The Book-ish Variety: Stormdancer: The Lotus War (Book 1) by Jay Kristoff

UK edition

US edition

In this fantasy world Stormdancers are warriors of old who according to legend rode into battle on thunder-tigers, or griffons. But those days are gone and thunder-tigers are now thought to be a myth. However that is until a shogun sends his chief hunter Masaru out on a mission to catch one. For Masaru this represents a change from his normal life of drinking and smoking as he drowns away the bad memories - he would be out hunting but the animals are pretty much gone because of the way the country is run on the blood lotus plant, a plant that pollutes the land but is useful to the shogun for the steampunk machinery in the book, and the stormtrooper like guildsmen it runs, as well as providing the weed that the populace smoke.

So Masaru goes on the mission with his 16-year-old daughter Yukiko, and others, in a sky-ship and they capture one, but because it is a thunder-tiger they had to go into a storm to get it and the storm sets fire to their hydrogen-filled ship. Yukiko though stays with the thunder-tiger and releases him from his cage, as well as befriending him as they spend time together on land as he is grounded thanks to the cuts to his wings that were inflicted in capturing him. She does this through her power that allows her to get into the mind of animals, a power that would lead to her death if the guild knew.

Together they get to learn the real story of their country and the real tale of their leader. They then set about trying to assassinate him.

So that is the plot. There is also a love-interest between lead-character Yukiko and one of the shogun's guards, but that wasn't all too convincing to be honest. Yukiko had moments thinking about the green-eyed guard who she only glanced at one-time near the beginning of the book, and based on this one glance it seems a bit of an unlikely happening. Obviously they meet later. Also unconvincing was the fear that Yukiko felt when caught by a renegade group of anti-shogun countrymen she meets in the wilds of the mountainous north when they do nothing really to make her fear them.

And one other gripe I had with the book was that the map at the beginning of capital city Kigen had a hexagonal building for the chapterhouse when throughout the text it was always referred to as having 5-sides.

Also the book does take a few pages to get into. Not only is the book set in a fantasy world you need to learn, it is also a Japanese style world. There is a glossary at the end of the book which can help with this, which I only found out at the end, and the world is worth getting into because the story is good.

The book is designed well with the maps at the beginning, the clan logos that are atop the chapters, the way the text indicates the thunder-tiger talking to the girl and so on. The story is a well-written story and has been set up for future adventures to occur in this world, although this book is perfectly good as a stand-alone with a satisfying ending.

I may well check out future novels in the series.