Author: Arwen Elys Dayton
Publisher: Delacorte, 2015
Pages: 448 p
Source: Netgalley
Compensation: None
Quin Kincaid is about to take the final test to become a Seeker, a mysterious time traveler, and is excited and ready after years of hard training. Her secret boyfriend John is less excited since he knows what Seekers actually do and it is much less noble than Quin and her "cousin" Shinobu have grown up believing. Quin's father is their harsh teacher who has no love for anybody. When John falters during a particularly hard training session, he is kicked out by Quin's father. Unable to take the test and fulfill his family duty of becoming Seeker, he leaves Quin and Shinobu--who have taken their "test" and changed their lives forever. Before John leaves he tries to take back what Quin's father stole from his family and sets off a dangerous series of events.
There is so much in this book it's hard to summarize. The chapters are told in alternating viewpoints-- Quin and John and then later on Shinobu. There are also chapters telling the story of Maud--a girl who is much older and mystical than she appears. Quin is both strong and vulnerable, John is both honorable and devious, Shinobu is weak and trustworthy. None of them are perfect characters, they are all flawed in some way. I liked Quin and I enjoyed the story of the Seekers, but I was really drawn to Maud and her story as well. There were some parts that could have been condensed and others that kept me from putting down the story. Seeker is an interesting fantasy that has stuck with me in the weeks since I've read it. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.
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