.

My Thoughts:

When I saw the cover and read the summary for Seeker, I knew that it would be a book that I loved. While it wasn't the amazing fantasy that I had hoped, I still enjoyed this story.

Quin has been preparing and training her whole life to become a Seeker, and she is finally getting ready to take her Oath. But once she actually becomes a Seeker, she realizes that it isn't what she thought it would be.

The story is interesting and unique, and while the summary reads like a fantasy. In reality it doesn't feel mainly like fantasy, it also has a SciFi feel to it, and maybe a little steampunk. There is a lack of worldbuilding, which was the main reason for my 3 stars. I would have liked more information on the Seekers, and the world they are in. I'm still kind of confused as to what exactly a Seeker is, but I'm hoping that more of the back story will unfold in the future installments.

This book alternates between four different POVs and I while I liked that we get perspective from other characters, it was sometimes a little hard to keep up with.

Another reason that I knocked off a star was the love triangle. I'm not a huge fan of them, and while the one in this book wasn't as bad of some of the ones that I've read, it was still there and it kind of felt a little awkward to me. I probably would have enjoyed it more without that aspect.

Overall, Seeker is an interesting story that I believe will appeal to fans of Fantasy, SciFi and Steampunk. I'm really hoping we get more world-building and back story in the next book.

Christy

Christy is a 27 year old wife, mother, nursing student and self proclaimed book addict. When she's not busy spending time with her family or learning to save lives, you can find her with a book in her hands, and a smile on her face.

Comments (13)

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Shannon @ ISAM 71p · 527 weeks ago

Okay, so I assume you understood more of this than I did, because I was lost. And I do not like John, so hopefully he will disappear from the love triangle too. I do hope for more world building in the next book, because it really does have potential, it's just... lacking a bit. I am definitely glad you liked it though :)

1 reply · active 527 weeks ago

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Christy @ Novel Ink 76p · 527 weeks ago

There's a few things I'm still not sure of, but it has an interesting concept and like you said, the potential is there, but it didn't give me everything I was hoping for. I need more world building and understanding to completely fall in love with a book but I'm hoping for that in the next one.
My recent post ARC Book Review | Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

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Melanie (YA Midnight Reads) 70p · 527 weeks ago

Hmm I've been seeing mixed things for this one but most of them have been negative so I'm not entirely sure if I'll be picking this one up. I think the 4 POVs already makes me feel deterred because that definitely would be hard to manage.

Thanks for the honest review, hun <33
My recent post Review: When Joss Met Matt by Ellie Cahill

1 reply · active 527 weeks ago

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Christy @ Novel Ink 76p · 527 weeks ago

Oh yeah, the 4 POVs was a little hard to keep up with. I actually really love getting 2, but 4 was a bit much for me to handle :/
My recent post ARC Book Review | Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

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kirstymstudio 102p · 527 weeks ago

I only read a few reviews before going 'nope' to this one, and while yours is a lot more positive than the ones I've read, I'm glad I skipped it because I think it would just irritate me more than anything. Lack of world-building, and considering you've read it and still don't know exactly what a Seeker is, I don't do good with confusing, haha. And ugh, an awkward love triangle, joy. >:(
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1 reply · active 527 weeks ago

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Christy @ Novel Ink 76p · 527 weeks ago

Yeah, the lack of world building was what got me. I'm hoping that there will be more in the next one but if not, I don't know whether I'll continue.
My recent post ARC Book Review | Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

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Emily @ Books & Cleverness 30p · 527 weeks ago

I felt the same way about the worldbuilding and the definition of a Seeker, but I still enjoyed the book. I hope that the author will delve into those things more in the next book, because I feel like once she does my love for this series has the potential to skyrocket! Great review, Christy! :)
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kimbacaffeinate 80p · 527 weeks ago

I only made it to around hundred pages before setting this one down. The worldbuilding was my main issues. I can handle a well done triangle but awkward *shivers* Great review!
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S.Huston · 527 weeks ago

I'm thinking I may give this one a shot but I seriously hate love triangles. I'm currently reading book three of the Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole...talk about a painful love triangle *sigh*
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Nova @ Out of Time 57p · 527 weeks ago

I actually don't know how you finished it, lol. By a hundred pages in, I was completely bored with the storyline. It also had huge info dumps for me. I sided with my blogging friends, which is kind of weird [because that doesn't usually happen] and DNFed. I heard that it gets better, but I couldn't be bothered to find out.

I'm glad that there are people who like it, though. It's interesting to read your reviw because you finished it so there's a bunch that I guess I'm missing out on.
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bluekaren 41p · 527 weeks ago

Crap. This is on my TBR list. 3/5 isn't good. Thanks for not posting spoilers. :)
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lekeishathebooknerd 57p · 527 weeks ago

I gave it 3 out of 5 as well. It has the potential to be a really powerful story, but something went wrong. I'm eager to read Traveler now. Only because I need answers, not because I'm in love with this book.

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Zen DiPietro · 526 weeks ago

The cover caught my interest. I like multiple POVs, and love triangles don't bother me. Worldbuild is important, though, so I I dunno. Will have to look at a sample and see how it seems. Thanks for the review!