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The Kyoshi Novels #1
A ascensão de Kyoshi
Primeiro romance young adult da franquia, escrito pelos autores F.C. Yee e Michael Dante DiMartino, este último cocriador de Avatar.
A ascensão de Kyoshi mergulha no passado de Kyoshi, a Avatar do Reino da Terra. Mais longeva Avatar na história desse universo tão amado, Kyoshi estabeleceu a corajosa e respeitada ordem dos Guerreiros de Kyoshi, mas também fundou o misterioso Dai Li, que levou à corrupção, ao declínio e à queda de sua nação. Este romance, o primeiro de dois baseado em Kyoshi, mapeia sua jornada – das origens humildes à justiceira implacável ainda amada e temida mesmo séculos após ter se tornado Avatar.
A ascensão de Kyoshi mergulha no passado de Kyoshi, a Avatar do Reino da Terra. Mais longeva Avatar na história desse universo tão amado, Kyoshi estabeleceu a corajosa e respeitada ordem dos Guerreiros de Kyoshi, mas também fundou o misterioso Dai Li, que levou à corrupção, ao declínio e à queda de sua nação. Este romance, o primeiro de dois baseado em Kyoshi, mapeia sua jornada – das origens humildes à justiceira implacável ainda amada e temida mesmo séculos após ter se tornado Avatar.
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 16, 2019
About the author
F.C. Yee
9 books1,609 followersF.C. Yee is currently the author of THE EPIC CRUSH OF GENIE LO. He will hopefully be the author of more YA books in the future.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,434 reviews
August 16, 2020
Avatar Kyoshi if you see this I’m free Thursday night are you free Thursday night so I can take you out on Thursday night if you’re free I’d like to hang out Thursday night please message me back if you’re free Thursday night when I am free
—★—
Reasons you should read this book:
Kyoshi and Rangi. Kyoshi and Rangi. Genuinely one of my favorite fictional relationships of the year, probably. This is a f/f romance (bisexuals won with Kyoshi!), and I truly cannot believe a cis man wrote it because it is absolutely delicious. Let me just give you a few quotes:
And I’m just going to link you to this very convincing tweet I made, as well as more quotes. Read it for them, if not for anything else!!
Kyoshi is probably my second favorite part of the book. She’s just such an amazing character, and her development throughout the book was truly incredible; you can really see where her desire for justice was born. Kyoshi was a girl who was never viewed with any kind of respect or importance her entire life, aside from three people. Her being identified as the Avatar late and coming from an abandoned, impoverished background meant that she always had to fight for everything in her life, even basic things she should have been entitled to. Seeing her grow into her Avatar identity and become the fierce, powerful Kyoshi we know was absolutely delightful. I’m just going to drop more quotes because I love her so much:
Also, the book is a fantastic exploration of ethics, justice, and corruption in general, I think, as well as destiny and responsibility (especially as an Avatar). One of the decisions Kyoshi makes involves choosing between staying with someone who has done several bad things, especially to her own loved ones, but has also been beneficial to the stability of the Earth Kingdom—or becoming a part of the daofei, who are lawless criminals, in order to seek and gain revenge. There is also the idea that Kyoshi must set an example and maintain a reputation as an Avatar, so it raises the questions: Who does Kyoshi want to be? What will she be known for? What is she willing to fight for?
And finally, if you’re a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, I highly recommend reading this! It introduces and/or expands on the customs, culture, and politics in the ATLA universe, and it was really interesting to see what all the nations were like before the ATLA timeline. It was actually a bit disconcerting to be in a world where Air Nomads were still alive and the Fire Nation wasn’t overtly imperialist like it is in ATLA, but I loved just being immersed in the ATLA world again. And sky bison!! I love them!!!
If I had one gripe, it was that the conclusion of the book’s plot arc felt a bit anticlimactic, and there were so many things happening at the end that felt like they came out of nowhere without much buildup, but regardless of these small complaints, I definitely am in love with this book and cannot wait for the sequel. Kyoshi has now become one of my favorite characters (and her romance one of my favorites as well), and I will live my life the way she told me to... be gay do crime!!
—★—
:: rep :: Asian-coded cast + Indigenous-coded side character, bisexual MC, wlw LI
:: content warnings :: violence, death/murder (of loved ones), parental neglect, starvation, mentions of mass murder
—★—
Reasons you should read this book:
Kyoshi and Rangi. Kyoshi and Rangi. Genuinely one of my favorite fictional relationships of the year, probably. This is a f/f romance (bisexuals won with Kyoshi!), and I truly cannot believe a cis man wrote it because it is absolutely delicious. Let me just give you a few quotes:
✦ “You don’t think you deserve peace and happiness and good things, but you do!” Rangi yelled. “You, Kyoshi! Not the Avatar, but you!”
✦ “Where you go, I go.”
✦ Kyoshi realized that comforting her throughout the night was both an honor and a torture she wouldn’t have traded for anything in the world.
✦ With their eyes on each other, it was easy to be brave. Maybe that’s the only way we get through this, Kyoshi thought. Just never look away.
And I’m just going to link you to this very convincing tweet I made, as well as more quotes. Read it for them, if not for anything else!!
Kyoshi is probably my second favorite part of the book. She’s just such an amazing character, and her development throughout the book was truly incredible; you can really see where her desire for justice was born. Kyoshi was a girl who was never viewed with any kind of respect or importance her entire life, aside from three people. Her being identified as the Avatar late and coming from an abandoned, impoverished background meant that she always had to fight for everything in her life, even basic things she should have been entitled to. Seeing her grow into her Avatar identity and become the fierce, powerful Kyoshi we know was absolutely delightful. I’m just going to drop more quotes because I love her so much:
✦ To Kyoshi that had been the easiest lesson to take in. She was nothing special. She had never been anything special. That was a mantra she believed in.
✦ This is what I need to keep safe above all else. The sudden clarity of her realization caused her mirth to evaporate. [...] Her fist tightened around nothing. And the spirits help anyone who would take this from me.
✦ They’re humans like us, made of skin and guts and pain. They need to be reminded of that fact.
Also, the book is a fantastic exploration of ethics, justice, and corruption in general, I think, as well as destiny and responsibility (especially as an Avatar). One of the decisions Kyoshi makes involves choosing between staying with someone who has done several bad things, especially to her own loved ones, but has also been beneficial to the stability of the Earth Kingdom—or becoming a part of the daofei, who are lawless criminals, in order to seek and gain revenge. There is also the idea that Kyoshi must set an example and maintain a reputation as an Avatar, so it raises the questions: Who does Kyoshi want to be? What will she be known for? What is she willing to fight for?
And finally, if you’re a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, I highly recommend reading this! It introduces and/or expands on the customs, culture, and politics in the ATLA universe, and it was really interesting to see what all the nations were like before the ATLA timeline. It was actually a bit disconcerting to be in a world where Air Nomads were still alive and the Fire Nation wasn’t overtly imperialist like it is in ATLA, but I loved just being immersed in the ATLA world again. And sky bison!! I love them!!!
If I had one gripe, it was that the conclusion of the book’s plot arc felt a bit anticlimactic, and there were so many things happening at the end that felt like they came out of nowhere without much buildup, but regardless of these small complaints, I definitely am in love with this book and cannot wait for the sequel. Kyoshi has now become one of my favorite characters (and her romance one of my favorites as well), and I will live my life the way she told me to... be gay do crime!!
—★—
:: rep :: Asian-coded cast + Indigenous-coded side character, bisexual MC, wlw LI
:: content warnings :: violence, death/murder (of loved ones), parental neglect, starvation, mentions of mass murder
August 5, 2019
What I expected: another epic saga detailing the origins of one of the show's most compelling past Avatars.
What I got: BE GAY DO CRIME
What I got: BE GAY DO CRIME
July 4, 2019
ONE MILLION STARS
This was so so good, it develops Avatar lore further, it shows the incredible arc of Kyoshi's beginnings as Avatar and it is so different to Aang and Korra, I can't even. She is so badass - and her love story with her bff Rangi (a female firebender and her bodyguard) is SO CUTE OMG.
This is fucking dark too and full of personal loss. I cried MULTIPLE TIMES but this is par for the course with Avatar stories obvs, I cried pretty much in all episodes of The Last Airbender so this carries on the mantle of the series REALLY WELL.
It has: tons of politics (the Earth Kingdom is such a mess), SKY BISONS (one called PengPeng who becomes her friend omg criessob), AIR NOMADS LOT OF THEM (Kyoshi is HALF AIR NOMAD WHAT), CRIMINALS, REVENGE, DEATHS, Lots of amazing Earthbending feats (BEST BENDING), the action sequences are out of this world, lots of mention at how bad an Avatar Kuruk was LOL, the way that Kyoshi becomes almost immortal is seeded here, also her METAL FANS MY DEAR LORD, there is also abuse and hunger in her childhood (sobs more) and her being brought up by an Air Nomad surrogate dad (who used to be BFFs with Avatar Kuruk), and romance and and and THAT CLIFFHANGER
GIVE ME MORE.
This was so so good, it develops Avatar lore further, it shows the incredible arc of Kyoshi's beginnings as Avatar and it is so different to Aang and Korra, I can't even. She is so badass - and her love story with her bff Rangi (a female firebender and her bodyguard) is SO CUTE OMG.
This is fucking dark too and full of personal loss. I cried MULTIPLE TIMES but this is par for the course with Avatar stories obvs, I cried pretty much in all episodes of The Last Airbender so this carries on the mantle of the series REALLY WELL.
It has: tons of politics (the Earth Kingdom is such a mess), SKY BISONS (one called PengPeng who becomes her friend omg criessob), AIR NOMADS LOT OF THEM (Kyoshi is HALF AIR NOMAD WHAT), CRIMINALS, REVENGE, DEATHS, Lots of amazing Earthbending feats (BEST BENDING), the action sequences are out of this world, lots of mention at how bad an Avatar Kuruk was LOL, the way that Kyoshi becomes almost immortal is seeded here, also her METAL FANS MY DEAR LORD, there is also abuse and hunger in her childhood (sobs more) and her being brought up by an Air Nomad surrogate dad (who used to be BFFs with Avatar Kuruk), and romance and and and THAT CLIFFHANGER
GIVE ME MORE.
Want to read
August 29, 2018Guess who’s crying at 2 AM.
August 30, 2020
when i finally get an animated series for this then u will see. then u will ALL see
December 3, 2019
“What you do when no one is guiding you determines who you are.”
representation: bisexual rep, f/f relationship, own voices asian inspired world and characters, super tall MC.
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 4 . 5 s t a r s *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Avatar: The Last Airbender is my favourite show of all time, so reading a cannon story about our bisexual queen, avatar kyoshi???? YES PLZ. And this was so good!!! A couple of things that happened actually tore out my soul. Like... I was so upset for these characters oh my word, and it takes a lot for a book to reach me emotionally like that, so props to F.C Yee! I loved seeing all the little nods to the original series, from mentioning places that we've already been like Ember Island, Ba Sing Se and Omashu, to a cameo from turtleducks, it made my avatar-loving heart soar! Also, the f/f romance????? *chef's kiss*
I also loved the feminist vibes and how Kyoshi wasn't afraid to call men out on their BS.
"There were always a certain kind of man who thought her particular dimensions made her a public good, an oddity they were free to gawk at, prod, or worse. Often they assumed she should be grateful for the attention. That they were special and powerful for giving it to her."
&
"They are all the same, Kyoshi thought. Every single one. Whether they clothe themselves in business or brotherhood or a higher calling only they can see, it doesn't matter. They're one and the same."
However, I did feel like the story dragged a little bit at times, and I wasn't a huge fan of the over-arcing plot (but that's just a personal thing), but I still can't wait to read the next book and see where this goes!
trigger warnings: (i forgot to keep track so sorry if i missed any!) child abandonment, living in poverty, violence, mention of mass murder, fire, death of loved ones.
representation: bisexual rep, f/f relationship, own voices asian inspired world and characters, super tall MC.
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 4 . 5 s t a r s *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Avatar: The Last Airbender is my favourite show of all time, so reading a cannon story about our bisexual queen, avatar kyoshi???? YES PLZ. And this was so good!!! A couple of things that happened actually tore out my soul. Like... I was so upset for these characters oh my word, and it takes a lot for a book to reach me emotionally like that, so props to F.C Yee! I loved seeing all the little nods to the original series, from mentioning places that we've already been like Ember Island, Ba Sing Se and Omashu, to a cameo from turtleducks, it made my avatar-loving heart soar! Also, the f/f romance????? *chef's kiss*
I also loved the feminist vibes and how Kyoshi wasn't afraid to call men out on their BS.
"There were always a certain kind of man who thought her particular dimensions made her a public good, an oddity they were free to gawk at, prod, or worse. Often they assumed she should be grateful for the attention. That they were special and powerful for giving it to her."
&
"They are all the same, Kyoshi thought. Every single one. Whether they clothe themselves in business or brotherhood or a higher calling only they can see, it doesn't matter. They're one and the same."
However, I did feel like the story dragged a little bit at times, and I wasn't a huge fan of the over-arcing plot (but that's just a personal thing), but I still can't wait to read the next book and see where this goes!
trigger warnings: (i forgot to keep track so sorry if i missed any!) child abandonment, living in poverty, violence, mention of mass murder, fire, death of loved ones.
July 31, 2020
This was like an Avatar: The Last Airbender episode...but as a book.
A lot of times I feel books based on franchises are a bit mediocre. I tend to not gravitate towards them because they add so little. This is not the case for The Rise of Kyoshi. A book that fits seamlessly in with the show. It is clear F.C. Yee has a deep understanding and respect for the lore and show.
The world building is expanded in ways that make perfect logical sense. We see what the world was like before the Hundred Year War. Back when Air Nomads existed and the Fire Nation wasn't colonizing. How the nations lived in relative harmony. But don't worry about the harmony making it boring, there's plenty of action, conflict, and political intrigue.
More important than the world expansion though is Kyoshi's character expansion. Yee takes a character we saw a handful of times briefly, and makes her fleshed out and real. She's not the bloodthirsty Avatar we see memed about, but rather a young Avatar who's been dealt bad luck, who has to fight for her power and respect. She's surprisingly empathetic, but fast to make decisions and stick by them as an Earthbender should.
She's also quite romantic and has a sweet romance with another female bender. You like The Legend of Korra's ending? Well then you're going to be like that foaming mouth guy from the episode The Warriors of Kyoshi for this.
With the character study and world building there is also a ton of engaging action, as expected from Avatar. The Avatar-esque fights translate surprisingly well to a written medium.
My only real nitpick is that it takes quite awhile for the actual plot to start. Don't get me wrong the book is entertaining from start to finish, but I didn't feel like the real book started until like 35% of the way through.
Nitpicking aside, this is an excellent addition to the Avatar universe I'd highly recommend to any fan of the show. Wouldn't recommend it for someone who hasn't watched the show because you're thrown in without much explanation for anything. This was written for fans by a fan.
(Btw I'd also recommend Yee's The Epic Crush of Genie Lo duology it's superb)
Prereview
I would go on a three year journey to regain my honor for this book
A lot of times I feel books based on franchises are a bit mediocre. I tend to not gravitate towards them because they add so little. This is not the case for The Rise of Kyoshi. A book that fits seamlessly in with the show. It is clear F.C. Yee has a deep understanding and respect for the lore and show.
The world building is expanded in ways that make perfect logical sense. We see what the world was like before the Hundred Year War. Back when Air Nomads existed and the Fire Nation wasn't colonizing. How the nations lived in relative harmony. But don't worry about the harmony making it boring, there's plenty of action, conflict, and political intrigue.
More important than the world expansion though is Kyoshi's character expansion. Yee takes a character we saw a handful of times briefly, and makes her fleshed out and real. She's not the bloodthirsty Avatar we see memed about, but rather a young Avatar who's been dealt bad luck, who has to fight for her power and respect. She's surprisingly empathetic, but fast to make decisions and stick by them as an Earthbender should.
She's also quite romantic and has a sweet romance with another female bender. You like The Legend of Korra's ending? Well then you're going to be like that foaming mouth guy from the episode The Warriors of Kyoshi for this.
With the character study and world building there is also a ton of engaging action, as expected from Avatar. The Avatar-esque fights translate surprisingly well to a written medium.
My only real nitpick is that it takes quite awhile for the actual plot to start. Don't get me wrong the book is entertaining from start to finish, but I didn't feel like the real book started until like 35% of the way through.
Nitpicking aside, this is an excellent addition to the Avatar universe I'd highly recommend to any fan of the show. Wouldn't recommend it for someone who hasn't watched the show because you're thrown in without much explanation for anything. This was written for fans by a fan.
(Btw I'd also recommend Yee's The Epic Crush of Genie Lo duology it's superb)
Prereview
I would go on a three year journey to regain my honor for this book
Want to read
August 29, 2018If you think I'm not going to scream in excitement until I have this in my hands...you are wrong.
Read
May 6, 2023avatar kyoshi is the moment!!!
yeah, I love this book. I love kyoshi, rangi, the banter, the training, the politics. it all blended together so well.
yeah, I love this book. I love kyoshi, rangi, the banter, the training, the politics. it all blended together so well.
December 20, 2020
bisexuals stay winning!!!!
November 15, 2019
Avatar fans, listen up: READ THIS BOOK.
The Rise of Kyoshi is bloody brilliant, and 10/10 will make you want to watch the animated series.
- Follows Kyoshi as a teen and her tumultuous journey of growing into her destiny as the Avatar.
- The story expands the worldbuilding, lore, and politics surrounding the Avatar. I really enjoyed this and it made me miss the Avatar universe SO MUCH. (so much, in fact, that I started rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender -- which was ultimately to my benefit because this book has SO many subtle nods to the series!)
- Kyoshi's journey and life as an Avatar is so so different to Aang and Korra. Kyoshi's journey is fraught with so many obstacles and challenges, and the story takes on a darker, more solemn tone.
- The character development in this is amazing! I genuinely loved all the characters in this book - the emotional depth, the complexity, moral ambiguities - all of it. I especially loved Kyoshi's relationship with Rangi, which felt so organic and wonderful.
- You really begin to understand why and how Kyoshi became such a fearsome Avatar with such a strong and hard-ass sense of justice. Tbh, I love Kyoshi so much.
Trigger/content warnings:
The Rise of Kyoshi is bloody brilliant, and 10/10 will make you want to watch the animated series.
- Follows Kyoshi as a teen and her tumultuous journey of growing into her destiny as the Avatar.
- The story expands the worldbuilding, lore, and politics surrounding the Avatar. I really enjoyed this and it made me miss the Avatar universe SO MUCH. (so much, in fact, that I started rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender -- which was ultimately to my benefit because this book has SO many subtle nods to the series!)
- Kyoshi's journey and life as an Avatar is so so different to Aang and Korra. Kyoshi's journey is fraught with so many obstacles and challenges, and the story takes on a darker, more solemn tone.
- The character development in this is amazing! I genuinely loved all the characters in this book - the emotional depth, the complexity, moral ambiguities - all of it. I especially loved Kyoshi's relationship with Rangi, which felt so organic and wonderful.
- You really begin to understand why and how Kyoshi became such a fearsome Avatar with such a strong and hard-ass sense of justice. Tbh, I love Kyoshi so much.
Trigger/content warnings:
March 13, 2020
Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiikes. I honestly don't know why I expected as much as I did out of this, since Kyoshi was never my favorite Avatar in the show.
In truth, this should have been a lengthy graphic novel. Not like the other comics, but a full length graphic novel, since there was a decent amount of information and development in this book. I just feel like the world of the Avatar wasn't depicted well through writing, and the visuals are part of what makes that universe so damn special.
I ended up skimming a lot of this book. The plot was slow to develop, and the pacing was pretty staggered at times. But overall, I just don't really have anything good to say about this book, aside from the fact that the author is a good writer. I just don't think his writing fits this story.
If you are a massive fan of both the cartoon and Kyoshi (of which I am only a fan of one, and it is not the main character of this book lol) then I would highly suggest giving this book a try. It just wasn't for me, and while I'm disappointed, I'm also okay with it. I never liked Kyoshi when she showed up in the show, so I'm not too heartbroken over this revelation. However, you can bet that I won't be investing any money in the sequel.
In truth, this should have been a lengthy graphic novel. Not like the other comics, but a full length graphic novel, since there was a decent amount of information and development in this book. I just feel like the world of the Avatar wasn't depicted well through writing, and the visuals are part of what makes that universe so damn special.
I ended up skimming a lot of this book. The plot was slow to develop, and the pacing was pretty staggered at times. But overall, I just don't really have anything good to say about this book, aside from the fact that the author is a good writer. I just don't think his writing fits this story.
If you are a massive fan of both the cartoon and Kyoshi (of which I am only a fan of one, and it is not the main character of this book lol) then I would highly suggest giving this book a try. It just wasn't for me, and while I'm disappointed, I'm also okay with it. I never liked Kyoshi when she showed up in the show, so I'm not too heartbroken over this revelation. However, you can bet that I won't be investing any money in the sequel.
Want to read
March 29, 2019
July 24, 2020
kyoshi said bisexual rights, so we stan.
Shelved as 'wishlist'
August 13, 2020I WANT IT
July 25, 2019
Then let it be so, she thought. She would fight her ill fortune, her bad stars, and protect those who might despise her to the very end of her days.
Kyoshi wasn’t always that Avatar who all the people adored. She was an ordinary servant once, not someone who was worth noticing. When the position of the current Avatar are being questioned some eyes turn their attention to Kyoshi.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ:☆. *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Credit to the talented creator
From what we’ve seen of Kysohi on the Avatar the last Airbender show we have a very little information about the Earthbending Avatar who ended up creating the Dai Lai and who lived to be a 230 years old! The oldest Avatar to have ever lived. I have often asked myself how it was possible that Kyoshi achieved the things that she did, and what made her into what she was?
We are finally getting the answers now. 11 years after Avatar the last Airbender has ended we are getting introduced to Kyoshi her whole story and it sure is something.
“What insult have I given you?”
“Your existence,” Kyoshi spat.
Kyoshi’s life is anything but a picnic on the beach. It wasn’t that she was given anything on a silver platter or something. She was left at a very young age by her parents and had to survive on her own for some time until Kelsang came into her life and provided for her.
Kyoshi knew what it was like to founder alone in the dark, grasping for edges that were too far away, without a mother or father to extend a hand and pull you to safety. The pain of having no value to anyone, nothing to trade for food or warmth or a loving embrace.
⛰️ Kyoshi: A bisexual Earthbender. Even as an Earthbender she isn’t particularly skilled, and she is unaware of her true powers. Is incredibly tall and was an orphan in her younger years.
⛰️ Kelsang: An Airbender. Owns a bison called Pengpeng. Raised Kyoshi as his own.
He’d done all this, saved the life of a child stranger, for no reason other than that she needed someone. In a part of the Earth Kingdom where love was reserved solely for blood relations, the monk from a foreign land was the dearest person in the world to Kyoshi.
⛰️ Rangi: She’s one badass Firebender. Is a personal guard to the Avatar. Is in love with Kysohi.
I just want to scream
Once Kysohi finds out the truth about her being the Avatar she is forced to flee from the mansion that she had been working at with Rangi when someone wants to use her powers for ill intends. Forced to hide her powers Kyoshi ends up with a band of renegades where she participates in a couple of schemes and takes her first practices in the other elements, and particularly struggles with Airbending.
Still Kyoshi is far from being a fully established Avatar, and is still in hiding. Her bending doesn’t come naturally to her, and she does whatever is in her powers to train her bending.
Kyoshi’s story has never been an easy one and she had to fight to get whatever she was entitled to. This book only followed Kyoshi during her younger years and we watched her being shaped into an Avatar into the race for something humongous.
While I was reading this book I had kind of forgotten that this was going to be a two part series and when I read To be continued on the last pages I wanted to hurl my ereader across the room, but decided not to. Sure Kyoshi was only in her teens in this first book so it’s only logical that we get so read about the rest of her life whenever the next book comes out. When…
I have enclosed Kyoshi inside my heart and she will remain there until I draw my final breath.
↠ Genre: Fantasy, The Avatar The Last Airbender Universe
↠ Reputation: Bisexual reputation
↠ Pov: Third Person – Female
↠ Type: Book 1 out of 2
↠ Rating: 5 stars
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March 24, 2020
“But now she understood. True hatred was knife-edged and certain. A scale that begged for perfect balance. Her only responsibility in this life, as far as she was concerned, was to even the weight.”
The Rise of Kyoshi is the first in a duology following the history behind Avatar Kyoshi and I found the story somewhat convoluted.
♦ THE ART THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
Let me preface my review by saying that the biggest problem this story faced was that it was told through the wrong medium.
I am a HUGE Avatar: The Last Airbender fan. I watch it every year, and I have watched it every year (sometimes several times a year) for almost two decades. It is one of my favourite animated series of all time, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s faultless.
What made Avatar: The Last Airbender so great were the character arcs, the animation style and the discussion of morality that was woven seamlessly through almost every episode. This made the show feel sincere and unique. And although I have gotten that same feeling from the comics that have been published after the show ended, I just didn’t get that feeling from this book.
For starters, this story could have been so much more had it been a graphic novel. Some stories should not be in a graphic novel format (eg:- White Sand by Brandon Sanderson), and some stories can only flourish through a graphic novel format. The Rise of Kyoshi falls in the latter. Even though a mini animated series could have done wonders, a graphic novel format would have fit this story perfectly. The story was meant to be told visually.
♠ THE RISE OF AN AVATAR
I liked the story. The concept was a fun and interesting one with twists and turns to keep me interested. I enjoyed the adventure, and I really enjoyed the bending. My favourite aspect has to be getting answers as to why Kyoshi wore the armour that she wore. The history behind her heritage was fascinating, and I want to know more.
However, I did not care about Kyoshi. I did not care about her best friend or even her bending masters. All the characters, including the protagonist, were so very bland. You could interchange every character with any other character from a typical YA book and there would be no change. There was no characteristic that made any character stand out, they were pretty one dimensional, and Kyoshi’s lack of duty bothered me. As an Earthbender, she lacked quite a few Earthbending traits, especially the ability to be sure of herself. Personally, I believe that was a mistake in characterisation. Even though she was a teenager, she was an Earthbender, and Earthbenders are firm. Kyoshi was too flaky, and her personality was too similar to that of an Airbender.
♠ LONG AGO THE FOUR NATIONS LIVED IN HARMONY…
There was no world building in this book. It’s understandable, because the people who would read this book are already fans of this world. The world has already been built. However, that worked to the detriment of this story. Instead of creating a rich world as a backdrop, we had mostly dialogue and shallow internal monologues. There was nothing profound about Avatar Kyoshi’s journey, with discussions of good and evil taking place. There was nothing to truly place this story in the Avatar World.
Regardless of my criticisms, I will be reading the second book with the hope that the problems I mentioned will be solved.
The Rise of Kyoshi is the first in a duology following the history behind Avatar Kyoshi and I found the story somewhat convoluted.
♦ THE ART THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
Let me preface my review by saying that the biggest problem this story faced was that it was told through the wrong medium.
I am a HUGE Avatar: The Last Airbender fan. I watch it every year, and I have watched it every year (sometimes several times a year) for almost two decades. It is one of my favourite animated series of all time, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s faultless.
What made Avatar: The Last Airbender so great were the character arcs, the animation style and the discussion of morality that was woven seamlessly through almost every episode. This made the show feel sincere and unique. And although I have gotten that same feeling from the comics that have been published after the show ended, I just didn’t get that feeling from this book.
For starters, this story could have been so much more had it been a graphic novel. Some stories should not be in a graphic novel format (eg:- White Sand by Brandon Sanderson), and some stories can only flourish through a graphic novel format. The Rise of Kyoshi falls in the latter. Even though a mini animated series could have done wonders, a graphic novel format would have fit this story perfectly. The story was meant to be told visually.
♠ THE RISE OF AN AVATAR
I liked the story. The concept was a fun and interesting one with twists and turns to keep me interested. I enjoyed the adventure, and I really enjoyed the bending. My favourite aspect has to be getting answers as to why Kyoshi wore the armour that she wore. The history behind her heritage was fascinating, and I want to know more.
However, I did not care about Kyoshi. I did not care about her best friend or even her bending masters. All the characters, including the protagonist, were so very bland. You could interchange every character with any other character from a typical YA book and there would be no change. There was no characteristic that made any character stand out, they were pretty one dimensional, and Kyoshi’s lack of duty bothered me. As an Earthbender, she lacked quite a few Earthbending traits, especially the ability to be sure of herself. Personally, I believe that was a mistake in characterisation. Even though she was a teenager, she was an Earthbender, and Earthbenders are firm. Kyoshi was too flaky, and her personality was too similar to that of an Airbender.
♠ LONG AGO THE FOUR NATIONS LIVED IN HARMONY…
There was no world building in this book. It’s understandable, because the people who would read this book are already fans of this world. The world has already been built. However, that worked to the detriment of this story. Instead of creating a rich world as a backdrop, we had mostly dialogue and shallow internal monologues. There was nothing profound about Avatar Kyoshi’s journey, with discussions of good and evil taking place. There was nothing to truly place this story in the Avatar World.
Regardless of my criticisms, I will be reading the second book with the hope that the problems I mentioned will be solved.
June 7, 2020
[4.5 Stars]
My Video Review:
https://youtu.be/xA4WoxVdKYU
It took me trying three or four times to actually film the review because it can be hard to talk about without revealing too much or getting sidetracked by the other Avatars we've got to follow so far.
My Video Review:
https://youtu.be/xA4WoxVdKYU
It took me trying three or four times to actually film the review because it can be hard to talk about without revealing too much or getting sidetracked by the other Avatars we've got to follow so far.
August 28, 2020
holy shit
September 24, 2019
omg I was SO SCARED I WOULDN'T LIKE THIS WITH THAT ENDING??? Because i somehow thought it was a standalone??? But it's not and all is well but it also ended with a cliffhanger and it's killing me.
August 21, 2020
My second read of The Rise of Kyoshi had me crying. I definitely appreciated everything more the second time around. Also, I dare you to show me a better first kiss scene between two sapphic girls. I dare you.
Full review to follow.
February 20, 2021
Hrm. Hrm. Hrm.
Well this book began in a very interesting way, and then had a major lag near the middle, and then picked up again. I think it’s a solid entry in the ATLA spin-offs and I am definitely going to read the next installment. I wish it had kept up its quick pace the whole way through & I also wish the main antagonist had been just a pinch less mustache twirly, but definitely not a bad book.
Well this book began in a very interesting way, and then had a major lag near the middle, and then picked up again. I think it’s a solid entry in the ATLA spin-offs and I am definitely going to read the next installment. I wish it had kept up its quick pace the whole way through & I also wish the main antagonist had been just a pinch less mustache twirly, but definitely not a bad book.
March 28, 2023
I was dubious but, for a change, this tie-in novel lived up to the massive hype. If you like A:tLA and you like reading, this book is 100% for you.
November 7, 2020
CWs: death of loved ones, parental neglect, murder, violence, mentions of mass murder
Rep: East Asian-coded cast + world, bi/pan MC, wlw side character
It's official....Kyoshi is the best Avatar yet, change my mind!
4.5 ⭐
Damn this book has really raised my standards for YA fantasy. Being a huge fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, I was already going in with a healthy amount of bias but this book managed to exceed the already high expectations I had for it.
My Highlights:
✨ Kyoshi herself! - she's such a brilliant character with a fantastic arc. An unusually tall girl with brute strength who strikes fear everywhere she goes but in reality is just a deeply lonely girl looking for a family to call her own after her parents abandoned her as a kid. She suffers so much loss in this book but I love how she retains her core strength and sense of justice throughout all her trials. Watching Kyoshi slowly become the fearsome Avatar we all know her to be is a truly rewarding experience. Her character development was just amazing.
✨ I loved seeing how the author played around with the chosen one and the mentor tropes.
✨ This is a much darker story compared to The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra - it's about grief, betrayal, and how far you're willing to go for revenge. I mean Kyoshi literally joins a gang of criminals for her revenge quest. I appreciated how much this book felt like its own unique story while being set in a world familiar to fans of the TV series.
✨ Speaking of the world, I loved how the worldbuilding is expanded here - not only do we learn more about the lore and the Earth Kingdom but also about the relationships between the Four Nations and the politics involved (yes I'm a hoe for politics in my fantasies).
✨ Also the magic system! - I didn't think we'd get anything new in terms of the elemental bending but we did! I really liked how the book differentiated between the different types of bending that are possible - a more precise kind vs. the all-out powerful kind that Kyoshi prefers. The dust-stepping thing was so cool!
✨ The fight scenes were pretty great too - the way the elemental magic is used with the surrounding terrain in the fight scenes was so well done and made me really wish this was animated.
✨ I really like the themes of justice and ethics that are explored here - we get to see the fraught nature of the Earth Kingdom with its corrupt nobles and class disparities and how Kyoshi as the Avatar needs to navigate all that while grappling with her own need for personal revenge. The book also raises questions regarding the sacrifices that are required for the greater good - I loved seeing this kind of complex morality and just how much Kyoshi's sense of justice is tested.
✨ The villain was just fantastic! - it's so hard to create this kind of compelling, fascinating villain without relying on a sad backstory to gain sympathy but the author did it! I loved how complex he was and how he genuinely wanted a better future for the world - he just had iffy ways of going about it.
✨ Okay but with all that said.....the romance!!!! Kyoshi and Rangi are now my favorite YA fantasy couple. The tropes they served?? Friends-to-lovers, bodyguard trope, the serious/stoic and angry/overly emotional pairing. Their relationship felt so organic and I loved how protective they were of each other. I can only thank the author for blessing us with Kyoshi and her little spitfire of a girlfriend.
I have just a couple of gripes with the story:
📌 Some of the side characters, particularly Kirima and Wong, could have used a lot more development. But since most of the side characters are so incredibly well done, this is a very small complaint.
📌 The final confrontation with the villain was kinda underwhelming - not enough to ruin the story for me but definitely a little anticlimactic.
Overall, I'm in love with Kyoshi's origin story and I'm so excited to read the sequel! If you're a fan of The Last Airbender series, you owe it to yourself to read this book.
P.S: I also think it's possible to read this story as a newbie to the Avatar world, especially since this is a prequel. You just need to have a basic knowledge of the worldbuilding and the significance of the Avatar.
Rep: East Asian-coded cast + world, bi/pan MC, wlw side character
It's official....Kyoshi is the best Avatar yet, change my mind!
4.5 ⭐
Damn this book has really raised my standards for YA fantasy. Being a huge fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, I was already going in with a healthy amount of bias but this book managed to exceed the already high expectations I had for it.
My Highlights:
✨ Kyoshi herself! - she's such a brilliant character with a fantastic arc. An unusually tall girl with brute strength who strikes fear everywhere she goes but in reality is just a deeply lonely girl looking for a family to call her own after her parents abandoned her as a kid. She suffers so much loss in this book but I love how she retains her core strength and sense of justice throughout all her trials. Watching Kyoshi slowly become the fearsome Avatar we all know her to be is a truly rewarding experience. Her character development was just amazing.
✨ I loved seeing how the author played around with the chosen one and the mentor tropes.
✨ This is a much darker story compared to The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra - it's about grief, betrayal, and how far you're willing to go for revenge. I mean Kyoshi literally joins a gang of criminals for her revenge quest. I appreciated how much this book felt like its own unique story while being set in a world familiar to fans of the TV series.
✨ Speaking of the world, I loved how the worldbuilding is expanded here - not only do we learn more about the lore and the Earth Kingdom but also about the relationships between the Four Nations and the politics involved (yes I'm a hoe for politics in my fantasies).
✨ Also the magic system! - I didn't think we'd get anything new in terms of the elemental bending but we did! I really liked how the book differentiated between the different types of bending that are possible - a more precise kind vs. the all-out powerful kind that Kyoshi prefers. The dust-stepping thing was so cool!
✨ The fight scenes were pretty great too - the way the elemental magic is used with the surrounding terrain in the fight scenes was so well done and made me really wish this was animated.
✨ I really like the themes of justice and ethics that are explored here - we get to see the fraught nature of the Earth Kingdom with its corrupt nobles and class disparities and how Kyoshi as the Avatar needs to navigate all that while grappling with her own need for personal revenge. The book also raises questions regarding the sacrifices that are required for the greater good - I loved seeing this kind of complex morality and just how much Kyoshi's sense of justice is tested.
✨ The villain was just fantastic! - it's so hard to create this kind of compelling, fascinating villain without relying on a sad backstory to gain sympathy but the author did it! I loved how complex he was and how he genuinely wanted a better future for the world - he just had iffy ways of going about it.
✨ Okay but with all that said.....the romance!!!! Kyoshi and Rangi are now my favorite YA fantasy couple. The tropes they served?? Friends-to-lovers, bodyguard trope, the serious/stoic and angry/overly emotional pairing. Their relationship felt so organic and I loved how protective they were of each other. I can only thank the author for blessing us with Kyoshi and her little spitfire of a girlfriend.
I have just a couple of gripes with the story:
📌 Some of the side characters, particularly Kirima and Wong, could have used a lot more development. But since most of the side characters are so incredibly well done, this is a very small complaint.
📌 The final confrontation with the villain was kinda underwhelming - not enough to ruin the story for me but definitely a little anticlimactic.
Overall, I'm in love with Kyoshi's origin story and I'm so excited to read the sequel! If you're a fan of The Last Airbender series, you owe it to yourself to read this book.
P.S: I also think it's possible to read this story as a newbie to the Avatar world, especially since this is a prequel. You just need to have a basic knowledge of the worldbuilding and the significance of the Avatar.
March 25, 2023
5/5 ⭐
Yes, yes, yesssss
There's something about this Avatar universe that simply makes me utterly OBSESSED.
Maybe it's the adrenalin I get from all the schemes and fights, maybe the 5-year-old in me wanting to control elements is kicking her legs and screaming excited now, but what I know for sure is that I love this. The story is very well put together and the narrative is flowing nicely. The characters are accurate and there's always details there that simply keep everything tied together nicely.
Yes, yes, yesssss
There's something about this Avatar universe that simply makes me utterly OBSESSED.
Maybe it's the adrenalin I get from all the schemes and fights, maybe the 5-year-old in me wanting to control elements is kicking her legs and screaming excited now, but what I know for sure is that I love this. The story is very well put together and the narrative is flowing nicely. The characters are accurate and there's always details there that simply keep everything tied together nicely.
October 24, 2020
"Where you go, I go. Besides, there's only one bison, rocks-for-brains."
I actually finished reading it hours ago and was left in such an emotional turmoil that I simply wasn't in any condition to write anything.
I'm truly at a loss for words with this one. How the hell do I even TRY to convey all the emotions I'm feeling right now ??
With 442 pages, The Rise of Kyoshi tells the story of (you guessed it) Kyoshi, a simple servant girl from a small town called Yokoya, located somewhere deep in the Earth kingdom, on her journey to discover and then prove the legitimacy of her avatarhood. While she goes off on multiple adventures, she meets new friends, finds love (can I just say how friends-to-lovers is my absolute favorite trope EVER??), learns to accept her destiny, all the while trying to find and uphold justice.
The entire thing just felt SO nostalgic, AND YET it was pretty obvious that this time the writing style and the content were aimed at a more mature audience, unlike the Y7 rating of the comics and the shows.
As such, this book managed to appeal to BOTH the inner child in me (obsessing over ATLA and LOK since the year 2005) AND my current self (just my inner child wearing the skin of a grown-ass woman).
IT WAS EVERYTHING I WANTED IT TO BE AND THEN MORE!!!
I would definitely recommend this book to every living (and non-living) human being currently inhabiting planet Earth (and THEN spread the word across to other planets as well), and defend its honor with my life (not exaggerating at all.)
I actually finished reading it hours ago and was left in such an emotional turmoil that I simply wasn't in any condition to write anything.
I'm truly at a loss for words with this one. How the hell do I even TRY to convey all the emotions I'm feeling right now ??
With 442 pages, The Rise of Kyoshi tells the story of (you guessed it) Kyoshi, a simple servant girl from a small town called Yokoya, located somewhere deep in the Earth kingdom, on her journey to discover and then prove the legitimacy of her avatarhood. While she goes off on multiple adventures, she meets new friends, finds love (can I just say how friends-to-lovers is my absolute favorite trope EVER??), learns to accept her destiny, all the while trying to find and uphold justice.
The entire thing just felt SO nostalgic, AND YET it was pretty obvious that this time the writing style and the content were aimed at a more mature audience, unlike the Y7 rating of the comics and the shows.
As such, this book managed to appeal to BOTH the inner child in me (obsessing over ATLA and LOK since the year 2005) AND my current self (just my inner child wearing the skin of a grown-ass woman).
IT WAS EVERYTHING I WANTED IT TO BE AND THEN MORE!!!
I would definitely recommend this book to every living (and non-living) human being currently inhabiting planet Earth (and THEN spread the word across to other planets as well), and defend its honor with my life (not exaggerating at all.)
October 8, 2020
✨ 5 / 5 ✨
The Shadow of Kyoshi (book 2): 4 / 5
I read this as the group book for the ATLA readathon!!
Yun defended the world, and Rangi defended him, but as far as Kyoshi was concerned, her own sacred ground was marked by the limits where her friends stood. “This is what I need to keep safe above all else.”
I still didn’t know how to rate this before writing the review. My heart was telling me I had a 5⭐️ feeling but my brain was telling me this was more of a 4⭐️ objectively. But then my review got super long and solidified my 5 star feeling. This is not a perfect book by any means but I can’t deny this book made me the happiest I’d been in a while
Do I think you should read this is you’ve never seen Avatar? Probably not. It’s never clearly explained what the Avatar actually is and I don’t know if the dynamics between the four nations and the politics of the Earth Kingdom would make as much sense.
But if you’re an Avatar fan? This should be right up your alley! The book definitely has he ATLA vibe while being a bit darker to appeal to a YA audience (in the same vein as Legend of Korra).
I really enjoyed the plot. It was easy to follow and provided opportunities for some fun travelling on bison back (yes, hello, nostalgia is calling). I think it keeps the subtlety of ATLA in terms of levels of villainy/the different nations while introducing us to some pirates and brigands. I love that this time around it’s not so clear cut who the Avatar actually is and it’s not easy for Kyoshi to accept and grow into her role.
I really loved the antagonist and the conflict at the heart of this book but I have to say that the main confrontation we look forward to was a bit underwhelming. We do get some very intriguing revelations at the end of the book though.
“But now she understood. True hatred was knife-edged and certain. A scale that begged for perfect balance. Her only responsibility in this life, as far as she was concerned, was to even the weight.”
I love Kyoshi with my whole heart and she might be my favourite Avatar? She is used to downsize herself, try to blend in, be normal, be anything but special. She hasn’t had the easiest life, having to grow up on her own, abandoned by her parents, ignored but the townsfolk and bullied by their children. She despises her birth parents and is travelling the world with murder on her mind. She is an angry and vengeful Avatar and it makes so much sense as to how she ended up being the utilitarian icon we know from the show. I love and will protect my favourite tall lady with my life.
It’s always interesting to see which element the Avatar struggles with the most and even more so when it turned out Kyoshi struggles to control her own element. She is an extremely powerful bender but it’s hard for her to focus her power on a small scale. Moving the whole seafloor? Yeah, sure. Moving a pebble? Eh, not so much.
We also get to know why she has fans and where the makeup comes from! And it makes so much sense! I think F.C. Yee did a great job at taking all the key elements we know about Kyoshi and make them meaningful and give you that “duh, it couldn’t be any other way” feeling.
I also loved loved loved the different relationship dynamics she had in this book. While she resents her biological parents, she has found a father in Kelsang, an air nomad and previous companion of the Avatar. I loved him so much and their relationship was so precious.
“Hi, I’m the Avatar and I’m a bit in love with my best friends.” - Kyoshi, at some point probably. We love a bi/pan icon.
“Kyoshi tried one last time to growl in threat. Instead, the name came out like a dedication of thanks to the spirits for this fiery blessing of a girl.”
Rangi & Kyoshi make my heart so soft, I ship it and I love it. They had amazing interactions and you can see how much they care about each other. We don’t really see a build-up because they’ve been friends for a long time so the feelings have been there for a long while.
“Where you go I go.”
Rangi is fiercely loyal and they have the best dynamic of “we’re both idiots who rush into danger, we hate that but we still support each other”. I know that the next book is probably gonna give major angst and I can’t wait to suffer. Aha.
(also there was this one moment where they were training together and?? my heart gave a little leap. I love them so much.)
My main gripe (well, gripe is a strong wrong) with the book was the side characters. Kyoshi joins a group of four people and I only feel like two of them stand out to me. Lek was such an interesting character to me due to his feelings towards Kyoshi’s parents and the resentment she has towards them. That led them to have a very interesting dynamic. Then Lao Ge was probably one of the most intriguing characters of the Avatar universe. I can’t wait to see more of him and glean more information about him. I liked Kirima but she was definitely stronger in the second half of the book. Lastly, I didn’t dislike Wong but I didn’t feel like I knew him as a character.
The bending in this book was so different from what we see in the show! It is way more precise and delicate and I would love to see it animated because it seems so cool and unique.
I have to admit I was on the lookout for references to the original show(s) in this and I’m happy to report there are a few including two mentions of cabbages and what I think are hints to the existence of the White Lotus.
Overall this was super fun, hit me right in the feel and made me so happy and excited to read more of it.
You can also find me on Youtube & Twitter ✨
The Shadow of Kyoshi (book 2): 4 / 5
I read this as the group book for the ATLA readathon!!
Yun defended the world, and Rangi defended him, but as far as Kyoshi was concerned, her own sacred ground was marked by the limits where her friends stood. “This is what I need to keep safe above all else.”
I still didn’t know how to rate this before writing the review. My heart was telling me I had a 5⭐️ feeling but my brain was telling me this was more of a 4⭐️ objectively. But then my review got super long and solidified my 5 star feeling. This is not a perfect book by any means but I can’t deny this book made me the happiest I’d been in a while
Do I think you should read this is you’ve never seen Avatar? Probably not. It’s never clearly explained what the Avatar actually is and I don’t know if the dynamics between the four nations and the politics of the Earth Kingdom would make as much sense.
But if you’re an Avatar fan? This should be right up your alley! The book definitely has he ATLA vibe while being a bit darker to appeal to a YA audience (in the same vein as Legend of Korra).
I really enjoyed the plot. It was easy to follow and provided opportunities for some fun travelling on bison back (yes, hello, nostalgia is calling). I think it keeps the subtlety of ATLA in terms of levels of villainy/the different nations while introducing us to some pirates and brigands. I love that this time around it’s not so clear cut who the Avatar actually is and it’s not easy for Kyoshi to accept and grow into her role.
I really loved the antagonist and the conflict at the heart of this book but I have to say that the main confrontation we look forward to was a bit underwhelming. We do get some very intriguing revelations at the end of the book though.
“But now she understood. True hatred was knife-edged and certain. A scale that begged for perfect balance. Her only responsibility in this life, as far as she was concerned, was to even the weight.”
I love Kyoshi with my whole heart and she might be my favourite Avatar? She is used to downsize herself, try to blend in, be normal, be anything but special. She hasn’t had the easiest life, having to grow up on her own, abandoned by her parents, ignored but the townsfolk and bullied by their children. She despises her birth parents and is travelling the world with murder on her mind. She is an angry and vengeful Avatar and it makes so much sense as to how she ended up being the utilitarian icon we know from the show. I love and will protect my favourite tall lady with my life.
It’s always interesting to see which element the Avatar struggles with the most and even more so when it turned out Kyoshi struggles to control her own element. She is an extremely powerful bender but it’s hard for her to focus her power on a small scale. Moving the whole seafloor? Yeah, sure. Moving a pebble? Eh, not so much.
We also get to know why she has fans and where the makeup comes from! And it makes so much sense! I think F.C. Yee did a great job at taking all the key elements we know about Kyoshi and make them meaningful and give you that “duh, it couldn’t be any other way” feeling.
I also loved loved loved the different relationship dynamics she had in this book. While she resents her biological parents, she has found a father in Kelsang, an air nomad and previous companion of the Avatar. I loved him so much and their relationship was so precious.
“Hi, I’m the Avatar and I’m a bit in love with my best friends.” - Kyoshi, at some point probably. We love a bi/pan icon.
“Kyoshi tried one last time to growl in threat. Instead, the name came out like a dedication of thanks to the spirits for this fiery blessing of a girl.”
Rangi & Kyoshi make my heart so soft, I ship it and I love it. They had amazing interactions and you can see how much they care about each other. We don’t really see a build-up because they’ve been friends for a long time so the feelings have been there for a long while.
“Where you go I go.”
Rangi is fiercely loyal and they have the best dynamic of “we’re both idiots who rush into danger, we hate that but we still support each other”. I know that the next book is probably gonna give major angst and I can’t wait to suffer. Aha.
(also there was this one moment where they were training together and?? my heart gave a little leap. I love them so much.)
My main gripe (well, gripe is a strong wrong) with the book was the side characters. Kyoshi joins a group of four people and I only feel like two of them stand out to me. Lek was such an interesting character to me due to his feelings towards Kyoshi’s parents and the resentment she has towards them. That led them to have a very interesting dynamic. Then Lao Ge was probably one of the most intriguing characters of the Avatar universe. I can’t wait to see more of him and glean more information about him. I liked Kirima but she was definitely stronger in the second half of the book. Lastly, I didn’t dislike Wong but I didn’t feel like I knew him as a character.
The bending in this book was so different from what we see in the show! It is way more precise and delicate and I would love to see it animated because it seems so cool and unique.
I have to admit I was on the lookout for references to the original show(s) in this and I’m happy to report there are a few including two mentions of cabbages and what I think are hints to the existence of the White Lotus.
Overall this was super fun, hit me right in the feel and made me so happy and excited to read more of it.
You can also find me on Youtube & Twitter ✨
January 5, 2021
this is good sapphic content. i approve. please processed to add to your own tbr and read this precious book and then scream with me because HOW DARE YOU F.C. YEE?
August 18, 2019
More of a 2.5 stars to be perfectly honest. I wanted to love this since I grew up watching ATLA as a child, but I found myself not enjoying reading this. Near the middle to end of the novel, I found myself skimming quite a bit just to finish. I think I would have enjoyed if more if it was a graphic novel instead since I’m so used to seeing this world in animated or graphic novel form. The writing was nice; wasn’t awful or amazing. I wish the writing had memorable quotes or advice such as life, good vs evil or balance quotes that Avatar was known for. But nothing really stuck out for me. As for the characters, I found myself not caring for anyone at all. Of course I disliked the villain because he and the other bender masters kept comparing Kyoshi to Kuruk which pissed me off since she was her own person. But the obsession with Kuruk irritated me. So the villain at least was good enough to make me hate him, I guess? The plot, however, was still not that great though. Like how did you not know that Yun was not the Avatar for two years? He literally showed no bending ability outside of Earth for two years, or any spiritual connection without someone questioning it? Plus that ending was really rushed. It was maybe 10 pages long or something with the final battle.
Personally, I loved seeing the glimpses of Kyoshi in ATLA, but I just didn’t get the same feeling reading this book. I just didn’t care to get to know her better and had a hard time wanting to care for her or anyone else in the book. For other hardcore fans, they may appreciate a book that explores more into the Avatar world, but I’m just one of those people who believe series that are amazing, should just be left alone after ending. You can see that by the backlash for the sequel for Harry Potter, as well as the prequel movies. Most people believe they want their favorites books or movies to have more to them or to continue longer, but when it does happen, many fans find themselves sorely disappointed. I already know I’m one of those people which is one of the reasons why I don’t read sequels or prequels to popular books, graphic novels or shows. I feel that they just never hold up to the original. It’s why this and Korra never really held up to the same standard as ATLA did for me, but because I do love this show so much, I always want to see if it’s worth it. But for now, I think I’ll just stick to rewatching ATLA and listening to the beautiful soundtrack for the show.
Personally, I loved seeing the glimpses of Kyoshi in ATLA, but I just didn’t get the same feeling reading this book. I just didn’t care to get to know her better and had a hard time wanting to care for her or anyone else in the book. For other hardcore fans, they may appreciate a book that explores more into the Avatar world, but I’m just one of those people who believe series that are amazing, should just be left alone after ending. You can see that by the backlash for the sequel for Harry Potter, as well as the prequel movies. Most people believe they want their favorites books or movies to have more to them or to continue longer, but when it does happen, many fans find themselves sorely disappointed. I already know I’m one of those people which is one of the reasons why I don’t read sequels or prequels to popular books, graphic novels or shows. I feel that they just never hold up to the original. It’s why this and Korra never really held up to the same standard as ATLA did for me, but because I do love this show so much, I always want to see if it’s worth it. But for now, I think I’ll just stick to rewatching ATLA and listening to the beautiful soundtrack for the show.
December 13, 2019
I remember when this book was announced and all I thought was "Why." Now having DNFed this, I find myself feeling that same thing.
I DNFed this book on page 241. I'd maybe give it a 2.5 if I felt nice.
I have a lot of feelings about this; few are good, so pardon is I meander because I want to be as thorough as I can.
I don't see the point for this book at all. Avatar: The Last Airbender was never something I felt I needed an expanded universe for. The story was so complete within itself that I was satisfied with the story we got. I disliked Korra immensely, and that is 100% because of how poorly the plot and characters were written. This, too, left me feeling the same way Korra left me--as though I wasted my time.
The first fifty pages gripped me. Kyoshi intrigued me, the matters of the world were interesting, and the other characters showed promise. Then two hundred pages passed and I found the speck of lint on the floor more fascinating than this story.
Kyoshi's motivations behind her journey are OK, I guess. I really would have preferred this story to be about her as an Avatar, not her childhood and becoming the Avatar. We haven't gotten much about the Avatars as adults in this world, and this would have been the perfect opportunity for a gritty story to occur with such a dark, no-nonsense character. As it was, Kyoshi's character in this was lacking, to say the least. She was bland, wishy washy. She flip flopped between her choices. One second, she had a crush on one person, the next she said she considered them a sibling. There's no explanation given for nearly a hundred pages as to why she can't/won't bend Earth, and the reason for it is beyond stupid. We're led to believe that this mysterious journal she has that's been mentioned all of one time and noted that she has NEVER opened it, she somehow manages to read within a few minutes while fleeing danger. Not only that, but the way she reveals the mysterious pasts of her parents feels less like someone reciting stuff from a diary and more information she's known for years. There's no mention of her ever reading this book in detail, and yet she somehow knows all of the intricate stories within it, down to specific instances and pages. The chest of her mother's stuff, too, is briefly mentioned and lingered on just enough that you know it's important, but it's quickly shoved aside until later on. Kyoshi never makes a comment about how these things are at all important to her, and even when she is fleeing and dragging the chest across the ground, I was asking myself why as it was never explained what her attachment to these things were.
Conveniently, Kyoshi has access to a flying bison, like Aang did, and can hope around where she needs to without any need to explore the world of Avatar two hundred years ago. Aang was an Airbender. It made sense that he would have a flying bison since that was a cultural thing, but for Kyoshi to "inherit" one so conveniently so the story could move quicker seemed less like a plot point and more a lazy way to get her where the author wanted her to be without having the inconvenience of travelling across the ocean like she would have had to do.
As Kyoshi and her "gang" travel, we skip over towns and people with no explanation for where the characters are. Chapters skip time randomly, ending at awkward moments of questions and tension and picking up later in the day/week/month? with no explanation until later as to what happened back in the last chapter or why.
The villain, whose name escapes me and for the life of me I can't find mentioned in a single review I looked at on Goodreads, doesn't feel like a villain. He's not scary nor impressive. He's a poorly copied version of Ozai. Aang constantly runs around the world because Ozai has people looking everywhere for him. Kyoshi has the same exact story. She's running around the place, looking for benders to teach her--specifically ones that her enemy can't use to find her. Sure, she joins a ragtag group of marauders without caring much that these people have hurt the very people she's sworn to protect, but it's all for revenge, right?
Bending has been watered down to "and they waved their hands and water appeared." There has to be a better way to write about bending. It's not like it's the magic system for the entire series or anything, one of the very things that sets this whole franchise apart from other fantasy stories. People wave their hands, and stuff happens. One fire bending stance is constantly, obnoxiously, referred to throughout these pages, yet no other bending move has half a word devoted to its style or a name.
Even the Avatar State is watered down.
One super nit picky thing that bugged me. Hei Rin (Yun's firebending teacher) gets suddenly mentioned as a wealthy, gorgeous widow, and there's this whole weird exchange where she goes to some social function and guys flock to her, and for whatever reason the dialogue states that it is NOT OKAY for her to make boundaries with these people because these men would "just think she's flirting" anyway. You're telling me that a firebending master, a former teacher, and a supposed badass woman is not allowed to set boundaries or tell these men to leave her the hell alone because they won't bother? So she's just supposed to take their constant attention and grovelling? What an amazing message for young women to see.
Also, tall women are threatening every time they stand up. Apparently Kyoshi's a giantess because everyone makes fun of her height or thinks she's going to murder them, yet I remember in the show, she wasn't that much taller than Aang.
I'm going to stop my rant now. These extra books for the show aren't needed. Maybe a pretty art book or some cool maps with brief history of important events throughout the world, but full novels about characters that undermines or rips off it's own canon? No thank you.
I DNFed this book on page 241. I'd maybe give it a 2.5 if I felt nice.
I have a lot of feelings about this; few are good, so pardon is I meander because I want to be as thorough as I can.
I don't see the point for this book at all. Avatar: The Last Airbender was never something I felt I needed an expanded universe for. The story was so complete within itself that I was satisfied with the story we got. I disliked Korra immensely, and that is 100% because of how poorly the plot and characters were written. This, too, left me feeling the same way Korra left me--as though I wasted my time.
The first fifty pages gripped me. Kyoshi intrigued me, the matters of the world were interesting, and the other characters showed promise. Then two hundred pages passed and I found the speck of lint on the floor more fascinating than this story.
Kyoshi's motivations behind her journey are OK, I guess. I really would have preferred this story to be about her as an Avatar, not her childhood and becoming the Avatar. We haven't gotten much about the Avatars as adults in this world, and this would have been the perfect opportunity for a gritty story to occur with such a dark, no-nonsense character. As it was, Kyoshi's character in this was lacking, to say the least. She was bland, wishy washy. She flip flopped between her choices. One second, she had a crush on one person, the next she said she considered them a sibling. There's no explanation given for nearly a hundred pages as to why she can't/won't bend Earth, and the reason for it is beyond stupid. We're led to believe that this mysterious journal she has that's been mentioned all of one time and noted that she has NEVER opened it, she somehow manages to read within a few minutes while fleeing danger. Not only that, but the way she reveals the mysterious pasts of her parents feels less like someone reciting stuff from a diary and more information she's known for years. There's no mention of her ever reading this book in detail, and yet she somehow knows all of the intricate stories within it, down to specific instances and pages. The chest of her mother's stuff, too, is briefly mentioned and lingered on just enough that you know it's important, but it's quickly shoved aside until later on. Kyoshi never makes a comment about how these things are at all important to her, and even when she is fleeing and dragging the chest across the ground, I was asking myself why as it was never explained what her attachment to these things were.
Conveniently, Kyoshi has access to a flying bison, like Aang did, and can hope around where she needs to without any need to explore the world of Avatar two hundred years ago. Aang was an Airbender. It made sense that he would have a flying bison since that was a cultural thing, but for Kyoshi to "inherit" one so conveniently so the story could move quicker seemed less like a plot point and more a lazy way to get her where the author wanted her to be without having the inconvenience of travelling across the ocean like she would have had to do.
As Kyoshi and her "gang" travel, we skip over towns and people with no explanation for where the characters are. Chapters skip time randomly, ending at awkward moments of questions and tension and picking up later in the day/week/month? with no explanation until later as to what happened back in the last chapter or why.
The villain, whose name escapes me and for the life of me I can't find mentioned in a single review I looked at on Goodreads, doesn't feel like a villain. He's not scary nor impressive. He's a poorly copied version of Ozai. Aang constantly runs around the world because Ozai has people looking everywhere for him. Kyoshi has the same exact story. She's running around the place, looking for benders to teach her--specifically ones that her enemy can't use to find her. Sure, she joins a ragtag group of marauders without caring much that these people have hurt the very people she's sworn to protect, but it's all for revenge, right?
Bending has been watered down to "and they waved their hands and water appeared." There has to be a better way to write about bending. It's not like it's the magic system for the entire series or anything, one of the very things that sets this whole franchise apart from other fantasy stories. People wave their hands, and stuff happens. One fire bending stance is constantly, obnoxiously, referred to throughout these pages, yet no other bending move has half a word devoted to its style or a name.
Even the Avatar State is watered down.
One super nit picky thing that bugged me. Hei Rin (Yun's firebending teacher) gets suddenly mentioned as a wealthy, gorgeous widow, and there's this whole weird exchange where she goes to some social function and guys flock to her, and for whatever reason the dialogue states that it is NOT OKAY for her to make boundaries with these people because these men would "just think she's flirting" anyway. You're telling me that a firebending master, a former teacher, and a supposed badass woman is not allowed to set boundaries or tell these men to leave her the hell alone because they won't bother? So she's just supposed to take their constant attention and grovelling? What an amazing message for young women to see.
Also, tall women are threatening every time they stand up. Apparently Kyoshi's a giantess because everyone makes fun of her height or thinks she's going to murder them, yet I remember in the show, she wasn't that much taller than Aang.
I'm going to stop my rant now. These extra books for the show aren't needed. Maybe a pretty art book or some cool maps with brief history of important events throughout the world, but full novels about characters that undermines or rips off it's own canon? No thank you.
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