Seeker - Arwen Elys Dayton - 4.5 stars

I got this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not too sure at first about this book since it is fantasy, but it is a YA fantasy and most of the time I do ok with YA Fantasy. I have to say that I really enjoyed this book and found it to be very engaging with a solid plot of good vs. evil.

In this book we have Quin who has undergone years of training to become what she thought was a very noble and honorable position, a Seeker. She later discovers that her skills were going to be used in a less than noble manner. For years she was lied to and no one appears as they seem. Quin sets out to make things right as she travels to many places in very magical ways.

I have not read a book like this before and it was very refreshing to me. Then again I don't read much fantasy so maybe this is just new to me. I was engaged with the story from the beginning and found it hard to put the book down. It is chock full of greed, revenge, betrayal and even love. I found it amazing that even though there was somewhat of a love triangle, there was not any of this insta-love going on that we find in so many YA novels.

I found the world building and the plot beautifully written with great imagery. Most of the time I could imagine myself there at the estate in Scotland or even on the bridges of Hong Kong, amazing. I also loved the air of mystery there was in the book from the very start. Readers will find themselves trying to make sense of things right along with the characters. I loved that. There was non stop adventure and excitement throughout the book and I find it had a good ending to make room for the next book.

Our characters are very well created and very realistic imo. I also must say that they are also pretty relatable. I love that the author added an interlude about 35% into the story. It had plenty of backstory on our characters which made them even more realistic to me and made me feel such raw emotion for them in each of their situations. Quin and Shinobu are definitely my favorite characters, but I also have to say Maud made her way to that list as well. I loved how they fought for a better purpose even when they were pushed back every step of the way. Made them really likable. They evolved well through the story. For me, that is one of the most important elements for a character to achieve trough a story.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a different kind of fantasy story with plenty to keep the mind of a reader totally engaged. I am giving this book a 4.5 star rating.