Seeker

When I was a very troubled, stuttering child with undiagnosed mental illness, I opened up my world through the likes of Tolkien, Stephen R Donaldson and later - the larger tomes of Stephen King and Clive Barker. The epic sprawling quests and adventures spoke to me and allowed me escape as well as a vocabulary that would free me from my stutter.

Those books hold an incredibly special place in my heart as part of my DNA and as saviours of my life.

"Seeker" took me back to those times. The wonder of fictional discovery and long lexicological roads. The beautifully crafted prose, the character depth, the - at times - feeling of doom and that nothing is going to go right for the protagonist. All of it whisked me back to the linguistic escapades I traversed through pages many years back.

There's good versus evil. There's injustice and backstabbing. There's strange foods and creatures, places and cultures.

If you want a quick read, this isn't for you. If you prefer simplistic writing, also a nope. However, if you want to lose yourself across vast, fantastical lands and go on adventures with Shay - as you watch her grow and make mistakes and you say NO! at times - and discover huge leviathons amidst epic battles; then please, PLEASE read this book.

It astounds me that this is a debut. How does a human without decades of books behind them arrive with something as huge as this?

I'm so ready to see the further adventures of Shay. I was there when she was sold, I stood watching as she grew up, I cringed at her human mistakes.

Samuel Griffin, take a bow, man. This is something to be proud of.

These is a read that really gave me all the feelings of reading the old “classic” fantasies. A world i could really get lost in and so well built up across vast sprawling lands . It had the backbone of good vs evil we know so well, but in a way that felt new and already timeless at the same time. I hope this book gets the hype it really deserves.
Our main character shay is so human in her nature it makes her almost annoyingly relatable as she makes mistakes so many of us would make, and we watcher her learn and grow from these and encournter unfamiliar siutations and have to apply those life lessons learned the hard way to these situations.
The world itself, phenomenal. Weve got new lands and cultures that feel distinct from each other but still complete as a whole, and its just so beautifully well developed and written. It has feelings of fantasy but also regecy and steampunk all at once, and id happily read whole books just describing the world.
And yet the characters are also beautifully crafted and the relationships with other and the way they play off one another and grow and interact
This really feels like a book that will stand the test of time and o hope it one days becomes another classic that people will read and pass on to their kids!
I already want the next book!!

This was a really well done debut novel, it had everything that I was looking for in a fantasy novel. It uses the world perfectly and had that magical element perfectly, the characters felt like they were supposed to in this type of book. I enjoyed the way Samuel Griffin wrote this and wanted to read more in this world. It uses the regency-era elements perfectly and I'm glad I got to read this.

This was a very enjoyable book. I loved the writing style and the plot was very well thought out. I would definitely recommend this book.

"Today I am equipped with the knowledge that my future was to be far greater, more exciting, and more disturbing than anything so simple as my young imagination could then conjure. Indeed, looking back, my forecast was positively quaint. I ask myself a question often, and it is this: if I had understood all that was to befall me, would I have run, that day, or exulted?

I find I do not know."

Ancient leviathans have stirred from their long slumber. Their scent song marks where they might be found but only to those who have the means to somewhat hear it: Sentinel Archivists.

Shay Bluefaltlow finds herself training to become such a specialist when she is forced into indentured servitude. Her new home, the city of Fivedock, is strange and unfamiliar, as are her new companions: a belligerent surgeon, a remarkable little boy, and a formidable Sentinel Archivist tasked with teaching Shay the terrifying ways of the trade.

Her unanticipated position requires rigorous training, diligent study and a strong constitution. Shay, afraid she is unequal to the prodigious task but desperate to impress her superior, struggles to prove herself.

When war breaks out across the Concord, the office of the Sentinel Archivist is threatened by a terrible betrayal. And Shay has secrets of her own.

Seeker is a first person fantasy with a rich, Regency-era voice and a bewitching touch of strangeness. Robin Hobb meets Georgette Heyer and Donna Tartt in this sumptuous tale by the dazzling new master of Flintlock Fantasy, Samuel Griffin.

This is a new flintlock fantasy that I devoured in only a couple ays. If you enjoyed A Promise of Blood trilogy by Brian Mcclean then I think you'll enjoy this one too. I think this has a chance to become one of, if not the best flintlock fantasy out there:)

I’m always looking for well written and fleshed out fantasy books.

Seeker absolutely delivered on this.

The world was able to be understood- always important in a debut fantasy book- and the characters were ones I was able to become invested in and care about!

It’s not necessarily fast paced, so if you need that this book probably isn’t the one for you. But if you’re looking for incredible, descriptive writing? This is a must-pick-up book for you!

As someone who isn't a huge fan of prose, I was rather unsure when I first began to read it. But the world that Griffin creates throughout this book did more than enough to keep me engaged. The glimpses into the past we're given at the start of each chapter create a beautiful, intricate look into the world and help elevate the book beyond just the story. As I read, it felt as if I was reading Shay's diary. The nature of the writing makes the story feel more intimate and personal, bringing Shay to life beyond the pages.

This is a truly wonderful book and I look forward to seeing what comes next!

This was very different from my usual type of book. I was intrigued to find out what Flintlock Fantasy was. I was pleasantly surprised and found the whole book to be utterly entrancing.

Seeker by Samuel Griffin is a gripping adventure that takes readers on a thrilling journey from start to finish. The world-building is rich and immersive, painting a vivid picture of the fantastical realms explored by the protagonist. Griffin's writing style is engaging, with well-crafted action scenes that keep the adrenaline pumping. The characters are complex and compelling, each with their own unique motivations and struggles. While there are moments where the plot could have been tighter, overall, Seeker delivers an exciting and enjoyable reading experience for fans of fantasy and adventure novels.

Seeker by Samuel Griffin is such a a unique debut book that is laced with equal parts magic and fantasy. The characters are well developed making you invested in their success. The writing is poetic and descriptive drawing the reader into the world. The only thing I didn't like was how slow paced it was. I struggled for almost half the book but after the half way make I felt that the story picked up pace.

Thank you NetGalley and Panthe Press for providing the ARC!

Orphaned War girls. Traces of Seekers. A Concord War.


Shay Bluefaltlow. Ridley, a guardian and supervisor and her jailor. The Sentinels. Chief Archivist. Apothecaries. Draper's Ward. Thirteen Concord drams. The goal: a quote passage to Quom Protectorate.

Ancient leviathans. Wax and candle flames. Breaking Old Accords. The Tripart Wars. Operas. Gospek harmonizer, spindly steel armatures. Sentinel odour harmonics. Scent song notation.

The very details that spin this story's tapestry are intriguing, learning of this world and it's history is like unspooling thread, langurous and long, but worth the effort in the end. Seals and signets. Binding with blood.

Concord of the Houses. The Whispering Coast. Rifleman Belfry. A ball, the social debut, and a waltz. A gift, a key. A lively ballroom. Tinctures. The Three Moons: Ra, Guisi, and Aises. Eclipse of the Luminaries.

The Aeronaut's Balloon. Conspiracies. Bloody deaths. Laudanum. The Spirit Breaker, a fivedock ship. Optic glasses. A philosopher. Curious gods. Intimidating magic. Tainted dreams. Deals and bargains.

This was certainly a unique ride and I was enthralled, hanging onto the edge of my seat in tandem with each defining parts of the story. Bits of this felt like the Regency-era, steampunk, and fantasy. There is an ever-present strangeness that lingered as I read. 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

What a great book! Thanks to samuel Griffin, & Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this book.

The Seeker" by Samuel Griffin is a captivating fantasy novel that follows the journey of a young protagonist through a world filled with magic and danger. Griffin's storytelling is rich and immersive, drawing readers into a vividly imagined world where every page is filled with excitement and adventure. The characters are well-developed and relatable, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their journey. With its engaging plot and compelling narrative, "The Seeker" is a must-read for fans of fantasy fiction.

I truly hope to enjoy further Samuel Griffin books.

Enthralling from start to finish. Excellent prose and writing style. Can't wait to read more from this author.

I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait for the next one. The world and the characters are entirely believable and I really enjoyed being immersed in both. The pace is pleasing, it escalates until it reaches a very satisfying crescendo. The Regency feel is echoed in the society and the characters, and the language is beautifully crafted to echo this. The fantasy elements are exquisite in their concept and execution. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

The author, Samuel Griffin, has had a ball and indulged himself to the full in writing this atmospheric and unusual novel and sharing his love of language. If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Wooed by the period style, enhanced with florid imageries, the story is a veritable whirligig as it pirouettes, reels, gyrates, spins and pivots through forbidden knowledge, loss, forthcoming disasters, betrayal, pending the reawakening of ancient leviathans, or possibly gods.
Beguiled as I was with the writing and the fantastical elements, I did wonder at times where it was all going, with diversions to the left, surprises to the right, key characters disappearing, with destiny (in this volume) detailed in the final few pages. But a great read overall.

Thank you to Panthe Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of Seeker!

This is such a rich a luscious world that it’s impossible not to compare it to some of the greats. It’s a decadent fantasy with long luxurious prose that leaves me wanting more from Griffin! It’s expert craft level for a debut novel, intriguing in just the right ways.
I can see how this book isn’t for some people, if you don’t like tapestries of complex world building and characters and prefer a simplistic read, I would say that this story isn’t for you. Your loss.
It’s wonderful to read a fantasy book with elevation. Dedication to the good versus evil debate, and the mystery seeps through the words.
A fun but complex read, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next!

A surprise to be sure but a welcome one! I didn't have many expectations going into Seeker, but this was a well-written, exciting and thoroughly capable debut in the flintlock fantasy sub-genre, with an intriguing and novel conceit focusing on the hunt for mythical colossi thought extinct by many. Shay was a likeable and engaging protagonist, and though her numerous failures over the course of the story were sometimes cloying, they added a real sense of reality and intended long term storytelling over what I hope will be a long-running series.

I did feel at times that the world building was lacking a touch, the city of Fivedocks and the threat from the conspiracy not completely integrated into Griffin's narrative, but the overarching sense was one of future books in mind, and setting up the next books to come. Definitely one to watch!

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Panthe Press for the ARC.

I'd heard nothing about this debut novel before I read it and I have to say I was extremely pleasantly surprised.

The setting is gorgeous, the characters interesting and the story was equal parts moving and absorbing.

I can see why some may find the prose a struggle but for me this was one of the strongest elements. Griffin's lyrical, beautifully constructed sentences are a far cry from the digestible, bland prose of the vast majority of modern speculative fiction.

I've never enjoyed a flintlock fantasy story so much - I found myself completely believing in the narrator and could not put the book down.

I would thoroughly recommend this to any fan of low, adult fantasy as well as historical fiction fans who are open to reading excellent fantasy.

I cannot wait for book 2 in the series!!!!!!