Seeker

December 22, 2014
In this powerful beginning to a complex family saga, 15-year-old Quin Kincaid, her biracial cousin Shinobu MacBain, and their friend John Hart train on the Kincaid family’s Scottish estate to become Seekers, warriors who slip through space and time. Historically, Seekers used their powers and weapons—chameleon whipswords and nightmarish, sanity-stripping disruptors—to right wrongs. When Quin and Shinobu venture on their first mission, they find they’re destined to be assassins for Quin’s brutal, manipulative father. The novel’s appeal lies less in the slightly futuristic, slightly alternate-history setting, than in the way the nascent Seekers cope with betrayal: Quin and Shinobu flee to Hong Kong, where Quin chooses a path of therapeutic amnesia, and Shinobu plunges into drug use and dangerous salvage diving. Meanwhile, John risks becoming what he most despises as he seeks revenge and possession of his family’s “athame,” the tool that allows Seekers to cut through the fabric of reality. Worldbuilding can be sketchy, but Dayton (Resurrection) excels at creating memorable characters, among them Maud, the “Young Dread,” an ageless child whose mysterious clan is linked to the Seekers. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.

November 15, 2014
Three teens are tricked into using their phenomenal cosmic powers for immoral purposes. Quin, Shinobu and John are finally ready to be inducted into the secret society of Seekers. Though they are only teenagers, they have trained since they were children to fight with the Seeker weapon, the whipsword, and to avoid the dreaded mind-destroying disruptor. Somehow, horrifyingly, John fails his final test and is sent away. John, however, already knows the secret that's been kept from Quin and Shinobu: The Seekers are no heroes. Quin has spent her life desperate for her father's approval and is horrified to realize what a monster he's always been. With their lives toppled, the three would-be fighters are separated, traveling with magical speed from rural Scotland to a noir Hong Kong stocked with opium dens. The childhood friends are now at odds, though with chapters alternating with each protagonist, the characters have the opportunity to show all their perspectives. In an adventure packed with drug abuse, self-harm, amnesia and betrayal, one erstwhile Seeker aims to control another. It's a thinly drawn tangle of a setting, with portable televisions and cellphones alongside steampunk-style airships and sci-fi "airlifts." Nor do the heroes escape lazy stereotyping. For biracial Shinobu, for example, becoming "more Japanese" translates to "things like manners and honor." A relationship triangle completes the picture (as it's packed with pseudo-sexual violence, it's difficult to call it a love triangle). Ellipsis-laden dialogue makes even death-defying, CGI-ready adventures drag. (Science fantasy. 14-16)

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January 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-A life of honor, using her training for the good of humankind-that's what Quin Kincaid has been promised. Under the watchful eye of her father she has learned to use the tools of the Seeker: the "whipsword" with its deadly ability to assume the form of any weapon, and the "athame," a stone dagger that can slice through the threads of time, space, and matter, transporting the user to almost any destination. But upon taking her oath, she finds that her father's idea of the honorable work of a Seeker leads her to commit terrible acts. When a fiery siege is launched on their compound, Quin takes the opportunity to escape. Now she and her training partners, John and Shinobu, must come to terms with the dark deeds of their past, reclaim the honor of their families, and determine the true and proper duties of a Seeker. This novel combines all of the modern components for a successful young adult novel: a heroine with a perfect mix of innocence and lethal force; a society that, while not quite dystopian, needs saving; a love interest who is dangerous and forbidden; and the promise of sequels-to-come. Dayton has created a complex and intriguing set of characters here. Fans of Veronica Roth's "Divergent" (HarperCollins), Marie Lu's "Legend" (Putnam), and Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" (Scholastic) series: your next obsession has arrived.-Sara Saxton, Wasilla Public Library, Wasilla, AK

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2015
Grades 8-11 In this genre-blending sci-fi/fantasy/steampunk adventure, three teens are poised to become Seekers, a legendary role for which they've been groomed for years. Quin and her distant cousin Shinobu take the Oath. John, however, is kept from the ceremony; he knows the secret horror behind the honor, though readers are left with just an offstage hint of the grim reality of life as a Seeker. Quin deals with her Seeker trauma by becoming a healer, Shinobu becomes a frequenter of London opium dens, and John is on the hunt to return power to his family. Narration alternates between the love-triangle heroes and a fascinating centuries-old character named Young Dread. Dayton provides intriguing technologya shape-shifting whipsword and some powerful family heirloom athames (daggers) that cut holes to allow travel between rural Scotland, the bowels of London, and There though in some aspects the world building remains sketchy. The forthcoming movie is a perfect vehicle for the action-packed scenes and will prompt purchase of the novel for most teen collections.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: If the upcoming movie doesn't sell it, the national author tour, floor displays, comic cons, and more will.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)