The Avatar series is one of my favorite animated series of all time. If you doubt me, take a good look at my blog ‘avatar’, which I’ve had since I first signed up for Cannonball Read; maybe a bit familiar, even if a little bit cropped?
So, of course, I’m a little excited to hear there will be a new installment to the series soon; pity it’s still quite a while away. And while I’ve tried the comics/graphic novels, they’re little less mature than I prefer, and I’ve decided that I’m not really the audience for those.
But these tie-in novels by FC Yee? These are great fun.
Kyoshi is the Earth Kingdom-born Avatar who existed in the Avatar Cycle two incarnations prior to Aang. And, as the TV show made clear, while not everyone loved Kyoshi, by Aang’s time, she’d definitely gained a reputation for being a ‘memetic badass’. You could say many things about Kyoshi, but she certainly was never seen as soft. Or shy. Or retiring.
But she didn’t start that way.
If you’re new to the lore, Kyoshi’s predecessor, Avatar Kuruk, died unexpectedly at a young age. His death left the four nations with a significant power vacuum, destabilizing a number of the nations. Like most Avatars, Kuruk traveled with a close group of friends—the Earthbender Jianzhu, the Air Nomad Kelsang, and his Firebending teacher, Hei-Ran. After Kuruk’s death, these three friends still held a great deal of prestige, leaving them perfectly positioned to help fill the gap left by their deceased friend—and to mentor the new Avatar. When they were eventually found.
“I taught Kuruk earthbending, but I didn’t teach him wisdom. I believe the world is still paying for my mistake in that regard”
It’s now sixteen years after Kuruk’s death, and what the trio had hoped for has come to pass: Jianzhu, Kelsang and Hei-Ran are all somewhat involved in teaching and guiding a young man who they think is the next Avatar. But it’s Jianzhu in particular who has really grabbed the reigns. Now Yun, the young man in question, is an absolutely prodigious earth bender—an insane talent. And sometimes, it seems he can bend the other elements. Sometimes. But in his rush to place himself as a companion to a second Avatar, Jianzhu, may have jumped the gun.
So, where does that leave Kyoshi? As a young girl abandoned by her Daofei (outlaw) parents, Kyoshi caught the attention of Kelsang, who took her under his wing. As a teenager, she works as a servant (and confidant) for the new ‘Avatar’-in-training, and is a close friend to Hei-Ran’s daughter, Rangi. While she’s lucky to have such friends, as a too-tall girl with very little finess in her bending, Kyoshi often feels that she can’t compare.
But then Yun invites her to come with them when dealing with The Fifth Nation pirates. And that’s when it’s very publicly revealed that the meek servant girl can do more than move mountains. Things quickly get ugly. And I mean it, it’s very ugly.
I think it’s best to view The Rise of Kyoshi and The Shadow of Kyoshi as two volumes of the same book. The first volume focuses on the horror-show of events that happen after Kyoshi is recognized as the Avatar, and follows her as she deals with bandits and learns to establish her own authority without relying on her former mentors. Who, for what will be some very obvious reasons, she no longer trusts. While The Shadow of Kyoshi does introduce a new subplot involving the Fire Nation rather than bandits, it continues with Kyoshi’s personal journey in deciding what kind of Avatar she wants to be. And of course, the horrific aftermath of the ‘false-Avatar’ incident.
Interestingly, in the midst of Kyoshi dealing with her personal conflicts, we also learn a lot more about Kuruk’s.
Lee really has gotten the tone spot on here; these books fit in perfectly well with the what The Legend of Korra was going for, but with a far better understanding of how to handle teenage relationships. The bond between Kyoshi and Rangi is one of the absolute highlights. Kyoshi’s rebellious nature helps Rangi break free of some of her mother’s restraints, while Rangi frequently tethers Kyoshi when her more impulsive and reckless instincts break in. Kyoshi has a strong sense of justice that does not always translate into a strong sense of common sense. Yun, too, is a wonderfully well drawn character; both charming and wickedly cunning, you really feel for him when things start crashing down.
These novels also fit seamlessly into a world that has already been solidly established in the TV series. But Lee has also added some very neat little subversions as well; who would have imagined, mere generations back, it was the Fire Nation that was the voice of reason? And it was renegade members of the Water tribe that were causing so much political upheaval? Not even the Air Nomads escape this; Kelsang’s backstory, in particular, was quite eye opening.
And I won’t give away too much here, but so was the story of Kyoshi’s mother.
The only complaint I’ve had here is that while the books can be very descriptive, they sometimes overdo it. Some small details are often over-explained, and the storytelling in some chapters falls into a more ‘tell, not show’ groove. I know the books are technically more young adult that anything else, but a little more trust in the reader when working out these small details and character motivations would have been preferred.
I’ve got some rather heavy books in my reading rotation right now, so these tie-in Avatar novels have been exactly what I need to give myself a break. Some great afternoon reads
For cbr17bingo, this is Family – I refer you back to the abandonment issues and the subplot with Kyoshi’s mother