Novella November: The Last Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

When Jenn came up with the idea of November Novella, I jumped at the chance to read and review THE LAST STORMDANCER before reading the newest book of the series. I fell in love with this series last year when I read STORMDANCER which when, after only one book, Jay Kristoff gained a spot on my auto-buy list.

In my opinion, THE LAST STORMDANCER didn't really do his series any justice and he shouldn't be judged on this novella alone. I also wouldn't read this book as an introduction to the series because even if it’s set 100 year before the first book, there is so much information lacking. I would only use it as a add on to book 1, to gain more background information about Thunder Tigers and Stormdancers, and to learn more about their history, only grazed in STORMDANCER.

Thunder Tigers are griffin-like beasts, while the Stormdancers are the humans that ride upon their back. This novella is about a blind boy who strongly believes that he (or someone from his grandmother's progeny) will save the world from the exploding industrial age that is causing death of so many with the pollution it has produced and will undoubtedly continue to produce. He befriends a Thunder Tiger and together, they set off to stop humanity from causing the death of more humans and other creatures of the world. Political warfare is a major part of this novella as it also tell the tale of twin brothers who fight for the Four Thrones of Shima upon the death of their father, one who wants to end the industrialization, the other who wants to promote it's growth.

Like any good novella, the pace is super fast which keeps you interested throughout. THE LAST STORMDANCER is still a wonderful story despite my overall disappointment with it. It still has all the wonderful aspects the other books have, like historical Japanese stuff, samurais, steampunk, mythology and political warfare. If you're tired of the repetitive Victorian steampunk, this series will definitely bring you on a new ride and entertain you with its cleverness and original concept. A series I highly recommend.

Posted by Tynga at 02:55

 Japanese, Jay Kristoff, Macmillan, Mythology, Novella November, Review, St. Martin's, steampunk, The Lotus War, young adult  Leave your mark

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

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