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The Seer
The Arunkel Empire has stood a thousand years, forged by wealth and conquest, but now rebellion is stirring on the borders and treachery brews in the palace halls. Elsewhere, in a remote mountain village, a young mother sells the prophesies of her sister, Amarta, in order to keep them and her infant child from starving. It's a dangerous game when such revelations draw suspicion and mistrust as often as they earn coin.
Yet Amarta's visions are true. And often not at all what the seeker wishes to hear.
Now in a tapestry of loyalty, intrigue, magic, and gold, Amarta has become the key to a ruler's ambitions. But is she nothing beyond a tool? As Amarta comes into her own as a seer, she realizes she must do more than predict the future. She must create it.
Yet Amarta's visions are true. And often not at all what the seeker wishes to hear.
Now in a tapestry of loyalty, intrigue, magic, and gold, Amarta has become the key to a ruler's ambitions. But is she nothing beyond a tool? As Amarta comes into her own as a seer, she realizes she must do more than predict the future. She must create it.
656 pages, Paperback
First published February 16, 2016
8 people are currently reading
381 people want to read
About the author
Sonia Orin Lyris
52 books25 followersSonia Lyris's stories have appeared in various publications, including Asimov's SF magazine and Wizards of the Coast anthologies. She is the author of THE SEER, an epic fantasy from Baen Books, and co-creator of the related gambling and divination game, Rochi, from King of the Castle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 31, 2016
I enjoyed this rather long novel. It might have been better had it been a tad shorter, but still, quite a good read.
May 6, 2016
This review originally appeared on my blog, Leeanna.me.
==
THE SEER is a complete, well developed, dark, realistic, and intriguing fantasy. While I would like another book (I’m greedy!), it was refreshing to get such a story in one volume, rather than having to wait and wait for sequels.
Amarta’s visions provide just enough coin to keep herself, her older sister, and her sister’s son alive. When Innel wakes her in the middle of a night to see his future, Amarta gets an inkling of what she’s capable of, for she helps Innel kill his brother. Innel eventually marries the heir to the realm and becomes one of the most powerful men in Arunkel, all because of Amarta’s vision. And then Amarta’s visions keep her and her family alive, when Innel sends men to hunt her down.
Because of the summary, I expected THE SEER to be all about Amarta, but a big portion of the book focuses on Innel. Once I got into his sections, I didn’t mind that at all, because I really enjoyed the world the author created. Innel is a survivor of the Cohort, where noble children are whittled down to a few survivors, one of whom will marry the king’s daughter. Words, actions, and even appearances matter in Arunkel, and I enjoyed seeing Innel navigate the tricky nobles and the power-hungry king while also keeping his new wife happy. I often complain about the lack of worldbuilding in fantasy novels, but THE SEER had plenty to keep me happy. Yay!
Amarta’s visions were quite interesting. She could use them to save her life, but often only in the moment, as the future is ever changing. When she used her visions for another, I thought the author did a good job of showing how confusing it would be to sort out the tangles and intricacies of an entire kingdom. It reminded me of “if a butterfly flaps its wings…” Her visions, and the way people listened (or didn’t) made me think.
I also want to give a shout out to the author’s version of mages. They were spookily cool. I liked the hints we got of Marisel’s training, as well as seeing her try to do her little bit to help humanity when other mages would only work for the wealthy.
I do feel that the book was a tad long. I could have done with less of Amarta running away from Innel’s hunter. But that was because I wanted to see more of the Amarta we get at the end of THE SEER, which is why I said I’d like another book in this world. The one chapter from Cern’s perspective also made me want to see more from her. For all of the buildup, I feel like the ending came too quickly. But the ending satisfied me, which is another thing I don’t usually say.
Overall, I really enjoyed THE SEER. I finished the book a few days ago, but I’ve found myself thinking about Amarta and Innel and Arunkel, which is rare for me, since I read so many books. THE SEER immersed me in its world and characters and story, and this is a book I’ll enjoy rereading in the future.
==
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews:
==
THE SEER is a complete, well developed, dark, realistic, and intriguing fantasy. While I would like another book (I’m greedy!), it was refreshing to get such a story in one volume, rather than having to wait and wait for sequels.
Amarta’s visions provide just enough coin to keep herself, her older sister, and her sister’s son alive. When Innel wakes her in the middle of a night to see his future, Amarta gets an inkling of what she’s capable of, for she helps Innel kill his brother. Innel eventually marries the heir to the realm and becomes one of the most powerful men in Arunkel, all because of Amarta’s vision. And then Amarta’s visions keep her and her family alive, when Innel sends men to hunt her down.
Because of the summary, I expected THE SEER to be all about Amarta, but a big portion of the book focuses on Innel. Once I got into his sections, I didn’t mind that at all, because I really enjoyed the world the author created. Innel is a survivor of the Cohort, where noble children are whittled down to a few survivors, one of whom will marry the king’s daughter. Words, actions, and even appearances matter in Arunkel, and I enjoyed seeing Innel navigate the tricky nobles and the power-hungry king while also keeping his new wife happy. I often complain about the lack of worldbuilding in fantasy novels, but THE SEER had plenty to keep me happy. Yay!
Amarta’s visions were quite interesting. She could use them to save her life, but often only in the moment, as the future is ever changing. When she used her visions for another, I thought the author did a good job of showing how confusing it would be to sort out the tangles and intricacies of an entire kingdom. It reminded me of “if a butterfly flaps its wings…” Her visions, and the way people listened (or didn’t) made me think.
I also want to give a shout out to the author’s version of mages. They were spookily cool. I liked the hints we got of Marisel’s training, as well as seeing her try to do her little bit to help humanity when other mages would only work for the wealthy.
I do feel that the book was a tad long. I could have done with less of Amarta running away from Innel’s hunter. But that was because I wanted to see more of the Amarta we get at the end of THE SEER, which is why I said I’d like another book in this world. The one chapter from Cern’s perspective also made me want to see more from her. For all of the buildup, I feel like the ending came too quickly. But the ending satisfied me, which is another thing I don’t usually say.
Overall, I really enjoyed THE SEER. I finished the book a few days ago, but I’ve found myself thinking about Amarta and Innel and Arunkel, which is rare for me, since I read so many books. THE SEER immersed me in its world and characters and story, and this is a book I’ll enjoy rereading in the future.
==
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews:
March 5, 2017
The Seer is a masterpiece of Epic Fantasy in the vein of The Game of Thrones.
Amarta can see the future, but nothing is certain, everything changes, and a man made powerful by her own talent will stop at nothing to have her power for his own—or for none at all.
Innel is a man raised in the King’s Cohort, raised to fight, raised to command; raised for one to become the Royal Consort to the princess. With nothing to lose, everything to gain, he juggles plots and pulls strings to achieve what no one else could… But he has a secret, one that can not be known.
In the empire of Arunkel, held together by an iron fist—an iron fist made up of many fingers, each with their own goals—Innel must step wary, lest all that he has fought for comes to naught; and in the midst be crushed by it all, Arunkel falling into deep and terrible war. Rife with political intrigue, awash in gray, every player playing their own game, nothing is certain.
Fabulous characters, exquisite pacing and tight prose, The Seer is a masterpiece of Epic Fantasy in the vein of The Game of Thrones. Watching Amarta develop her ability was a delight, even as she slid away from understanding, pummeled under the complexity and enormity of her power.
And I haven’t even mentioned the assassin or the mage! This is a big book, with four main characters, multiple prominent side characters and many moving pieces. I never felt the same kind of close connection for the characters of the Houses (like I did in Game of Thrones), but the others more than made up for any lack.
The attention to detail and deep research are gloriously evident, with a long history to the land, full of conflict, full of greatness. Mysteries abound for tomorrow, for the future, though Lyris wraps up the novel and various strands with aplomb. One knows there will be more to come, simply, and quite obviously by the breadth of the world she has created. To not delve back in, to not further explore would seem tantamount to heresy.
5 stars for an unexpected jewel that stands as tall as the best.
Visit my blog at cliftonh dot com for more book reviews and info on my own fantasy books.
Amarta can see the future, but nothing is certain, everything changes, and a man made powerful by her own talent will stop at nothing to have her power for his own—or for none at all.
Innel is a man raised in the King’s Cohort, raised to fight, raised to command; raised for one to become the Royal Consort to the princess. With nothing to lose, everything to gain, he juggles plots and pulls strings to achieve what no one else could… But he has a secret, one that can not be known.
In the empire of Arunkel, held together by an iron fist—an iron fist made up of many fingers, each with their own goals—Innel must step wary, lest all that he has fought for comes to naught; and in the midst be crushed by it all, Arunkel falling into deep and terrible war. Rife with political intrigue, awash in gray, every player playing their own game, nothing is certain.
Fabulous characters, exquisite pacing and tight prose, The Seer is a masterpiece of Epic Fantasy in the vein of The Game of Thrones. Watching Amarta develop her ability was a delight, even as she slid away from understanding, pummeled under the complexity and enormity of her power.
And I haven’t even mentioned the assassin or the mage! This is a big book, with four main characters, multiple prominent side characters and many moving pieces. I never felt the same kind of close connection for the characters of the Houses (like I did in Game of Thrones), but the others more than made up for any lack.
The attention to detail and deep research are gloriously evident, with a long history to the land, full of conflict, full of greatness. Mysteries abound for tomorrow, for the future, though Lyris wraps up the novel and various strands with aplomb. One knows there will be more to come, simply, and quite obviously by the breadth of the world she has created. To not delve back in, to not further explore would seem tantamount to heresy.
5 stars for an unexpected jewel that stands as tall as the best.
Visit my blog at cliftonh dot com for more book reviews and info on my own fantasy books.
April 3, 2016
This book is not the first work of Sonia's that I have read, but it is the first that exists entirely within a world she has created, and the masterful way in which she builds worlds definitely shows. I found the world immersive, the characters compelling and multi-layered, and the plot delightfully difficult to predict. Normally I would give a more detailed review, but she wrote so skillfully that to give away anything about the story would be to do it a disservice.
Suffice to say that this book is dark without being melodramatic, beautiful without being heavy handed, and has a wealth of sexualities and races represented in positive ways.
I devoured this book as soon as I obtained it, and am eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series. Sonia is an incredible author and I look forward to seeing what she will create in the future.
Suffice to say that this book is dark without being melodramatic, beautiful without being heavy handed, and has a wealth of sexualities and races represented in positive ways.
I devoured this book as soon as I obtained it, and am eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series. Sonia is an incredible author and I look forward to seeing what she will create in the future.
January 29, 2016
This is a good one-and-done epic high fantasy! The focus is on two main characters: Amarta, a seer who we first meet as a child, and Innel, a potential Consort of the Princess who could help rule the kingdom if he can win over his King. Their meeting sets both of their futures in motion, adding several more voices, including my favorite, Maris. It's a little dark, this book, (the torture, the horrible things Innel does and how they seem to be the way it's always worked in the kingdom) and it is a big complicated story (especially where Tayre is involved) that ended sooner than I wanted it to, but I'm still thinking about them. And about the story. Recommended!
May 22, 2016
I'm rounding up about half a star.
This book combines rich worldbuilding with beautifully conceived characters and an intricate yet largely comprehensible plot. The world Lyris constructs so well is a fairly depressing one, with brutality and warfare a near constant. Indeed, many of the important characters are ethically compromised by their participation in the worst aspects of this world. Yet the author does an excellent job of engaging our sympathies with such characters, and avoiding neat or superficial good/evil divides.
This book combines rich worldbuilding with beautifully conceived characters and an intricate yet largely comprehensible plot. The world Lyris constructs so well is a fairly depressing one, with brutality and warfare a near constant. Indeed, many of the important characters are ethically compromised by their participation in the worst aspects of this world. Yet the author does an excellent job of engaging our sympathies with such characters, and avoiding neat or superficial good/evil divides.
May 25, 2016
I was sad to see the book end...I wanted more. Ms. Lyris created an interesting world and populated it with complex characters facing difficult questions. What I liked best was the unclear boundaries between good and evil - everything and everyone was a shade of gray. Both the story and the characters have depth. I got to know these characters, I shared their ambitions, their successes and their failures. You are guaranteed to lose some sleep, staying up late to see what happens next.
November 17, 2019
This book does a great job of pulling you in with a combination of interesting characters and an intelligent, multilayered story arc. There's an enjoyable blend of political intrigue, inter-personal conflicts, and backroom espionage that goes well beyond what is offered by most fantasy novels. Lastly, the "rules" constructed for the story's fantasy elements feel realistic and fit comfortably into the richly imagined world in which the book takes place.
March 2, 2017
A very good book. It says "Sword and Sorcery" on the cover, but it is much better than that. Sword and Sorcery usually implies lots of Thud and Blunder, as Poul Anderson would say (see link below).
This book is never stereotypical. High praise, indeed.
One of the best references of all time, for fantasy writers:
"On Thud and Blunder", by Poul Anderson
http://www.sfwa.org/2005/01/on-thud-a...
note: "SCA" stands for the Society for Creative Anachronism.
This book is never stereotypical. High praise, indeed.
One of the best references of all time, for fantasy writers:
"On Thud and Blunder", by Poul Anderson
http://www.sfwa.org/2005/01/on-thud-a...
note: "SCA" stands for the Society for Creative Anachronism.
July 17, 2019
RTC, also note that I finished reading this on 7/15/2019 but Amazon decided to provoke a strike and I ain't no scab.
ps I love this book a LOT a lot and cannot wait for the sequel
ps I love this book a LOT a lot and cannot wait for the sequel
April 18, 2016
I'M A LITTLE TORN ON THIS RATING TBH but in the end i gotta go with 4 stars, bc while there were some things i rly didn't like i think the stuff i did like outweighed it. i may change my mind later, idk. just know this lies somewhere between 3 & 4 but in this case i decided to round up instead of down.
so there were some bits where this draaaaaaaaaaaaaaagged on, like, wow. this book is over 600 pages!!! somehow i didn't realize that going in. the pacing was honestly very strange, bc sometimes it fucking flew by & then other times it was so slow i wanted to scream lmao. the worldbuilding is very cool -- the mages in this are terrifying & i LOVE IT -- and there were some oddities in terms of racial politics (it was never quite clear whether the arunkin were brown, so i'm not sure just how weird the racial politics were)
i think the thing that's most frustrating about this book is just how much of it focuses on innel. he's so boring and honestly so awful, lmao, i hate him. i sympathize with his circumstances!!! but i hate him. his chapters are almost entirely politicking & scheming which, tbh, is like my least favorite thing to find in my fantasy lit. i can't stand it. i don't want to read this shit!!! also he's awful & i hate him. and bc 99% of our interactions with cern, the princess, come from his chapters & his viewpoint she gets shafted sooooo badly. i love cern & she deserves better. i legit almost threw my book across the room in a fit of glee when we got the one (ONE) cern POV chapter.
the story really shines when the focus is on the ladies (surprising.....absolutely no one lmao). the POV chapters for dirina (of which there are, tragically, few after the first 100 or so pages), amarta and marisel are sooo good. i especially delighted in amarta's relationship (!!!) with her visions, and the differing ways marisel connected to the world around her, oh my god. marisel is so good despite what she thinks of herself, i'm!!! verklempt. also these ladies care SO MUCH ABOUT EACH OTHER, they love each other so much. I LIVE
i have....very mixed feelings about tayre lmao. he's also awful?? but like, in a vastly different way. he was never boring, so that was nice. but uh. some of the skeevier elements of the book def come from him but i also can't help but....kinda like him lmao. idk!!!! idk
the ending was a bit cluttered, because there are just so many narrative threads weaving in & out of the story. i think it could have been a little neater. i'm honestly happy with most of it, or at least not unhappy, so /shrug
that being said, there was a lot of shit that made me uncomfortable, so! as mentioned above, there's also like, a huge element of torture in the arunkin court lmao. 80 or so pages in i was very unpleasantly surprised by graphic descriptions of a slave being systematically cut apart to see if there was actually gold inside him, which, uh????? wow. yeah. there was nothing quite so graphic after that, to my memory, but enemies of the state were on multiple occasions tortured in various ways in the courtyard outside innel's lord commander chambers, so watch out for that. thankfully amarta's torture was only hinted at & not described, but the buildup to it was still cringe-inducing.
i think the part that i find most disturbing tho is marisel's relationship with her tutor/mentor keyretura. the background here is that he essentially paid her parents to let him take her away with him to study magic and then systematically manipulated and abused her until she finally became a full-fledged mage and had the strength to actually leave him. she is terrified of him. they encounter each other towards the end of the book, and, ugh. there's all sorts of abuse apologism on his part, he needed to do this to her so she wouldn't be weak!!! he did it because he loved her!!!!! & then she kinda forgives him and goes east to save the world. this, after they've had a magic showdown in the fucking courtyard where he literally cut off all bloodflow to her brain and stopped her heart from pumping (he would have brought her to the edge of death but he would never have opened the door!!! because he loves her. so he would have saved her. okay fella)
also like. i don't like innel but holy shit his childhood is just. yikes. constant abuse by his peers and by the fucking king and his trainers. horrifying.
so there were some bits where this draaaaaaaaaaaaaaagged on, like, wow. this book is over 600 pages!!! somehow i didn't realize that going in. the pacing was honestly very strange, bc sometimes it fucking flew by & then other times it was so slow i wanted to scream lmao. the worldbuilding is very cool -- the mages in this are terrifying & i LOVE IT -- and there were some oddities in terms of racial politics (it was never quite clear whether the arunkin were brown, so i'm not sure just how weird the racial politics were)
i think the thing that's most frustrating about this book is just how much of it focuses on innel. he's so boring and honestly so awful, lmao, i hate him. i sympathize with his circumstances!!! but i hate him. his chapters are almost entirely politicking & scheming which, tbh, is like my least favorite thing to find in my fantasy lit. i can't stand it. i don't want to read this shit!!! also he's awful & i hate him. and bc 99% of our interactions with cern, the princess, come from his chapters & his viewpoint she gets shafted sooooo badly. i love cern & she deserves better. i legit almost threw my book across the room in a fit of glee when we got the one (ONE) cern POV chapter.
the story really shines when the focus is on the ladies (surprising.....absolutely no one lmao). the POV chapters for dirina (of which there are, tragically, few after the first 100 or so pages), amarta and marisel are sooo good. i especially delighted in amarta's relationship (!!!) with her visions, and the differing ways marisel connected to the world around her, oh my god. marisel is so good despite what she thinks of herself, i'm!!! verklempt. also these ladies care SO MUCH ABOUT EACH OTHER, they love each other so much. I LIVE
i have....very mixed feelings about tayre lmao. he's also awful?? but like, in a vastly different way. he was never boring, so that was nice. but uh. some of the skeevier elements of the book def come from him but i also can't help but....kinda like him lmao. idk!!!! idk
the ending was a bit cluttered, because there are just so many narrative threads weaving in & out of the story. i think it could have been a little neater. i'm honestly happy with most of it, or at least not unhappy, so /shrug
that being said, there was a lot of shit that made me uncomfortable, so! as mentioned above, there's also like, a huge element of torture in the arunkin court lmao. 80 or so pages in i was very unpleasantly surprised by graphic descriptions of a slave being systematically cut apart to see if there was actually gold inside him, which, uh????? wow. yeah. there was nothing quite so graphic after that, to my memory, but enemies of the state were on multiple occasions tortured in various ways in the courtyard outside innel's lord commander chambers, so watch out for that. thankfully amarta's torture was only hinted at & not described, but the buildup to it was still cringe-inducing.
i think the part that i find most disturbing tho is marisel's relationship with her tutor/mentor keyretura. the background here is that he essentially paid her parents to let him take her away with him to study magic and then systematically manipulated and abused her until she finally became a full-fledged mage and had the strength to actually leave him. she is terrified of him. they encounter each other towards the end of the book, and, ugh. there's all sorts of abuse apologism on his part, he needed to do this to her so she wouldn't be weak!!! he did it because he loved her!!!!! & then she kinda forgives him and goes east to save the world. this, after they've had a magic showdown in the fucking courtyard where he literally cut off all bloodflow to her brain and stopped her heart from pumping (he would have brought her to the edge of death but he would never have opened the door!!! because he loves her. so he would have saved her. okay fella)
also like. i don't like innel but holy shit his childhood is just. yikes. constant abuse by his peers and by the fucking king and his trainers. horrifying.
August 23, 2017
I can't articulate exactly why I liked this book so much.
On the face of it, it's a relatively standard fantasy story; there's a man who worked his way up from the common folk and has positioned himself with the nobility, getting his hands very dirty on the way up, and there's the young girl who can see the future who is going on a sort of hero's journey, and the bounty hunter who is trying to find her and being constantly frustrated. Eventually there's also the mage who doesn't operate like the rest of her kind.
This is primarily a character study; if the consort or the Seer's characters don't interest you then you aren't going to like the book. Relying on the mage or the bounty hunter may hold you over but they have less of a focus. I will say all of the characters are very well fleshed out.
The consort, Innel, is the closest thing to an antagonist the book has, but he's a sympathetic one. Despite his machinations and the very real ways he abuses and betrays other people, I found myself rooting for him on occasion. His path is definitely Machiavellian. However, while there is political intrigue surrounding him, comparisons I've seen that equate it to Game of Thrones are probably a bit optimistic. The politics are relatively simple and straightforward, with few details of the kingdom's political structure and no plots that are difficult to follow either before or after they come to fruition.
Amarta's story is a sort of cursed hero's journey. Her sight makes her a target, either when people find out or when the bounty hunter finds them. She's an adolescent, and her reasoning and reactions mostly follow the logic one would expect from someone that age. You definitely feel for her; Lyris does a good job of building up the communities Amarta and her sister find and populating them with sympathetic characters who I, at least, wanted to know more about. It helped reinforce the sense of loss Amarta was supposed to be going through every time she had to run with her family.
The bounty hunter was the most interesting character for me, especially as his relationship to Amarta evolved. I wish he had gotten more time in the book. I wasn't as enthralled with the Marisel's story; she was cynical and bitter about basically everything and stayed that way through most of the book. Her attitude wasn't unwarranted or unbelievable but it just wasn't much fun for me to read about.
I like that this was a self-contained story but I certainly wouldn't mind reading a sequel.
On the face of it, it's a relatively standard fantasy story; there's a man who worked his way up from the common folk and has positioned himself with the nobility, getting his hands very dirty on the way up, and there's the young girl who can see the future who is going on a sort of hero's journey, and the bounty hunter who is trying to find her and being constantly frustrated. Eventually there's also the mage who doesn't operate like the rest of her kind.
This is primarily a character study; if the consort or the Seer's characters don't interest you then you aren't going to like the book. Relying on the mage or the bounty hunter may hold you over but they have less of a focus. I will say all of the characters are very well fleshed out.
The consort, Innel, is the closest thing to an antagonist the book has, but he's a sympathetic one. Despite his machinations and the very real ways he abuses and betrays other people, I found myself rooting for him on occasion. His path is definitely Machiavellian. However, while there is political intrigue surrounding him, comparisons I've seen that equate it to Game of Thrones are probably a bit optimistic. The politics are relatively simple and straightforward, with few details of the kingdom's political structure and no plots that are difficult to follow either before or after they come to fruition.
Amarta's story is a sort of cursed hero's journey. Her sight makes her a target, either when people find out or when the bounty hunter finds them. She's an adolescent, and her reasoning and reactions mostly follow the logic one would expect from someone that age. You definitely feel for her; Lyris does a good job of building up the communities Amarta and her sister find and populating them with sympathetic characters who I, at least, wanted to know more about. It helped reinforce the sense of loss Amarta was supposed to be going through every time she had to run with her family.
The bounty hunter was the most interesting character for me, especially as his relationship to Amarta evolved. I wish he had gotten more time in the book. I wasn't as enthralled with the Marisel's story; she was cynical and bitter about basically everything and stayed that way through most of the book. Her attitude wasn't unwarranted or unbelievable but it just wasn't much fun for me to read about.
I like that this was a self-contained story but I certainly wouldn't mind reading a sequel.
January 12, 2017
I loved this book! Which I did not expect to do, as I normally don't read fantasy novels. I began reading it at the urging of a friend. She said "read the first two chapters and then, if you don't like it, I let you off the hook". Well, I read those first two in one day. And then I thundered through the book in the next few days, and finished it in no time, regretting the ride was over!
The world which Sonja creates is complex and described with great skill. I love her attention to detail, and how she manages to create an alien world which yet remains totally believable. Her writing style is very visual - at times I felt I could draw the views, clothing, artwork, architecture and animals, as they were so lively in my mind. The plot lines and characters both have many layers and kept my mind and imagination happily engaged.
I'm not going into plot and characters, as I don't want to spoil your fun. My advice is: go for it! You won't regret it.
The world which Sonja creates is complex and described with great skill. I love her attention to detail, and how she manages to create an alien world which yet remains totally believable. Her writing style is very visual - at times I felt I could draw the views, clothing, artwork, architecture and animals, as they were so lively in my mind. The plot lines and characters both have many layers and kept my mind and imagination happily engaged.
I'm not going into plot and characters, as I don't want to spoil your fun. My advice is: go for it! You won't regret it.
March 7, 2016
Excellent, one of the good books I've read recently.
I was a bit uncertain at first, it starts like a Young Adult book, but as the story develops, more and more characters make their entrance. At some points this becomes a bit confusing, but eventually they will all interact in a complex dance. The book is very dark by moments, so definitely not YA after all. The world is complex, and there are lots of things hinted at but never really explored in detail. The characters make sense, and even the baddies have some meaningful motivation.
The book arrives at a conclusion of sort, but my guess is that there will be more to come.
I was a bit uncertain at first, it starts like a Young Adult book, but as the story develops, more and more characters make their entrance. At some points this becomes a bit confusing, but eventually they will all interact in a complex dance. The book is very dark by moments, so definitely not YA after all. The world is complex, and there are lots of things hinted at but never really explored in detail. The characters make sense, and even the baddies have some meaningful motivation.
The book arrives at a conclusion of sort, but my guess is that there will be more to come.
June 25, 2017
An okay fantasy novel about a young woman who can basically see the future. I'd call this book pretty original, if I hadn't read two others basically like it in the last couple of years. But still, an untrained precog in battle is still interesting. Too long, with too many unnecessary details. Too many unnecessary characters. This book would have been improved with a bunch of trimming and tightening. Not that the magic horses and underground cities and magician's weren't interesting and well done - they just mostly weren't necessary. And the relationship between the Seer and her hunter was a bit hard to take.
April 7, 2016
This sword and sorcery novel has an interesting premise: the heroine is a seer whose visions of immediate danger keep her just ahead of the tracker who is paid to capture or kill her for the (royal) villain. But too much time is spent on the POV of the villain, whose casual descriptions of torture and mass murder are stomach-turning. I hope this promising writer's next is better, as her world-building is intriguing .
April 3, 2016
This book wound up surprising me a bit. I spent the first half of it annoyed at the seemingly shallow characters and utter vileness of the players in one part of the storyline. But as the action picks up, at least the main character, Amarta, is given more depth, and things roll along to a remarkably satisfying conclusion (for most characters. One or two are basically written off, which is unfortunate). So.. eh. Potentially rewarding if you're patient for the first part of the book.
February 27, 2016
A thoughtful look at someone with the ability to see the future. Coupled with two very complex men who elevate the scale at which the seer operates at. I found it fascinating and very enjoyable.
March 28, 2016
The world was fascinating. The author didn't cheat with the seer's ability to see the future. The characters are solid and interesting.
October 22, 2017
The Seer has a good hook and for the first few chapters, I wanted to know more. But at over 900 pages, there was a LONG slog in the middle where I wondered where we were going and whether I cared. There was a semi satisfying resolution in the end, but the conflict being resolved is not the one I expected or one I was particularly invested in.
Plotwise, I was left with a lot of complaints and questions about why the editor didn't rein in and redirect the author to tighten the plot. If the story hadn't dragged so much, I think I would feel more forgiving.
Plotwise, I was left with a lot of complaints and questions about why the editor didn't rein in and redirect the author to tighten the plot. If the story hadn't dragged so much, I think I would feel more forgiving.
March 17, 2017
I don't usually read fantasy, but I heard the first chapter of this book at a reading and it intrigued me. After the first chapter things began to bog down a bit and I remembered why I don't read fantasy very often. However, things did pick up as the groundwork laid in the earlier chapters began to pay off. I found myself eagerly looking forward to finding out what would happen next.
I liked that some of Lyris's characters surprised me. I'm used to fantasy having good guys and bad guys. Many of her characters are more nuanced than that. Once in a while it seemed that this extended beyond credulity, but overall I liked it.
I also liked that where gender wasn't important it was almost as though she flipped a coin in assigning gender to characters. This was a little disconcerting and I think a more effective way of exposing and combatting gender bias than simply having a female protagonist.
The ending was satisfying although the relationship really creeped me out. Too bad it didn't get a better cover too.
I liked that some of Lyris's characters surprised me. I'm used to fantasy having good guys and bad guys. Many of her characters are more nuanced than that. Once in a while it seemed that this extended beyond credulity, but overall I liked it.
I also liked that where gender wasn't important it was almost as though she flipped a coin in assigning gender to characters. This was a little disconcerting and I think a more effective way of exposing and combatting gender bias than simply having a female protagonist.
The ending was satisfying although the relationship really creeped me out. Too bad it didn't get a better cover too.
July 31, 2021
I thought this was a fantastic book and I'm kicking myself for forgetting about it for so long. I met Lyris and bought this book at a comic con in 2016 but shortly after moved and it got lost in my sea of books. I felt like this book was very grounded, even with a fairly robust couple of magic systems, it was grounded by the politics of the world. One of the things I didn't expect but ended up enjoying was the fact that a lot of the book followed Innel as well as Amarta. I feel like it evened the book out and kept me guessing from both ends.
September 23, 2019
Sonia Lyris writes with heart and power. You will feel for, and fret for, her characters as she moves them along this knife-edge plot through a vivid, treacherous world. I was bowled over by the calm power of her prose and her unerring sense of her characters in even their most casual interactions. You read her, like the best fiction writers, aware that her knowledge of her world extends well past the edges of the plot.
April 11, 2021
This author can write! I liked much about this book. The characters were dynamic and the ending tied up all the loose ends and was interesting. the only thing i did not like about this book was that there was too much talk of politics and it got bogged down in the middle. I did like the part of the Seer and the Hunter and the mages.
The fact that almost all of the characters changed by the end was terrific.
The fact that almost all of the characters changed by the end was terrific.
August 7, 2024
I am giving this three stars because the writing style wasn’t bad and some of the main characters were likable. I would give it two stars for plot and pacing and because the rest of the characters are very unlikable. Half of the book is basically one character being chased by another. I was also not pleased with some later events, but I can’t explain that without spoilers.
This book is followed by a trilogy.
This book is followed by a trilogy.
July 16, 2018
It was quite good overall. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, but it did wrap things up in a mostly-satisfying wY.
October 11, 2020
Arc received courtesy of Goodreads.com first reads giveaway.
I really enjoyed reading The Seer. The characters and story were very good, as well as, the pace of the book.
I really enjoyed reading The Seer. The characters and story were very good, as well as, the pace of the book.
May 12, 2023
Very competently written.
Very good world building. A tiny bit long, but enjoyable. Will never be one of my favorites. I find it a bit hard to stay long in a world where almost every relationship is transactional, and those that aren’t are the least compelling ones in the book.
Very good world building. A tiny bit long, but enjoyable. Will never be one of my favorites. I find it a bit hard to stay long in a world where almost every relationship is transactional, and those that aren’t are the least compelling ones in the book.
January 14, 2016
One of those books that began really well, but started sputtering about midway through.
I mention in particular never seeing the meeting between the Queen and Marisol which might have been fantastic, when instead we spend page after page on the Seers monotonous flight.
Everything eventually collapses into self-parody when she decides to go back, Marisol coming with her (despite knowing her presence could be detected)
A good book could be written about trying to capture a seer, attempting to close off all possible escape routes into the future. This is not that book.
I mention in particular never seeing the meeting between the Queen and Marisol which might have been fantastic, when instead we spend page after page on the Seers monotonous flight.
Everything eventually collapses into self-parody when she decides to go back, Marisol coming with her (despite knowing her presence could be detected)
A good book could be written about trying to capture a seer, attempting to close off all possible escape routes into the future. This is not that book.
February 29, 2016
Fascinating characters and societies, especially the blonds! I'd love to find out more about the cohort, the politics and the mages. Anyone know if there will be a sequel?
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