stormdancer lotus wars series book 1 jay kristoff

A toxic fuel is slowly choking the land the omnipotent, machine-powered Lotus Guild is publicly burning those they deem Impure and the Shogun cares about nothing but his own dominion. Meanwhile, the country around them verges on the brink of collapse.

But trapped together in the forest, Yukiko and Buruu soon discover a friendship that neither of them expected. Everyone knows what happens to those who fail him, no matter how hopeless the task.īut the mission proves far less impossible, and far more deadly, than anyone expects – and soon Yukiko finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in her country's last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled griffin for company. So when Yukiko and her warrior father Masaru are sent to capture one for the Shogun, they fear that their lives are over. The book was shortlisted for the 2013 David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy, and was a finalist for the Compton Crook Award, and Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel.Griffins are supposed to be extinct. Matt Hilliard of Strange Horizons was more critical, writing that the book relied on established tropes of young adult fiction, and that its story was forgettable in comparison to the setting. Publishers Weekly praised the book's 'innovative setting, fast-moving plot, vivid descriptions, and thrilling action scenes.' Susan Carpenter of Los Angeles Times wrote that the book was fast-paced and featured rich worldbuilding that built on themes of environmental degradation. The book received some criticism online for alleged cultural appropriation. The book received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who praised its worldbuilding and inclusion of East Asian mythology, as well as its environmental themes. As she accompanies him, the quest is complicated by her ability to commune with animals, which is punishable by death. The teenage Yukiko's father is commanded by his shogun to capture an arashitora, a tiger-eagle chimera.

The book is set in the Shima Imperium, an island nation based on a steampunk, Shogun-era Japan, in which society is dependent upon the harvest of a psychotropic 'Blood lotus' flower which poisons the environment in which it is grown.

It is inspired by Japanese history and mythology, and is the first installment in the Lotus Wars series. Stormdancer is a 2012 adult fantasy steampunk book by Jay Kristoff.

Stormdancer lotus wars series book 1 jay kristoff