I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Seeker by Veronica Rossi Series: Riders #2
Published by Tor Teen on May 16, 2017
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Source: the publisher
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When Daryn claimed she was seeing visions during her sophomore year of high school, no one believed the truth.
She wasn’t losing her mind; she was gaining the Sight—the ability to see the future. Daryn embraced her role as a Seeker. The work she did was important. She saved lives.
Until Sebastian.
Sebastian was her first—and worst—mistake.
Since the moment she inadvertently sealed him in a dark dimension with Samrael, the last surviving demon of the Kindred, guilt has plagued her. Daryn knows Sebastian is alive and waiting for help. It’s up to her to rescue him. But now that she needs the Sight more than ever to guide her, the visions have stopped.
Daryn must rely on instincts, intelligence, and blind faith to lead the riders who are counting on her in search of Sebastian. As they delve into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems and where Samrael is steadily amassing power, Daryn faces the ultimate test. Will she have to become evil to destroy evil?
The very fate of humankind may rest in the answer.
I really, really enjoyed Seeker. Honestly, I think I liked it better than Riders, which is weird to say because Riders was AMAZING! But Seeker really pulled me in and refused to let go until the very last page. The plot was incredible, as was the world – especially The Rift, which was such a weird, freaky place. I have no idea why, but it kinda made me think of Jumanji (the rain forest part of it)… Anyone else feel that way??
I loved having the multiple POV with Gideon and Daryn. Like I said in my Riders review, Gideon was an epic narrator. I loved his dry, sarcastic sense of humor and his hilarious one-liners! Daryn’s POV really balanced well with Gideon’s narration – she was more serious and logical, thinking things through rationally whenever she was able.
I totally shipped Gideon and Daryn, but even more so in Seeker than in Riders. They worked well together, and I loved the way they seemed to be two halves of a whole, almost completely in sync – yet able to disagree and still respect each other. They were perfection, basically.
I loved the friendship – the brotherhood – that formed between Gideon and Marcus, especially with how hostile they were towards each other in the beginning. Really, all four guys were amazing and their relationship was amazing. Their unbreakable bond/brotherhood was something I’d love to see more of in YA. I loved the way this book showed that guys and girls CAN just be friends (re: Daryn with Bas, Jode and Marcus) and that guys don’t HAVE to get all weird and territorial when one member of their group “snags the girl” (I hate that phrase, but it fits what I’m trying to say).
I really liked Cordero. Since it wasn’t her in book one, we didn’t TRULY get to know her. But in Seeker, we really got to know her character well. The criminal forensic psychology thing was intriguing (and something I’d love to do) and the whole “studying occult and paranormal phenomena” is was really epic! She reminds me of Topolsky (Julie Benz) in Roswell. On a similar note, I loved the government involvement – it was like all those conspiracy theories being proven right, haha! I also really liked Maia – she’s a badass sniper and I love it!
I don’t know why, but Samrael reminded me of Rhys – if Rhys were 100% pure evil and not a good guy. I was incredibly intrigued by his story and a bit sad by the way it ended, though not surprised in the least. It really made me want a third book told from his POV, to be honest.
Which leads me to… That ending! I couldn’t have asked for a better ending! It was perfect and made me tear up! I’m sad this isn’t going to be a trilogy, but I think it was perfect and I really loved the way Rossi wrapped things up. I don’t think it could have ended any other way.
Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it to those who are Rossi fans, and to anyone who loves stories about the apocalypse, etc. As someone who wasn’t a huge Rossi fan before this, I’m now eager to see what she does next!
Favorite Quotes:
“War has a sensitive tummy” — This was one of Gideon’s famous one-liners that I mentioned (above), but all jokes aside, it’s nice seeing a YA book address digestive issues – in this case, celiac disease. No one likes talking about this stuff because it’s “gross” and “taboo” but it’s also REAL and many people suffer from digestive issues. It needs to be shown in books more often, especially YA books, so teens don’t feel alone or weird for having these issues.