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The Seeker Chronicles #1
Long Night Dance
Sixteen-year-old Kat, child of a scandalous, disastrous marriage between a Hill woman and an Upslope man, rescues a Rigi man from the sea during the week of the Long Night Dance and begins to realize a person's value does not come from his background nor appearance. Reprint.
217 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 31, 1989
About the author
Betsy James
57 books29 followersAward-winning author-illustrator Betsy James has written and/or illustrated more than a dozen books for children and young adults. She lives in New Mexico where she hikes, grows corn, and shares the shade of a cottonwood tree with one small ground squirrel and several toads.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 4, 2025
"Swim," he said again in his clear voice. "If you are swimming you must swim. You must not grab at another swimmer, or both will drown."
This beautiful little book is about Katyesha Marashya n'Ab Drem learning to be on her own-- to strip herself bare of all she thought she was and wade into the cold, rolling sea with only herself to keep her afloat. It's about Kat finding the strength to leave her oppressive home life and the panic that comes when she doesn't know how to be on her own. Her instinct is to latch on to someone else and submit herself to a different oppressor. Being a sort of retelling of the Irish selkie mythology, the motif woven through this book is that of the sea-- of swimming. Nall, a character whose own story entwines closely with Kat's, is from the sea, and he and Kat save each other-- he by helping her see she does not need to cling to anyone. And, in true Betsy James fashion, it contains sentences that bring tears to my eyes and sentiments that make my heart squeeze because I understand them so deeply. And also I'm aware it's probably just my copy but this book smells so good.
I'm only mad at myself because I hadn't thought ahead and bought the whole series and now I have to wait to finish it.
This beautiful little book is about Katyesha Marashya n'Ab Drem learning to be on her own-- to strip herself bare of all she thought she was and wade into the cold, rolling sea with only herself to keep her afloat. It's about Kat finding the strength to leave her oppressive home life and the panic that comes when she doesn't know how to be on her own. Her instinct is to latch on to someone else and submit herself to a different oppressor. Being a sort of retelling of the Irish selkie mythology, the motif woven through this book is that of the sea-- of swimming. Nall, a character whose own story entwines closely with Kat's, is from the sea, and he and Kat save each other-- he by helping her see she does not need to cling to anyone. And, in true Betsy James fashion, it contains sentences that bring tears to my eyes and sentiments that make my heart squeeze because I understand them so deeply. And also I'm aware it's probably just my copy but this book smells so good.
I'm only mad at myself because I hadn't thought ahead and bought the whole series and now I have to wait to finish it.
September 15, 2015
I have no idea how Long Night Dance ended up on my TBR pile, it was something recommended somewhere that I thought sounded interesting and the rest was history...
The focus of the book is Kat, who is just turned 15 and living as housekeeper for her father in what is a very joyless life, all rules and obligations. They live in Upslope, not associating with the people who live around them, who are universally condemned by them. The eponymous Long Night is coming soon, a night when the other people dance their various dances, while the good people of Upslope stay at home. Kat and her brother are already somewhat outsiders because her mother was one of the hill women and her father is still struggling to regain what he sees as his rightful place within the community as a result of his actions in marrying her.
Kat is already starting to want to know who she is and (internally at least) rebel against all of this when she goes down to the beach and discovers someone washed up there - he is one of the seal people, cast out by them and left to die, and with the help of her brother, Kat saves his life. This decision, and the people they meet as a result of it, open her eyes to a larger world and help both Kat and her brother to change.
What I really liked about Long Night Dance was two things: firstly, the descriptive language is excellent but not over-blown, and secondly, it doesn't fall into the trap of some YA books that the newly-introduced male character 'saves' the main female character somehow. It is Kat who is the active one here, not him, and he also actively rejects the possibility of her transferring her relationship with her father to him, encouraging her to find out who and what she is before making any sort of commitment. Much healthier for everyone concerned in the long run, in my opinion.
Anyway, Long Night Dance is the first book of a trilogy, so I've put the other two on my TBR and will be keeping an eye out for a copy of the next one, which is Dark Heart .
The focus of the book is Kat, who is just turned 15 and living as housekeeper for her father in what is a very joyless life, all rules and obligations. They live in Upslope, not associating with the people who live around them, who are universally condemned by them. The eponymous Long Night is coming soon, a night when the other people dance their various dances, while the good people of Upslope stay at home. Kat and her brother are already somewhat outsiders because her mother was one of the hill women and her father is still struggling to regain what he sees as his rightful place within the community as a result of his actions in marrying her.
Kat is already starting to want to know who she is and (internally at least) rebel against all of this when she goes down to the beach and discovers someone washed up there - he is one of the seal people, cast out by them and left to die, and with the help of her brother, Kat saves his life. This decision, and the people they meet as a result of it, open her eyes to a larger world and help both Kat and her brother to change.
What I really liked about Long Night Dance was two things: firstly, the descriptive language is excellent but not over-blown, and secondly, it doesn't fall into the trap of some YA books that the newly-introduced male character 'saves' the main female character somehow. It is Kat who is the active one here, not him, and he also actively rejects the possibility of her transferring her relationship with her father to him, encouraging her to find out who and what she is before making any sort of commitment. Much healthier for everyone concerned in the long run, in my opinion.
Anyway, Long Night Dance is the first book of a trilogy, so I've put the other two on my TBR and will be keeping an eye out for a copy of the next one, which is Dark Heart .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2016
It's…okay. I was hoping for more, intrigued by the twist on the Irish selkie myth. It turned out that the selkie (called a Rig in this story), was hardly in the story, but was the catalyst for the protagonist's character change.
I must say that I am extremely done with female characters named any form of "Kat." Katniss (Hunger Games), Katsa (Graceling), Katyesha (Long Night Dance). No more. Please. Think of something else!
Kat's character was too often erratic to me. Her obsession with the Rig boy after just meeting him and her desperation of leaving her boring, terrible, chore-filled life ended up feeling melodramatic. She's quiet and shy one moment, and then yelling and protesting saying she doesn't want to be scandalous the next. If engineered well, ambivalence is a great source of conflict, yes! Yet I thought Kat's ambivalence was annoying. She sleeps next to the boy and lets him touch her and wants to be his, yet she just met him and admits she doesn't know him. I understand she's fifteen and living a sheltered life, so of course she's going to be fascinated by a living legendary creature such as he. Perhaps the writing intended to make the reader feel like the "calling" or "song" of the Rig is what nurtures this spontaneous obsession, but if so I don't think it came across well. Perhaps it was also the dialogue. Many times it didn't feel natural or sensical, and I wondered way too much about why the heck she was responding in the ways she did toward other characters.
Overall, I didn't find the story (nor most of its elements) convincing.
I must say that I am extremely done with female characters named any form of "Kat." Katniss (Hunger Games), Katsa (Graceling), Katyesha (Long Night Dance). No more. Please. Think of something else!
Kat's character was too often erratic to me. Her obsession with the Rig boy after just meeting him and her desperation of leaving her boring, terrible, chore-filled life ended up feeling melodramatic. She's quiet and shy one moment, and then yelling and protesting saying she doesn't want to be scandalous the next. If engineered well, ambivalence is a great source of conflict, yes! Yet I thought Kat's ambivalence was annoying. She sleeps next to the boy and lets him touch her and wants to be his, yet she just met him and admits she doesn't know him. I understand she's fifteen and living a sheltered life, so of course she's going to be fascinated by a living legendary creature such as he. Perhaps the writing intended to make the reader feel like the "calling" or "song" of the Rig is what nurtures this spontaneous obsession, but if so I don't think it came across well. Perhaps it was also the dialogue. Many times it didn't feel natural or sensical, and I wondered way too much about why the heck she was responding in the ways she did toward other characters.
Overall, I didn't find the story (nor most of its elements) convincing.
December 29, 2017
This short young-adult fantasy is the first book in The Seeker Chronicles trilogy. I found Kat, the 15-year-old protagonist, sympathetic and the story engaging. The secondary-world setting had a mythic quality that I liked: the sea, animals, nature, the winter solstice, one person calling to another. Intermittently, the story acquired a depth and strength and sparse beauty that reminded me of Le Guin. At other times, it felt slighter and perhaps too easy, with several of the secondary characters readily being supportive to Kat, and threats resolving comparatively quickly. I particularly liked three of the secondary characters: Nall, Dai, and Mailin, and I also appreciated the inclusion of Kat's father's perspective, a less supportive but well-drawn character. I liked and enjoyed this book, but it didn't have the sustained excellence of the author's more recent book Roadsouls, a book that was deservedly nominated for the 2017 World Fantasy Award.
August 15, 2010
This book had everything that I really like: a unique fantasy, a rich cultural background, a little bit of romance, and a great author. The main thing that keeps it from getting five stars is that towards the end, things got a little confusing for me (although, that might have been because it was around one AM when I finished it) and that there is just SOMETHING about Kat's character that I don't like. I think it may be her voice. I find her to be a little, well, stupid for a fifteen year old and I thought her character just wasn't as strong as, say, Maerad from the Pellinor series by Alison Croggon. Other than those two little things, a really good book that prohibited me from sleeping because I wanted to get started on its sequel.
December 31, 2018
Naturally poetic
I read this book when I was in middle school and found myself wanting to read it again, now that I’m older. I still love it. The book explores the beginnings of exploring and learning yourself, of growing. And it is written in the beautifully poetic way that involves all of your senses, immersing you in the cold, hard rock of Horn Loft as easily as within the crowded beach on Long Night. Truly a wonderful story.
I read this book when I was in middle school and found myself wanting to read it again, now that I’m older. I still love it. The book explores the beginnings of exploring and learning yourself, of growing. And it is written in the beautifully poetic way that involves all of your senses, immersing you in the cold, hard rock of Horn Loft as easily as within the crowded beach on Long Night. Truly a wonderful story.
January 25, 2023
It definitely took some work getting into this story. It had some serious holes where necessary information was needed. I’m all about guessing; however that’s for mystery & true crime not fantasy romance. The end was pleasant but abrupt & I felt kind of as if I’d been left on a cliffhanger episode of some mellow-drama knowing that there’s no next season.
April 4, 2022
I don't know what to say about this book. It was not what I expected but there was some deep truth in it about knowing who you are before entering into any relationship.
July 10, 2013
Betsy James lives in New Mexico and often teaches writing classes locally--after reading this book, I think I'll sign myself up for one. J.T. has already taken a class from her.
Betsy has a crisp, lyrical, intensely visual voice. In a relatively short book, no, within the first chapter or two, she built a world, a mood, a mystery, and a crisis. Katyesha, entrapped in a life she does not want, calls to a love she does not know. She must decide whether to accept the life she's been living or to find the life she seeks.
Sometimes the images were so thick, I had to really slow down in order to process them. This is not necessarily a flaw, but it was an exercise.
The one point I did not like was the insinuation that marriage is entrapment and living together out of choice is freedom. I believe commitment in marriage is the opposite. You trust someone enough, love someone enough to say, "You are enough. I won't be looking for anyone else." That is freedom. Young people need the example of commitment. On the other hand, Betsy makes the point that one needs to know herself and to make a commitment, not because she is needy, or desperate, but because she is certain.
I've got the sequel on hold at the library.
Betsy has a crisp, lyrical, intensely visual voice. In a relatively short book, no, within the first chapter or two, she built a world, a mood, a mystery, and a crisis. Katyesha, entrapped in a life she does not want, calls to a love she does not know. She must decide whether to accept the life she's been living or to find the life she seeks.
Sometimes the images were so thick, I had to really slow down in order to process them. This is not necessarily a flaw, but it was an exercise.
The one point I did not like was the insinuation that marriage is entrapment and living together out of choice is freedom. I believe commitment in marriage is the opposite. You trust someone enough, love someone enough to say, "You are enough. I won't be looking for anyone else." That is freedom. Young people need the example of commitment. On the other hand, Betsy makes the point that one needs to know herself and to make a commitment, not because she is needy, or desperate, but because she is certain.
I've got the sequel on hold at the library.
August 23, 2009
I was captivated by this original, easy-to-read tale, written beautifully in a haunting, poetic style. It's the story of a girl's coming of age, her quest for something better in life and the price that's paid for wanting more. Kat's 'awakening' takes place in a world of opposing culture & views; hatred and understanding, right and wrong, prejudice & acceptance, duty and freedom, land and sea.
Kat is the child of a scandolous marriage between a Hill woman & an Upslope man. She has cared for her father & brother since the death of her mother but when she finds Nall, a Rig, her restrictive life changes forever. Despite fear & prejudice Kat is determined to save the injured man.
Betsy James creates vivid pictures, you can clearly imagine the windswept shores, the sea calling, the haunting Rigi song & the freedom of dancing at Long Night.
I really want to see if Kat gets a HEA with Nall so I'll definitely be following her story in Dark Heart & Listening at the Gate.
To see my full review visit The Eclectic Reader
Kat is the child of a scandolous marriage between a Hill woman & an Upslope man. She has cared for her father & brother since the death of her mother but when she finds Nall, a Rig, her restrictive life changes forever. Despite fear & prejudice Kat is determined to save the injured man.
Betsy James creates vivid pictures, you can clearly imagine the windswept shores, the sea calling, the haunting Rigi song & the freedom of dancing at Long Night.
I really want to see if Kat gets a HEA with Nall so I'll definitely be following her story in Dark Heart & Listening at the Gate.
To see my full review visit The Eclectic Reader
July 11, 2010
I LOVED THIS BOOK! It definitely had a point--even an agenda, so much so to the point of being didactic. But it was a point I agreed with, so the didacticism (word?) didn't bother me, at least not too much. Overall, I thought this book was a great blend of feminism and fantasy. I loved the characters and the land James invented, and I especially liked that she was a U of U graduate who wrote such an interesting book :)
March 17, 2011
What a beautifully written spell binding book. There was this amazing gap between the people that lived side by side. Then you add a folk tale into this harsh world. It was so well done. But defiantly not for younger readers. There was subtle references to sex all over the book. But it was well done and in context with the book. Very quick read too.
November 15, 2016
the book was good in general. but when i first started to read the book i had doubts about it because it has o much grammar and i just wasn't understanding what they were saying. But i decided to stay with the book because i started to understand it i love the romance between the two characters nall and kat i expected more romance but i'm still happy with what i read
April 27, 2009
This book is perfect in it's simplicity. Different from what I have been reading lately, but refreshing and honest. Kat is a girl who is discovering who she is supposed to be, rather than what she is.
January 2, 2009
ok so this book was really good, the thing was that i had already read the 2nd and 3rd book already so i knew mostly what happened in the book already. this series is really good and i suggest that people should read it!
August 13, 2009
kind of interesting, except i think it should have been done with the first book instead of being a series...no one needs to know what kat does with the rest of her life :D it was ok but then the other books kind of dragged...
April 2, 2010
This book totally had potential to be one of my favorites but something was missing...the language and culture is sometimes confusing....maybe I'll read the next book in the series and it will be better?
March 31, 2010
I had read this book years ago and loved it. I wondered after picking it up again if I would like it as much as the first time and I have to say that I do!
This is a young adult novel. A coming of age story that as others have said, is poetic.
This is a young adult novel. A coming of age story that as others have said, is poetic.
August 25, 2007
once again, i love this series. this is the second book and i must have read it in one night because i couldn't put it down.
February 5, 2008
An amazing hero's journey--three books in the series, and all well worth your time if you love myth and great fiction.
January 20, 2009
I have reviewed this series as a whole on my blog here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2010
i am a sucker for a new world evolved from the writer's imaginative mind so i really liked this book. I love everything about it, :D!!
October 8, 2011
this was a beautiful story
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews