Racing the Dark

My Rating
Overall Satisfaction: ★★★1/2
Intellectual Satisfaction: ★★★1/2
Emotional Satisfaction: ★★★1/2
Read this for: The world-building
Don't read this for: The characters
Bechdel Test: Pass
Johnson Test: Pass
Books I was reminded of: A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin; The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, by N. K. Jemisin.
Will I read more by this author? Maybe.

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 show more 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. . .

Read the rest of my spoiler-free review on my book review blog! show less

Lana is a young diver on the outer islands, collecting the jewels released by dying fish. But she has the potential for great power, and that—along with the ecological collapse of the outer islands, which may have something to do with the weakening bindings that keep the world’s fire, death, and water spirits bound—leads her into the hands of a witch who has mysterious and potentially devastating plans for her. I like Johnson’s later books a lot better; Lana is jerked around by the narrative in ways that make logical sense (many people are jerked around by their circumstances) but that still leave her seeming flat as a character. I for one look forward to more of Johnson’s AU 1920s New York.

It seems a little mean to complain that a writer's first book isn't as well written as her later ones, so I'll leave it at an observation that the prose is servicable and the really interesting part of the story - the part that isn't bog-standard fantasy backstory - doesn't really start until halfway through the book. The world is fascinating, a series of islands based loosely on the Pacific islands, as is the magic, which reminds me both of PI mythology and Avatar: The Last Airbender. The characters don't have especially strong voices, but they are complex people. I'm definitely interested enough to go on and read the second one.

The premise: this one's a doozy, so we're going to BN.com: 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. Lana begins to learn the spells and incantations, each of which requires some form of sacrifice from the person who employs it. As Lana becomes more powerful, she is deceived into a sacrifice she is unwilling to make — the life of her own mother. show more When Lana dares to use a dark, ancient spell to save her mother's life, she is set onto a path toward becoming a creature beyond her wildest imaginings. This is an unforgettable coming-of-age story set in a world where wielding the power of magic requires understanding the true meaning of sacrifice.

Worth the Cash: even though Racing the Dark features a teenaged protagonist, it doesn't read like a YA novel. For starters, Johnson deals with some adult issues rather nicely. Also, the protagonist(s) grow, both physically and emotionally. Given the amount of time that passes in the course of this book alone, I suspect Lana and the other protagonists will be well into adulthood by time the trilogy draws to a close. Then there's the language issue: YA is sometimes said to have transparent writing styles that don't get in the way of the story and the characters, but while Johnson's writing isn't verbose or elaborate or dense, it's certainly NOT transparent. Readers who pick this book up not knowing it's YA will probably not figure it out by the time they finish reading. And that is an interesting thing. Not good or bad, but interesting. Personally, I was sucked in, especially at the beginning. This book is about the journey, and while the ending of the book is more like a pause in that journey rather than a completed one (this trilogy I suspect will tell ONE BIG STORY, so reading order is important), I felt pretty satisfied by time I put the book down. There's so much richness in the world Johnson's created, and there's so much to enjoy and relish. It's not often you get a fantasy that's not set in a medieval or modern world, and the island/Hawaiian/Japanese elements just really worked for the book, as well as keeping the fantasy world fresh. Johnson's debut doesn't read like a debut at all: it's deliberate and controlled and I'm really looking forward to seeing where this story goes, because it is complex and it is so much about the journey that I practically have no expectations. At least, not yet. Maybe by time I get my hands on the second book, The Burning City, I will. :)

Review Style: it's a pretty complex book, so I'm taking my time with this review. Expect spoilers, but in some cases, spoilers will ruin a book, and in others, they really don't. I think this is a case where spoilers don't ruin a book, but only YOU know how spoilers affect your reading experience, so if spoilers bother you beyond belief, there's no need to click the link below, which takes you to my LJ. You have everything you need right here.

However, the LJ does offer a reading list as well as cover commentary, so if the overall discussion doesn't bother you, hop on over! As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)

REVIEW: Alaya Dawn Johnson's RACING THE DARK

Happy Reading! show less

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 recommend 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 show more 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. show less

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)...

This was an enjoyable book. I gave it 3 1/2 stars because it started very slowly without any clear direction. However, Johnson was able to pull it together towards the end to make you have more questions and entice you to want to read the second part. This was a decent read for an author's first book and I look forward to more from her.