Young Adult Fiction: The Storyteller by Traci Chee

It is finally here! The third book in Traci Chee's Sea of Ink and Gold series has arrived (though it says "Book Three of the Reader Trilogy on the cover...weird). The Storyteller is the much anticipated final installment in Chee's fast-paced epic tale of magic, war, loss, intrigue, and ultimately, the power of the written word. And as with any series, a huge spoiler alert must be issued for anyone who has not read the first two books.

The Situation: "Once there was, but it would not always be." This is how the story begins, with an entry from the Book that Sefia has come to regard with both reverence and suspicion, believing it to be both a guide and an enemy. She knows reading it can give her answers and let her see what she desperately wants to see. But the Book has a motive of its own, and what is written must always comes to pass. The story reads that a boy will command an army, turning the tide of the bloody Red War, but at the sacrifice of his own life. Sefia knows that boy is Archer, but the Book has already taken so much from her, she refuses to let it take him too. How will Sefia defeat fate, especially when the best tool at her disposal is the one thing she cannot trust. 

The Problem: After the completion of a few side quests, and once some of their friends are rescued from the enemy, Sefia reasons that she and Archer will be able to make it to a neutral island and ride out the end of the war. This way, the war happens, but Archer does not get involved, meaning he will get to live. Unfortunately, there is plenty that still stands in their way. The Alliance is fast-closing in on the Outlaws as it continues to claim the remaining kingdoms of Kelanna. If all five kingdoms fall, the Guard will rule all of Kelanna, and crews aboard ships like the Current of Faith will no longer be able to live the free life of exploration that they all cherish. Even worse, the Guard is the group of people responsible for the death of Sefia's father, and now they are after her too, as well as the Book. But even after the Guard, the Red War, and the Book, Sefia finds there is another force to contend with, and it has been with her the entire time.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a fantasy young adult novel that takes place in the fictional world of Kelanna, which is comprised of five kingdoms, each with its own industry, customs, people, and alliances. At the center of the story, once gain, are Sefia and Archer. While Sefia gets better at wielding her powers and continues to learn, she is also becomes more unsure of herself, and of what the Book shows her, while growing increasingly fearful of the future. And Archer may be a born fighter and killer, but his past is beginning to haunt him, and while he would love to share Sefia's vision of avoiding the war completely, he knows he would never be able to sit back and watch everyone else fight and die. Also returning to the story are Captain Cannek Reed and his crew aboard the Current of Faith, as well as Tanin and the rest of the Guard, who are still bent on finding Sefia and the Book as they attempt to bring all of Kelanna under their control. The power of the written word, and the importance of stories, remain a constant theme through to the end of this third book, as what is written must come to pass, and stories have the power to allow people to live forever. And something else The Storyteller looks at is the power of the reader: those of us who decide to pick up a book, for whatever reason, and explore what's inside. 

My Verdict: As expected, this book is a ride, pretty much from beginning to end. If the reader is not following Sefia as she teleports from land to sea, fighting off the Guard while also protecting Archer, then there is Captain Reed and his crew to keep up with, or Ed and his misadventures with his new ragtag group of friends. Despite everything going on, the book is very clearly leading to an epic conclusion involving a war. It is a conclusion that has been written, that no one can avoid, but that does not mean the characters, and also the reader for that matter, are any less surprised by what takes place before, during, or after. Chee is able to portray the feeling of knowing a certain outcome is coming, and still being completely unprepared when it happens. The beautiful scenery, imaginative lands, quirky and lovable characters, and uniquely powerful kingdoms are all wonderful and well-done, but it is that theme of fighting fate or destiny, and the futility of it, that makes The Storyteller the illustration it is. Sefia is fighting against words that are already written, but the written word is powerful, and it is made powerful by those that read them. 

Favorite Moment: When Ed, the Lonely King, decides to reclaim what is his at a crucial moment in the war.

Favorite Character: There are many wonderful characters in this trilogy. But for the previous two books, I picked Captain Reed, and I will do so again here. I had been wanting to see more of him since the first book, and The Storyteller has granted me my wish. 

Most Heartbreaking Moment: Okay, there are moments that are much more heartbreaking than this one, but I am choosing it anyway. Anyone who knows the feeling of trying their absolute best, only to fail anyway, will understand it:

"'He can't die. I can't let someone else die because I couldn't - because I wasn't strong enough to - because I  -'
Because I'm not enough." - Sefia facing the possibility of another one of her friends dying.

Recommended Reading: If you need more young adult fantasy in your life, I recommend Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, which will also be a series, with book #2 due to be out in early 2019.