The Wizard’s Daughter by Jeff Minerd
This YA novel is a steampunk adventure filled with deft airship handling, daring mid-air rescues, and the dauntless search for long-estranged family ties.
The Wizard’s Daughter (2018) is the second book in the SKY RIDERS OF ETHERIUM series, and I haven’t read the first, The Sailweaver’s Son, but nevertheless found this book a perfectly accessible entry point into the series. Our narrative follows Brieze, the adopted/apprenticed daughter of a wizard resident within the west-lying Kingdom of Spire.
Brieze’s still unmarried mother can’t obtain closure even sixteen years after the mysterious disappearance of her lost lover (Brieze’s biological father) who was from the Eastern City of Kyo (fictionalized Tokyo, steampunk-style). So, Brieze decides to board her invisible airship and embark on a journey across the world in search of her long-lost father. It’s a daring adventure in the best light, but she is, after all, a powerful wizard’s apprentice and a pretty mature young woman. So, nobody stands in her way, with the possible exception of her boyfriend Tak, who really wants to go along, but doesn’t get to.
Book 1
I don’t read steampunk, generally, but the airships and their detailed navigation are the highlights of this book. The airship journey part of this story is richly textured, exciting, and creditably executed. In fact, most of the drama of this narrative is bound up in airship piloting or mid-air monster confrontations, all of which story was fresh and well-imagined.
But it was also a little disappointing to find all of the drama bound up with the airships. The family story had potential, but ultimately it held little emotional strength. It wasn’t the best-loved part of this book and that shows. Ultimately, I had the sense Brieze would have sailed across the world by herself for the pure joy of it as much as to find her biological father she never knew.
Also — I’m sorry, but it must be said — Jeff Minerd’s cultural characterizations of this fictionalized Japan were definitely broad-brush and not especially nuanced. I cringed a little when a Kyo-born airship captain threw his arms around Brieze in an emotional display of affection after discovering her safety. Impetuous affection from a captain and virtual stranger? Not super likely. I’m not the imagination police and I’m not going to tell authors who can write about what semi-fictional geography. I’m just giving my opinion: Minerd, you can do better.
The Wizard’s Daughter was, however, an all-around fun read, and I would be pleased to see more from this author.
I wonder if the first book is about Brieze’s dad.
You can go to http://www.jeffminerd.com or Amazon for a description of his books plus read the reviews from other readers.
I have read both books by this author and feel his books are very refreshing. When reading the first book The Sailweaver’s Son I was on an emotional rollercoaster. With The Wizard’s Daughter we get to know Breize better and the mystery of who her father is. She is searching for him but also searching for who she is.
I highly disagree with this reviewers thoughts on this book. Breize was NOT a stranger to this captain as they spent many weeks together getting to know each other and formed a relationship. Almost a father-daughter type of relationship so it made total sense that this captain was relieved to find Breize was safe. Plus he had a responsibility to protect her since she was a Wizard’s Daughter.
Also the entire DRAMA was NOT only on the airship. Etherium, the under world and the city of Kyo all had plenty of drama.
Not to be a “reviewer police” but I guess this shows everyone brings their different experiences with them when they read a book and enjoy different things. If we all nit picked things from a book or movie for it’s realism, we’d never enjoy any of them. A good reader is one who can put reality aside and delve into the books descriptive imaginary world.
Laura; clearly you recommend this series. It looked like Taya enjoyed it a lot too.
ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!