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Spirit Binders #1
Racing the Dark
Racing the Dark is set in a land of volcanoes and earthquakes, plagues and typhoons, of island nations bound by fear of the spirits they imprisoned to control their volatile environment. Lana, a teenaged girl on a nameless backwater island, finds an ominous blood-red jewel that marks her as someone with power, setting in motion events that drive her away from her family and into an apprenticeship with a mysterious one-armed witch.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2007
14 people are currently reading
1193 people want to read
About the author
Alaya Dawn Johnson
95 books679 followersAlaya Johnson graduated from Columbia University in 2004 with a BA in East Asian Languages and Cultures. She lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 14, 2010
Over the past few years I have noticed that I pick up fantasy novels with more and more trepidation. For a genre in which an author can literally write whatever he or she can imagine, quite often the plot lines are formulaic and the characters one-dimensional. A number of books feature the powerful and quick-witted female or male lead, the quiet personality that slowly grows into the greatest source of magic ever seen, or the rag-tag band of individuals on a quest of some sort; and in most of these cases the scheme of the novel is on a charted course just a hop skip and jump away from the Lord of the Rings. In some cases, a well-written novel can make up for the formula (but not generally for one-dimensional characters, because how can you even argue for good writing in that case?), but still it presses on one after a while. Why pick up fantasy (or really any novel) if you already know how a book will end up? Luckily, I have had a good streak in the past year. There have only been a few novels that I finished and thought to myself, “Well, I could have done without that.” And luck struck again this time.
Johnson’s novel Racing the Dark sticks to no tried formula I am aware of. The closest thing I could liken this to is A Wizard of Earthsea by LeGuin, based on the geography and attention to describing varying social groups, but even that comparison is stretching quite far. In Racing the Dark we follow Lana, a girl attempting to deny her magical destiny and live the normal life of what is similar to a pearl diver. Her drive to keep her fate a secret leads her down an extremely twisty path that would be too involved to try and explain here. I can say that this book has strong, vivid description and characters that care deeply for one another; relationships of any kind are well-explored and outcomes of those relationships are not what you would expect. In short, despite the fantasy setting, the characters seem very real, and it was a simple thing to relate to most of them.
In fact am only giving this four, rather than five stars, due to two minor shortcomings:
1. The varying peoples in the world Johnson has created are very similar to those found on Earth. While reading I could say, “Ah, so this group of people are like the _____ during the ________ time period.” It made visualization very easy, but disrupted the flow a bit at times.
2. I am never a fan of a novel that ends in a cliffhanger. Yes, we are aware going into this that it is the first novel in a trilogy. There is no need to leave the reader hanging, unless of course, you do not anticipate they will pick up the next volume otherwise.
All in all, there is so very little to complain about here I feel silly doing so. This is a brilliant first novel. Usually one finds this type of cohesive writing with much more seasoned authors. I expect good things from Johnson in the future, and will make a point to revisit Lana again.
Johnson’s novel Racing the Dark sticks to no tried formula I am aware of. The closest thing I could liken this to is A Wizard of Earthsea by LeGuin, based on the geography and attention to describing varying social groups, but even that comparison is stretching quite far. In Racing the Dark we follow Lana, a girl attempting to deny her magical destiny and live the normal life of what is similar to a pearl diver. Her drive to keep her fate a secret leads her down an extremely twisty path that would be too involved to try and explain here. I can say that this book has strong, vivid description and characters that care deeply for one another; relationships of any kind are well-explored and outcomes of those relationships are not what you would expect. In short, despite the fantasy setting, the characters seem very real, and it was a simple thing to relate to most of them.
In fact am only giving this four, rather than five stars, due to two minor shortcomings:
1. The varying peoples in the world Johnson has created are very similar to those found on Earth. While reading I could say, “Ah, so this group of people are like the _____ during the ________ time period.” It made visualization very easy, but disrupted the flow a bit at times.
2. I am never a fan of a novel that ends in a cliffhanger. Yes, we are aware going into this that it is the first novel in a trilogy. There is no need to leave the reader hanging, unless of course, you do not anticipate they will pick up the next volume otherwise.
All in all, there is so very little to complain about here I feel silly doing so. This is a brilliant first novel. Usually one finds this type of cohesive writing with much more seasoned authors. I expect good things from Johnson in the future, and will make a point to revisit Lana again.
February 18, 2012
I hate epic fantasy. I hate the Chosen One trope, I hate the perspective switching that's now de rigeur. I have a strong aversion for coming-of-age plots, and love-practically-at-first-sight, and absolutely anything having to do with Fate. This book has all of those things. So why did I read it?
I love high fantasy. You must understand that I define epic fantasy as only those fantasies where the plot involves the saving of the world, while high fantasy is simply any fantasy taking place in a secondary world. Obviously, the two sub genres overlap quite a bit. So while I try to avoid it, I do sometimes end up reading an epic fantasy novel, if the secondary world seems interesting enough.
This one was.
So much high fantasy takes place in a generic medieval Europe, particularly France and the British Isles; a small but visible minority takes place in vaguely Arabian or Chinese settings. I don't think I have ever encountered another fantasy novel that draws on Hawaii for its backdrop, as this one does. It's set in Hawaii only as much as Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series is set in France or Robin McKinley's Beauty is set in England -- which is to say, Johnson took the names and some elements of the geography and not much more -- but just that much difference was enough to pique my interest and put this on Mt. TBR.
Unfortunately, there is a danger attendant upon breaking that sort of new ground. A fantasy novel set in generic medieval Europe can draw on a wealth of world-building tropes that an average fantasy reader will expect and accept with no further explanation; a fantasy novel set in an unfamiliar setting has to be built from scratch, and the average fantasy reader (at least if the average fantasy reader is at all like me) is likely to interrogate the world-building a bit more closely.
So, for example, I loved exploring the world of Johnson's outer islands -- that world made sense given my knowledge of Hawaii and other parts of Polynesia. But when the story moved to the inner islands, which are temperate rather than tropical, the world started to feel. . . confused. I believe Johnson was trying to evoke Japan, but little European influences seemed to sneak their way in -- a character playing a lute, another character using nightshade and bitterwort in a potion. Of course, this IS high fantasy, and the whole world is made up, so using European-derived items isn't inherently WRONG. . . but when the world feels so different, I found it distracting to see something suddenly the same.
Still, while I became less enamored with the world as the novel went on, I was pleased with the level of technical prowess Johnson showed in this, her debut novel. The pacing was a bit uneven, but I never found the somewhat convoluted plot hard to follow. And while I always felt distanced from the individual characters and their mental/emotional states, I was very much invested in the survival of the world as a whole, and the climax of the novel was therefore intense and effective. The cliffhanger ending (another reason I hate epic fantasy) worked, at least in that it made me want to run out and grab the next book immediately. The only thing that stopped me was the knowledge that this series is that most frustrating of types: doomed forever to be unfinished because it was dropped by the publisher.
I love high fantasy. You must understand that I define epic fantasy as only those fantasies where the plot involves the saving of the world, while high fantasy is simply any fantasy taking place in a secondary world. Obviously, the two sub genres overlap quite a bit. So while I try to avoid it, I do sometimes end up reading an epic fantasy novel, if the secondary world seems interesting enough.
This one was.
So much high fantasy takes place in a generic medieval Europe, particularly France and the British Isles; a small but visible minority takes place in vaguely Arabian or Chinese settings. I don't think I have ever encountered another fantasy novel that draws on Hawaii for its backdrop, as this one does. It's set in Hawaii only as much as Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series is set in France or Robin McKinley's Beauty is set in England -- which is to say, Johnson took the names and some elements of the geography and not much more -- but just that much difference was enough to pique my interest and put this on Mt. TBR.
Unfortunately, there is a danger attendant upon breaking that sort of new ground. A fantasy novel set in generic medieval Europe can draw on a wealth of world-building tropes that an average fantasy reader will expect and accept with no further explanation; a fantasy novel set in an unfamiliar setting has to be built from scratch, and the average fantasy reader (at least if the average fantasy reader is at all like me) is likely to interrogate the world-building a bit more closely.
So, for example, I loved exploring the world of Johnson's outer islands -- that world made sense given my knowledge of Hawaii and other parts of Polynesia. But when the story moved to the inner islands, which are temperate rather than tropical, the world started to feel. . . confused. I believe Johnson was trying to evoke Japan, but little European influences seemed to sneak their way in -- a character playing a lute, another character using nightshade and bitterwort in a potion. Of course, this IS high fantasy, and the whole world is made up, so using European-derived items isn't inherently WRONG. . . but when the world feels so different, I found it distracting to see something suddenly the same.
Still, while I became less enamored with the world as the novel went on, I was pleased with the level of technical prowess Johnson showed in this, her debut novel. The pacing was a bit uneven, but I never found the somewhat convoluted plot hard to follow. And while I always felt distanced from the individual characters and their mental/emotional states, I was very much invested in the survival of the world as a whole, and the climax of the novel was therefore intense and effective. The cliffhanger ending (another reason I hate epic fantasy) worked, at least in that it made me want to run out and grab the next book immediately. The only thing that stopped me was the knowledge that this series is that most frustrating of types: doomed forever to be unfinished because it was dropped by the publisher.
January 15, 2011
I picked up this book after really enjoying another book by the same author, called Moonshine. When I first picked up Racing the Dark, I was immediately surprised by the author's somewhat clumsy writing style. I mean, the storyline was engrossing, but I almost put the book down unfinished after the first couple chapters. If I tried to write a fantasy novel, it would be almost exactly like this one. I have some good ideas, sure. But unfortunately not a talent for writing. This book read like something a not particularly talented student might write for a creative writing class. I really almost gave up on the novel.
But I'm glad that I stuck with it. By the middle of the book I was firmly hooked. Despite somewhat clumsy word choice, the author managed to weave together various plot twists, multiple story lines, and well developed characters. The magic system used in this book was quite original (and that's quite unusual in the fantasy genre) and the plot unpredictable. This was the author's first novel, and I guess her inexperience showed. But once you get past that, the book will suck you in and you'll hunger for more. I will definately pick up the sequel and look forward to reading more from this author.
But I'm glad that I stuck with it. By the middle of the book I was firmly hooked. Despite somewhat clumsy word choice, the author managed to weave together various plot twists, multiple story lines, and well developed characters. The magic system used in this book was quite original (and that's quite unusual in the fantasy genre) and the plot unpredictable. This was the author's first novel, and I guess her inexperience showed. But once you get past that, the book will suck you in and you'll hunger for more. I will definately pick up the sequel and look forward to reading more from this author.
Read
May 28, 2014This is a unique book. The worldbuilding is amazing, though some of it is familiar, such as the idea of the elements, including death. Multiple situations had me bawling my eyes out, and when real life had me down, I realized I didn't have the fortitude to continue reading. I had to wait for better times before I could pick it back up.
Unfortunately, it didn't really have an ending, since it's the first book in a series. I will say the plot seemed meandering at some points, as though it needed a little tightening from the editor.
Overall though, I liked the gray (not black and white) characters and plot. And the world was very interesting. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to start a series in a unique secondary world with magic.
Unfortunately, it didn't really have an ending, since it's the first book in a series. I will say the plot seemed meandering at some points, as though it needed a little tightening from the editor.
Overall though, I liked the gray (not black and white) characters and plot. And the world was very interesting. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to start a series in a unique secondary world with magic.
December 1, 2010
Read this 'cause N.K. Jemisin's review told me to... and I'm not sorry at all! Enjoyable fantasy with convincing cultures and good characterization. I'll be on the lookout for the sequel(s)...
June 4, 2017
Starts off a bit rough with a little TMI, but all within context of the world building. Follows a couple of main characters, primarily the girl who has been sold to a witch as an apprentice and her ex-teacher who ends up taking on the responsibility of guarding the prison of a dangerous spirit.
I most enjoyed the world building. The islands, the cultures, the magic and spirits all blend together into a fantastically unique and interconnected tapestry. The death (a character) was super interesting.
Overall, this is a very good story. I would recommend it to folks who like fantasy with more of an epic feel.
I picked this up at some point while it was on a free promo.
I most enjoyed the world building. The islands, the cultures, the magic and spirits all blend together into a fantastically unique and interconnected tapestry. The death (a character) was super interesting.
Overall, this is a very good story. I would recommend it to folks who like fantasy with more of an epic feel.
I picked this up at some point while it was on a free promo.
August 14, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. The world building here was excellent, and the author does a good job of creating the characters, the various locations and the elements that include the spirits. I found this to be an engaging read.
July 11, 2017
i dont write reviews often but when i do, its for extraordinary books. alaya dawn johnson painted a beautiful world that i hold dear to my heart. i love this book.
November 19, 2021
This book is a YA book but it's not for the faint of heart. Very well done.
August 6, 2016
The notable aspect of Racing the Dark is it's setting, at least for the first few chapters. Lana, a thirteen year old girl, begins the story on a tropical island -- think Hawaii, right down to the language and some of the customs. She's about to undergo an initiation into adulthood, which, since she is a diver, requires a solo dive to find a mandagah fish and extract a jewel from its mouth. Mandagah fish and their jewels are like oysters and pearls to Lana's island, a source of income and also a connection to spiritual practices.
Lana, who has never been a strong diver, not only stays underwater for an astonishingly long time, but also happens upon a rare dying mandagah who literally offers her two rare jewels. Technically, this means that Lana is marked (because this is fantasy and there has to be a Chosen One) for greatness. Lana, however, just wants to be normal, and she hides one of the jewels, the red one that marks her.
Soon after, things start to go bad on the island. The mandagah fish, who were already in decline, move into the endangered zone. Then there are torrential rains that cause the death of Lana's best friend.
Facing a bleak future on the island, their main source of income, the mandagah fish and jewels, gone, Lana and her parents leave their formerly idyllic isle for a much larger, urban island. (Essentially the "mainland" but still an island.) And there, things get progressively worse, until, in a moment of desperation, Lana's mother arranges an apprenticeship for Lana with a mysterious witch woman.
This witch woman, however, may be the agent of a much darker force, maybe even the power that is wrecking havoc on the climate of the entire region. Lana eventually "escapes" the witch's influence, only to find herself bound to a death itself and destined to become a harbinger of chaos.
The novel's initial setting, a South Pacific-style island, is a refreshing change from the usual Euro-clone medieval milieu that infects fantasy. As is the fact that Lana, with the corresponding native heritage, isn't the typical lily-white heroine. Unfortunately, once Lana leaves her island, the freshness of the novel's locale fades, as the most of the events take place in rather generic settings -- a big city, a small village, the stronghold of an elemental lord.
On the other hand, Lana is a compelling protagonist for most of the story, and her eventual transformation is pretty cool. I mean, wings? Neato!
The plot takes a turn for the worse, however, when Lana meets her true wuv, and he spirits her away to his stronghold, where they continue to be more and more in love. And thus, a formerly strong female character turns into just another hormone-sodden teenager.
The story's ending is a rather cliffy, and I'm torn. I want to find out what happens next, but...I really can do without the insipid love story. Hmmmm....
Lana, who has never been a strong diver, not only stays underwater for an astonishingly long time, but also happens upon a rare dying mandagah who literally offers her two rare jewels. Technically, this means that Lana is marked (because this is fantasy and there has to be a Chosen One) for greatness. Lana, however, just wants to be normal, and she hides one of the jewels, the red one that marks her.
Soon after, things start to go bad on the island. The mandagah fish, who were already in decline, move into the endangered zone. Then there are torrential rains that cause the death of Lana's best friend.
Facing a bleak future on the island, their main source of income, the mandagah fish and jewels, gone, Lana and her parents leave their formerly idyllic isle for a much larger, urban island. (Essentially the "mainland" but still an island.) And there, things get progressively worse, until, in a moment of desperation, Lana's mother arranges an apprenticeship for Lana with a mysterious witch woman.
This witch woman, however, may be the agent of a much darker force, maybe even the power that is wrecking havoc on the climate of the entire region. Lana eventually "escapes" the witch's influence, only to find herself bound to a death itself and destined to become a harbinger of chaos.
The novel's initial setting, a South Pacific-style island, is a refreshing change from the usual Euro-clone medieval milieu that infects fantasy. As is the fact that Lana, with the corresponding native heritage, isn't the typical lily-white heroine. Unfortunately, once Lana leaves her island, the freshness of the novel's locale fades, as the most of the events take place in rather generic settings -- a big city, a small village, the stronghold of an elemental lord.
On the other hand, Lana is a compelling protagonist for most of the story, and her eventual transformation is pretty cool. I mean, wings? Neato!
The plot takes a turn for the worse, however, when Lana meets her true wuv, and he spirits her away to his stronghold, where they continue to be more and more in love. And thus, a formerly strong female character turns into just another hormone-sodden teenager.
The story's ending is a rather cliffy, and I'm torn. I want to find out what happens next, but...I really can do without the insipid love story. Hmmmm....
January 9, 2012
I have a hard time with fiction. Sometimes I wonder why I'm so damn picky, hesitant to try out a new book, and generally spend most of my time rereading things I already know are good. And then I remember. It's because there's so much disappointing, bad, or straight up offensive stuff out there. Now wait, this book wasn't offensive, nor perhaps bad per se, but it sure was disappointing. It had so much awesome potential! 1. Fantasy! 2. Society where women are revered! 3. Mostly characters of color! 4. Environmental fantasy about balance, not about conquering! 5. Apparently there are themes about power, the cost of power and sacrifice.
But the writing! The writing! I guess it could have been a lot worse. But there is so. much. telling. And about unimportant details. I didn't get a sense of immediacy or urgency from the book at all. And the characterization is very poor. Nearly every sentence tells us something about what the main character did, thought, felt, or saw, but I still know nothing about who she is and why I should care about her. And those awesome sounding themes of power, sacrifice, balance, the environment etc? Had still not shown up a third of the way through the book when I decided I was too bored to continue. Which is too bad, because I get the feeling that Alaya Dawn Johnson has a pretty cool plot/mythology that she wants to tell us about somewhere behind all the talking about what Lana is doing and how hard her life is. And I want to hear that story. Just maybe in a more gripping way. Sadness.
But the writing! The writing! I guess it could have been a lot worse. But there is so. much. telling. And about unimportant details. I didn't get a sense of immediacy or urgency from the book at all. And the characterization is very poor. Nearly every sentence tells us something about what the main character did, thought, felt, or saw, but I still know nothing about who she is and why I should care about her. And those awesome sounding themes of power, sacrifice, balance, the environment etc? Had still not shown up a third of the way through the book when I decided I was too bored to continue. Which is too bad, because I get the feeling that Alaya Dawn Johnson has a pretty cool plot/mythology that she wants to tell us about somewhere behind all the talking about what Lana is doing and how hard her life is. And I want to hear that story. Just maybe in a more gripping way. Sadness.
March 4, 2016
Compelling narrative, interesting female lead, unique mythos and surprisingly nuanced exploration of morality.
I was all set to give this novel four stars--right up until the last fifty pages where the love interest is introduced for the first time. I think the one thing that bugs me about Alaya Dawn Johnson's portrayal of romance in her novels (I've only read two, but there seems to be a pattern) is that they're really reliant on, like, animal magnetism? It's like, as soon as the main character meets her soon-to-be-boyfriend it's like the two of them instantly know they're destined to be together forever and then they just go for it?
I mean, I don't mean to be especially harsh on Ms. Johnson but this, like, gazing intensely into each others' eyes and thinking about how much you "want" another person is, like, a trope that I'd wish popular fiction would overcome. I'm certain that it may reflect SOME people's experiences--I'm sure that there may be couples that were instantly attracted to each other and like were totally absorbed with beholding the other person, but it doesn't resonate well with me?
The hyper-dramatic everything about the romance in this book left me with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. Lana, the main character, decides to live with her love interest after spending seven days with him? Maybe I'm a cynic but the whole "getting swept of your feet" kind of makes me want to gag.
Other than that, though, I found the book to be entertaining and intriguing--definitely different from anything I've read before!
I was all set to give this novel four stars--right up until the last fifty pages where the love interest is introduced for the first time. I think the one thing that bugs me about Alaya Dawn Johnson's portrayal of romance in her novels (I've only read two, but there seems to be a pattern) is that they're really reliant on, like, animal magnetism? It's like, as soon as the main character meets her soon-to-be-boyfriend it's like the two of them instantly know they're destined to be together forever and then they just go for it?
I mean, I don't mean to be especially harsh on Ms. Johnson but this, like, gazing intensely into each others' eyes and thinking about how much you "want" another person is, like, a trope that I'd wish popular fiction would overcome. I'm certain that it may reflect SOME people's experiences--I'm sure that there may be couples that were instantly attracted to each other and like were totally absorbed with beholding the other person, but it doesn't resonate well with me?
The hyper-dramatic everything about the romance in this book left me with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. Lana, the main character, decides to live with her love interest after spending seven days with him? Maybe I'm a cynic but the whole "getting swept of your feet" kind of makes me want to gag.
Other than that, though, I found the book to be entertaining and intriguing--definitely different from anything I've read before!
August 3, 2013
It's been a while since I read Racing the Dark but I can remember how much I loved this series. Alaya Dawn Johnson is a masterful storyteller and you would never guess that this is her debut novel. She writes like an old pro. There are just so many reasons why I would reccommend this book to anyone. She has a vivid imagination and I can honestly say there has never been anything quite like this story before. Her education in Foreign cultures really shines in this series. I'm not going to really go into plot, you can read the description for the book but I will say her characters are very three dimensional. It's not your average cliche coming of age tale. Lana's is both strong and tragic, she does good things and makes her fair share of mistakes. I've read the sequel and her writing just gets stronger and stronger as she goes. Nothing ever feels forced or fake in her stories. Do yourself a favor and read this tragic tale. I promise you've never read anything quite like this before.
----NOTE----
Due to money issues the publisher doesn't want to publish anymore of these books (guess they didn't make enough money) so this and the second book are all we get. Still a great read but it's a shame because it's so good and original. I'd really love for her to be able to finish the series. I'm hoping one day she can self publish the ending
----NOTE----
Due to money issues the publisher doesn't want to publish anymore of these books (guess they didn't make enough money) so this and the second book are all we get. Still a great read but it's a shame because it's so good and original. I'd really love for her to be able to finish the series. I'm hoping one day she can self publish the ending
Read
June 19, 2017I read this for feminist sci-fi bookclub (though GR informs me it had been on my to-read list since 2009), and it didn't strike me as especially "feminist" per se, but I did really appreciate that
July 26, 2010
I really expected to love this based on how much I liked Johnson's most recent release, Moonlight. But I had a really hard time with this one.
It started out well enough--sort of a Polynesia-esque setting, a coming-of-age ceremony, and a girl who hides the fact that she's been marked as something more than a diver by a dying mandagah fish. The descriptions were a little clunky, but I was enjoying seeing where the story would go from here.
But then...it scattered. And it ended up feeling like we were following too many people in too many different directions and I couldn't really get attached to any of them. The pacing felt extremely choppy as well, so that I was fairly interested in some parts and not at ALL interested in others. I found myself skimming for most of the second half of the book.
I guess I liked the idea of the story, but I just didn't feel like it hung together well at all. I doubt I'll read the rest of this trilogy.
It started out well enough--sort of a Polynesia-esque setting, a coming-of-age ceremony, and a girl who hides the fact that she's been marked as something more than a diver by a dying mandagah fish. The descriptions were a little clunky, but I was enjoying seeing where the story would go from here.
But then...it scattered. And it ended up feeling like we were following too many people in too many different directions and I couldn't really get attached to any of them. The pacing felt extremely choppy as well, so that I was fairly interested in some parts and not at ALL interested in others. I found myself skimming for most of the second half of the book.
I guess I liked the idea of the story, but I just didn't feel like it hung together well at all. I doubt I'll read the rest of this trilogy.
January 28, 2012
This YA novel has a Third-World-like setting in which poverty and disease rife and people must make painful choices to survive.
The worldbuilding is well done (although it could have used a little more explaining), and novel is full of suspense as the heroine, Lailana, must make difficult choice after difficult choice and is often being pursued by something awful.
Two things disappointed me. First, the cover image and back cover copy led me to believe the novel would take place in a place like Hawaii, so it was a shock when in chapter 3 I realized the book was going to be an urban fantasy. Second, there is no ending; it continues straight into the next book in the series. I did buy the next book, after some hesitation, so I could find out how things resolve, although I’m worried it will end with no ending too.
With so much YA fantasy being on the simplistic side, this is a good book for a teen or adult who wants a story with more meat.
The worldbuilding is well done (although it could have used a little more explaining), and novel is full of suspense as the heroine, Lailana, must make difficult choice after difficult choice and is often being pursued by something awful.
Two things disappointed me. First, the cover image and back cover copy led me to believe the novel would take place in a place like Hawaii, so it was a shock when in chapter 3 I realized the book was going to be an urban fantasy. Second, there is no ending; it continues straight into the next book in the series. I did buy the next book, after some hesitation, so I could find out how things resolve, although I’m worried it will end with no ending too.
With so much YA fantasy being on the simplistic side, this is a good book for a teen or adult who wants a story with more meat.
July 20, 2014
An interesting story premise set in an archipelago of island nations, calmed by the centuries-long binding of the elemental spirits. It's a coming of age story. And this book is the first in a trilogy. One assumes that the spirits of wind, fire and water put up a good fight to remain free, and the captors had to be powerful and effective. Johnson affords some people an inordinate amount of superior strength in working with spirits, and then sets a young, inexperienced girl up against these. Okay so far, but, Iolana, our girl hero, starts right out in violating the tenets that allow her world to exist at all, in her first act of pending adulthood. Pretty weighty as the Inciting Incident in the world of story arc. I've read book 2 and still don't know what that peek at a major mistake has to do with anything. The women are powerful, but in a weak yang way: power can be used for evil, and then by golly, it is used for evil.
October 9, 2014
What a unique world this author has created.. but there are massive holes in it as well.
I thought the idea of taking a promising apprentice by a questionable 'master' was a well worn one but the execution of this relationship has been thoughtfully done.
There is only hints of malice and evil about Akua and her actions always seem to lead on to a greater plan.
Lana is a diver who scores an incredible gift from the sea but chooses to hide it... Lana as an apprentice sees only the good deeds done by Akua until she finds out about the sacrifice that Akua demanded from Saulo..
Lana does not seem mature even after fleeing the death spirit or becoming a dark angel, or seeking comfort with the water guardian... she does not seek her own answers .. she still expects Akua to tell her the truth even though she knows that Akua has mislead her in the past.
There are questions posed in this book that will have me looking eagerly for the next installment.
I thought the idea of taking a promising apprentice by a questionable 'master' was a well worn one but the execution of this relationship has been thoughtfully done.
There is only hints of malice and evil about Akua and her actions always seem to lead on to a greater plan.
Lana is a diver who scores an incredible gift from the sea but chooses to hide it... Lana as an apprentice sees only the good deeds done by Akua until she finds out about the sacrifice that Akua demanded from Saulo..
Lana does not seem mature even after fleeing the death spirit or becoming a dark angel, or seeking comfort with the water guardian... she does not seek her own answers .. she still expects Akua to tell her the truth even though she knows that Akua has mislead her in the past.
There are questions posed in this book that will have me looking eagerly for the next installment.
July 22, 2010
I think this one is a 3.5; I'm interested in the main character and plan on reading the next one. This one did cause me to go on an internal monologue about the difference between a 3, 3.5 and 4-star book. Really, a 3 means i am relatively ambivalent but leaning in a positive direction, 3.5 means that there were aspects such as characters, setting or story that I liked but something just slightly lacking that would put it over to a four star which means i really, really liked it. The hallowed five star is reserved for my best, most impactful favorites.
Now that I've worked that out--some of the writing was good, but there were awkward bits as well, and at least one pivotal character that needed to be fleshed out more. Some parts moved slowly. But it is an intriguing world and an original concept and the main character is interesting.
Now that I've worked that out--some of the writing was good, but there were awkward bits as well, and at least one pivotal character that needed to be fleshed out more. Some parts moved slowly. But it is an intriguing world and an original concept and the main character is interesting.
December 10, 2009
I read this as part of Calico Recation's monthly book club. This was the November selection.
It's actually more of a 4.5 read.
I thoroughly enjoyed the world building and the island culture of the book. I also appreciated that Johnson created a magic system that requires something from it's wielders. The characters are believable and real--they have faults and they often don't listen to their inner voices when they tell them not to do something. Not a single character is flat. Those that do evil can also be compassionate, and vice versa.
My biggest complaint is a minor one. I was thrown off-guard to be introduced to new POV characters late in the book. It worked, but my initial reaction was "huh"?
But all in all, a wonderful read. Highly recommended if you want to read a fantasy that is truly *different*.
It's actually more of a 4.5 read.
I thoroughly enjoyed the world building and the island culture of the book. I also appreciated that Johnson created a magic system that requires something from it's wielders. The characters are believable and real--they have faults and they often don't listen to their inner voices when they tell them not to do something. Not a single character is flat. Those that do evil can also be compassionate, and vice versa.
My biggest complaint is a minor one. I was thrown off-guard to be introduced to new POV characters late in the book. It worked, but my initial reaction was "huh"?
But all in all, a wonderful read. Highly recommended if you want to read a fantasy that is truly *different*.
January 30, 2014
I like to consider myself a pretty avid reader and I feel like I've read quite a bit of books... With that being said this book was, for me, one of a kind. It seems like so many books have so many similarities to others that if you want a new story you need to expand your genres. This was like no other book I've ever read, the author impressed me with their originality. I usually try to keep my reviews short and to the point but for this I don't know how I can do that with. I could not put this book down, I fell in love with the characters, felt like I actually knew them. I was so enthralled with this read that at a few points I literally felt the emotions the author portrayed the characters to be feeling. I look forward to reading more from this author! Give this book a chance and I feel sure you'll at the very least get a very original, unique story to delve into.
May 19, 2011
At first I was really interested by this: an Asian / Pacific Islander sort of world, detailed descriptions, everything. But there are pacing issues and a few things that just seemed like Johnson was checking off lists in what was necessary for a bestselling teen fiction novel: first menstruation, unabashed and uncontrollable love at first sight, etc. Still, it's her first published novel, and I think I might check out the second in the series soon, and her other stuff, which has apparently been better received.
I was just a little disappointed because I thought her short story in Zombies v. Unicorns was phenomenal. Perhaps the series will improve!
I was just a little disappointed because I thought her short story in Zombies v. Unicorns was phenomenal. Perhaps the series will improve!
June 4, 2012
A book desperately in need of an editor. Usually when I say that I mean a copyeditor, but the text was pretty clean on a mechanical level. It's the pacing and plotting that needed work. There's cool worldbuilding, believable characters, and the hint of an interesting storyline here, but it's all buried under a mountain of clumsy exposition, motivations from the school of the-plot-needs-us-to-do-this-so-we-will, and extraneous details. Meanwhile, some essential plot moments are brushed over with barely a sentence or two.
I would be willing to give the author another shot, but I'd want a personal recommendation from someone I trusted, first.
I would be willing to give the author another shot, but I'd want a personal recommendation from someone I trusted, first.
February 9, 2015
I liked very much that the characters of this fantasy novel set on Southeast Asian Island –like islands describe themselves as people of color. I like that they have unfamiliar to me religious and magic systems. The main character Lana is a magic gem diver, until her island experiences ecological collapse. She goes to live on another island, until a witch takes her for an apprentice— and to use her gifts.
I didn’t ultimately connect with this novel, though I did finish reading it. Bought 12/30/14 at Flights of Fantasy $14.99. Autographed, this is my first Alaya Dawn Johnson novel.
I didn’t ultimately connect with this novel, though I did finish reading it. Bought 12/30/14 at Flights of Fantasy $14.99. Autographed, this is my first Alaya Dawn Johnson novel.
July 26, 2008
"Book one of the Spirit Binders"
Lana comes of age and joins the other women divers on a remote island. But ecological change is coming on a massive scale as those who were bound thousands of years ago are becoming unbound. After the sweet waters begin to turn salty and the special fish die, Lana and her family journey to the center of their world to face big cities, unkind and kind people and Lana is apprenticed to a witch with one arm who is not what she seems.
I wait with baited breath for the next one.
Lana comes of age and joins the other women divers on a remote island. But ecological change is coming on a massive scale as those who were bound thousands of years ago are becoming unbound. After the sweet waters begin to turn salty and the special fish die, Lana and her family journey to the center of their world to face big cities, unkind and kind people and Lana is apprenticed to a witch with one arm who is not what she seems.
I wait with baited breath for the next one.
July 14, 2010
Johnson's world is fascinating, and draws on very different influences than I'm accustomed to in fantasy. The way magic works is very disturbing, in a good way. The pacing seemed a little rushed, particularly toward the end of the book. I got the feeling that the characters were all taking their places for the next book. The characterization is quite deep, but the main character (Lana) really avoids making any moral decisions for herself. In future books I'd like to see her take a stand on something. A lot of the book happens from her perspective, but she seems a little underdeveloped.
abandoned
October 30, 2011What I read of this was actually really good, but the tone is just so bleak I find myself dreading going back to it... I mean, I've read things with darker subject matter and enjoyed them, but rather than the actual events it's the tone I'm really sensitive to. I have a really hard time dealing with that kind of thing. And you know, so many books, so little time, why force myself to keep reading if I'm not really enjoying it?
From the half I read of it though, I do highly recommend it, if you're not a delicate flower like me.
From the half I read of it though, I do highly recommend it, if you're not a delicate flower like me.
June 21, 2015
I really like that this is a fantasy story taking place in a Hawaii-inspired world; heroines of color, yay! and the first part, when Lana is still on her home island, is great. the book starts of really strong. unfortunately, after they leave, it all goes downhill. there are too many different story threads with entirely different people happening at the same time, and things like the magical happenings are barely explained. I did a lot of skimming toward the end of the book. disappointing. I'll probably give the next book a shot though, it seems like the action may pick up.
December 30, 2021
Just the fantasy novel I needed... It has flaws in the way that any great first novel usually does and it was so comforting to read, despite the level of apocalypse seeming to be coming in the story... I love the flawed protagonist, her imperfections, her strength she can't bear to admit, her love for her friend, family, diving... So much of love and darkness and difficult, impossible decisions. So much mythology, with echoes of Hawaii and Japan and Indigenous folks and so much freshness. Just the book I needed when I read -- I felt like a kid again.
December 20, 2008
I loved this book. So yes it dragged just a tad in the beginning. But it quickly picked up and I can't wait to get my hands on the next in the trilogy. How does one describe this bok without giving it away. I don't know, but to say it reminds me of life and the option of being chased by your demons, finding courage to face them, finding exhileration in curiousity, and realizing how interconnected all of those bind you to all those before and after you.
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