The second narrator, introduced in the fifth chapter, is Thanh-my favorite character in the book. Some of her biggest moments are shown through the eyes of another character, and, in this case, I actually found that to be a plus: her actions spoke volumes about her character, and I didn’t always need to hear her interior monologue to experience her growth over the course of the novel.
I was especially fascinated by her later in the story, when the introduction of other characters’ viewpoints makes many of her thoughts and actions inscrutable to the reader. I cared about what happened to her over the course of the novel, and when I finished I couldn’t stop wondering what was in her future.
She’s a character with a lot of depth, both mentally and emotionally, that seems to be sorely lacking in many teenage protagonists. I was pulled into the narrative early by the sincerity in Aranka’s voice, along with her intelligence and humor. When a member of J Company, a secret organization sworn to fight the Addin, comes to her aid, Aranka becomes part of a resistance fighting for the very soul of her people. She’s held as a prisoner by the Addin, who want to stop the reemergence of the Kyrrenei by any means necessary. When she and some of her classmates get pulled out of school, amid claims of a dangerous outbreak, Aranka discovers that she’s part of a new generation of the legendary Kyrrenei, an ancient race of people that was exterminated by their rivals, the Addin. The narrative starts with Aranka, a teenager whose inability to meld herself into what society expects makes her an outcast. Farnam creates characters that are flawed, full of emotion, and that invite the reader to consider the gravity of what’s at stake in the pages ahead. It’s this attention to detail on the level of characters that makes it easier to fall into the world of The Kyrennei. The core of what makes this novel is its focus on characters, and the way these characters’ stories feel so real. This is modern fantasy, with no vampires or werewolves or inane teenage romance, and it succeeds where so many similar books fail. The Soul and the Seed is a well-crafted tale, full of dynamic characters and showcasing some of the best aspects of fantasy literature: world building and meaningful social commentary by way of holding up a fantastical mirror to our own world.
Yes, there are elements that many would point to and say, ‘This is YA fiction,’ or, ‘This is another dystopia novel,’ but this novel transcends those labels. I guess I should start by saying: put aside any expectations you have about genre before reading this book. I’m not even sure where to start for this review, because there were so many things I enjoyed about this book. Arie Farnam’s The Soul and the Seed is a promising start to an exciting new fantasy series.
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