The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee Review

 Title: The Rise of Kyoshi 

Author: F.C. Yee and Michael Dante DiMartino 

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult 

Genre: Fantasy 

Series: The Kyoshi Novels, book one 

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 

I bought this book and reviewed it. 

It’s no secret that one of my favorite cartoons/TV shows is Avatar: The Last Airbender, and I’ve been wanting to get my hands on the Kyoshi novels for months. I bought this book back on my birthday last year, and because of spoilers, I didn’t touch it for a while. My husband bought me the sequel for Christmas, and I decided once I was done with Vincent and Theo, I would finally dive in! Kyoshi is one of my favorite Avatars, if not the favorite, so I was really looking forward to learning more about her origins. This review is going to be spoiler free, given how I came across them when I first got the novel, but I will say that fandom Kyoshi and canon Kyoshi are two completely different animals. I loved how this book gave me a front-row seat to her growth as an Earthbender, and then later, an Avatar. Granted, if you watch the show before reading the novels, some of the story will be familiar. But I really adored Yee’s take on a young Kyoshi, and I really enjoyed its sequel, The Shadow of Kyoshi, which happens to be my next review. I felt like waiting for this was a good decision; it was very well-written, but there were times that I was so emotional I had to put it down and walk away for a while. 

Young Kyoshi us taken in by an Airbending monk after being orphaned, and for the most part, she prefers to stay out of the spotlight. Working as a servant girl on a wealthy master Earthbender, she just tries to stay out of the spotlight, despite the annoyance of her best friend, fierce and honorable Rangi, a Firebender. But Kyoshi’s whole world spins out of control with her father figure realizes that she could be The Avatar, bender of all four elements. This book begins in Kyoshi’s childhood, then follows her through her first years as the Avatar. Kyoshi was a really interesting character for me; even now, she’s not clean-cut in my mind. Yee’s characterization of her made for a really interesting crosssection and it gave new depth to one of my favorite pieces of television. Kyoshi has cemented her way to one of my favorite Avatars; she may be tied with Korra in my mind. I loved Rangi, Kyoshi’s bending masters, all distinct in their own way, and I loved the way a meek, quiet Earthbender came into her power as the Avatar in the most reluctant and unpleasant way; it gave stark contrast to her deeds, the wise and the foolish. I definitely feel a lot more sympathy for her now! The bottom line: Surprising, emotional, well-written, and satisfying, I loved The Rise of Kyoshi! I loved it so much, I started The Shadow of Kyoshi immediately after. Next on deck: The Shadow of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee and Michael Dante Dimartino!