Sea of Shadows

Ms. Armstrong does not spend a lot of time creating Moria and Ashyn’s world. Readers have no idea whether the story takes place in the past or in a post-apocalyptic future, on Earth or another planet, or where on Earth if that is the location. The daily lives of the empire remain unknown, as do any questions regarding the origins of the Keeper and the Seeker. Yet, for all the ambiguity and lack of clear world-building, readers will rapaciously devour the story, for none of the backstory really matters. Their mission is to find their way back to each other, survive the legendary creatures they encounter, and try to save their village members. The true location is insignificant, as is the era of the novel. As for the little rituals and show more daily chores that make up life in the empire, Ms. Armstrong provides those clues through the narrative. It is a foreign world without it being necessary to explain or define every nuance.

Yet, Ms. Armstrong brilliantly manipulates the familiar to create her world. The strong warrior tradition of the entire society is reminiscent of the Samurai of Japan. The idealized features of the empire-born have Asian features, as do the names. Everything from the weapons they use, their customs, their physical appearances, and their food to their societal structure has origins in the great ancient civilizations. The roles of the Seeker and the Keeper may be as alien as the Wastes, the Dead Forest, and other areas across which the girls travel, but the actual world in which they live is really not quite as unknown as it initially appears to be. Therein lies Ms. Armstrong’s penchant for focusing on the story rather than spending time setting the stage for said story.

All of the characters are quirky and endearing in their own right, but it is Moria’s outspokenness and boldness that will capture a reader’s heart. She has no filter, and what she says is simultaneously shocking and also humorous. Her role as protector servers her well, as she is most definitely a woman of action. She’s brusque and brash, but her heart is always in the right place, whether it be surviving a battle, foliaging for food, or watching over her sister. Ashyn is quiet and gentle. However, while she too has a backbone and knows when to use it, there is something about Moria’s spunkiness that delights and entertains more than the others’ broodiness or feelings of insignificance.

The writing within Sea of Shadows is very good. It is the type of novel where readers will keep turning the page until they simply run out of pages. The pacing is methodical, smooth, and very quick. A lot happens in a short period of time. There is nothing forced though; the action occurs naturally. More importantly, Ms. Armstrong does not devote a lot of time to setting up the series. This first novel has a specific beginning and ending that will connect to the next story without the need of a shocking cliffhanger, strange diversions to be explained in the next novel, or anything else that detracts from Moria’s and Ashlyn’s journey. One knows instinctively that there is a purpose to every word in the novel and has no doubts that Ms. Armstrong will explain all when the timing is right for the story and not for the audience. It is an important and deliberate choice that many series writers fail to select.

Sea of Shadows crosses the boundary into fantasy by the appearance of various legendary creatures. However, one could easily consider the story a piece of historical fiction given its obvious ties to the ancient warrior traditions and societies of Asia. The fact that there is no definite time or location stamp intrigues because of the possibilities without detracting from one’s overall enjoyment of the story. The characters, and especially Moria, make that impossible anyway. A ragtag bunch of misfits that blend well together is always an enjoyable experience, and Moria and Ashlyn’s little group is particularly fun to watch interact and work through their differences. However, the highlight remains the fact that Sea of Shadows is an action-adventure novel in which the heroes are two kick-ass heroines with snappy dialogue, strong loyalty bonds, and even greater senses of duty. It is going to be fun to watch these two sisters work together and grow into their powers. show less

Ordinarily I don’t like fantasy, unless the author is Maggie Stiefvater, Melina Marchetta, or Kelley Armstrong. They know how to make stories so good, you forget you decided not to like fantasy.

Moria and Ashyn are 16-year-old twins in the village of Edgewood, which abuts The Forest of the Dead, a place thick with spiritual energy from the dead criminals who have been exiled there. Moria and Ashyn have been born with the ability to communicate with spirits, and thus Moria has become a "Keeper" and Ashyn is a "Seeker," one of four such pairs of specially endowed twins in the Empire. Ancestral Spirits guide and direct them.

The main role of the Keeper and Seeker is to contact the angry spirits of the exiles each year on the night where show more the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest, in order to help bring them rest and peace. Each of the girls is aided by a special beast. Moria has a Daigo, a wildcat, and Ashyn has Tova, a hound. It is thought that the spirits of former warriors reside in the beasts.

Moira and Ashyn were not allowed to perform their duties until they turned sixteen, but now it is time. Ashyn is nervous, but Moria assures her it will be fine:

"Nothing ever goes wrong, Ash. If it did, we’d hear the stories. The only thing people love more than a good story is a bad one. Tales of tragedy and woe and bloody entrails, strung like ribbons, decorating the battlefields.”

But this time, something does go very wrong, and the consequences are catastrophic for the village. The girls must travel to the Capital to seek help.

Moria, unable to find Ashyn, heads out to appeal to the Emperor, accompanied by the warrior Gavril Kitsune. Ashyn also travels to the Capital, along with Ronan, an exiled criminal who miraculously has survived The Forest of the Dead. The dangers for the four of them are severe, and it is not clear who among them will survive their mission.

Discussion: Kelley Armstrong creates great characters. They are multi-dimensional and - I know this sounds trite, but the females are brave yet vulnerable, and the males strong yet tender. (You’d think this would presage a lot of ear tucks, but there was nary a one. There was, however, a great scene in which one of the boys braids the hair of one of the girls.)

The twins are devoted to each other and connected to one another in many ways, and yet they are quite distinct personalities. Each is appealing in her own way, and each has very distinctive insecurities and defenses.

The underlying conceit - that the scary stories told by Moria to entertain the kids of her village come true through sorcery, is cleverly done, and inspires some entertaining conversation among the characters on what is real, what is superstition, and what can never be known.

Kelley adopts some standard YA tropes, but she manages to make them fresh and entertaining. More importantly, she also invokes the eternally entertaining themes of great epic sagas - characters both heroic and tragic, a battle of huge proportions, and a difficult quest with life-threatening struggles requiring extraordinary feats of bravery and prowess.

Evaluation: I think I may be biased in favor of works by Kelley Armstrong because it seems we share the same notions about what characters should be like; what constitutes dialogue that is both entertaining and realistic; and what makes a story memorable. (Too bad only one of us can write, and it isn’t I.) I enjoyed this a great deal, but be aware, it is only the first of a series. show less

Book Info: Genre: Fantasy/coming-of-age with elements of horror
Reading Level: Young Adult
Recommended for: People looking for a good cross-genre YA book with a real kicker of a heroine
Trigger Warnings: murder, violence, killing, threats of sexual assault, accusations of child molestation

My Thoughts: This was a really good book. I did something I haven't done for ages, and that was to sit and read almost the entire book in one sitting. I did not want to put it down! I've been a fan of this author's Otherworld series, but this is a very different world she has created. I can see where it is based on various cultures, but she had made them her own and the world-building, while somewhat slow, is wonderfully done.

I am always impressed when show more an author can create truly different voices for their characters, especially when they are writing from multiple points of view (by chapter). Moria and Ashyn had very different voices. Moria was brash and in-your-face, while Ashyn was more retiring and diplomatic. I think this quote encapsulates those differences quite well.
“Keepers and Seekers were not permitted to do more than trim their hair to elbow length. Ashyn said they ought to be grateful they weren't like the spirit talkers, who weren't ever allowed to cut their hair or their nails. Personally, Moria would be more concerned with the "eyes plucked out, tongue cut off, and nostrils seared" part of being a spirit talker, but she could see that the uncut nails might be inconvenient as well.”
Each of her characters has his or her own quirks and foibles that are slowly built up through the book. She does an excellent job of showing rather than telling, and that really makes a huge difference in a story like this one.

My one complaint is that this ends on a cliffhanger and we have to wait until next year before the next book in the trilogy is available! This is the one thing I dislike about reading the books as they come out, as I'll have forgotten much of the story by the time the next one is released and will need to re-read this one. Of course, as fun as this story was, this is not necessarily a bad thing. I also wish Daigo and Tova had played larger parts. While they are always there, I think they could have been more in the middle of things in various places.

But these are minor quibbles and overall I loved it. If you've been looking for a fast-paced YA fantasy with a heroine who really does kick posterior and take names (Moria), then this is the book for you. Check itout!

Series Information: Age of Legends trilogy
Book 1: Sea of Shadows
Book 2: Empire of Night, expected publication 2015

Disclosure: I received an uncorrected ARC proof copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.

Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters’ journey to find each other sends them far from the only home they’ve ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court—one that will alter the balance of their world forever. show less

Moria and Ashyn live at the edges of the Forest of the Dead. Each year the worst criminals are exiled into the forest to perish. Their souls never rest quietly so as “the Seeker” and “the Keeper” for their village Moria and Ashyn are tasked to find those souls and quiet their unrest by bringing them peace. Usually it’s done successfully, but this year something sinister cannot be quieted. Things of stories and legends are being brought to life and their entire village is destroyed. Separated in their quest to find out what really happened to their home, they discover that one of the exiled may not have perished in exile and could be seeking revenge.

This is the first book in Ms. Armstrong’s latest YA trilogy. Ms. Armstrong show more never ceases to amaze me with her imagination for settings, characters and other-wordly creations. I feel because of some of the subject matter this book would definitely fall into the higher-end of the YA bracket, but was still a quick read. I enjoyed it. show less

Sea of Shadows: Age of Legends by Kelley Armstrong is the first of a new trilogy. This time it's a high fantasy set in the land that seems inspired by Ainu and Japanese legends. Moria and Ashyn as twins have been destined to serve their village as keeper and seeker. The keeper maintains the stories and traditions; the seeker finds the dead and the spirits. Both are paired with an animal guide and the guides are the ones who ultimately decide if twins are worthy of the task.

Over the winter, those who have broken the laws of the village are cast out, sent to the forest to fend for themselves. It's basically a death sentence. If they do survive, they are invited back into the fold. This time though, when Ashyn goes out to retrieve the show more bodies and put the souls to rest, something happens.

Thus Armstrong sets up a small scale apocalypse, driving the survivors towards the capital. Both sisters are forced to make uncomfortable decisions while trying to stay true to their calling. After so many of her urban YA fantasies where teens suddenly have powers and suddenly the adults around them are EVIL and they have to escape and they can't trust anyone. And oh the sexual tension!

Sea of Shadows is thankfully different. Yes, there are evil adults but it's not quite the conspiracy. Also, the sisters have been training all their lives so even if they aren't much different in age from their urban cohorts, they act older and with more confidence. Thus the focus of the story is on the world building, rather than angsty teens being angsty teens — with powers. show less

There are a number of good things about this, but they're all overwhelmed by things that didn't work for me. For instance, I love the Japanese-esque cultural setting, but why did the twin protagonists have to be redheads within it? (Not to mention the exceedingly-not-Japanese names, even for characters who have clannames lifted directly from Japanese animals.) I like both the girls' love interests and how those relationships were developed, but the events of the book were way too much about those love interests, being developed through random things-happening action, and nowhere near enough concentrated on the girls themselves, their abilities, challenges, personalities and importances. The plot could've been happening to anyone in this show more position; there's no real sense that this is the unique and important story of these two girls.

Which is probably why, overall, this feels to me like the first part of a big story, as opposed to a satisfying novel in its own right. Just as it hits what feels like the first big twist and the story doubles down into new significance, the book ends, leaving me with a book of random complications. The entire book is a single line - Moria and Ashyn need to tell the Emperor what's happened - with page-by-page interest provided by random encounters. They're attacked by various beasts who need to be fought off. They're kidnapped or detained here, there and everywhere and must get free. There's no big overall sense of twisting and compounding story, just a string of beads. And that, unfortunately, is sort of tedious.

Which is really unfortunate, because the urban fantasy I've read from Kelley Armstrong has been punchy and fun. I'm perplexed how this ball got so dropped. show less

An interesting combination of magical powers fantasy and creepy, unexplained slaughter. Twins Moria and Ashyn are at the crisis point when their strictly ordered world goes wrong.

On the whole, quite readable, but I'm also very confused about what these girls' powers are supposed to be, since neither of them successfully did anything with them. As a creepy get-through-the-dead-zones before we perish or are possessed, I give it 5 stars, but I have no interest in following the rest of the series, because the characters do not sway me.

Reminds me of My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick, but that one's better.

Advanced copy provided by Edelweiss.