There are many ways to tell a story. Present tense, third person, second and first person all are choices. The interesting question is why is this the right mechanism for that particular story? In Samuel Griffin’s regency style fantasy Seeker the start to anew series we have a character telling us their life story but ultimately I felt here the choices of storytelling perhaps did more harm than good.

The orphan Shay Bluefaitlow is plucked from obscurity to be taken to stay with a mysterious Doctor and his young ward. Just when she tris to escape and find her own life she finds she has been chosen to work for the mysterious Sentinel Archivists who work for the admiralty and noble houses on missions of state in relation to the mysterious and powerful Sentinels. Shay has to study the Sentinels but also learns elements of spycraft and even fighting. Change is coming to the world and ambitious nobles want power for themselves and Shay finds herself in the middle of the conflict.

I’m a bit torn on Seeker perhaps I think its biggest feature has also perhaps been its biggest issue for me in enjoying this book. Griffin has chosen a regency style memoir approach almost as if Shay is relating her earlier career (sometimes very much taking us in the moment rather than purely looking back). As such every page uses very stylised genteel language. The word crafting is very skilled – it captures the tone of an older novel but here Griffin is inserting a secondary fantasy world and fitting for a Regency stye tale we have regency balls, carriages, clandestine meetings and later on move to sea and air. That’s not easy to do and you can see this was worked on a lot.

But the problem I had with the book was I found myself very much feeling while lots of things happen it all feels both disconnected and shallow. I never found that I got to know Shay, she is someone who is more a person things happen to and that she then does something. Very early on she tries for freedom and is told no she cannot – that ends the matter once and for all. The dissonance between young and naïve Shay and a very erudite and skilled narrator isn’t for me being explained very well. Shay feels the same in either period and I can’t feel much of an arc in her character despite the adventure she goes on. The pace of the story is very leisurely perhaps fitting a Regency tale but its lacking real flow and most of the real set pieces are in the second half. By which time I must admit I didn’t really feel invested.

When I think of these kinds of period novels there are usually two key things to make the story work even when a hero or heroine is a little too generic. There should be a rich cast of characters, with unique backstories and a really big feel of the world they inhabit be it city or village. Here Seeker for me felt very disappointing none of the main characters really jump out even though Griffin has a diverse cast, and the world feels more set piece focused than actually created a place that we feel we can live and breathe. The focus on getting the language and tone of a period novel I feel has got in the way of making a story work for a 21st century audience. I wonder if fans of more period pieces may find more into this but for me Seeker is not really standing out in a crowded field of similar stories. Seasoned fantasy fans will find many plot points rather predictable.

Ultimately this was a disappointing read. It has a unique hook but the impact of those choices I think has weakened the rest of the story and while I think Griffin shows promise as a writer this feels a little undercooked and means that it is not a book I can recommend.

Truly, this was over my head. One needs a new lexicon to understand the complexities of this book. It's well written but I find that the action pieces meshed too well with the high prose. I almost didn't catch a character death because the Language lacked specificity. Yeah, it's a personal struggle. But this book is meant for the 1% of readers that received an invitation to mensa.

Absolutely beautifully written with an epic story to boot. Really glad I randomly requested this one!
If you like fantasy give this a go!!

The book is written from the POV of Shay, who starts off a very confused girl who is plucked from an orphanage by a strange man and plunged into a very weird and magical world.

The book itself is very well written, a complete change in style from what I am used too, reminds me of the writing of the greats like Tolkien. It’s very wordy and descriptive and the story takes a long time to get going which for some people may be a give up point. I did find myself struggling to get involved in the book for the first few hundred pages but the push was worth it.

The hard copy was such a great addition to my collection and I feel I will re-read this and find details I have missed and I am looking forward to the next instalment

Seeker is an interesting book, with a world that you become totally immersed in. However, it didn't really capture me the way it probably was supposed to! I found it jarring as things seemed to be of great importance in one chapter, then not mentioned in the next. I will admit I skimmed much of it. It wasn't for me, but I won't say some fantasy lovers won't like it.

Seeker by Samuel Griffin is a great beginning to a new series, especially if you like some glorious buckling of swashes, Regency sensibilities and aesthetics and a whole lot of flintlock escapades

Our erstwhile FMC is Shay, her ambition being to become a Sentinel Archivist and the central storyline is her journey to realise this ambition through dedication and sheer bloody-mindedness. However, nothing comes easy to a person like Shay and she is met with a wide array of challenges and twists in a rich and diverse world

A great read and I am really looking forward to seeing where this saga goes next

Thank you to NetGalley, Panthe Press and the author Samuel Griffin for this ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

2.5⭐

The synopsis promised something I would love but the execution just wasn't for me. For one, we didn't get much of what the synopsis promised. I expect there will be more in the sequel.

My biggest gripe was with the main character. She was just too unlikable for me. She ends up getting into trouble, and instead of admitting her mistakes, she creates more problems by trying to fix the initial ones, and it just goes on. She constantly sounded self-pitying and honestly quite selfish. Some of her actions were very questionable.

The book also used an unnecessary amount of complex words. The pacing had issues, and the flow from one scene to the next was sometimes confusing.

Still, it's not a bad book and it will find its readers. I might still pick up the sequel, as there is some promise to the series, and I like to give debut authors a chance to improve.

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Seeker by Samuel Griffin is the first book in the Sentinel Archives series. It is a unique blend of flintlock fantasy and regency-era elements.

The story centers on Shay Bluefaltlow, a young woman training to become a Sentinel Archivist in the city of Fivedock. Her journey is filled with rigorous training and unexpected challenges. The narrative is rich with era-specific details, making the world both realistic and fantastical.

With immersive world-building, enchanting prose and well-developed characters, there are plenty of twists and turns to keep hooked.

I had higher hopes based on the summary. I liked the old-fashioned writing style, but the lack of plot was frustrating. Shay was left in the dark regarding so many things, so the audience was too. I constantly felt like I either had no idea what was going on or I felt like I was waiting for something to happen or someone to explain things. I don't know if this sense of endless waiting was on purpose. Too many questions were left hanging for too long. Even halfway through the book, people were refusing to answer any of Shay's questions! Looking at the percentage on my ebook, I felt like 85% of the book was just waiting for something to happen. Also, it was awkward that characters would appear out of nowhere and then disappear. Readers were supposed to feel like that person was important but I didn't care either way because it felt like we hardly knew them. I had trouble keeping track of some of the details of the magical items/tools even though I was trying to pay attention. It felt strange when a character suddenly used jargon like they expected the reader to know what they were talking about. I don't think I want to give the next book in the series a chance.

The story is amazing, but you will need to read a lengthy, well written description about the world building until you get to the main story. I feel everyone has pointed out about the beginning of the book being a little slower it did take me a while, and I needed to put it down a few times. I'm excited. I kept up with it because the story was amazing, and I can't wait for the rest.

Thank you, Netgalley and Samuel Griffin, for letting me read this ARC. I fully enjoyed it.

First, I'm one of those readers who likes a slow paced, descriptive read and I enjoyed the journey that Griffin took us on in getting to know Shay and the world in which she found herself. If you are looking for a fast paced adventure you'll want to skip this one. If you, like me, enjoy a slow and detailed unfolding then you might really enjoy Seeker.

The characters were well developed, which is one of the benefits of a slower pace. And the story was interesting. It was also clean, which I greatly appreciated. There is political intrigue and maneuvering. Social strata comes into play and then there is the fascination of history and, of course, the monsters. The Sentinels are at the heart of the story and the mystery surrounding them keeps you guessing.

But there were a couple of things that made me unsure if I'm interested in continuing the series. And that really centers around the sentinels themselves as how the author developed them. There may be minor spoilers if you keep reading so stop here if that's an issue...


The issue for me is in the beginning we are discovering the Sentinels as monsters, perhaps even supernatural monsters as there seems to be another realm to their existence. It's not entirely clear to us (or to the characters). But by the end the sentinels are being referred to as gods. They can be lured and to some extent controlled so they are obviously in the category of mythological beings who can be manipulated by mankind (as many of the "old gods" which the author makes reference to would have been perceived). But I wasn't looking for a book series on a category of "gods." Politics, history, science, and the journal of a life in a fantasy world were all subjects that I found interesting. And I found it interesting right up until the shift in the perception of the sentinels, and the shift in Shay herself. So I think I'm out and I don't plan to pick up the next in the series. I enjoyed the style, but not enough to follow the trail of the subject where the author left off.

I appreciate receiving the book for review. My opinions are entirely my own.

This is a fascinating book, with fabulous worldbuilding and Shay is a great character who is dangerously naive about people while also being curious and smart. An orphan plucked out of obscurity and apprenticed to the long-lived Sentinel Archivist, it's her job to learn both magic and about the dangerous sea monsters (Sentinels) that occasionally threaten people, boats, entire cities, etc. The story was a bit slow-paced for me, but overall the characters and the worldbuilding definitely make up for it!

I struggled to rate this. It's a solid 3.5 and I was going to go with three stars but I had a death in the family during my reading of this and thought maybe that's coloring my impression so I rounded up. I very much enjoyed the beginning of the story and the world Griffin built through Shay Bluefaltlow's eyes (she's our pov character). On the other hand right at the 50% mark things go sideways and the contrivance in order to make that happen annoyed me to the point of almost not finishing it.

Shay is a young lady growing up in an orphanage when she is selected for a form of indentured servitude by an older surgeon who also has a young deaf boy in his employ. He treats her well and spends a lot of time and energy into educating her, even indulging her curiosity about the theater and this serves to show us Shay's biggest character flaw.

She is very impetuous and thinks she knows better than everyone around her. This first time it brings her to meet the Archivist, a woman who is now a few hundred years old and documents The Sentinels, these ancient arcane creatures who we do not get to know as well as we should have so that was a disappointment. However, how the archivist tracks and records them is super cool. The Archivist is behind her selection and Shay is off to a new adventure and a good life.

At the 50% mark we have three very stupid mistakes by Shay. Had it just been one of them it might have been easier for the rest of the story to go down (and it doesn't help that I can think of other ways for this to have happened without Shay being dumber than a sack of hammers and there is only so much I can write off as 'she's young') One is Shay is poor and has a large portwine stain birthmark on her face so she's not going to fit in to the high society crowd well and wanting to allows someone to use that against her and betray the Archivist (which is necessary for the plot)

That I could forgive. Without being spoilery the one that bothered me was this potion the Archivist (and Shay as her apprentice) need and when Shay finds a different concoction to do it rather than tell her mentor she just uses herself and her mentor as guinea pigs. This was nearly a deal breaker.

The middle of this book is problematic. We have the betrayal and Shay's reaction to it but the time line becomes very muddy. How long before it's known? How long does she stay drunk? How long between the betrayal and the climax? It's mysterious and repetitive and honestly needed edited tighter. This is where I nearly DNFed.

The ending is much better. I do wish that The Sentinels were better defined but the ending was satisfying. GR has this as book one. It is complete as a one shot which is also nice however there is obviously room for more storytelling in this world.

I liked Shay but I did want to like her better. Her I know better than anyone attitude bugged me and her refusal to talk to anyone about stuff most people would have also annoyed (that is a trope that is really getting on my last nerve, that refusal to communicate in order to create drama trope)

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher of providing me with an e-arc of this novella. My opinions are my own.

I requested an arc of this book solely based on the cover art, backed after by the summary.

I usually reserve this rating for books poorly written, poorly plotted, but enjoyable enough books. This book wasn't poorly written, in fact it was substantially over written, and incredibly well plotted and thought out. Its just I found myself so lost in the twisted sentences and I understood it little. I've read books with long-winded prose before, and this was certainly a challenge. It took me nearly a month to read just 300 pages.

And let me tell you how I was indeed catfished by the cover.
Nothing happened, well, at least not till the very end. I missed a lot of detail trying prevent the comatose state trying to read it put me in. So many things are still so unclear to me.

As a curtain raiser to an epic new fantasy series this debut novel is absolutely pitch perfect.
This is a masterclass in beautiful writing and addictive storytelling. The author has created a world, with some of the trappings of Regency England, but populated it with the strange and bizarre. I can't wait to revisit it and further explore.
There's a dark sense of magic, an otherworldliness, and a plot enveloping love, lust, loss, adventure, strange potions, cruelty and tragedy.
This is clearly just the very beginning of an epic journey. I'm hooked already.

I give the book 2 stars for the premise alone. My favorite part of the book was the end so I knew the experience was finally over. I find no redeeming qualities in this story. The characters were lifeless, the setting dull, and the pacing erratic. I truly hope there will not be another entry through I have no intention of reading a second entry if there were one published.

What a splendid debut novel! The author possesses a remarkable talent for descriptive writing. I have not encountered any books with this particular Regency-era writing style before, and I must say it was an exceptional read! I eagerly anticipate following Shay in the next book. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone seeking to immerse themselves in a magical world brimming with boundless possibilities!

Seeker by Samuel Griffin is a must read for me, Seeker, to me, is written in the style of a classic. The world is reminiscent of the stories that you would find more commonly written by Tolkien or Stephen King. The world-building is immense and detailed, it really brings you into the world that Griffin is trying to create and makes you a part of the story. It took me back to my childhood when I read the likes of Great Expectations, not that the story is the same but the writing is on par with Dickens. I would say that if you want an easy read that will take you a matter of hours, then this is definitely not the book for you. If you want a series that you can get your teeth into and a style of writing that envelopes you into its pages, then give this story a go. You won't be disappointed.

We first meet Shay Bluefaltlow in The Quom Preparatory School for Orphaned War Girls. Bought by Ridley Fassinger, on behalf of unknown benefactors, Shay is escorted by Ridley to his home in Fivedocks, where a potentially dubious fate awaits her.
Ridley’s other charge, a small boy called Peck.

Shay is encouraged to study and do various errands for Ridley, with no real idea why she has to learn what she does or what she is delivering in the mysterious packages. Who are her mysterious benefactors?

She has always had fanciful dreams of adventures she could have on the high seas, and daydreams of escaping this horrendous life she is leading.

So one day she does and it doesn’t quite go as planned.

Here we meet the highly decorated Penelope Etherington, Archivist to the Great Houses of the Concord.

Finally Shay’s training comes together and things start falling in place.

Unbeknownst to everyone, a war is brewing. There is plotting and dastardly deeds afoot.

There are also large, strange creatures in the background.

I want to thank NetGalley and Panthe Press for the ARC for my honest opinion.

I did find the story a bit slow for over half the book and it did take me awhile to get used to Samuel’s writing style.
After this point the story picks up pace and it’s full steam ahead! I see a lot of potential in the continuation of the story and I’m looking forward to hearing about it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
4 stars book from me. Loved the plot and the stories in this book. Loved every single second reading it.