General Tala was devastated by the war waged between the different kingdoms. Her homeland of Sanbuna included rituals to pact with animals, but she had gone over and above the usual shadepact prior to the war's end. Iron Prince Jimuro is all that's left of the Tomoda royal family and has to be escorted back to his homeland to be crowned the Iron Lord. There are factions within the Tomodanese that want to see Tomoda rule supreme again. In the meantime, Princess Xiulan of Shang had become a Li-Quan inspector and brought the Jeongsonese thief Lee in to help her track down the elusive Prince Jimuro in the hopes that she could present him to her father and become the heir of Shang.

Steel Crow Saga was described as "a sophisticated twist on Pokémon meets Avatar: The Last Airbender," and it's clear to see why. The animals bonded to people that can be called on at will are like the Pokémo, while having four nations of differing Asian influences is like the beloved cartoon. However, there are plenty of politics involved as well, with shifting loyalties, different sexualities, and even a transgender character. A lot of time is spent weaving the histories of the nations and the characters together, and it's seamlessly done. Nothing feels like a terrible info dump because it's relayed little by little, and as we switch between different points of view. That's how we learn about the food, the tonal languages, the customs and the microcustoms of different classes, the novels that characters read and the types of places where people lived. It's a wonderful and fascinating way to really drink in the history in the book and feel truly part of it, as well as getting us to bond with the main characters whose stories we're following.

There is action, gunplay, shifting loyalties and traveling through various parts of different kingdoms in order to get Prince Jimuro back to Harada, the capital of his homeland, to be crowned the Iron Lord. Along the way, we learn a lot about our four main characters, their histories, their relationships to each other, and really get to know the world of this book. I grew to love it, and it almost hurt to read the very last page, because there wasn't more to this novel.

I was given a chance by Penguin Random House and NetGalley to read this book early. It was a deeply engaging and enjoyable ride from the very first page. The authorial voice is both excellent and exciting which enhances the superb world building. But the world, although lushly described, is only the beginning. What will really captivate you are the amazing characters, each with their own distinct narrative voices. Not to mention that the magic system is quite unique and very entertaining to read about. If you're looking for a fantasy book set in an Asian inspired world with an all Asian cast and a battery of queer main and side characters that is extremely well written, then I suggest you pick up this book.

Exciting, suspenseful and kept me interested.. Character development was well done. A very good book.

I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
This was a great book !
For Tala + Jimuro + Xiulan + Lee, each has their own demons.
For this book, we delve into their world and their common purpose.
They should have been enemies, but a greater good will band them together.
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!
I can't wait for the next book in this series.

4.5 stars

Balancing Revolution And Oppression With Wit, And An Inspired Magic System, Paul Krueger's Steel Crow Saga Hits Shelves Today

I worry sometimes that authors will run out of ideas for magic systems. I enjoy them so much that I worry the day will come when they will start blending together or authors won't be able to flesh them out as they should for reader buy-in. 

Then I look back on four books I read from July through September and I realize that I should stop worrying. Ok. One of those books wasn't published during that time frame. However, the other three were.



The Written by Ben Galley was published in July of 2010

Spell books tattooed to a mage's back and dragon powers bound to Tear Books 
The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen was published in July of 2019

Varying avian teeth cast different spells by rare witch doctors
There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool was published in September of 2019

Graced- of Heart, of Blood, of Mind and of Sight
Storm Crow Saga by Paul Krueger is out today- September 24th, 2019

Pacting:
Utilized differently by each culture and also brings an element of oppression.
Both Storm Crow Saga and Merciful Crow utilize their caste and magic system, respectfully, to address themes of oppression and justice. 
The people of Sanbuna and Shang pact with the souls of animals. This allows them to beckon them to fight with them as needed.
The people of Dahal pact intrinsically, strengthening their personal aptitudes
The people of Tomoda pact with metal and power their vehicles.
Now, here is where the ability to, or not to, wield magic allows for cultural oppression. The Jeongsonese are gifted with magic the same as everyone else but they are kept from gaining the knowledge to fully utilize it.


I'm sure you are wondering by now, what the hell is she doing? 

I started with the explanation of these different magic systems for a simple reason. I wasn't sure where else to start reviewing Steel Crow Saga and if I didn't figure it out? This was going to become a very simple review. It would be the synopsis and then just #readthebook.

Literally. That was all I had. So, I had to find a place to root the review. And then it dawned on me. Based on what I read this summer? And really if I thought about it? My concerns over authors running out of inspired magic systems that are fully imagined and engrained in the story, is simply not happening. And right there were four shining examples, off the bat. One of them being Steel Crow Saga.

If you want to argue that The Written came out nine years ago? Well you have Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom since then, yes? Gilded Wolves last year and its sequel, Silvered Serpents coming in February.

And if I keep thinking? I could keep going. There is For a Muse of Fire (Kingdom for a Stage is a couple weeks away) and here's a hint. Put your money on Angel Mage by Garth Nix, which comes out on October 1st.

BUT!

Now that I found my running start the magic system is engrained and intrinsically important to the storyline in Steel Crow Saga. It gives vital pieces of behind-the-scenes information that speaks to motivation of nations.

Krueger divulges it in a way that doesn't tell the reader what to do with that information. Instead, we are left to draw our own conclusion. Who is good and evil, who you root for or against, is left up to us, for the most part.

Having multiple points of views adds to the layers and dimensions of the individuals within nations. Each character is unique in voice as demonstrated through both dialogue and the narration in each respective chapter. Between these two pieces we have a multi-layered look of both the whole and the pieces that make up the whole. 

The only drawback of this approach is that the story and pacing can get drawn out at times. However, coming from me, take that with a grain of salt. I have diagnosed ADD and sometimes struggle with adult sci-fi/fantasy for this reason. With that being said, on this point YMMV. 

On the other side of that coin, if I hadn't been completely immersed in the storyline and the characters? And if it was too long without any action? I wouldn't have made it, but by the time those denser parts of the story evolved, and the pacing slowed down? There was more than enough emotional investment to keep me going. So, I highly doubt someone who doesn't have my penchant for distraction and brain fog would barrel through.

The journey each character goes on and how they change over time intertwines well with the plot. Both serve each other well and push each other forward. Too often you will find a clash when the plot is used as a device for character growth or characters are put into situations to spur the plot forward. Krueger doesn't fall into that trap. The two work in tandem together.

What I truly didn't expect and what I would imagine to be near impossible, Krueger pulls off with complete finesse. There are such heave themes of oppression, revolution and colonialism that it would be impossible to imagine any amount of lightness. But it does. And now, I couldn't imagine Steel Crow Saga without it. 

Krueger manages to strike a balance between themes of enormous gravity with quick witted banter and humorous narration that you just don't see coming. It is never insulting to the importance of the plot or out of place. Instead it provides a reprieve and sense of hope. I want to say it is akin to the humor you would find in Star Wars.

I know there are many other comparisons out there, but I don't have any context for ANY of them, unfortunately. When I think of revolution, sci-fi and humor that works- there is Star Wars. It is at times very serious with very deep social constructs and then at times unexpectedly but fittingly hysterical. Steel Crow Saga strikes that same balance.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was fantastic. I can't rave about it highly enough. I was lucky enough to pick up a copy at Denver Pop Culture Con this year and get approved for a NetGalley, and I absolutely loved it! The book is filled with moments that get you excited to continue on. I didn't think I'd be so impressed with a giant rat, or a box of mushrooms, but believe me when I tell you this book had me laughing, crying, and getting really worried about my favorite characters as the pages turned. I'm a big fan of Manga and Anime, and I think that really put this book over the top for me because I could (and would LOVE) to see it as an anime in the future. It's got it all, the tough military type, the reluctant ruler, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks, and the awkward but fantastic wannabe detective. I just couldn't stop reading it, and have already recommended it to my friends, book club, and random strangers. It's worth picking up a copy! You won't regret it! I loved it, and my boyfriend loved it, it appeals to all readers and it's got amazing representation of cultures and sexuality. It's fantastic and just want we need right now! Go read it!

Krueger has craft a wonderful, fun adventure of a book. It's clear the story draws a lot of influences from anime, and while that's not what drew me to it, it definitely will appeal to fans of that genre!

He handles the four point of view characters well, each have distinct voices, goals, and challenges. I think of them all, Tala--the military veteran, transporting an exiled prince on one last mission--was my favorite.

The story starts out a bit slow (made slower by the switch off between POVs--when we return to a character, no time has passed since we last saw them), but once all the plot threads intersect, things get moving.

As with Krueger's first book, STEEL CROW SAGA will appeal to adult readers, but also has strong crossover appeal.

to summarize this book would be doing it an injustice but i'm going to try my best. at the very least, it's pokemon with way higher stakes, but that doesn't seem to cover it either. everything about this book was just so incredibly interesting and vivid and i'm so happy i was lucky enough to read it early.

the alternating points of view was what i enjoyed the most, i think. sometimes when the pov's alternate, the reader can be left with not enough information of one of the characters and that just wasn't the case here. i felt as if you got so much from all 4 of the main characters and by the end of the novel, are rooting for all of them. you learn so much about them throughout the book and i couldn't even pick a favorite if i wanted to. none of the characters are perfect–they are realistic representations of the human experience inserted into a fantasy world that i believe you will find is very similar to our own. it's clear that the author is modeling the world he created after the real world. that being said, it wasn't to the point where i felt like the author could have forgone the fantasy world and just kept ours instead.

the magic system is the best. i was immediately drawn into it and thought i knew everything but it just keeps growing as the novel progresses which i loved. the shades were my favorite and made me want my own tbh. i'm so interested to see what happens in the next book involving the characters who have more than one ability, which was previously thought to be impossible. i can't wait to see how that evolves and what the consequences of those abilities are.

truly this book isn't going to be everyone's favorite. it's long and the new world might not capture everyone or it might be confusing, but i really think everyone needs to give it a chance and i think you'll find that you might love it like i did!

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for sending me an e-galley of this book!

Steel Crow Saga is boasted as Pokemon meets The Last Airbender which is the reason why I requested it. I'm a fairly big Pokemon fan and I do like The Last Airbender, but haven't finished the series.

The dialogue is sharp and the story is fully fleshed out and realized, but I found myself increasingly bored by the lengthy descriptions and short bursts of action. I kept pushing through and waiting for the story to catch me, but it just didn't seem to. It's not a terrible book by any means and I can see why someone would enjoy it. It's raw and gritty and includes a rich history with a pretty great f/f pairing if you ask me. It just missed the mark with me personally.

I decided to give the book 3 Stars because my disinterest has nothing to do with the writing or the book itself just my personal preferences and grievances with some of the choices taken.

Steel Crow Saga is the first novel in a series of the same name by Paul Krueger, and it’s as intense as it is brilliant. If you’re looking for a new fantasy series to get into, consider giving this one a try. It’s full of character driven plots, a magical world, and so much more.
In a world torn apart by battle, four characters must come together to find a way to forge a new path. By doing so, they hope to prevent the circle of pain and bloodshed from continuing. But the journey will be anything but easy.
Steel Crow Saga takes four characters, all of whom a very different from one another, and by rights all should hate the others, and forces them to do the unbelievable. This novel is an amazing fantasy novel, but it’s the characters who make this tale sing.

Tala is a soldier through and through. She lives for the battles, and will do whatever it takes to take vengeance for her lost family. She and her animal companion Beaky have a dark secret, one that colors every aspect of her life. And her life is forever changed when she is forced to guard a prince that is not her own.
Jimuro is the prince of Steel – and he’s bound to step up and lead his people. Unfortunately, he’s currently a prisoner in another nation. In other to bring the peace though, he’s allowed free and sent off with a military escort. Only, the whole trip doesn’t go as planned. On the bright side, the change in course has given him plenty of time to learn the truth about the world around him.
Lee is a thief, plain and simple. She’s smart as a whip, and even more determined to survive. She’s one of the last of her kind – a people constantly stepped on by those who consider themselves better. But she won’t let their outlook on her life change her plans for the future.
Xiulan is a woman with many identities. Her preferred one is a detective, which is how she ends up with a master class thief. She hopes that Lee will help her find the person she is looking for, and start a change for the better.

I’ve been hearing nothing but positive things about Steel Crow Saga, and now, having read it, I completely understand why. It was emotional and dramatic, and had such a brilliant display of worldbuilding within.
There was a lot to love about this book, simply put. The characters, the world, the magical systems, the politics. It was all well thought out and brilliant in its intensity. I did my best to stretch out reading this book as much as possible. But I’m still left anxious to get my hands on the next novel in the series.
I think what I loved the most about Steel Crow Saga was the variety of characters. Tala, Jimuro, Lee, and Xiulan were all so different from one another. And yet, they all had a stake in this tale. It was fascinating to see them all work together, and better yet; the variety will allow for most readers to pick a favorite character or two to really look forward to reading about.
I’m fascinated by the magical system within this world. We got a good look at shades (the animal companions), and a bit of a look at the steel magic. But I still have so many questions – and I’m sure that the future novels will answer them. I just have to be patient.
I was surprised by how much emotion Steel Crow Saga was able to force out of me. It was excellently done. The characters were compelling, the plot was thrilling, and the world filled with lush details. And each character’s backstory was refined and honed to force readers to sympathize with their perspectives.
I’m actually quite sad to be finished with Steel Crow Saga. I might have to reread it again, while I wait for news about the sequels. I tried starting another book, but the book hangover from this one is too strong for that just yet.

I LOVED Krueger's first title!! It was one of my favs but this one unfortunately was not. The cover was pretty and was what caught my attention. This one started off really good but as the story went on it almost felt like the author lost interest in the story itself. For me I just got bored. Sadly a lot of this title was bogged down with things we just didn't need. I think that played a large part in me getting bored with the story. The four POVs just didn't mesh well for either. I felt like if it would have been less it would have worked out a little better as well. This just seemed like a mess.

Thank you to Del Rey/Random House for allowing me to read this incredible book in advance of its on sale date.

Steel Crow Saga is told through the eyes of four** characters: The Prince, The Soldier, The Detective, and The Scoundrel. From different backgrounds and with different motivations, we follow their adventure. Did I mention it's incredible? Because it is. Steel Crow Saga is the kind of book you find yourself staying up til all hours to read. It's the kind of book that makes you miss your bus stop, thus delivering you late to work. It's the kind of book you wind up recommending to all of your friends, because you have to talk to them about this One Cool Scene, NO WAIT, THIS One Cool Scene!

This book has very heavy anime vibes. If you grew up watching Pokemon, Full Metal Alchemist, Sailor Moon.... This book will resonate with you on a deep level. Each battle scene feels like it could be scored by a super hip Japanese band, and I can practically envision a brightly animated version of everything that's happening. Krueger's writing brings this world and characters to life in such a way that I felt incredibly connected every step of the way to these crazy kids and their amazing story.

Please check out this book. You won't be disappointed.

There are many things that impressed me about this book. The world building is well done. The concept of "shadepact" soul bonding with an animal's shade and being able to summon them in battle is incredibly cool. The writing style is unique and flows really well. The characters and relationships are well crafted. I think it will appeal strongly to readers who like anime tropes/style of storytelling, but it also appealed to me and I'm not normally a fan of that kind of thing. Overall, it's a great read and I highly recommend it.

It would be very difficult to avoid comparisons to both Avatar Series (Last Airbender and Legend of Korra): the DNA of this book clearly owes much to the animated series. That said, readers don't need to have watched Avatar to enjoy this Asian-inspired fantasy. While perhaps most appealing to a younger audience due to gaping plot holes and a fairly simplistic plot, the characters are engaging and the book a light read.

Story: Four individuals, each from different countries, will find their fates intersecting at the end of a great war. Jimuro, prince of the Tomoda empire, has been a war hostage for years and is now being used by the conquerors to create a new peace with his country. Xiulan, princess of the Shang empire, is too far down the succession line to be of interest to the world and now seeks to emulate her favorite detective characters by bringing justice to the lands. Lee, who is Jongseon, has made a life as a grifter after her country was nearly wiped out by the war. When she meets Xiulan, she will be made an interesting offer. And finally Tala, of the Sanbuna, grapples with the death of her family as she is commanded to bring the Tomoda prince Jimuro back to Tomoda so he can claim his throne.

The book's structure is one of pairs: at first Xiulan and Lee (and their emerging relationship) and Jimuro and Tala (with their emerging relationship). The pairings change a bit later on as events happen but much of the book is about their partnerships. The worldbuilding is Asia: thinly veiled Japan, Korea, China, and the Philippines (with India thrown in the side). The events take place after Japan attempted to conquer all three nations, devastating them in the process of plundering their natural resources. The kingdoms eventually fought back and Japan is now in the hands of the people it once oppressed.

Those who have watched the Avatar series will recognize the character types here. Prince Jimuro of Japan is very similar to Zuko and has a similar redemptive arc. Xiulan, Tale and Lee greatly shared personality traits of Toph, Korra, and Asami. As well, magic similarities including types tied to nations/peoples and 'metal bending'. The spirit animals were interesting and created probably the best aspects of the plot. For this book, the Tomoda (Japan) can control metal, the Shang (Chinese) and Sanbuna (Philippines) control spirit animals, and the Dahali (India) control energy and can shoot hexbolts to disable or heal. So although not as similar as Avatar's magic, author Krueger does spend time to hypothesize on why these cultures developed the types of magic that they did.

There are some things that did bother. Since this is a fairly simplistic tale, a lot of the motivations or repercussions of actions felt very unrealistic and without enough nuance to be believable. Especially the magic, since it was said no one could use another culture's magic and yet by the end, we saw multiple instances of the 'impossible' happen, and very easily. Although explained as the transformative nature of love, I wasn't so convinced. As well, I know many will compare this to anime plots but I don't really see that here - this is much more a Western series like both Avatars.

In all, this was a decent read that is easy to follow. I think younger readers will especially appreciate the spirit animals, though the relationship between Xiulan and Lee has some adult references. All the same, a very light read easily finished in a few hours. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

The premise sounded intriguing, but unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. This book is heavily influenced by anime, and that's not my thing. I have liked a couple anime movies in the past, but it's not usually for me. I found the characters kind of flat, and I thought the world building was lacking. I couldn't picture the setting of the characters in my head. So I decided to not finish this book. I hate forcing myself to finish books that I am not into. There WILL be an audience for this book. If you really enjoy anime this is for you.

I have noticed a couple of themes in the books that I have been reading lately. The first one is that I saw is the plenty of strong female characters. The second is that Japanese/Chinese based fantasy is becoming more popular. Both caught my attention when I read the blurb for Steel Crow Saga. I am happy to say that I loved Steel Crow Saga!! It was a fantastic read.

Steel Crow Saga has four separate plotlines. Usually, that would be an issue for me. I lose focus on many plotlines. But, in this book, it wasn’t an issue. The author was able to keep all four plotlines separated. I had no problem keeping them straight. I also loved that while the plotlines did get merged towards the end of the book, they were still separate.

The characters in Steel Crow Saga were well written and well fleshed out. That made the book so much more enjoyable for me to read. I did have my favorite characters in the book. I loved Lee and Xiulan, separately and together. I also did like Tala and Jimuro, but Lee and Xiulan captured my heart.

The fantasy angle of the book was amazing!! I loved how shadepacting worked. To have an animal bond that close to you must be amazing. But I also could see why it was done with only animals and not humans. I thought having the bad guy having hundreds of shades was great. I also liked that the characters could steal the shades from other people. I liked it.

Another part of the book that I loved was the LGBT representation in the book. Xiulan and Lee had feelings for each other. Jimuro’s oldest friend was a transgender man. Mang, Tala’s brother, was gay. Lee, and I believe Jimuro, were bisexual. I loved it!!

I have read reviews where this book was compared to The Last Airbender and Pokemon. I did get the Pokemon vibe while reading it but I didn’t get The Last Airbender vibe. Shrugs.

I also liked that each race was a different Asian country. China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and India were represented. Doing that added more depth to the book. There also could be more countries that I didn’t pick up on.

There was a lot of violence and death in Steel Crow Saga. It didn’t bother me (violence in books usually don’t). But some people are bothered by violence. Unfortunately, this book couldn’t be told without the violence.

Tala and Mang’s relationship was one of the saddest ones that I have read to date. My heart broke several times whenever their relationship came up. The author also explains how he became a shade. Again, talk about my poor heartbreaking. I was in tears. What Mang asked Tala to do was awful, and it shaped her for the rest of her life.

The end of Steel Crow Saga was interesting. It was interesting because while the main storylines ended, the author left room for another book. I am curious to see what will happen with Tala and Jimuro, especially after what was revealed. I am also interested to see where Lee and Xiulan’s relationship will go. Also, I want to know what will happen with the different countries now that the war is over. I can’t wait for book 2 to come out!!

I had high hopes for Steel Crow Saga, considering the things I’d heard about it prior to picking it up, and I’m happy to be able to say that I really enjoyed it! This novel takes on the task of narrating the stories of four different individuals: a princess determined to earn her place as heir to the throne, a thief given a second chance, an exiled prince returning to claim his place on the throne, and a military sergeant tasked with the protection of said prince. Even though I tend to be partial to ensemble casts, it’s an undeniably difficult task for an author to juggle the multiple storylines and to alternate narrative voices in a way that is specific enough to be easy for readers to remember. Paul Krueger successfully accomplished this here, highlighting the individual experiences of Tala, Jimuro, Xiulan and Lee in a way that made it easy to tell them apart and giving them stakes and obstacles that kept me invested in all their stories. It helps that they happen to be a diverse bunch, both in terms of race, gender and sexuality (which also applies to the secondary characters). Apart from the strength of his character portrayals, Krueger also manages to bring an extremely interesting world to life from the magical lore to the complex political ties between the countries (including the effects of colonization and revolution, which I found particularly interesting). He also succeeds in weaving together a series of plots and tropes that will be fun for any reader but will be particularly recognizable for any anime fans (and his storytelling is very much like that of a shonen anime too). Honestly, I had so much fun devouring Steel Crow Saga and would certainly recommend adding it to your TBRs! (I also want to throw in that I particularly feel like if you enjoyed Fullmetal Alchemist, you might really like this, as there were elements and themes that reminded me of it.)

DNF

Utilizing creative ideas such as enchanted steel manipulation and animal companions that fight alongside book characters as “shades”, the Steel Crow Saga is a fresh take on the fantasy genre. The story covers four main characters, each from different cultural backgrounds, Lee, Tala, Jimuro, and Xiulan, all in an effort to tell a story about the political clash taking place. There are major anime vibes, along with a bit of Pokémon, and Asian inspired setting/world.

Unfortunately, I DNF this book despite the awesome premise. I wanted SO BADLY to like it. The story fell flat for me. The characters and their relationships/dialogue felt forced. The world building was lacking. There was nothing about the world that I could attach myself to. Maybe I went in with too many pre-conceived ideas, but a lot of the world building just didn’t seem to create something I was capable of imagining.

Perhaps this book simply wasn’t for me, but, these were my take-aways:

The writing quality itself was fantastic. The author’s use of words and voice was well done. I didn’t care for the occasional use of “ass” and other swear words that were sprinkled here and there. They were used too seldomly to be included at all IMO, and could have easily been substituted. Stumbling across them had a jarring effect on me, and believe me, I cuss a lot, but man did they feel out of place! I’m no prude, but really, that darkened my reading experience some.

The characters were ultimately what killed it for me. I felt no connection to any of them, right from the start. None of the characters hooked me, nor could I relate to them. The prologue set the stage, and in hindsight, felt completely useless as a story tool. Its characters gave me nothing to attach myself to. I went ahead and shrugged it off and moved on to the main body of the work. I had hoped that it would get better, but the characters there didn’t grab me either. First we see Lee, who is slated for death, and I’m sorry, I just couldn’t connect to her. I didn’t find myself relating with her whatsoever; Something about her character felt forced, same with Xiulan, and even their dialogue together. I liked Tala better, she was one of the characters from the prologue, all grown up, but again, she didn’t give me much to hold on to. Sure, her family was killed in the political wars that wracked her country, but there just wasn’t anything there for me. I wasn’t able to feel her sadness at losing her family, perhaps because I just didn’t know enough about them to feel sad. The same could be said about Jimuro, the prince. I think if the author would have shown us more unique qualities, and even made their character flaws more apparent, I might have related to them better.

For me, characters make a story. And no matter how creative your story is, no matter how intricate the plot, the characters MUST be relatable. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe they are more relatable for other people, and everyone is different, which is why I think this book just wasn’t my cup of tea.

In terms of content and originality, I really liked the Asian take on the story. That, along with the idea of having animals bonded to humans, were the only two things that kept me reading past chapter one. But even from the get-go, I wasn’t wowed or awed by the animal idea when I expected to be. Maybe it wasn’t presented as well as it could have been. If it had been executed correctly, I think I would have been more impressed. Even the descriptions of the animals, which were called “shades” fell flat. The characters describing these shades did not do the descriptions justice, especially for characters like Lee, deprived of shades themselves, and awed by the idea of having one.

I wanted to like this book. It held such a great premise, but I found myself disappointed. There are too many great books out there. I should not have to force myself to turn pages.

I am really sad, but I think this book is not for me.

At 100 pages in, I’m having a tough time wanting to pick this back up. Mostly due to the writing style. I knew going into this read, the author drew from anime. It definitely shows, and I thought it would add to the reading experience. Unfortunately, it pulled me out of the story more times than not. As a result, I don’t care for any of the characters and I always end up being pulled away from the story.

But again, this is just not for me. I know other people who have read this and loved the anime-like writing style and had a great time laughing at all the comic relief moments. So if you’re into that, give it a shot!

I really lucked out on the books I chose and was allowed to read to review. This was in the top tier of my favorites as I am so impressed with the world and alternate visions and presentations of known cultures into this time of cultures thus is another book that is apparently the beginning of a series I am looking forward to reading. Having been around and honored to be invited inside various Asian families and their cultures as well as strongly admiring them I ws so impressed with the way they were comfortably presented here along with gender and people. There was nothing forced or artificial and contrived about them or patronizing while at the same tie being able to convey the fell of them and the people. People don't realize the complexity of the various ethnic groups of people that make up what westerners know of and call China or the difference between there and Japan or Korea and their differences with the Polynesians. I was both enthralled my the plots stories and delighted with the author