Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC!

The book is written in a decidedly historical voice and pen. The author uses the language, technique and style that readers would find in such classics as Dickens, Collin’s, the Bronte’s and the like. It is almost lyrical and lovely to read.

The novel's world-building is set in the Regency Era and exudes an academic vibe, drawing readers into a captivating and immersive setting.

This is the start of a fantasy series that promises to be quite interesting and entertaining as the world building is original and the characters fleshed out.
This first novel is the introduction to the world and the characters. I enjoyed it even if a the language is quite XIX-like and it can be a bit too wordy at times.
I look forward to reading the next story, this one is recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I have been reading this story for 3 days and am only half way through. I am having difficulty engaging with the story and have very little idea about what is going on, Sorry but not for me.

I loved this book. Griffin's world-building and characters are so much fun to read and explore. I love the world that was created and the imagery that was used, which brought me right into the story. Shay is such a strong and dynamic main character, and I think it was a great read and I can't wait to see what comes next because Griffin has made me fall so in love with this world and the characters

This was a book that I could not put down. As a lover of fantasy books it is not too often that one comes along that is sufficiently different. This is one of those books. The world and the context are great. The characters are interesting and the story unfolds really well. I want to read more about the characters and this world.

Shay grew up in an orphanage, until a man came to pay for her indentured services when she was 15. She didn’t realize it, but focusing on her education was the start of training her to be a sentinel archivist. To be honest, the first part of the book was slow, and the early writing style reminded me of authors from another century, when a sentence could run on for an entire paragraph. Slowly, the story developed and more characters were introduced. I kept putting the book aside and going back later to continue reading, until things suddenly started taking off. I also had to keep reminding myself of how young Shay was, to explain her emotions and sometimes poor decision making. I know this is the beginning of a series, but I was never quite sure what a sentinel, seeker, and levitation were. There was a lot of foundation laid for the beginning of a series, and I think the next book in the series will build upon this introduction and be more enjoyable. I found I had a lot of questions about Shay’s parentage, the archivists, and the leviathans.

What first drew me to the book was the cover, I loved it. Another thing was it was described as a flintlock fantasy, which I had never heard of before. Thank you Panthe Press and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy; these are my honest opinions.

*ARC Review (NetGalley)* RATING: 3.5* (rounded up)

What I loved: Shay as a character is refreshingly human, governed by all the same emotions and drives as the rest of us: curiousity, fear, kindness, longing and overall a determination to craft her own future, in spite of the will of her benefactors!

The use of Shay as our narrator, where we experience the world and events from exclusively her perspective, means that we learn and grow as she does. This adds an edge of suspense and mystery, that can sometimes get lost in multi-POV narratives, and helps move the story along at a good pace.

The prose is gorgeous, and reminiscent of the greats, which is the highest praise I can give. It's not everyone's cup of tea, I know, but I love a author who takes their time to say something in the richest way possible!

What I didn't love: a lot of the book was spent of setting up the world and characters, which is fine, but it take make the plot drag at times, with not a lot of "conflict" or "threat" to move it along until the end. As it has likely become clear to many, I love a book with spice in it, even just a little sizzle between characters, and I did feel the lack of this (although the other relationships were a bright point). For those that want a zero spice/romance story, this is perfect, but I am always going to feel its lack - especially in a "regency style" story.

All in all, a good debut novel, and I look forward to continuing to delve into the Sentinel Archives in the rest of the series.

This is the first time I have ever DNF'd a book. I loved the deception of the book, and it started off interesting, and then started moving too slow, in my opinion. I got about 30% and had to call it as I was trying to read this book for over a week and wasn't getting anywhere. I felt like the author was too descriptive and focused on aspects that didn't seem important, making the story move slower than necessary. I still don't know what the FMC's purpose is at this point and who the Sentinals really are, and by the time I started getting a hint at some answers I had lost interest. I struggled to connect with the characters and decided it was better to stop and take a break.

I may go back to it, but it's not something I can get in to right now. I appreciate the opportunity given to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Seeker is a flintlock fantasy set in Regency era like world. It follows Shay Bluefaltlow in her journey from plucky orphan to plucky heroine. Shay is the books real strength. You root for her throughout and her inquisitive nature helps tease out the mysteries. The world building is good but definitely leaves you wanting more. My problems in the book lay in the pacing and the writing style. The pace does pick up in the back half but dragged a bit as a whole. The writing style definitely works for the world the author is creating but on occasion i found it added to the slowness of the book.

Overall i would recommend this to anyone interested in flintlock fantasies and i look forward to seeing where the story goes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Panthe Press for an ARC of this book.

This book had a unique opening. You don’t read too many first person books anymore so it was a refreshing change. I enjoyed the parts where it truly felt like Shay was talking to the reader and I would have liked more of that.

The mystery of the mysterious benefactor, including those who command Etherington continue and is what prompted me to keep reading. The beginning was a bit slow to me and was waiting for something to happen until we finally get to the letter Shay sends.

Sadly, I feel like I didn’t connect to many of the characters and would have loved to see more of Peck, as he was my favorite, and Jemima. I also felt like the flow could have been better as it felt like we were jumping around several different things of to try to connect the story. It could be the jumps in time or just what we’re focusing on at the time, but it was personally too much for me and made it harder to read since I was trying to figure out what was happening when.

Overall, I think the premise of the story was interesting but wished we saw more character development and the relationships Shay has with others, especially as she expresses that she’s very lonely. I didn’t like the whole idea of buying people for servitude and slavery with child labor thrown in. I knew early on my suspicions of Fenton and others that are further revealed later in the book, including Ridley and Etherington.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This debut Flintlock Fantasy by Samuel Griffin set in the Regency era, follows the story of Shay Bluefaltlow upon her arrival in the city of Fivedock, where she finds herself in training to become a Sentinel Archivist.

A war looms as ancient leviathans stir from their long slumber and their scent song marks where they might be found, but only to those with the means to somewhat hear it: Sentinel Archivists.

Although the beginning of this story was a little slow and disjointed at first, the pace quickens and the world building takes you on a wonderful fantastical and unique adventure written with beautiful language, well developed characters, stunningly strange character and place names such as Fivedock and The Whispering Coast and a magical storyline which encompasses everything from love, loss, betrayal, war and friendship.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and what a great debut novel. I am so looking forward to further books in this series.

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

Three and a half
This is such an amazing debut but sadly won’t be for everyone . The prose is so evocative but fair warning it’s very long winded and harks back to a different era . That being said it didn’t stop me eagerly turning the pages as the reader is taken on the journey that Shay finds herself undertaking .
Yes the first half is somewhat slow but the author is setting up his world. If you enjoyed Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell you will appreciate the curious ways of our heroine although as a reader I did find myself wanting to shake her because something was way too obvious . It’s also not a particularly light read and there’s loss here that for me felt callous and frankly brushed over . The author uses footnotes to entice the reader but honestly for me they added little particularly initially . There’s still a lot we don’t know about exactly why Shay was chosen although I have hopes for more answers in the next book . I think my final thoughts are that the cover art is gorgeous, the ideas unique and that this is the author’s first published work is absolutely astounding .
This voluntary take is of an advanced copy and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

You like fantasy novels more than I do. I promise you this is true. So why did I get a DRC of this title?

To see if there are cracks in my walls of resistance. And, well, I like this novel just fine. The ideas don't cause me to roll my eyes...the worldbuilding, in other words, does iits job with reasonable facility...but neither did the idea of an orphan-special-chosen-one meets scoobygroup cause me to get all excited. Executed well, or I'd've made tracks for the door; still, not the most energizing choice for this fantasy agnostic.

The faux-archaic tone, for some reason, hit me the right way. I was surprised by this, honestly because I usually find it arch and/or tedious. Author Griffin did a good job finding a middle ground between those unpleasant poles. As a result, I really enjoyed the read.

It moves slowly. The first half of the book is just not paced correctly, in that there were many times scenes went on way too long, and I was sorely tempted to shut the Kindle and move on to other things. That I didn't is honestly a little miracle. The Archivists kept me going. I wanted to know what the heck this was all connected to. But keep in mind I'm not a fantasy-novel reader as a rule. Maybe you fantasy aficionados will respond differently. Those who like the trend towards library- and archive-centered stories could, in particular, find something special.

Why I think you should give it a chance really boils down to that. You read the genre? Read widely! Wider than usual, for you "high-fantasy" folks. Much on a par for those who loved Susanna Clarke's magisterial Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Magic and fantasy, books and lore, people and quests, just belong together. Come get some more.

3.5 stars

Seeker is the first book in a new series following the adventures of Shay Bluefaltlow, an orphan originally sold to the surgeon Ridley but eventually becoming the assistant to archivist Penelope Etherington. Here Shay learns what her role will be concerning the return of the Sentinels - ancient guardians of the world .

There's a lot to unpack with this book and I'm sure that a lot of the storylines and character development will become clear in following novels in the series.

My only problems with this book is its extreme wordiness and the use of more complex language that, I presume, is meant to set it apart from English but ends up detracting from the plot. I confess to getting a bit lost several times trying to work out exactly what the author was trying to convey.

This is a purely personal point of view though and I'm aware that other readers will love the style.

Otherwise the plot is reasonably easy to follow and the start bodes well for future novels. I'm in two minds as to whether would read the rest of the series but I am intrigued as to what will happen to Shay next. I guarantee that fans of more historical series will enjoy it, despite it not being set in our history.

Thanks to Netgalley and Panthe Press for the advance review copy.

hank you to Netgalley and Panthe Press for the arc.

This was an interesting and unique debut that follows Shay, an orphaned teenage girl, through a regency style fantasy.

The language used by the author is exactly what you would imagine to be very true to this era, resulting in an atmospheric read. It was a little slow to get off the ground, but the slow world building does pay off in the second half. Shay was a relatable, believable character who navigates through her insecurities and fears in order to do what needs to be done.

One of the things I really loved was Shay's friendship with Peck, the parts where they were just being children were so well written and they made to story come alive.

Fantastic debut!

This story presents an interesting conundrum, one that must be explained before anyone can decide whether to give it a try or not. So, here it goes:
The book is written in a decidedly historical voice and pen. The author uses the language, technique and style that readers would find in such classics as Dickens, Collin’s, the Bronte’s and the like. It is almost lyrical and lovely to read. But, as with authors of earlier centuries, it can be longwinded, and what many modern day readers consider rambling. And that’s the crux. The authors of that day needed to write extensive descriptions and explanations because they lived in a world where that was the only way for readers to picture the story. In today’s flash-bang, internet immediate world, however, all those words are not necessary.

And that is where this book lands. There are so many words and so much to read that it is hard to find the actual story! Now, don’t get me wrong, the words and sentences are beautiful, often almost lyrical, but it can be a challenge to keep one’s attention long enough to actually find the story beneath! This is especially true throughout the first half of the book when all the aspects are being set up and the action hasn’t really occurred yet. Man, it was slow going! Even for one who appreciates the writing.

Still, if one can persevere, the actual story is a tremendously unique and creative one that has all the intrigue and twists one can hope for! From the creatures to the contraptions, to the actual people who populate this world, it is a feast. I would just recommend it for those who love to indulge in the written word just for the overall enjoyment of the experience , rather than those who like stories that progress at a mild or upbeat click.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Panthe Press for the opportunity to review this novel as an ARC.
Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. While I appreciate the flowery language and overall imagery used, the story was paced too slow and I could not adequately connect with the story or the characters to finish the story.
I will say that there were positive aspects. I did like Shay and her inquisitive nature. I also liked her nurturing nature with Puck. I do not have a lot of experience with Regency Era writing but I do recognize the skill and effort put forth in the world building and images used.
The italicized excerpts from journal entries were at times confusing and I had to look ahead to see who they were to understand their purpose.

"The Seeker" by Samuel Griffin, is a
flintlock fantasy. The narrative follows Shay Bluefaltlow, a young woman thrust into the arcane world of Sentinel Archivists, where she must navigate the complexities of forbidden knowledge and a society on the brink of war.

Shay's journey is one of self-discovery and resilience. Her character is etched with the nuances of vulnerability and determination, making her a relatable protagonist. The supporting cast, add depth and color to the tale, each with their own distinct personalities that challenge and complement Shay's own.

The book's problematic lies in its exploration of indentured servitude and the moral quandaries it presents. Griffin's prose flows with a fluidity that belies the weight of the story's themes.

In terms of critique, while the novel has a good world-building and character development, some readers may find the pacing uneven at times, with certain sections delving deep into the lore at the expense of narrative momentum.

Overall, "The Seeker" earns a solid 4out of 5 stars. It is a commendable debut that promises to leave readers both enchanted and reflective. Its few pacing issues are far outweighed by its strengths, making it a must-read for fans of flintlock fantasy and those yearning for a journey into a world rich with intrigue and wonder.

Thank you NetGalley and Panthe Press for the Arc. These opinions are my own.

Tis the year of leviathans in SFF. The Seeker is my second read to feature world-ending behemoths for collective horror and delight (first was The Tainted Cup).

Well, it takes a while for the beasties to arrive. Shay’s story ambles along on an ambiguous timeline, from an isolated orphanage to the sprawl of Fivedock and her mysterious duties to learn and assist, assigned by unknown patrons who seem to have her in mind for some higher purpose.

There's meticulous prose and an antiquated flavor which I enjoyed, and somehow it all winds up at the explosive ending. In retrospect, the chain of events becomes a bit clearer, but I still spent most of the book unsure where it was going and generally appreciating on a chapter by chapter basis. I often wondered, Why does this scene matter? It's nice and all, but why is this important? I’m steering clear of details because I’m not sure what all would be a spoiler.

Setting aside that ambiguity, the narrative sure knows how to set a scene and deliver ominous lines. The highlight for me was the last five chapters, which bring a welcome dose of purpose and action, and I’m curious to see how subsequent books build on that momentum.

**Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Shay Bluefaltlow lives in a war orphans' home in this unusual start of a series. It would equate to the Regency and Napoleonic period in our history but since it's what is described as a 'Flintlock Fantasy' it's in a similar time period in this world. Out of the blue, Shay is indentured to Ridley, a surgeon who lives far away (over the sea) in a city called Fivedock. She is not told what exactly she is indentured to do but she is told that she has a lot of studying to do and the surgeon starts her off on a heavy course of study. Ridley's house is small and compact but includes a room for Shay, the first time she has had such a luxury. The only other inhabitant is a small boy named Peck who does all of the household chores. We find out later on that Peck cannot hear or speak but he and Ridley use some signs to communicate, and he has been taught to read.
Shay likes to learn but she really wants to understand why she has been brought there and eventually she is introduced to the Sentinal Archivist who is responsible in this world to communicate with some creatures that are almost mythical but that are important to winning a many hundreds year war. Shay is to be her apprentice. There is much to like in this book but there is also a lot that the reader does not know and it's hard to figure out what is happening. The fact that Shay is lonely, and that loneliness helps her make some poor decisions is abundantly clear but there is still so much to figure out even at the end of the book. Hopefully, the next volume in this series will help clear up some of these questions.