"The Seeker" by Samuel Griffin, is a
flintlock fantasy. The narrative follows Shay Bluefaltlow, a young woman thrust into the arcane world of Sentinel Archivists, where she must navigate the complexities of forbidden knowledge and a society on the brink of war.

Shay's journey is one of self-discovery and resilience. Her character is etched with the nuances of vulnerability and determination, making her a relatable protagonist. The supporting cast, add depth and color to the tale, each with their own distinct personalities that challenge and complement Shay's own.

The book's problematic lies in its exploration of indentured servitude and the moral quandaries it presents. Griffin's prose flows with a fluidity that belies the weight of the story's themes.

In terms of critique, while the novel has a good world-building and character development, some readers may find the pacing uneven at times, with certain sections delving deep into the lore at the expense of narrative momentum.

Overall, "The Seeker" earns a solid 4out of 5 stars. It is a commendable debut that promises to leave readers both enchanted and reflective. Its few pacing issues are far outweighed by its strengths, making it a must-read for fans of flintlock fantasy and those yearning for a journey into a world rich with intrigue and wonder.

Thank you NetGalley and Panthe Press for the Arc. These opinions are my own.

Tis the year of leviathans in SFF. The Seeker is my second read to feature world-ending behemoths for collective horror and delight (first was The Tainted Cup).

Well, it takes a while for the beasties to arrive. Shay’s story ambles along on an ambiguous timeline, from an isolated orphanage to the sprawl of Fivedock and her mysterious duties to learn and assist, assigned by unknown patrons who seem to have her in mind for some higher purpose.

There's meticulous prose and an antiquated flavor which I enjoyed, and somehow it all winds up at the explosive ending. In retrospect, the chain of events becomes a bit clearer, but I still spent most of the book unsure where it was going and generally appreciating on a chapter by chapter basis. I often wondered, Why does this scene matter? It's nice and all, but why is this important? I’m steering clear of details because I’m not sure what all would be a spoiler.

Setting aside that ambiguity, the narrative sure knows how to set a scene and deliver ominous lines. The highlight for me was the last five chapters, which bring a welcome dose of purpose and action, and I’m curious to see how subsequent books build on that momentum.

**Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Shay Bluefaltlow lives in a war orphans' home in this unusual start of a series. It would equate to the Regency and Napoleonic period in our history but since it's what is described as a 'Flintlock Fantasy' it's in a similar time period in this world. Out of the blue, Shay is indentured to Ridley, a surgeon who lives far away (over the sea) in a city called Fivedock. She is not told what exactly she is indentured to do but she is told that she has a lot of studying to do and the surgeon starts her off on a heavy course of study. Ridley's house is small and compact but includes a room for Shay, the first time she has had such a luxury. The only other inhabitant is a small boy named Peck who does all of the household chores. We find out later on that Peck cannot hear or speak but he and Ridley use some signs to communicate, and he has been taught to read.
Shay likes to learn but she really wants to understand why she has been brought there and eventually she is introduced to the Sentinal Archivist who is responsible in this world to communicate with some creatures that are almost mythical but that are important to winning a many hundreds year war. Shay is to be her apprentice. There is much to like in this book but there is also a lot that the reader does not know and it's hard to figure out what is happening. The fact that Shay is lonely, and that loneliness helps her make some poor decisions is abundantly clear but there is still so much to figure out even at the end of the book. Hopefully, the next volume in this series will help clear up some of these questions.

I received this book from Panthe Press on NetGalley for an honest review of the book.

This is the story of Shay Bluefaltlow who is an orphan who is forced into indentured servitude where she begins to training to become a Sentinel Archivist one of the few people who can fight back against the Ancient leviathans who have begun to stir their long slumber. Yes, like every good fantasy novel there always has to be an ancient evil for the hero to kill. It's required.

Unlike a lot of fantasy stories though this takes place in the Regency time frame rather than the popular Medieval one so many other fantasy stories use. I liked how this did spice things up and give Samuel Griffin a different place to build his world and have some fun. Flintlock Fantasy is something I am going to have to explore in the future.

Over all I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun and interesting story with the mystery behind why Shay is an orphan. There is a lot of good world building and lore in this which I liked. I know some people wrote that it slowed things down for them but I am a Fantasy Reader, so bring on all the Lore! The characters are also very likable in this. Sometimes I find myself wanting to strangle characters because of how dumb they can be. But with this one, I didn't feel that way, so that is a good thing.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fantasy book that is a little different than your typical fantasy book.

Fabulous book. It completely transported me to a different world. The detail and plot and characters were brilliant. Don’t hesitate to buy it and then sit down and prepare to be wowed

This is a complex story that develops slowly. It is an unusual world and characters motives are interesting. I do recommend it

4.25 ⭐
0 🌶️

Wow. This was quite the adventure. It started slow, but it definitely picked up in the second half. The author's writing style mirrored the time period of the book. Since the book is written in the first person, it gives it an almost autobiographical voice. It's unique, and I can't quite think of a book that left me with this feeling. In a sense, it reminded me of something written long ago. It was unique, and I enjoyed it. At times, it got a bit wordy, but it flowed well, and I didn't get bogged down.

This is a book you must read to grasp the plot. I am looking forward to more books in this series, just from the perspective I need to see where the author goes with this. Shay is a character with flaws and struggles with her place in the world. Being an orphan and sold into indentured servitude, she didn't have a lot of choices in her life. However, she ended up being in service to a surgeon and found herself in better circumstances than before. We go along with her on her journey, which is mundane and exciting. But it is all to get you to that last 25% of the book that is quite indescribable. Read the book and find out for yourself.

Thank you NetGalley and Panthe Press for the eArc. These opinions are my own.

The premise of this story seemed fascinating, but fell short in its execution. The prose is overwrought and the story underdeveloped. The worldbuilding had potential to be interesting, but I constantly felt like I was missing something. I can definitely imagine reading another book by this author in the future, but won’t be continuing the series.

This was an amazing read thru a fantasy on a different level. The author very obviously loved writing this book and it shows. I loved that this has magic and other fantasy elements. The characters are well developed and you get attached to them. This book was a bit slow to get thru. It is written as a regency style and I did have to push thru the first part of the book. This book was very atmospheric and the historical element gave it a certain vibe. I can’t wait for this story to continue. I feel this book was setting future books up for a grand adventure.

Complex relatable characters with high level writing plus deep worldbuilding.

If it's for you you will love it!

Seeker is a novel that has very specific ideas about what it wants to be and goes about achieving this in clunky, roundabout ways. The writing style is difficult to sink into and the story manages to be overwritten and underwritten at the same time, focusing far too much on irrelevant details to flesh out this swashbuckling world rather than the story trying to carve its way through the heavy-handed worldbuilding.
Even once you fight your way past the try-hard prose, the characters underneath don't have much to say for themselves. Our three main characters are held at arm's length and the author misses the obvious opportunities to introduce their quirks in a streamlined way, opting instead to man-handle chunks of excessively detailed description into seemingly random narratives throughout the story. This disruptive way of writing forces readers onto the defensive, never quite sure what obstacle the next paragraph will cough up.
This is a tough slog of a book to chew through with little reward at the other end. With more editing and better fleshed-out characters this could have been a great read.

As a fan of epic fantasy books, I was really intrigued to read the flintlock fantasy debut of author Samuel Griffin, but I was sadly disappointed. While the premise of the story was very interesting, overall, I found the writing to be very confusing. It is written in the first person and as a reader we expect to be drawn into the story as we learn more about the world in which the main character lives, and the situations they find themselves in. We want to fully grasp what is happening and get to know the characters and as a result feel a part of the story and feel empathy or anger and so on towards them. This is sadly lacking in ‘Seeker’ and I spent half the book trying to understand fully what was going on, trying to remember who some of the characters were and hoping that information was being intentionally held back for a big reveal at the end. This never fully happened and as a result I felt detached from the characters and ended the book feeling like I’d missed a few chapters somewhere.
It's a shame, as the premise is great, and the characters are intriguing. I would have liked to know more about Etherington and Peck. I think the lack of character dialogue also didn't help. Some of the passages are beautifully written, but I spent a lot of the book having to re-read sections to understand their meaning. This was partly due to lack of explanation as to what was happening, and partly due to the sentence structure, with sentences ending before I thought they should. It didn’t make for easy reading, and I don’t think I’ll be reading the next book.

Unfortunately I do not think this writing style is for me. I was captivated from the first chapter but found myself becoming confused more often than not and being left with more questions than answers. I DNF'd 60% in. Overall I think the book has a great premise and potential but the approach was hard for me to follow.

Thank you Samuel Griffin and Panthe Press for the ARC.

I have been reading historical fiction for more than forty years, primarily those set in Regency England. Never having read flintlock fantasy before, I was intrigued by the premise of Seeker, and eager to begin this story. Written in first person prose throughout with little dialogue in the beginning chapters, I can understand how this may make for a slow start to the book. However, I found this technique a valuable way for me to learn about Shay and see how her character, thoughts, intentions, and maturity change over time. I was able to clearly see in my mind’s eye the various environments, personalities, and interactions the author detailed. With descriptive language and a cast of supporting characters, some that it is unclear whether they are friend or foe, this story builds to its ultimate conflict. Setting the stage for the rest of the series, Seeker: The Sentinel Archives Book 1 lays the foundation for the books to come which I am eager to read.

This one sat weirdly for me. I enjoyed it, that much is sure. But I’m generally not a fan of the style of storytelling. I don’t like the almost-fourth-wall-breaking of lines like “I would later learn that…” and such like. There’s something about this style which is mesmerising to read but doesn’t sit well with me personally.

Beyond that - the characters were engaging and 3-dimensional. Wasn’t a massive fan of Shay, but there was something about her that was quite enjoyable to read. Would have liked to have seen more of Ridley. He was a good character that’s for sure.

The plot was interesting. Started off a little slowly but it picked up and was worth the payoff. There was plenty of world building needed anyway, I’d never experienced recency era fantasy before so I don’t begrudge a slower start. I think the beginning of the book - the first chapter - was on point. Really set the scene for Shay’s situation in life. A difficult thing to deal with and it was done well.

A big thank youbto Panthe Press & NetGalley for this fantastic book.

So excited to read this authors debute novel. I am a huge fan of magic, fantasy and historical fiction so this book was immediately a huge draw for me.

I loved the fantasy world created and the historical aspects were an added plus. The characters were very well developed. My favorite was Bamcroft. I really did not connect with Shay.

The book starts out slowly, but keep reading it picks up speed.

Looking forward to watching this author develop. A great start!

Recommend

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Samuel Griffin for providing me with a free review copy of this book. The following is my own opinion freely given.

Unfortunately, this was a no for me. The prose was so flowery that it made working through this a slog. The world building was so dense in some places and thin in others. The precursor to the magic system was so convoluted that I was confused and bored. I think this book could benefit from a Prologue providing some back story to the Sentinels as well as an edit to clean up the prose.

There is a lot of potential in this book, and there is good bones and the character development is good, but the ambitious way the author chose to try and evoke the time period in the writing was a step too far especially as the dialogue wasnt consistent to that period.

I would re-read this if the author made significant changes but not otherwise.

Thank you to Panthe Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of Seeker!

This is such a rich a luscious world that it’s impossible not to compare it to some of the greats. It’s a decadent fantasy with long luxurious prose that leaves me wanting more from Griffin! It’s expert craft level for a debut novel, intriguing in just the right ways.
I can see how this book isn’t for some people, if you don’t like tapestries of complex world building and characters and prefer a simplistic read, I would say that this story isn’t for you. Your loss.
It’s wonderful to read a fantasy book with elevation. Dedication to the good versus evil debate, and the mystery seeps through the words.
A fun but complex read, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next!

The author, Samuel Griffin, has had a ball and indulged himself to the full in writing this atmospheric and unusual novel and sharing his love of language. If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Wooed by the period style, enhanced with florid imageries, the story is a veritable whirligig as it pirouettes, reels, gyrates, spins and pivots through forbidden knowledge, loss, forthcoming disasters, betrayal, pending the reawakening of ancient leviathans, or possibly gods.
Beguiled as I was with the writing and the fantastical elements, I did wonder at times where it was all going, with diversions to the left, surprises to the right, key characters disappearing, with destiny (in this volume) detailed in the final few pages. But a great read overall.

3/3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Panthe Press for this ARC in exchanged for an honest review.

Really interesting concept for a regency era fantasy tale. I love the academic vibes to the story.

Very rich and atmospheric world building. The language used is gorgeous and helps place you in time the story is based.

Very excited to see where the series takes us as this was a really good first instalment.

I enjoyed watching our main character grow, build relationships and find her way through this new life she is in.

Would also like to appreciate the artwork sprinkled throughout for each chapter and at the beginning of the book.

This may book may not be for everyone but I definitely enjoyed my time in its world and would happily continue the story onwards.